Best dry food

lillypie

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So I combination feed Lilly, she is 5 months old. She has been on Merrick grain free now for a couple of months and she loves it! I have been doing some research on what is the "best" dry food out there. I know a lot of you don't believe in dry at all, but I do like to leave a little out for Lilly in combination with a variety of different grain free wet foods. In your opinion what is the best dry food to feed a kitten or cat in general? I know Origen comes to mind but is it really THE best, because at $32/ 5 lb bag it better be..... Let me know what you think :) 
 

ftmba

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First off, Lilly looks adorable!

Not really sure there's a best but many people regard Orijen highly.  Our kittens like Nature's Variety Instinct Ultimate Protein. I consider both top tier.

If you're shopping locally, Petco/Petsmart usually has trial sized bags of UP, all the specialty pet stores around here seem to have trial bags of Orijen.
 
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lillypie

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Is Nature's Variety UP any cheaper than the origen? Lilly is still a kitten so even though she is fed mainly wet she still eats a lot!!! Lol.
 
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lillypie

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I see they are about equal in price, still a bit steep to me. Is this an okay food? This is about what I pay for her Merrick now...
 

ftmba

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We get UP at Amazon with S&S, knocks off about 15%, we also get the 10 lb bags. Locally, the trial bags have a $5 coupon on them that you can use at retailers.

I've never fed Regular Instinct but the ingredients seem great to me and the reviews are good.
 
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lillypie

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I wonder what Merrick is ranked in the list of dry foods, does anybody know?
 

paiger8

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I wonder what Merrick is ranked in the list of dry foods, does anybody know?
I started feeding Merrick LID dry when I first adopted my 2, as it was the only thing that they would eat. I had problems with one of my cats puking after eating it because the potato upset his stomach. I think most dry has too many carbs and fillers for me to feel comfortable feeding it.

The only dry I'd feel comfortable feeding (in a small amount) is Orijen. I got a bag for a small snack before bed, but because they were only getting 15-20 kibbles a night, the bag lasted forever. I'm trying to simplify the eating process as much as I can, and eliminating the extras. I've recently just decided to give them an ounce of wet right before bed, and they seem content with that. 
 
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lillypie

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I feed the Merrick Grain Free Chicken Purrfect Bistro, it doesn't have any potatoes in it.
 

paiger8

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I feed the Merrick Grain Free Chicken Purrfect Bistro, it doesn't have any potatoes in it.
Are you feeding the dry Merrick Grain-Free Purrfect Bistro Chicken dry food? Because unless they've changed something very recently, potatoes are the 4th, 7th, and 11th ingredient. Not all cats have a sensitivity to it, but it's pretty carby so I personally stay away from it now. 

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Dried Potatoes, Peas, Natural Pork Flavor, Potato Protein, Powdered Cellulose, Chicken Fat(preserved with mixed tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Sweet Potatoes, Ground Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Chicken Liver, Dried Whey Protein Concentrate, Organic Alfalfa, Cranberries, Phosphoric Acid, Flaxseed Oil (source of Omega 3 fatty acids), Salt, Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate), Choline Chloride, Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product

If it's working for you, that's all that matters though. The best dry food is the one that you can afford, feel comfortable feeding, and your cat will eat. I would keep what you're doing feeding mostly GF wet as much as possible, with a little dry on the side. 
 
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lillypie

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DAMNIT. I thought for sure it didn't have potatoes. Thats so annoying [emoji]128580[/emoji] I don't know why I thought that. I guess im on th hunt for something with better ingrediants. Do you have any suggestions?
 

paiger8

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I like Orijen Cat & Kitten personally. It's the only thing I could find that didn't contain huge amounts of carby vegetables. The first (largest amount) 16 ingredients are meat, which I really liked. Cost wise, it's more expensive but if it's just as a small snack, you might be okay with the cost if the bag last awhile. Plus, I've always found I can feed less of high quality food since there's no fillers that the cat is just pooping out. 

The Nature's Variety Instinct you posted doesn't have potatoes, but the 3rd ingredient is tapioca, which is also a cheap filler. Cat food is a pain sometimes. You just have to decide what you're okay with because there's no perfect solution. 

ETA: If you do switch to something else dry, make sure you transition slowly to the new dry 1/4 new, 3/4 old, 1/2 new/1/2 old etc... till you're feeding 100% new. Quick switches are hard on a cats stomach with dry. 
 
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sweetpea24

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Nature's Variety is a good brand. I feed my cats Go! Fit and Free by Petcurean. My 7 year old cat has been on it since kitten hood and he is doing great. He gets 1/8 cup twice a day and 1/4 can of wet twice a day. If I'm home I'll split the dry and give him a few kibble here and there. They also have Now! Which comes in Grain-Free and with grain and it is more for less active cats. Orijen is good but I find that their foods always have fish in them. Go! Has some salmon meal but lower down the list. The main meats are turkey, duck and chicken. They also have a limited ingredient diet if you prefer that.
 
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