What is the Best Cat Food?

sundancer maiden · 03-02-2010, 10:41 PM

There are sooooo many! I walk into PetSmart or PetCo and there are shelves and shelves of cat food. I see so many different brands it makes my head spin! What do YOU think is the best???

Seanna · 03-03-2010, 06:05 AM

My rule of thumb is look at the ingedients list> If Corn in any shape or form is within the first 5 ingredients. Don't get it. Corn is a filler and does not absorb into the cats system as nutrition. It simply gets passed out. Expensive does not mean better and lastly, try a food for a few weeks and monitor condition of coat if it is nice and shiny and not dull, its working, Poor nutrition is first easily seen in poor coat condition. I have cats and the food I feed them may not work for your cat. Good luck and If you have any other questions, just ask.

kshnooks · 03-03-2010, 09:15 AM

well, I highly recommend doing your own research and forming your own opinions based on your particular cat(s).

However, what I found to work very well for my cats is the Wellness brand found at Petco. Its probably one of the more pricey foods, but from my research also one of the best. 3 of my 4 are on a strictly wet food diet, the 4th eats the dry because she refuses to convert. All are a healthy weight, good teeth, shiny coats, etc. Ditto on finding a food though that is not full of fillers/grain. Unfortunately this involves most of the pet food you find at the big chain stores. Just read labels and make sure meat is the first few ingredients.

Red Gate Farm · 03-03-2010, 12:34 PM

Sorry I'm no help. My cat thinks the best cat food is the dog food... or my food.

or beet pulp.

farmergal · 03-03-2010, 12:59 PM

Well my cats think WalMart brand is the best.

I buy Special kitty gourmet cat food. My sister told me she spent an hour looking at the different brands trying to find the best food for the best price. She wanted to get me a bag for my kitties for my birthday. Well I know her heart was in the right place but her bag of expensive cat food didn't set well on my kitties tummies.

So my advise to you is look for food that your cats can handle. If your like most feline owners you feed more than dry cat food to your feline friend. I know mine like the fresh farm eggs and warm straight from the goat goats milk. Not to mention I risk losing a limb feeding raw hamburg.

What can I say

my cats are spoiled and they know it.

Cats should be fed a variety so they don't become finicky eaters. Don't forget to offer a variety of flavors in the canned food section.

sundancer maiden · 03-03-2010, 03:15 PM

I buy Special kitty gourmet cat food. My sister told me she spent an hour looking at the different brands trying to find the best food for the best price. She wanted to get me a bag for my kitties for my birthday. Well I know her heart was in the right place but her bag of expensive cat food didn't set well on my kitties tummies.

Cats (any animal for that matter) will have tummy issue unless you spend time switching food. They just aren't use to it.
I know about the ingredients, cats are carnivores and food that starts out with grain is a huge thumbs down. Minor amounts of fiber are necassary, cats do eat grass occassionally! Absolutely no corn, now that I didn't realize!
I guess there are soooo many brands that trying to study each and every one............. well, I would need a notebook and an entire day!!

Maybe I should ask for pesonal opinions, just to narrow down the list! I feed Iams, indoor weight, dry and Special Kitty wet. The wet foods all seem to start with meat. Well, let me take that back. I looked at a can of Iams kitten, and it started out with meat by-products, which is not any quality at all. Even what are considered top brands can fool you!

Sirita_88 · 03-03-2010, 03:34 PM

I feed Nutro... corn is not a main ingredient.

BUT. I also think Science Diet is a great cat food.

Orchid · 03-03-2010, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Gate Farm

Sorry I'm no help. My cat thinks the best cat food is the dog food... or my food.

or beet pulp.

I too have one who loves dog food and another who loves horse feed.

I feed my cats Purina One. I know it's not the most premium food out there, but the urinary tract health formula is readily available here and one of my cats has to be on that type of formula. They do well on it - nice shiny coats, no excessive BMs and the BMs themselves don't smell too bad, unlike some other foods I have tried.

jclark343 · 03-03-2010, 03:55 PM

Everyone is very correct when they say that you should read the ingredients. Cats are very different animals when it comes to their food. Cats only have 473 taste buds (Not a lot compared to humans have 5000 and dogs have about 700). Cats decide on their food based on smell.

With that said I've sat through many pet food seminars and have decided my 3 favorite are either Royal Canin (Great for specific breeds or problems) Blue Buffalo (a great holistic just a little pricey) and my favorite is Nutro's Natural Choice. Nutro's food is formulated at the Waltham factory in London England and is suppose to be a food cats can't resist. It's not the most expensive but it's no Friskies.

It's all personal preference. Flip over the bag and read it. If you wouldn't eat the first 5 ingredients why should they?

gailfinney · 03-03-2010, 06:51 PM

my last 3 cats all lived well past 20 years old neither of them would touch any food but Meow Mix.

