Catfooddb Best Dry And Wet Food

[zoocat]

I really love this resource to get information on all the cat food brands. http://catfooddb.com
However, I looked at their section on Top 12 dry and top 12 wet cat foods—updated 2018. There were some glaring inconsistencies with what they stated as criteria and what they listed as the top foods. For the wet food they very clearly stated all were either 9 or 10 paws but their #10 pick was of all things Purina One grain free classic turkey with 5 paws! The ingredients certainly aren’t bad but no way is this a top 10 wet food out of the hundreds they cover. And for the dry, they clearly state that “freeze dried” would be eliminated for this ranking but #1 and #2 were freeze dried as was #6 and #7. Those things tend to make me question the reliability of the reviews. But regardless, it is a useful site.

 

[2BSH]

I also noticed their carbohydrate numbers are wrong. I don’t look At that site anymore bc of that.

 

[lalagimp]

Is there a reason your link goes directly to a Farmina product?
I don't see you mentioning it in your post.

 

[KarenKat]

2BSH , What did you check their carb values against? Was it from the manufacturer or is there another resource you use?

 

[2BSH]

2BSH , What did you check their carb values against? Was it from the manufacturer or is there another resource you use?

The manufacturer. They were wayyyyy off on a number of foods. So what’s the use you know?

 

[2BSH]

2BSH , What did you check their carb values against? Was it from the manufacturer or is there another resource you use?

For example all the merrick purrfect bistro pates are extremely low in carbs. I emailed merrick and they sent me a list of dry matter carbs and they are all under 8%. Many as low as under 5%. I think I posted it in a thread. If you look on cat food database they are all listed as 20 to 25% carbs. That’s a huge huge difference. That could sway someone with a diabetic cat or someone looking to feed low carb ( such as myself) away from a very decent, really low carbohydrate food.

 

[zoocat]

Is there a reason your link goes directly to a Farmina product?
I don't see you mentioning it in your post.

I thought I fixed it so it would just go to the main page—sorry. Farmina was just the food I was looking at when I copied the site address.

 

[lalagimp]

I thought I fixed it so it would just go to the main page—sorry. Farmina was just the food I was looking at when I copied the site address.

ahhhh. Farmina is hiring on Craiglist in DC for Brand Ambassadors, but I don't think I could push it on cat parents for $14 an hour. Cats don't need fruits and veggies.

 

[Azazel]

For example all the merrick purrfect bistro pates are extremely low in carbs. I emailed merrick and they sent me a list of dry matter carbs and they are all under 8%. Many as low as under 5%. I think I posted it in a thread. If you look on cat food database they are all listed as 20 to 25% carbs. That’s a huge huge difference. That could sway someone with a diabetic cat or someone looking to feed low carb ( such as myself) away from a very decent, really low carbohydrate food.

You’re confusing 2 different methods of presenting nutrient values. The carb values on catfooddb are percentage per 100 grams of calories, not dry matter basis. Nutritionists often recommend looking at nutrients as a percentage of calories. The values on catfooddb are correct based on the information that companies provide consumers.

When we say cats should have less than 5-10% carbs in their diet, we refer to carbs as a percentage of calories, where the bulk of the calories are from protein.

 

[2BSH]

You’re confusing 2 different methods of presenting nutrient values. The carb values on catfooddb are percentage per 100 grams of calories, not dry matter basis. Nutritionists often recommend looking at nutrients as a percentage of calories. The values on catfooddb are correct based on the information that companies provide consumers.

When we say cats should have less than 5-10% carbs in their diet, we refer to carbs as a percentage of calories, where the bulk of the calories are from protein.

I don’t know if you’re right if you are it’s not the way I think about carbs in cat food. Also I think the cat food composition chart that is on cat info also presents all values as percentage of calories and those values are more in line with what the manufacturer has for dry matter carbs.
Also the merrick chicken pate has 2% dry matter carbs how on earth is that 27% of calories is beyond me. So it doesn’t make sense.
Another example is the nutro minced chicken which has 25% dry matter carbs according to manufacturer. No matter how you slice it there is no way that’s 5.6% of calories as stated on cat food database. Those two foods have roughly the same amount of calories per 100grams of food. So something is not right there. Therefore I can’t look at it as a reliable source of information.

