Need advice on best possible diet for my cat

sav1297

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So I’ve been trying to feed my cat a healthier all wet food diet and I’m struggling to find the best possible options. There are many people who advocate for a raw food diet, but I’m worried about not meeting his nutritional needs and my cat tends to take forever to actually finish his food so I worry about the bacteria. I’m nit entirely opposed to raw food, but I’d prefer not to if there’s not a major benefit to it. What are the best brands of wet food and how much should I feed my 10-11 lb male indoor cat? From what I’ve researched it’s best to feed cats an all wet food diet with novel proteins and only occasionally giving fish and beef. Are there any supplements or additives that I should add like bone broth, salmon oil, goats milk, freeze dried raw food toppers etc? I’d ideally like to find cat food with low carbs, high protein, and limited ingredients (no carbs, potatoes, peas etc) due to his possible allergies.

I found this spreadsheet that lists all of the protein/fat/carbs of It seems like the major cat foods even the higher end brand have unnecessary ingredients and high carbs. I don’t want to spend an insane amount, but I’m not sure what’s the best cat food to get.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Here is the best advice I can give you, having one of the pickiest eaters in the world: don't obsess over what you feed your cat. Feed him whatever he will eat! Ask 10 people and you will get 10 different answers on what they think is the best food to feed, and your cat might not eat any of those 10 foods!

If you feed a canned food that is not labeled "supplemental", then you really don't need to add anything to it. It should be 100% nutritionally complete. If you feed something that says "supplemental", that is to be fed as a treat only, or to get a cat to start up eating again. It doesn't hurt to add some type of fish oil to a cat's food, just follow the instructions so you don't give too much. Not all cats like it though. Mine don't.

Personally, I try to feed as low carb as I can get, so I do feed raw to one of my cats, and used to feed it to the other until he stopped eating it. You can train cats to eat at scheduled times rather than graze, if you are worried about bacteria. Or feed smaller meals more often if you are working from home (or retired). I feed commercially prepared raw so know it's nutritionally complete.

I do agree with not feeding too much fish, but my raw eater gets some beef every day (not every meal), because it's one of the few proteins he likes.

If your cat may have possible food allergies, then you may want to try limited ingredients, perhaps something like Rawz, which is canned food, and you can use freeze dried toppers if needed, to match the protein in the can. But Rawz is not cheap. Of course, you didn't really specify how much is an insane amount. It seems lately that all cat food is expensive ;)

As to how much to feed, every cat is different. BUT, you cannot go by how much the can says to feed. That is usually way too high! It all depends on the cat...how active they are, age, etc. Typically you would feed between 20-25 calories per pound per day. So a 10 pound cat would eat between 200 and 250 calories per day. Going against that rule though, our raw eater weighs almost 15 pounds and only eats around 200 calories per day. He's still pudgy! Our Vet told us not to drop his calories below 180, so we don't.
 

lisahe

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This is all great advice, mrsgreenjeens mrsgreenjeens and "don't obsess" is the best part. Particularly since so much of us try not to obsess but do it anyway! In any case, "best" is a relative term when it comes to cats' diets.

Ideally, I'd feed our cats the way the OP wants to feed theirs... but it just doesn't work because there are certain things I have to keep out of the cats' diet: potato, agar-agar, and mussels among them. And then there are things I keep out of the cats' diet on principle: carrageenan and carby vegetables, particularly legumes. Fish and beef are out for one cat because she has asthma. And we have to feed what the cats will actually eat.

This leaves limited choices, which is a big reason why we feed one meal a day of Sheba pate (or similar), despite the tapioca. (Fortunately, the carbs don't seem to be too high...) It's also why I make cooked food for the cats. And why, as much as I tried to avoid it, one cat now eats more dry food (fortunately it's Dr. Elsey's chicken that she loves and it's super low in carbs and has no fillers) than wet food; I'm hoping that's a phase. No matter what, she's now eating what she wants, drinking plenty of water, and not looking hungry. And we're all less stressed.
 

zoes

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Thirding mrsgreenjeens' recommendation to not worry too much :)
If you're getting a mid-range wet food and you take a quick look at the ingredients and avoid anything that's glaringly carb-heavy, you're probably fine. Just caring enough to look at the back of the can gets you like 95% of the way there.

For which proteins, I keep "feathers and ears, not hooves and scales" in mind but I do sometimes feed them beef etc just for variety or what's on the shelf that day.

For my money (and in the context of the cat already getting a nutritionally complete food), the only off-the-shelf supplement I would recommend is Omega 3 oils (from an animal source, not a vegetable source.) This is one my vet agrees on and she says the research backs it up: Omega 3 oils provide a variety of measurable health and longevity improvements. So much so that when my old cat was looking arthritic, I asked if I should get her on some kind of medication, and she just said to double the Omega 3s. Get a big jug and mix it in liberally (recommended dose is fine for young cats, but mine are all getting up there and get 2x or more.)