WestCoastRambler · 03-03-2010, 10:53 PM

Fancy Feast!!

j/k, I'm no cat food expert, but admittedly I LOVE the name of that food

My cat (whose food I did not buy...that was mom's department

) lived quite well on the standard Costco brand maintenance kibble. For my next cat though, I would probably try a grain free diet - besides that, whatever they will eat is fine with me. My one concern is crystals and other such UT problems, my grandma's cat has those issues, and he's done fine on the science diet formula.

Of course in my family indoor cats are unheard of, so there is usually the odd bird or rodent to supplement whatever they are getting

That's interesting that they decide on their food based on smell, I've read about that before but have been catless for long enough that it all seems to be falling out of my brain. Explains why cat food smells so nasty!

misstishus · 03-04-2010, 12:14 AM

My cats have always been on high quality, grain-free foods. I've never had an issue with stomach upsets. There are three that I would feed. I like Blue Wilderness, Evo, and Orijen. They are all high-protein, low-carb foods formulated after a cats natural diet. I myself feed Evo, because it's the most readily available to me. They are not meant to be fed free-choice. I switched to the Evo several weeks ago and saw positive changes in the first week. Both had shinier hair coats, the younger cat put on noticable muscle tone, and the older cat lost some of the extra tummy she had built up. Both are energetic and playful all day long. Except for when your on the computer. Then they want to sleep on top of it.

LaudieAndy · 03-04-2010, 03:10 AM

Mine are on Purina. Tried the more pricey food didnt eat it! Never had any luck with IAMS all the cats i have had over the years hated it. My cats seem to not like Lamb it makes them sick.

Sirita_88 · 03-04-2010, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jclark343

Everyone is very correct when they say that you should read the ingredients. Cats are very different animals when it comes to their food. Cats only have 473 taste buds (Not a lot compared to humans have 5000 and dogs have about 700). Cats decide on their food based on smell.

With that said I've sat through many pet food seminars and have decided my 3 favorite are either Royal Canin (Great for specific breeds or problems) Blue Buffalo (a great holistic just a little pricey) and my favorite is Nutro's Natural Choice. Nutro's food is formulated at the Waltham factory in London England and is suppose to be a food cats can't resist. It's not the most expensive but it's no Friskies.

It's all personal preference. Flip over the bag and read it. If you wouldn't eat the first 5 ingredients why should they?

In england? Our nutro rep told us it was made up the road from us in lebanon, Tn.

jclark343 · 03-04-2010, 08:00 AM

It's Made in Tennessee but it is formulated at Waltham which is the leading Animal food testing center in the world. Thats where they do all the different tests to see how animals like it and check to see if it is balanced perfectly for the animal.

Yea Nutro is produced in the US. And Nutro also does all their own packaging (Cans and bags) in the same factory so if there is ever another pet food scare Nutro will not be on that list of questionable foods.

14wishes · 03-05-2010, 01:45 PM

My kittens seem to enjoy Purina Kittychow. I did get some food from their former owner (no idea what it was) I had one bowl of each, they always ate the Purina first. I have wondered if Purina was the right choice, but they love it and they look like they are in better health than when I first got them, it really has made a difference in their coat. The do get canned food 2x a week because it makes me feel better.

No hairball incidents, no vomiting. So that makes me happy!

snwflk · 03-05-2010, 01:55 PM

I feed nutro and I work at one of those two stores you mentioned.. I like the size of the kibble, because I have one cat who will "clip" and swallow her kibble in bite then run off and PUKE IT UP

- So this forces her to eat slower and chew her food. Chicken and rice are the first TWO ingrediants.. Very very good food.. ANd they get a 1/4th of a small can each day for each cat, and I mash it w/ water and that helps them get more moisture and it has almost ELIMANTED the hairballs., plus one cat is a long hair so its gonna come from both cats since they both groom each other..

But thats my two cents, but I like blue (buffalo) wellness is good too although we dont sell that brand at my store..

Purina one is a good brand for the money.. Mine like the salmon flavor..

sundancer maiden · 03-05-2010, 09:27 PM

I've heard that foods that are mostly fish should not be fed very often. Adverse effects on the urinary system. Anybody familiar with that?

farmergal · 03-05-2010, 11:18 PM

I see no one has mentioned 9 Lives. My in-laws fed that to their cat for 18 years. My cats were to finicky to eat it. Could it be Morris the cat has lost his ratings.

s-mylie · 03-29-2010, 12:25 AM

I currently feed Royal Canin Indoor Light 40, but am thinking of switching to Orijen.

And, my cat eats grass, plants, all sorts of veggies, corn, ... he loves it all. Seriously, he grazes. I lost 40 plant starts to him last year.

