Kitty weighs 18 pounds roughly and has no health problems. However, if kitty doesn't meet Jenny Craig soon, I know kitty could end up with diabetes and health problems later in life. We have no idea how old kitty is, since he adopted us 4 years ago. I do know he has eaten only dry food for the past 4 years.
I am in the process of switching kitty to canned food, since the grains in the dry food (Purina One) are responsible for his weight. He turned his nose up at canned food at first, so now I mix two tablespoons of Purina One to one tablespoon of canned, which he promptly scarfs down. He doesn't over eat and always stops eating when he is full.
My questions revolve around selecting the best food for weight reduction, given the available choices of food in my area. Using the guidelines on about.com regarding choosing cat foods, I have found the following list of foods to be acceptable canned foods, as far as ingredients list (no meat by products, no animal meal, little to no grains, especially corn) and percentages of proteins, fats, fiber and carbs (p/f/f/c) by dry matter. My main concerns are regarding the last number in the series, being carbs, and best acceptable percentages of carbs to proteins, fibers and fats. The ingredients list, as it appears on the label, follows the dry matter percentages of proteins, fats, fibers and carbs, which are shown as numbers after the name of the food as p/f/f/c. I have noted those for which I don't have the ingredients list, but the ingredients list had been previously checked in doing this research, so I know those listed are free of low quality or inappropriate ingredients (no meat by products, no animal meal, little to no grains, especially corn). Here are my choices:
A. Authority Catfish Formula 45/30/3/21
Salmon broth, catfish, animal liver, chicken egg product, brewer's rice, etc
B. Blue Tempting Tuna Grill 45/30/5/20
Tuna, fish broth, chicken, chicken liver, whitefish, brown rice, etc
C. Blue Savory Salmon Entree 45/30/5/20
Whitefish, salmon, fish broth, chicken liver, brown rice, carrots, etc
D. Sophisticat Supreme Sardine Entree in Aspic 75/4/5/16
Sardines, water, vegetable oil, carrageenan, etc
E. Solid Gold Blended Tuna 68/10/2/20
Don't have can here, sorry.
F. Sophisticat Supreme Sardines, Shrimp & Crab Dinner 59/9/7/25
Sardines, fish broth, shrimp, crab meat, carrageenan, guar gum, etc
G. Sophisticat Supreme Flaked Salmon & Ocean Whitefish Dinner 55/14/6/25
Fish broth, salmon, chicken, turkey, ocean whitefish, animal liver, etc
H. Natural Choice Chicken & Liver Entree 45/23/5/27
Don't have can here with me, sorry.
I. Natural Choice Chicken & Turkey Platter 45/23/5/27
Chicken broth, chicken, turkey, beef, beef liver, dried egg product, etc
J.Natural Choice Oceanfish Formula 39/26/4/31
Dont have can here with me, sorry.
K. MaxCat Chicken & Lamb Formula 39/26/4/31
Chicken broth, chicken, beef liver, cod, beef, lamb, rice bran, etc
The recommendations regarding dry matter of p/f/f/c found on about.com suggest the following precentages:
Protein\t\t35-45%
Fat\t\t\t40%
Carbs\t\t\t15-25%
Questions:
Choices A,B,C above seem to closely match the recommended levels of proteins, fat and carbs, although the fat levels seem to low.
Choices D, E, F, & G, seem to be high protein/low fat, although the carb levels fall within the recommended guidelines. Is high protein low-fat recommended for weight reduction in cats, or would it jeopordize kitty's health?
Choices H & I seem to be a good compromise between the first group (A - C) and the second group (D-G), with the fat levels being a little lower than recommended and the carb load being slightly higher than recommended.
Should I leave choices j & K alone? The carb load is 31%, which is not far off from the carb load of Purina One dry, at 39%.
Assuming the carb load, which is dependent on the amount of grain in the food is responsible for the weight gain, which of the foods would you think be best? I am presently leaning towards A, B, C, I & J, although, if high protein/low fat will take the weight off the kitty more easily, then I would consider choices D-G.
Yes, I am aware it is exceedingly dangerous for cats to lose weight too quickly, which is why I think mixing the dry with the canned will start a gradual weight loss, which should continue when the switch is made from the dry/canned mix to canned only.
