Cat Food Breakdown: The Good, The Bad, & The Heinous
The pet food industry and I have always had a bit of a rocky relationship. We don’t call, we don’t write. We definitely don’t send Christmas cards. We have what you might call a dark and storied history.
Call me overdramatic (because I probably am), but few things get my blood boiling more than seeing ads on TV from big pet food brands, touting “happy, healthy” pets with “glossy coats” and “increased energy and vitality!!”
Stick it where the sun don’t shine, big pet food brands.
Why so much angst, you ask? My childhood dog and best friend of 13 years died (relatively early, for his breed) from canine leukemia, caused in no small part by the various bits of garbage that pet food manufacturers are shoveling into our furry family members. After his death, I spent months researching pet food, going on mini-crusades against the pet food industry, and annoying the crap out of my family and friends.
The (cat-related) fruits of that labor, I present to you below.
Basic cat food rules:
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Before you buy anything, check the ingredients on the back. By law, ingredients must be listed according to content, with the most prevalent ingredient listed first. The first 5 ingredients should always be a protein of some sort, and ideally not a by-product (by-products are beaks, feathers, hooves, rancid meat, euthanized pets, etc.. yum)
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No more than 10% of calories should come from carbohydrates (grains, potatoes, soy, peas, etc). Grain-free is best, if you can swing it.
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Wet food will generally be better for your cats than dry foods, since dry foods tend to be heavily processed, have high carb content and very little water content.
*I’ll go more in-depth into why these things are important at the end of this post
2020 UPDATE: A note about diets for cats with CKD (chronic kidney disease) or early renal failure-
I get a lot of questions asking about recommended diets for cats with CKD. CKD is unfortunately incredibly common, especially in older cats. No one is exactly sure why, but there are possible links to certain vaccinations. For a highly-recommended and incredibly enlightening read on how to care for a cat diagnosed with CKD, please read this HealthyPets interview with Dr. Lisa Pierson, author of the incredible cat care site Catinfo.org.
She breaks down exactly why so-called “prescription” diets from those dreaded brands like Royal Canin, Hill’s Science, or Purina are still the absolute worst thing you can feed a cat, let alone a cat with organ failure.
A quick summary of her points:
- Protein is NOT the enemy of cat kidneys. Cats are obligate carnivores and need ample protein, even with compromised kidneys.
- Ramping down slightly from a species-appropriate 60%+ protein diet to a “gentler” 40% protein diet is more than sufficient for cats with CKD. Proportion of carbohydrates should still be as low as possible, so the remaining 60% of calories should ideally come from fat.
- Phosphorus levels should be low, ideally under 250mg / 100 kcals, or between 0.3 – 0.6%.
- It’s highly recommended to supplement a cat with CKD with omega-3 fish oil. (I find salmon oil for cats and dogs is a great/easy way to do so – just drizzle over your cat’s food each day.)
She created an incredibly in-depth chart of most major wet cat foods, with their protein, fat, carbohydrate, and phosphorus levels broken down in columns. See it here.
Based on the above points, I’ve taken it upon myself to filter out all the wet foods in her list that meet the criteria for a cat with CKD—that is, as close to a 40/60/0 protein/fat/carb ratio as possible, and under 250 mgs/ 100 kcals of phosphorus. They’re listed below*:
(Bolded names link to Amazon)
| COMPANY | FLAVOR/STYLE | PROTEIN % | FAT % | CARB % | mg PHOS/100 kcals |
| NULO Freestyle/Medal Pate | Salmon & Mackerel | 38 | 57 | 5 | 230 | |
| PRO PLAN Focus | Urinary Tract Health Formula – With Salmon | 38 | 58 | 4 | 230 | |
| WHOLE EARTH FARMS Grain Free | Turkey Pate | 38 | 57 | 5 | 246 | |
| HOUNDS & GATOS | Lamb | 38 | 61 | 1 | 246 | |
| CANIDAE PURE – Grain Free | Salmon & Mackerel | 38 | 62 | 0 | 247 | |
| TIKI CAT Gourmet Carnivore (discontinued) | Beef Liver and Chicken | 38 | 62 | 0 | 231 | |
| CANIDAE Life Stages | Yellowfin Tuna | 38 | 52 | 10 | 223 | |
| HOUNDS & GATOS | Pork | 39 | 61 | 0 | 228 | |
| IAMS Grain Free | White Meat Chicken Breast & Tuna | 39 | 51 | 10 | 179 | |
| WHOLE EARTH FARMS Grain Free | Chicken Pate | 39 | 51 | 10 | 182 | |
| TIKI CAT Gourmet Carnivore (discontinued) | Chicken with Duck | 39 | 61 | 0 | 170 | |
| IAMS Grain Free | White Meat Chicken Breast & Beef | 40 | 53 | 8 | 179 | |
| SOULISTIC Moist and Tender – cans | Turkey | 40 | 54 | 6 | 178 | |
| CHICKEN SOUP FOR the SOUL | Weight & Mature Care | 41 | 51 | 8 | 245 | |
| NATURE’S VARIETY Pride | Flaked Rabbit | 41 | 49 | 10 | 213 | |
| WERUVA Cats in the Kitchen cans | Fowl Ball | 41 | 55 | 4 | 180 | |
| SHEBA Perfect Portions – Pates | All varieties – approximate values | 42 | 56 | 3 | 236 | |
| TIKI CAT Gourmet Carnivore (discontinued) | Chicken with Turkey | 42 | 58 | 0 | 170 | |
| HALO Impulse – Grain Free | Rabbit | 43 | 50 | 7 | 210 | |
| IAMS Grain Free | White Meat Chicken Breast | 43 | 49 | 8 | 173 | |
| SOULISTIC Pate and Shreds | Lamb | 44 | 50 | 5 | 234 | |
| WERUVA Cats in the Kitchen cans | Lamb Burgini | 45 | 47 | 8 | 236 | |
| WERUVA Truluxe | Steak Frites | 45 | 49 | 6 | 118 | |
| PRO PLAN Focus | Urinary Tract Health Formula – Chicken in Gravy | 46 | 45 | 9 | 185 | |
| NATURE’S VARIETY Pride | Flaked Tuna | 47 | 43 | 10 | 227 | |
| WERUVA Cats in the Kitchen cans | The Double Dip | 48 | 45 | 8 | 248 | |
| NATURAL BALANCE Delectable Delights | Sea Brulee | 49 | 40 | 10 | 237 |
*As you peruse this list, make sure to do your due diligence on each brand and read their ingredient labels. The same rules apply here: look for high quality animal protein sources, and as little filler as possible.
And now, back to our regularly-scheduled (non-CKD-oriented) cat food recommendations:
Best bang for your buck
Don’t feel like spending hundreds of dollars a month on cat food? I feel you. These are a few great options that won’t have you eating top ramen every day.
*slightly less-than-ideal ingredients are highlighted in red
Natural Balance canned cat food
Get it on Amazon
First 5 ingredients (for the ultra formula):
Chicken Broth, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Salmon, Duck
Price range:
$30-35 for 24 6-oz cans
Not grain free
Newman’s Own canned cat food
Get it on Amazon
First 5 ingredients (for the chicken/salmon formula):
Organic Chicken, Sufficient Water for Processing, Poultry Liver, Salmon, Ocean Whitefish (fish used in cat food can be high in mercury/toxins)
Price range:
$25-30 for 24 6-oz cans
Not grain free
Sheba Turkey Entree
Get it on Amazon, while you can
First 5 ingredients (for the Turkey formula):
Turkey, Turkey Broth, Meat By-Products, Chicken, Chicken Liver (vague descriptors and by-products = no bueno)
Price range:
$32 for 24 3-oz cans (prices are climbing because this formula has been discontinued, in favor of a slightly lower-quality product called “Perfect Portions Pate”)
Grain free!
Slightly more buck
The ingredient quality will be higher here, with fewer fillers and fewer (or zero) non-animal protein sources.
Petcurean Go Fit + Free canned cat food
Get it on Amazon
First 5 ingredients (for the chicken/turkey formula):
Chicken, Turkey, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Turkey Liver
Price range:
$55 for 24 5.5-oz cans
Grain free!
Wellness Core canned cat food
Get it on Amazon
First 5 ingredients (for the chicken/turkey formula):
Chicken, Turkey, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Chicken Meal
Price range:
$40 for 24 5.5-oz cans
Grain free!
Nature’s Variety Limited Ingredient canned cat food
Get it on Amazon
First 5 ingredients (for the turkey formula):
Turkey, Turkey Broth, Turkey Liver, Peas, Montmorillonite Clay (a natural anti-caking agent with supposed detoxifying health benefits)
Price range:
$25 for 12 5.5-oz cans (so approximately $50 for 24 cans)
Grain free!
Blue Buffalo canned cat food
Get it on Amazon
First 5 ingredients (for the chicken/turkey formula):
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Water, Turkey, Chicken Liver
Price range:
$46 for 24 5.5-oz cans
Grain free!
Weruva canned cat food
Get it on Amazon
First 5 ingredients (for the lamb formula):
Fish Broth, Lamb, Tuna, Lamb Lung, Locust Bean Gum (A common thickening agent that doubles as a source of fiber, but can cause digestive upset)
Price range:
$48 for 24 6-oz cans
Grain free!
Nature’s Logic canned cat food
Get it on Amazon
First 5 ingredients (for the chicken formula):
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Chicken Heart, Dried Egg Product, (Egg Product = egg waste product, cheap protein)
Price range:
$23 for 12 5.5-oz cans (so approximately $46 for 24 cans)
Grain free!
There are other canned food options out there, but from my digging these appear to be your best bet (both in terms of price and quality). Know a great brand* that you don’t see here? Please leave me a comment and I’ll commence my obsessive research.
Dry food options worth a look
“But Stef,” you say, “I heard that dry cat food is literally from the devil. Literally.”
Well, not exactly. Although dry food isn’t optimal (nothing beats a homemade, raw diet), if you choose the right brand it can be a fantastic supplement to wet food, or at the very least a cheaper alternative. And by right brand I mean: high quality animal protein content / low carb & grain content.
*If you’re feeding your cat dry food exclusively, closely monitor their water intake. If your cat doesn’t drink at least 8-10 fl oz (about 1 cup) of water per day, please consider switching them to wet food! Why? Cats generally have very low thirst drive and derive most of the water they need from their food.
Orijen Cat & Kitten dry cat food
*Dec 2016 update: Thanks to a commenter for bringing this to my attention: Orijen has recently moved their manufacturing (for the US only) from Canada to Kentucky, US. Ingredients have changed as well, and initial reviews indicate strange fishy odors and kitty reluctance to partake. I’ve highlighted the major changes below.
Get it on Amazon
[CANADA] First 5 ingredients:
Boneless Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chicken Liver, Whole Herring, Boneless Turkey
In fact, the first 14 ingredients are all high-quality proteins. No grains and no preservatives. (There’s a reason it’s so expensive)
Price range:
$60-65 for a 15-lb bag
Grain free!
[USA – NEW] First 5 ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Deboned Turkey, Yellowtail Flounder, Whole Eggs, Whole Atlantic Mackerel
Major changes:
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Chicken meal has been replaced by deboned turkey as the second ingredient. Deboned meats are weighed before being cooked, so their weight includes water, disproportionately inflating their percentage in the final product. Their actual content in the formula is much lower. Chicken meal, on the other hand, has the water extracted beforehand, so it’s a far superior, more concentrated form of protein.
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If we consider the aforementioned change, most of the protein in this formula comes from fish (including scales, bones, & fins)
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Maximum level of Phosphorus, Calcium, Ash, etc. are not mentioned
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Magnesium increased from 0.09% to 0.1%
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Proteins reduced from 42% to 40% (min)
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Omega-3 reduced from 1.2% to 0.8% (min)
(See a full breakdown of the new formula here.)
Price range:
Here is the most irritating part. They’ve degraded their ingredient quality (and protein content) and decreased their bag size, while keeping prices the same. Smells like a cash grab.
Here’s the new price breakdown:
$60-65 for a 12-lb bag (so approximately $75-80 for 15 lbs). What. the. f#$%.
Still grain free. No exclamation point for you though, because fuck you.
Petcurean Go! Fit & Free dry cat food
Get it on Amazon
First 5 ingredients:
Chicken Meal, Deboned Chicken, Deboned Turkey, Duck Meal, Turkey Meal
With just as impressive an ingredient list as Orijen, Petcurean go! checks all the boxes
Price range:
$60 for a 16-lb bag
Grain free!
[Another advantage of Petcurean go!: It’s manufactured in Canada (like the Orijen US formula used to be), where the pet food industry is much more heavily regulated.]
Acana Grasslands dry cat food
Get it on Amazon
First 5 ingredients:
Deboned Lamb, Deboned Duck, Whole Eggs, Lamb Meal, Catfish Meal
Price range:
$55-65 for a 15-lb bag
Grain free!
Wellness Core dry cat food
*June 2017 update: Formula has changed to include peas in the top 5 ingredients. I can no longer recommend this brand as whole-heartedly as before, especially since bag size has decreased as well.
Get it on Amazon
First 5 ingredients:
Deboned Turkey, Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whitefish Meal, Herring Meal
Price range:
$30-40 for a 12-lb bag (so approximately $40-50 for 15 lbs)
Grain free!
