What's The Differences Between Meowmix And Friskies Pate?

[purplecats]

I know this sounds like a dumb question, but what are the differences between the two cat foods? My dad thinks MeowMix is quality cat food, and I just want to be able to explain to him the health differences, and how bad MeowMix really is. I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to cat nutrition, so if you can please make it easy to understand. Thank you for your time.

 

[maggiedemi]

Well it seems like Meow Mix has fish in every single flavor, at least last time I looked it did. I feed Friskies and Fancy Feast canned food, the only thing I consider unhealthy in that is Artificial Flavors, which I'm hoping they remove someday.

 

[Daisy6]

Meow Mix is a company name. Friskies is a line of wet food made by Purina. Both are bad.

 

[duckpond]

My personal opinion is that there are good and bad foods in almost all lines and brands of food. I like to look at the reviews on Cat food data base. We want high protein, moderate to lower fat, and low carbs. The data base has a fairly good rating system, and show a lot of brands. Look up the foods you are interested in, the main thing i watch for if nothing else, is low carb. I would feed the lowest carb food available in what ever brand i picked.

I do like wet food for cats. I feed dry as well, but i would recommend at least one wet meal per day. If the cat likes wet and you want to feed only wet i dont see a problem with that. Some will not eat wet and so you feed dry, but always make sure they have plenty of fresh, cold, filtered water to drink.

These are my fav places to read about foods. My best advice is make any changes slowly. dont read about foods, freak out that what you feed is no good, it has bad reviews, and start all new foods tomorrow. You might not do this, but many do Not necessary, and can cause tummy troubles. Pick the foods you think have good reviews, and that are in your budget, then slowly start introducing those foods with what you now feed. slowly phasing out what you dont want to feed as you run out.

https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

CatFoodDB - Cat Food Reviews to help you find the best cat food for your cat

 

[Kieka]

Are you asking about dry or wet? Edit, just realized pate in the title; I am special. I read Purina in a response and took off running. But I am leaving the dry comparison just for future reference or if someone else stumbles on this.

WET - Honestly, they look fairly similar. I don't like the carrageenan or guar gum in either of them; both are thickeners that have been linked to digestive problems. I actually like MeowMix using chicken broth as the liquid for processing instead of water; broths can have all sorts of benefits. If I was trying to pick between the two, I'd honestly do whichever was on sale.

If the reason he sticks with those is cost, check Tractor Supply. They have this one, 4health Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats, 3 oz. Can at Tractor Supply Co. it is cheaper then the MeowMix (which in my area is 0.51 a can while the Tractor Supply is 0.49 a can for a slightly larger can, you can even get a 5oz grain free can for 0.69). While some of the grain free tractor supply have guar gum I am not seeing carrageenan so at least it has less plus it doesn't have grains or random stuff like coloring that just isn't needed.

• Friskies Pate Chicken and Tuna Dinner -Meat by-products, poultry by-products, water sufficient for processing, chicken, liver, tuna, rice, artificial and natural flavors, added color, guar gum, tricalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, carrageenan, salt, magnesium sulfate, mono and dicalcium phosphate, taurine, choline chloride, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (Vitamin K), pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, biotin, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, potassium iodide.
• MeowMix Classic Pate Mixed Grill - Chicken Broth, Meat By-Products, Liver, Beef, Tuna, Chicken, Rice Flour, Sunflower Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Salt, Sodium Tripolyphsphate, Potassium Chloride, Guar Gum, Caramel Color, Calcium Sulfate, Natural Flavor, Choline Chloride, Carrageenan, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Glycine Complex, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, Magnesium Sulfate.

DRY - Purina is slightly better. MeowMix starts with corn, soybean, then a meat by product before corn meal, tallow, and animal digest (digest is produced by the chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean animal tissue that has not undergone decomposition. These animal tissues may not include hair, horns, teeth, hooves, or feathers, with the exclusion of trace amounts that are unavoidable even after acceptable processing methods). Purina at least has a poultry by product as the first and doesn't add tallow or digest. Both have artificial colors which is just pointless because cats don't care about color. Honestly I will never feed a cat MeowMix, unless it was the absolute only food on the shelf. My girl was in a hoarders/feral colony that was fed MeowMix. At 3-4 months old she was barely a pound, her coat was horrible, she stank, her eyes were dull and her poop was like orange chalk. All the other kittens died and while the food was not the only factor I cannot separate her poor condition and the deaths from the food they were fed. I just can't.

