Granatapet Cat Food

ECH93

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Nov 22, 2018
Messages
10
Purraise
3
Hi Everyone,

I am new here I am sure someone has asked before, but anyway could people tell me their experiences with Granatapet Delicatessen? I have been looking for healthier food for my cat, he is almost 4 years old. I have tried him with numerous foods Lily's Kitchen, Natures Menu, Royal Canin (on advice of vet, I have heard now this isn't that great) etc. At the moment he won't eat anything other than Sheba and I know this isn't great food for him.

I have been looking and I think I want to try him with Granatapet, is this a good quality food? I get a bit confused with cat nutrition. He is picky so I will try and change him over to it over a few weeks and hopefully he'll take to it.

Thank you in advance for any advice and help!
 

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA

Columbine

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 27, 2015
Messages
12,921
Purraise
6,224
Location
The kitty playground
Hi ECH93 ECH93 :hithere: Welcome to TCS :welcomesign:

I think Granatapet's a pretty decent food. I used to feed it a lot, but two of my three current guys aren't so keen (they much prefer chunks in jelly or gravy to pates). Nothing to do with the food at all - different cats have different tastes, just like people do ;)

I think it's on a par with Natures Menu, and a little better than Lily's Kitchen (who use carregrenan or guar gum as stabilizers, both of which give my girl mild tummy upsets).

I've had Sheba addicts in the past. Which type of Sheba does he like? (ie shreds, chunks or paté, and jelly or gravy?).

For gravy/shreds addicts and ultra fussy eaters, I find Thrive Complete goes down pretty well :) I'm talking about the original flavours, not the ones with veggies added ;) Thrive is one of the higher priced foods, though, which is something to bear in mind. I feed it in rotation with cheaper brands to make it more affordable.

For cats that like chunks in jelly, my first thoughts are Bozita or Smilla tetra packs, or Catessy in jelly (the meat jelly, not the egg/veggie jelly). They're high meat with very little in the way of fillers - I think of them as a healthier alternative to jelly foods with added sugars and/or plant derived matter. Catessy in particular seems to be kitty crack, and my guys go wild for it! It's not as good quality as some pricier foods, in that it contains more 'meat by products' and doesn't list the individual protein sources, but as a lot of what cats eat in the wild is what we term meat by products (see this article for more info), I really don't see it as a problem. The only time it matters is if a cat has food allergies and can only eat specific meats/proteins.

Bozita and Smilla also make grain/starch free chunks in gravy, and are the only brands I've found who do this. Catessy also do a gravy variety, and imo it's one of the better traditional-style gravy foods. It does contain a little starch, but (unlike the majority of gravy foods), it's sugar free.

Cat food can be made made very complicated, and it's a subject that can really divide cat owners. The principles are simple, though: high meat/offal content, low starch, low sugar, and nutritionally complete. If you look for high meat and low (or preferably no) fillers, you'll be doing just fine :)

Lastly, and most importantly, is this: the best food for your cat is the one he or she will happily eat. The best food in the world is useless if it doesn't get into the cat! :winkcat:

What Makes The Best Canned Cat Food?
How To Choose The Right Food For Your Cat
A Scientific Take On Cat Nutrition By Dr. Rachel Boltz
How To Choose The Best Dry Cat Food?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

ECH93

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Nov 22, 2018
Messages
10
Purraise
3
Hi ECH93 ECH93 :hithere: Welcome to TCS :welcomesign:

I think Granatapet's a pretty decent food. I used to feed it a lot, but two of my three current guys aren't so keen (they much prefer chunks in jelly or gravy to pates). Nothing to do with the food at all - different cats have different tastes, just like people do ;)

I think it's on a par with Natures Menu, and a little better than Lily's Kitchen (who use carregrenan or guar gum as stabilizers, both of which give my girl mild tummy upsets).

I've had Sheba addicts in the past. Which type of Sheba does he like? (ie shreds, chunks or paté, and jelly or gravy?).

For gravy/shreds addicts and ultra fussy eaters, I find Thrive Complete goes down pretty well :) I'm talking about the original flavours, not the ones with veggies added ;) Thrive is one of the higher priced foods, though, which is something to bear in mind. I feed it in rotation with cheaper brands to make it more affordable.

