Looking for the healthiest dry cat food for indoor cats can be a maze of rankings and reviews. It’s puzzling why top picks often include fillers like corn gluten meal or wheat, which could be suitable for cats with some health issues, but not for adult healthy cats. In this 2024 selection, I’ve combined my cat Sophie’s favorites with thorough research of others, keeping tabs on recipe changes as cat foods evolve. Pet food companies must follow FDA and AAFCO guidelines when crafting their products, including the 11 essential amino acids cats need in their diet. AAFCO guidelines are made for a cat’s maintenance diet, but not a diet tailored to a cat’s specific needs.
Key Factors to Watch in Top-Quality Dry Cat Foods
When it comes to selecting the best dry cat food for your feline friend, certain factors should be front and center in your decision-making process. From ingredient quality to nutritional balance, the following key factors are crucial for ensuring you’re providing your cat with top-quality nourishment:
1- Proteins: Avoid By-Products and Generic Names
Avoid by-products such as“chicken by-product”, or “by-product turkey”. Also, undefined proteins like “poultry” or “fish” are not good. The poultry or fish type must be mentioned, for example, “chicken”, “turkey”, “lamb”, or “herring”. Same with the ingredient “Meal”. It must be “chicken meal”, “venison meal”, “Herring meal”, etc. The “meal” type ingredient is a concentrated source of protein so it’s good to find it closer to the first ingredients.
2. Type of Fatty Acids: Ideally, Fish Oil
Fatty acids are essential in the cat’s diet. The fatty acids cats need are EPA, DHA, and ALA in less proportion. Formulas containing more ALA fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid) than EPA and DHA are not suitable for cats. According to Dr. Cailin Heinze ALA fatty acids such as flaxseed oil, or soy oil can’t be converted by the cat’s body. Fatty acids should mainly come from fish oil, and poultry fat such as chicken or turkey fat, ideally free-range. A combination of both poultry fat and fish oil can provide a comprehensive range of essential fatty acids, promoting optimal health and well-being in a cat’s diet.
3. Vitamins: Naturally Ocurring is Ideal
It must contain all the vitamins cats need, preferably naturally occurring vitamins, though synthetic forms of vitamins are widely used to complete the nutritional requirement in a cat formula. Synthetic vitamins are not harmful, but naturally occurring vitamins are ideal. There’s an exception though, the synthetic form of vitamin K could be toxic for cats.
4. Minerals: Not Too Much, Not Too Little
AAFCO sets standards for pet food ingredients and nutritional adequacy, including mineral content in a cat’s maintenance diet. Excessive percentages of minerals in the formula could lead to urinary tract infections and other health issues in cats. Minerals sourced from organic forms, such as poultry, beef, fish, venison, and plants, are typically more bioavailable and naturally absorbed by the cat’s body, aligning with their natural diet. Additionally, organically sourced minerals often enhance palatability and digestibility compared to inorganic forms. An article published in the AVMA Journal in June 2021, titled ‘Concerns related to dietary phosphorus intake in cats,’ highlights the importance of mineral type and balance in a cat’s diet, particularly as the cat ages, as they can significantly impact the cat’s health.
5. Carbohydrates: Keep it Low
The formula shouldn’t contain more than 10% to 15% of carbohydrates, depending on the cat’s activity level. Ideally, they should come from veggies, fruits, and seeds. Grains or high glycemic carbs such as white rice, white potatoes, or tapioca shouldn’t be in the cat formula, at least not in the main ingredients.
6. Antioxidants: Boosting Your Cat’s Immune System
Antioxidants come from various sources, including vitamins, minerals, and natural ingredients. Some of the best sources of antioxidants in cat food include vitamin E, vitamin C (cats produce their own, but it’s always better an extra boost), Beta-carotene, selenium, polyphenols (berries), and taurine.
7. Prebiotics and Probiotics For a Cat’s Healthy Gut
Probiotics and prebiotics play important roles in promoting digestive health and overall well-being in cats. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help maintain a healthy balance of microorganisms in the cat’s gut. Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers that serve as food for the beneficial bacteria (probiotics) in the cat’s gut.
8. How Ingredients Are Listed: The First Ones Matter
How the ingredients are listed is very important since it can influence the actual percentage of animal proteins versus plant-based proteins or other non-protein ingredients. According to AAFCO regarding the list of ingredients “The biggest contributors are first and the smallest are last.” Protein sources from animals or fish should ideally be present in the first five ingredients. Additionally, it’s better to find a “meal” type protein in the first, and second ingredients if the following are non-animal proteins or carbs. Also, it’s better to find a “meal” type protein in the second or third ingredient if the first and second are crude proteins such as “Chicken”, “Deboned Chicken”, “Deboned Turkey” or similar. This crude source of proteins loses proportionally weight after the cooking process as the water weight is extracted.
9. Avoid Cheap Fillers And Grains
Cheap sources of carbs or proteins such as soy “soybean meal”, “soy flour”, or “soy meal” should be avoided. Grains-based diets are not good for cats, don’t feed your cat foods containing corn, “corn gluten meal”, “cornmeal” or wheat, white rice, or rye. White potatoes and tapioca are high-glycemic and not nutritionally appropriate for a carnivorous diet.
10. No Harmful Ingredients
Cat food should not contain harmful ingredients. Some ingredients could be harmful in long-term feeding, while others are carcinogens. Examples of bad ingredients are Menadione Sodium Bisulfate or “Menadione”, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphates (SAPP), Calcium chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium sulfate, Calcium Propionate, Sodium Bisulfate, Artificial preservatives and colorants (e.g. Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2).
My Criteria for Selecting Top Cat Foods
- Formulas that don’t include any ingredients listed among the worst pet food ingredients. The “Worst Pet Food Ingredients” list was created by Dr. Lisa Newman, N.D. Ph.D, who has 20 years of expertise in pet foods. The following formulas were selected based on Dr. Newman’s research and knowledge regarding the identification of the worst ingredients in pet foods. Exceptions applied for salt an turmeric because their presence should be considered in the overall formula.
- Minerals in the formula must be balanced. AFFCO guidelines and AVMA publications were consulted to ensure appropriate mineral levels in the selected brands.
- Formula prioritizing fatty acids that cats can convert into DHA and EPA in their system. Dr. Cailin Heinze, a board-certified Veterinary Nutritionist, offers comprehensive insights into the various types of fatty acids essential in a cat’s diet. Drawing on her extensive expertise in veterinary nutrition, she underscores the significance of maintaining a healthy fatty acid balance for optimal feline health.
- The formulas must not contain three fish ingredients among the first five, and not more than three fish ingredients in total.
- Effect of the cat food in the cat’s energy level and coat. This is based on my personal experience as a cat owner feeding my cat Sophie with some of the reviewed formulas.
Top 6 Cat Food Reviews: Best Nutrition & No Harmful Ingredients
Explore our comprehensive reviews of the best cat foods, each carefully selected for balanced nutrition and free from harmful ingredients. From protein-rich formulas to grain-free options, our reviews provide valuable insights to help you make informed choices for your cat’s well-being.
TOP #1 FARMINA N&D LAMB DRY CAT FOOD
Farmina Natural and Delicious Lamb dry cat food contains natural fish oils are the main source of omegas for your cat, ensuring the best cat’s metabolizing of these essential fatty acids. This is a low-carb formula that will keep your cat’s weight in check. Depending on your cat’s metabolism and activity it could even make your cat lose some weight. This is a high-concentrated protein formula with 42% in the guaranteed analysis, so you need to feed your cat small portions for balanced nutrition.
PROS: Low in calories┃Fatty acids from fish oil┃Balanced minerals
CONS: A slight fish smell┃Price ($9.27 per pound)
TOP #2 OPEN FARM RAWMIX PRAIRIE
Open Prairie Rawmix cat food formula is packed with a blend of top-notch ingredients designed to nourish our beloved pets while also upholding ethical standards. The formula contains 38% protein in the guaranteed analysis that comes mostly from poultry with the addition of high-fiber plant-based proteins with peas. The formula doesn’t contain harmful ingredients and it offers a balanced nutrition to healthy adult and active cats.
PROS: Protein-rich, ethically raised poultry┃Free-dried coating┃No harmful ingredients
CONS: Carbohydrates a little high┃Limited availability┃Price ($8.88 per pound).
Read Open Prairie Rawmix Review
TOP #3 ACANA GRASSLANDS GRAIN-FREE FORMULA
The new Acana Grassland grain-free provides a natural source of proteins that is closest to the cat’s natural diet. The first five ingredients are animal proteins which represent 36% of the formula in the guaranteed analysis. This dry cat food formula provides the nutrition needed for an active adult cat. The essential fatty acid in this formula comes from Herring oil, an excellent source of Omega-3. The kibble of this formula has been freeze-dried coated for a more tasty meal that will appeal to your cat’s palate.