• Dry Purina Cat Chow - Poultry by-product meal, corn meal, corn gluten meal, ground whole wheat, brewers rice, soy flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, fish meal, animal liver flavor, meat and bone meal, phosphoric acid, salt, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, potassium chloride, taurine, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

• MeowMix Original Choice - WHOLE GROUND CORN, SOYBEAN MEAL, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, BEEF TALLOW (PRESERVED WITH MIXED TOCOPHEROLS), ANIMAL DIGEST, TURKEY BY-PRODUCT MEAL, SALMON MEAL, OCEAN FISH MEAL, PHOSPHORIC ACID, CALCIUM CARBONATE, L-LYSINE MONOHYDROCHLORIDE, CHOLINE CHLORIDE, SALT, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (COLOR), VITAMINS (VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, NIACIN, VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT, D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, MENADIONE SODIUM BISULFITE COMPLEX (SOURCE OF VITAMIN K ACTIVITY), VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, FOLIC ACID, BIOTIN), MINERALS (FERROUS SULFATE, ZINC OXIDE, MANGANOUS OXIDE, COPPER SULFATE, CALCIUM IODATE, SODIUM SELENITE), TAURINE, DL-METHIONINE, YELLOW 6, YELLOW 5, LACTIC ACID, RED 40, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, BLUE 2, ROSEMARY EXTRACT.

 

[Daisy6]

Duck: I agree carbohydrates should be low, but high protein from an animal is more important to a cat. I will worry about the carbs after figuring out how much meat is in the recipe.

 

[duckpond]

Duck: I agree carbohydrates should be low, but high protein from an animal is more important to a cat. I will worry about the carbs after figuring out how much meat is in the recipe.

I agree with the protein. I always try for the highest animal proteins. But i have found with most foods those protein amounts are close on a lot of them, within a brand. Carbs seem to vary more within a brand, at least from what i see? But honestly right now my biggest complaint with many wet foods is the high fat. i know cats can eat a fair amount of fat, but i really have a hard time feeding a food, even a low carb food that is more fat than protein? Just my personal struggle right now

 

[Daisy6]

At least cats can take more fat than people before they need to be put on a weight loss program! Of the four cats I have had, only one was overweight and that was a result of being a former stray who never forgot being hungry.

 

[maggiedemi]

Please keep in mind that there are people who feed Purina canned food to their cats every day. When you call it "bad" it's very insulting. I will be taking a break from the forums until people can be more respectful.

 

[Willowy]

If you mean the wet foods, they're about the same quality. Meow Mix costs more per ounce, though, due to being sold in tiny little cups.

If you mean the dry foods, Meow Mix is one of the lowest-quality dry foods; I'd recommend something better like Purina Cat Chow Naturals.

 

[Daisy6]

Please keep in mind that there are people who feed Purina canned food to their cats every day. When you call it "bad" it's very insulting. I will be taking a break from the forums until people can be more respectful.

So what do you want me to call a food that I do not believe is good for cats?

 

[maggiedemi]

Have a little more tact! It's only your opinion. You are feeding Blue Buffalo dry. That is no better than Purina canned food.

 

[Daisy6]

My hope is I can stop feeding kibbles and upgrade the ingredient quality in her diet.

 

[maggiedemi]

It's only your "hope". You are doing no better than I am. There is nothing wrong with Purina canned food and my cats DO eat it. They are eating wet food. That is a GOOD thing!!!

 

[MissMolly08]

There isn't a huge difference between Meow Mix and Friskies if we are strictly talking classic pates. My biggest gripe with the Meow Mix is that broth tends to be the 1st ingredient which means you are actually paying for more liquid than meat. In Friskies, meat or meat by-products are the #1 ingredient.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Are you asking about dry or wet? Edit, just realized pate in the title; I am special. I read Purina in a response and took off running. But I am leaving the dry comparison just for future reference or if someone else stumbles on this.

WET - Honestly, they look fairly similar. I don't like the carrageenan or guar gum in either of them; both are thickeners that have been linked to digestive problems. I actually like MeowMix using chicken broth as the liquid for processing instead of water; broths can have all sorts of benefits. If I was trying to pick between the two, I'd honestly do whichever was on sale.