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03-02-2010, 10:41 PM
sundancer maiden Seasoned Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Udall, KS Posts: 4,073	What is the Best Cat Food? There are sooooo many! I walk into PetSmart or PetCo and there are shelves and shelves of cat food. I see so many different brands it makes my head spin! What do YOU think is the best??? __________________ You don't have to be crazy to be my friend, but it helps!!!

03-03-2010, 06:05 AM
Seanna Newborn Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 7	My rule of thumb is look at the ingedients list> If Corn in any shape or form is within the first 5 ingredients. Don't get it. Corn is a filler and does not absorb into the cats system as nutrition. It simply gets passed out. Expensive does not mean better and lastly, try a food for a few weeks and monitor condition of coat if it is nice and shiny and not dull, its working, Poor nutrition is first easily seen in poor coat condition. I have cats and the food I feed them may not work for your cat. Good luck and If you have any other questions, just ask.

03-03-2010, 09:15 AM
kshnooks Started Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: California Posts: 2,536	well, I highly recommend doing your own research and forming your own opinions based on your particular cat(s). However, what I found to work very well for my cats is the Wellness brand found at Petco. Its probably one of the more pricey foods, but from my research also one of the best. 3 of my 4 are on a strictly wet food diet, the 4th eats the dry because she refuses to convert. All are a healthy weight, good teeth, shiny coats, etc. Ditto on finding a food though that is not full of fillers/grain. Unfortunately this involves most of the pet food you find at the big chain stores. Just read labels and make sure meat is the first few ingredients.

03-03-2010, 12:34 PM
Red Gate Farm Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 3,669	Sorry I'm no help. My cat thinks the best cat food is the dog food... or my food. or beet pulp.

03-03-2010, 12:59 PM
farmergal Kid Safe Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Posts: 7,264	Well my cats think WalMart brand is the best. I buy Special kitty gourmet cat food. My sister told me she spent an hour looking at the different brands trying to find the best food for the best price. She wanted to get me a bag for my kitties for my birthday. Well I know her heart was in the right place but her bag of expensive cat food didn't set well on my kitties tummies. So my advise to you is look for food that your cats can handle. If your like most feline owners you feed more than dry cat food to your feline friend. I know mine like the fresh farm eggs and warm straight from the goat goats milk. Not to mention I risk losing a limb feeding raw hamburg. What can I say my cats are spoiled and they know it. Cats should be fed a variety so they don't become finicky eaters. Don't forget to offer a variety of flavors in the canned food section. __________________ Defeat may test you; it need not stop you. If at first you don't succeed, try another way. For every obstacle there is a solution. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. The greatest mistake is giving up.

03-03-2010, 03:15 PM
sundancer maiden Seasoned Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Udall, KS Posts: 4,073	I buy Special kitty gourmet cat food. My sister told me she spent an hour looking at the different brands trying to find the best food for the best price. She wanted to get me a bag for my kitties for my birthday. Well I know her heart was in the right place but her bag of expensive cat food didn't set well on my kitties tummies. Cats (any animal for that matter) will have tummy issue unless you spend time switching food. They just aren't use to it. I know about the ingredients, cats are carnivores and food that starts out with grain is a huge thumbs down. Minor amounts of fiber are necassary, cats do eat grass occassionally! Absolutely no corn, now that I didn't realize! I guess there are soooo many brands that trying to study each and every one............. well, I would need a notebook and an entire day!! Maybe I should ask for pesonal opinions, just to narrow down the list! I feed Iams, indoor weight, dry and Special Kitty wet. The wet foods all seem to start with meat. Well, let me take that back. I looked at a can of Iams kitten, and it started out with meat by-products, which is not any quality at all. Even what are considered top brands can fool you! __________________ You don't have to be crazy to be my friend, but it helps!!!

03-03-2010, 03:34 PM
Sirita_88 Kid Safe Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Mt. Juliet, Tennessee Posts: 6,094	I feed Nutro... corn is not a main ingredient. BUT. I also think Science Diet is a great cat food. __________________ Paradise Performance Horses Home of (AQHA): TC Passin The Bar Mac O Texas Ima Shifty Goodbar ...4 rowdy toy aussies and 3 indoor and 2 barn cats

03-03-2010, 03:55 PM
jclark343 Yearling Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 518	Everyone is very correct when they say that you should read the ingredients. Cats are very different animals when it comes to their food. Cats only have 473 taste buds (Not a lot compared to humans have 5000 and dogs have about 700). Cats decide on their food based on smell. With that said I've sat through many pet food seminars and have decided my 3 favorite are either Royal Canin (Great for specific breeds or problems) Blue Buffalo (a great holistic just a little pricey) and my favorite is Nutro's Natural Choice. Nutro's food is formulated at the Waltham factory in London England and is suppose to be a food cats can't resist. It's not the most expensive but it's no Friskies. It's all personal preference. Flip over the bag and read it. If you wouldn't eat the first 5 ingredients why should they? __________________ Proudly Owned by DD Commander Bar Leo