PROS: Animal proteins┃Tasty┃Less synthetic supplements┃Good price $7.21 / lb.
CONS: Higher in carbohydrate (but low-glycemic).
Note: If you are in Canada, check the Acana Grassland Canadian formula review that is also in the top rating.
TOP #4 ACANA INDOOR ENTREE ADULT DRY CAT FOOD
Acana Indoor Entree provides 36% of protein coming from small prey animals, close to how cats would hunt in the wild. This recipe is packed with vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids to complete the nutritional requirements for indoor cats. The carbs are low glycemic carbs, preventing obesity and diabetes in cats with proper daily intake. Oatmeal helps with the cat’s digestive function and colon health, avoiding constipation, a common issue in indoor cats that are less active. A good price for this formula, at $5.25 per pound.
PROS: Low-glycemic┃Low-calorie┃Colon health┃No artificial colors, flavors, or preserv.
CONS: Slight fishy smell ┃kibble shape not suitable for automatic feeding systems.
Read Acana Entree Indoor Review
TOP #5 TUSCAN NATURAL CARNE GRAIN-FREE DRY CAT FOOD
Tuscan Carne provides a high 40% of protein, mostly coming from poultry which is a highly digestible protein for cats. The poultry is humanely raised and the herring is wild-caught. Also, the vegetables and fruits are sustainably farmed. The unique extra virgin olive oil harvested from old-growth trees gives this food powerful nutrition and a delicious taste that cats love. Tuscan Natural Carne doesn’t contain artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. This is an affordable formula that costs $5.5 per pound.
PROS: Ethically raised poultry┃Tasty┃No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
CONS: Carbs on the higher side┃Available online only on the official Tuscan website.
TOP #6 NULO FREESTYLE CHICKEN & COD RECIPE
Nulo Freestyle Chicken & Cod recipe is a grain-free formula with 40% proteins and a low glycemic, low-carb formula. Proteins come from Chicken, Turkey, and Cod, all lean and highly digestive-type proteins for cats. The carbs present in the recipe are limited and come from complex carbs such as lentils and peas, not causing sugar peaks in the cat’s blood. The chickens are fed grain-free food, and the cod provides a good flavor that most cats love.
PROS: For cats & Kittens┃Tasty┃Lean protein┃Pure probiotic strain┃Price: $6.5 /lb
CONS: No fish oils for fatty acids
Read Nulo Chicken & Cod Review
Grain-free is not always the gold standard
Opting for grain-free dry food doesn’t always guarantee your cat’s slimness and health. Some grain-free options substitute grains with starches like tapioca or potatoes among the top five ingredients, resulting in high carbohydrate levels comparable to grain-containing foods. For instance, if potatoes or tapioca rank second or third in a cat food’s ingredients list, it signifies a high carbohydrate content. These carbohydrates can spike a cat’s blood sugar similar to grain-based foods. However, grain-free formulas featuring low-glycemic carbs like lentils, sweet potatoes, or green peas offer a healthier alternative, especially considering the potential gluten content in some grains.
How to Feed Your Cat When Switching to a New Formula
First Day: First meal: 3/4 old food with 1/4 new food; Second meal: 2/3 old food with 1/3 new food.
Second Day: First meal: 1/2 old food with 1/2 new food; Second meal: 1/3 old food with 2/3 new food.
Third Day: All new food.
Calculate your cat’s daily protein and carb intake
If you want to know how many grams of proteins, fat, fiber, etc. your cat is eating with a determined formula, you need to multiply the percentage informed in the guaranteed analysis times the amount of food your cat eats daily. For example, if the formula contains 42% protein and your cat eats 150 grams of dry food per day, the total grams of proteins consumed by your cat would be 150 x 0.42=63 grams. This means your cat eats 63 grams of proteins daily with that particular formula. This is not absolute since the dry-matter basis is not considered, but it’s a reference.
Cats’ Wellbeing: Beyond Just Diet
Ensuring your cat’s wellness goes beyond food alone. Here’s how:
- 1. Choose the best dry and wet food for your cat’s needs.
- 2. Manage their food intake with an automatic cat feeder.
- 3. Encourage hydration with a quality cat water fountain.
- 4. Maintain a clean litter box effortlessly with systems like the Litter Robot 4.
- 5. Engage in daily play sessions.
- 6. Create a comfortable environment with hiding spots, bedding, and toys.
- 7. Keep a stable routine to avoid stressing out your cat (NCBI source)
Are There Cat Foods That Didn’t Meet The Criteria?
Yes, below you’ll find cat food reviews for formulas I’ve tested or thoroughly researched. They’re not featured on the top list because they didn’t meet the criteria considered for selecting the best cat food. The following formulas are classified based on the criteria that prevented their selection.
Cats Food With High-Mercury Fish or Too Many Fish
The following cat foods contained fish that are predators of other fish such as salmon, hence, they contain higher level of mercury. I also included formulas with too many fish within the first ingredients.
Orijen Original Cat New Formula Review
I used to have Orijen on top of my ranking but they changed the formula. The reason is that the new formula added more fish and specifically salmon. Although this is not a major issue, salmon is a fish that contains higher levels of mercury. As this is the fifth ingredient in the formula I don’t believe is good for a cat to eat food containing salmon in the long term. This formula is still good to feed your cat for a while, and especially if a cat lacks Omega-3, but the key is not long term feeding. Salmon is better in small amounts and preferably in wet food.
Petcurean Go! Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey + Duck Recipe review
This formula is very high in protein and fatty acids, which are essential in the cat’s diet. However, I took this formula off the top list because it contains Salmon Meal in the sixth ingredient, wich adds too much mercury to the cat’s diet. Salmon meal is a high concentrated source of salmon, containing higher level of mercury that our cats don’t need. The top list is not only about healthy proteins, it’s also about avoiding a long term feeding with cat foods containing higher levels of mercury. I fed my cat this formula for a while, but she started refusing it. This formula is good to feed your cat for a few months, especially if your cat needs extra Omega-3 fatty acids, but then it’s recommended to switch to a different one.
Orijen Guardian 8 Cat Food Review
Orijen Guardian 8 formula contains three types of fish among its main five ingredients, with salmon listed as the second ingredient. Salmon is a predator type fish containing higher mercury levels than other species. It’s worth noting that having too many fish within the first five ingredients in a cat formula is not recommended. Fish, including salmon, can introduce mercury into a cat’s diet, which may pose health risks over time. Therefore, while fish can provide valuable nutrients, it’s important to ensure a balanced diet that includes a variety of protein sources and consider potential concerns associated with fish consumption, such as mercury exposure.
Acana Meadowlands New Formula
In this cat food selection, the number of fish ingredients has been limited to three in the total formula. However, while this selection limits the number of fish ingredients to three, it’s important to note that these three cannot all be among the first five ingredients. This formula contains four different fish ingredients: Catfish Meal, Pollock Meal, Rainbow Trout, and Catfish. While fish contribute essential fatty acids and minerals to a cat’s diet, excessive inclusion of various fish types may elevate mercury levels. Even though the mentioned fish are generally lower in mercury compared to larger predatory species, it’s essential to monitor the frequency of fish consumption in a cat’s diet to ensure overall safety and nutritional balance.
Pure Vita Salmon & Peas Review
Cat food formulas containing salmon and salmon meal as primary ingredients may raise concerns about mercury levels, as salmon is a predatory fish that accumulates mercury from consuming smaller fish species. It’s crucial to maintain nutritional balance in cat foods to avoid prolonged exposure to mercury for cats. When selecting a cat food containing fish, it’s recommended to limit the number of fish ingredients in the total formula. In this cat food selection, the limit is three fish ingredients in total, with not all three among the main five ingredients. However, for the standards of this selection, salmon is among the types of fish that should not be present in the cat’s formula.
Cat Foods With High-Glycemic Carbs in the First Ingredients
The following list contains cat foods that potentially raise the blood sugar in cats since they are simple carbs that break down and are digested much faster.
Solid Gold Indigo Moon Chicken & Eggs Review
This formula offers a well-balanced combination of fatty acids, protein, and fiber, which are essential for a cat’s health. The fatty acids present, including EPA, DHA, and ALA, are nutritionally beneficial, contributing to the cat’s overall well-being. The primary ingredient, “chicken meal,” maintains its weight even after processing, ensuring a consistent nutritional profile. However, the inclusion of “potatoes” as the second ingredient may not be ideal for cats, as simple carbohydrates like potatoes can lead to weight gain, particularly in indoor cats. I fed my cat Sophie with this formula and she experienced weight gain. Weight gain in cats can increase the risk of developing feline diabetes, making it important to consider the carbohydrate content of their diet carefully.
