Switching from Premium Brand

[kittyh19834]

Hi guys,

I have recently been made redundant so am thinking of switching from our usual brand (Encore) to a supermarket brand, to start saving a bit of money - any ideas which ones are good. I like Encore because they don't bulk out with cereals/grains, but really need to save money

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Where, generally speaking, are you located?

 

[Kieka]

The Encore link you provided isn't cat food.

That aside, it would depend on the store brand you are looking at. The problem with going with a food of different quality or ingredients is that you might need to feed more or could have health ramifications that end up costing more. That said, there are some decent lower cost options out there. Premium labeling doesnt always equal superior quality food.

 

[catapault]

I feed two Fancy Feast classic pate style canned food - Turkey and Giblets also Tender Beef Feast. No carbs. Wal-Mart and Chewy's sell at 64 cents/can. I feed two cans per cat per day.

Let me suggest you do a gradual transition: feed mostly Encore and a little Fancy Feast for a few days, then less Encore/more FF, before mostly FF/little Encore then switching to FF only.

Cats seem to really like FF so you should not have a problem with the change.

And good wishes for finding a new job suitable to your expertise and with a comparable (if not better) salary.

 

[kittyh19834]

Hi everybody, thanks so much for your replies. This was the link I meant - Encore Pet Food - oops!

I am located in the UK. I like the idea of transitioning slowly as I don't want to upset his stomach.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

In the UK, I believe the Fancy Feast Classics are called Fancy Feast Gourmet, if it helps. There is also Sheba Pate. I wouldn't feed anything in the Fancy Feast area other than the Gourmets, but the Sheba cuts aren't too bad. Not sure which of the Encore line you are feeding (pouches, tins, etc., so it's hard to make suggestions. Also not sure what is available in the UK, but hopefully some UK members will be on here soon. @Columbine,do you know of any decent store brand foods in the UK not fill of grains?

 

[zoes]

I don't know any UK brands, but when I fed on a budget, I spent a lot of time scrutinizing the back of cheap cat food cans until I found one that looked a little bit better than the rest - more real meat, protein, less fillers and additives.

I also got big cans instead of small cans, and one of those silicone can lids. Each can lasts a couple days and are 50% cheaper for the same amount than buying small cans.

If your cat will eat it, you can also supplement with certain organ meats (do your research - my cats wouldn't eat them and I've forgotten which ones are good for them) that may be cheaper than cat food.