what is the best cat food

[maerlyn]

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.

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.

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.

[krazyaboutkatz]

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.

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.