Cat Food Without Essential Fatty Acids from Fish
These formulas contain fatty acids but not the types that are converted more efficiently into EPA and DHA by the cat’s body.
Go! Sensitivities Limited Ingredient Duck Grain-free Cat Food Review
I fed my cat this formula for about nine months, and she loved it, which is why I didn’t change her food. However, after a few months, her fur started to look more dull, and even though we played daily, the games became shorter. The reason is that this formula lacks components that prevent allergies in cats, such as fish, eggs, and chicken. However, this advantage becomes a disadvantage in the long run, mainly due to the lack of fish oil which is a fatty acid that keeps the cat’s fur shiny, and the lower protein content compared to other premium formulas.
Wellness Core Grain-Free Turkey & Duck Formula
While this formula stands out for its exclusion of fish ingredients, making it suitable for cats with fish allergies, it may pose a disadvantage for those without this condition. Fish oil, a primary source of essential fatty acids for cats, offers numerous benefits including improved skin and coat health, reduced inflammation, support for joint function, and enhanced cardiovascular health. After feeding my cat Sophie this formula for a few months, I noticed a change in her coat quality. While ideal for cats with fish allergies, if your cat doesn’t have this sensitivity, opting for a formula containing fish oil may be preferable.
Cat Foods Containing Poor Mineral Quality or Excesses
The following cat foods contain certain synthetic minerals that may not be fully absorbed by the cat’s body, potentially accummulating in the cat’s organs in the long term feeding. There are organic, bioavailable options to supplement cat foods that could be used instead.
Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Cat Food Review
This formula features a robust protein content, including three animal proteins among the top five ingredients. Additionally, it incorporates pumpkin to support digestive health. However, it contains duplicated copper sources—copper proteinate and copper sulfate. Copper proteinate alone meets the formula’s nutritional requirements. Copper sulfate, however, poses concerns as it’s less bioavailable and may not be fully absorbed, potentially leading to copper accumulation in the cat’s liver.
Wysong Uretic Dry Cat Food Review
The latest change in the Wysong Uretic formula, eliminating fish ingredients but adding fish oil, is a positive step forward. However, the new formula overlooks crucial information in the guaranteed analysis, particularly regarding the Omega fatty acids content. Additionally, the formula includes calcium propionate as a preservative, not as a supplement. While AFFCO establishes limits for such chemicals, it’s advisable to steer clear of cat food formulas containing these ingredients altogether. While this formula may aid cats with mild urinary symptoms before vet consultation, it’s not suitable for long-term feeding of felines with consistent urinary issues.
Fussie Cat Market Fresh Chicken & Turkey Recipe Review
This formula contains a good level of protein at 36%, primarily sourced from chicken meal and turkey meal. However, it’s important to note that the target urine pH for this formula is 5.5, which may be too low for cats prone to crystal formation, increasing the risk of certain types of urinary tract issues. Additionally, while Dicalcium Phosphate is listed as the tenth ingredient in the formula, prolonged excessive intake of this ingredient could potentially disrupt the calcium-phosphorus balance in a cat’s body, leading to mineral imbalances and potential health problems. While Dicalcium Phosphate is generally considered safe in small amounts, it’s essential to monitor the overall nutrient composition of a cat’s diet and consult with a veterinarian to ensure optimal urinary health and nutritional balance.
Open Farm Homestead Turkey & Chicken Cat Food Review
This cat food contains healthy ingredients that are humanely raised, however, this formula contains Dicalcium Phosphate which could lead to possible mineral imbalances in the cat’s body. Synthetic ingredients in cat foods are regulated by AAFCO in the amount in which should be present in the formula. However, feeding a cat with a formula containing Dicalcium Phosphate is not desirable in a long term since we don’t know how this ingredient could affect our cat’s metabolism. Cats have different metabolisms and ways to process chemicals and minerals. That’s why I didn’t place this recipe on the list of the best cat food reviews.
Earthborn Holistic Primitive Feline Cat Food Review
This formula contains Calcium sulfate, which is a mineral compound also known as gypsum in its dehydrated form. This could have been substituted with alternative sources of this mineral. In some instances, calcium sulfate serves as a firming agent in the pet food industry rather than a calcium supplement. This is because the hydrated form of calcium sulfate, recognized as Plaster of Paris, finds use in construction for its firming properties. However, for calcium supplementation purposes, superior options such as calcium carbonate or calcium citrate offer enhanced bioavailability, absorption, and purity. Therefore, as the 22nd ingredient, calcium carbonate or calcium citrate would have been preferable alternatives to calcium sulfate.
Wellness Core Original Chicken & Turkey Formula
Wellness Core Original boasts a high protein content of 40% in the guaranteed analysis, with Deboned Turkey, Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whitefish Meal, and Herring Meal as primary protein sources. The use of ‘meal’ type ingredients among the first five on the list contributes to higher mineral levels, including 1.68% phosphorous and 2.23% calcium on a dry basis. While this formula may be suitable for cats with specific mineral deficiencies, it’s advisable to consult with a veterinarian before selecting it due to its elevated phosphorous and calcium content.
Nature’s Variety Instinct Chicken Formula Review
This formula contains a synthetic source of vitamin K, “Medanione Sodium Bisulfate Complex”, that could be toxic and carcinogenic in high amount. The inclusion of synthetic source of vitamins in cat foods is regulated by the AAFCO, but it’s always better to include natural sources of vitamins in cat foods. The reason for this is that we don’t know the metabolism of your cat and some cats can’t absorb enough of a synthetic source of vitamin, leading to possible imbalances and accummulation in the cat’s organs if feeding a formula with this ingredient in a long term.
Cat Food Formulas Requiring Veterinary Supervision
The following formula contain modified forms of proteins, so it needs a veterinarian supervision to feed a cat, since hydrolyzed diets metabolize differently in comparison to a natural form of animal protein. Feeding a cat with a hydrolyzed diet could lead to health issues without monitoring its effects in the long term.
Dr. Elsey’s CleanProtein Chicken Cat Formula Review
This formula contains proteins sourced from chicken, hydrolyzed pork, pork plasma, and gelatin. Hydrolyzed proteins are broken down into smaller components, making them easier to digest for cats. Some cats require a hydrolyzed protein diet due to dietary sensitivities or allergies, but these diets may lack certain nutrients or have imbalanced nutrient profiles if used long term without proper monitoring. It’s essential for a veterinarian to oversee the cat’s condition to ensure proper management. Without regular check-ups and assessments, it’s challenging to determine if the hydrolyzed diet is meeting the cat’s nutritional needs and effectively managing their health condition.
Wet Cat Food Reviews
While this article primarily focuses on reviewing the best dry cat food formulas, I’ve included a bonus section featuring two wet cat food formulas tested by my cat Sophie, along with their results. Click to learn more about them.
Instinct Original Pate Duck Recipe Canned Food Review Approved!
This wet formula features a pate-type texture, which may require your cat to adjust if they’re not accustomed to this consistency. Notably, my cat had never eaten pate-style wet food before trying this formula, yet she eagerly consumed it when served. An advantage of this recipe is its absence of typical allergens found in cat food, such as seafood, eggs, or chicken. Therefore, if you’re feeding your cat a dry food formula free of allergens and seeking a suitable wet food complement, this option stands out as the ideal choice.
Wellness Healthy Indulgence Shreds Tuna & Shrimp cat food Review Approved!
This wet cat food variety comes in pouches and features a protein with a shredded consistency. I must emphasize that this formula proved to be a lifesaver when my cat refused any wet food containing chicken and turkey—she was simply tired of it. Upon switching to this formula, it was as if my cat transformed overnight; she eagerly devoured her meal, leaving no morsel behind. If your cat is in need of a new flavor in her wet food diet, I highly recommend trying this formula. Based on my experience with my own kitty, you won’t regret it. Remember to always combine dry food with wet food for a perfectly balanced nutritional profile. And if you’ve experienced the frustration of your cat refusing every wet food brand, you’re not alone. I’ve shared my own experience and tips for overcoming this challenge, which may be helpful for you.
In summary, selecting the right cat food formula is essential for your feline friend’s health and well-being. By choosing high-quality, balanced diets tailored to their needs, you can help ensure they thrive and enjoy a long, healthy life. Best of luck in your journey of finding the best cat food for your kitty!
I was told to feed my multiple cats Blue, cat food. It’s dry food but very high in calories. My mother went into a home with dementia and I took her cat who are very over weight. One of them is a diabetic now. I’m afraid it will happen to more of them. The wet food I feed them is Core, they love it.