Bone broth is probably a good one too, but I personally wouldn't spend money on it. I used to make bone broth stock all the time and would give some to my cats; when I stopped making the broth, I stopped giving it to the cats, too.

I also want to add: you probably don't need to worry as much as you are about bacteria. There's a limit, obviously, and with raw food you probably want to be more cautious, but Western human society is WAY too afraid of bacteria. The rest of the human and animal world eats raw meat that's been sitting at room temp for more than a few minutes. If it smells fine, it's fine. If you wanted to feed raw and are worried about it, make batches, freeze them in small portions, and feed many times during the day.
 

Box of Rain

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You would only want to feed "novel proteins" if a cat were showing signs of a potential food allergy. Otherwise, feeding a "novel protein" uses up one's "reserve" of alternatives and most "novel proteins" tend to be expensive.

To my mind there is a major benefit to feeding a PMR-style raw diet that's inclusive of appropriate soft edible bone, and that is in maintaining optimal dental health though the necessity of a cat (or dog) having to gnaw, tear, and strip meat and crunch bone.

Periodontal disease and tooth loss are at epidemic levels for both dogs and cats, and cats have it worse.

As with other "wet" diets, PMR (aka pey model) has the advantage of promoting hydration (dehydration appearing to be one of the two major risk factors in common feline illnesses) and it allows one to completely eliminate carbohydrates (the other major risk factor).

My raw fed cat (and dog) both "destroy" their meals. Equally enthusiastic eaters. But meat can sit out a while w/o undue alarm. Obviously one would not wish to feed spoiled meat, but both felines and canines in the wild purposefully will leave often prey to rot a bit. Their systems, including very short GI tracks (unlike those of humans) tend to push food through their systems fairly quickly as a matter of evolution.

Feeding canned wet food is a lot easier than doing PMR, but well-sourced fresh/frozen food is also a fraction of the cost (if one doesn't include one's own labor into the equation). So there are trade-offs.

I prefer to make taurine-rich dark meat Turkey the mainstay of Desmond's diet, but the also gets a fair about of beef liver, kidney, and heart. Some amount of seafood, like fish, mussels (assuming no issues on this one), and scallops have a lot of taurine and micronutrients like iodine. I would not "avoid" these, even as my overall preference is dark meat poultry (especially turkey).

Bill
 

lisahe

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If you're getting a mid-range wet food and you take a quick look at the ingredients and avoid anything that's glaringly carb-heavy, you're probably fine. Just caring enough to look at the back of the can gets you like 95% of the way there.
This is so true! I also check carefully for carby ingredients. There's no reason stuff like potatoes or peas should be in cat food.

I also agree zoes zoes 's approach to the bacteria question: this is pretty much the least of my worries when feeding cooked or canned foods.
 

Robyn5678

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In the end, your cat is going to dictate what it will eat. I tried all the expensive brands, Koha, tiki, Weruva and many many more and in the end my crew wants to eat fancy feast and friskies. So that’s what they get. 🤷🏻‍♀️
 

Mighty Orange

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In the end, your cat is going to dictate what it will eat. I tried all the expensive brands, Koha, tiki, Weruva and many many more and in the end my crew wants to eat fancy feast and friskies. So that’s what they get. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Same here, my cats all survived until they were 16,17,18 on Friskees pate. Now my one meat eater will not touch the expensive food I bought as a treat.
 

Robyn5678

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Same here, my cats all survived until they were 16,17,18 on Friskees pate. Now my one meat eater will not touch the expensive food I bought as a treat.
Yeah I spent $50-$60 a case in food and they wouldn’t even eat one can. I stopped trying. My parents cats lived to 18 on friskies and FF. I have one cat that will be 18 in may and she has eaten dry food 99% of her life. She eats some wet food now but only because that’s what my younger ones eat
 

Box of Rain

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I either have the least picky cat on the planet, or there is something about fresh raw food that appeals, or a combination of both, but I've never served a meal that wasn't demolished with gusto.

It's like having another dog.

Bill
 

Box of Rain

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I'm so jealous!
I was so prepared for the idea that "cats are finicky."

Desmond, just like our dog, will eat anything.

For his first meal at home, after we adopted him, I made a big platter with different options to see which would appeal to him. He went for raw chicken, raw pork, cooked chicken, cooked pork, and finally ate the sample of canned food (which is what he'd been getting in foster care) in that order.

Since then, we've done PMR. Literally nothing has gone unconsumed. He eats with great zeal.

Who knew?

I got lucky.

