Budget Adult Food For The Future?

[Benjamin Franklin (Benji)]

Benji is far from being an adult, but I’m thinking ahead. Right now I’m feeding him Royal Canin kitten dry and Royal Canin kitten wet food. Any good ideas for wet and dry food when he becomes an adult (12 months)? I’m not willing to spend an arm and a leg but I do want good quality nutrition for him.

I don’t have a specific budget set, but I think you all know what I mean by super expensive cat food.

 

[Neo_23]

You can feed all life stages food at any age. Kittens don't have to eat 'kitten' labelled food.
For quality foods - check out independent pet stores around you, they tend to carry better brands than big box stores. Royal Canin I would say is one of the poorer quality brands. Look for foods that are grain and starch free, low in carbs, high in meat-based protein, moderate in fat.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Here are some to consider;
Instinct raw boost
Merrick Backcountry
Tiki cat
Redbarn
Acana
Evangers
Lotus just juicy
Farmina
Orijen
Canada fresh
Nutrisca
Ziwi peak
and here's a current thread you might find useful;
Best Dry And Wet Food?

 

[Benjamin Franklin (Benji)]

Interesting! My Petsmart actually doesn’t have the best variety in terms of food, would all of the brands listed be definitely available at a local pet store?

Edit: Hold up... that kitten in the thread is named Benji too! I actually thought I posted the thread or something and completely forgot it but Benji is a pretty common name and that Benji looks completely different from mine lol!

 

[Neo_23]

Most of the foods Furballsmom listed won't be in Petsmart but will likely be in small independent pet shops.

 

[Furballsmom]

I haven't been in a petsmart for a little bit but the Petco I just visited the other day did have quite a few. If petsmart is trying to keep up with their competition, they should have at least a few...oh, I was typing at the same time

In addition to your thinking ahead, if you can get your furbaby to eat a variety of brands now while he's a youngster, it can pay dividends down the road, both with his health and when a manufacturer decides to change a recipe as they so frequently do.

 

[abyeb]

Sheba and Fancy Feast are grain-free wet food options that aren’t too expensive, and they both come in several flavors.

Here’s some other threads on the topic:

Healthy but affordable canned food

Suggestions for quality dry & wet food that is still affordable

 

[Furballsmom]

that kitten in the thread is named Benji too! I actually thought I posted the thread or something and completely forgot it but Benji is a pretty common name and that Benji looks completely different from mine lol!

I missed that - too funny

 

[Benjamin Franklin (Benji)]

I do know Sheba and Instinct are in Petsmart so I will take a trip over there this weekend and check out the variety of brands.

I agree that it would be good to switch up the brands because it wouldn’t be good if I feed him a single one, it discontinues or doesn’t get stocked in the store, and he’s so picky that he won’t have anything else.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi again - in case you're not familiar with these, and you end up in need of toppers or need some down the road - see if they have Applaws which is also fun as a treat, TikiCat has a thing called Stix mousse and there are others, I'm pretty sure. Tikicat's treat/topper didn't go over in this household, but as you know, every cat is different LOL

other toppers would be bonito flakes, tuna, sardines without bones, mackerel, unseasoned boiled chicken or turkey, and baby food with no garlic or onions. Also, freeze dried minnows are a hit with the Big Guy

 

[Kat0121]

Benji is far from being an adult, but I’m thinking ahead. Right now I’m feeding him Royal Canin kitten dry and Royal Canin kitten wet food. Any good ideas for wet and dry food when he becomes an adult (12 months)? I’m not willing to spend an arm and a leg but I do want good quality nutrition for him.

I don’t have a specific budget set, but I think you all know what I mean by super expensive cat food.

I highly recommend Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein for dry food. It is really is very high quality and has no sweet potatoes, corn, cranberries or anything else cats do not need in it. It is also for all life stages so you could feed it now if you want to transition him now. I am not a fan of Royal Canin at all and neither are the cats. They would not touch it. Right now, Dr. Elsey's is on sale at Chewy. Here's the link: Dr. Elsey's cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

I did a live chat with a Chewy rep before I bought this food (at full price) and she told me that if the cats don't like it, you have up to a year to return it. We have not tried the canned food yet but am going to because the girls like the dry so much. I only feed it as a snack or topper to wet food and they like it.

ETA: I just ordered a case of the Dr. Esley's canned in turkey (the kids love turkey). Dr. Elsey's cleanprotein Turkey Formula Grain-Free Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, case of 24

I stumbled on this deal as well. American Journey foods at 50% off on your first order. I needed to get to $49 for free shipping so I added a case of chicken pate to the cart for $11.49! American Journey Paté Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Canned Cat Food

Here's the final tally after I added both to my autoship for an additional discount.

Both foods are suitable for all life stages. Not a bad deal for 48 cans of food. I now order foods the cats have never tried before from Chewy without hesitation because of their fantastic customer service.

 

[Pittydad]

We feed our cats Authority from PetSmart
It has good ingredients and the Cats eat it well
Our dogs went from puppy food to adult food on Authority ,
I'm pretty new to cats, but the dogs we went from Purina pro plan, Evo, Wilderness but setteld on Authority
Just stuck with the same brand for the Cats
Especially since the first kitten kept eating the dog food instead of the Wellness Core kitten food we first tried

Not that it means much, but the Cats coats are soft and really shinny

 

[Pittydad]

If you haven't been to this site, it's pretty good
CatFoodDB - Cat Food Reviews to help you find the best cat food for your cat

 

[Benjamin Franklin (Benji)]

Thanks everyone for your input!