Cat Food..?
October 18th, 2009
Hi.. 
I have a question or two about cat food,
What’s the best brand for cat food? I’m looking for one who can give my kitty all the nutrition she needs.
I already give her more than one brand, Whiskas, Purina, Kitekat.. but is there a better brand out there that would keep my cat healthy??
Also, how much should I feed her? she’s about one year old.
And, which is better, dry or canned food, & why?
thnx alot
Grocery store brands and Science Diet are all garbage. Read the labels. They are filled with corn and wheat which provide no nutrition for cats and some cats are allergic to them. Look for brands such as Innova, Felidae, Natural Balance, etc. You won’t find them in grocery stores. Most tend to be in specialty pet shops or feed stores. The about.com website as a great review of the top foods. They recommend wet, but a combination of wet and dry is great, because the cats get the wet food but the dry keeps their teeth clean and healthy.
Once your cats taste the good foods, they won’t want the other stuff. I used to feed my cat Science Diet until I knew better. Once I started mixing in the Felidae with the Science Diet, he started eating around the Science Diet.
kiely0066
TUNA!
October 19th, 2009 at 1:12 AMReferences :
Shorty Baby
Wriskgers cat food, or maybe ask your vet , they would tell you.Dry food, is better, cause wet food, will make your cat have bad breath and have dierea . And the amount of food is one handful a day and alot of water. Good luck.
October 19th, 2009 at 1:45 AMReferences :
insane
i hate to pass the buck, but check with your vet. personally i recommend imes probably not spelled right. as for wet or dry, i use a mixture.
October 19th, 2009 at 2:18 AMReferences :
f20ash
I use Purina Cat Chow, dry food. I woudn’t recommend wet food because it can be harmful for the teeth/gums and can go stale quickly if not eaten or attract bugs.
October 19th, 2009 at 2:27 AMReferences :
kashallgonna
I consider Pro Plan the best cat food. I use to feed my cat whiskas and purina but her coat would always lose its shine and she was always going to the bathroom. This cat foods ingredients start with the word chicken not corn meal or flour. It’s better for their systems and she doesn’t have those nasty stinky poos anymore. I usually keep a bowl of hard kibbles out for the cat and then when it is dinner time I give half a can of wet. My vet told me that it is better to keep them on the same type of food because their digestive systems are very sensitive to change. (could have fooled me when I see my cat outside chowing down on a chipmunk.) But in any case, the side of the food bag should tell you how much to put out for the kitty. don’t forget the fresh water bowl too. Have fun.
October 19th, 2009 at 2:41 AMReferences :
firefighterchic
My cat is older and doesn’t get around well anymore. I had him on Friskas, but he kept gaining too much weight so I switch him to Science Diet….it has less fillers. Petsmart.com and your vet will know where you can buy it round where you are.
As for the canned food…charlie’s stomach never did like it much:(
October 19th, 2009 at 3:00 AMReferences :
claire d
i have 6 cats and have fed them all on hills science plan for going on ten years,but to be honest at £12 for a 2kg bag kinda gets expensive when i could go through 2 a week of those,so i now feed them on whiskas complete dry food i can get a 7.5kg sack for £7 which is a huge difference in price and if you look at the ingredients there exactly the same,so why the huge price for hills?? cause it says vets recommended but they don’t tell you that vets get a 10% cut of there annual sales just for saying that,chappie dog food says vet recommended that doesn’t mean I’m gonna feed my dogs that shi t,any who your cat will let you know what he/she likes..as for amount i would just leave a bowl down and let him/her help herself..
October 19th, 2009 at 3:45 AMReferences :
Casey B
I think Purina is a great cat food. Dry food is great because it keeps your cats teeth a lot cleaner. You can still feed wet food, but I suggest feeding it more as a treat rather than regular feeding.
If your cat is less that a year old then it still needs kitten chow until that one year mark. It only needs fed 2 times a day, total of 3/4 cup of kitten chow. Once she is one year you can start leaving a bowl of cat chow out for her to eat when ever she feels hungry.
October 19th, 2009 at 3:59 AMReferences :
my kids mom
Find a brand and flavor that your cat likes and stick with it, they don’t need different flavors, that’s how they become finiky. My cat is ten years old and has been eating the same brand (purina cat chow) and the same flavor the whole time (dry) twice a week we give him a canned treat (fancy feast) if you give canned as their only staple it’s not good for their digestive system, they will have to move their bowels three or four times a day, not good for anyone. find one and stick to it. better for kitty and you. keep their bowl filled with fresh water and and food, a cat never finishes his food, they always come back to nibble.