For cats that like chunks in jelly, my first thoughts are Bozita or Smilla tetra packs, or Catessy in jelly (the meat jelly, not the egg/veggie jelly). They're high meat with very little in the way of fillers - I think of them as a healthier alternative to jelly foods with added sugars and/or plant derived matter. Catessy in particular seems to be kitty crack, and my guys go wild for it! It's not as good quality as some pricier foods, in that it contains more 'meat by products' and doesn't list the individual protein sources, but as a lot of what cats eat in the wild is what we term meat by products (see this article for more info), I really don't see it as a problem. The only time it matters is if a cat has food allergies and can only eat specific meats/proteins.

Bozita and Smilla also make grain/starch free chunks in gravy, and are the only brands I've found who do this. Catessy also do a gravy variety, and imo it's one of the better traditional-style gravy foods. It does contain a little starch, but (unlike the majority of gravy foods), it's sugar free.

Cat food can be made made very complicated, and it's a subject that can really divide cat owners. The principles are simple, though: high meat/offal content, low starch, low sugar, and nutritionally complete. If you look for high meat and low (or preferably no) fillers, you'll be doing just fine :)

Lastly, and most importantly, is this: the best food for your cat is the one he or she will happily eat. The best food in the world is useless if it doesn't get into the cat! :winkcat:

What Makes The Best Canned Cat Food?
How To Choose The Right Food For Your Cat
A Scientific Take On Cat Nutrition By Dr. Rachel Boltz
How To Choose The Best Dry Cat Food?
Thanks so much for your reply, did you get your Sheba addicts off it eventually?

He likes the shreds and chunks in both gravy and jelly with the Sheba, he has eaten the Lily's Kitchen pate like food before, but he then leaves it other times! typical cat :winkcat: maybe that's why he has eaten grass a couple of times after eating Lily's Kitchen!?

It is like a minefield, I might try him with the Bozita, Smilla and Granatapet's see which he prefers or could do it on a rotation like you suggested. I may just have to try different things and see what he will eat :) How often do you rotate your kitties food?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

ECH93

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Nov 22, 2018
Messages
10
Purraise
3
Also what do you think to Applaws? :) Sorry lots of questions
 

Columbine

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 27, 2015
Messages
12,921
Purraise
6,224
Location
The kitty playground
Cat food is a minefield at times, especially when you're trying to find something your fussy eater will enjoy ;)

Applaws is pretty good in terms of ingredients, but it's important to be aware that only the paté trays are complete foods. All their other wet foods are complementary/supplementary, which means they should be treated in the same way as cat treats - fine occasionally, but shouldn't make up more than 10% of the cat's food intake. My guys love the pouches in broth for a treat, but aren't at all keen on the paté ranges. I think they're similar in texture to some of the Lily's Kitchen pates. If your guy likes those, he might well like the Applaws pates. With brands like Applaws (which are more widely available in the UK), I'd be inclined to go to a bricks-and-mortar pet store and buy a single tray to try. It's less money wasted if your guy won't eat it ;) I'll often go to my local indie pet shop and my local Pets at Home to get single trays/pouches etc to try out before buying bigger packs online.


Yes, I got my gravy-loving Sheba addict off it in the end. His preference was for Thrive Complete, but he'd sometimes eat gravy Bozita or some Catz Finefood or Granatapet pates too. (He's no longer with us :rbheart:).

My current guys go mostly for Catessy in jelly, though my girl likes some Nature's Menu, Smilla pate pouches and Catz Finefood from time to time. All love Thrive too.

I don't rotate in a specific way - I just buy a selection of foods and feed whatever comes to hand ;) I try to ring the changes each day (or each time I open a new pack of food), either with brands, flavours or both. It keeps things interesting, and stops them getting bored :)

I always have freeze dried meat treats on hand, though - either Cosma Snackies or Thrive. They turn to powder when crumbled, and make a wonderfully extra-stinky and extra-yummy topping for foods. Great to tempt a fussy cat, or to get leftovers or less favoured flavours eaten ;)

If you're shopping at Zooplus, keep an eye on the loyalty points rewards. You can often get single or smaller number packs of wet food, which is a great way to try out new brands. Zooplus often do an online advent calendar too, and I've had a few free packs of food and treats from that in previous years (as well as toys, and even a blanket on one occasion!). Well worth watching out for :)

