Please share your good ingredient dry food recs!

[txcatlover94]

Looking to switch foods and would love some recommendations! (I'm sure this is a topic well covered here, so apologies for the repeat question!)

Our three cats are currently eating a Purina Pro Plan dry food and I really would like to get them on something better. I know wet food is preferable and I'm going to try to get them on that but at the moment they really prefer dry so I'm looking for something better for them while I work on finding a wet food they'll eat (and also in case they never do accept wet). It needs to be a brand that uses quality ingredients and is low in carbs.

Also, while at the moment I mostly need dry food recs, if anyone has recommendations for wet food that your usually picky cat loves, I would really appreciate those as well!

Thanks in advance!

 

[maggie101]

I don't know about dry food but weruva and fancy feast classics is popular. The longer cats are on dry,the harder to switch to wet so start by slowly mixing wet in

 

[txcatlover94]

I don't know about dry food but weruva and fancy feast classics is popular. The longer cats are on dry,the harder to switch to wet so start by slowly mixing wet in

Thanks! We've used Weruva in the past but none of our current cats really like it. And yes, I know about it being hard! We tried to get them on wet food when they were kittens but they've never liked it.

 

[maggie101]

Thanks! We've used Weruva in the past but none of our current cats really like it. And yes, I know about it being hard! We tried to get them on wet food when they were kittens but they've never liked it.

I use toppers like freeze dried treatsor orijen treats. They mis the crunchy part

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Blue and Halo have decent kibble

For canned, you might consider Mouser

 

[MeezeIfYouPlz]

We use Nulo brand food for both the cats and dogs. The cats are currently eating the turkey and duck grain-free formula because it an "all life stages" food and we have a kitten. It's expensive food but our pets have done absolutely wonderful on it - good weights, beautiful fur and bright eyes, plenty of energy and good solid s. They also have a variety of wet foods.

 

[txcatlover94]

I use toppers like freeze dried treatsor orijen treats. They mis the crunchy part

Thank you! I forget about freeze dried treats because I had a cat who wouldn't have even touched those but I wonder if our current cats would.

 

[txcatlover94]

Hi! Blue and Halo have decent kibble

For canned, you might consider Mouser

I'll look into those, thank you!

 

[txcatlover94]

We use Nulo brand food for both the cats and dogs. The cats are currently eating the turkey and duck grain-free formula because it an "all life stages" food and we have a kitten. It's expensive food but our pets have done absolutely wonderful on it - good weights, beautiful fur and bright eyes, plenty of energy and good solid s. They also have a variety of wet foods.

Great, I'll look into that - thank you!

 

[Alldara]

Looking to switch foods and would love some recommendations! (I'm sure this is a topic well covered here, so apologies for the repeat question!)

Our three cats are currently eating a Purina Pro Plan dry food and I really would like to get them on something better. I know wet food is preferable and I'm going to try to get them on that but at the moment they really prefer dry so I'm looking for something better for them while I work on finding a wet food they'll eat (and also in case they never do accept wet). It needs to be a brand that uses quality ingredients and is low in carbs.

Also, while at the moment I mostly need dry food recs, if anyone has recommendations for wet food that your usually picky cat loves, I would really appreciate those as well!

Thanks in advance!

Personally, Purina Pro Plan is good. They recently changed their formulas after finishing one of the only longitudinal studies on healthy cats and food. The Prime Plus wet food is also great.

My cats had good fur quality and bathroom habits and I would still have them on it if Magnus wasn't allergic to beef (beef fat in all their foods).

Most cat food studies are done on cats with health issues and are relevant only to the issue the group of cats with those issues. The studies are focused usually on symptom management or prevention and in some cases that creates pronged life. Most of what people say about what is healthy is simply what they believe to be healthy and there are many debates.

If they have good energy levels, good fur quality, bright eyes and your vet hasn't said to change their food, don't bother with the stress of it. Commercial foods are part of what has extended cats life spans upwards past 10 years.

Definitely focus on adding in some wet food when you can. Even if it's just 1/2 can each per day as your budget will allow, with extra water added. A full can is even better (half in AM, half in PM).

 

[Antonio65]

I feed my cats Orijen dry food.
It's high quality proteins and ingredients, and grain free. My cats really like it.

 

[txcatlover94]

I feed my cats Orijen dry food.
It's high quality proteins and ingredients, and grain free. My cats really like it.

Great, thank you!

 

[txcatlover94]

Personally, Purina Pro Plan is good. They recently changed their formulas after finishing one of the only longitudinal studies on healthy cats and food. The Prime Plus wet food is also great.

My cats had good fur quality and bathroom habits and I would still have them on it if Magnus wasn't allergic to beef (beef fat in all their foods).

Most cat food studies are done on cats with health issues and are relevant only to the issue the group of cats with those issues. The studies are focused usually on symptom management or prevention and in some cases that creates pronged life. Most of what people say about what is healthy is simply what they believe to be healthy and there are many debates.