[NEW] First 5 ingredients:
Deboned Turkey, Deboned Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas
Price range:
$30-40 for an 11-lb bag (so approximately $40-50 for 15 lbs)
Open Farm Homestead Turkey & Chicken dry cat food
Open Farm is interesting, since they’re the first pet food manufacturer (that I know of) to mass-produce “ethical pet food,” which means their farm animals are all humanely raised and sourced. I dig it.
Get it on Amazon
First 5 ingredients:
Humanely Farmed Turkey, Humanely Farmed Chicken, Ocean Caught Whitefish Meal, Ocean Caught Herring Meal, Chickpeas (no brotato, cats shouldn’t eat chickpeas… although this ingredient isn’t quite as bad as some other cheap fillers)
Price range:
$25 for a 5-lb bag (so ~$75 for 15 lbs)
Grain free!
Merrick Before Grain dry cat food
Get it on Amazon
First 5 ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Potato Dehydrated, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat (silly Merrick, cats don’t eat potatoes)
Price range:
$25 for an 11-lb bag (so $35 for 15 lbs) <–steaaaallllll
Grain free!
I’ve left off a lot of otherwise-decent brands with higher carb content (like pea proteins or oats) and excessive use of fish.
Know a good brand you think should be included? Clue me in in the comments!
Things to absolutely avoid
Looking to do your own digging? Here are a few things to look out for:
Avoid like the plague:
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Corn, corn meal, corn gluten (just anything corn-related). It’s a shit filler product and it’s killing both us and our pets
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Soy. Another cheap filler protein, that commonly causes pet food allergies
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Wheat and wheat gluten. More cheap filler protein used to increase profit margins
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Cellulose/Powdered cellulose: 10000% empty fillers
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By-products. These are all the leftover scraps deemed unfit for human consumption, like intestines, feet, bone—often from diseased animals
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BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole), BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), or Ethoxyquin. All chemical preservatives known to cause cancer in humans and animals
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Any “natural”/artificial flavors or colorings
Test your knowledge!
Here’s a real life cat food ingredient label from a very well known, TV-ad-running, pet-health-touting manufacturer. Feel free to cross check with the “to avoid” ingredient list above!
Now do you see why I LOATHE big pet food brands?
Why does any of this matter?
Your cats are doing just fine on TV-ad-running garbage food, you say? They just love it, you say? That’s equivalent to saying that a toddler loves having Lucky Charms three meals a day. Of course they love it! It’s sugary, nutritionally-barren filler laced with chemicals and artificial flavors.
Cats have evolved to subsist on animal protein, period. In fact, they need 5 times more protein in their diets than dogs do, making careful meal-planning on our parts even more crucial. Their bodies were simply not made to digest carbs like grains, corn, soy, or rice, and forcing them to do so inevitably leads to:
- Diarrhea, skin problems, allergies & arthritis, to start
- Feline diabetes
- Pancreatitis
- Chronic renal failure
- Urinary crystals
- Cystitis (bladder inflammation)
- Bladder / kidney stones
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Hepatic Lipidosis (fatty liver disease)
- Cancer (and premature death)
If you love your kitties (and I know you do!), give them the best possible chance at a long, healthy, happy life—just like their wild, fearsome (and very very carnivorous) ancestors had before them.
Read on:
Nutrition is only one factor affecting your cat’s longevity and health. Here’s how to ensure your cat lives to the ripe old age of 20, and beyond
Check out my breakdown of What to indulge and what to avoid with cat treats
Read my Comprehensive guide to another essential cat need – Vertical Space
What do you feed your little wombats? Anything I missed? Let me know!
Pin it!
Some of the foods listed here are NOT good foods. Your research needs to be better. Carageenan, gums, fruits and veggies..NO THANKS!
First, because I’m new here and want to make a good impression, let me just say that I’m quite pleased at the fortuitous googling that provided me with the magic portal to your site.
Ok. So, it seems that Dr. Pierson’s data is over 20 years old. I have been referring to Tanya’s Comprehensive Guide to FCKD (woah. Awful acronym). She has an extensive list of both wet and dry foods (therapeutic and non) which contain numbers and percentages re: protein, calories, fat, carbs, phosphorus and sodium. The last update was 2022. While she doesn’t focus on ingredients, I find the list an excellent place to start a search for the type of foods that meet the nutritional requirements of my various kittehs (2 seniors, 1 chubby loaf, 1 adolescent and 1 CKD).
http://felinecrf.org/canned_food_usa.htm
Love your writing style! I’ve signed up for your mailing list and am looking forward to more helpful yet snarky information.
It’s refreshing to see a no-nonsense take on pet food! The writer’s passion for quality nutrition for cats shines through, bringing attention to the often-hidden realities of the pet food industry. This guide not only highlights trustworthy brands but also educates readers on essential ingredients for feline health. A must-read for cat lovers committed to giving their pets the best.
Hi! I really loved and appreciated this article! I was wondering what you think of Dr. Elsey’s kibbles? I haven’t tried the wet foods yet, as budget is tight. The dry food I buy on Amazon for roughly $17 to $19 for a 2lb bag (I have only 1 cat.) The larger 6lb bags are a better buy per pound. The come in rabbit, duck with chicken, chicken, turkey, and salmon.
I find the some of the food ingredients to be, to my eye, “interesting” but can think of no good reason why they would be bad for a carnivore. I am delighted that there isn’t any legumes to make up for being grain-free. The ingredients lists are long, because they list the vitamin content in the ingredients. One recent change I’ve noticed in the pat year- they no longer feature egg white in the 1st 5 ingredients- probably due to cost. Instead, they apparently use more of another ingredient that was always there.
Here are the first 5 ingredients in the duck with chicken kibbles, for example: Duck, dried chicken, hydrolyzed pork, gelatin, pork plasma.
The first 5 for the turkey recipe: Turkey, dried chicken, hydrolyzed pork, pork plasma, chicken fat.
It’s the best quality food that I an afford for my cat, and he has thrived upon it for the past 18 months or so I’ve been feeding him with it. I hope none of the stuff has long-term bad effects?
What do you think? Sorry this is so long, and if you’ve made it this far- thanks for reading! 🙂
Kara
Great question and great analysis! I plugged Dr. Elsey’s kibble into my favorite cat food research database, and it seems like your instinct is correct. It’s a great food, no wonder your kitty is thriving! Take a look: https://catfooddb.com/brand/dr%20elsey's
I find your site very interesting.
My six year old cat, seems to allergic to most brand cat foods.
Feline Natural seemed the best ingredients, but recently she was vomiting almost everyday. Veterinarian took blood work,x-rays…perfect health..So what’s wrong?
I stopped feeding her Feline Natural can food for Three days…and she hasn’t vomited in two weeks ! Disappointed, What’s with Feline Natural can food? Question…Is Pork Plasma safe in cat foods?
Pork can be an allergen for cats, so it might be worth switching to another protein. If she’s been on it with no issues for a long time previously however, I’d suspect something other than the food – my cats vomit when they get into houseplants they shouldn’t be nibbling on!
My 6 year old cat has the same issues. I did so many tests at the vet and they couldn’t figure out what it was. They said it was probably food sensitivity. So I tried dry kitten foils and my cat can actually digest it better and hold it down. I be would try any brand of kitten food to start. It’s worked wonders for my fur baby!
My 6 year old cat has the same issues. I did so many tests at the vet and they couldn’t figure out what it was. They said it was probably food sensitivity. So I tried dry kitten food and my cat can actually digest it better and hold it down. You could try any brand of kitten food to start. It’s worked wonders for my fur baby!
petslover: Love the idea of a pet costume contest! Can’t wait to see the submissions.
The best pet foods involve understanding your pet’s needs and selecting high-quality, nutritious options. By focusing on balanced nutrition, quality ingredients, and reputable brands, you can ensure your furry friend enjoys a happy, healthy life. Always consult your veterinarian to make the best choice for your pet’s requirements.
With the right information and a little effort, you can make informed decisions and provide your pet with the best care possible. Happy feeding!
Love this site! I’ve learned so many things about cat food. Keep it up!
Hello everyone , is there a please subscribe button here ? This has been very enlightening info . Thank you very much
Hello! Lovely to have you here. You can subscribe in the sidebar to the right, or directly in the comments by checking the “get new posts via email” box!
Would love your thoughts on feeding cats fish, as it is flagged as a major irritant to their systems.
I’ve been using WERUVA RX low phosphorus focused food. Chicken in puree. My 17 year old cat with kidney disease loves it. I’m concerned because eggs can states “do not feed as only diet” we use another Weruva “cats in the kitchen” chicken and pumpkin as well, to keep pumpkin in her diet. Is there more i can do to prolong her life?
Because the can states** sorry typo
What are some good cat food choices for
diabetic cats?
Nice analysis, we have been feeding our cats Friskies and I can tell they are not really liking it. Seems to have changed. We are looking to find a new food for the furry critters. Thanks
greetings Why Cat Why and community,
years ago, i transitioned my two feline buddies from dry kibble to moist and real carnivore foods.
In the beginning of the transition, i would soak the kibble in water or meat broth to make it soft and fluffy, along with good fats such as animal fats (tallow, lard, chicken/duck fat) or a bit of coconut oil.
reconstituting in same method as is used for reconstituting freeze dried foods.
is this method of soaking the kibble a method that you would suggest to your community?
this way, if a cat will “only eat kibble” we can still make sure they are getting moisture they require. as well as good fats.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i was eventually able to get them past even the expensive commercial moist and freeze dried foods, to the well balanced raw carnivore foods from My Pet Carnivore in 2016. (after trying to make our own at home).
My Pet Carnivore offers such a variety of balanced ground pet foods, fishes, and prey animal parts that Silvano and Cayla never get bored with any of them.
Ground tripe is one of their many favorites.
AND even with shipping cost, these raw foods are MORE AFFORDABLE than most commercially available pet food.
they have frozen delivery in a large radius from their home base.
They have awesome customer service to answer any questions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MANY THANKS for this powerful WHY CAT WHY community you so graciously nurture for all.
Awesome break down & some good info- just not sure I agree that all by-products should be avoided in pet food. “By-products” can be tricky & is often misunderstood- Turkey soup after Christmas dinner by definition is a byproduct. So yes many brands use byproducts but when the bag says “chicken byproduct” it means they use the hearts and the liver etc that humans wouldn’t want but is very nutritious for pets.
This breakdown process is very complicated. I have been trying to get a grip on it, but I haven’t been too successful in it.
hello, what are your thoughts on 4health adult indoor chicken formula? I am looking to switch brands.
Why isn’t sodium taken into consideration for CKD/CRF Cats? I thought low sodium was a criteria for ckd cats . If sodium were taken into account, I imagine most of this ckd food list wouldn’t meet that criteria. From what I have been able to read and purchase. It seems like Weruva(Weruva, BFF, Soulistic) has the most wet cat food adequate for CKD cats.
I’m thankful for this article it gives me some more options. My two boys are very picky.
Thanks for sharing such an informative article. I really appreciate it.
I’m also writing stuff on cats’ basic needs and utilities: like the best brushes for long-haired ragdoll cats or the best food and treats, and also about litter and cat toys. You can read my blog post at https://gopetco.com/
There have been multiple studies linking grain-free diets in cats to heart disease and heart problems. Grains in balanced amounts are also good for proper absorption of food and nutrients.
Grain-free has become a buzz word and fad for humans these days and people are trying to imposes these types of diets on cats. The average cat does not need a grain free diet. I agree with everything else you mentioned and the necessity for high protein, wet food diets, but the grain free part is incorrect.
https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/linking-diet-to-dilated-cardiomyopathy-dcm/
I was told animals need grain. That it has something to with the lining of the heart. When no grain is in their diet the lining around the heart starts to break down and causes heart problems. Pets don’t live as long as long as they did in the past. More heart disease in pets. Grain is important
I think. My kitys love fresh spinach. Green beans fresh. I buy bone broth add it to their food. What diet is the BEST??
The study was in dogs, not cats. And even the study in dogs has recently been debunked by the FDA. Cats have absolutely no need for grains. Unlike dogs, cats don’t produce amylase in their saliva and they only have 5% of pancreatic enzymes (the enzyme to digest starch). They also lack liver enzymes to process simple sugars. There’s no requirement for cats to eat rice, corn or wheat. Many don’t and are thriving and don’t have heart disease.
I fed my previous cat a dry food that included grains and he died from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart disease. Never again!
Love all the information included and that its so accessible. I actually do work in the vet field and for bi-products they’re actually not what most people believe they are. Heres some further info 🙂
What do meat by-products include?
there are different grades of by-products
Includes:
-Lungs
-Spleen
-kidneys
-Brain
-Livers
-Blood
-Bone
-Fatty tissue
-Stomach
-Intestines
-No hair, horns, teeth and hooves
What do meat meal products include? Rendered product from: mammalian tissue
Excludes:
-blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents
What do meat/bone meal products include?
Rendered product from mammalian tissue (rendered means cooked-moisture removed):
-Includes: Bone
-Excludes: blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents
Please include MERRICK limited ingredient foods. They’re higher quality, with limited phosphorous – great for kidney issues.
