Inexpensive But Healthy(er) Kibble Choices

[sivyaleah]

This is not for me.

My daughter-in-law is on hard times. I won't go into the whole sad story. She has a cat, and now sadly, 2 kittens to feed and has little money to do this.

We won't even get into the spay conversation. It's pointless since she has no money and no car either right now.

To help defray her overall living expenses, we offered to send a cat care package via Chewy to help feed them, at least for the next few weeks. Asked her to tell us what the adult is currently eating. The kittens are on the verge of being weaned and not yet eating food but will be in the next week or so. We have stressed to her she will also have to think hard about rehoming the kittens once they are weaned as we can't be supplementing 3 cats on top of our own 2 (let alone the other money we've had to float her).

She's feeding Meow Mix or Friskies. I am horrified reading the ingredient list of both. Not a shred of decent nutrition in either of these. The thought of feeding the kittens this makes us so sad.

Anyway that's the short version and I would love to find better food for them especially for the kittens. Any suggestions? I've only used Orijen for kibble and certainly am not going to be buying that for her as it's too costly. I'm willing to improve the Friskies/Meow Mix by a few bucks and the kitten food possibly even more - but not Orijen prices.

 

[meowsville]

For a few years I was feeding: "Rocky Mountain Feline Recipe
with Roasted Venison & Smoke-Flavored Salmon" to my outdoor tribe. I decided I don't want pea protein in my cat food - or I'd still use it. There are far worse foods - and the price is about middling if you're supplying the food for her. If she has to buy it - it may still be too expensive though. Good luck. I understand hard times all too well. Praying for her and you.

Ingredients:
Chicken meal, peas, sweet potatoes, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), pea protein, potato protein, roasted venison, smoke-flavored salmon, natural flavor, ocean fish meal, DL-Methionine, potassium chloride, taurine, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, niacin, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin A supplement, biotin, potassium iodide, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, sodium selenite, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid.

Contains a source of live (viable), naturally occurring microorganisms.

 

[meowsville]

Oops - omitted the main name! Taste of the Wild - the rest is the specific flavor. Sorry.

 

[Alldara]

sivyaleah Purina recently changed most of their recipes over to have much less additives and grains, etc.

My cats have done very well on this and I do recommend it. They have many formulas to try all lower cost. Had beef fat not been added to every formula, our cats would still be on it.

There's not really a one size fits all food for cats, so luckily there's lots to choose from!

Blue Buffalo is also at some discount stores now too.

(Honestly, even over Orijen as when they changed their formulas years ago my cats had bad constipation and my friend's cat was hospitalized from too high protein)

 

[sivyaleah]

sivyaleah Purina recently changed most of their recipes over to have much less additives and grains, etc.

My cats have done very well on this and I do recommend it. They have many formulas to try all lower cost. Had beef fat not been added to every formula, our cats would still be on it.

There's not really a one size fits all food for cats, so luckily there's lots to choose from!

Blue Buffalo is also at some discount stores now too.

(Honestly, even over Orijen as when they changed their formulas years ago my cats had bad constipation and my friend's cat was hospitalized from too high protein)

I'll take a look at the Purina, thanks.

I personally love Orijen, all my cats have done well on it but I also don't feed it as their primary food. I don't mind the cost for my own cats but it's way out of budget for supplementing another person's kitties.

 

[sivyaleah]

For a few years I was feeding: "Rocky Mountain Feline Recipe
with Roasted Venison & Smoke-Flavored Salmon" to my outdoor tribe. I decided I don't want pea protein in my cat food - or I'd still use it. There are far worse foods - and the price is about middling if you're supplying the food for her. If she has to buy it - it may still be too expensive though. Good luck. I understand hard times all too well. Praying for her and you.

Ingredients:
Chicken meal, peas, sweet potatoes, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), pea protein, potato protein, roasted venison, smoke-flavored salmon, natural flavor, ocean fish meal, DL-Methionine, potassium chloride, taurine, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, niacin, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin A supplement, biotin, potassium iodide, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, sodium selenite, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid.

Contains a source of live (viable), naturally occurring microorganisms.

Thanks also. A bit too expensive still but was a good suggestion!

 

[sivyaleah]

Wound up getting 2 -24 packs of Fancy Feast Kitten pate, a large bag of Purina Kitten and one for adults. The first ingredient was real chicken so I felt better about it than a lot of others and the price per pound wasn't too awful. Enough wet food to get them through about 3 weeks. I also happen to have about 12 cans or more of Weruva's kitten pate leftover from my younger one that has not expired, so might box that up and send it off separately. They are just 5 weeks old now so hopefully by the time she's running out, she'll have homes for them.