If they have good energy levels, good fur quality, bright eyes and your vet hasn't said to change their food, don't bother with the stress of it. Commercial foods are part of what has extended cats life spans upwards past 10 years.

Definitely focus on adding in some wet food when you can. Even if it's just 1/2 can each per day as your budget will allow, with extra water added. A full can is even better (half in AM, half in PM).

Thanks so much for your input!

I don't think it's the worst food out there but it does have extra ingredients I don't think our kitties (meaning mine specifically - not everyone elses ) need like corn gluten meal, oat meal, and rice to name a few. And since our cats are currently only eating dry food, I think it's especially important to have them on a better-ingredient food.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people who think your cat should only be on the best of the best or else they'll have problems. I do think food can certainly play a role in some cats' health issues but also I've known extremely healthy and long-living cats who lived on a diet of Friskies! That said, for me personally, at least until they start eating more wet food, I would like them on a better-quality food with less unnecessary ingredients.

 

[BoaztheAdventureCat]

Looking to switch foods and would love some recommendations! (I'm sure this is a topic well covered here, so apologies for the repeat question!)

Our three cats are currently eating a Purina Pro Plan dry food and I really would like to get them on something better. I know wet food is preferable and I'm going to try to get them on that but at the moment they really prefer dry so I'm looking for something better for them while I work on finding a wet food they'll eat (and also in case they never do accept wet). It needs to be a brand that uses quality ingredients and is low in carbs.

Also, while at the moment I mostly need dry food recs, if anyone has recommendations for wet food that your usually picky cat loves, I would really appreciate those as well!

Thanks in advance!

I'm sorry I don't have a better recommendation for you, but no dry food is good for cats. Dry food only causes health problems down the road and no benefits. I'm not speaking from the perspective of a vet, so take my words with a grain of salt. I personally don't think you should concern yourself with whether or not your cats will ever "accept" anything other than dry food. Who's controlling your life- you or your cats? I would say just start transitioning them to wet food now, mixing a small amount of wet food in with the dry food and work your way up.

Don't do just any wet food, though. Human-grade wet food is good, and human-grade raw is even better. Any pet food that's not human-grade will have its share of bad ingredients, such as excess carbohydrates and parts of diseased or euthanized animals.

 

[Alldara]

Thanks so much for your input!

I don't think it's the worst food out there but it does have extra ingredients I don't think our kitties (meaning mine specifically - not everyone elses ) need like corn gluten meal, oat meal, and rice to name a few. And since our cats are currently only eating dry food, I think it's especially important to have them on a better-ingredient food.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people who think your cat should only be on the best of the best or else they'll have problems. I do think food can certainly play a role in some cats' health issues but also I've known extremely healthy and long-living cats who lived on a diet of Friskies! That said, for me personally, at least until they start eating more wet food, I would like them on a better-quality food with less unnecessary ingredients.

That's totally fair. It's hard to know though what each individual considers to be "extra ingredients". For some that means things like rice and wheat. For others that includes things peas, corn, carrots, and even things like meat meals (which some people consider necessary) etc. Grain free usually just means supplimented with potato and pea flour, which is also not great for cats. I stick with rice personally, because it's in easy-to-digest foods for cats so isn't too bad.

I could recommend Arcana, but I've known even young cats that have trouble with the high protein. Mine like it though. Surprisingly, the cats I've known like this developed kidney issues later in life even on a mostly wet diet.

I no longer recommend Wellness, though it's considered a higher quality brand, same with Fromm if you're in Canada.

Go and Now come highly recommended; my cat and late cat didn't like them. Those may be Canada only brands. Orijen is good but again, it's even higher protein then Arcana so the same issue could happen.

My late cat liked Stella and Chewys freeze dried and FreshPet 'kibbles'.

I am also a fan of Instinct, but again, high protein causes issues for some cats. The boys didnt like the freeze dried peices in it.

 

[lisahe]

Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein dry chicken food truly is low-carb. The are no carby fillers so the dry matter carbs are only 2.77%. (Here's their chart.) We use Dr. E's as a topper and treat for one of our cats. It's very calorie-dense.

Do note that Dr. E's other dry foods have chickpeas.

 

[maggie101]

Thanks! We've used Weruva in the past but none of our current cats really like it. And yes, I know about it being hard! We tried to get them on wet food when they were kittens but they've never liked it.

Weruva chicken Frick a zee all my cats come running over as soon as I open a can

 

[OopsyDaisy]

My cats like Acana Bountiful Catch kibble. I mix with Fancy Feast Grilled Chicken. Both are doing well on it.

 

[Antonio65]

My cats like Acana Bountiful Catch kibble. I mix with Fancy Feast Grilled Chicken. Both are doing well on it.

My cats eat Orijen, and Acana are manufactured by the same brand.

 

[Morpheus1967]

Another one here who uses Orijen.