We have been feeding our cat for about 5 years now, the Heart to Tail Salmon Entree and he loves the taste. It seems to be the most beneficial of all canned cat foods that we have tried him on. He is 18 years old and still gets around good.
The only problem that we are having with this cat food is supply. Aldi does not stock enough supply to meet the demand in our area for it. When restocked, it usually runs out within a day or two, then, it takes weeks, if not months, to restock. Accordingly, we have to buy months worth of cat food in order that our cat does not run out or have to eat a less nutritious diet.
This supply problem has been brought to the attention of Aldi several times now, with no detectable response.
Have you heard anything about the Cat People brand of food?
WHOLE EARTH FARMS no longer makes canned CAT food, only dog!!!! We are now in the process of testing different wet puree cat food for my picky boy. After a fight he lost 4 teeth. Few make a good beef flavor which is his favorite, second is chicken, and he is not a fan of anything that swims. Until we find one he likes he wants to substitute catnip treats instead and can get very insistent little snot.
Hi!
I am a poor owner of cats!! I thought that I’ve Ed them pretty well. Then came serious disability and I couldn’t afford th things I was used to. Let’s just go highway. to the bottom line. I’ve fostered a ton of kittens for years, rehabilitated many, even my own 2 boys which were in bad shape as kittens. One was dumped with his sisters in a brown lunch bag along a highway.ive lost both at 12 years youn, 2 months apart. One had diabetes and after weeks of insulin passed away. The other, well, nobody knows why his own body starved itself to death. Both were euthanized in my arms. Not until it was way too late did I learn that the dry food may have been the killer of both. Thank you for your teaching, info and yes, for being a pain to the et food companies! I never buy any pet food that see on TV.
Bless you!
Why is it most people dont reread their posts before submitting?
Hi! What are your thoughts on Instinctive Choice All Life Stage Cat Food?
INGREDIENTS:
Organic Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken Broth, Turkey, Chicken Meal (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Shrimp, Fish Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Guar Gum, Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Taurine, Inulin, Dog Grass Extract, Ground Rosemary, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, a-Tocopherol Acetate, Choline Chloride, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.
Hi Cindy! It looks like a great cat food. Plugged it into my favorite cat food database here: http://catfooddb.com/product/life's%20abundance/Instinctive+Choice+All+Life+Stage
Would you recommend Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein dry food? Seems to have a very good ingredient list — doesn’t even bother with vegetables and contains less than 10% carbs I believe.
I’m so glad to have found your site and someone who’s blood boils regarding the disgusting “food” offered to our feline friends. I’m on a mission to find a fresh cat food from humanely raised animal sources. Canned food makes my cat have what I lovingly refer to as mud butt! One food that keeps coming up is Open Farm, I was wondering if you’ve checked them out as I don’t see them on the list.
BOTTOM LINE ON CAT FOOD: Dr. Lisa Pierson DVM has the BEST advice on feline health, illness and the correct food to feed your pet. Go to http://www.catinfo.org. Keep this in mind.
#1 Rule – NO DRY FOOD for cats and no free feeding! Cats are not cows-they don’t graze!
Rule #2 – Vets have NO concept on how to provide proper nutritional advice for animals and always recommend the worse foods (with false marketing labels) for pets with serious disease.
100% agree! I love catinfo.org and refer to it often. Thank you for this helpful breakdown.
Hello WHY CATS WHY! Recently, I have trying out different types of cat wet food. My 3 cats love Tiki Cat and frankly I think this is the best option for them. However, my fourth cat is very picky and likes to eat only fancy feast. Upon research I learned that fancy feast is just horrible! I tried giving him Sheba perfect portions cut in gravy and he likes it. However, I’m not so thrilled about him liking Sheba. Is there a cat wet food similar to fancy feast or Sheba in taste and texture but way healthier? I just want to feed my fur baby something healthy and nutritious! He doesn’t like pate but he sure does love gravy! Is there a wet food that you can recommend?
Also, is the brand Nutro good? fussie cat? or against the grain wet cat food?
OMG! I have the same problem with one of my cats. I bought about 15 different can foods. One cat like about 5 of them. the other still will not eat anything but Friskies and dry food. I know, I’ve been trying since I got her. I have transitioned her over to Tiki Cat dry, which I think is better than Friskies wet food but I can’t find a wet food she will eat. I haven’t tried Nutro but she will not go near Fussie Cat. Good Luck and if you find anything that works, please let me know.
I have been a dog & Cat Groomer for 30 years.
I also rehilbiate chipmunks, raccoons & possums. I don’t understand why humans call their domestic pets “FUR BABIES” when I heard that word going around my shop we came up w/ a name for these owners…”RWA” who love social media. Facebook, ect has turned this world into a poorly written sci-fi alternate universe.
I knew I would see that word. They are not babies w/ fur. They are you’re domesticated pets. You are the alpha of the house.
My blind guinea pig does try to be the boss so I put Saul Goodman 2nd in command. He has a cage but is never in it. All my pets are handicapped. I feed my dogs & cat the 95% rule.
It’s expensive but if you can’t afford to feed yr pets good food, you shouldn’t own said “PETS!”
Try Weruva. There is a huge variety. I had to transition my 14 year old kitty from a lifetime of a dry prescribed diet that her poor brother has to stay or he will die, to Weruva canned food. I thought I would have an issue, because they become addicted to the carbs in the dang dry food and she was really over weight, but she’s lost 4 lbs. (slowly of course), and loves it! You have to be sure you feed at least 1 oz per 1 lb. of cat, or you can unknowingly starve them!!!! Bottomline, she was really sick, I am sure she was in the early stages of kidney failure, but almost immediately upon starting with Weruva canned, she stopped excessive drinking/peeing and spraying. So happy. I cannot take my boy off of the dry, he gets severe diarrhea and vomits everything up if I do. Another tip for everyone, Fortiflora, it is a strong probiotic and has saved my boy’s life! Without it, he would have never made it this long. I feed it on top of my 2 cats and 2 dogs every meal! Good luck!
Hi, I have a 3-year-old cat and she’s lived on dry food her whole life. We have this joke that she’s vegetarian because if we have leftover meat we give her a little and she won’t eat. Is it good to give her this meat? If so, why won’t she eat it?
Please feed your cat wet food. It’s cute until it turns into kidney failure, renal issues, blockages, etc.
Yes I agree, feed some wet food. Your cats won’t eat the meat scraps from the table because most seasonings contain garlic/onion powder which is toxic to cats and causes anemia over time. They can smell this and know that it’s not safe. Try boiling raw meat scraps in plain tap water. They will love it!! 😉
What are your thoughts on “Young Again” brand cat food. Its newer and seems to becoming more popular, yet it didn’t make your list. I’m just curious on your thoughts.
Hi Christina, thanks for asking! There’s tons of new pet foods brands coming out each year and it can be hard to keep up, so it’s great when people comment with updates. I plugged it into my favorite cat food database: http://catfooddb.com/product/young%20again/Zero+Premium+High+Protein
It seems like a really high quality food! The link I provided above will give you a detailed rundown of ingredients, nutritional breakdown, and any watch-outs. Hope this helps!
Do by chance have a list of BPA free cans? I have 3 cats and have been getting the large Nulo cans but everything I read says that the big cans have it.
Unfortunately I don’t have a truly bulletproof, comprehensive list as industry regulations about wording are a bit dodgy, but here is a great article about the subject: https://truthaboutpetfood.com/which-pet-foods-have-bpa-free-cans/
Hey! Just so you know Acana has new formulas and has updated and changed their existing cat formulas as of 2020! I don’t know if that will make any difference in your lists and ratings, but I figured I would let you know!
Thank you for the heads-up! I’ll definitely be taking a look.
Hi. Thank you so much for this article. It’s educating me a bunch! Please clarify something: My 10 y/o cat just got routine blood work done and his creatine and SDMA came back on the high end, so I’m wanting to change him over to a wet food lower in protein than what they’re eating now. Here you say that going from a “60%+ protein diet to a “gentler” 40% protein diet is more than sufficient”. My question is, how is that % calculated? Just when i thought I knew how, looking at the list on your link I see that I’m doing it wrong. My cat is currently on Nulo Freestyle Turkey & Chicken Recipe Grain-Free right now and the label says “crude protein 11% min” and moisture is 78%. So I thought the formula was: 11 (percent protein) / 22 (dry matter) = 50% protein, yet on the chart you provide it says that food is 35% protein. Can you please clarify? Thank you!
Hi Cecelia! Your calculations are absolutely correct. The chart is pulled directly from the one on catinfo.org and was last updated by the authors in 2017, so it’s likely that Nulo’s ingredients have been tweaked since that time. This is why it’s great to do your own calculations if you know how (and you definitely do)!
You should join the Feline Chronic Kidney Disease group in Facebook. Created by Nancy Wizner. We have a ton of food suggestions from our food lists and provide ton of support.
Dear Why Cat Why,
I have a 20-year old cat who was diagnosed with struvite cystals about six years ago. Since then he has been on the dry Urinary SO food (recommended by the vet.) I just found your website a few weeks ago and have been trying to educate myself on the best food for Wink. He has been a healthy cat so far, but I’m noticing that his appetite is increasing and he’s gaining weight. He’s a large cat (at least 16 lbs). I have begun feeding him the SO Loaf in Wet Sauce which seems to have decent ingredients listed and starts with mostly meat products. Would you recommend this wet food? Any others recommendations? Do you think I even need to keep him on a special diet? Is having urine crystals the same as having CKD? In other words, same dietary concerns? Thanks in advance. I love your website and your sense of humor. Carry on.
Hi Elizabeth! Urinary crystals are definitely not the same as CKD. So you’re in the clear there! From what I’ve read on urinary crystals, feeding a high-acid specialty diet for 1-3 weeks is usually sufficient to dissolve the stones. If your cat is especially prone to crystals, however, it might be a good idea to keep him on the special diet since they can also prevents new stones from forming. Just remember that the most important element in the diet of a cat with urinary crystals is adequate moisture. If you ensure your cat is drinking water (a quiet cat fountain can help in this regard) and feed a high-quality WET food, it’s doubtful he’ll need a special prescription diet at all. More info here:
https://catinfo.org/feline-urinary-tract-diseases/
HI and thank you for your site. It is full of great information. Could you please recommend a wet food for my cat who has IBD? I would like to feed her rabbit but I’m having a hard time finding one that has limited ingredients.
Thanks so very much!!
Hi Susan! Instinct Limited Ingredient makes a great rabbit formula cat food. I’ve personally fed it to my cats before and they seemed to love it. Check it out here: https://www.chewy.com/instinct-limited-ingredient-diet/dp/113952
Hi there, I am very interested in knowing your thoughts about TIki brand canned cat foods. Thanks in advance.
My 15 year old calico has a new diagnosis of renal failure. She hated the kid Prescription diet. I’ve been researching low phosphorus, low sodium, quality proteins wet food, but there’s so much info out there that I’m confused. I, also, have a 16 year old that’s allergic to grains. These besties eat better together, so I’d need no grains, as well. What are your recommendations? Thanks in advance.
Sorry. k/d prescription diet. Dang autocorrect!
Hi Alison! Not sure if you’ve seen this resource, but Tanya from felinecrf.org has created a pretty comprehensive chart. Take a look! https://www.felinecrf.org/canned_food_usa.htm
Let me know what you think.
Hey Alison,
You should go check out the Feline Chronic Kidney Disease group in Facebook founded by Nancy Wizner. We have food lists and provide tons of support.
Thank you so much for such an informative piece of information 🙂
If anyone interested similar one’s have a look here
pet reviewz
Thanks
hello,
I’m looking for catfood, wet and dry, that does not contain animal blood, blood meal, or plasma.
Why? I abstain from blood, and I don’t want to feed it to my pet. I want to be in compliance with God’s word;
Deuteronomy 12: 16 and 15:23, Acts 15:20, among bible verses.
I have had cats my entire life and have always fed them exclusively dry food. And they are always free fed w/out any problems of getting fat. I did have one cat that had urinary track problems and at the time was unaware of the dry food being the problem. They didn’t have a whole lot of brands of dry food out there back in the day. We always fed them Friskies. As I’ve learned more we have upgraded our dry food to Blue Buffalo and my cats all eat it and we haven’t had any problems. They are all healthy. Sassy is 12 now, Mia is 5 and Oliver is 2. I don’t even know how much wet food to feed them if I switched. I just keep two food bowls of the Blue Buffalo filled at all times. I also have two bowls of fresh water out at all times nad they drink all the time also. I guess what I’d like to know is, is the BEST food to feed them just wet food? Should I quite all dry food? How many 6 oz cans do you feed each cat each day? I want to be doing what is best for them w/out breaking the bank. What do you think?
Hi Debbie, I think it’s great that you are so concerned about doing what’s best for your kitties. I’ve always thought that what’s best for a cat is the upper limit of whatever is the most sustainable for us as their guardians. So if dry food is the most realistic long-term option for us, I always just try to make sure it’s the BEST dry food we can afford.
I think biologically, the “best” diet in terms of cat health is a well-balanced raw diet–but this is out of reach to many people for many reasons, like cost and maintenance. I think the next best thing would be a raw, freeze-dried diet, which is both more shelf-stable than feeding straight raw and requires less preparation overall. While costly, it seems to be the best of both worlds. I’ll probably add a freeze-dried raw section to this article soon. For a few reputable brands, check out this list: https://www.thesprucepets.com/best-frozen-and-freeze-dried-raw-cat-food-4153804
Check out Pinto Canyon dry cat food.
