Best Brands Of Wet Cat Food

[LTS3]

Another 96% meat canned food is Rawz, RAWZ | 100% Rendered Free Cat Food It's pretty pricey at about $2.99 a can, though.

 

[Vega's Dad]

You should read this article. It's for dogs, but the way pet food is processed is the same for cats. It clarifies the myths behind all the by-product phobias.
The Truth About Animal By-Products in Dog Food

There are different sources of information and I got a little bit confused what "meta by-products" and "poultry by-products" are... According to AAFCO, by-products are from slaughtered animals.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials > Consumers > What is in Pet Food
I wouldn't think road killed or euthanized as slaughtered. And, by-products are not rendered (by-product meal is) .
It seems that by-products, as long as not the first ingredient, are not something to be concerned more than, say, carrageenan, as long as the regulations are being enforced.

Some confusing information such as:
Read the Label: Definition of Meat By-Products
In this article, the definition of slaughtered has been expanded and by-products and by-product meal are undistinguished.

I'm lost...

 

[Lalka]

I dont know if someone already mentioned Only natural pet but you could try it with their special trial offer. Only Natural Pet PowerPate Canned Cat Food

 

[kashmir64]

From what I got from the article is:
If it's listed as poultry by-products, or beef by products etc. (named) then it is stuff like brains, giblets, heart, the good things for your animal.
If it's listed as animal by-products or meat by products (generic) then it is stuff like road kill, euthanized pets, etc.

So basically by-products are not bad depending on which ones.

 

[Vega's Dad]

From what I got from the article is:
If it's listed as poultry by-products, or beef by products etc. (named) then it is stuff like brains, giblets, heart, the good things for your animal.
If it's listed as animal by-products or meat by products (generic) then it is stuff like road kill, euthanized pets, etc.

So basically by-products are not bad depending on which ones.

Here is the definition of meat by-product from AAFCO. I think meat by-product ate as good/bad as poultry by-products.
"Meat by-products is the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially de-fatted low temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hoofs. It shall be suitable for use in animal feed. If it bears a name descriptive of its kind, it must correspond thereto.”

To put it another way, it is most of the parts of the animal other than the muscle tissue, including the internal organs and bones. It includes some of the parts people eat (such as livers, kidneys and tripe), but also parts that are not typically consumed by humans in the US. Some by-products, like udders and lungs are not deemed "edible" by USDA for human consumption, but they can be perfectly safe and nutritious for animals not inclined to be swayed by the unappealing nature of these parts of animals. As with "meat," unless the by-products are derived from cattle, pigs, sheep or goats, the species must be identified."

 

[laura mae]

The Stella & Chewy's and NW Naturals that you re-hydrate are great foods. FYI they do have some vegetable matter in them and from my understanding it is for digestion purposes-the whole soluble/insoluble fiber thing that is important for digestion. Unfortunately, the cat that liked this stuff best also has a chronic problem with constipation and mix of ground bone, fiber and meat just didn't work for him. His teeth were super sparkly clean though. So if your kitty doesn't have constipation issues, I'd recommend both of them. Primal also offers the freeze dried bricks that you re-hydrate. There's such a limited number of flavors, that mixing it up between them might keep things more interesting for your cat.

For canned food, I'd be cautious about believing that dead pets are used in commercial canned food. They aren't. I think that kind of scare tactic is a marketing tool for some specific brands to scare consumers to purchase their specific kinds of food, or to direct traffic to a "truthy" sounding website that promotes pseudoscience.

Pet food recalls are important to be aware of,no matter what you buy. And when people make their own pet food, especially raw, you have to be careful too.

I buy lots of different brands of canned food. My one constipation prone kitty loves Weruva. The others won't eat it and they like Wellness best, Nature's Variety Instinct Duck and the lamb get a paws up too.
I offer them Fancy Feast classic pate as side dishes. The cats seem to eat the higher end food more if they have a couple of nibbles of something else too, but that's just my crew.

 

[synthia]

Thanks for your input. I have used Natural Balance in the past, but switched after my cat got sick and then wouldn't eat it anymore after she got better. Been doing a lot of research and have a good handle on what I am looking for when reading can labels.

Sorry to hear your baby got sick
If u don't mind my asking, what wet foods did you find to be a good healthy choice? And how did your cat like it? I've tried buying "quality" wet food and they just don't like it..
They HATE Pate anything, only thing they eat are the friskies canned wet food .48 cents at petsmart!! The price makes me feel it's not quality, just not sure what quality brand to give them that would like.... SOS

 

[kashmir64]

They HATE Pate anything,

Mine are that way now, also. It's like telling a child brussel sprouts are desert, and they like it. Until you give them a cookie.

