Cat Food Change

[shandyv]

Hey,
so I've been thinking I want to change my cats food, in fact, I want to. However, I'm a student, raising a pre-teen, so I'm on a tight budget. I can't really afford pet store prices, so Wal-Mart is kind of my go to. I've been feeding her Purina (because I've been naive and never really thought about what I put into my cats body like I should). So I was at Wal-Mart, and a friend of mine told me about Actr1um dog food and it being really good; she has a couple dogs who are literally allergic to life and that is what she was feeding them before she started to cook for them. So I looked around and noticed that there was the same brand in cat food - awesome! Then I noticed this Pure Balance stuff which was a few dollars cheaper, and I looked at the ingredient list and it seemed pretty decent and good, except for a few ingredients that I'm like huh?? So I'm asking you guys for some help: do I go with the Actr1um cat food or the Pure Balance cat food? Has anyone tried either and have reviews? I have the ingredient list for both below..

Actr1um: Chicken meal, brown rice, dehulled barley, rye, chicken fat (stabilized mixed tocopherols), chicken, millet, oat meal, natural flavour, tomatoes, whole dried egg, salmon meal, salmon oil, cranberries, alfalfa, spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, apple, blueberries, pears, bananas, phosphoric acid, brewers yeast, dl-methionine, taurine, calcium sulphate, salt, inulin, vitamins and minerals (Vitamin E, Vitamin C, niacin, inositol, Vitamin A, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, vitamin k, beta-carotene, Vitamin D3, folic acid, biotin, Vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), yucca schidigera, cinnamon, turmeric, capsicum, chamomile, dandelion, paprika, garlic, rosemary extract

Pure Balance: Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Chickpeas, Chicken meal, Pea Protein, Dried Potatoes, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Flavour, Sunflower oil (source of linoleic acid), Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Vitamin E supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Ferrous sulfate, Zinc sulfate, Zinc oxide, Copper sulfate, Niacin, Vitamin A supplement, d-Calcium Panthothenate, Manganous oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Vitamin B12 supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Sodium selenite, Folic acid, Calcium iodate, Vitamin D3 supplement, cobalt carbonate.

It seems like the Pure Balance has more chemicals in it's food, but it is easier on the budget, and I'm caught between feeding myself and feeding my cat really well; and my cat has gotten me through some pretty stressful exam times : p, so I'd like to keep her around for a long while : )

 

[abyeb]

Hi there!

I think that the pure balance seems better because it's grain-free. Cats are obligate carnivores, so grains are really just empty calories for them. I would recommend getting the turkey or turkey &chicken version of the pure balance, though (you can see all the options here: https://www.walmart.com/c/brand/pure-balance-cat-food) because meat is generally preferred to fish as the main protein for cats, because fish can contain mercury.

Also, have you looked into Sheba cat food? This is also an affordable grain-free option. Just be sure that when you switch foods, you transition slowly (over a week) by gradually mixing the new food in with the old.

 

[shandyv]

Hi there!

I think that the pure balance seems better because it's grain-free. Cats are obligate carnivores, so grains are really just empty calories for them. I would recommend getting the turkey or turkey &chicken version of the pure balance, though (you can see all the options here: https://www.walmart.com/c/brand/pure-balance-cat-food) because meat is generally preferred to fish as the main protein for cats, because fish can contain mercury.

Also, have you looked into Sheba cat food? This is also an affordable grain-free option. Just be sure that when you switch foods, you transition slowly (over a week) by gradually mixing the new food in with the old.

No, where can I get Sheba cat food? And that's why I want to figure out which is best soon, I have a half bag of cat food left (approx 2-3 weeks).

 

[himawari]

Fancy Feast is also a good brand though it is a wet food, not dry. I'd also look into Abound (my Ralph's has it, idk about Wal-Mart). It's grain-free and has dry & wet version. Never tried Pure Balance or Acrtr1um but looking at the ingredient list Pure Balance is better. According to Wal-Mart website, you can get Sheba from there too!

Here's an old thread about Acrtr1um: ACTR1UM Holistic Adult Cat Food
Here's an old thread about Pure Balance: Could Walmart actually make a good food?

 

[MissMolly08]

Do you have a Tractor Supply store near you? I'm on a tight budget and feed my cat their 4health food. I've seen Pure Balance at our Walmart and it's actually more expensive than the 4health.

 

[destinyz12]

The pure balance definitely has overall better ingredients, although if you can, like someone else mentioned- try the turkey or chicken flavor instead of the fish since its healthier. And wet food in general is much healthier than dry food since cats have low thirst drives and it helps keep them hydrated, and both the Sheba and Fancy feast are good low-budget options for that. I think they are both found in most grocery stores including Walmart. And sometimes store-brand wet food is also not too bad and cheaply priced.