Bill
 

Cat McCannon

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Belle devours almost anything we put in front of her. She gets a variety of Sheba, Pet Life Raw and a variety of raw we get from Ma Barkers (a pet food store). The raw we get from Ma Barkers varies from chicken, lamb, pork, duck and rabbit, just to name a few. Belle LOVES the rabbit. She also gets raw chicken liver, heart & gizzard we buy at the grocery store. We rotate between the different foods daily. I know liver, heart & gizzard isn't nutritionally complete, but she gets more than enough complete meals to cover that.

We don't worry much about Belle's food. It never sits in her dish more than a few minutes and she rarely leaves her dish before she finishes. She gets three meals a day, eating when we eat (she IS part of the family) and we don't leave food out for her.

Don't over think the food. Give him what you can reasonably afford and any wet food is better than dry! Feed your cat a variety. If you can only afford raw occasionally, feed him raw occasionally. Keep in mind, every cat is different. Belle can eat a variety daily without tummy trouble, partially because we've always fed her a variety. If switching it up too quick upsets your cat's tummy, stop.

Pay attention to how your cat does and adjust as needed. Relax, you've got this. Your kitty is blessed that you care and came to get answers to your questions
 

Mac and Cats

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which is a big reason why we feed one meal a day of Sheba pate (or similar), despite the tapioca.
Can I ask what the issue is with tapioca? Is it because it is a starch/carb? I've been trying to find foods without gums/thickners (it is almost impossible) and one of the foods I found that I *think* looks good has tapioca starch. I thought this would be better than the gums/thickners, but clearly I am totally clueless on the issue...and most things to do with cat food. :banana1:
 

lisahe

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Can I ask what the issue is with tapioca? Is it because it is a starch/carb? I've been trying to find foods without gums/thickners (it is almost impossible) and one of the foods I found that I *think* looks good has tapioca starch. I thought this would be better than the gums/thickners, but clearly I am totally clueless on the issue...and most things to do with cat food. :banana1:
Ask away! I don't have good answers other than what you already know: it's starchy/carby and those are empty calories for a cat. That's the main reason I try to limit it in the cats' diet. Beyond that, I've just seen anecdotal this-and-that, nothing very scientific. On the positive side, at least it's better than agar-agar, which makes our cats barf!

You're right that it's almost impossible to find foods without gums and thickeners. That's what drove me to make home-cooked foods for our cats!
 

Mac and Cats

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Ask away! I don't have good answers other than what you already know: it's starchy/carby and those are empty calories for a cat. That's the main reason I try to limit it in the cats' diet. Beyond that, I've just seen anecdotal this-and-that, nothing very scientific. On the positive side, at least it's better than agar-agar, which makes our cats barf!

You're right that it's almost impossible to find foods without gums and thickeners. That's what drove me to make home-cooked foods for our cats!
Thank you! Our oldest (15) was recently diagnosed with possible IBD and if it is in fact IBD and not small cell lymphoma, I'm wondering if it is the gums that caused the inflammation. I always tried to stay away from Carrageenan, but I didn't know about how the others can cause inflammation too until recently. I am not basing my suspicion on anything except that all of his past foods contain one or multiple gums and I have zero proof. I do realize it could be a number of things (protein, fillers, etc.). For now he is eating the Purina EN, which I do not love the ingredients, but he's eating it! His main and mostly only symptom was not eating. So, if he's eating it, so be it!

Do you have any recommendations for websites that have recipes for home cooked foods and also resources for where to buy what? I would not be interested in feeding raw though. I doubt I will end up delving into it as I am very squeamish about touching/cutting meat in the first place! But, I'd like to look at some resources so I can know for sure if I should rule it out or if by small chance I could deal with the process! 😂
 

Mac and Cats

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We have two cats with CKD and hyperthyroid and one of them has possible IBD. So, I don't know if they will really "count" for you because they get some prescription and some non-prescription that is lower phosphorous -- Hills, just because that is what the non-IBD cat will eat. She won't eat the Weurva WX or other Weurva options I have tried. She was always my "little garbage disposal" too (previously she would eat ANYTHING I put in front of her)! Our youngest (almost 1 year) eats mostly gravy lovers or grilled Fancy Feast because that is what he wants to eat (mostly chicken/turkey options, but he does eat some of the fish style right now until I run out). When I finally run out of those, I may head towards the pate versions for him as I hear those are better. I do try to give him a better quality for at least one of his meals. So, he also gets some Weurva (Press Your Dinner) and some Wellness Tiny Tasters (any flavor except fish--he doesn't like it in the TT and I've learned it isn't great for cats anyway?). He also does get a Purina Focus Urinary Chicken Entree as all of our cats have loved it and I had 2 cases left over from when our IBD cat was wanting to eat that. So, after I use up the last case, I'll probably not buy it (it's OOS on Chewy anyway). I'm trying to introduce the rectangle box Made by Nacho because I thought the ingredients looked pretty good (although not perfect) and Amazon had a 50% off sale, but he's not really that into it. Ultimately, like others are saying, you're probably going to have to let your cat guide you. I've also tried a lot of the Tiki Mousse flavors and some Merrick Back Country, but he's not into those either. I could probably list out a million foods none of the cats were interested in for you and save you a billion dollars. 😂 But I will spare you the details! I wish more of you were local so I could pawn all these failed food trials off on you in hopes that your cats will eat it!

