Indoor cat food, different to other cat biscuits or a selling gimick?

Question

I bought two boxes of cat biscuits, one regular, and one 'specially formulated for indoor cats, prevent risk of excess weight gain... blah blah"

Both have exactly the same amounts of protein, fat and fibre.

The only difference I can see is that the indoor packet says to feed cat up to 75 grams a day instead of up to 100g.

So, is this just marketing BS?

Answer 1

Some cat food is formulated to have less calories and fat, and more protein. Thus it can help your cat to lose weight.

These tend to be the better quality products though that you don't just get in regular stores. Well, not here in the UK anyway!

Also, indoor cat food contains different levels of various nutrients for cats who don't get outside to eat grass, and some have ingredients that make their poo less smelly for indoor cats who use litter boxes!

I say just use Orijen :D

Answer 2

I have never ever seen indoor cat food.  If what you say is right about the contents of them then it does sound like a marketing gimic.

Answer 3

Yes, most of the specially formulated stuff is.

Answer 4

It sounds like a marketing game to me. Eat less lose weight.

http://www.allivet.com/Cat-Nutrition-Sup...

Answer 5

Niche marketing has arrived in a big way in the pet food industry. People like to feel special, and a product with specific appeal is bound to sell better than a general product like "kitten food." But the reality is that there are only two nutritional standards against which all pet foods are measured (adult and growth/gestation/lactation)—everything else is marketing.

Another important aspect that I would like to point out is that cat biscuits are not the ideal food for your cats. Cat biscuits are convenient to feed, comapratively lower in cost compared to tin food but provides little benefit and could be detrimental to your cat's health in the long run.

Also, if you are feeding Whiskas, this brand is actually at the lowest rank in the pet food market. When you are choosing food, it is important for you to learn how to read ingredient labels. They tell you a lot about what kind of meat is being used and whether the food has any cheap fillers which does not benefit your cat/kitten.

You want to feed a food which is high protein - meaning the meat source must come from wholesome muscle meat. Make sure to select only food that list chicken, lamb, rabbit, beef, turkey, venison, salmon, whitefish, herring or a combination or those and not one that says by-products (chicken by product, meat by product, fish by product)

Stay away from too much fillers like corn, corn gluten meal, wheat, wheat gluten, soy, oatbrans, etc. These are all cheap filler which help reduce the cost of manufacturing but brings little to no benefit to your kitten.

You would also want to stay away from preservatives like BHA/BHT and Ethoxyquin which are proven to be harmful to your kitten. Also you do not want other artifical preservatives such as propylene glycol and propolyneglycol .You need natural preservatives such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A or Rosemary.

Your cat need an essential amino acid called Taurine. Cats can only receive this from eating wholesome meat. Choose a food that contains ample amount of Omega 3 sources - Salmon Oil, Flaxseed Oil or Canola Oil.

When you are well educated in learning how to read pet food ingredients, shopping for the best food for your cat would be easier.

I only feed 100% wet/tin food. I came to this conclusion after doing my own research and getting to know pets that suffer dire consequences as a result of being fed exclusively dry. These websites has great information if you are interested in learning more about feline nutrition and the proper diet for a cat.

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?ac...

http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/canne...

http://cats.about.com/od/catfoo1/tp/tpca...

http://www.catinfo.org/

http://www.naturalmatters.net/article.as...

http://www.traciehotchner.com/cb/QandA.h...

I love to say this whenever someone ask this question.

Look at your cats. They are majestic animals, with their wild ancestors blood still running through their veins. They are predators, equip with sharp canine teeth to shred through meat. Now, imagine a lion or a tiger, feasting on a bowl of dry kibble. Does that sound right to you? Well, now you know why it is so ridiculous to feed your cat dry kibbles!

Domestication only changes the way the cats live but not the way the cats eat. If we cannot guarantee their well being, we have no right to invite them into our home.