If the reason he sticks with those is cost, check Tractor Supply. They have this one, 4health Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats, 3 oz. Can at Tractor Supply Co. it is cheaper then the MeowMix (which in my area is 0.51 a can while the Tractor Supply is 0.49 a can for a slightly larger can, you can even get a 5oz grain free can for 0.69). While some of the grain free tractor supply have guar gum I am not seeing carrageenan so at least it has less plus it doesn't have grains or random stuff like coloring that just isn't needed.

• Friskies Pate Chicken and Tuna Dinner -Meat by-products, poultry by-products, water sufficient for processing, chicken, liver, tuna, rice, artificial and natural flavors, added color, guar gum, tricalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, carrageenan, salt, magnesium sulfate, mono and dicalcium phosphate, taurine, choline chloride, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (Vitamin K), pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, biotin, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, potassium iodide.
• MeowMix Classic Pate Mixed Grill - Chicken Broth, Meat By-Products, Liver, Beef, Tuna, Chicken, Rice Flour, Sunflower Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Salt, Sodium Tripolyphsphate, Potassium Chloride, Guar Gum, Caramel Color, Calcium Sulfate, Natural Flavor, Choline Chloride, Carrageenan, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Glycine Complex, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, Magnesium Sulfate.

DRY - Purina is slightly better. MeowMix starts with corn, soybean, then a meat by product before corn meal, tallow, and animal digest (digest is produced by the chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean animal tissue that has not undergone decomposition. These animal tissues may not include hair, horns, teeth, hooves, or feathers, with the exclusion of trace amounts that are unavoidable even after acceptable processing methods). Purina at least has a poultry by product as the first and doesn't add tallow or digest. Both have artificial colors which is just pointless because cats don't care about color. Honestly I will never feed a cat MeowMix, unless it was the absolute only food on the shelf. My girl was in a hoarders/feral colony that was fed MeowMix. At 3-4 months old she was barely a pound, her coat was horrible, she stank, her eyes were dull and her poop was like orange chalk. All the other kittens died and while the food was not the only factor I cannot separate her poor condition and the deaths from the food they were fed. I just can't.

• Dry Purina Cat Chow - Poultry by-product meal, corn meal, corn gluten meal, ground whole wheat, brewers rice, soy flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, fish meal, animal liver flavor, meat and bone meal, phosphoric acid, salt, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, potassium chloride, taurine, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

• MeowMix Original Choice - WHOLE GROUND CORN, SOYBEAN MEAL, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, BEEF TALLOW (PRESERVED WITH MIXED TOCOPHEROLS), ANIMAL DIGEST, TURKEY BY-PRODUCT MEAL, SALMON MEAL, OCEAN FISH MEAL, PHOSPHORIC ACID, CALCIUM CARBONATE, L-LYSINE MONOHYDROCHLORIDE, CHOLINE CHLORIDE, SALT, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (COLOR), VITAMINS (VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, NIACIN, VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT, D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, MENADIONE SODIUM BISULFITE COMPLEX (SOURCE OF VITAMIN K ACTIVITY), VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, FOLIC ACID, BIOTIN), MINERALS (FERROUS SULFATE, ZINC OXIDE, MANGANOUS OXIDE, COPPER SULFATE, CALCIUM IODATE, SODIUM SELENITE), TAURINE, DL-METHIONINE, YELLOW 6, YELLOW 5, LACTIC ACID, RED 40, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, BLUE 2, ROSEMARY EXTRACT.

There's much I dislike about Meow Mix but the food coloring is so unnecessary =/
P purplecats , I can only guess that either this is not your cat, or you and your dad and your cat live under the same roof?
If the choice is not yours try not to stress, you're trying =)
A lot of people feed farm and ranch cats things like Meow Mix. I don't love that food but for cats that free roam and catch 90% of their own meals, I don't think (supplementally) it's a terrible thing. At least they have a bowl of food if their hunt was unsuccessful. But for house cats that have only the random mouse or house fly to catch, this diet is probably not the best.
If your dad has had cats in the past or grew up with cats that were outdoors or indoor/outdoors, assuming your cat now doesn't go outside, he might not be considering that the cat in question cannot catch their own chow and Meow Mix has gone from supplemental to a stand alone diet.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

Are you asking about dry or wet? Edit, just realized pate in the title; I am special. I read Purina in a response and took off running. But I am leaving the dry comparison just for future reference or if someone else stumbles on this.

