Cat Food Recommendation

[bicker]

Asking for a friend. (Evidently, my recommendation to her was inadequate. )

She'd like recommendations for a "very healthy" cat food "that the cats will eat". The cats she's referring to are both indoor cats, about a year and half old; one's a thin spitfire, and the other a gentle giant. She cares about what's really healthy for them, but worried that they're not eating what I recommended (Science Diet), even doing the mix-half-and-half with Fancy Feast trick; she's especially worried about the thin spitfire losing weight. The food must be available at regular grocery stores - she won't order special food from online specialty vendors, nor will she buy food from veterinarians.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

Asking for a friend. (Evidently, my recommendation to her was inadequate. )

She'd like recommendations for a "very healthy" cat food "that the cats will eat". The cats she's referring to are both indoor cats, about a year and half old; one's a thin spitfire, and the other a gentle giant. She cares about what's really healthy for them, but worried that they're not eating what I recommended (Science Diet), even doing the mix-half-and-half with Fancy Feast trick; she's especially worried about the thin spitfire losing weight. The food must be available at regular grocery stores - she won't order special food from online specialty vendors, nor will she buy food from veterinarians.

I have three adult cats, and while I agree Science Diet is a good choice, I ended up with Iams dry cat food. It is easy to find at just about any store, AND it is affordable.

 

[wdwmom2]

I use Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul. It has been keeping my indoor cats healthy for years.

I have a Sphynx that will be 12 this year, still VERY frisky and gets into A LOT of trouble!!! Also have a Siamese that will be 14 this year. Well, typical Siamese, meow, complain, meow, complain.

I am not sure that you can buy it in grocery stores. I used to buy mine at a grooming salon. Now I buy it at a local pet store. Also sold at many feed stores. But, at least around here, it is readily available at many places. Only takes a second to stop in a pick up a bag.

 

[Dax]

Wish I could help....I won't feed my cats anything from a grocery store...unless its a dire emergency and then its only a small amount...

I feed mine Taste of the Wild...I buy it at my local Tractor Supply...I also have had good luck with Authority brand from PetSmart...I have 4 cats, 2 young, 2 old...and both of these have produced great results in my cats

 

[PatsMom]

We feed our current cat The Goodlife Recipe. It is an organic cat food that is available at our local grocery store. He seems to like it - although he likes the treats the best!

He's around 8 now (rescue kitty so not sure of exact age). He's been very healthy.

 

[JoshAndEvsMom]

Nutromaxx! Our cats are outdoor cats and have ALWAYS been fed this food. They have beautiful coats and have NEVER had flees!

Also, someone told me once that the formula for Iams & Science diet are different at the grocery store than what you buy from the vet Not sure if thats true bit if you use those foods it might be worth a call to your vet just to make sure you are actually getting the product you're paying for!

 

[brat]

Mine used to eat Fancy feast, they are now eating Iams Premium Protection(senior, but they also like the reg).Right now Target has 10 oz. trail size bags for $3.Iams is sold at some grocery stores and also at Walmart.

 

[bitohoney]

Well there goes my suggestion. I WAS going to recommend Blue Buffalo. AND I order mine online which is usually cheaper especially if it's free shipping. I buy all my cat products (treats, food, litter, toys) online. Grocery store food is bad unless it's Harmony Farm's or Newman's Own and even those are cheaper online.
I feed my cats twice a day. One meal wet food and one meal dry food.

 

[eeyoremum]

My little beasties (dog and kitten) eat chicken or beef, rice and carrots. Cooked and blended into a fine, toddler food consistency, mix. They love it.

I took the dog off commercial animal foods, treats and everything almost a year ago. I don't know what the kitten ate for his first 8 weeks of his life but since we got him 8 weeks ago we put him on our food and he loves it.

For treats the dog gets apple slices (peeled. He hates peel) or the stalk of a broccoli and the kitten loves cheerios.

 

[FredinFL]

Fancy Feast, it's not as junk food as people try to claim. THey'll probably eat it too.

 

[bicker]

I've never heard/seen anyone present Fancy Feast as an especially healthy choice (except Nestlé Purina)... are there any veterinarian reviews you can point me towards? That would be very helpful, since I know that these cats love eating Fancy Feast now.

 

[bicker]

Update: She's decided to try Wellness CORE (she found a convenient source for it), but please do provide other recommendations if you wish, in case the cats don't like it.

 

[FredinFL]

I belong to a group with people who have cat's with kidney failure. She's done a comprehensive list of the different cat foods and their contents. I'll look up the link.

http://www.felinecrf.org/which_foods.htm#best_crf_food


There should be an area that breaks the foods down into how they compare, I hope it helps.