They have an interesting list of reasons for their ingredients and also for the absence of yucca schidigera, which if you research in depth seems to be something that should be avoided.
Anyway, I have no connection to the company; this is simply one brand I’ve tried in the never-ending search to provide healthy food the cat will eat.
How about food recommendations for an 18 year-old cat with kidney disease? I’ve been using Hi Tor Neo. Any suggestions?
Hi J! Apologies for the extremely delayed response. I’ve just updated this post with a section dedicated to cats with kidney disease. Feel free to scroll up and take a look. Let me know any questions.
It is Sept 7, 2019
The cat who owns the house in which we live is Cleo(Cleocatra).
I have dry food for her as her basic food and always water her.
I have also been giving her aprprox 1/3 of a can of FancyFeast(various flavors)in the evening at my dinnertime.
She has been barfing it up every few days so, I stopped feeding her this.
Since I stopped it, she stopped barfing.
Now, I could understand if she was eating MY cooking and barfing;)
Seriously, I had seen several sites about barfing FF butt, they’re a couple of years old.
Is there anything current about this?
Hi Ron, love your phrasing about your home’s ownership! 😀
I haven’t seen or read anything recently about FF causing indigestion, but it could be that your cat has a sensitivity to a specific ingredient they use. If you’ve been switching up protein sources (or flavors) of FF with the same results, it could be a filler ingredient rather than a protein source that’s causing the issue. Try feeding her a wet food with as few fillers and chemicals as possible and you should see her condition improve!
Please feed a PATE only wet food. Try something simple, like chicken pate. 1/3 can of wet food just isn’t enough to accommodate their water intake needs. Cats who eat a dry food diet are getting about 50% of their needed water intake and are loading up on carbs.
Feline Natural freeze dried. Haven’t tried canned
Pricey but New Zealand brand. My picky ginger loves it
Very good (higher fat but protein is highest).
Hypoallergenic
He won’t eat Tiki, Weruva etc. he likes primal pork in raw or freeze dried but we don’t use it currently
Unfortunately he eats RC canned chunks. Just none of the grain free canned food, fancy or not.
Loved all 3 flavors of freeze dried from Feline natural
My cat has FLUTD – crystals in his urine so we have him on special urinary tract food. Are any of the foods you mention ok to give him?
My cat had this 3-4 years ago. Cost thousands. After much research, I settled on Friskies Turkey & Giblet pate wet canned food, but I can no longer find the 13 oz can, so can’t afford the tiny cans and am on the research again. It’s looking like Fancy Feast may be my next option, but again, no 13 oz cans. All the stores have anymore are tiny cans. Ugh. GOOD LUCK!!
I have a question about gravity feeders, not food. Sorry to post it here.
I use the Weathertech products daily, but for extended vacations I’m looking to purchase the PetSafe products. The plastic is BPA free, but the stainless steel bowl insert has no description as to lead free or radiation free. Have you researched this product at all in the past?
Your reply is appreciated.
David
Thanks for sharing all these details but I think Ziwipeak deserve to be on the top of the list and there is project called green label After evaluating over 900 pet food products from 71 companies, a Denver-based NGO concluded that far too many of them contain dangerous levels of toxins. Some of these pet foods contained 16 times the levels of lead found in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, alleged the Clean Label Project. Other toxins found at high levels included arsenic, cadmium and residues from pesticides. And Orijen is in their worst pet food list, not sure how honest this so called Clean Label project
Wow thanks for the update! I’ll definitely look into that. Orijen has seen a pretty dramatic fall from grace in recent years, and I definitely no longer recommend it as a quality cat food.
My cat, Autumn, lives and loves the Trader Joe’s canned tuna cat food. I was told by the manager at Trader Joe’s that they will no longer be carrying this cat food! (A manufacturer issue, not Trader Joe’s fault, supposedly). Do you know of a canned tuna cat food equivalent. Your website is just a wealth of information on what not to buy and is so remarkable. Thank you
catinfo.org has good info and aldi’s wet cat food rates high by their metrics (more than 50% of calories from protein; less than 40% from fat; less than 10% from carbs). Price does NOT always equal quality!!
Hi, ive been looking at different wet foods and Tiki Cat has an “After Dark” line which contains as they say nutrient rich organ meat. Is organ meat a good thing to feed cats? The organ meat they refer to is chicken liver, heart and gizzards.
I have a couple questions:
1- Chicken meal is good? I had always thought I should try and avoid anything with “meal”
2- My kitty has been on a mostly wet food diet since last summer when he had a hairball problem (about 2 times a day). I recently started him on Fromm’s. The owner of my local pet store gave me some free samples of different varieties and I thought he was doing fine with it so I bought the Chicken Au Frommage. Pretty much ever since (a few days) he’s had diarrhea. Could it be that he’s adjusting to the new food? Or should I try a different variety?
I’ve been feeding my 6 month old kittens Wholehearted wet and dry food. What are your thoughts on these?
I would like to know also.
Just came across your interesting site. I, too, have made a career out of searching for the best cat food. I had a Vet once say as long as it’s expensive and grain free it’s the best. We know that isn’t always true. I used to feed my Scottish Fold Orijen and he liked it. They opened their Kentucky plant and he wouldn’t eat it anymore. Now look at the lawsuits against Champion Pet Foods and the claims of misleading us, and these claims seem to be true. I used to feed him Wureva canned food but stopped that since the Wureva BBF cat food recall. I’ve had three cats in the past who all lived to be 17 and 20 years old eating Fancy Feast, both canned and dry. I know people hate Purina and won’t even consider that brand, but the current Vet we’re seeing says Fancy Feast isn’t bad and since my cat is still very healthy I just wanted to share this bit of info.
Hi Andee, I agree with you! Fancy Feast classic pates are actually a great food, especially for the price. Thanks for the tip!
Thank you for your informative article. I’ve been going crazy trying to find a new food for my cat. She has IBD, but it’s been well controlled with a canned grain-free food made by Canidae. Now they are discontinuing that line of food so I have to find something new. So I’m back to square one looking for a healthy food that won’t make her sensitive tummy sick.
What worked??? I have Bengal rescue and she will be 1 year old end of August and ever since rescue in January at 5mths old she’s had constant diarrhea and some foods cause bloody runny eye in one eye. Even homemade boiled chicken especially. I’ve tried royal canin hydrolozed vet diet with no success for 4mths as well bunch others. Seems like anything salmon or bird based even turkey she’s really sick.
Any thoughts on Dr Elsey’s clean protein dry food? Finicky ragdoll will not eat Tiki cat anymore.
I wanted to start off by saying I LOVED this blog! I was skeptical at first. It’s always rough when you come across a food opinion blog. Especially when I run a holistic pet shop.
I know you were iffy about Weruva, but extra moisture is essential for cats. They usually don’t drink enough as is. It’s a big help in preventing UTI’s in cats. 🙂
I also loved the fact that you updated your info/opinion of Orijen. It’s such a bummer what they’ve done in the past few years, and I only see them going more downhill. 🙁
Thank you for this! I will be sure to share it whenever I can! 🙂
Hi Bethany! Thanks so much for your comment, it means a lot coming from someone obviously knowledgeable like yourself! Yes Orijen’s decline was a big disappointment for me–I really used to love the brand.
Thanks for your support and happy to have you here. :]
Have you checked out Blackwood cat food? I found it on Amazon and it’s slow cooked, my cats love it. A little on the pricey side,but worth it, less poop in the litter box. lol
Thank you so much for this article! Ive been feeding my british shorthair Royal Canin for almost 4 years *facepalm*. The thing is, im scared to try something else because my cat has had problems with his jaw (like a lot of british shorthairs) and I read on the package that the kibbles are adapted to his jaw etc. So im a little sceptical about other brands. Do you maybe have some recommendations?
I recently went to grab some more food, and a worker at the store was telling me about the brand “Applaws”. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but from what I have read/seen it seems like a pretty good option, plus it’s very human grade!
Thank you for this article! I foster kittens, in Canada, and have been told by the organization that I foster for that Royal Canin is the best for young kittens. I started the four kittens I have on the Royal Canin Mother and Babycat wet food, but I’m changing it now. It’s just full of crap and I can’t believe they would recommend this food. They are seven weeks old, I don’t feed them kibble, can you recommend a kitten wet food? Thank you!!
Hi Violet! I’m glad you’re doing your own digging into cat nutrition. I’ve linked my all-time favorite cat food resource below–they have an excellent list ranking kitten foods with detailed nutritional analyses. Good luck!
http://catfooddb.com/blog/best-kitten-food
We love Victor at our house. For both the dogs and the cats. It’s grain free and for the quality of ingredients, the price is right. It’s generally available at feed stores and some chains (like Atwoods). We haven’t been as particular about food quality with our barn cats, but I’m reconsidering. Thoughts?
Our issue with wet food is 1. she smells horrible after eating it and 2. she doesn’t eat it all at once. she snacks throughout the day. #2 is the real issue cause it attracts bugs. I thought about putting her on a raw diet but I know it would cause the same issue… unless I fed her smaller amounts throughout the day. Do you have any recommendations about that?
Hi Haley, sorry about the late reply! I must have missed your comment. Try getting your cat on a strict feeding schedule (twice a day). Portion her food out into two servings, and put it out for her for 10-15 minutes, tops. If she doesn’t finish, then she has to wait until dinner (or her second feeding). She’ll likely go hungry for the first few days as she gets used to this new routine, but after a few days of consistent feeding “windows,” she’ll quickly learn that she has to finish everything in front of her as soon as possible, or go hungry!
I am happy to see people being made aware of the ills of the pet food industry. They claim they love our pets, but add toxic ingredients, like Carrageenan and questionably Guar Gum, which causes cancer and ultimately kills our long time companions. I recently lost my dog because she got lymphoma, which I’m certain was due to those ingredients, since she’d been perfectly healthy until I added a wet food, which contained those. I immediately stopped feeding my cat anything with those ingredients in them. Everyone who loves their furry family should boycott any foods, whether human or animal, that contain those ingredients, so these greedy merchants will have to stop doing this. Oh, I also wonder why the brand Nulo isn’t mentioned, since it appears to be a good choice, although I did just notice that it replaced one ingredient and added Guar Gum. So, I’ll ask has anyone did research on Guar Gum, to determine if indeed it is cancer causing?
I’d like to know your opinion on the Open Nature brand of cat food. It’s a newer grain-free brand.
Hi Abbey, I’m not familiar with this brand, but a glance at the nutrition label tells me it’s not bad. For the price and quality, I’d compare it to the canned cat food at Trader Joes (which is decent for the price but definitely lower grade). The inclusion of carrageenan is concerning, as well as the high fat content. There are definitely better options out there!
Interestingly there is an organization which has researched the level of toxins in many brands if pet food and the results are very interesting- there is considerable disparity in the toxin levels even within a single brand and some of the brands recommended do have items that are listed as the very worst (and some the very best) in a given category as far as toxins are concerned https://www.cleanlabelproject.org/pet-food/
Thank you for this info!
This is generally a good and useful site, many thanks.
BUT please, there is so much mis-information her about pet foods, even the supposed good ones. It is actually frightening.
Here’s the simple cat science:
The perfect meal for a cat is A MOUSE.
In which respect, I do not know why some enterprising company cannot breed and can mice for cats. All our problems and challenges for feeding our lovely fur purrs would be mostly over.
Most cats would happily eat mice or similar their entire lives. Even ‘decent’ low-fat high protein like turkey and chicken are not, let’s face it, the kind of food cats would usually eat in the wild.
In the wild, when a cat eats mostly mice or similar it eats MOST of it if hungry, and has the time to do so – that’s the tasty bits, the crunchy bits and the, shall we say ‘by-product’ elements. Cats are not ‘fussy’ where their protein comes from, and the bits a human might turn his/her nose up at a cat will gladly consume.
A cat’s dietary needs are essentially 60-70% protein, 20-30% fat and definately LESS than 10%, preferably 3-5% carbohydrates.
Their metabolism cannot process ‘carrot’, ‘peas’, ‘chickpeas’, ‘potato’ etc, it is not good for them, yet it is found in nearly all the high brand cat foods.
Most canned cat food by all companies does not meet this ratio need by a long shot.
All dry food does not, and if there are by chance are any, they lack the hydration cats generally only get from prey or canned foods. Unless you’re lucky and have a cat that drinks water. Most of us don’t.
In my years of trying out and buying nearly every brand of cat food out there, I sadly have to say that MOST higher end, ‘quality’ brands defeat their own purpose by bulking half the can with unsuitable proteins (e.g. peas, carrots, etc). The truly dreadful own-brands like Wal Mart, Friskie (just two examples) have corn, soy, and goodness knows what in them.
Yet, some of the supposedly quality, expensive, potentially great canned food such as Ziwipeak (to use one example) is, for the price, fairly LOW on protein, too HIGH on fat [lambd is very fatty] and way too HIGH on carbohyrdates.
All these high end brands, Ziwi, Wellness, etc. also all have weird, non-cat-specific ingredients alongside the too high carbs.
Most Tiki fish, fish, fish – which is NOT an obligate carnivores dietary requirement.