It’s a good thing to give your diabetic cat wet food from now on. I don’t know what Blue cat food your mom fed the cat but for example, Blue Buffalo indoors formula has 3 different grains in the main 5 ingredients and that could be a cause for the cat being overweight and also diabetic. How a dry cat food will affect a cat is unpredictable, metabolisms and activity level are different between cats. In general cats handle well a good quality and high in proteins dry cat food complemented with wet food, also drinking lots of water, exercising a lot and eating only the recommended amount daily. Thanks for your contribution Debra!!
Hi there! I just wanted to share that I had two of my cats on Blue Buffalo their whole lives and by the time they both turned 3 they both had serious kidney problems (tons of kidney stones visible on an X-ray and UT blockages). I saved one cat with surgery, but within 2 months, my other cat had the same problem. The emergency vet we took him to was exasperated by the number of cats she’s seen with these kinds of problems on Blue Buffalo brand dry food – our regular vet thought our other cat’s kidney problems was from something else. The emergency vet told me Blue Buffalo quality isn’t that good, and it turns out that they got sued in 2014 for lying about their ingredients (class-action lawsuit led to settlement in 2016 – see here: https:// topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/closed-settlements/314897-blue-buffalo-pet-food-ingredients-class-action-lawsuit-settlement/). They have a great reputation at most pet food stores and are usually highly recommended, but this is all based on false pretenses! I had to put my cat down because of his diet!! This should not happen to more people!!
Erin, so sorry about your cat. We had to put our 7yr old cat Wolfie down after he was on Blue Buffalo for 2 years. He developed an intestinal disease and slowly deteriorated. I had no idea what was wrong with him. The vet said a lot of cats only live 7 to 8 years, way too young! The vet never even questioned his diet and I was too upset to think straight. It’s heartbreaking to think I was supplying poison rather than good nutrition for my cat, I still cry over it. I knew nothing about the lawsuit until after Wolf was gone. We feed our new cat, Harley, Acana Grasslands and only the best wet food and filtered water! You are so right, this should not happen to people!!
What’s the only best wet food?
Hi Erin ! I am so sorry that you lost your cat at this young age! Such a shame ! So called hellthy foods are killing out pets!
I hate blue product line you said they are consider high quality but based on false pretenses!
They charge arms and legs for those junks and none our babies so sick that they die!
I do not like wellness either they all have xanthan gum and carrageenan to irritate pets GI tracks!!
I wish we could get some European cat foods in United States!!!
Take care
Process of elimination could be your drinking water too. My beloved Doberman died of mouth cancer n biopsy came back radioactive drinking water n several other dogs too.
My kitties have been on grainfree Blue for 7 years n Vet says great shape. Don’t give my kitties water faucet anymore.
Hi Jean,
I have been feeding my 9 cats Blue (canned and dry) for about 5 plus years and haven’t had any health problems either. I don’t know what everyone is talking about. I was feeding Hill’s Scient Diet which is supposed to be recommended by Vets, and a couple of my older cats kept throwing up.
That is absolutely horrible that your dogs were poisoned by the tap water! It’s a shame how much toxicity is allowed in he public realm , assaulting the general population’s health-and the health of our pets-with no recourse!
I work for a company that recently acquired the wholesale rights to sell these amazing water filters that actually remove radiation from tap water. They’re the only brand that can remove radioactive isotopes from water. Check it out yourself ,it may help you save some serious money while providing your puppies with the high standards they deserve. The website (I work for) is falloutfreewater.com … the science and reviews behind the filter tech can be seen on the parent site (just google ‘Seychelle filter’,go to their homepage) Best wishes!
I live in Midland, Texas, and the tap water here is so hard that it’s undrinkable! Almost everyone has an RO water filter for drinking water and a water softener for bathing! I buy bottled purified drinking water for my own consumption, and that’s what I give to my cats. People who still give tap water to their pets always have trouble with their health. Just to be sure, give your beloved animals bottle purified drinking water!
I agree, I do the same.
Blue buffalo is one of the worst! It contains careggenan in their wet foods that destroy a cats immune system. Dry foods are no better
I agree Ron, that’s why I have never recommended it.
For years, I have made the food for my cats. They have never been to a vet., their coats are glossy and beautiful and their energy is amazing. Squeakers is approximately 7 years old and romps and plays as if she were a kitten. The recipe consists of fresh vegetables( carrots, broccoli, zucchini et cetera) depending on what is in the refrigerator. The veggies are steamed with oatmeal and then added to the blender where two whole garlic cloves, brewers yeast and olive oil are blended together. Once blended, I add this mixture to a 1.88kg can of tuna. She loves this and several times a day when she is hungry, she is fed two heaping tablespoons. Different days. she eats varying amounts. Her diet is supplemented with rodents that are in the forest close to our home.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us Lee. Those rodents I am sure make a big difference.
Garlic to cats?! Why on earth would you add toxic ingredients to their food??
Garlic is toxic for cats!!! And cats are carnivores and should be on an animal-meat (beef, venison, duck, chicken) primary diet. Cats cannot have too much seafood, it doesn’t supply the necessary nutrients in a whole food diet for cats. They can eat fish as maybe one flavor in a variety pack with other non-fish meat options, but their primary food source isn’t fish in the wild. They’re hunter-burrowers, not swimmers.
Look into Young Again foods, available online only. Their customers have been successful in getting Diabetic cats off insulin by feeding their foods, due to low carbs. Also, my overweight cat lost 5.5 lbs on this and has maintained his healthy weight for over 1 year now. Definitely worth looking into.
Hello Brandy, I’ve been pretty busy lately and I know I owe readers lots of reviews that will come soon. I will take a look to that one for sure. Thank you!
Hello, your article and advice is fantastic. I have a rescue cat who is missing a few teeth. Sometimes I think she has a hard time eating the small, hard kibble. Strangely enough, she doesn’t like wet food. I’ve tried them all, from disgustingly unhealthy big Mac of cat foods, fancy feast, to big chunky healthy wet food. Any suggestions on a large kibble for a picky adult, probably about 3ish?
Hello Jodi, since you got a rescue cat most likely she has FHV or something like that which made her to develop this gum disease. Make sure to get your cat check at the Vet since she may be experiencing periodontal disease and that’s why she can’t eat easily. Once cleared up from the Vet send me a message again and we will see what’s the best for her. Hope that helps!
I just wanted to put the I formation out there since you mentioned the FHV… My kitten was born with this and I put colloidal silver in water for two weeks and uncleared up the virus. It’s been over a year and no symptoms whatsoever.
Thanks for sharing this Mindy. I read about that too but I was a little nervous of trying it. Now I know it works without causing cats any problem. Thanks again!
I know this comment was posted a long time ago, but maybe this will help someone else. If your kitty doesn’t like wet food, you can always try raw. Because of the missing teeth, that might be easier to eat. I feed my cats Rad Cat for the majority of their meals, and usually all 5 love it.
Hi, I am just leaving food for thought regarding Blue Buffalo cat food. My big 22lb cat (garage/outdoor kitty) ate BB for several years & he was so buff. He also had tons of energy & would run 20+ feet up the trees just to show off. I rotated the flavors for him on a regular basis. Then all of a sudden & to my surprise; my cat wouldn’t look at BB let alone eat it. I thought perhaps the bag I bought was old or something so I went out & bought him a small bag of his favorite, “rabbit”. He wouldn’t eat it. It has been a year plus now & he still will not touch it. He has always been Mr. Super Detective so I am guessing they changed their formula. He has also been healthy with excellent check ups. No stones or other problems. About the same time he stopped eating BB we brought home another cat & she wouldn’t eat BB either. NONE of the BB brands so I had to switch. Sorry to hear about all the kitties having problems. It is the first I have heard of it.
I don’t know much about Blue cat food but what I do know is I will never use any of their food. Why ? While researching dog food on a very reputable dog food review site, i found that many owners commented on how this dog food killed their dogs, seriously. They all listed the same experience it was an excess of some ingredient I can’t remember what it was but Blue has never omitted fault and few know about it which is shocking but I’ve used this particular website for years with fantastic results and this many pet owners can’t be lying. Even still, why take the chance. I think it’s horrible and now reading these stories I’ll never use it.
omitted means to leave out; admitted is the word to be used in your sentence. Lots of fresh water and remember cats are obligate carnivores. They eat meat. my cats do eat dry mostly to help keep teeth clean but main diet is wet. Yes, loss of teeth is a definite FIV sign but big deal? wanna know what kills more cats than FIV? Euthanizing cats with FIV. I have one w it and he is easier healthier than my other 3 males!
“Easier healthier” ?? Perhaps, just maybe, instead of eviserating others over something you clearly are lacking in yourself, you could graciously share your knowledge….
Is it Kind? Is it True? Is it Necessary? Positive & uplifting trumps Vitriol every time. Feel Better
I had the same experience with BB my cats ate it then all of a sudden stopped eating it and it was a brand new bag. So I had to switch and have been in search of a food all 4 will eat ever since.
