What is the best dry food for cats?

Question

My cat prefer dry cat food to wet. I give her wet cat food maybe two to three times a month. Every time I go to a pet store and ask about cat food, I come out confused.Yesterday I visited the pet shop in my neighborhood. I was told that Purina cat food is terrible for cats. My cat seems to like Purina cat food better that other cat food that I have tried.What do you think?

Answer 1

Iams

Answer 2

Well, stand back and expect an unleash of passions from those who 'know' which food is best, and those who insist that you will kill your cat by giving only dry food.  Your cat is the decider, and the finest food in the world is of no value if your cat won't eat it.  As far as dry food, this is a statement from the Cornell Vet School:

"Dry food is fine as long as it is complete and balanced," says Dr. Kallfelz. Dry food may be less expensive than canned cat food and may stay fresher longer. Cats that eat only dry food need to be provided with lots of fresh water, especially if they are prone to developing urinary tract blockages.

I tend to look at pet foods that have meat as the first ingredient.  While I don't give much Purina myself, at the risk of getting many negative votes, I don't think it is bad.

I tend to believe that you do get what you pay for, and I stick with a name brand food of high quality.  My cats are mainly on dry food, and living very long and healthy lives.  I do provide a fountain for water.

I have posted a link to a discussion of cat foods by the Cornell Vet school about what to look for in cat foods.  Obviously, they do not make a specific brand suggestion.

Answer 3

its good to balance wet and dry food.

my kitty eats wet and dry food.

ive tried whiskas dry food, purina and even royal canin.

my cat loves to eat royal canin instead of the other 2.

Answer 4

i would go with purina

its the best cat food i have EVER given mine.

she used to eat cat junk food, but i wanted her to get more benefits from what she was eating, so i started giving her purina. now shes way more active, her coat has more of a sheen, and she loves the stuff

i dont know if friskies makes dry pet food, but its the cheapest and best quality of wet food that i buy my cats

i wouldnt listen to what that pet store had to say, because its been proven to be the top rated food for dogs and cats.

Answer 5

The cheaper the pet foods the more additives they put in it for make

it more appetizing to the cat. That doesn't mean it is better just

than it tastes better to the cat. Sort of like junk food. What I would do is go to your vet and ask them what food you should be feeding your

cat. They will probably tell you that you need to buy their prescription cat food.Tell them you can't afford it but what is the best of the other kinds of food. Royal Canin is usually considered to be a good food.

Cats need both wet and dry food because they need the liquid. Try

several types of wet food so you find one that she likes. My cats love wet food that has a 'gravy' like base.To this I add extra water. They l**k up the 'gravy' first which gives them more water and then they will eat the soft chunks of food. For the record I have tubby little cats so they are on a prescription diet of MediCal reducing dry food which I get for the vet. It costs me 85.00 every three weeks for the six of them. I buy them also large tins of Friskys chicken chunks in gravy and they get that split among the six so it is about a tablespoon each a day.

Answer 6

If your cat likes it, then stay with it.  Specialty pet stores want you to buy the more expensive food - yes, it is better for them, sometimes.  But I've been feeding my cats Purina for years and years - and they are very healthy.  My brother-in-law, who is a vet - says it is an owners decision whether to feed a cat dry or wet food, and also the cats decision if they don't like wet.  Does your vet say your cat is healthy and seems happy?  Then don't change because someone tells you so.  Only YOU know your pet, and you need to go with YOUR instincts on what makes her happy and healthy.  There are fillers in dry food, and it can be a cause for health issues (notice I said can...not is...there has been no definative proof a pure diet of dry or wet is deterimental to the health of your cat).  My cats enjoy a mixture of Friskies Feline Favorites with Dental Diet in one bowl, and in another they like Fancy Feast Gourmet.  I called Purina at 1-800-933-0991 and got on their mailing list for samples and coupons and get them on a regular basis now.  Remember, listen to what your cat wants - not other opinions (unless its your vet!)

Answer 7

Cheap foods like Purina and other grocery store brand are sprayed with fats and flavor enhancers to make them appealing to cats.  It's kitty junk food.  Yes, a McDonald's burger is tastier to us than a nice broiled piece of chicken, but the chicken is so much better for us.  The best foods are those without corn (a cheap filler with little nutritional value for cats) and without by-products (another cheap filler - the scraps and "parts" that are deemed unfit for human consumption).  Beyond those two things, it comes down to what you can afford and what your cats like.  The very best of the dry foods are those with no grains at all - Innova's EVO (the favorite here), Wellness Core, Merrick's BG, and others.  They are more expensive than the brands like purina as they are all MEAT and no filler.  Cats will actually eat less of them than the cheaper brands, as their body's need for protein is satisfied with eating less.

Be sure to make the switch gradually, over a course of a week or two, mixing the old food and the new!

Answer 8

Get Iams or another expensive brand and keep it dry for the most part. The cheap brands taste better but are fillled with fat. Keep it dry because it helps keep their teeth healthy. It also keeps their fur nice looking and soft. Its true ask the  vet.

Answer 9

The reason cats like inferior dry foods (like Purina) is because they're sprayed with a disgusting but tasty mixture to make them palatable.  The better foods don't do this.

There are better brands of dry food which you can use.  What you can do to get your kitty to eat them is to mix just a bit with some of the food that she likes.  Even crush some of it so that the crumbs coat the new food and take on more of its smell.

As your cat accepts the new food, start adding more to the mixture until you're not adding any of the old stuff.

You'll do this in a separate container and let it sit for a day or two before you try it the first time, and then just keep it filled.