One last word on food rotation: wet food can usually be rotated pretty freely without causing tummy upsets. The same cannot be said for dry food though. This is because dry foods vary hugely in ingredients and fat and protein content, much more so than in wet foods. Any dry food change needs to be gradual. 6-8 weeks is ideal, but 4 weeks will do in a pinch. Skipping this can cause tummy upsets, so it's well worth remembering :)

Hope that all makes sense :crossfingers: Ask as many questions as you want. That's what TCS is for :D

Oh, one more thing. Eating small amounts of grass is normal for cats. It helps them pass hairballs naturally :) When I'm talking about upset tummies, I'm meaning diarrhea and/or vomiting ;)
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

ECH93

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Nov 22, 2018
Messages
10
Purraise
3
Cat food is a minefield at times, especially when you're trying to find something your fussy eater will enjoy ;)

Applaws is pretty good in terms of ingredients, but it's important to be aware that only the paté trays are complete foods. All their other wet foods are complementary/supplementary, which means they should be treated in the same way as cat treats - fine occasionally, but shouldn't make up more than 10% of the cat's food intake. My guys love the pouches in broth for a treat, but aren't at all keen on the paté ranges. I think they're similar in texture to some of the Lily's Kitchen pates. If your guy likes those, he might well like the Applaws pates. With brands like Applaws (which are more widely available in the UK), I'd be inclined to go to a bricks-and-mortar pet store and buy a single tray to try. It's less money wasted if your guy won't eat it ;) I'll often go to my local indie pet shop and my local Pets at Home to get single trays/pouches etc to try out before buying bigger packs online.


Yes, I got my gravy-loving Sheba addict off it in the end. His preference was for Thrive Complete, but he'd sometimes eat gravy Bozita or some Catz Finefood or Granatapet pates too. (He's no longer with us :rbheart:).

My current guys go mostly for Catessy in jelly, though my girl likes some Nature's Menu, Smilla pate pouches and Catz Finefood from time to time. All love Thrive too.

I don't rotate in a specific way - I just buy a selection of foods and feed whatever comes to hand ;) I try to ring the changes each day (or each time I open a new pack of food), either with brands, flavours or both. It keeps things interesting, and stops them getting bored :)

I always have freeze dried meat treats on hand, though - either Cosma Snackies or Thrive. They turn to powder when crumbled, and make a wonderfully extra-stinky and extra-yummy topping for foods. Great to tempt a fussy cat, or to get leftovers or less favoured flavours eaten ;)

If you're shopping at Zooplus, keep an eye on the loyalty points rewards. You can often get single or smaller number packs of wet food, which is a great way to try out new brands. Zooplus often do an online advent calendar too, and I've had a few free packs of food and treats from that in previous years (as well as toys, and even a blanket on one occasion!). Well worth watching out for :)

One last word on food rotation: wet food can usually be rotated pretty freely without causing tummy upsets. The same cannot be said for dry food though. This is because dry foods vary hugely in ingredients and fat and protein content, much more so than in wet foods. Any dry food change needs to be gradual. 6-8 weeks is ideal, but 4 weeks will do in a pinch. Skipping this can cause tummy upsets, so it's well worth remembering :)

Hope that all makes sense :crossfingers: Ask as many questions as you want. That's what TCS is for :D

Oh, one more thing. Eating small amounts of grass is normal for cats. It helps them pass hairballs naturally :) When I'm talking about upset tummies, I'm meaning diarrhea and/or vomiting ;)
Thanks for so much info, I will steer clear of Applaws for everyday food. Maybe it's the pate texture he isn't keen on. I'm not sure! I will note down what he eats and doesn't

There is hope for getting him off sheba then I'm quite keen to try thrive complete now, I saw you can get a smaller amount from Zooplus. Can't find single cans anywhere.

I have just started using zooplus, was always worried about ordering food online but seems to be okay and good idea woth the rewards. That sounds really good thanks for the tips

He does have a bit of dry food, I do about 70% wet meat, 30% dry I was going to try the applaws dry food as it says it's complete. I may change him onto this over a few weeks ☺

Ahh I always thought they did it to make themselves sick, learning all the time!
 
Top