ive been feeding my cats purina is there something better than that i dont feel like its the best for my cats amd is wet food bad for them i only want the best for my babies
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ive been feeding my cats purina is there something better than that i dont feel like its the best for my cats amd is wet food bad for them i only want the best for my babies
In my opinion, cats should be fed both dry and canned food every day. Many cats don't drink enough water so the canned will help give them the added moisture that they need. I also believe in feeding cats grain free food. There are many different brands and price ranges now. I currectly feed my cats Merrick's Before Grain Chicken dry and Wellness grain free chicken & turkey canned food. Good luck with your search.:)
I feed primarily wet food and I should give up giving them dry. Go to this vet's website for why cats should not be fed dry food. Even the cheapest canned is better than the most expensive dry food. www.catinfo.org This is my bible for cat care!
Cat's definitely should have a balance of wet and dry. Wet food, in my understanding is better for them than dry.
As for types though, honestly, the whole thing just gets me confused. I feel like there are strong opinions out there about certain ingredients and such, but no proof. I will be getting cats soon and I have no idea what kind of food I will end up feeding them. My old cat lived to 19 years old on no particular cat food - Just whatever was on sale. She was very healthy her entire life. So a part of me is sceptical about what some people say about cat food ingredients.
It's hard because people will say their cat developed a problem from their food, which could very well be true, but it doesn't mean all cats will get sick from the cheaper foods out there. Every cat is different, just like humans. Not all humans can eat the same foods due to allergies or intolerances. Cats, I think are much the same.
My cats are on Purina One dry (which is what we feed at the shelter where I volunteer) and Friskies wet (1/8 of a can each day). I'm sure there is better food out there for them, but they are happy, healthy and are maintaining good weight. I will not change it unless I have to.
My Cats are on Purina One Dry, and Canned.
Scrappy Two insists on Whiskas Pouches, and they love the Science Diet, especially Jo Jo the Wonder Kitten:love::love::love:
This is a question that there is no one simple answer to. The best I can recommend is do research on not only cat nutrition but how to properly read cat food labels. Then you can make a choice that is right for you and your cat.
This is absolutely true. Just because one diet works for one cat DOES NOT mean it will yield the same results for another. Every cat is different!Quote:
Originally Posted by CrazyCat
I think that's like asking what is the best food for humans - there's no one right answer. As has been pointed out, cats are as individual as humans; what works for one might not work for another. Years ago, I had two cats, both adopted as kittens only a year apart; both had the same access to the same food - grocery-store food was all that was available back then. Cassandra lived to nearly 17, and Kalli made it almost to 20. That proves to me that someone who posted on another site that "grocery store food will kill your cat" wasn't really right.
A few years ago, I did change my current cats' food to grain-free (Taste of the Wild), and I have noticed that Mordred is a bit more active; however, he did NOT lose weight on it, which some people claim will happen. I also feed him some Dave's canned cat food (half a small can) in the evening; Althea gets a quarter of a tuna-sized can of Merrick's, and the outdoor cats (Smokey and Shadow) split a can of Fancy Feast.
My advice is to just do the best you can. Any food that has the AAFCO label has all the nutrients a cat needs; the difference in price reflects that fact that the higher-priced food has higher quality ingredients.
You can learn a bit about cats foods by reading ratings like this page offers:
http://www.petfoodratings.net/cattable.html
A 'good' food is going to be close to their natural diet. Cats are obligate carnivores; which means they get their nutrition from protein. So there is not point in feeding them grains which they can't digest, these are just fillers. Even fruits and vegetables offer little to an obligate carnivore. Surprisingly, cats are not very efficient so they need large amounts of protein; and their poops are still high in protein which is part of why dogs find those "tootsie rolls" in the litter box so enticing. :rolleyes:
Commercial foods came into being in the 1950's. Prior to that, cats - and dogs - ate what humans ate, and there was less of certain types of illnesses in all 3 species.
Also, if you do some research you will learn that cats in the wild seldom drink water; they get most of the fluids they need from their prey. So feeding only a dry kibble is not the best diet for a cat.
I use a high quality grain free food. A high quality food uses only human grade ingredients, or is processed in a human food facility, or both, uses minimal if any chemicals and preservatives. I used Taste of the Wild for several years and was quite happy with it. Earlier this year there was a shortage, so I have switched to Earthborn Holistics. Both are grain free kibbles.
For canned foods, I use Weruva, Tiki Cat, or Fussie Cats. All are grain free. I select the ones which come in a gel, rather than a gravy. Sparkle is in early kidney disease, and she needs to hold her fluids. The gels seem to help her do this, while the gravy varieties just go right through her.
There has not been as much research done for cats as for dogs, so it is more difficult to find information.
Maerlyn, using the AAFCO standard is useless, as foods like Science Diet meet that standard. I fed my cats that exclusively, kibble only, for about 11 years because it was recommended by my vet and I didn't know any better. In fact Science Diet is an awful food for dogs and cats.
My vet recommends both wet and dry. The dry keeps their teeth healthy. NONE of my cats (knock on wood) have ever needed any dental work, and they get their teeth checked at every vet visit. I only feed grain-free because I have a cat who develops FLUTD whenever he is fed ANYTHING but Blue Buffalo Wilderness dry. Canned, I am not so picky about. I either feed Wellness canned or Purina Special Diet canned. None of them do well on anything else. I am considering switching to a completely Raw Food diet. Cats are carnivores and meat is what they eat in their wild state. They don't eat corn, rice, or any other gluten fillers you find in some foods. You love your cats:love:, they deserve the best food available.
I don't think the AAFCO standard is "useless." It means that all the necessary nutrients are present, although it doesn't mean it's high quality. As I stated, my two cats years ago lived a long time on food that met those standards. Given the choice (if there were one) between feeding a food without that symbol (I don't think there are any) and a food that has the symbol, I'd certainly choose the one meeting the standards.Quote:
Originally Posted by Freedom
Yes, it's probably better to feed a higher quality food, but please be considerate of those of us who cannot afford the premium prices of the premium foods. My outdoor cats get Fancy Feast because I can't afford to feed them expensive foods. If I can't get Dave's canned for my indoor cats, they get Fancy Feast. I do the best I can on a limited income; I feel that's the best any of us can do.
I totally agree with you. I've always believed that we should feed our pets the best quality food that we can afford. I used to feed most of my cats Wellness Core dry but I certainly couldn't afford to do this now since I now have 10 cats. Luckily my cats at the time decided that they didn't like this food any more so I changed to a less expensive grain free dry food. I also used to give my cats more canned food every day. Now they only get it 2 times a day instead of 4 times a day with their 4 small meals each day.Quote:
Originally Posted by maerlyn