It was lead. Huge lawsuit in California. I think their food has some sort of the process done in China. Need I say more?
I am so confused! trying to find the best dry cat food for my 11 cats. I stopped giving them Purina Cat Chow because they were throwing it up. They are doing better now with Good Life, but they have dry skin now so I tried Taste of the Wild but they hate it. I just need a good quality reasonably priced dry cat food! Help! Good Life has too many grains and not enough meat.
Hello Jody, the best cat food depends on various factors but in general Orijen Dry cat food (from Canada) is a very good meat based cat food without grains or carbohydrates in the main 5 ingredients, though the price might discourage you from buying it. Cats food with more reasonable prices usually add grain or carbohydrates such as potatoes in the recipe. If you want a less expensive cat food I recommend you to try Fromm, Chicken Soup For the Soul or Precise Holistic Complete Adult Chicken formula and see if one of those goes well with your cats. Good luck Jody!
I used to give my cats Orijen because it’s probably the best cat food you can buy. However, my cats got constipated from it. Their vet said that there’s too much protein in it and that’s why my cats were getting constipated. Not all cats get constipated, obviously, but, unfortunately, mine did.
I then tried Authority from Pet Smart, but my cats have been shedding like crazy. It’s horrible. I decided to try something else. I have just started them on Blue now, but I’m concerned about some of the ingredients. Below are the first 8 ingredients. Is there anything bad in there? I’m not sure which grains are good and which are bad. I read that it’s OK to give them brown rice. I know that white potatoes aren’t good, though. Anyway, here are the first ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Barley, Fish Meal, Oatmeal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Potatoes, Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols)
Thanks for your help.
Hello Cheryl, grains such as whole ground barley, oatmeal are excellent (keeping in mind they are grains though, cats don’t eat much grains, only inside preys). I cannot say the same about whole potatoes, they are high glycemic, causing sugar peaks in blood. Also, fish meal may not give all the fatty acid and proteins the cat needs, as they don’t indicate type of fish, not big deal if they include omega-3 in the formula, but the problem with fish meal is the high risk for cat from developing urinary tract issues. Average it’s a risky formula if you ask me.
Thanks, Lorena. I really appreciate the information. I knew that potatoes weren’t good, but since they were only the 8th ingredient, I thought that it wouldn’t be too bad considering the other ingredients are so good. Below is a full list of ingredients. Your opinion would be appreciated because I’ve never dealt with this company before. Thank you.
Ingredient List*
Blue Buffalo Cat Food Ingredient List
Deboned Duck, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potato Starch, Fish Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Peas, Potatoes, Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Natural Chicken Flavor, Alfalfa Meal, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, Blueberries, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Turmeric, Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Salt, Caramel, Potassium Chloride, Dried Yeast (source of Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product
I would stay away from Blue Buffalo! Look online for consumers reviews regarding adverse reactions to BB in their cats and dogs. We had to take our older dog off of BB – after giving it to him for a few years – he developed some awful symptoms (excessive thirst and urination are part of it) – now the symptoms are gone and he is doing so much better. We have taken both of our cats and the other dog off of BB as well. Not taking any chances.
Our cat ate Blue-Salmon Recipe dry food and canned and was just diagnosed with hyperthyroid. Cats I’ve learned, are not suppose to eat a fish-based diet. Almost all dry foods have fish something in them.
She use to throw up at times and we didn’t think it was food related but that’s another story regarding her sinus issues.
She’s on all canned food right now, high protein and gets medication for the thyroid. She lost a lot of weight fast when she skipped eating for a few days before her visit to the vet.
I wouldn’t recommend buying the Blue Wilderness Salmon.
I put my cat is eating Rawz mixed with another high end food without grains (don’t remember the name right now) I usually mix a little olive oil 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. into her food every other day or so to prevent constipation and I haven’t had problems with hair balls. I don’t like the petroleum based stuff you can buy for them. Not good stuff, I’m not eating petroleum so she doesn’t either. She’s been getting a little olive oil in her food since she was a baby (I fostered and all 3 got constipated as babies) My vet doesn’t have a problem with this solution. I’ve also heard that coconut oil is good for skin conditions and helps keep fleas off them. I haven’t tried this
Good luck
Our elderly cat developed bowel issues after eating an entire rabbit, all but a small patch of fur and the tail left in the front yard. One (ER) vet wanted to remove a stretched portion of his bowel, but he was 15+ years old
Regular vet recommended 2 things, sprinkle metamucil type fiber on wet food OR add pumpkin to mix of wet and dry food. Cat lived 7 more years with no bowel problems. Died elderly wrapped around his beloved food dish last one night.
We also used pumpkin to add to a very obese cat’s food (named punkin becase she was round!) to help her feel full while adding no calories to a strict diet. She just came in from outside, weight 13.5 now, she is a big-boned girl only slightly over weight, vets are happy with her current size. Be sure to get plain unflavored pumpkin, not pie filling.
Jody I had the same problem feeding Purina and my cats throwing up constantly. I switched to Natural Balance and they rarely throw up (I have 5) anymore. Trying to find a suitable dry cat food is a nightmare. Good luck!
I am suggesting one of the best natural food Grain-free blend for cats makes my cat healthy and happy and no longer needs the awful meat cans he was eating … This brand uses high nutritional standards for my cat with no by product from Holistic Free Blend try it amazing results
Thanks for your suggestion Laskar.
Jody, a lot of cats are allergic to anything with red #40 dye in it. We stopped giving out cats anything with red dye in it (there are a lot) and within a week the throwing up had stopped.
I lost 2 cats to Blue. Both to major continual bladders stones and surgeries Of which more surgeries just was not the thing to do for the 18 year-old cats. It was sad wonderful beautiful pets.
Now have a brand new kitten five months of a rescue from the SPCA. They started her on Purina kitten food. I read the label it says it has chicken is the main ingredient but then it goes on and I think the third ingredient is corn gluten meal.
Some say that’s not a good thing you go on a little bit further and it does contain regular corn, I read an article that corn gluten meal is has no nutritional value or very little and it’s used to “combine kibble“. So I don’t know I’m scared I want to start this kid and I found the best if you search Google for what is the absolute best kitten or cat food on the market it gives you about 12 different cat foods that you’ve never heard of ever!. The SPCA adapt their cats and kittens from Pet supplies Plus they give you a bag of their own kitten food. I started her out on that. She did good on that then somebody told me to switch to health kinfolk actually the SPCA told me to switch to Hills one of the vet techs there told me switch to hills she said the vets here and give them Purina but I give my cat pills so I switch to hills she started violently throwing up I did not switch quickly I waited a two week. Little by little. She ended up back at the SPCA for a week! Now she’s back with me strictly on pure Rena Purina one I think it’s called and she’s doing well but she is a lot! The label says for her weight which is 5 pounds she’s five months old she can eat one cup a day which seems like a lot to me but that’s what I’m giving her I’m looking at the bag now it says number one ingredient is real chicken 0% fillers zero artificial flavors or preservatives. It shows carrots on the front does not list carrots whatsoever it shows white rice which they say has no nutritional value so I don’t know but I will tell you that blue Buffalo killed my first two cats it’s noted for kidney disease! Same thing with my daughter, she still has two cats that she raised on blue Buffalo and they now are on Royal Canaan SD which is a prescription diet which my cats also we’re out until they passed away. And then the question is what kind of wet food to give them! It’s all a crapshoot and it’s sad because as humans we know what’s healthy for us but for our pets, not so much as humans we know we need to eat this this this this and this just stay healthy nobody seems to be consistent and absolutely what an animal needs we know protein is number one but what else? What else besides all the BS we read don’t eat this no corn no corn gluten meal no rice no this know that I’m so tired of it does anybody know the real truth. Sorry I’m rambling I just do not want to lose this little kitten.
Thank you so Macy for sharing your sad experience with this brand regarding your cats. I personally have never recommended this brand due to the same reasons. I hope you can find the best cat food for your baby to stay happy and healthy.
Hello again Cheryl, I personally would not recommend a cat food with potato starch as the 4th main ingredient as this is a cheap filler and could cause digestive problems in your cat and also your pet will gain weight.
You can try Halo if you don’t want to feed your cat with a food that is highly concentrated in meat proteins. Halo may not cause constipation to your cat. Remember that you have to give your cat plenty of water when you feed it with dry food.
Good luck Cheryl!
I bought the Hill’s ideal balance cat food. But my cat refused to eat it. Is there anything wrong with the ingredients?
