Cat Foods - WHAT is good??

Three out of our four eat blue buffalo spa select. Tuna eats royal canin s/o as prescribed by his vet.

http://www.bluebuff.com/products/cats-spa-select.shtml

I usually shop at Petsmart because it is most convinent to me and this was by far the best food avaliable there. I really like the ingredients, these are the first 5.
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Fish Meal, Whole Ground Barley

I've noticed that Nutro is very popular here, these are the first 5 ingredients on their indoor formula.

Chicken Meal, Ground Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Rice Flour, Poultry Fat

I much prefer the blue buffalo because it has more sources of protien and does not have corn listed in the top 5.

A lot of brands that make high quality dog kibble also make versions for cats as well such as Wellness, Wysong, Felidae and many others. Just like you would with dog food check the ingredients. If you wouldn't want to eat what is in the food, then odds are it isn't good for your kitty!

I have just switched my cats and dog over from Chicken Soup to Natural Balance. Chicken Soup became less available and Natural Balance was a food I would have fed them even if Chicken Soup never existed.

I like them both. They've done WONDERS for Sonis fur! It is nice and smooth like after one has washed their hair. It's very beautiful looking! :) And he sheds *minimally*

Their poos are less smelly, too. :D

My 3 boys eat Orijen. They have been eating it for about 2 months now, and they are doing great on it. :)

I feed Nutro Kitten and Merricks wet food. I also feed m dogs Nutro wich I find is good for both. I judge cat food brands same way by dog food. Whatever is good for my dogs is good for my cat.

We've had Eve on Innova wet and dry and the results have been outstanding. She has filled out and now looks like a 3 year old kitty :D I often add a capsule of fish oil to her wet food - she loves the taste. Her coat is beautiful - thick and smooth and very silky to touch. She loves her food and never misses a meal :) Potty trips are regular, healthy and not too ripe (if you know what I mean ;) ) She is looking much healthier and is a happy little girl :D

My RB kitties were on Science Diet for their entire lives mainly due to my male cat's urinary tract problems at a very early age. He lived to be 18. Without a prescription diet he may not have seen his 3rd birthday :( At that time the Hills Prescription diet was the main option available to treat his condition. That has since changed I'm sure.

Attached is a recent photo of our little munchkin - she's looks pretty perky to me

:D

thanks for your input Jen, I just talked with Marisa the vet and she said either would be fine, both are good and do what they need to,and price wise they are the same,I have decided to try Hills because they have a money back guarantee, so if lexie does not like it they will refund my money, as Marisa said there other others too i can choose from and it all comes down to what my lil girls tastes are.

My cats love Purina indoor food. I have been feeding them that for a year now with no problems.

Willie :)

Thank you all for your opinions. It seems as if dog nutrition is talked about more often than cat nutrition, from what I've seen.

My only problem with asking vets about what to feed is the fact that most have very little education on nutrition, atleast when it comes to dog nutrition. A lot of vets seem recommend Science Diet because they are sponsered by them, sell them in their offices, etc. But, if you look at the ingredients they aren't the healthiest. Of course, if it's working for your pets and your budget, why change?

I believe my brother feeds his cats Purina which may explain why their stools smell so horribly? I know this is what he can afford, so I think nothing of it.

I do wish to own a cat in the future, as most of you know, so I'd like to study cat nutrition as much as I have dog nutrition.



PLEASE do NOT turn this into a cat side vs dog side debate. I see a few of you have already.

Mine eat a variety.

I feed Hill science diet indoor formula, and the hairball formula(for them all). I feed Nutro indoor complete care weight management (for them all). I also feed Nutro Lamb and Rice for Billy. I feed Science Diet r/d and w/d mixed for Puff. And Royal Canin is what Suzie prefers. I think M.E will be put on Hills low allergen food when I take her back for her allergies shots this week.

I like them to have a bunch of choices, and I have good luck because Billy eats his food, which is the only one REALLY on a diet that he HAS to be on. Puff eats it when she wants, but not always. It works for us.

I think whatever is best for your budget and kitty, is what you should choose. I love Hills, and Nutro and Royal Canin. I wish Innova was sold around here.. I have wanted to try that out for some time. :D

OH! It dawns upon my that I could mention who/what I feed the foster cats. (DUH) They eat totally separate.

They get a real variety. I try not to spend a whopping amount of money on their food (and I try not to ask for all their expenses to be reimbursed by the rescue group). So the first thing they get is whatever has been donated. And yes, most of that is grocery store type food. I try to mix these donations with something better. I check for sales and coupons for middle of the road pet store types. One of their favorites is Eukanuba Lamb and Rice (and the ONLY food I could get Simba to eat. :rolleyes: )

So far all the fosters have done fine on it, but for many it is not for an extended period of time (as they move on).

I would like to note that MANY cats can live a perfectly healthy life on Purina. As with all things, it just depends on the cat.

I am a little puzzled that it has been said that Hills don't have the healthiest ingredients etc, here in NZ it is probably the most expensive cat food you can buy and only at a vet, not pet store or supermarket, I only ask as most of you know i am buying it tonight in fact for Lexie as recommended by the vet,they don't promote any particular cat food at my vets, and said either are good, but she has to have this special diet because of her crystals, anyhow just asking for valued opinions please.

I feed potter kirkland, I really think their ingredients are pretty good, at least the dog food is not bad, I will have to look at the ingredients on the cat food, I have thrown the bag away and its in a plastic tub. I know california natural has a cat food and I love their dog food so I am sure the cat food is good also.

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Originally Posted by carole

I am a little puzzled that it has been said that Hills don't have the healthiest ingredients etc, here in NZ it is probably the most expensive cat food you can buy and only at a vet, not pet store or supermarket, I only ask as most of you know i am buying it tonight in fact for Lexie as recommended by the vet,they don't promote any particular cat food at my vets, and said either are good, but she has to have this special diet because of her crystals, anyhow just asking for valued opinions please.

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Carole, my old vet only sold Hills food and this is what I used for quite a while when I still had Cirrus but only he ate it. Then when Storm had problems, he was also fed this food. At the time he was thought to have the calcium oxalate crystals instead of the more commom struvite. The ER vet sent me home with Royal Canin Urinary S/O which will help prevent both of these crystals. I was also told that if he ate the Hill's C/D and had the oxalate cystals then this would be very bad for him because they only help prevent struvite crystals. My old vet didn't want to have to carry Royal Canin Urinary S/O so I ended up finding a different vet with much better hours and it's also open 7 days a week. He's still eating this and doing very well. I also think that the ingedients are better than the Hill's. Since you just bought Hill's then try it and see how Lexie likes it and if it will help her crystal problems. If she doesn't like it then I'd try the Royal Canin.

Thanks for that info, yes i am concerned about her maybe forming the other crystals too, although it is not meant to happen very often, obviously it does and can, i fed her some last night and she ate it no problem, however was only like five biscuits, today i mixed them in with her old ones and yes you guessed it, the new ones were the only ones she left, so i am thinking she is not too fussed, i only went with hills because they sell a bigger bag and money back guarantee,but if royal canin stop both crystals forming, sure sounds a better option to me, might have to re-think this situation.

I feed my cats Purina cat chow