Purina cat chow and food???

[kinsey's pet]

I don't know all that much about really good cat food. Is Purina cat chow indoor formula a good food? How long should she be on kitten chow? (i cant find any at my pet store) And I read a thread where most of you said you read ALL the labels on cat food, what do you look for? what do you avoid? She seems to like what I'm feeding her (purina cat chow indoor formula). She ALL the time and she's gaining a lot of weight. I got her at 6 weeks (i know, kinda soon. i wasnt aware at the time) and now she is 9 weeks. She's been on that food during this whole time.

One more question. What's the real difference in the indoor and outdoor formula? I have always wondered. She is strictly and indoor cat do i guess the indoor is best.

 

[denice]

The main things I look for for a cat that isn't allergic or sensitive is that some kind of meat or meat meal is the first ingredient. No by-products or meat digest. I try to stay away from corn or soy. A lot of people stay away from garlic even though it is present in some of the premium foods. I think it is because it is in the same family as onion and onion can cause a type of anemia in cats. But I'm not really sure if that is the reason.

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Denice

The main things I look for for a cat that isn't allergic or sensitive is that some kind of meat or meat meal is the first ingredient. No by-products or meat digest. I try to stay away from corn or soy. A lot of people stay away from garlic even though it is present in some of the premium foods. I think it is because it is in the same family as onion and onion can cause a type of anemia in cats. But I'm not really sure if that is the reason.

Agreed ... The garlic issues is it can kill in a trace amount in one cat and never bother another so it is a safety precaution

I would stay away from anything not naturally preserved ..

Cat chow is like fast food for kittys... Yes a kitty can live on it just fine but dont you like to eat better ??

 

[sadie's mom]

Your kitten should stay on the kitten chow until it is 1 year old.

 

[kinsey's pet]

What kinds of food do you guys use?

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Kinsey's Pet

What kinds of food do you guys use?

Here is a list of good to great foods ... any of which will be good for the right kitty ... It is not a complete list

by brand

Nutro
Natural Balence
California Natural
SOlid Gold
Innova
Royal Canin
Sensible Choice
Merrick ( currently wet only)
Natural life( many walmarts carry )

 

[sadie's mom]

Natural Balance

 

[denice]

I just switched to Innova EVO. It is a good food if your cat can tolerate it many can't because it is too rich. Before that I used California Natural and it is an excellent food. The only reason I switched is because I have a sensitive cat and I wanted to try a grain free food.

 

[sarathan]

I feed my kittens Nutro Natural Choice for kittens (not the indoor formula) and they seem to really like it. There are no by-products or chemical preservatives. I have never been able to figure out the difference between indoor and outdoor formulas either??

I also do a little bit of wet each morning...Nutro Natural Choice pouches. They gobble that right up!!

 

[zak&rocky]

If you can't get to a pet store to get any of the foods sharky mentioned I would feed purina one kitten as a first choice or iams kitten as a second choice. On any new food I would mix it slowly with the old food so kitty's stomach can get used to it.

 

[jen]

Originally Posted by Sadie's Mom

Your kitten should stay on the kitten chow until it is 1 year old.

I disagree on this. I would determine this on the cat. If it is putting on a lot of weight you may need to switch earlier because kitten food is more fattening. I switch to adult food gradually at around 8-10 months of age.

 

[jen]

For good food, I feed Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul. I thought about Purina but I can't deal with feeding my cats by-products and all those grains...

Sometimes I feed Nutro and Authority too.

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Jen

For good food, I feed Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul. I thought about Purina but I can't deal with feeding my cats by-products and all those grains...

Sometimes I feed Nutro and Authority too.

Chicken soup is another good one .. and can be very low$$ if bought at a feed store

 

[maiseycat]

Maisey was on Purina Indoor Formula for six months or so. She was overweight, and the indoor food is supposed to help with weight management and give them greens which they don't have access to indoors. She did well on it, but started to lose too much weight - I switched her over to the Purina Complete, and she's gained weight, but is not overweight again. I'd say it's a better food than Nine Lives or Meow Mix - my cat is pretty sensitive, and cheap foods make her barfy and I swear make her hairball problem worse. She's done best on Iams which is of course pricier, though I don't equate high-priced "designer" food with good health. I fed her Science Diet (sensitive stomach formula) for awhile, and she didn't respond to it well at all - it stank and had an almost greasy feel to it (and it was dry food). She almost always threw up afterward, and once she went to Iams, was fine.

Sorry for the long post, but I've been shopping around for better kitty foods lately. I bought Maxximum Nutrition at Wal-mart ($3.84 for a regular sized bag). They have a kitten formula - that's actually what I bought because the adult formula only came in very large bags. I like that it doesn't have by-products, at least not as a top ingredient (I didn't read the whole list as I was most concerned about the top several ingredients, and because people kept getting in my way in the pet section). I haven't paid much attention to this kind of stuff in the past - I'm not a conscious eater myself - live mostly on junk and processed food. But, I think it will save money over time because she won't be barfing as much, and also hopefully, it will keep Maise healthier and extend her life.

 

[moggiegirl]

I'm in no position on cat forums to reccommend food because I feed foods that a lot of people on cat forums don't approve of, such as Iams but IMHO if you're going to go with Purina, why not go for the more premium Purina foods? Why choose Purina Cat Chow over Purina One or Purina Pro-plan?

 

[kinsey's pet]

I didnt realize that cat chow was a lower grade. Where do you get those foods if you cant get them at the store?

 

[nerelda]

We do not have a pet store around us, so my vet reccomended we switch to Purina One. I can get that from my Walmart or supermarket stores.

I also disagree that you should keep your cat on kitten food until it is a year old. I think it depends on the cat. Mine is only 11 months old. At 8 months, he we ready to be put on adult food, and the vet agreed.

 

[apric0t]

Pearl was fed Purina Cat Chow Indoor formula at the rescue. I'm slowly transfering her to California Natural, then on to a raw diet. Let me tell you! I've never seen a cat poop so much! My cats were to share a litterbox, but I had to make a seperate one for her because she just poops it all out. And it stinks! Believe me on this one.

Foods I recommend are Innova, California Natural, Felidae, Timberwolf Organics, etc. Most of these foods are all life stages, so you don't have to worry about went to switch to adult and that type of stuff. You won't be able to find high quality foods are grocery stores, but you can find them at pet stores. You can also order them online. Some foods actually supply free shipping. If I do recall correctly, I think Timberwolf Organics offers free shipping. Well, anyway, good luck!

 

[moggiegirl]

Originally Posted by Kinsey's Pet

I didnt realize that cat chow was a lower grade. Where do you get those foods if you cant get them at the store?

Purina One and Iams are available at grocery stores. But you can get a better variety of premium foods at pet supply stores like Petco and the smaller pet supply stores have even more variety. For example Petco has Eukanuba, Purina Pro-Plan, Nutro, Natural Balance. Smaller, more independent pet supply stores carry Innova, California Natural, Felidae. Shop around.

 

[kinsey's pet]

Originally Posted by Apric0t

Let me tell you! I've never seen a cat poop so much!

OMG! Yes. Kinsey poops all the time, I thought maybe it was normal for her age (i have never had a KITTEN indoors before). It's ridiculous. Anyway, thnk you guys so much. You have all been very helpful i will try one of the foods you have recommened. I'm thinking either california natural or maxximum nutrition.