Chicken, brown rice, yellow peas, brewers rice, pea protein concentrate, chicken fat, dried egg product, flaxseed, chicken liver flavor, lactic acid, vegetable & fruit blend (green peas, apples, cranberries , carrots, broccoli), fish oil, calcium sulfate , choline chloride, potassium chloride, DL-Methionine, iodized salt, taurine, vitamins (Vitamin E supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2 Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, biotin , vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic asid , Vitamin D3 supplement), minerals (Ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), L-Lysine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, phosphoric acid, beta-carotene, natural flavors.
My cat prefers to eat the food that contains meat-by-products. I have tried mixing this new food with the old one, but she refused to eat at all. What should I do? I have tried changing three different types of food. But she still wants the meat-by-products dry food. I didn’t want her to starve, so I gave her the old food and some wet food.
Hello Azra, your cat does not like that food because it is mostly based in carbohydrates and your cat knows it. The first ingredient, Chicken should be followed by chicken meal as second ingredient because that would have given your cat the highly concentrated source of proteins your cat needs and instead, its second ingredient is brown rice. The rest of main ingredients are grains as well. Regarding meat by-products I don’t recommend you to feed your cat with food based in those because that means the meat is any meat, in any condition, it may even include tumors. Try to feed your cat Fromm Game Bird or Chicken Soup or maybe better, Orijen, and tell me how it goes with your cat. Good luck!
Thanks Lorena. So that’s what my cat has been trying to tell me. That the Ideal Balance isn’t good for her as it is full of carbohydrates.
Is Orijen the best brand compared to Wellness Core?
It’s really difficult to get these brands in Malaysia. So I just wanna make sure that I’m giving my cat the best food before I make an online purchase from overseas. Most vets here are selling Royal Canin / Science Plan.
Hi Azra, Orijen is higher in proteins than Wellness Core and it’s one of the best cat foods. One thing I have to mention is when feeding Orijen or any food that is highly concentrated in proteins your cat will eat less because it will be satisfied with less amount of food. Also, it is VERY important to give your cat plenty of water while eating this cat food as most part of the formula is dried concentrated protein and your cat’s body needs to get the water lacked in the dried meat formula. The best idea is to feed Orijen daily and also feed your cat wet canned food three times a week at least and also give your cat plenty of water.
Lorena..
I totally agree with your comment. I have researched tons of foods for my boys and came to the same conclusion. Orijen is the King of dry foods,expensive though. I feed them quality wet twice daily and they nibble on the Orijen.There is no *best* food for every cat. Any food is no good if your cat won`t eat it period.Just about every food available has a horror story from reviewers, u have to take them with a grain of salt and find what works for your cat.
I am happy you agree with me. I must mention that Orijen changed its formula, both American and Canadian.
Do you still recommend Orijen for cats as being the best dry food? It is now made exclusively in the U.S. (Kentucky).
Hello Sandra, Orijen changed the formula not only in the US but also in Canada. On my list the current formulas don’t have the same position as they were previously to the change, they add more minerals and they don’t inform maximum amounts. However, they are still good formulas, just not on the top.
Thank you very much Lorena. I will try it out and let you know the outcome.
Via some advice you gave, I ended up buying a “Feedster” auto cat feeder, and so far I’m pleased with it. Now the question is, we have been feeding our cat Pure Vita Chicken dry food, and he likes it, and does well. The issue is that since the shape of the morsels are triangular, I’m not positive that the Feedster is giving the exact same amount at each setup. Is there a food that has more or less the same % of protein, no grains in the top 8 or 10 ingredients, and has a pellet or round shape to assist the Feedster in deploying the correct amount of food each time?
Hello Fred, what’s about the range of inaccuracy of the dispensing with triangle shaped kibble? If is not too much maybe it would be better to keep that cat food since your cat is doing good with it. Automatic cat feeders, even the most sophisticated, have a range of inaccuracy but this should not exceed 2 or 3% of total daily amount. In the case of the Pet Feedster, the kibble missed or extra kibble dispensed won’t make a difference in the total daily amount because The motor spins only so many times, so if you notice some kibble on breakfast are missing, they’ll be dispensed in next meal.
If you still want to try a new cat food, you can try Wellness Core (grain-free and 45% proteins), just try to feed your cat less food since this cat food is highly concentrated in proteins and make sure to give plenty of water to your cat. The kibble’s size is small and rounded shaped which is suitable to get a better accuracy with the Pet Feedster.
Another good cat food is Innova Nature’s Table Grain-Free Farm-Raised Chicken & Tender Turkey Recipe. The kibble is small and circular as well. It is grain-free, it has 38% proteins and it contains all the essential aminoacids cats need.
I hope I could help!
+UPDATE: HAPPY CAT happycatuk.com/products/happy-cat-supreme/happy-cat-adult-light.html happycat.de/en/home/, happycat.de/en/product/supreme-voralpen-rind/
happycat.de/en/product/minkas-mix/ (Here in Macedonia sell the Germany Happy Cat prodcts, I dont know if UK’s quality is the same as Germany’s.
Hello Blair, I checked every single one of those cat foods and unfortunately none of them have healthy first ingredients. Every single one of them contains in first 5 ingredients whether corn meal, wheat meal, potato flakes, white rice flour. Some of those cat foods have corn, rice or wheat, etc. in 3 of 5 first ingredients, which is very bad for your cat.
If you really need to choose one of these I suggest Farmina Chicken & Turkey, though it still has rice and corn as the 2nd and 3rd ingredient, and they don’t mention how much chicken and turkey. Turkey has less proteins than chicken. They don’t mention percentages of corn either. The other option would be Farmina Fun Cat because it has a defined percent of chicken meal in the first ingredient (25%) but the rest of the formula is limited. I hope I could help!
Hi. My cat, KC, has asthma and, when it flares, she has to take prednisone. After 2 years you can imagine she’s gained ALOT of weight. She weighs about 18-20 pounds. She is still active and chases my other cat, Doc, up and down the stairs and all over the house.
I am at my wits end trying to find an appropriate food. She mostly eats dry food. I know she should have canned which I give her 1/2 of a 3 oz can every morning but she never finishes it no matter what kind it is. If she doesnt like it, she wont eat it. She follows me, staring for hours until I give her more dry food. Because I am gone all day, I cant monitor the amount each one eats. I do know when she runs out, she goes to Doc’s bowl. I can put his up high because she has never liked heights but, he eats hers before going to his.
I have been looking for a low carb, low fat good protein dry food. My questions are:
What matters more, carbs or fat? I cant find any info on that. I’ve found NO carb foods but 22% fat.
What % of crude fat is too much?
What is the maximum carb content that still allows for weight loss?
What % of protein is too much for a male?
Ive considered making their food at home but its confusing and Im afraid I wont include the right supplements.
I am afraid that she will become diabetic if I dont do something soon and am grateful for any suggestions. Price/local availability are not an issue as long as it can be ordered online and shipped.
Hello Beth, if your cat is overweight, try to eliminate dry food for now from her diet. You have to eliminate dry food progressively, not all at once, her weight loss has to be in a rate of 1-2% of its body weight per week.
The healthiest canned foods are Addiction, Authority, Avoderm. Though they’re expensive, they’re one of the best. The cheapest one is Avoderm, check the product here.
Cats don’t really need carbohydrates, they need the energy from proteins and fat. Along with a canned food diet, you have to make sure your cat has plenty of toys to play with, so she is moving all day, exactly how she would be doing in the nature and of course plenty of water, though canned food has a very good source of it.
Try to stick with canned food until she has lost weight. If you can’t afford expensive formulas like the ones I mentioned, in the future once she has lost weight, try to feed her very little amounts of a meat based dry food as Orijen (approx. 1/8 per day) mixed with canned food. Orijen is so high in proteins that it will make her fill satisfied with less amount and the canned food will give her the water she needs. I know it is not a cheap alternative, but it is the only way you can make your cat lose weight in a healthy way.
Regarding the question about nutritional requirements, cats eat mostly birds and mice in the wild. As an example, mice have 6.3% fat, 1.7% carbohydrate, 19% protein in the whole body. Consider that cats eat more than one mouse a day.
I hope I could help you!
Hi Lorena,
Based on first 4-6 ingredients, isn’t wellness Core better than Authority? Just looking for your opinion. Thanks.
Hello joanna, Authority has 3 carbs in the first 5 ingredients and I am not friend of potatoes in the 5 first main ingredients at all, I just don’t like potatoes for cats. However, the ingredient Dried Beet Pulp helps with the cat’s digestion and it has chicken meal as the second ingredient which is good because it’s pure concentrated protein (Wellness Core has chicken meal as the third ingredient, the first two “deboned turkey” and “deboned chicken”are weighed before extraction of water, so the protein amount is lower). In general I would go with Wellness Core anyway but make sure your cat eats wet food and drinks lots of water because of the fish content. Hope that helps!