WET - Honestly, they look fairly similar. I don't like the carrageenan or guar gum in either of them; both are thickeners that have been linked to digestive problems. I actually like MeowMix using chicken broth as the liquid for processing instead of water; broths can have all sorts of benefits. If I was trying to pick between the two, I'd honestly do whichever was on sale.

If the reason he sticks with those is cost, check Tractor Supply. They have this one, 4health Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Cats, 3 oz. Can at Tractor Supply Co. it is cheaper then the MeowMix (which in my area is 0.51 a can while the Tractor Supply is 0.49 a can for a slightly larger can, you can even get a 5oz grain free can for 0.69). While some of the grain free tractor supply have guar gum I am not seeing carrageenan so at least it has less plus it doesn't have grains or random stuff like coloring that just isn't needed.

• Friskies Pate Chicken and Tuna Dinner -Meat by-products, poultry by-products, water sufficient for processing, chicken, liver, tuna, rice, artificial and natural flavors, added color, guar gum, tricalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, carrageenan, salt, magnesium sulfate, mono and dicalcium phosphate, taurine, choline chloride, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (Vitamin K), pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, biotin, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, potassium iodide.
• MeowMix Classic Pate Mixed Grill - Chicken Broth, Meat By-Products, Liver, Beef, Tuna, Chicken, Rice Flour, Sunflower Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Salt, Sodium Tripolyphsphate, Potassium Chloride, Guar Gum, Caramel Color, Calcium Sulfate, Natural Flavor, Choline Chloride, Carrageenan, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Glycine Complex, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, Magnesium Sulfate.

DRY - Purina is slightly better. MeowMix starts with corn, soybean, then a meat by product before corn meal, tallow, and animal digest (digest is produced by the chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean animal tissue that has not undergone decomposition. These animal tissues may not include hair, horns, teeth, hooves, or feathers, with the exclusion of trace amounts that are unavoidable even after acceptable processing methods). Purina at least has a poultry by product as the first and doesn't add tallow or digest. Both have artificial colors which is just pointless because cats don't care about color. Honestly I will never feed a cat MeowMix, unless it was the absolute only food on the shelf. My girl was in a hoarders/feral colony that was fed MeowMix. At 3-4 months old she was barely a pound, her coat was horrible, she stank, her eyes were dull and her poop was like orange chalk. All the other kittens died and while the food was not the only factor I cannot separate her poor condition and the deaths from the food they were fed. I just can't.

• Dry Purina Cat Chow - Poultry by-product meal, corn meal, corn gluten meal, ground whole wheat, brewers rice, soy flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, fish meal, animal liver flavor, meat and bone meal, phosphoric acid, salt, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, potassium chloride, taurine, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

• MeowMix Original Choice - WHOLE GROUND CORN, SOYBEAN MEAL, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, BEEF TALLOW (PRESERVED WITH MIXED TOCOPHEROLS), ANIMAL DIGEST, TURKEY BY-PRODUCT MEAL, SALMON MEAL, OCEAN FISH MEAL, PHOSPHORIC ACID, CALCIUM CARBONATE, L-LYSINE MONOHYDROCHLORIDE, CHOLINE CHLORIDE, SALT, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (COLOR), VITAMINS (VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, NIACIN, VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT, D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, MENADIONE SODIUM BISULFITE COMPLEX (SOURCE OF VITAMIN K ACTIVITY), VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, FOLIC ACID, BIOTIN), MINERALS (FERROUS SULFATE, ZINC OXIDE, MANGANOUS OXIDE, COPPER SULFATE, CALCIUM IODATE, SODIUM SELENITE), TAURINE, DL-METHIONINE, YELLOW 6, YELLOW 5, LACTIC ACID, RED 40, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, BLUE 2, ROSEMARY EXTRACT.

P purplecats - Kieka has given an excellent comparison here.

As to the sideline discussion which has developed, the first question should always be, "will my cat eat that particular food?" Cats who don't eat, won't live long, and no matter how highly regarded a particular food might be, if they won't eat it, it has little value.

