I got my kitten last June from a local litter. I raised her on Purina kitten chow with the occasional Friskies can. As she got older I started feeding her Meow Mix. Well, over the holidays I visited my sister, who works at a Humane Society, and when she found out what I was feeding my cat she nearly punched me in the face.
I'm kidding of course, but she was upset.
She proceeded to school me on commercial cat foods. She took me to a local pet store and showed me the difference in ingredients between the cheap foods and the quality ones. She even gave me a just-opened twelve-pound bag of Wellness Core which, I just recently found out when I went to pick up a replacement, costs almost $40! She is a sweetheart.
I personally do not have $40 to spend on 12 lbs of cat food. I do want to feed my cat quality food, though, and not fill her up with corn. So what did I do? Research.
I discovered that many of the so-called "high-end" cat foods such as Science Diet, Nutro, Royal Canin and others contain corn or corn gluten as a top 3 ingredient. This is not high-end. For around the same price, a much better product can be had. I have compiled what is by no means a comprehensive list, but what I think is a good start, of the Best Dry Cat Foods. These foods all have a meat product as their first ingredient and do not contain corn. Anyone who can add to the list, please do so! I hope this thread is helpful to anyone looking for a quality food for their cat. For the record, I selected a six pound bag of Natural Balance Original, which I think is the best value around. I want to make sure she likes it before I invest in a large bag.
Best Dry Cat Foods (w/approximate prices) in no particular order:
Blue Buffalo Wilderness ($32-40 for 12 lbs)
Castor and Pollux ($30-36 for 15lbs)
Halo Spot's Stew ($28-35 for 12 lbs)
Natural Balance($24-30 for 15lbs)
Pinnacle ($32-40 for 15 lbs)
Solid Gold ($32 for 15 lbs)
Blue Spa Select ($28 for 15 lbs)
Wellness Complete($35 for 12 lbs)
Wellness Core($39 for 12 lbs)
Innova($30 for 15 lbs)
Evo ($40 for 15 lbs)
Orijen ($46 for 15lbs)
I'm kidding of course, but she was upset.
She proceeded to school me on commercial cat foods. She took me to a local pet store and showed me the difference in ingredients between the cheap foods and the quality ones. She even gave me a just-opened twelve-pound bag of Wellness Core which, I just recently found out when I went to pick up a replacement, costs almost $40! She is a sweetheart.
I personally do not have $40 to spend on 12 lbs of cat food. I do want to feed my cat quality food, though, and not fill her up with corn. So what did I do? Research.
I discovered that many of the so-called "high-end" cat foods such as Science Diet, Nutro, Royal Canin and others contain corn or corn gluten as a top 3 ingredient. This is not high-end. For around the same price, a much better product can be had. I have compiled what is by no means a comprehensive list, but what I think is a good start, of the Best Dry Cat Foods. These foods all have a meat product as their first ingredient and do not contain corn. Anyone who can add to the list, please do so! I hope this thread is helpful to anyone looking for a quality food for their cat. For the record, I selected a six pound bag of Natural Balance Original, which I think is the best value around. I want to make sure she likes it before I invest in a large bag.
Best Dry Cat Foods (w/approximate prices) in no particular order:
Blue Buffalo Wilderness ($32-40 for 12 lbs)
Castor and Pollux ($30-36 for 15lbs)
Halo Spot's Stew ($28-35 for 12 lbs)
Natural Balance($24-30 for 15lbs)
Pinnacle ($32-40 for 15 lbs)
Solid Gold ($32 for 15 lbs)
Blue Spa Select ($28 for 15 lbs)
Wellness Complete($35 for 12 lbs)
Wellness Core($39 for 12 lbs)
Innova($30 for 15 lbs)
Evo ($40 for 15 lbs)
Orijen ($46 for 15lbs)