Hello
My cat also has feline asthma. I’ve managed to get her on to an inhaler and you wouldn’t believe how much of a difference it makes. She’s so much happier, has lost loads of weight and her breathing is really good. Long term use of tablet steroids can cause so many problems for internal organs/diabetes. I highly recommend switching to inhaled steroids. Happy to chat…
Hello again. As i said before here in Macedonia i cant find high quality.
Hello Blair, the cat food can’t have white rice, potatoes, bananas, maize or maize flour in the first 5 or 6 ingredients. None of those are healthy for your cat.
I have 2 cats we rescued and one has asthma. I had them on Blue dry food and that was good for the one with asthma but it made the other cat’s poop stink really bad, very strong oder.
I switched to Merrick grain free but now the attacks are starting up again and I am about to switch foods to stop the attacks but I am not sure what I should try next and wondering if I should give him supplements to help. Any advice would be appreciated greatly
Hello Gabriella, this cat foods are in general for healthy cats, but I am not sure about cats with asthma, what I know is that any cat food with fish may increase the attacks. Maybe your Vet might guide you with the right type of food for your cat so you don’t take chances with your poor baby. Here you can read a good article about diet in cats with asthma, click here. Hope I could help you!
Hi,
I am so confused in choosing the best food for my cats. With all the vets and cat food vendors’ opinions, I’m a bit lost. I have a 17pounds and 13 years old male and a 9 years old a bit overweight female. They are on NOW Senior at the moment. I had a look at your top review but I can’t find the perfect one. My cats are clearly overweight. They’re indoor cats that like to play but like all indoor cats, they’re unactive most of the time. Plus the vet told us that our male has a bit of urinary deficiency but that’s probably due to his age. Also sometimes our male has a bit of fresh blood in his feecies. Probably a bit constipated? I don’t know.
Well for the food, I would choose Orijen but you mentionned probably not good for unactive cats that are overweight. I’m trying to cut their weight down. I feed them 3/4 – 1 cup a day and I feel that I shouldn’t give them less. If I do, they hardly suggest me to put some more and it becomes highly annoying after a couple of days.
I’d like to feed them with an organic, all aminoacid required and good for their condition food. Price isn’t a matter but of course I wouldn’t mind a few not too expensive options. Quality is the main priority for me. I wouldn’t mind giving dry and wet food at the same time. Please I need someone that knows what he’s talking about to help me take a decision.
Hello Frederic, I would like to talk about your cats calories needs first. In general an active adult cat needs about 30 calories per pound per day. A cup of dry food contains 300 calories and a 6 Oz can of canned food about 250 calories, so you can calculate if your cats are eating the right amount by dividing your cats weight by 30. Now if you want your female cat to lose weight you need to feed her less calories per day based on this numbers, the best rate for your cat to lose weight is from 1% to 2% of her weight by week, no more than that. Now about foods. In general dry foods aren’t very good for overweight cats but you can accomplish a good mixed diet for your cats combining dry and wet food and getting the best of both types. Dry food makes your cats feel satisfied with less, especially a cat food like Orijen that is highly concentrated in proteins and wet food gives your cats more water and crude proteins, essential for their nutritional needs and digestive system. You can find good quality canned foods such as Addiction, Authority, Avoderm, (they are expensive). I suggest you to start with a 70% canned wet food and a 30% dry food and the total amount of calories according of what you want for your cats, either to maintain their weights or make them lose weight.
Regarding your male cat having fresh blood in his feces maybe you should take him to the Vet, just to make sure he has not developed something bad in his intestine.
It’s normal to feel confused as you do because there isn’t any agreement about what is the best food for cats and even if there is such as thing “the best cat food”. It’s true that cats in the wild eat only crude meat from little preys, but it is also true some of them die from various diseases which is part of wild life. We have to try to do our best to feed our cats healthy, but it’s also very important in trying to give them the elements they lost from being indoor, which is physical activity, mental stimulation and regarding diet, good quality of proteins and lots of water. I hope I could help you.
Thank you so much! I will follow your recommendations! :)
I am trying to find an “excellent” food to feed all 3 of my cats: 2 females and 1 male. One of the females has a sensitive stomach. Dr. Gary’s Best Breed has been recommended. Any thoughts?
Hi Sue, I checked Dr. Gary’s Best Breed composition and this cat food is suitable for a cat with a sensitive stomach. Dried beet pulp is an excellent source of fiber with a good ferment-ability that helps the intestinal bacteria to clean the colon. With cellulose, dried beet pulp makes a good combination for the cat’s digestive system and weight control. Though this cat food is suitable for your sensitive cat, I would not recommend it for the other two cats because the first ingredients are not the ones of a normal cat diet (brown rice, Sorghum, dried beet pulp, cellulose, etc.), only the first ingredient chicken meal is protein so I would not recommend it for the other two cats.
In addition to this dry food recipe, I recommend you to complement it with wet food to give your sensitive cat more crude proteins and the water needed in her diet, considering the amount of fiber included in the dry food. A good canned wet food for your cat with sensitive stomach is Addiction Venison or Brushtail.
For the other two cats, a good dry food is whether Orijen or Acana and a wet canned food I would suggest is Avoderm which is good and cheaper than Addictive. Good luck!
Hi Sue,
I have the same situation. Three cats, 1 male and 2 females. All siblings that I found in my back yard 3 years ago at the tender age of maybe 3 weeks. I fed them with an eye dropper, progressed to wet food and then to dry food over the course of 6 months. I experimented with many dry foods. There are many out there for sure. My cats are indoor cats so feeding them the right blends to keep them healthy, lean and “hairball-free” is important. I have come up with this mixture which they love: 20% Science Diet Indoor (don’t like that there is a lot of grain in it but it seems to keep the coats shiny and absolutely no hairballs); 40% Holistic Primitive Feline; 40% Blue Wilderness Salmon or Chicken recipes. These are the healthiest cats I have ever had. No throwing up, no hairballs, totally healthy litter box habits. I raised them to drink lots of water and have water dishes all over the place. I just brought them to the vet for their yearly check-up and he said whatever you are doing keep doing it.
Cheers.
Great reviews – comprehensive, yet easy to utilize. Thanks!
What about wet food? Do you have a similar review?
I am planning to do the same for wet canned food because the healthiest diet for cats in my opinion includes both, dry and wet. Thanks for your nice comment Dorothy!
Thank you for this info, I put my cat on Acana Prairie last month, he is no different in behaviour and his coat is still silky. I am also feeding him less then daily limit ( he dictated this) but he has picked up a bit of weight. Is this normal?
I believe that it this was a good move. It is expensive, but if I am prepared to try eat free-range and organic why shouldn’t I buy the best I can afford for him. I couldn’t afford the Orijen, but this seems to be pretty good too!
Hello Michelle, Acana and Orijen are both excellent dry cat foods. As these foods are highly concentrated in proteins, you have to feed your cat much less as you are doing. If your cat is gaining some weight try to reduce the intake and mix his diet with canned food and making him exercise more. Dry cat foods usually make indoor cats gain some weight, either because they add too much carbs or grains or too concentrated protein or animal fats. That’s why we need to find the best balanced point between dry and wet food, give lots of water to our cats, plenty of exercise is essential with all indoor cats.
I don’t have Acana Wild Prairie on my list but Acana Wild Prairie and Acana Grassland are both recommended for indoor/outdoor cats or very active indoor cats because their 5th ingredient is chicken fat (Wild Prairie) and duck fat (Grassland). What dry food were you feeding your cat previously?
Thanks for sharing your experience!
We have four cats. Two are rescue stray males who are estimated to be two and four years old. We have an older male orange tiger kitty who is about seven and then one female long haired kitty who is fifteen. Currently we have them on purina complete as a friends breeder told us this was a great brand. However, the older female has hair balls frequently and has trouble with hard stools. The male cats frequently vomit up food. Is there a better option that wouldn’t cost too much as all of the cats are active and eat quite a bit. Thanks!
Hello Ahsley, I checked the recipe and I saw it contains by-product poultry and corn. These are not good ingredients for cats. By-product meats contain any meat, it might even include tumors (not saying this particular formula does). Unfortunately the cat foods listed here are not in the low price range. I suggest you to try Innova Nature’s Table Grain Free Turkey & Chicken for your kitties, though, it does not fit the price you need.
For the range of 25 to 29 dollars (12 to 15 lbs) you will find cat foods containing more than 3 carbs/grains in the first 5 ingredients such as the brand you mentioned. For that matter I suggest you to try Organix Healthy Adult Cat Food that contains organic chicken and organic chicken meal. You can check the complete list of ingredients here. Good luck!
Could you review Boreal dry cat food? I’ve been experimenting with various dry and raw.
My vet encouraged me to get back on dry food for preventative dental care, I guess. She sent me home with a bag of Royal Canin dental something/something. But I’ve run out and the price is prohibitive.