Yet, and here’s where reading the labels of everything is essential, a few pate Fancy Feast tins [just now Turkey & Giblets, also the Chicken pate] are grain free, have WAY more protein vs fat content and much lower carbs – And this is the much disliked Purina/Nestle brand – their Purina Wild Prey none fish quail/pheasant are also very high protein and no grains plus low in carbs – WAY better than Ziwipeak ratio-wise, but with lesser quality meats of course.
Questionable issues like some meat-by-products and flavourings arise, but are these ‘worse’ than high carbs? At least meat-by-procuts are proteins and fats, and not carbs.
Lately, after this long strange trip around the cat food aisles and Chewy, I’ve began to wonder if the Turkey/Chicken type Fancy Feast supposed ‘junk food for cats’ isn’t actually [by accident and not corporate design I am sure], closer to obligate carnivore food than the so-called better brands.
I’m not here to tout any food brand, I have cats and it’s a nightmare trying to balance affordabilty with quality proteins and, here’s the real rub, provide food they will actually eat and not walk away from – I can’t begin to list the ‘quality’ brands I’ve offered them that they barely will touch.
One of my rescue cats was clearly a dry food only cat in his previous life, he won’t touch wet food unless I accomodate him and at least sprinkle some dry food on top of the wet (a compromise of epic proportions as we all know with cats) – but its better than nothing…I think.
Just to sum up – what ANYONE is looking for in a canned cat food is HIGH protein (and to some degree don’t worry too much where it comes from if its meat based of any kind and your cat will eat it), medium fat and LOW, repeat LOW carbs.
And that sure isn’t anything the vet will sell you, Hills, Canin – dreadful stuff.
As of this writing, I’ve only found about 10 cans by different manufacturers that make this – and as we all know that’s subject to ingredient change any day.
If only we spent as much time on our own diets as we do on our cats!
Love to all those fur babies out there.
Never forget, they were once treated as Gods by the Egyptians, and clearly they have never forgotten it.
My boy is 1 1/2 yrs old and totally a rural beast. he will catch and eat anything his size and smaller, 10 lbs. I have been looking for substitutes for this. He is in fact tame not feral and quite the bed hog smoocher. I might start just giving him meat of different kinds and forget the cans. Has anyone done this? I used to make my own dog food, but never tried this with our other cats.
Please don’t spread misinformation about meat by products. Otherwise, a good post.
http://www.badgervet.com/blog/are-meat-by-products-in-pet-food-bad
“Non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially de-fatted low temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hoofs.”
Hi Ryan, the “legal definition” of meat by-product is just that: a “legal definition.” Pet food is an extremely loosely regulated industry (especially in the USA), and many pet food manufacturers get away with including some atrocious things in our pets’ food, including—but not limited to—euthanized pets, diseased farm animals, or road kill—all legally anonymized under the category of “meat by-product.”
There have been numerous undercover investigations on the subject, as well as tests that have found pentobarbital (a drug used in animal euthanasia) in pet food. I’d recommend reading Ann Martin’s “Food Pets Die For” for more info on the topic.
Just a comment on the Orijen. There is a class action lawsuit against them(2018) & Acana. You can google it, many sites. Just wanted to make you aware
Forgot to mention that the lawsuit is based on accusations and complaints at this point only. So not sure what will come of it and if anything will be found that they are doing wrong. Just wanted to make you aware.
Thank you for this update! I’ll follow along and see what comes out of it.
It’s me again…I just read about Petcurean go cat food, the purple bag…sounds like something I would eat! Hah however…..the closest store is 85 miles one way in Syracuse NY…so any other recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Wow…you are a wealth of information which is so appreciated. Searching for cat food is my new career. Waiting for a catfoodadvisor to materialize but I would like to transition now. Originally fed Blue Buffalo and then Wellness dry. My cat (female) had crystals and the vet recommended Royal Canin Urinary SO. That was eight years ago. Fast forward to today no other incidents of UTI but we now have 5 cats…all who eat the SO…at 80 a bag for junk and salt..I much rather spend the money on quality. Is grain free better? Raw isn’t an option. They do get wet for dinner. A 15lb bag last about a month. You seem to favor Petcurean. Never heard of petcurean…I will check that after I submit this. Can I please ask for a couple of more recommendations? Just in case I can’t find the Petcurean. The closest pet store is 40 miles one way. Shipping isn’t available either…living in the Adirondacks of NY has its pros and cons. Thank you.
Hi Cindy! I’m glad you found this helpful. My absolute favorite cat food “advisor” is catfooddb.com– feel free to give them a visit. Everything on their “Top Dry Foods” list I would recommend. Click in to any food for detailed nutrition breakdowns/analyses. Hope you find it as invaluable a resource as I do!
http://catfooddb.com/blog/best-dry-cat-foods
I found that site after I posted but thank you! And thank you for taking the time to help others!
Thank you so much for such an elaborate and informative article! It’s really helpful! 🙂
I was looking at the Go! Sensitivity + Shine Limited Ingredient Diet Duck Recipe Grain-Free Dry Cat Food, because my cats need a better diet and their skin and coats need a little work. I noticed you mentioned Go! in the article, but after reading some comments I’m wondering if this is still good. It lists De-bone duck, duck meal, whole dried egg, peas, pea flour, tapioca, lentils, chickpeas, chicken fat. The first half looks good, but the last half is what’s concerning to me.
Hi Stevie! Typically, you want to concern yourself mainly with the first 5 ingredients in any pet food, which are the most prevalent. All other ingredients are usually present in very small amounts. As a dried food (that’s not a dehydrated raw food), an ingredient list like this is as good as it gets. Dry food will never be as ideal as wet food because dry food necessitates the inclusion of binding ingredients and other unhealthy carbohydrates to maintain its pellet form.
Petcurean go! also makes a wonderful wet food with an even more impressive ingredient list that I highly recommend.
For something dry (easy to handle) but considerably pricier, try dehydrated raw. It’s top-of-the-line cat nutrition, but with prices to match! Primal and Ziwipeak are excellent brands.
Hello! I just found your site – I love it, very informative! I have had cats for 30 years – have not had any for the past 4 years -lost my last 2 to old age and genetic kidney disease. Just adopted 10 week old brother & sister. I do have a question for you please. I am feeding them Blue Buffalo canned kitten food. My Vet is not impressed with Blue (too many recalls). Suggested I feed either 4Health or Taste of the Wild. I’ve never heard of either of these brands – I did Google & also saw posts from people on your site about these brands. My kitties were in foster care & they were fed Science Diet hard kitten food. I have been weaning them off of SD. Planned on giving them Blue hard kitten food mixed in their Blue wet food. Suggestions? Much appreciate your feedback. Thank you!
It’s definitely great you’re weaning them off of Science Diet! Taste of the Wild is a decent food, especially for the price. I’m a big fan of Petcurean go! (check out their ingredient list, it’s unbeatable–both wet and dry). Let me know what you think!
Taste of the Wild has dicalcium phosphate which is unhealthy for the cats. I wanted to try TOF turkey dry formula until I saw this ingredient.
Have a 1 year old cat and I wanted to give her good food. (my 15 yr old thrived on Fancy Feast) She has been eating Earthborn and Tiki. She seems to be a fish lover but I do rotate. She gets dry at night and it is grain free from Only Natural Pet they make can food but she is picky. I do notice it has peas in it, would like to know if I am doing the right thing. She is very active and doing well. If you look at cat food 99% come from Thailand not much we can do about that. I also get recall information from a site call Dave at Petful, very informing on pet food recalls for last 5 or more years.
Thank you for this site.
I think the choices you’re making are great. Typically, the most high-quality pet foods are manufactured in Canada, where regulations and food quality standards are more stringent. I’m a big fan of Petcurean go! for this reason.
Also, you are right to avoid peas if listed as one of the first five ingredients. The quantities listed in Only Natural Pet aren’t cause for too much concern–you could be doing worse!
Thank you for the reply, I am still feeding her Earthborn and also she loves Tiki sardines and I know they are very low in mercury. She is not really happy with pate. But she is doing fine. Love your sie.
Me again, I just bought her some food with the name of Canidae, trout entrée. Looks to be a made in USA. Does have vegetable broth as third ingredient. Just wondering if you had any info on this food co. thank you
I just switched my cats to Halo wet & dry because one of my cats suddenly started vomiting (partially digested dry food) and I read that a non rendered food was better for them. Now the same cat is vomiting hairballs and the Halo food is expensive.. Any suggestions on a good hairball remedy non rendered food, that’s not too expensive?? Thank you!!!
Try sprinkling some Optagest on their food (you can find it on Amazon), or mixing in organic, unsweetened pumpkin into their wet food. The fiber will help with hairball control. Perhaps obvious, but try to brush your cats every day to reduce the amount of hair they swallow while grooming. Those brushing mitts with the little rubber nubs work really well! Good luck.
Amazing article, awesome food collection.. love this
Hi. I’ve had my kitten on Royal Canin Ultamino prescription dry food, as my vet feels he can’t digest fat very well. He’s had diarrhea from day 1. The vet hopes he’ll grow out of it, so now a year later, I’ve been mixing in WholeHearted Weight Control Chicken and Pea dry food from Petco. The ingredients in Ultamino are all no-no’s on your list first 5: Corn starch, hydrolyzed poultry by-products aggregate, coconut oil, vegetable oil, powdered cellulose), but prescribed for food sensitivities. What are your thoughts on Ultamino and WholeHearted (ingredients below)? Thanks!
Ingredients
Chicken, chicken meal, peas, chickpeas, powdered cellulose, pea flour, flaxseed, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), natural flavor, sodium bisulfate, ginger, psyllium seed husks, choline chloride, DL-methionine, L-carnitine, taurine, dried chicory root, kale, chia seed, pumpkin, blueberries, oranges, dried kelp, coconut, spinach, carrots, papaya, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus 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 (source of vitamin B1), vitamin A supplement, biotin, potassium iodide, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 32% Minimum; Crude Fat 9% Minimum; Crude Fiber 10% Maximum; Moisture 10% Maximum; Zinc 150 mg/kg Minimum; Selenium 0.35 mg/kg Minimum; Vitamin E 150 IU/kg Minimum; Taurine 0.1% Minimum; L-Carnitine* 500 mg/kg Minimum; Omega-6 Fatty Acids* 1.7% Minimum; Omega-3 Fatty Acids* 0.3% Minimum; Total Microorganisms* 2,000,000 CFU/lb Minimum; (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis in descending amounts) *Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles.
I’m not familiar with your kitten’s health history, but it’s hard to believe that a cat with an already-sensitive system would respond well to ingredients like corn starch, peas, and powdered cellulose! I think you’re definitely on the right track to move away from Royal Canin.
It’s typically all the fillers and carbohydrates in low-quality (even “prescription”) foods that cause sensitivity in cats. Try to put him on a high-quality, grain/carb-free food with few ingredients. I’d also recommend switching to wet food. Try Natural Balance Limited Ingredient or Nature’s Variety Instinct.
Give it a try, and best of luck!
I have 3 cats. Normally feed wet food in AM and PM and dry always available during the day. Recently my income has significantly been reduced. I CANNOT afford expensive cat food any longer. My choices are limited. Been feeding Friskys wet (variety) and purina dry. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Tamara! Friskies wet isn’t the worst food in the world, but I’d definitely try to upgrade (just slightly) from Purina’s dry food to something a bit pricier, but much more nutritious–Merrick Before Grain or Taste of the Wild would be my picks.
Also, since prices are somewhat comparable, see if you can make the switch to Fancy Feast classic, which is a bit better quality.
Totally agree that Fancy Feast Classics (24-pack chicken, turkey & beef) is *the* best cheap food for those on a limited budget.
I don’t see a reason to feed dry food, but if absolutely necessary maybe 4
Health grain-free duck & lentil isn’t bad. 15 lbs. goes on sale for 19.99 at Tractor Supply. We feed some community cats and it’s provided by a neighbor. We provide wet food.
Thanks for this! This is excellent info. I’m always hesitant to recommend Fancy Feast as there are plenty of better wet food options out there, but for the price it’s really not bad at all.
I have a 3 cats now, one with serious skin issues 9yr, one with enlarged heart 9yr, and now one with stage 2 kidney issues 12yr. Because of the cat with skin issues I have done tons of research as well on cat foods. I choose to raw feed years ago, sadly his skin issues have not disappeared. I have done lots of elimination diets. Of course if I followed vets advice he would be on rx crap food. I have now started him on lactroferrin, to see if we can reboot his immune system. It is looking promising. Now my new grandkitty with kidney issues, has been on kitty crack and am sure thats were it came from. He is now on tin, and maybe raw one day. I have spent days cross referencing tin cat food, looking for low phos, low carb, excellent sources of protein, no crap ingredients and no carregan. It is only a few that meet this. I also look to recall offenders. So here is what I found in tins. Holistic select, Hounds and Gato, Go, tiki cat (wont eat yet) I am still researching, and there is some new foods I don’t have carb/phos levels for. He is only able to have some flavors of these brands. Having said this, there is still the issue of some other binders, but cant seem to get any without, except Tiki Cat. Thanks for your site, I love finding peoples research.
This is awesome information!