 

[Azazel]

I don’t know if you’re right if you are it’s not the way I think about carbs in cat food. Also I think the cat food composition chart that is on cat info also presents all values as percentage of calories and those values are more in line with what the manufacturer has for dry matter carbs.
Also the merrick chicken pate has 2% dry matter carbs how on earth is that 27% of calories is beyond me. So it doesn’t make sense.
Another example is the nutro minced chicken which has 25% dry matter carbs according to manufacturer. No matter how you slice it there is no way that’s 5.6% of calories as stated on cat food database. Those two foods have roughly the same amount of calories per 100grams of food. So something is not right there. Therefore I can’t look at it as a reliable source of information.

Well I haven’t verified every value on catfooddb and many could be wrong or not updated. The ones I have looked at have always been roughly right compared to my own calculations.

I’m surprised that all of these manufacturers are listing dry matter carbs? Where are you finding these values? Or did you contact them?

 

[2BSH]

Well I haven’t verified every value on catfooddb and many could be wrong or not updated. The ones I have looked at have always been roughly right compared to my own calculations.

I’m surprised that all of these manufacturers are listing dry matter carbs? Where are you finding these values? Or did you contact them?

I contacted the manufacturer after finding so much conflicting information..
I’m glad you find the site helpful but merrick and nutro are two pretty mainstream brands and for them to be so off on them I just can’t believe anything else. It’s not like those are some obscure brands. Doesn’t work for me.

 

[Azazel]

I contacted the manufacturer after finding so much conflicting information..
I’m glad you find the site helpful but merrick and nutro are two pretty mainstream brands and for them to be so off on them I just can’t believe anything else. It’s not like those are some obscure brands. Doesn’t work for me.

I think catfooddb goes off of what’s presented on the label for most brands, so it may actually be the case that what’s presented to customers is quite different from actual values for those 2 brands.

Another possibility is that Merrick changed its ingredients and catfooddb hasn’t been updated. When I calculate the percentage of calories per carbs for the Merrick chicken pate based on their as-fed values I get 12% carbs (catfooddb lists it as 15%).

 

[2BSH]

 

[KarenKat]

When did you send the email? As a spotcheck I looked at the chicken Pate and the catfooddb.com information is from June 25, 2017.

 

[KarenKat]

Also, catfooddb.com lists that they get the info from the product website, but that doesn’t explain where the carb numbers come from. I never see that listed on the product sites. It looks like they just subtract the protein, fiber, fat, ash and moisture from 100% and assume the remainder is carbs? If the remainder is not carbs, what else is taking up a significant amount of the food?

And if so, 2BSH , does your discrepancies show that carbs are always overestimated and the catfooddb?

 

[2BSH]

When did you send the email? As a spotcheck I looked at the chicken Pate and the catfooddb.com information is from June 25, 2017.

This past may.

 

[2BSH]

Also, catfooddb.com lists that they get the info from the product website, but that doesn’t explain where the carb numbers come from. I never see that listed on the product sites. It looks like they just subtract the protein, fiber, fat, ash and moisture from 100% and assume the remainder is carbs? If the remainder is not carbs, what else is taking up a significant amount of the food?

And if so, 2BSH , does your discrepancies show that carbs are always overestimated and the catfooddb?

Yes. The carbs are the major discrepancy. I agree with you. I think they base those numbers on what’s presented but that’s not accurate information. I can do the math myself it does not mean it’s the actual values. I tend to go more by the chart on cat info.org. I find those to be accurate and I trust that information much much more.

 

[KarenKat]

Most of my brands aren’t listed there

Guess I’ll be emailing and let you know what I find.

 

[Azazel]

Honestly, this is an issue with manufacturers not catfooddb. I’m aware when using catfooddb that their values are based on info available and are only rough estimates. I would rather overestimate than underestimate. The fact that you have to contact companies for correct information is what’s absurd. I don’t purchase from any company that doesn’t list accurate values on their website.