Just as do M maggiedemi and a great many other TCS members with long histories of healthy, long-lived cats, I've fed Fancy Feast (Medleys and Grilled varieties) since they came on the U.S. market in 1982, and Purina canned foods (both paté and Shreds) for many years before and currently (i.e. in excess of sixty years, actually), and my clowders have never been prone to health issues, and typically live just into their twenties, losing only one cat in 48 before age 16, and him to cancer, at age nine. I've two currently who've passed their twenty-first birthdays, and have had two at age 24, one at 26 and one just days short of thirty years. My 21-year-olds play and run and chase through the house just as they did when they were kittens. They get what they like, and my absolutely non-scientific opinion is that a cat who enjoys Life lives longer simply by dint of wanting to.
.

 

[1 bruce 1]

It's only your "hope". You are doing no better than I am. There is nothing wrong with Purina canned food and my cats DO eat it. They are eating wet food. That is a GOOD thing!!!

Die hard raw feeder here who feeds an IBD cat Fancy Feast...the horrors!
We feed this because it's economical, readily available, has rotational flavors that he likes (he doesn't get bored/picky), he LIKES it and maintains a good weight.
If some day he stops doing well, we move on.
NO "great" pet food is worth a rats @$$ if the cat won't touch it. You cannot tough love a cat into eating something they haven't taken to.
If your cats eat Purina canned and like it, keep educating yourself (in case some day they change their minds, darned cats) but be glad they're doing well.
Nothing is more irritating than someone dedicated/stuck on a brand and feeds it despite allergies, projectile diarrhea, vomiting and malaise. It's not working. =/
(Plus, I don't have the finances to feed my hoards of nerdy cats something that runs $60 bucks for a 20 pounds bag. Financially we couldn't do it.)

 

[1 bruce 1]

P purplecats - Kieka has given an excellent comparison here.

As to the sideline discussion which has developed, the first question should always be, "will my cat eat that particular food?" Cats who don't eat, won't live long, and no matter how highly regarded a particular food might be, if they won't eat it, it has little value.

Just as do M maggiedemi and a great many other TCS members with long histories of healthy, long-lived cats, I've fed Fancy Feast (Medleys and Grilled varieties) since they came on the U.S. market in 1982, and Purina canned foods (both paté and Shreds) for many years before and currently (i.e. in excess of sixty years, actually), and my clowders have never been prone to health issues, and typically live just into their twenties, losing only one cat in 48 before age 16, and him to cancer, at age nine. I've two currently who've passed their twenty-first birthdays, and have had two at age 24, one at 26 and one just days short of thirty years. My 21-year-olds play and run and chase through the house just as they did when they were kittens. They get what they like, and my absolutely non-scientific opinion is that a cat who enjoys Life lives longer simply by dint of wanting to.
.

WOW!!! You've seen some amazing longevity. You're lucky...and so were/are they!!!
I absolutely could not agree with you more. " my absolutely non-scientific opinion is that a cat who enjoys Life lives longer simply by dint of wanting to."
We obsess over diet, and we probably should at least some because food matters a lot. But when we obsess too greatly we over look other things like toxic exposure, inter-species relationships and relationships with us, over all health, exposure to sunlight, clean water, and tons and tons of love.
I'd rather see a cat (or dog) eating a not-the-best diet but is loved to bits, physically exercised and mentally enriched until they practically collapse from contented exhaustion, with access to fresh air, sunlight, and that love that's completely free.
Maybe not scientific opinion of yours, but it is over flowing with common sense.
(Edit, for those who have lost them young so have I and I'm not suggesting you've done poorly. Sometimes genetics is a nightmare and things take over that not even a pure organic diet and a perfect lifestyle can beat. So please don't take this as a bashing for anyone who has had a cat die younger than 16!!!)

 

[MissMolly08]

So what do you want me to call a food that I do not believe is good for cats?

It would come across much less judgey if you worded it something like "IMO, neither is the healthiest option".
There's nothing wrong with having an opinion but it is just that, an opinion.

Also, people would probably be much more willing to listen and maybe learn something if you explained why you don't like a certain food instead of just labeling it "bad" and leaving it at that.

Perhaps try asking the persons budget and offering better options for the price.