Mine will only eat the gravy lovers shreds now.

 

[daisyd]

Its taken me 9 months to find cat food mine can eat. She was terribly sick when she was tiny ! Think she was weaned too soon. She eats Thrive and has boiled chicken a couple days a week as well as minced beef once a week. I wrote to Thrive about my concerns and they sent me a box of free samples to try ! They have all variations (yes some with veggies in however she did like them ). I get her the chicken steak or tuna. She also has royal canin vetinary gastro food in stand by just in case to settle her stomach . You have to find the best product for you cat . Mine was terribly Ill on one gourmet brand ! Had to have 3 injections at the vets after eating it however many cats are fine on it

 

[aradasky]

I think you are forgetting something very important: cats are individuals and most of of your beliefs are just that: beliefs. Did a vet or any type of animal expert tell you Fancy Feast killed your cat? I have known so many cats who lived off Fancy Feast Classic Pates and they did not just survive: they thrived for years. Why? Because cats are individuals and not all of them react the same way to every single food. As for added chemicals, colors etc. Yeah, cats are tougher than you like to think. Unless an additive is inherently toxic, the cat's system is rather adept at filtering out most needless additives - much like ours. That is - unless your cat has an underlying health issue.

Maybe Fancy Feast killed your cat because she already had an underlying problem that Fancy Feast was not the proper diet for. The fact is - based on just a fundamental understanding of biology - Fancy Feast alone did not and could not kill your cat. It is not biologically possible.

As for the hype around meat-by-products: it's bull crap. Meat-by-products are things like animal bones, intestines etc. Cats are obligate carnivores. When they are outside and hunting, they do not catch a rabbit and delicately nibble off the muscle meat like sweet little house kitties. They rip through everything. They eat guts, bones, etc. And that includes the extra junk that animal may contain in its own body.

You should feed your cats well and if it pleases you to seek fancier, human grade, etc. foods, excellent! But do not make claims that are not based in scientific fact. As for Dr. Broderick, I suspect we have a money-making scheme on his part. I looked at his website and yeah - yeah we do. But, that is your decision. Not mine. I would just rather you not spread mass hysteria.

My source of information is this lady who doesn't turn her website into a marketing gimmick:

catinfo.org

LOVE the above post.

Have you ever followed a feral cat/leopard/lion around for a few days and watched it eat? Everything. I have seen them leave the beaks and feet sometimes, but not often. Do leopards or lions spit out the intestines, tongue, brains, heart, liver, teeth, bones, other by-products of a zebra? If the zebra is already dead, even for days, and lying on the ground and the hungry lion comes upon it, it will eat it! Unless the zebra was poisoned, the lion will go on with a full belly and no problems. Same with feral cats.
Cats need protein and all the other things that are in the animals they are eating.

I had type 2 diabetes. I do not eat carbs anymore and the disease is gone. I eat meat including organs, very few if any veges, no wheat or grains, nothing that will cause my insulin to spike. Cat dry food has carbs and I believe it is a big cause of diabetes in cats. I have seen cat canned food that is a Thanksgiving dinner! Including cranberries! There is a lot of sugar in the carbs that are in that can. Who is that sold for? HUMAN cat caretakers. It is sold to the human who thinks this is a good idea or a treat for their cat.

I have four indoor cats, one is 16. They all eat Fancy Feast classic, have for years, and are very healthy.

 

[kashmir64]

Mine are that way now, also. It's like telling a child brussel sprouts are desert, and they like it. Until you give them a cookie.

Mine will only eat the gravy lovers shreds now.

OOPS. I should read 'dessert' not desert.

 

[MeganLLB]

I was going to start feeding them Fancy Feast Classics too, because I also feed them some more expensive food and I wanted to keep the costs to around $25 per month and that's split between my mom and me because I care for her cat. Once I finish up this round, I'm going to see if they will eat a few new foods. I always have a big supply because I buy on chewy and want the free shipping so I buy a lot.

 

[thehistorian]

LOVE the above post.

