Dry Food/Kibble Recommendations

[Baz84]

Good Morning,

I have a Maine Coon Kitten (well he's a little over 19 weeks old) – so far I have only been feeding him wet food. I think – I need to consider dry food/kibble options in case I have to go somewhere for a weekend (or if COVID goes away next year - a trip).

I am hoping to get recommendations/advice from here. Online they recommend Instinct or Taste of the Wild…. BUT

Instinct Kitten: INSTINCT Original Kitten Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Coated Dry Cat Food | Chewy
Has carrots, tomato, apple, cranberries – now I’m no expert but I don’t think those are good for a cat?


Taste of the Wild: TASTE OF THE WILD Rocky Mountain Grain-Free Dry Cat Food, 14-lb bag - Chewy.com
Has Peas, Sweet Potatoes, Pea Protein, and Potato Protein (these 4 ingredients were in the top 6 listed)

These two brands come highly recommended online - but all these ingredients allegeable inhibit taurine absorption. So any advice/recommendations?

Thanks

 

[EmersonandEvie]

I've been impressed with the Purina Pro Plan line. We feed the Sensitive Stomach (Turkey and Oatmeal) formula because Evie's tummy does weird things with chicken. They have a kitten line, which you could definitely look into. A lot of people don't like Purina, but from what I have personally fed/seen/read, their food standards are very high, and the cleanliness of their factories are better than some people food. In addition, they have veterinary nutritionists on all of their teams, and they break down on their website what each individual ingredient does for your cat.

PURINA PRO PLAN Kitten Chicken & Egg Formula Grain-Free Kitten Food, 5.5-lb bag - Chewy.com

In regards to what you said about the veggies and fruit- you're absolutely right! What is needed for a human is not necessarily what an obligate carnivore needs. That's how they get people in- they appeal to the owner, who equated veggies=healthy.

Side note: If you do go anywhere, try to have someone come by at least once a day to check on your baby, play with him, make sure he hasn't gotten into any trouble, scoop his box, etc. The cost of a sitter to swing by is well worth your peace of mind.

 

[lisahe]

Dr. Elsey's makes a very good Clean Protein chicken food that doesn't have any fillers. We use it for toppers, treats, and a small snack. The cats love it. They will send samples.

 

[livismom1]

I second Dr Elsey's Clean Protein chicken. I only put about a 1/4 cup out a day for the cat to snack on at night.

 

[Baz84]

I took a look at Dr. Elsey - it does seem pretty good. But - while I'm not 100% sure. Last time I fed my kitten wet food with pork by product (I believe it was pork liver or was it lungs?) they kept scratching themself and he sneezed quite a bit. He also had softer - close to diarrhea like texture stool (I know because I clean his litter box daily - I use the pellets). I can't say that's the cause because there are other ingredients obviously. However, my vet said to avoid it - since I stopped feeding him products with pork he didn't get those symptoms back. Questions is should I try to re-introduce it?

I looked at Purina Pro Plan... it's got pea protein as a 2nd ingredient oO. I understand they need a carbohydrate to bind the particles to form kibble... at this point in time I'm wondering which of these "carb" is least damaging....

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Here are a couple of things that might help you in your search;

Check This Out.... Chart For Cat Food Ingredients

CatFoodDB - Cat Food Reviews to help you find the best cat food for your cat

 

[Baz84]

Hi! Here are a couple of things that might help you in your search;

Check This Out.... Chart For Cat Food Ingredients

CatFoodDB - Cat Food Reviews to help you find the best cat food for your cat

PURRFECT Thank You!