Also sent a box of litter. I know kittens should not have clumping but she asked for clumping and I wasn't going to try to educate her about this. It's not the first time she's dealt with kittens so hopefully she knows how to handle this so the kittens don't try to eat it!

 

[Babypaws]

Wound up getting 2 -24 packs of Fancy Feast Kitten pate, a large bag of Purina Kitten and one for adults. The first ingredient was real chicken so I felt better about it than a lot of others and the price per pound wasn't too awful. Enough wet food to get them through about 3 weeks. I also happen to have about 12 cans or more of Weruva's kitten pate leftover from my younger one that has not expired, so might box that up and send it off separately. They are just 5 weeks old now so hopefully by the time she's running out, she'll have homes for them.

Also sent a box of litter. I know kittens should not have clumping but she asked for clumping and I wasn't going to try to educate her about this. It's not the first time she's dealt with kittens so hopefully she knows how to handle this so the kittens don't try to eat it!

I’m not sure why you said kittens shouldn’t have clumping litter, I have multiple cats, at least from when they were kittens and I’ve always used clumping with no problem. I’ve always bought Cats Pride clumping in a bag. 10 pounds $4.99 but I can only find that type at our grocery store, Market Basket. Not sure if their in your area.
i don’t think there’s any reasonable price decent cat food anymore….most of my cats won’t eat anything but can Friskie, sorry to say. Lately I’ve noticed when I open up a can of fillet beef or chicken or tuna there’s more gravy in it than actual meat but yet the price still keeps going up.

 

[sivyaleah]

Babypaws I've never seen that brand of litter in stores or even online. We don't have Market Basket by us, I'm in NJ.

My understanding is kittens (not all) will try to eat litter sometimes and the clumping type can wind up being a problem. I have no experience myself in that. When Luna was a baby I used pine litter for her for the first few weeks since she was used to that from her breeder. She was also much older, 16 weeks. Once she found the other cats litter box which has clumping litter she was smart enough to not even think about it as food LOL

 

[Astragal14]

Our rescue group works with the non-profit Neighborhood Cats TNR and this is their list of dry foods with the best nutrition for the best value. Most of these can be found at several different stores and not just at the links provided.

4Health All Life Stages Dry Cat Food
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4health-all-life-stages-cat-food-18-lb-bag

Kirkland Signature Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula
(Please note this is from Costco, it is available for non-members to purchase online with free shipping, but you will need a membership or know someone with a membership to shop in store)
https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-chicken-and-rice-cat-food-25-lbs..product.100334973.html

Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Cat Food
https://www.chewy.com/rachael-ray-n...ontent=Rachael Ray Nutrish&utm_term={keyword}

Diamond Naturals Active Cat Chicken Meal & Rice Formula
https://www.chewy.com/diamond-natur...MIrdHMhrbB-AIVC6bICh2gmQM2EAQYASABEgLmdPD_BwE

You said you don't want to get into the spay conversation... so I'll just mention that many local humane societies and shelters offer spay and neuter vouchers; it's rarely publicized so it's best to call and ask. And that's the end of my definitely not a conversation.

 

[sivyaleah]

Our rescue group works with the non-profit Neighborhood Cats TNR and this is their list of dry foods with the best nutrition for the best value. Most of these can be found at several different stores and not just at the links provided.

4Health All Life Stages Dry Cat Food
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4health-all-life-stages-cat-food-18-lb-bag

Kirkland Signature Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula
(Please note this is from Costco, it is available for non-members to purchase online with free shipping, but you will need a membership or know someone with a membership to shop in store)
https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-chicken-and-rice-cat-food-25-lbs..product.100334973.html

Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Cat Food
https://www.chewy.com/rachael-ray-n...ontent=Rachael Ray Nutrish&utm_term={keyword}

Diamond Naturals Active Cat Chicken Meal & Rice Formula
https://www.chewy.com/diamond-natur...MIrdHMhrbB-AIVC6bICh2gmQM2EAQYASABEgLmdPD_BwE

You said you don't want to get into the spay conversation... so I'll just mention that many local humane societies and shelters offer spay and neuter vouchers; it's rarely publicized so it's best to call and ask. And that's the end of my definitely not a conversation.

Thanks for these. I'll keep a note in case we need to continue to help out!
As for the spaying - she's aware of low cost ways to do it. We actually offered last year to pay for it but one thing led to another with her and well it never got done. We don't live nearby and she has no car so she's stuck with things as is.
She is not, a responsible adult and there's just a limit to how much we can help, sadly.