October 19th, 2009 at 4:13 AMReferences :
Defenderoftheunderground©
I give my cat mostly dry food, every once in awhile I give him a small bit of wet food just as a treat. If your cat doesn’t have a problem with over-eating you should be able to free feed them. My cat has dry food in his bowl all the time, he can eat whenever he wants, he kind of just snacks here and there all day. He is an extremely healthy 3 year old, and I’ve done this with every cat I’ve owned. It also cuts out them crying for food at certain times, or begging you for food when you eat.
I’ve heard of cats that over eat sometimes and make themselves sick, but I think that is pretty rare. Most cats know how much they should eat, and don’t over do it.
October 19th, 2009 at 4:55 AMReferences :
Chet Long
I think Meow Mix has the best nutrition in both wet & dry cat food.
October 19th, 2009 at 5:19 AMIn dry cat food Meow Mix has a number of different choices, depending on the nutritional needs of your cat. In canned cat food the best is probably Meow Mix Market Select, or Fancy Feast. Also you should give her both canned and dry food each day for the best nutrition and varitey, I’d say about two cans of 2.75 OZ Meow Mix Market Select daily and give her a constant supply of Meow Mix dry food unless she dosen’t know when to stop eating in which case you should give her about 3-4 cups daily.
References :
I have 3 cats
old cat lady
Your food choices so far are the pits so it won’t take much to improve your cat’s nutrition.
Go to http://www.littlebigcat.com and read some of Dr. Jean Hovfe’s articles on good cat (and dog) food including "Does Dry Food Clean the Teeth?", Why Cats Need Canned Food", "Selecting a Good Commercial Pet Food", "What Cats Should Eat", "Why Fish is Dangerous for Cats".
October 19th, 2009 at 6:07 AMReferences :
yogi
i think the best kind of food is called Science Plan. It is highly recommended by vets and is best type of dried food to give to your cat. Also the odd occasional treat of fish.Fish has essential oils in them that contribute to your cat having a healthy shiny coat.
October 19th, 2009 at 6:27 AMReferences :
Melissa
Grocery store brands and Science Diet are all garbage. Read the labels. They are filled with corn and wheat which provide no nutrition for cats and some cats are allergic to them. Look for brands such as Innova, Felidae, Natural Balance, etc. You won’t find them in grocery stores. Most tend to be in specialty pet shops or feed stores. The about.com website as a great review of the top foods. They recommend wet, but a combination of wet and dry is great, because the cats get the wet food but the dry keeps their teeth clean and healthy.
Once your cats taste the good foods, they won’t want the other stuff. I used to feed my cat Science Diet until I knew better. Once I started mixing in the Felidae with the Science Diet, he started eating around the Science Diet.
October 19th, 2009 at 6:45 AMReferences :
http://cats.about.com/od/cannedfood/Canned_Cat_Food_Next_Best_Choice_after_a_Raw_Diet.htm
Lisa
I have 4 cats, I leave science diet hard cat food in a bowl to nibble on all day and give them a little bit of soft cat food in the morning and a little bit a night. Also alway’s have a big bowl of water for them all the time.
October 19th, 2009 at 7:24 AMReferences :
Michele P
Science Diet is very healthy. It says on the bag how much. Our 11 pd cat gets about 3/4 cup per day. Dry food is better for their teeth.
October 19th, 2009 at 7:33 AMReferences :
analymoerman
Go Melissa! That is refreshing… Felidae is an awesome food and anything from the grocery store or Purina is awful. THe quality of food you feed will be directly reflected in your cat’s health, so why not the best? Whould you eat McDonald’s every meal? Not if you want to live past 20. The cat may like it, but it is not good for them. Stick with one brand/flavor your cat likes and no wet food as it rots their teeth and gives digestive problems. You will also feed less with this food, so check the back of the bag for suggestions and go by that. You will spend more, but feed less so food goes farther and since your cat will be healthier, your vet bills will go down, saving you money in the long run. Good luck!
October 19th, 2009 at 8:10 AMReferences :
Pet store manager, 10 years