Your favorite brands of "novel protein" canned cat food

crazy4strays

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I'm going to Petco today and plan to pick up a few different things (like possibly rabbit, duck, venison, etc.) to give my kitties a variety. My normal rotation is mostly chicken and turkey. Anyways, share which brands of the less common protein sources you like.
 

artiemom

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Nature's Variety is a good brand. My guy will only eat Pride. It is an offshoot of Nature's Variety. It has a combo of proteins..Only 2, pork and rabbit. It also has kale in it..do not know why, but my guy like it better than the plain pork/rabbit combo of NV

Petco does have some good brands of food, but if you really want a larger variety of novel protein and better foods, I would suggest you go to a small retail store. 

I got a lot of help from this site as to local names of smaller stores. PetLife was one of them. I do not know if you have any stores local to you.
 
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LTS3

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The usual novel proteins are rabbit, venison, duck, and pork. NV has these proteins.

Merrick's Before Grain line had a canned 100% quail (obviously a supplement only food) and later a canned 96% chicken/quail but they discontinued that line.

Addiction has a few unusual novel proteins: https://www.addictionfoods.com/products/cat-formulas/canned

I think there's a few more brands out there. I'll have to post the links later when I'm online tonight at home. I have links in my browser to various foods.

Typically the novel proteins are in the higher end foods and sold only in independent pet stores and cost over $1 a can. Petco does have NV and probably another brand or two that has a novel protein.

@Artiemom have you been to Especially For Pets? They're a small local chain and have a lot of the premium brands. Brookline Grooming and Supplies is another good place.
 
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crazy4strays

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What are y'all's thoughts on feeding some of these occasionally for variety?

I was reading one vet's take on it. The opinion in the article that I read was that you shouldn't use novel proteins, unless you have to for medical reasons. The idea was that if your pet developed an allergy later, what would you feed them, if you had already given them most of the available options?

On the flip side, though, wouldn't more variety theoretically help to prevent allergies?

I know, though, that feeding my indoor/outdoor cat rabbit is perfectly fine, because he already eats rabbits when he's outside.


 So nothing that he hasn't eaten before. 
 
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lisahe

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I was reading one vet's take on it. The opinion in the article that I read was that you shouldn't use novel proteins, unless you have to for medical reasons. The idea was that if your pet developed an allergy later, what would you feed them, if you had already given them most of the available options?
I definitely see some logic in this: our cats tend to much prefer chicken and turkey so I kind of worry about them developing a problem with chicken. They already eat pork plus some duck and beef, meaning those would be out.

And so: I had pet rabbits as a kid so don't ever want to feed rabbit but I figure it's a good one to have "undiscovered," just in case I ever need a novel protein. They've also only had small amounts of venison...
 
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crazy4strays

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Someone needs to come up with a mouse canned cat food! It would be the perfect nutrition for cats! The trouble is, though, the guardians/pet parents are the ones buying the food, not the cats. 


Sometimes when I'm reading the label of my cat food (Wellness brand for example) I get the distinct impression that they're trying to make it sound appealing and healthy TO ME. 
 

lisahe

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I know! I think our cats, who are indoor-only but love watching animals outside, would like a constant rodent-based diet of mice, chipmunks, and squirrels with avian side dishes of chickadees, tufted titmice, and blue jays.
 
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crazy4strays

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LOL! Perhaps the ideal cat food would be a base of mouse or rabbit, topped off with a little chipmunk or purple finch for flavoring. 
 

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Due to food allergies and IBD, Mogli eats a prescription and non-prescription German brand (only available in German-speaking countries, plus Holland): Vet-Concept. Some of the proteins are a bit unusual: kangaroo, horse (prescription), reindeer, and goat (used to be prescription), though they also have hare, rabbit, duck, lamb, salmon, chicken, and buffalo (prescription). He can't eat the chicken or lamb, and we haven't tried the buffalo.
 

artiemom

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The usual novel proteins are rabbit, venison, duck, and pork. NV has these proteins.

Merrick's Before Grain line had a canned 100% quail (obviously a supplement only food) and later a canned 96% chicken/quail but they discontinued that line.

Addiction has a few unusual novel proteins: https://www.addictionfoods.com/products/cat-formulas/canned

I think there's a few more brands out there. I'll have to post the links later when I'm online tonight at home. I have links in my browser to various foods.

Typically the novel proteins are in the higher end foods and sold only in independent pet stores and cost over $1 a can. Petco does have NV and probably another brand or two that has a novel protein.

@Artiemom have you been to Especially For Pets? They're a small local chain and have a lot of the premium brands. Brookline Grooming and Supplies is another good place.
HI!  Thanks for the suggestions. I have not visited those places. Artie has seemed to settle for Pride rabbit. I know it has pork in it, but he refuses other novel proteins. I ams trying away from poultry because we have a very strong idea that he is allergic to chicken. Each time I gave him chicken, he vomited immediately. 

