We've been all through this. Whiskas is NOT "terrible food." It's not the best, probably, but there's no reason to expect that your cat could eat it his whole life and not be reasonably healthy. No cat food company is in the business of killing their customers, and to assume otherwise is just crazy.
That said, much of the pet food industry uses leftovers from other industries. This may come as a shock, but that's true even of the high-priced, premium brands. But there is a wide range of qualities and sources of the stuff used in the foods.
My brother has two cats who are well into their dotage (15+ years), and the BEST they've ever eaten is Purina Cat Chow. Often they've eaten the cheapest store brand. One has been to the vet exactly once, to be spayed. The other has been twice, to be spayed, and for an impacted anal gland.
There is a lot of great advice here about quality food, but I don't think it should include a guilt trip about what people are feeding their cats.
That said, much of the pet food industry uses leftovers from other industries. This may come as a shock, but that's true even of the high-priced, premium brands. But there is a wide range of qualities and sources of the stuff used in the foods.
My brother has two cats who are well into their dotage (15+ years), and the BEST they've ever eaten is Purina Cat Chow. Often they've eaten the cheapest store brand. One has been to the vet exactly once, to be spayed. The other has been twice, to be spayed, and for an impacted anal gland.
There is a lot of great advice here about quality food, but I don't think it should include a guilt trip about what people are feeding their cats.