Also, what in the world do the terms "chicken egg product" (A) and "dried egg prodcut" (I) mean? Are these ingredients best avoided in cat foods?
I am in the process of switching kitty to canned food, since the grains in the dry food (Purina One) are responsible for his weight. He turned his nose up at canned food at first, so now I mix two tablespoons of Purina One to one tablespoon of canned, which he promptly scarfs down. He doesn't over eat and always stops eating when he is full.
My questions revolve around selecting the best food for weight reduction, given the available choices of food in my area. Using the guidelines on about.com regarding choosing cat foods, I have found the following list of foods to be acceptable canned foods, as far as ingredients list (no meat by products, no animal meal, little to no grains, especially corn) and percentages of proteins, fats, fiber and carbs (p/f/f/c) by dry matter. My main concerns are regarding the last number in the series, being carbs, and best acceptable percentages of carbs to proteins, fibers and fats. The ingredients list, as it appears on the label, follows the dry matter percentages of proteins, fats, fibers and carbs, which are shown as numbers after the name of the food as p/f/f/c. I have noted those for which I don't have the ingredients list, but the ingredients list had been previously checked in doing this research, so I know those listed are free of low quality or inappropriate ingredients (no meat by products, no animal meal, little to no grains, especially corn). Here are my choices:
A. Authority Catfish Formula 45/30/3/21
Salmon broth, catfish, animal liver, chicken egg product, brewer's rice, etc
B. Blue Tempting Tuna Grill 45/30/5/20
Tuna, fish broth, chicken, chicken liver, whitefish, brown rice, etc
C. Blue Savory Salmon Entree 45/30/5/20
Whitefish, salmon, fish broth, chicken liver, brown rice, carrots, etc
D. Sophisticat Supreme Sardine Entree in Aspic 75/4/5/16
Sardines, water, vegetable oil, carrageenan, etc
E. Solid Gold Blended Tuna 68/10/2/20
Don't have can here, sorry.
F. Sophisticat Supreme Sardines, Shrimp & Crab Dinner 59/9/7/25
Sardines, fish broth, shrimp, crab meat, carrageenan, guar gum, etc
G. Sophisticat Supreme Flaked Salmon & Ocean Whitefish Dinner 55/14/6/25
Fish broth, salmon, chicken, turkey, ocean whitefish, animal liver, etc
H. Natural Choice Chicken & Liver Entree 45/23/5/27
Don't have can here with me, sorry.
I. Natural Choice Chicken & Turkey Platter 45/23/5/27
Chicken broth, chicken, turkey, beef, beef liver, dried egg product, etc
J.Natural Choice Oceanfish Formula 39/26/4/31
Dont have can here with me, sorry.
K. MaxCat Chicken & Lamb Formula 39/26/4/31
Chicken broth, chicken, beef liver, cod, beef, lamb, rice bran, etc
The recommendations regarding dry matter of p/f/f/c found on about.com suggest the following precentages:
Protein\t\t35-45%
Fat\t\t\t40%
Carbs\t\t\t15-25%
Questions:
Choices A,B,C above seem to closely match the recommended levels of proteins, fat and carbs, although the fat levels seem to low.
Choices D, E, F, & G, seem to be high protein/low fat, although the carb levels fall within the recommended guidelines. Is high protein low-fat recommended for weight reduction in cats, or would it jeopordize kitty's health?
Choices H & I seem to be a good compromise between the first group (A - C) and the second group (D-G), with the fat levels being a little lower than recommended and the carb load being slightly higher than recommended.
Should I leave choices j & K alone? The carb load is 31%, which is not far off from the carb load of Purina One dry, at 39%.
Assuming the carb load, which is dependent on the amount of grain in the food is responsible for the weight gain, which of the foods would you think be best? I am presently leaning towards A, B, C, I & J, although, if high protein/low fat will take the weight off the kitty more easily, then I would consider choices D-G.
Yes, I am aware it is exceedingly dangerous for cats to lose weight too quickly, which is why I think mixing the dry with the canned will start a gradual weight loss, which should continue when the switch is made from the dry/canned mix to canned only.
Also, what in the world do the terms "chicken egg product" (A) and "dried egg prodcut" (I) mean? Are these ingredients best avoided in cat foods?