What is the best brand of cat food? wet and dry?

Question

right now i feed them whiskas dry and sheba wet

Answer 1

Not all pet food is made equally. A lot of it is full of corn, by-products, dyes, unhealthy preservatives, filler grains and all sorts of nasty stuff. A lot of pet food companies are perfectly happy to dump cheap leftovers in. Will it kill your cat? No, it has to be nutritionally complete and safe to even be marketed. Is it healthy? Not by a long shot.

Corn is a low quality ingredient you never want to see in your pet food. Corn and low quality grains are two of the biggest culprits when it comes to food allergies in our pets.

Thankfully, there are some excellent cat foods being made these days that include organic, human grade ingredients rather than trash not fit for human consumption.

Examples of low quality foods to avoid: Anything you can find in a grocery store will be low end, Purina, Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Royal Canin, Whiskas, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Meow Mix.

Examples of high quality foods to look for: Innova, Wellness, Solid Gold, Felidae, Fromm Four Star, Merrick, GO Natural, Nature's Variety Prairie, Nature's Logic, Artemis Fresh Mix, Timber Wolf Organics.

Although the high quality foods are more expensive, you're getting what you're paying for. Less filler material means more concentrated nutrients... this means you typically need to feed far less of the high quality food than you would of the low quality one. Which also means less p**p!

A great option is to go with an entirely grainless diet. Diets high in grain have been attributed to problems with diabetes in cats. Cats are obligate carnivores, so why should there be grain in their diet? Many of the high quality foods now put out grainless formulas. Some good grainless diet's include: Innova EVO, Wellness CORE, Blue Wilderness, Nature's Variety Instinct, Orijen, Fromm Surf & Turf, Now!, and Sold Gold Indigo Moon, Taste of the Wild.

Some of the high end foods can be found in common pet stores. Petsmart carries Blue Buffalo products (such as the excellent grain free diet Blue Wilderness). Petco carries Wellness and Solid Gold. If you can't find a food, most of the high quality food brands have websites with store locators on them.

Remember that foods should be switched gradually, especially when switching to a higher quality one, so as not to upset tummies.

Another option for feeding cats is to feed raw. This is something that should be thoroughly researched before being attempted:

http://www.barfworld.com/

http://www.rawfedcats.org/

http://www.rawfed.com/

http://www.wysong.net/controversies/rawm...

Now the question is, do you feed wet or dry? Wet is the correct answer. The reason is, in the wild, cats normally get most of their water content directly from their prey items and drink very little. Domestic cats are no different, and because of the fact that they are designed to take in water with their meal, they have a very low thirst drive. Cats often just don't drink enough. This leads to urinary tract infections and crystals. The bit about dry food being better for teeth is a myth and has not been proven in the least. Canned/wet food is better because it more closely mimics the cat's natural diet. More on why canned food is best:

http://www.catinfo.org/  (Excellent cat nutrition information by a vet)

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

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

Another option to get cats to drink more would be a cat fountain. Cats tend to like to drink from running water and cat fountains see to that need, encouraging cats to take in more water.

More:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_... (Dog food reviews. It's for dogs, but most of the high quality brands also put out excellent cat foods. Anything with five or six stars is a great food.)

Answer 2

It is very similar with dogs. They are both carnivores, but cats are considered obligate carnivores because they need meat to just live. (Dogs can live on a veggie diet but it is not good for them, cats can not)

High quality brands:

Evo(grain free)

artemis

Innova

taste of the wild

katz and flocken cat food(solid gold)

blue buffalo

Wellness core(grain free) and wellness

Orijen

Avoid anything with corn, soy, wheat, by-products, colors, Menadione

ethoxyquin, bht, bha, and euthanasia drugs( http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=3... )

Raw feeding is also an option.

http://www.rawfedcats.org/

www.rawlearning.com

www.rawmeatybones.com

It is the cheapest diet for any carnivores animal, yet it is the ultimate diet for them.

Avoid dog foods found in grocery stores.

Low quality cat and dog foods: (Some brands may only have dog food)

Nutrience

Petguard organic

Nutrisource(another version of nutro)

Lifespan(full of corn)

l**k your chops

Karma(Way too many grains even if it is organic)

Evolve

Drs. foster and smith

Addiction foods-wild kangaroo and apples(flaxseed too high on list, look for something else if possible)

Della Natura - Wenaewe Adult

Purina

Science diet

Beneful

Pro plan

ol'roy

royal canin

Iams

Eukanuba

Nutro(involved in recall)

Pedigree

Burns

Back to basics(corn)

Azmira

Anything found in a grocery store or recommended by your vet.

Vets only recommend foods because they get money from the company. Purina has admitted on its own site that they combined with the american college of veterinary nutrition to form the american college of vet. curicculum, which means a company that sells pet food for profit, tells vets whats good to feed and bad to feed.

Hills science diet and other common vet foods provide scholarships to vet students and those students typically do not question where the money comes from.