Have you ever followed a feral cat/leopard/lion around for a few days and watched it eat? Everything. I have seen them leave the beaks and feet sometimes, but not often. Do leopards or lions spit out the intestines, tongue, brains, heart, liver, teeth, bones, other by-products of a zebra? If the zebra is already dead, even for days, and lying on the ground and the hungry lion comes upon it, it will eat it! Unless the zebra was poisoned, the lion will go on with a full belly and no problems. Same with feral cats.
Cats need protein and all the other things that are in the animals they are eating.

I had type 2 diabetes. I do not eat carbs anymore and the disease is gone. I eat meat including organs, very few if any veges, no wheat or grains, nothing that will cause my insulin to spike. Cat dry food has carbs and I believe it is a big cause of diabetes in cats. I have seen cat canned food that is a Thanksgiving dinner! Including cranberries! There is a lot of sugar in the carbs that are in that can. Who is that sold for? HUMAN cat caretakers. It is sold to the human who thinks this is a good idea or a treat for their cat.

I have four indoor cats, one is 16. They all eat Fancy Feast classic, have for years, and are very healthy.

Exactly! I am still feeding a small amount of dry food per day (1/4th a cup) in total, but that is only because I am slowly weaning my male cat off of it. You cannot rush these things. The majority of their diet is wet food. The wet foods I rotate are Fancy Feast Classic pates, and Nutro Natural Choice pates, and Nutro Natural Choice slices (these use egg product to make the gravy - no plants, so I am okay with them) because they are strictly meat protein based wet foods with added vitamins and minerals. Sure, they have guar gum and sometimes carrageenan, but in large part the harmfulness or non-harmfulness of these ingredients is inconclusive. Indeed, often times it depends on the individual sensitivities of the each cat. My two handle FF and Nutro Natural Choice fine, so I will continue to feed them with Fancy Feast being the larger part of their diet because NNC is expensive for a graduate student.

 

[bonepicker]

You can only buy the BEST if your cat will eat it! Any wet food is better than the best dry food for health purposes. I tried most of the high end foods only to figure out my cats called the shots, so I got the best THEY WOULD EAT! Not THE best, but far from the worst! Mine like WHOLE EARTH duck or beef, Merrick rabbit, Impulse quail or guinea hen, Wellness Core natural chicken & liver, and Soulistic chicken pate & shreds dinner. I top off with purebites freeze dried chicken (dogs size bags). I don't feed dry, I feed two meal morning and evening splitting one 5.5 oz can each time for two cats. They will also eat friskies and fancy feast, which I feed the feral cats. I buy from chewy. Com and petco. Com for soulistic which is their brand. Petsmart does not sell their brands, but I see they have merged with Chewy

 

[Mary Ann P]

The best quality food in the world isn't so great if the cat won't eat it. You can't make a cat eat what you want it to. Some cats will go on a hunger strike if they don't like the food and that can cause health problems.

When I needed my cat (that is gone now) to eat Royal Canin food that her Vet prescribed for her (at the time I thought that I was doing the right thing-NOT) I would use 1/2 the can and add 1/2 jar of Beech-Nut or Gerber baby food "Turkey w/broth or Chicken w/broth, or Beef w/broth" (do NOT use the kind with gravy!) most cats really like the pure meat smell and taste! When we get our new kitten IF I have any trouble getting her to eat the Cornucopia, which I do not expect, I will add a little bit of the baby food to get her attention and then slowly cut back on it until she is eating only the Cornucopia. I am smarter than a cat.

 

[buckeyealum]

Oceanfish rules!

This brings up the "seafood is bad for felines" subject that I have been hearing and reading more and more about, in the past several years. Things such as...

"thiamine deficiency" "Fish is also responsible for a large percentage of food allergies in cats." Of Cats and Fish – Is Fish Bad for Cats | petMD

And articles such as this (just one of 4,000,000 results when googling "seafood cat food dangers" ... Why Fish is Dangerous for Cats | Little Big Cat

Are Fish Flavored Cat Foods Causing Hyperthyroidism? | petMD

Mercury in Fish-Based Cat Food: What You Should Know - The Conscious Cat

Why is providing a safe and nutritionally balanced diet, that our cats will actually consume, so difficult, and sifting though all of the research and recommendations, so confusing?

 

[kikilove]

This brings up the "seafood is bad for felines" subject that I have been hearing and reading more and more about, in the past several years. Things such as...

