Cheap And Healthy Cat Food

[Ram Keswani]

Which is the most cheap and healthy cat food a cat can have everyday? Food with the most value for money.
How much will cat food cost per month? How much will vet cost per year?

 

[Kieka]

Given your location it would be probably easier for you to tell us what you have access to and it in your price range. Then we can tell you the best out of those specific options.

 

[abyeb]

I like to recommend Sheba for those on a budget. It's grain-free, potato-free, carrageenan-free, and has meat as the first ingredient.

 

[maggiedemi]

For grocery store cat food, Purina Cat Chow Complete in the blue bag and Friskies canned food. Most here feed more expensive foods, but my cats won't eat it. Your cat would need spay/neuter and vaccines. You can get the 3-year vaccinations. De-worming needs to be done at least twice a year I think. I use topical flea treatment once a month, like Frontline.

 

[maggiedemi]

I think he/she is in India?

 

[Ram Keswani]

I think he/she is in India?

Yes. How did you know?

 

[maggiedemi]

You told us in your other thread.

 

[Kieka]

Store stock and internet avilability seems to vary with our India members. Which is why I suggested telling us what you had access too first.

 

[Ram Keswani]

Store stock and internet avilability seems to vary with our India members. Which is why I suggested telling us what you had access too first.

I have internet. I can buy cat food online. I just need to know the best company and cheap food. Thank You.
I saw a feral eating rice, is it good for them?

 

[Ram Keswani]

For grocery store cat food, Purina Cat Chow Complete in the blue bag and Friskies canned food. Most here feed more expensive foods, but my cats won't eat it. Your cat would need spay/neuter and vaccines. You can get the 3-year vaccinations. De-worming needs to be done at least twice a year I think. I use topical flea treatment once a month, like Frontline.

I saw a feral eating rice. Is it ok?

 

[maggiedemi]

Rice is okay, but they need the vitamins in cat food, they can go blind without Taurine.

 

[Kieka]

Cats are obligated carnivores and need a diet with as much meat as possible. A cat eating just rice will get little nutritional benefit from it and will slowly starve or die. You should never offer a cat just rice as a meal. Some people do feed a plain white rice mixed with cooked chicken for cats with digestive issues but it is short term and in small amounts as they need a nutritionally complete food and proper vitamins.

Cheap is a very wide descriptive term. Ideally, you want a food that lists named meats and no by products (meals are okay). Also the minimal amount of grains (or no grains). You don't want a food that lists corn, soy, wheat, millet, or any of those as a meal in the first five but better would be at all. However, most low cost foods will have them so aim for something that just has no by products and the first ingredient is a meat.

Purina Pro Plan would be the lowest quality food I would be comfortable feeding my cats. I absolutely detest 9Lives, my girl was being fed that before I got her and she was incredibly underweight, lacked energy and her poop was neon orange chalk like. Just no good at all.

 

[maggiedemi]

Yes, I would avoid 9Lives, my cats hated that.

 

[MissMolly08]

I feed my cat some Friskies. I've read that the pate ones are low carb and decent. These do have some rice and by-products but those are not deal breakers for me. Everyone has their own preferences. My budget is pretty tight ($35 a month MAX for both food and litter) and I am trying to move to an all wet diet so my choices are limited.

 

[Ram Keswani]

Rice is okay, but they need the vitamins in cat food, they can go blind without Taurine.

Blind without taurine? What is taurine?

 

[Ram Keswani]

Cats are obligated carnivores and need a diet with as much meat as possible. A cat eating just rice will get little nutritional benefit from it and will slowly starve or die. You should never offer a cat just rice as a meal. Some people do feed a plain white rice mixed with cooked chicken for cats with digestive issues but it is short term and in small amounts as they need a nutritionally complete food and proper vitamins.

Cheap is a very wide descriptive term. Ideally, you want a food that lists named meats and no by products (meals are okay). Also the minimal amount of grains (or no grains). You don't want a food that lists corn, soy, wheat, millet, or any of those as a meal in the first five but better would be at all. However, most low cost foods will have them so aim for something that just has no by products and the first ingredient is a meat.

Purina Pro Plan would be the lowest quality food I would be comfortable feeding my cats. I absolutely detest 9Lives, my girl was being fed that before I got her and she was incredibly underweight, lacked energy and her poop was neon orange chalk like. Just no good at all.

Why not offer a cat rice? Can I offer a feral rice to come near me and then once it trusts me, I will start giving it cat food. Should I?

 

[Ram Keswani]

So, please sum up everything. I can go 35$ per month for cat food. so which will be Best company and food? Thank you very much.

 

[maggiedemi]

Taurine is a vitamin found in cat food that cats need for their eyes. A feral cat won't come to you for just rice unless there is some tuna or chicken mixed with it. Why not just offer it cat food? Purina is a good company for cheaper cat food. Try the Friskies Shreds and Pate for canned food. They have so many dry foods. I'm using Purina Cat Chow Complete in the blue bag right now, but I have used Friskies dry food in the past for my two ferals.

 

[Kieka]

Why not offer a cat rice? Can I offer a feral rice to come near me and then once it trusts me, I will start giving it cat food. Should I?

Please do not offer a cat rice to bring it to you. It would be much better to offer it some canned tuna or get some wet canned cat food. Rice as an only food item for cats is bad for them. It takes up space in their stomach making them feel full while they get no nutritional benefit from it. You will be helping the cat much more to offer it tuna or wet food as an enticement.

As I stated before, do not start feeding the cats if you won't be taking it into your home or feeding them on a regular basis. If the idea is to get a feral cat to trust you to bring into your home as a pet then you should start putting down actual cat food when that specific cat is around. Sit quietly nearby and wait for the cat to eat. When you leave or the cat does then take the food up again. Once you start feeding the cat it will depend on you and over time it will trust you. In most cases the feral will eventually either follow you inside or you will be able to pet it but we are talking weeks if not months. Feral cats are slow to trust so do not rush it, do not grab it and do not look in its eyes.

Do not leave food down when you aren't around as the cat will not associate you with the food and by feeding whatever a cat comes around you make the area cats dependent on you. If you stop feeding them once you start the cats will likely starve and face possible death in the loss of a food source they come to depend on.

Honestly, you would be much better served to try to find a rescue group and taking in a single cat if the goal is to bring a cat into your home.

I wish there was an easy answer for what food to buy at $35. Prices vary widely so it is difficult to tell you to specifically buy X product. There is also the issue that I am not clear on who you are trying to feed. Ferals in your area or a single feral hoping to make it a pet. When you are buying for a feral colony you often go with the best dry you can for the dollar (which I would do Purina Pro Plan). If your end goal is to capture a feral and socialize as a pet cat then you would probably be better with wet food (like Fancy Feast) and opening a can just when the specific feral comes around.

 

[Ram Keswani]

Taurine is a vitamin found in cat food that cats need for their eyes. A feral cat won't come to you for just rice unless there is some tuna or chicken mixed with it. Why not just offer it cat food? Purina is a good company for cheaper cat food. Try the Friskies Shreds and Pate for canned food. They have so many dry foods. I'm using Purina Cat Chow Complete in the blue bag right now, but I have used Friskies dry food in the past for my two ferals.

Why wont it come? I saw one today eating rice. Thank you for your help. You might have just saved a cat.