Hey, I saw that Aldi has a new line of dry cat food. What is your opinion of it. I only noticed it a few days ago but haven’t had much luck finding reviews online. And it only comes in a 3.15lb bag. I tend to buy my own food at Aldi, it being a German based company, it already is omitting a lot of colors and preservatives that are banned in the EU, but legal here (in human foods).
Hi Tina, I can’t seem to find any information on Aldi’s cat food line online. If you know the ingredient list, feel free to paste it here and I can try to offer some insight!
ALDI’s Heart to Tail Premium Cat Food
Salmon Entree (Made With Real Salmon)
5.5oz/156grams
meat by-products, water sufficient enough for processing, salmon, poultry by-products, fish, brewers rice, natural & artificial flavors, guar gum, added color (red and other artificial colors), salt, potassium chloride, DL-Methionine, Vitamins(thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D-3 Supplement,
Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Carrageenan, Taurine, Minerals (Ferrus Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate, Potassium Iodide, Maganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite), Choline Chloride, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Sodium Nitrate (to promote color retention)
I have just been researching good healthy canned cat food and I came across your website. I like it! Very informative. I have 3 cats and were feeding them (heavily suggested by my kitty doctor) Royal Canin. Two were constantly vomiting afterwards and their coats were matting up terribly so I switched their food to Performatrin (Pet Valu brand). They are no longer having the vomiting issue and their coats are so soft and shiny. Thanks to your information about the carageenan and the other crap, I checked Performatrin and they have it. I will now look for another brand that doesn’t use it. My cats love anything seafood or chicken. Any suggestions?
Yes, tons of them in the article above! My favorite top-of-the-line canned food is by Petcurean. I’d be cautious about feeding your cats too much fish, however. A good blend of proteins is ideal! Chicken or turkey are great diet staples. Rabbit is even better, but tends to be pricier.
Hei! I just discovered your page and I’m really becoming a fan! I just adopted a cat and thank you for all the insights. I live in Finland and some of the products you mention are not for sale here. I would like to know your opinion on Carnilove and on Pure Natural products.
Thank you!
Hi Andrea! So glad this is helpful. I’m not familiar with Carnilove or Pure Natural, but a pretty fool-proof way to vet your own pet food is to ensure the first 5 listed ingredients are a high-quality protein. If words like “by-product,” “flour,” “starch,” “corn,” “soy,” or “pea” appear anywhere in the first five ingredients, I would avoid it. Also do your best to avoid foods where too much of the protein content comes from fish.
Learning how to read ingredient labels is incredibly useful and much more effective than simply latching on to a brand–many brands change or degrade their ingredients after developing a loyal following, but you’d never know unless you read and understood the label. Good luck!
Hello! Do you have any thoughts, concerns, opinions, etc., regarding Castor and Pollux Organix grain free canned cat food? Organic peas and organic coconut flour are listed within the first 5 ingredients (4 and 5). I am trying to wean my cats completely off of dry food, and so far it has been challenging (to say the least!). They (3 cats) will at least take a few bites of this brand, but just not sure it has the right bang for the buck. Thanks!
Hey Debbie! Popped it into my favorite cat food analyzer: http://catfooddb.com/product/castor%20&%20pollux/Organix+Turkey%2C+Brown+Rice+%26+Chicken+Recipe
Typically, “organic” is not as important in cat food as high-quality, grain-free, and high-protein. The words “peas” and “flour” are immediate red flags and reeks of cheap filler.
Check out some of the other brands listed in my article for a better alternative!
Hello! I recently have introduced a new kitten to my home and am second guessing my choices in food that I’d like to introduce him to.
Background information, I’m currently in Canada and it was really appealing to pick a Canadian company that produces quality food (Acana) so I purchased two (I think 12 oz bags, the cat is currently sleeping on me so I won’t go check, but they’re small sample sizes) of different flavours. I’m no longer sure if I should be having him on this dry food or if there is a better option for Bengal kittens (he is currently 11 weeks old).
As for wet food, I plan on switching him to Wellness Core for Kittens.
He is currently on Royal Canin wet and dry food for kittens.
Should I switch now or wait until he’s an adult? If I should switch now I’m really unsure about the dry food.
Thanks!
Oh! Another reason I initially decided for Acana is the different flavour options. Not sure how important it is for cats though, I know I like a variety of flavours.
Acana is a decent brand, definitely much better than Royal Canin! The only difference between the dietary needs of cats and kittens is the kittens need much MORE food. As long as you’re serving a high-quality, high-protein, nutritionally dense food, it doesn’t have to be specifically “kitten” food, unless your cat has special needs (which still doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll benefit from a “prescription” diet like Royal Canin). Make the switch now, little by little, mixing in the new food one teaspoon at a time.
You know your cat best, and maybe he’ll adapt to the new food straightaway–but never force a cat to eat new food by starving him of other options!
Another great dry food brand I swear by is Petcurean Go (the chicken formula in the purple bag).
I recently switched my kitties from the friskies to Merrick limited Ingredient wet food, any thoughts on the brand? I’m thinking about switching to Halo wet cat food because I’d like to support their sustainable practices. One of my kitties has been on a prescription diet for food sensitivities and he has been eating the new Merrick food with no problem, so it’s likely the grains and other fillers from the cheap food that were bothering him. We did try the trader joe’s wet food for a bit and several of the kitties threw it up consistently.
Hi Kat! Merrick is an okay brand, made especially enticing because of their low prices. Go for Halo “Impulse” if you can swing it, its ingredients and nutritional value both score much higher on CatFoodDB!
Thanks for this wonderful article! We currently feed our cat (1.5 yrs) a can of Petcurean Chicken-Turkey-Duck Pate per day and supplement it with the Petcurean Chicken-Turkey-Duck dry food. Since he seems to be getting bored of his wet food, we were thinking of switching to Rawz Turkey and Turkey Liver Pate. Do you have any experience with this food? It doesn’t have any of the “red flag” ingredients and doesn’t contain any gums either. Although it does have some added salt (also heard Turkey liver is high in vitamin A), it looks like a solid option overall. Thanks again!
Here’s the link to the food:
http://rawznaturalpetfood.com/cat/rendered-free-cat-food/turkey-turkey-liver-pate/#our-recipe
Here’s an analysis done by catfood DB:
http://catfooddb.com/product/rawz/Turkey+%26+Turkey+Liver+Pâté
Hi Kody! No personal experience with this food, but it looks like you’ve done your research. I agree with you–it looks like a solid alternative to Petcurean, and a little variety never hurts! Nice find.
Thank you for this very informative article – I’ve been struggling to make sense of the ingredients listed in cat food here in the UK, and found your red highlighting very helpful. Here, it is hard even to identify which wet foods are grain free. I was alerted to the grain issue through this article: https://consciouscat.net/2010/04/28/some-startling-new-thoughts-on-cats-and-hairballs/ after my 10-year old cat was found to be borderline diabetic; changing her diet to wet grain free food has made a remarkable difference already to the frequent painful, messy regurgitation of hairballs. I’m hoping she will now start to gain weight and that her fur will improve. Having read your article, I’ve decided to wean my other two cats, younger and rather fond of a home-caught mouse, off dry food entirely. And then there’s the dog….. (BTW, it’s interesting that veterinarians I’ve seen over the years don’t talk about diet much, and all sell dry food and ‘prescription diet’ cans, but not raw or grain-free.)
Amazing! So glad you’re taking these important steps to improving your cats’ (and dog’s) health. From what I understand, many vets don’t spend much time studying animal nutrition, so have very little insight to pass on (this obviously doesn’t apply to every vet, but I even have friends in veterinarian school who can attest to this). So, much like people doctors, they simply peddle whatever big pharma (or in this case, big pet food brands) “persuades” them to sell.
That’s why I find it so important to always be an engaged, educated consumer, like yourself.
What are your thoughts on the ZiwiPeak cat food products?
What are your thoughts on the brand “Fromm” and the food model for cats “Hasen Duckenpfeffer”
The ingredients look great. Nutritional value, not so much. Check out the breakdown here, under “Nutritional Analysis:” http://catfooddb.com/product/fromm/Hasen+Duckenpfeffer
I’ve been feeding my cats Orijen Kitten and Cat formula, but it’s so expensive and I’m slightly peeved that they recently changed it.
How do you feel about Purina (I know, I hate them too!!) Beyond Grain Free Ocean Whitefish?
The ingredient list and nutritional content seems to be there…? Any thoughts?
At first glance, the inclusion of pea starch and cassava root flour are immediate red flags. Popped it in my favorite cat food review site: http://catfooddb.com/product/purina%20beyond/Grain+Free+Ocean+Whitefish+%26+Egg+Recipe+Dry+Cat+Food
I’d avoid. For something cheaper than Orijen (but still high quality), I’d try Nulo brand. If you’re willing to shell out for something better than Orijen’s new formula (but in the same price bracket), I’d go with Petcurean. They’ve yet to let me down!
I don’t see anything about Sheba cat food. This is the only brand that I found that does not have grains, veggies or fruit. So why is this not listed?
Hi KT, thanks for the heads-up. Fruits and vegetables in small amounts are not necessarily bad for cats, but that doesn’t change the fact that Sheba is a very decent cat food. Better than a few on my list, actually. I’ll have to update this article soon. Thank you!
Sheba pate and probably all the wet formulas contain sodium tripolyphosphate and menadione sodium bisulfite, which are bad, unhealthy ingredients for pets.
Are any of the Blue Buffalo or Blue Wilderness okay?
Hi Susie, both brands you mentioned are OK, not great. Check out their nutrition breakdown here:
http://catfooddb.com/product/blue%20buffalo/Healthy+Living+Chicken+%26+Brown+Rice+Recipe+For+Adult+Cats
http://catfooddb.com/product/blue%20buffalo/Wilderness+Chicken+Recipe+For+Adult+Cats+%28Dry%29
For the price, you could certainly do worse!
Ziwi pearl is an excellent brand of cat food but very expensive! I recommend you check it out.
*Ziwi Peak
Thanks for the reco!
Do you like young again lid zero mature for cats with diarrhea? I have a few cats with food allergies, small cell carcinoma and kidney disease. Is this a high quality chemical free no bad additives cat food?
Hi Tracy! Ran the food through one of my favorite cat food review sites: http://catfooddb.com/product/young%20again/Zero+Mature+Health
It seems to be a decent food. Not the best of the best, but decent. It sounds like a few of your cats have lots of special needs–I’ll try to refrain from making specific recommendations on their health/nutrition, but it might be worth reading into feeding raw, if you don’t already. Raw food is meant to be enormously beneficial for cats, seeing as processed/commercial foods are the root cause for so many common cat health maladies.
If only I could get our cat to eat wet food! When he was a kitten we had to feed kitten formula because he was weaned to early from the person we got him from. He ate wet food with the formula then when he got bigger I made a fatal error and gave him dry food too. Thought it was a good food but had grain. He was a dry food carb junkie and puts his nose up to wet food. I have successfully switched him to a good high protein no grain dry food which took some work but still can’t get him to touch the wet stuff. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Ann, I totally get your struggles! It’s like telling a kid they can’t have lucky charms every day anymore.
Try introducing wet food into his diet slowly, slower than you think. Mix 1 teaspoon into his dry food every day, just enough to coat it. It should be barely noticeable. Gradually increase the amount, teaspoon by teaspoon, as he gets used to it. If he suddenly stops eating, back off the ratio of wet food slightly, but don’t remove it altogether. When he gets hungry, he’ll eat. Cats may be picky, but they’re not stupid enough to starve themselves in protest. After a few weeks (or even months!) he should be eating mostly wet food, or 100% wet food. It’ll take patience and perseverance, but i’ll be worth it in the long run!
Gradual, microscopic (ha!), incremental changes are the key when introducing any new “thing” to our cats, be it new food, new litter, or even a new cat friend. Best of luck! Let me know how it goes.
Thank you! I will give it a go.
do you know of a can cat food with a good amount of fiber?
I need to find a item like w/d hills formula,but can’t afford their price, one with lots of fiber. My cat gets consitapated real easy. Please any help for my fur baby ????
Hello! If you believe your cat is constipated, I’d recommend transitioning her to a wet food diet ASAP. She may not be drinking enough water, and combined with a diet of dry kibble, may be leading to constipation (among other things). You could also try mixing in a bit of organic canned pumpkin to add fiber and moisture to her diet.
I’ve also had really good results using a digestive aid called “Optagest” (you can find it on Amazon). Just a tiny dusting (about 1/4 teaspoon) sprinkled on their food every morning helps with hairballs and digestive issues like constipation.
Simply switching her to a commercial “high-fiber” diet will be costly and ineffective in the long run, and typically she won’t be getting adequate nutrition from a brand like Hills. Good luck!
Im sorry but im a bit confused… What makes you think your 13 year old dog got Leukemia from his food? Did you read a research article that indicated a link between contaminants in pet food with early onset of Leukemia? Did you stop to think that elderly pets in their teenage years are the most likely ones to be diagnosed with cancer? Seems like a huge leap and one that you made with little to no reliable resources apart from BS blog posts.
Thanks for your comment. I don’t think my dog’s food was the sole cause of his leukemia–but as with all things, was likely due to a variety of factors. And as diet is probably one of the leading factors affecting health (in humans and animals), I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that feeding a dog a diet loaded with carbohydrates (which is not found in their ancestral diets and metabolises into simple sugars), preservatives (known carcinogen), and that’s been highly processed/heated (also produces carcinogens like acrylamide), probably had some role to play in his early passing.