"thiamine deficiency" "Fish is also responsible for a large percentage of food allergies in cats." Of Cats and Fish – Is Fish Bad for Cats | petMD

And articles such as this (just one of 4,000,000 results when googling "seafood cat food dangers" ... Why Fish is Dangerous for Cats | Little Big Cat

Are Fish Flavored Cat Foods Causing Hyperthyroidism? | petMD

Mercury in Fish-Based Cat Food: What You Should Know - The Conscious Cat

Why is providing a safe and nutritionally balanced diet, that our cats will actually consume, so difficult, and sifting though all of the research and recommendations, so confusing?

So very confusing. OTOH, it's just as bad as with humans. The literal mountains of info we receive can be overwhelming!!! Crazy making!!!

 

[Mary Ann P]

I do understand your problem, I was there once. We fed her Science Diet, from the first day that we got her, 22+ years ago, really believing that we were doing the right thing and were giving her "good food". One day 16-18 years later she decided she was no longer going to eat that food! Haha on me, I thought if I kept giving it to her she would eat it, boy was I dumb! So we started trying other canned foods that we "thought" were quality foods, Blue Buffalo, whatever, whatever, when I came upon the idea of mixing some "meat" baby food in with it and then the Vet wanted her on Royal Canin Rx food anyway that worked for awhile. But by then I had started reading EVERYTHING I could find in the library and on-line about the 'best' thing to feed your cat. I read and read and read. It made perfect sense that when a 'cat' is in the wild, or your backyard, the hunt for their food and when they catch a mole or mouse or vole, or bird or other such creature they eat ALL of it. The fur, bones, organs, meat, eyes, etc. All of that keeps the cat healthy! I remember our cat we had when I was a little girl, Mom fed her table scraps, but we lived in the country and she was also outside and we saw her catch all of the things I mentioned plus more. She would bring some of them home and line them up on the door mat as a gift to us. She was my very first cat, when I was 3, and she was still around when I married and left home at 21. She was a beautiful black and white short-haired girl, and her fur was perfect, SO white and SO shiny. She had lots of kittens, we kept one here and there and always found homes for the others. I have read that the best thing that you can feed you cat is to buy whole rabbits. everything except the feet, and grind them up or buy them already ground and freeze and thaw as needed. I just can't quite go there. And there are other things they do this with, I believe quail. So I kept looking, that I how I found 'Cornucopia'. I am convinced that this is the best food/diet that we can feed our new cat, unless I want to go the "whole animal" route and I do not want that now. I do not expect anyone else to agree with the decision that we have made, it is a lot of money. But we have lost 3 tooooo many pets that are pieces of our hearts to kidney/urinary tract disease, and I have too many friends that have lost theirs to cancer.

 

[Cinnabun]

Bingo. Plus, a lot of the marketing gimmicks like "organic, grain-free, with fresh veggies, apples etc." are made to appeal to what humans think of as healthy for THEM - not for cats. Cats have completely different dietary needs. Personally if I could afford it, I would feed my cats a completely commercially prepared raw diet with all the necessary added vitamins and minerals, but I cannot. Luckily, my cats are thriving on their mostly wet food diet of FF and NNC supplemented with just a bit of dry. I am trying to get them off dry completely - in particular the boy.

I tried weaning my cats off of kibble and started feeding them Newman's Organic canned food- chicken formulation + Wegman's canned cat food. I noticed in 2-3 days my cats coats started looking dry and feeling rough. When I looked at the ingredients in the kibble I was feeding them (Nature's Variety - chicken) and the one they were previously fed at the pet store (Performatrin Potato & Salmon), both had omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, but the organic food did not. I ended up returning the unused cans, put them back on Fancy Feast for a short spell mixed with N.V. kibble. Their coats were back to being shiny and silky within two days.

I'm not asserting that dry food is preferred over wet food or that all organic cat food's are a gimmick. But at the end of the day, it takes a lot more than something being labelled "organic" for it to be healthy for your cats. It seems like this quest for the perfect cat diet will be a long one..

 

[Cinnabun]

I buy lots of different brands of canned food. My one constipation prone kitty loves Weruva. The others won't eat it and they like Wellness best, Nature's Variety Instinct Duck and the lamb get a paws up too.
I offer them Fancy Feast classic pate as side dishes. The cats seem to eat the higher end food more if they have a couple of nibbles of something else too, but that's just my crew.

I put my two cats on a similar diet. I just don't use the lamb formulation anymore because it irritated one of my cats so bad, she was pooping out bloody mucus. For now I'm sticking to rabbit, will by some duck again if my local Pet Valu offers it & mix in the Nature's Variety raw chicken and rabbit where appropriate. I have Stella & Chewy's (duck) but haven't started feeding it yet.