 

[SpecialK]

Good info here: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=cannedfoods

I lost my last cat to CRF. She was a rescue who would only eat dry.(Science Diet)

We rescued two kittens last summer, and they eat a combo of wet/dry. I have tried every premium brand and they turn up their noses. The only wet they'll eat at this point is FF Elelgant Medleys. They also get boiled chicken.

 

[FredinFL]

My little beasties (dog and kitten) eat chicken or beef, rice and carrots. Cooked and blended into a fine, toddler food consistency, mix. They love it.

I took the dog off commercial animal foods, treats and everything almost a year ago. I don't know what the kitten ate for his first 8 weeks of his life but since we got him 8 weeks ago we put him on our food and he loves it.

For treats the dog gets apple slices (peeled. He hates peel) or the stalk of a broccoli and the kitten loves cheerios.

You should check this with your vet, the kitten especially needs certain nutrients, ash, taurine, etc. to keep him healthy that your mixture may not provide. They can end up very sick without some of these.

 

[FredinFL]

I've never heard/seen anyone present Fancy Feast as an especially healthy choice (except Nestlé Purina)... are there any veterinarian reviews you can point me towards? That would be very helpful, since I know that these cats love eating Fancy Feast now.

Once they've gone Fancy Feast, it's a real toss up as to them trying anything else. Kitty Krack.

 

[tasha99]

My little beasties (dog and kitten) eat chicken or beef, rice and carrots. Cooked and blended into a fine, toddler food consistency, mix. They love it.

I took the dog off commercial animal foods, treats and everything almost a year ago. I don't know what the kitten ate for his first 8 weeks of his life but since we got him 8 weeks ago we put him on our food and he loves it.

For treats the dog gets apple slices (peeled. He hates peel) or the stalk of a broccoli and the kitten loves cheerios.

Be careful doing this. I looked into feeding my homemade cat food, and you have to put in vitamins and minerals. You are also supposed to grind the bone into the meat. Just be careful--look online, talk to your vet etc if you haven't already done so, because I think just giving them people food like that can make cats very sick over the long haul.

**edit--maybe I'm misremembering, because I looked online and there were recipes like yours. I think it's the raw meat cat food that has to be ground with the bone etc.

 

[Planogirl]

The best veterinarian we ever had (he moved to south Texas) put our cat Sylvester on a perscription food made by Purina. His chronic urinary tract problems disappeared and he lived to be very old. I certainly won't sneer at Purina after what we went through.

 

[MichelleVW]

Wish I could help....I won't feed my cats anything from a grocery store...unless its a dire emergency and then its only a small amount...

I feed mine Taste of the Wild...I buy it at my local Tractor Supply...I also have had good luck with Authority brand from PetSmart...I have 4 cats, 2 young, 2 old...and both of these have produced great results in my cats

Same here, I was reading the ingredients in some Friskies cat food yesterday and almost barfed....blech...no way could I feed my cat something like that. First ingredient corn, second corn gluten meal, third chicken by product meal...GROSS!!

My cats love Taste of the Wild too. I haven't tried the Authority cat food yet, but my dogs love it.

The only three foods that my cats will eat are Taste of the Wild, Chicken Soup and Diamond Naturals. I actually get my Diamond Natural cat food now from Amazon, it's so convenient since the feed store was out of my way and my Tractor Supply no longer carries it. I am an Amazon prime member so I get it shipped for free and it's about a dollar more than at the feed store, shipped in 2 days right to my front door!!

Update: She's decided to try Wellness CORE (she found a convenient source for it), but please do provide other recommendations if you wish, in case the cats don't like it.

Wellness Core is an AWESOME food, but too expensive for me.

 

[eeyoremum]

Be careful doing this. I looked into feeding my homemade cat food, and you have to put in vitamins and minerals. You are also supposed to grind the bone into the meat. Just be careful--look online, talk to your vet etc if you haven't already done so, because I think just giving them people food like that can make cats very sick over the long haul.

**edit--maybe I'm misremembering, because I looked online and there were recipes like yours. I think it's the raw meat cat food that has to be ground with the bone etc.

My beasties are thriving on their homemade diets. The vet is aware of how we feed. Baby beastie is going to the vet for a well kitten check up today and I will discuss some supplements for him because he is so young. Big beastie is doing wonderfully. He has lost weight, his skin and coat has improved (lots of allergy issues) and they both love, love, love supper time.

I stopped buying food because I have had one dog and one cat we lost at young ages (7). We then had our current dog take very ill through the winter and almost lost him. I started researching domestic animal food and didn't like what I read the biggest thing that stood out was that the pet food industry is not regulated. I also started talking to people and discovered many of them like us lost animals at a young age. I remember having animals live to almost 20 when I was growing up. Makes me wonder what they are putting in domestic pet food.