Good of you to assume I get my information from “BS blog posts,” however. This is probably one of them!
My male cat has skin problems, he constantly licks and bites and has sores and scabs as a result. I’ve changed his food about 4 times based on various vet recos, but I can’t seem to find the right dry food for him. I strongly believe it’s his food that causes skin irritation (we treat for fleas monthly). Any recos for a good dry food/ingredients for skin irritation?
Hello! My cat had the exact same issue–no matter what high-priced, organic, grain-free wet food we tried, the problem would resurface after a few months. I initially had really good luck switching him to Orijen (the original formulation), but since their ingredients changed I’ve successfully transitioned him to Petcurean Go. No more issues so far. Every cat is different, so your mileage my vary.
However–if you look at both Orijen and Go’s ingredient lists, you’ll see that they are miles ahead of other cat foods in terms of high-quality proteins.
I’m currently working on transitioning both cats to a raw-only diet. Will share my experience on that soon!
I just bought a small bag of go cat dry food duck .back in 2003 it was recalled because of liver disease and heart .is it safe now to use
hello and Im enjoying reading all of these comments. After a vet visit with one of my cats being sick, I eliminated all dry food…use to give them Merrick and Go. Now they get Weruva paw lickin chicken. Does it matter if we stick to only one flavor? Should we be concerned that Weruva is made in Thailand?
hello and Im enjoying reading all of these comments. After a vet visit with one of my cats being sick, I eliminated all dry food…use to give them Merrick and Go. Now they get Weruva paw lickin chicken. Does it matter if we stick to only one flavor? Should we be concerned that Weruva is made in Thailand?
It’s always a good idea to switch up the protein source (or flavor) once in a while to prevent your cats from developing a food allergy. I haven’t heard anything particularly negative about pet food sourced from Thailand, but it wouldn’t hurt to do some googling!
I have been feeding my cats Wellness Natural Pet Food for Dogs and Cats for over 17 years. They changed their formula and not only are my cats not eating it, they are having “digestive issues” and I’m worried about that. We need to find something that works for all of them. One has mega colon, another can get UTI, another is susceptible to pancreatitis and is stage I renal, the last one has food sensitivities. Wellness wet food was the only thing they could all eat without issues. I need something comparable.
Wow, sounds like quite the balancing act. I’ve had good luck with Petcurean go! dry kibble, or Nature’s Variety limited ingredient canned. Since your kitties are experiencing a host of digestive/urinary complications, I’d consider trying to slowly transition them to a 100% raw diet (if you’re up for it).
I’ll do a post about my own experiences transitioning to raw soon.
I’ve been feeding both wet and dry to my cats. The dry is a mix of Solid Gold and Halo formulas. I’ve just read that Halo has changed theirs and the dry foods now contain soy protein concentrate. This seems like a step in the wrong direction and I’m thinking I need to quit buying the Halo. Isn’t soy a dangerous ingredient?
Yes! Soy is one of the top ingredients to avoid when searching for high-quality cat food. I’d steer clear.
What about Halo wet cat food–the Duck and Turkey pate? I’ve been feeding my lovely main coon rescue Beau (he’s about 9 now) this since I got him a couple years ago. It’s *not* cheap! Also wondering if there’s a wet food especially for older cats? Or does this mater?
Hey there! Any wet food will typically be better than kibble. Halo is a decent choice, but is not grain free.
A good article detailing dietary needs for older cats here!
Some of the Halo canned cat food had garlic listed at the end of ingredients, so please check the cans. Garlic is bad for cats.
Is the wellness core you listed the new or old formula? I currently use wellness core original but am looking to change this really helped me and taught me something at the same time.
I believe it’s the old formula. I’m just reading that their ingredient list has changed, while prices have gone up—big red flag. I’d make the switch over to Petcurean go or Acana.
Hello,
I recognize that I am on a cat site, but you start out by saying that you lost your best friend (a dog) at a relatively early age due to in part to the garbage he ate in the manufactured pet food. As I own both a cat and a dog, can you recommend a site that rates dog food? Thanks!
Yep! A good list here: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/
The same rules of thumb that apply to cat food applies to dog food as well–the first 5 ingredients should be a protein of some kind, ideally not a by-product, and DEFINITELY not corn, soy, or carbs. Dogs require less protein than cats, so their dietary needs are slightly less stringent. To be safe, I’d still adhere to the top 5 ingredient rule. Good luck!
Hi. Great info, thanks for sharing it. I am from BC. I have 7 cats, 4 are over 13 years. I have one 18 year old. I have been feeding my kitties Cat Chow dry and Friskies wet for years with no health problems. My 18yo starting losing weight so I started looking at different foods. The information out there can be overwhelming. I have tried Pride, Blue Buffalo, Halo, Wellness and a few others. Its hit or miss with the 18 yo, he likes wet stuff with gravy. Any recommendations? Thanks
Hi Shellee! Wet foods with gravy don’t tend to be the most nutritionally sound, since the gravy is made up of a lot of unnecessary carbs and “natural” flavorings.
Try Nutro for something a bit more nutritious, with a bit of gravy made from chicken broth. Tiki Cat is also great, but the consistency is more watery and less gravy-like. Good luck!
Another to add to the “Best Bang for Your Buck” list is Blue Healthy Gourmet. I have two kitties who are active and voracious eaters. After MUCH research, I found that this was the most affordable option, especially since I don’t feed them fish varieties. Runs about $27 for 24 5.5oz cans. I plan on getting an Amazon Dash button just for the kitty food! Already have one for their litter.
Thanks for the reco! I checked them out and the price is great, but I’m a little wary of their use of carrageenan. More on the perils of carrageenan here: http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2011/07/stunning-info-about-human-grade-cat-food-and-carrageenan/
Hi there…writing to you from sunny Miami, FL. I had both my cats on Prescription Diet for a while until I started reading the crap put in these cans – then I started reading up on dry food vs wet food. Based on what I read, my indoor cats really have no need for the dry food. I also read that male neutered cats have a higher tendency to have UTI’s because of their small tract. You should also know that my vet told me he would have to be on an antibiotic that goes on the inside of his ears for the rest of his life. Well, I gradually switched him to Trader Joes cat food and since then, he’s peeing in his litter box, no longer peeing in my bathtub and seems to be happy again. I also have started putting a drop of CBD oil to my cats’ food and my dog’s food as well. There are lots of natural alternatives to most ailments. Thank God for the internet!
Love! It’s amazing the health issues that resolve themselves when we switch our cats over to high-quality foods. And I’ve never heard of using CBD oil for pets, but I’ll definitely have to look into that! Thanks a ton for sharing.
Hi there , I just stumbled on ur article and got me interested , now my problem is I live in Amman Jordan , and we don’t have the high quality brands that you have either in Canada or the states , we have royal canin , happy cat , ANF Tamiami , taste of the wild .I’ve been going crazy trying to find a good balanced food for my baby read sooooooo many reviews and articles and I’m more confused than ever ? Can you give me ur feed back on Tamiami and happy cat ?
I’d take Taste of the Wild over any of the other brands you mentioned. Aside from that, your best bet would probably be a canned (wet) formula with as little corn, soy or grain content as possible. Avoid artificial coloring and flavoring if you can, and look for a formula with chicken/turkey/duck as the main source of protein, not fish.
Best of luck!
Hi dear I found a supplier in Jordan for Origen (Canada) and acana, which is best plz advise ?
If you can get the Canadian Orijen, I’d go with that. Wish I could still get my hands on some!
So, what about for cats with vicious hairball problems, such as the Maine Coon variety pack? I mean, I brush him, but hairballs are inevitable. Advice on a decent dry food that isn’t going to kill him?
Natural hairball control remedies can help. Commercial hairball-control gels typically contain a mineral oil or petroleum that coats hairballs in your kitty’s digestive tracts, allowing them to pass through their systems. The problem with these is that mineral oil/petroleum is harmful to cats when ingested (shocking, I know).
Some natural remedies here!
Hello! What do you think of Petco’s brand Soulistic? Also, how do you figure the amount of wet food your cat will eat to determine monthly cost of feeding your cat? We will be getting a baby kitten soon and just trying to do my research!
Lots of red flags in Soulistic’s ingredient list. The first ingredient being water is sketchy. Any kind of starch in the first 5 ingredients is a big no-no. If you’re looking for relatively cheap wet food, I recommend Trader Joe’s brand!
Check out the handy chart under the “Food” section of my Cat Care 101 article for feeding portions!
Hi Cassie! After further research it looks like I was wrong about Soulistic. It appears to be, at the very least, a more nutritious cat food than the Trader Joe’s brand. Trader Joe’s is decent for the price, but as with all cheap cat foods, isn’t ideal. I’d go with Soulistic if you can swing it.
Hi again, just wanted to comment on soulistic. I tried that a long long time ago, must have been 5-8 yrs ago I think. I liked the ingredients listed at that time, it’s a Petco or Petsmart owned brand. Only problem was my cats got bored with it quickly as every flavor looked and smelled the same in the pouches. They’re all brown lol. No matter the flavor.
Have you ever heard of tiki cat or fussy cat because I’m pretty sure even I could eat those 😉
Tiki cat is supposed to be great, human-grade food! They’ve been having quality control issues lately, so keep checking the latest reviews!
The problem is that they produce in Thailand. Who knows what they feed the chickens and if the birds are healthy? I have a suspicion that my cat’s health deteriorated because of their food. He ate Tiki chicken breast in broth and then After Dark for around 3 years. At this time he was losing a lot of hair, his skin was very dry and he was always thirsty. I cooked meat for him and than he ate American Journey for a while. This week he stopped eating and he’s at the hospital with enlarged liver.
Loved the article what about “young again zero carb cat food”??https://www.youngagainpetfood.com/phone/index.html
For the sake of convenience we feed our kitties stuff of many a nightmare. As a pet care provider, I see a lot of kitties come and go every year and I can tell you right away which of those are on dry food diets just by looking at their charts. By age 8 most kitties on exclusive dry food diets will be showing signs of renal failure. A direct cause of kibble only diets. A lucky few who brave the outdoors and survive that long can supplement their diets with a natural raw selection. (Each of which come in unique bacteria resistant packaging). Renal failure is just the beginning of a long list of miseries that our fur babies will suffer due to our trust placed in a dizzying array of shiny bags showing Thankgiving style spreads of wholesome goodness taking center stage at every pet food aisle. The television ads touting the health and wellness to be had border on criminality. Many canned diets are not much better, but will usually present with a dramatic decrease in carbs which cats simply cannot process. Cats are Obligate carnivores. Google that and then explain to me how little brown bits of processed chemicals (along with a healthy dose of powdered cellulose) can come close to meeting the nutritional requitrements of our unsuspecting fur babies.
At $5.00 a pound for the so-called premium diets?!
That pays for a whole lot of chicken thighs my friends.
There are a couple of brands attempting to cut down on the carbs by gluing their gloop together with tapioca instead of various starches, and that’s commendable but your crack baby kitty- accustomed to their kibble being slathered with “animal digest” won’t take to it right away and we still have issues of plant based proteins and a laundry list of carcinogens. So, please…. read the labels, seek out websites such as this one and catinfo, and educate yourselves a little bit – then take two extra minutes to serve your loved ones something you yourself might be inclined to eat (in a pinch). The savings in Vet bills alone will more than make up for any uptick in the food bill and your heart will not hurt when you have to say goodbye to your ten year old best friend whose kidneys are shot.
Thanks for your comment! Sums up my rage/indignation at the pet food industry quite succinctly. Raw food is always best, but canned food will always be better than the alternative!
Thank you for posting this. I just got a new kitten from the shelter and I’ve done so much research to make sure he has the best food possible. Along with canned food, I’ve realize that putting some chicken breasts in the slow cooker will feed him for a long time and will be much healthier for it. I also found a homemade bone broth recipe for cats that I put on top of his food.
I had to take him to the vet the other day, and the vet commented on how healthy he looks. Well you should have seen him 1 1/2 months ago, at the shelter. Skinny, and a dull coat. Not anymore. He’s fed with lots of tlc and love.
Hi! Thanks so much for all the great info! What about Nulo (?) food? The dry chicken/cod…it is grain free…I know they are not supposed to have fish so I’m wondering about the cod? One of my cats has bloody stool the vet said it was his food. I was horrified. I’m now switching from Purina Beyond and wet Friskies to Trader Joe’s wet food and Nulo instead. Wondering if these are good choices? Thank you! 🙂
Hi Bethany! Just did a quick search of Nulo’s ingredients, and for the price it looks like decent food. There are some less-than-ideal ingredients in there like peas and “natural” flavor, but overall it’s not bad! I’d try to balance out the fish content with a fish-free wet food option (Trader’s is great for the value), or by mixing it with a grain/fish-free value dry food like Merrick’s Before Grain.
I buy my cat Weruva and he absolutely loves it! I can get 6 oz cans 24 pack for about $31.00 off jet.com (they give discounts based on different thing like paying with a debit card etc) I also supplement with dry food (taste of the wild) at night just to help stretch his wet food out a little more.
