Kitten Food: How Important Is Quality And Wet Vs Dry?

[thescrappack]

Okay so in the past I fed my cats Iams dry their whole life, and they didn't have problems, but I've recently learned that's a pretty poor quality food and the general consensus is wet is way better.

Now I'm fostering a litter of 7 kittens plus mom, and had been feeding them wellness and blue buffalo wilderness brand wet kitten food, but it's bankrupting me. They are eating through almost $20 a day and the number is only increasing. I can buy iams brand wet kitten food for about 1/3 the cost, but I'm worried about the quality. Alternatively I can do a top of the line dry food, but is that healthy for kittens? Which would be better? Does anyone have brand recommendations that are high quality and won't break the bank?

 

[orange&white]

Since you're fostering and they will be going into homes where who knows what they'll be fed, I would feed a variety of canned foods from the "cheapies" to more expensive brands. Their taste preferences will by set before 6 months old, so if you offer them variety they will be less likely to be finicky eaters later in life.

If you have to stretch your budget with kibble, then do so, but I would make it far less than half their diet. We don't need more kibble-addicted cats, but the odds are that most of their adopters will be feeding them the crummy fast food Happy Meals of the cat world (dry processed food).

You are doing them a very kind service by fostering. Feed them what you can work into your budget.

 

[sargon]

Wet vs dry is a fairly "hot topic" here, just so that you're aware. In general, though, it is fairly uncontroversial that, among cheaper/non premium brands, that wet foods tend to be superior, especially for cats with hydration issues. Where the debate and controversy comes in is when one starts to compare premium dry foods with wet foods. (My belief is that both have their advantages and disadvantages for the cat. For example: dry food can be used with puzzle feeders to give often much needed mental enrichment to bored cats, whereas wet food is better for hydration in cats who don't drink much water or have kidney issues.

With that said, if the cats drink well(cat fountains are your friend!), switching the dry food to one of the less expensive grain free dry foods ( taste of the wild, or if you want to spend a bit more, nature's variety instinct chicken meal or Canidae pure elements), picking up a cat fountain, and supplementing with fancy feast classic canned foods, should result in well nourished, healthy kittens who should adapt well to most foods they will be fed once adopted.

 

[thegreystalker]

Everyone has an opinion of kibble; some people even have two opinions. LOL.
The best advice... 1. buy what you can afford. 2. buy what your cats will readily eat. Hopefully your cats are good drinkers, which should ease your mind about kibble.

My cat spent many weeks in a rescue shelter as a young kitten, where they fed kibble to her. These days at home with me she gets both kibble and wet food. You can save a buck or two from Chewy.com on the following decent (grain free) recipes in a can:
Iams Country Style Turkey & Giblets Premium Pate
Iams Purrfect Delights Cluckin' Chicken
Purina Pro Plan True Nature Turkey & Chicken Classic
Purina Pro Plan True Nature Beef Classic
Sheba Entrees, in Beef, Chicken, Turkey and Cod flavors
Max Cat Chicken with Rice and Lamb

Also, the Natural Value varieties are very affordable and enthusiastically enjoyed in our house.

 

[akaLuann]

Okay so in the past I fed my cats Iams dry their whole life, and they didn't have problems, but I've recently learned that's a pretty poor quality food and the general consensus is wet is way better.

Now I'm fostering a litter of 7 kittens plus mom, and had been feeding them wellness and blue buffalo wilderness brand wet kitten food, but it's bankrupting me. They are eating through almost $20 a day and the number is only increasing. I can buy iams brand wet kitten food for about 1/3 the cost, but I'm worried about the quality. Alternatively I can do a top of the line dry food, but is that healthy for kittens? Which would be better? Does anyoave brand recommendations that are high quality and won't break the bank?

I recently started my pregnant cat on Purina ONE purposeful nutrition healthy kitten formula. !st ingredient is chicken. 0 fillers and 46 g protein per cup. A little higher than kitten chow but a lot less than blue buffalo. My cat and kittens are very healthy, shiny coat, and the mama loves it. I would try Walmart for the best price. Just my opinion from a very picky and happy customer. I am speaking of the dry food, there are many debates on wet food, but it does make the catbox worse.

 

[kittylove14]

my vet told me kitten food shmitten food. as long as it says complete nutrition, the kittens will just eat more of the adult cat food. my kittens were puking up (and re-eating) hills science diet when i saved them. I am a big fan of iams based on my past experience alone, but i feed my cats evolve maintenance based on quality and price.

 

[abyeb]

In general, wet food is considered healthier than dry because it contains more water, which helps prevent dehydration. The higher moisture content also keeps cats feeling fuller for longer, which is why the obesity rate among cats on wet food is lower than that of cats on dry food. Although, some may argue that the reason for this is that people don't free feed wet food. Dry food also contains more preservatives and is sprayed with a layer of oil before it's packaged. However, a high-quality dry food is better than a low-quality wet. Feed your cats what you can afford to feed them, just be sure that meat is the first ingredient!

 

[maggiedemi]

I agree $20 a day is a lot, no need to break the bank. You could add a good quality dry and just give 1/8 cup per cat 3 times a day. Then the rest could be wet food. Usually each of my cats gets about one and a half small cans or about 3/4 of a large can each per day.

 

[_spadekitty]

You don't have to get a "kitten" food honestly. I don't know if it would end up cheaper, but if you get an all life stages wet food that would suffice. All life stages foods are essentially kitten foods because they have to be formulated to meet the most demanding life stage; kitten hood.
So maybe you could buy those really large dog food sized cans (12.5 oz) and ration it between them? I think that would help cut down cost. If you wanna keep with wellness, I ordered a case of 12 of the 12.5 oz cans from jet for about $30, they're having a sale and 15% off right now.
That'll last me 24 days with one cat, not sure about 7 kittens.

 

[meuzettesmom]

Grain, bones, beaks,eta.....but what do cats eat out in the wild...that what I question as I am looking at the ingredients listed on the label....

 

[allisa]

If you order from Chewy and get the autoship delivery you save 5 or 10% depending on the brand. It's not a huge amount but it's something. Or possibly if you order by the case at your local place they may give a discount. Sometimes if you email or talk to the pet food company, especially if you expain what you are doing they will send you coupons.