He does not care for lamb (several brands) , buffalo (a couple of brands), venison (a couple of bands), plain rabbit (except for the Pride mix). He will eat the NV Pork, but it is impossible to find around my area. I called many stores. He will not eat any other brand of pork...I am really stuck with the Pride rabbit.

At least he eats that. 

When he gets fussy with his food, I open up a can of Solid Gold fish, and give him 1/2 a can of that. It seems to do the trick. 

Artie is even fussy with the NV limited ingredient Rabbit dry food. I give that to him occasionally as a treat. 

As long as I have something for now, I will stick with it. Both myself and the Vet are not all that happy with it being a mixture, but he is eating it. That I am happy with. He is so fussy with food. Years ago I even tried Kiwi..The stuff from Australia...he turned his nose up at it. 

I order his food by the cases, from Chewy. It is easier for me, and I get a slight discount because it is an automatic delivery. I order just enough for the month..with a bit to spare. I am not going overboard any more...I had too much food which he was no longer able to eat. I stocked up on sales at various stores. I had to donate it to the shelter. 

I still have a few I saved, but I am planning on donating those also....

The only time I go to the petstore now is to look at the kitties and to buy litter. I may even order that thru Chewy.
 

LTS3

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IMO, it's fine to rotate between a variety of proteins. It keeps a cat from getting bored of eating the same thing over and over again and there is some thought that a variety may help lessen the chance of an allergy to a particular protein.

A wide variety of proteins is available to raw feeders. Just take a look at what is available at Hare-Today.com: mice, pheasant, bison, cavy (guinea pig), goose, elk, goat, etc. I think raising such proteins for canned food use is not feasible for a variety of reasons (space and proper housing to raise the animals, financial cost to raise animals from birth to slaughter, quality control, etc). Some people do feed both raw and canned so you could take a can of food and top it with ground mouse or something as a treat
 

lisamarie12

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Mauri makes a few novel proteins including kangaroo and brushtail (similar to Addiction), however Mauri uses at least 3-4 different gums so the food is thick with jelly, unfortunately.
 
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crazy4strays

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Some people do feed both raw and canned so you could take a can of food and top it with ground mouse or something as a treat
How does one grind a mouse? Or does it come pre-ground?

My indoor/outdoor cat gets both raw and canned by default--he catches the raw and slaughters it himself. (not ideal, but we haven't yet managed to transition him to being indoors full time) I gave him a piece of raw salmon once and he loved it. I wonder if he would eat a mouse if I offered him one? 

My indoor only cat would probably enjoy a little raw with his canned, he's not very picky. 
 
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lisamarie12

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How does one grind a mouse? Or does it come pre-ground?

My indoor/outdoor cat gets both raw and canned by default--he catches the raw and slaughters it himself. (not ideal, but we haven't yet managed to transition him to being indoors full time) I gave him a piece of raw salmon once and he loved it. I wonder if he would eat a mouse if I offered him one? 

My indoor only cat would probably enjoy a little raw with his canned, he's not very picky. :)
The mouse meat comes pre-ground from HT. They also sell whole prey mice.
The problem is that there is a ten pound minimum order from HT, this bc it comes shipped frozen; quantities less than 10 lbs are at a greater risk of fully thawing so they don't ship less than 10 lbs.
 
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missmimz

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Ziwipeak canned has some good novel proteins, but its very pricy. I feed it irregularly because my cats aren't crazy about the cans. I do however feed the air dried regularly, though. 
 
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crazy4strays

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I'm in Petco right now and am about fainting from the sticker shock. LOL!

Even their Friskies and Fancy Feast is more expensive than other places.

Looks like I'm going to go with a few 13 oz cans of Canidae and a few Wellness Signature Selects and just go over to Tractor Supply for the rest.

5.5 oz cans of Wellness were $1.59 each at Tractor Supply last time I shopped there, iirc. The Wellness here is $2.09 for the same cans.
 

lisahe

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@artiesmom Hounds and Gato has a canned pork that Artie may like.Not sure if you can find this in your area so you can try one can instead of having to buy a case online.
That's a great list LTS3.

@artiesmom

Our two local PetLife stores sell Hound & Gatos and maybe yours does, too! (Our cats weren't impressed with the H&G pork but they do consistently eat the lamb, which also has duck liver.)
 

artiemom

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Thanks TTS3; I have tried the Hound and Gatos food. Artie tried the beef--no way; the lamb he was eating really good, then stopped. Now he turns his nose up at it. 

the pork the same thing. He ate it with relish at first, then nothing. As soon as I ordered a case of each, he decided he does not want it anymore!! I still have it in the house. 

The only one he eats with consistency is the Pride Rabbit; even with the Solid Gold Fish, he will devour about 1/2 can and then that is it. 

He is just too fussy and raised on junk food....
 

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I haven't tried it yet but Wild Calling has some novel protein.  Pheasant, buffalo, rabbit, duck (and pork and lamb for dogs). Expensive though. 
 
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