Best Cat Food

derekthecat

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I realise this has probably been covered elsewhere so if someone could point me to a related thread that would be great! Otherwise my question is simple...
What should I feed my cats?

They're 18months old and have been eating Hill's dry food all their lives on the vet's recommendation - But there is a lot of noise online that it's rubbish/bad for them.
They are currently healthy, happy, not overweight and with no digestive issues, but if we were to switch foods what brand should we be feeding them instead?

Also, wet or dry?
Currently loving the fact their poo doesn't smell and is nice and compact! So not relishing the idea of moving to wet food...
 

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maggiedemi

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You don't have to feed all wet food, but maybe try splitting a can of Fancy Feast or Friskies between them once or twice a day. Or whatever wet food you choose. The moisture in it is good for them, especially if they are males.
 

LTS3

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What should I feed my cats?
The best quality brand you can afford that the cats like to eat :agree: There is no one particular brand that is better than another. It's kind of trial and error to find what your cats like to eat. Try a few different brands to see what your cats like and doesn't affect their tummies (gassiness, mushy poop, etc).

These may be helpful:

How To Choose The Right Food For Your Cat
Choosing The Right Food For Your Cat - Part 2
Grain-free Cat Food – What Does It Mean?
How To Choose The Best Dry Cat Food?
A Scientific Take On Cat Nutrition By Dr. Rachel Boltz
By-products In Cat Food: 5 Facts You Need To Know
Top 5 Brands Of Wet Cat Food Our Members Love The Most

Many people here on TCS recommend feeding mostly, if not only, canned food. The high moisture content in canned food helps keep a cat well hydrated and may even help minimize the chance of urinary issues by keeping the urine diluted. A high quality canned food diet can keep the pop well formed and less smelly. It's indigestible fillers in food, particularly dry food, that makes poop really smelly :barfgreen:

Some people do feed a little dry or even only dry food for various reasons.

You do not have to feed what the vet recommends at all. It's perfectly ok to feed something other than what the vet recommends. The only exception is if a cat has a medical condition and is required to be on a special diet. Hills is pretty poor quality with all the fillers.

If you post the country you are in, TCS members may be able to suggest some brands to try. I know there is a list of good UK foods.
 

orange&white

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My vote is also for an all-wet diet, but if you're not crazy about the idea of canned, then I agree with LTS3: feed the best quality you can afford. Personally, I believe a cheaper canned is healthier than an expensive dry. I think the downside of a dry diet (too much carb processing and not enough moisture) catches up with kitties somewhere between the ages of 10-15.
 

Nicole42

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I've been feeding my cats PureBalance, they have wet and dry food and the ingredients seem to be pretty good without by products, corn, soy, or wheat. They have a few different flavors to choose from such as salmon, turkey and sweet potato,etc.. I Like to give them both the wet food and the dry food. They also have these little PueBalance starters that are tiny little cans of wet treat/cat food, so those are nice for when i give them dry food.. I just give them less of the dry food and let them have their little wet treat.. Like they said, do what is best for you and your cats with what you can afford. I wish you good luck in finding your food! :sunshine::lovecat:
 

_spadekitty

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I feed my cat a couple different brands of wet food, and would also agree a wet food diet is best. He eats Wellness as his main wet (we're doing beef and salmon right now, he LOVES it), along with Merrick, Fancy Feast, Muse (the little boxes with a meat in a chowder/broth), Trader Joe's, and occasionally Blue Buffalo. I haven't found a flavor he doesn't like yet so he gets a lot of variety this way to keep him from getting bored.

He only gets dry as snacks and his stool is still compact, small, smells a little but it's certainly not overbearing. A good litter keeps the smell totally under control.

For dry food, I feed him Acana Meadowlands, but I'm thinking of switching him to Fromm Gold Adult. He likes the Acana well enough as snacks, the kibble are pretty small as well. If you wanna stick with dry I think it would be a good choice.

He was on Royal Canin at the shelter and seemed a little lazy, coat wasn't as shiny and eyes not as bright. He looks SO handsome now on the Acana, I'd recommend it for sure.
 