Edit: I realize that your post asked for the best options and what I listed is probably not the best options, but I've been through so many food trials over the past 2 years with various cats (we have lost 3 since 2020). So, this is what I have to offer you! :heartshape:
 

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nanniecat

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So I’ve been trying to feed my cat a healthier all wet food diet and I’m struggling to find the best possible options. There are many people who advocate for a raw food diet, but I’m worried about not meeting his nutritional needs and my cat tends to take forever to actually finish his food so I worry about the bacteria. I’m nit entirely opposed to raw food, but I’d prefer not to if there’s not a major benefit to it. What are the best brands of wet food and how much should I feed my 10-11 lb male indoor cat? From what I’ve researched it’s best to feed cats an all wet food diet with novel proteins and only occasionally giving fish and beef. Are there any supplements or additives that I should add like bone broth, salmon oil, goats milk, freeze dried raw food toppers etc? I’d ideally like to find cat food with low carbs, high protein, and limited ingredients (no carbs, potatoes, peas etc) due to his possible allergies.

I found this spreadsheet that lists all of the protein/fat/carbs of It seems like the major cat foods even the higher end brand have unnecessary ingredients and high carbs. I don’t want to spend an insane amount, but I’m not sure what’s the best cat food to get.
my senior cat is an fgesf survivor. and the emphasis is really on food! i was told no chicken,beef,tuna. so it has been my mission to do what the onco says! these days i have found a lot of NOVEL protein foods on the market. and i recently discovered that turkey is considered a novel protein! nulo makes a turkey duck grain free. i am looking for an organic turkey broth to add to her canned food. it is too dry for her. i have been adding a mineral water but i am thinking she may enjoy the flavor of a broth. any suggestions?
 

Alldara

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So I’ve been trying to feed my cat a healthier all wet food diet and I’m struggling to find the best possible options. There are many people who advocate for a raw food diet, but I’m worried about not meeting his nutritional needs and my cat tends to take forever to actually finish his food so I worry about the bacteria. I’m nit entirely opposed to raw food, but I’d prefer not to if there’s not a major benefit to it. What are the best brands of wet food and how much should I feed my 10-11 lb male indoor cat? From what I’ve researched it’s best to feed cats an all wet food diet with novel proteins and only occasionally giving fish and beef. Are there any supplements or additives that I should add like bone broth, salmon oil, goats milk, freeze dried raw food toppers etc? I’d ideally like to find cat food with low carbs, high protein, and limited ingredients (no carbs, potatoes, peas etc) due to his possible allergies.

I found this spreadsheet that lists all of the protein/fat/carbs of It seems like the major cat foods even the higher end brand have unnecessary ingredients and high carbs. I don’t want to spend an insane amount, but I’m not sure what’s the best cat food to get.
Research on cat diets for healthy cats is ongoing. We do not yet know whether the "fillers" in "high" (aka boutique) or "low" quality foods are better. What's in My Cat's Food?: Designer Diets, Grain Free Diets | VCA Canada Animal Hospitals

Benefits or lack thereof of raw diets are unknown. Everything is simply personal experience. There are no studies. You'll find just as many accounts of cats thriving on raw as you will those who are thriving on grocery store brands.

The best thing you can do for your cat is to find a protein he enjoys, a couple of them if you can and rotate through a couple different brands of foods to ensure that he will eat something if there are shortages or supply issues.

Secondly, choose something that you can afford going forward and have the extra money for vet things that pop up. It's better to feed a "lower" quality food and get your cat to the vet for a check up and whatever they need down the road, than to feed something that makes it difficult to go to emergency visits or afford long-term medicine should something pop up.

Lastly I recommend focusing on tooth health as it effects many organs of the body and digestion overall. Brushing your cats teeth with a certified cat toothpaste every 48 hours and using a dental treat or dental food as a treat. There are some studies that point to fish oil being beneficial to this but the studies are on cats with stomachitis. Again nothing on healthy cats.



***
I used to be very on this "self research" for the healthiest cat foods. As I got older I noted that many people say a lot without data to back it up. The people say a lot of things, they don't provide sources and/or the sources are dated (not updated in the last few years). Were expected to follow the same logic for cats, as people use to promote Paleo diet as the healthiest diet for all people. There's a LOT of debates in the cat food community about what is or is not healthy. However, we can get trapped in individual search algorithms during research as well.Library Guides: FAQ: How do I know if my sources are credible/reliable?
 
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