03-03-2010, 06:51 PM
gailfinney Coming two Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: virginia Posts: 1,706	my last 3 cats all lived well past 20 years old neither of them would touch any food but Meow Mix. __________________

03-03-2010, 10:53 PM
WestCoastRambler Yearling Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: SW BC Posts: 741	Fancy Feast!! j/k, I'm no cat food expert, but admittedly I LOVE the name of that food My cat (whose food I did not buy...that was mom's department ) lived quite well on the standard Costco brand maintenance kibble. For my next cat though, I would probably try a grain free diet - besides that, whatever they will eat is fine with me. My one concern is crystals and other such UT problems, my grandma's cat has those issues, and he's done fine on the science diet formula. Of course in my family indoor cats are unheard of, so there is usually the odd bird or rodent to supplement whatever they are getting That's interesting that they decide on their food based on smell, I've read about that before but have been catless for long enough that it all seems to be falling out of my brain. Explains why cat food smells so nasty! __________________ Man does not rightly know the way of the heavenly world, but the horse does rightly know it. ~Satapatha Brahmana XIII

03-04-2010, 12:14 AM
misstishus Yearling Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 577	My cats have always been on high quality, grain-free foods. I've never had an issue with stomach upsets. There are three that I would feed. I like Blue Wilderness, Evo, and Orijen. They are all high-protein, low-carb foods formulated after a cats natural diet. I myself feed Evo, because it's the most readily available to me. They are not meant to be fed free-choice. I switched to the Evo several weeks ago and saw positive changes in the first week. Both had shinier hair coats, the younger cat put on noticable muscle tone, and the older cat lost some of the extra tummy she had built up. Both are energetic and playful all day long. Except for when your on the computer. Then they want to sleep on top of it.

03-04-2010, 03:10 AM
LaudieAndy Yearling Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Newfoundland Canada Posts: 575	Mine are on Purina. Tried the more pricey food didnt eat it! Never had any luck with IAMS all the cats i have had over the years hated it. My cats seem to not like Lamb it makes them sick. __________________ 3 year member

03-04-2010, 08:00 AM
jclark343 Yearling Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 518	It's Made in Tennessee but it is formulated at Waltham which is the leading Animal food testing center in the world. Thats where they do all the different tests to see how animals like it and check to see if it is balanced perfectly for the animal. Yea Nutro is produced in the US. And Nutro also does all their own packaging (Cans and bags) in the same factory so if there is ever another pet food scare Nutro will not be on that list of questionable foods. __________________ Proudly Owned by DD Commander Bar Leo

03-05-2010, 01:45 PM
14wishes Halter broke Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 96	My kittens seem to enjoy Purina Kittychow. I did get some food from their former owner (no idea what it was) I had one bowl of each, they always ate the Purina first. I have wondered if Purina was the right choice, but they love it and they look like they are in better health than when I first got them, it really has made a difference in their coat. The do get canned food 2x a week because it makes me feel better. No hairball incidents, no vomiting. So that makes me happy!

03-05-2010, 01:55 PM
snwflk Seasoned Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 4,057	I feed nutro and I work at one of those two stores you mentioned.. I like the size of the kibble, because I have one cat who will "clip" and swallow her kibble in bite then run off and PUKE IT UP- So this forces her to eat slower and chew her food. Chicken and rice are the first TWO ingrediants.. Very very good food.. ANd they get a 1/4th of a small can each day for each cat, and I mash it w/ water and that helps them get more moisture and it has almost ELIMANTED the hairballs., plus one cat is a long hair so its gonna come from both cats since they both groom each other.. But thats my two cents, but I like blue (buffalo) wellness is good too although we dont sell that brand at my store.. Purina one is a good brand for the money.. Mine like the salmon flavor.. __________________ Suzie Q

03-05-2010, 09:27 PM
sundancer maiden Seasoned Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Udall, KS Posts: 4,073	I've heard that foods that are mostly fish should not be fed very often. Adverse effects on the urinary system. Anybody familiar with that? __________________ You don't have to be crazy to be my friend, but it helps!!!

03-05-2010, 11:18 PM
farmergal Kid Safe Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Posts: 7,264	I see no one has mentioned 9 Lives. My in-laws fed that to their cat for 18 years. My cats were to finicky to eat it. Could it be Morris the cat has lost his ratings. __________________ Defeat may test you; it need not stop you. If at first you don't succeed, try another way. For every obstacle there is a solution. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. The greatest mistake is giving up.

03-29-2010, 12:25 AM
s-mylie Yearling Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Springbrook, Ont. Posts: 942	I currently feed Royal Canin Indoor Light 40, but am thinking of switching to Orijen. And, my cat eats grass, plants, all sorts of veggies, corn, ... he loves it all. Seriously, he grazes. I lost 40 plant starts to him last year.