Supplementing with dry food is a great way to go! Thanks for your tip about jet.com, I’ll have to check them out. :]
Any suggestions for low calories food. Vet wants a 250 calories diet. We used to feed our cat dry food only. Now we want wet food during the day and some dry food over night. She lost about 2 lb over year and a half. We would like something grain free and low fiber for dry food. We started on hills diet light wet (138kcal/can) and hills light dry food, Currently Traider Joe tuna and Nature’s Variety Instinct Grain-Free Dry Cat Food, but we think she gaining weight back because of the Nature’s Variety Instinct Grain-Free Dry Cat Food has too many calories.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Right away I’d say to cut out the dry food completely. Dry food has too many carbs for our cats, especially for those trying to lose a few pounds. Go for a high-protein, grain-free wet food only. The Hills “light” diet you were feeding kitty is chock-full of empty fillers and carbs–try to avoid it! And never free-feed (leave food out for) an overweight kitty.
Also, portion control is much more important than calorie counting. Give her set portions, 2-3 times per day. If she doesn’t finish her portion, throw it out. She’ll learn to adapt to this feeding schedule and eat everything you put in front of her, no more, no less!
More info: http://consciouscat.net/2015/08/10/how-much-should-i-feed-my-cat/
By being on Hills wet food is how she lost weight. Vet wanted wet food as it has more moisture and keeps her full for longer time. She has been throwing up before, but now with weight loss she still throwing up. So we switched her to TJ tuna and it seems to help. We did blood panel/work and all came good.
Is TJ tuna ok?
Any recommendations for wet food?
We can’t cut out dry food completely as she becomes very very vocal at night.
Any suggestions, please?
Trader Joe’s canned is a great place to start. I’d say stick with the chicken/turkey formula since too much fish is bad for our cats (particularly tuna, which can be high in mercury).
Totally understand about the cat being bothersome at night–but it will take perseverance and patience (and sometimes sleepless nights) to condition our cats out of unwanted behavior!
We rotate it with tuna. Did you see people were talking that chicken turkey rice dinner has Carrageenan? What is your opinion on it?
Thanks
I don’t know enough about carrageenan to speak definitively about it, but I understand it’s “possibly” cancer-causing in humans. While I’d normally try to avoid such ingredients, considering the low price of Trader Joe’s canned food there are bound to be some trade-offs (no pun intended)!
What do you think of dehydrated foods like Primal or Stella & Chewy’s? Are they good quality and worth the cost?
Hi Delta, I’m not too familiar with freeze dried cat foods, but a cat blog I love (natural cat care) has a pretty informative article ranking raw foods here: http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2010/12/the-7-best-natural-commercial-cat-foods-so-far/
I couldn’t figure out why my 3 cats, 2 are 11 year old Bombays, 1is a 6 year old disabled. I bought the Bombays from a pet store, they were living in horrible conditions, the 6 year old, I rescued from a hoarder. They have been given the best, so when they refused to eat the dry Orijen returned bag to store, after 2 different bags, & finding out food was no longer from Canada, & the ingredients have been changed, the light bulb went off. Researched ingredients, hope I can get Go Fit & Free Chix, Turkey, & Duck from Chewy. Iam a senior & my cats mean the world to me ? Glad I found whycatwhy.com
Hi Judie, thanks so much for your comment! So happy to have helped!
I’ve fed my cats a few samples of Go Fit & Free (Turkey, Chicken, Duck) and they seem to love it (and my hyper-sensitive allergic cat has had no reactions to it). So there’s a bit of anecdotal evidence for you! :]
Hello,
Was just wondering if you knew about Avoderm wet canned food? Also if Blue Buffalo dry cat food is okay. My cats generally like Blue Buffalo over the years and are healthy. However I am always open to switching to something else if there are healthier options.
Hi Arabella! Just did a quick search for Avoderm’s ingredient list, and right off the bat I’d say to stay away from any foods with added salt and carrageenan. I’ve also looked into Blue Buffalo before, and while they are a decent brand, their use of tapioca starch and pea protein (zero-nutrition filler) is disappointing given their reputation–which is why I’ve left them off this list.
I use to give my cats blue buffalo blue wilderness. I noticed a difference in their fur & energy level recently. Also the color changed in the food & I didn’t see the lifebits anymore. I looked into it & they changed their formula to market it in regular stores. I switched to nulo which made a huge difference w/fur, skin & energy levels but sometimes they don’t like the flavors so still trying to find a flavor they like in it. I’m very disappointed in blue buffalo for the change in formulas. They were always favorites w/my cats.
just found your helpful, informative site. trying to figure out what to feed my 12 week old kittens! they seem to eat anything..but i am in this for the long haul and would like to get a couple of wet products lined up to use daily.
Hi Jean! You’re on the right track already if you’re feeding them high-quality, nutritionally dense wet food. Kittens can generally eat the same kind of food as adult cats, just in larger quantities relative to their body weight. You know, to fuel all that exponenetial growing and extreme hyperactivity. :]
Thank you for your research! Just wondering if you have any advice for a male cat that has to be on “urinary tract health” food? (I see another commenter was concerned about this also). I feed my cat Royal Canin SO and Purina ProPlan Urinary wet food, but looking at the first 5 ingredients, it’s not looking so good anymore. Any advice, as I’m sure others have cats with the same problem? ( I see someone mentioned that TIKI food has a lot of water….is that good enough?) Thank you!!!
Hi Kelly! Normally I’d always default to asking to your vet for their recommendations, but past experience tells me that most vets tend to shill sub-par pet foods with supposed “health-boosting” benefits. Here is a pretty informative article I found on the subject: http://catinfo.org/feline-urinary-tract-diseases/
Essentially – high quality, high-protein canned food with high water content is key. Tiki cat sounds like a good choice, especially if your cat has a low thirst drive. One caveat is to avoid feeding your cat exclusively the fish flavors, as too much fish can be detrimental to kitty’s health!
I was going to ask the same question! male cat with chronic crystals/UTI and vet “pushed” prescription diet…purina SO/OX etc. My boy got blocked everytime he ate dry food, vet says he has to stay on prescription diet forever. Someone told me to look at the ingredients though and all of the urinary brands are just junk! They told me to just add extra water to his food, like they do in the “prescription” diet foods, and I did, and he was fine! I do go back to it a lot though out of fear, if he cant pee and I’m not around to catch it and it’s over 24hrs he could die! Very serious for male cats. Also they said, there’s no such thing as a “prescription” diet food for cats and they aren’t GDA governed or something like that, they said it’s all BS. That food is expensive!!!! Could you please OCD this issue and educate us on the truth, what food can help male cats with this issue, truth behind these fake prescription diet foods and what’s the best food for these fur-boys? Pretty purrrlease? I would really appreciate your relentless purrrsuit of the truth and facts regarding this issue.
You might want to check the latest on Orijen. I stumbled across your site while searching out new options for our felines.
I got a shipping update from Chewy that my autoship of Orijen was changing without an explanation why so I started looking into it. Us folks in the USA will no longer be able to get the version made in Canada and instead will be getting the version now made in KY. Lots of reviews I have read did not have good things to say about the changes or their cats reaction to the changes. So…I stocked up on all the Canada version I could and am hunting for a new food.
Petcurean GO seems to be the next possible contender (if they will eat it). But for now we have a few more bags of Canadian Orijen and Tiki Cat.
Oh no! My cats love their Orijen, and I’ll definitely have to look into the changes… Probably a cost-cutting measure of some sort. >:/
Thanks so much for your comment!
Great article, thanks for the research!
I’m also a (new) fan of Chewy.com .
My cat had a few bouts of UTI as a kitten, and recently as a 9-year-old cat (I slipped and bought a cheap bag of dry food; I’m pretty sure that was the cause). We now know she is prone to bladder stones. Tiki Cat canned food is her primary food, since they have great nutritional info on their site.
My Mom feeds her ten-year-old cats Trader Joe’s; it’s high quality, and you cannot beat that price!
I’m currently researching food options for two 11-week-old bundles of energy.
Suggestions:
– Change the red color to something less brown; it’s a little too dark and doesn’t stand out. I recommend something more like #d06040 ; Check out http://www.color-hex.com/color/d06040 for text samples.
– In addition to the prices you already quote, please add price per ounce for wet food, and price per pound for dry food; that makes it easier to compare across brands and sizes.
Thanks for your great feedback! I’ll get on the readability/comparability issues pronto.
And yes, you really can’t beat Trader Joe’s for price/quality.
You aren’t being fair to Fromm’s, I think… All of the premium dry foods have a shockingly steep price curve from the low volumes to the high: Wellness Core Original is ~$23 for a 6 lb bag, $38 for a 12 lb, for example (on chewy.com). A 15 lb bag of Fromm’s runs around $45 depending on the flavor, vs. the $25 you cite for 5-lb. (I’m a bit biased here because one of my cats is very picky, and rejected every premium dry food until I got to one particular variety of Fromm’s.) That said… The premium dry foods also go rancid fairly quickly unless you keep them sealed in an airtight container, so a 15-lb bag may also not be a good buy unless you have enough cats to go through it quickly. (Tip: If you’re past the halfway point in a bag of dry food, and kitty suddenly seems reluctant to eat it and/or starts throwing up frequently… The food has gone off. Took me a while to figure this one out, but my cats are now much happier with me buying smaller bags of food.)
Hi Corey, thanks so much for your comment! I think you’re right, Fromm’s is actually cheaper than Orijen for their 15-lb bag. Prices are always fluctuating so thanks for the heads up.
My issue with Fromm’s is their ingredient list though – the 3rd ingredient is pea protein, which is a cheap filler product with no nutritional value for our kitties. Given what Fromm’s is charging, this is an unacceptable ingredient for them to include anywhere in their food, let alone in the first 5 ingredients! Other than that, Fromm’s seems like a decent quality food with very little additives, so I’m glad your picky cat is doing well on it. I know how tough it is to find something they actually like eating, so keep it up! :]
I, too, do my shopping via Chewy.com. Love them! After our previous baby, Kramer, developed diabetes due to a diet consisting mainly of dry food (thanks, vet, for that advice!), we now feed our two current babies only Weruva wet food. But boy, it does cost a fortune, however, it’s worth it to see how healthy they are, how soft and shiny their coats are, etc. Currently looking for a more affordable option to supplement it.
Yes! I stopped listening to our vet’s advice on nutrition after the 3rd time she recommended Science Diet, haha. So glad your babies are doing well on Weruva! It’s definitely expensive. I’d look into Tiki Cat for something similar and slightly cheaper!
I just went through a thorough research and found that Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet, Grain Free high quality is as comprable to the Core Wellness, Nutro etc listed above..
The most cost effective option for wet cat food is actually to buy the 13 oz cans, instead of the 3-6 oz cans. I recommend Wellness and Dave’s Pet Food (get the grain-free ones). I buy them off Chewy.com, which I find to be much cheaper than your local pet store.
Thanks for the tip! And yes, I love chewy.com. I get packages from there practically every week. :]
I didn’t know Trader Joe’s had cat food- I am going to get some. Thank you- this is an excellent post. I am always so conflicted on what to feed my cats and with 13 cats I can’t afford the more expensive ones.
Thanks a lot ! And yup, Trader Joe’s canned food is pretty unbeatable for the price. The only downside is they’re only sold in individual cans, so lugging a month’s supply home is a bit of a pain.
I totally feel you on the expensive food! Good job taking care of all your babies!
Our Trader Joe’s runs $0.79 per can, so that’s $18.96 per 24. Still a great price. We’ve tried a few other brands, but our picky cat only likes the TJ Chicken and Turkey flavors. I guess she picked a decent one for us. Since we don’t regularly venture to TJ, every 2 or 3 months we’ll make a run, hoping they have them in stock, and buy 60-90 at a time. Thanks for the article.
Yes, Trader Joes is my lifeblood! We do the same and haul home huge quantities every few weeks or so.
Trader Joes premium chicken turkey canned food gets a 1 star rating for toxins, the lowest rating meaning a high amount of toxins, from the clean label project that tested over 200 pet foods. It was high in heavy metals and contaminants. The chicken dry food also gets 1 star. The fish canned food got 3 stars (out of 5) which is a bit surprising as fish based foods usually have higher toxins. Anyway I wouldn’t touch the stuff.
Thank you for this info! I’ve never looked into toxins before. I’ll definitely have to read up about it.
At my local Trader Joe’s you can call ahead and order it by the case!
I’ve been feeding my little girl Whole Earth Farms Graun Free Recipe with real chicken. It’s made in the US & she seems to like it. It’s $22.48 for a 10 lb bag on Chewy.com. What do you think?
The potatoes and peas in the first 5 ingredients concerns me, but you could certainly be doing worse. Aim for animal-based protein in the first 5 ingredients if you can. I know the price tends to skyrocket, but your cat will be much healthier in the long term!
What about this dry food as a supplement for wet? I need dry for when I travel.
https://www.youngagainpetfood.com/zero-mature-health.html
Not bad! You could certainly do worse. See a full nutritional analysis here: http://catfooddb.com/product/young%20again/Zero+Mature+Health
could you recommend a food for a 17 year old cat who has chronic pancreatitis and early signs of kidney failure (renal issues). He currently eats Royal Canin Hypo + renal support and I HATE IT!