Iams and eukanuba is owned by proctor and gamble and they are the leader in cruel animal tests.

http://rawfed.com/myths/vets.html

If you want nutritional advice go to a cat nutritionist that isnt endorsed by any foods.

Answer 3

science diet is vet recommended - always feed them a high quality wet food too. friskies ans whiskas is like feeding them mcdonalds, science diet wet is good. u can as your vet to recommend one for you. if you have a male cat watch out for the Ash content in food - it can cause crystals which can be fatal.  

Answer 4

Listen to what the two top contributors are saying! I used to think it was crazy to believe that the vets wouldn't know best, but in some cases it is true. Very little time is focused on animal nutrition in vet school so it isn't that they are knowingly reccommending "junk" food, (although I could think of a stronger word to use) Look for something that isn't loaded with corn and wheat especially. Look for lots of SPECIFIED meats. If it says poultry or meat, you don't really know what you are getting.  

Answer 5

i use iiams

Answer 6

Nothing sparks more passion from cat enthusiasts than the question of what to feed your cat. Some swear by a certain brand, and some will only feed dry or wet. In short, there are two camps when it comes to feeding. The dry food camp and the wet food camp. You will see a lot of arguments and debate between both camps here, as witnessed by the answers you are getting.

Also, another new camp is emerging and fast growing and they are the RAW food movement and sometimes you will also hear what is called a BARF feeding, Bone and Raw Food diet or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food diet.

What you need to do is to do your research and weigh each camp's argument as to which one you are more comfortable with and what makes the most sense. You need to understand what motivates the pet food industry, (profit!), and what motivates pet parents to buy their product (price/cost, advertisement, vet advice, self research, cat's health while being on the product, etc)

When you are well informed, you will ultimately make the right decision on what is best. So, do a lot of reading and in depth research. It's really not easy feeding our pets now. If you are unaware of the March 2007 Huge Pet Recall, I would suggest you look into it. You will never see pet food the same way again.

You need to learn how to read ingredient labels. By learning how to read a label, you can learn a great deal of information about the food you are feeding your pets. You can even learn how to compare one food to another and choose the one best suited for your cat.

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 kitten would be easier.

I only feed 100% wet. 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...

Some highly recommended wet food:-

By Nature Organics

California Natural

Eagle Pack Holisitc

Evanger's

EVO

Felidae

Natural Balance

Nature's Logic

Nature's Variety

Wellness

Weruva

Wysong

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For a smaller budget, this mid range food is just as good!

Chicken Soup for the Cat's Lover Soul

Authority® Premium Adult Formula In Cans

(Petsmart inhouse brand)

If after careful consideration, you still think that you have to feed your cat dry food, then go for the best and highest quality product in the market:-

EVO

WELLNESS CORE

ORIJEN

Timberwolf Serengeti Feline Diet

Felidae Cat and Kitten

    

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 wellbeing, we have no right to invite them into our home.

Answer 7

My friend raises and shows Sphynx and he feeds Royal Canin

and swears by it and it is cheaper if you buy in bulk. Ithink he feeds 9 Lives wet but I am not for sure. He also feeds a raw diet sometimes

Answer 8

Personal preference between you and your vet and then kitty's likes and dislikes..I've always used IAMS...all through the years that I bred, as first starts for kitties, etc..they all got it, just different stages accordinglly...

Answer 9

The foods you are giving your cats are loaded with fillers.  It's hard on their skin and makes them p**p more.  So, more shedding and more cleaning the litterbox...YUCK!

My two favorite foods are Royal Canin and Blue Buffalo.  I have to feed my two cats Royal Canin S/O (perscription) and they have never been so shiny!  I can't even smell when they go to the bathroom.  

Answer 10

Definately check out the foods kate c mentioned.  

Anything with a bunch of fillers is not good.  Read the ingredients.  Things like "poultry by-product," "chicken by-product," "corn meal," and "dried beet pulp" don't really sound like cat food, do they?  

Here's the definition of poultry by-product: Consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices.

At the very least try to get a food that lists meat as the first ingredient - actual meat, not by-product.

Ideally try raw feeding (with necessary supplements) or a high quality food with no fillers.

There are a lot of options and you should read up on many before making a decision.  

Quality wet food is great because it has such a high water content and cats naturally would get almost all or all of their water from their prey.  Hard food is easier for people but not for cats.  There's no real evidence toward the old story that it helps their teeth.

You're already spending a lot on wet food buying sheba, so switching to something better shouldn't be a big hassle. Just do the best you can with the food.  Just taking a look at the ingredients can help you a lot. You'll need to look beyond the grocery store, those foods are not high quality.

And don't put too much stock in what some vets say.  There is not that much research on feeding cats.  Vets get money from pet food companies so they learn to focus on those foods.  You'll have to do your own research most of the time, but still talk to your vet about it too, just don't make that the limit of your research.

good luck with the food search!

Answer 11

My vet told me Science Diet is best for dry food. And Friskies is best for wet food.

--That's only my cat's vet opinion. I think every vet will have a different opinion . But, I havent had any problems at all with Science Diet & Friskies.