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mizzely

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My cats are on a wet diet, and I find they pee a lot more but the poop isn't as stinky or plentiful as when they were eating kibble. It's still compact ;)
 

thegreystalker

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My gal gets an even split between wet and dry. At the rescue shelter her diet was exclusively dry, which I continued when I brought her home. These days, rotating between wet and dry appears to keep her interested in her meals. I keep kibble in large jugs and when she hears the rattle of the kibble she comes running, actually sprinting, every time. Does the same thing when she hears the "pop" of the lid on a can. Plain and simple, she loves to eat. We avoid corn, wheat and soy ingredients.
 

lalagimp

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I like that raw is simple and clean, though most people may not say that. I'm not worried so much by bacteria and for me it's a drag to make my own, but it's highly digestible with no fillers or added carbs. Meat, water, vitamins E and B, lite salt, taurine, fish oil. I can't get one of my girls to touch anything wet so the ladies are still on kibble, which I'm not thrilled about, but I'm working on trying to get a sponsored blog post or two with a company that just released a kibble this year that is very, very simple formula. We also have 2 water fountains; one in the dining room and one in the living room.
I'm really glad the boys eat what I feed them because there was no drama getting them off kibble when Tommy developed urinary issues that required surgery. Now until he's gone he's my FLUTD kitty and he gets raw, bone broth, and cranberry supplement. I hope boyfriend's cat never has to go through what Tom did but he's on a much better diet now and just turned 5 this year. Tom's 8.
Then there is the whole other can of worms for people saying kibble makes cats fat. Yeah CALORIES make cats fat. Tommy was allowed to eat whenever he wanted for the first few years of his life and he got up to 21 lbs. Then through controlled portions of kibble over a few years we got him down to his 13 lbs.

Do what you feel comfortable with and just know there are going to be people that do and do not agree with it. :)
 

Katyosha

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used to feed my cat commercial food like meaw mix, friskies , or delly cat, however lately i switched to applaws which she seems to like more than the other ones plus i believe it should be more beneficial that it has higher proten. the canned or wet food i mix different brands so it will not be boared. i noticed shd mostly prefer the cat in the kitchen soup which smells nice and is rich in moistre. the litter smells worse than before but maybe its related to the fact that she is pregnant about 8 weeks now, plus the fact that j changed the type of litter she uses.. in general everything should be given in moderation. as long as they eat the food and have no health issues it should be ok..
but a question i have in mind.. how much treat should i give my cat? she is crazy about the treat sticks.. is it ok to feed her those 2 or 3 times a day? she is normal weight and super active.
 

Katyosha

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one more thing.. i recommended the applaws dry food to a friend of mine who has 4 kittens and he says they dont like it and refuse to eat it.. although the other two cats we have at home beside mine love it.. is the breed a factor in liming some brand but not the other?
 

maggiedemi

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What do you mean by treat sticks? The ones that are like meat sticks, kind of like jerky?
 

mizzely

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I believe by definition that treats should make up no more than 10% of the calories of a diet to keep it balanced.
 

Katyosha

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I believe by definition that treats should make up no more than 10% of the calories of a diet to keep it balanced.
Sure will not have her depending on it.i jyst use it for when i go to work and have to leave her alone or when i want her to do something .. she can be stubborn at times but with the treat she is the super obedient girl
 

maggiedemi

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If you are giving her more than one of those jerky stick treats a day, that could be the reason for the stinky poop. It did that to my cats too, I think they have a lot of salt in them.
 

Katyosha

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If you are giving her more than one of those jerky stick treats a day, that could be the reason for the stinky poop. It did that to my cats too, I think they have a lot of salt in them.
ok that might be it.. then will cut down on the treat.. she wont eat properly though.. maybe once she have the babies then her appetite will boost
 

maggiedemi

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Those jerky sticks are pretty long, just break them in two, that will make 2 treats.
 

katlady-18

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used to feed my cat commercial food like meaw mix, friskies , or delly cat, however lately i switched to applaws which she seems to like more than the other ones plus i believe it should be more beneficial that it has higher proten. the canned or wet food i mix different brands so it will not be boared. i noticed shd mostly prefer the cat in the kitchen soup which smells nice and is rich in moistre. the litter smells worse than before but maybe its related to the fact that she is pregnant about 8 weeks now, plus the fact that j changed the type of litter she uses.. in general everything should be given in moderation. as long as they eat the food and have no health issues it should be ok..
but a question i have in mind.. how much treat should i give my cat? she is crazy about the treat sticks.. is it ok to feed her those 2 or 3 times a day? she is normal weight and super active.
I was looking at Applaws recently while trying to decide what to switch my kitty to and liked that it seemed healthy, but then I read some things online that said it's not nutritionally complete and meant only for occasional feeding. Not sure about that but disappointing if it's true. :(
 

mizzely

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I was looking at Applaws recently while trying to decide what to switch my kitty to and liked that it seemed healthy, but then I read some things online that said it's not nutritionally complete and meant only for occasional feeding. Not sure about that but disappointing if it's true. :(
The cans and trays say, "for complimentary feeding" because they do not provide all the nutrients a cat needs.
 
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