I just bought Boreal today. The ingredients look good and the price was right. And, happily/shockingly my cat gobbled it up- he just attacked this dry food! (or it may just be because he misses his dry food, as he’s been exclusively on raw for the last week or so).
How does Boreal compare?
I will review Boreal, thanks for your info.
Thanks so much — I am looking forward to reading it. Your reviews are really terrific and very clear. Thanks so much for all your work!
Hi, is there any reviews on Boreal?
Not at the moment, Kim. Maybe I can help you with some ingredients if you tell me.
Greetings!
I came across this forum while researching kibble size and thought you might have some input on the subject.
My menagerie includes a devon rex, an 18 lb. manx, a red point siamese, a norwegian, and a 7 mth old sphynx kitten. After much research I settled on the Acana and I buy all 3 flavors and rotate them daily. I usually leave Nature’s Variety Instinct out for my sphynx since the kibble is smaller. That being said, does kibble size really matter? She seems to eat the Acana just fine but she is only 7mts and I am a worry wart.
As far as wet, my adults get the regular Nature’s Recipe every evening (they refuse to eat the grain free one) and I give my sphynx Nature’s Variety Instinct as the protein content is higher. I can’t seem to find one they all agree on so this seems to work. Any advice or suggestions?
Thank you!
Hi Bella, when it comes to kibble size for kittens, it needs to be big enough so when the kitten chews on them, it creates a brushing effect on its teeth. Additionally, when a cat takes longer chewing the food, it slows the digestion, aiding the digestive process. If your kitten is eating Acana “kittens & adults” and he or she is comfortable eating it, and if it has not vomited, I would not worry much more.
Regarding wet canned food, try Addiction NZ Venison & Apples Entree Grain Free Cat Food. It comes in cans of 6 Oz and it’s sold in packs of 24 cans. It’s a sensitive formula, free grain and gluten, low in cholesterol, no artificial preservatives or fillers.
Good luck!
Hello. I reside in British Columbia Canada, do you know if “go” cat food is any good? I’m totally blind and cannot rad the ingredients. Sorry about the insane question.
Hello Kerri, Petcurean Go! is a good cat food, after Orijen, Acana and Innova (even though Innova contains carbs but all the aminoacids cats need) the Peticurean Go! it’s one of the best. Its main first ingredients are: Chicken meal, de-boned chicken, de-boned turkey, duck meal, turkey meal.
Hello, I adopted 2 male cats 6 months in age from the humane society and started feeding them Go! .. they like the food but I’ve noticed they both have extremely bad gas!, they also have extremely stinky bowel movements..is this because of the food? Do you think it is a food intolerance?.. they have been eating it for probably 2-2.5 weeks now. Think I should make a vet trip?
You should feed them wet food and dry food in a proportion of 50%/50% for male cats. Also, you must make sure they drink lots of water every day and if they don’t, get a water fountain to encourage them to drink more. If the problem of gas and smelly feces still persists, take them to the Vet. My cat has been on GO for over a year and she does great with it, but the key is feeding the cat good quality wet food as well and make them drink a lot of water.
Because of my schedule I have to continue to free feed my two middle-aged indoor cats dry food, but I can afford a better brand now. They aren’t very active but they have always maintained healthy weights. However, they don’t seem to drink much water so I worry that some of these brands might constipate them. Advice for upgrading from grocery store brand to a better dry food? I live near Washington DC.
Hello Signe, my suggestion is trying to get a good canned wet food for your cats and mix it with dry food. This way they will get more water and some healthy vegetables from the food which will avoid constipation and will help their digestion. A good brand of canned food is Addiction. Dry food that I would recommend is Orijen, Petcurean or Acana. When mixing wet food with dry food you have to give more percentage of wet food in the mixing. Good luck!
Try buying a water fountain, and make sure you place it in an area away from their food. Cats like running water, and it will encourage them to drink more.
Lisa is exactly right, an automatic water fountain will entice your cats to drink more water.
Why does the water fountain need to be away from their food?
Hi Ashley, cats prefer having the water away from their food. Some cats don’t mind, but most cats like drinking water in a different spot where the food is.
Between my schedule and the wildly different eating habits of the two cats mixing wet food with dry hasn’t worked out at our house.
Does this mean I should just stick with the grocery store brand? It sounds as if upgrading to a premium dry food without adding wet food isn’t a good idea.
The ideal diet for a cat is a mixed diet with wet and dry food. But if you can’t feed your cats wet food then I would suggest you to feed your cats with one of the foods I mentioned previously, reduce their intake a little bit since these foods are high in proteins, and give your pets lots of water.
I have been feeding my cat California Naturals Chicken and Brown Rice dry food. I am a fan of this product as it’s list of ingredients is minimal and does not contain a lot of fruits, vegetables or fillers. It is a good protein source.
I have just found out that this product will no longer be carried in Canada.
Have been doing much research on a replacement food and am not able to narrow down a new dry cat food that is mostly meat based and not loaded with a lot of unnecessary extras…
Hello Alan, Orijen, Acana and Innova are excellent dry cat foods, with no fillers or grains, such as brown rice. I don’t know if their ingredients have the simplicity you’re looking for, but they’re good formulas.
Hi Lorena… thanks for getting back to me.
I have looked at the Orijen but it seems to be filled with an “abundance” of fruits and vegetables.
Innova will no longer be available in Canada.
What are your thouts on Natural Balance or Natro Natural Choice?
Thinking of Wellness Core but it says it is deficient in Amino Acids.
Where can one get Amino Acids to give as a supplement?
Yes, you can get aminoacid supplements, what I’ve seen so far is only L-lysine and methionine. When you look for a limited ingredients cat food you will necessary have to switch from fruits or vegetables to carbs because a dry cat food can’t be made only with proteins. Personally, I prefer fruits or vegetables further down the list than carbohydrates as part of the first ingredients (which is the case of Natural Balance which contains peas as 1st ingredient and pea proteins as 4th) Nutro Cat food contains brewers rice, pea protein and whole brown rice in main 5 ingredients so I would not recommend it either.
But to get the most suitable cat food it’s a searching process so I understand if you want to find the most suitable for your cat, according to its taste. Good luck!
Hi Lorena,
Have you reviewed Nulo? My vet recommended it, otherwise I wouldn’t have known to look for it. I think its ingredients are a good quality, and my kittens (almost a year now) absolutely love it.
No Marie, but I am planning to make more reviews for more type of cats with various conditions and I will consider Nulo, thanks for the info.
Hi there, have you review Nulo yet? I have a Ragdoll cat and was recently given a free sample at an event I attended. My cat seems to love it and I am considering switching to the Nulo brand. Any thoughts?
Although a great research, and a lot of my faith in the quality of the mentioned products, I have a cat at home with allergies to chicken, turkey and fish.
That leaves out eggs and any… well…fish! thumbs down to all companies who take great care of putting lamb and duck even pheasant, but add fish… boy do dogs have royal treatment regarding hypoallergenic ingredients… I’m very frustrated as a cat mom, and am sticking to Natural Balance Duck LID, wether I agree with the ingredient or not is relative to my kittie’s confort. Thumbs down for the quality of hypoallergenic food from vets also…
Why hasn’t anyone talked about Young Again Zero Carb cat food? I don’t even see it on the list and this food appears to be the best dry cat food out there with lowest carbs and high meat value. I am waiting on samples for this cat food to give to my diabetic cat and the rest of my babies.
Thanks for your contribution Ryan. I will make sure to review that cat food.
I have a cat that is over weight and now her skin is dry. I was feeding her evolve. But switched to hills weight management. I believe that’s what’s giving her dry skin. She is not very active even when we play with her. I’ve been reading like crazy to see what food would be best for her. I also check everything to see if they have ever been recalled. What would you suggest for over weight, indoor, and dry skin cat? Thank you
Hello Allison,
There are several reasons why your cat might be developing dry skin. The most common are: 1) Poor nutrition. Some cat foods don’t have a good balance of proteins, carbs, fats, vitamins, minerals, essential aminoacids. 2) Overweight. When cats get fat, they can’t clean themselves as they did when they were skinny and flexible. 3) Age. As cats get older, they lose flexibility as well. 4) Bathing the cat too often.
More reasons for dry skin could be diabetes, infections, allergy, dry winter air or other issues. Maybe you should take your cat to the Vet to check your cat’s health. To answer your question, you can try for now with Orijen Cat & Kitten, mixed with AvoDerm Natural Tuna and Chicken with Vegetables (40% dry 60% wet). But I recommend you to take your cat to the Vet, because with its symptoms it might be developing other issues.
Good luck!
Thank you I will try the food. She just has more dandruff or dander then I’m used to seeing. She is almost two. She seems hungry all the time. I’m thinking I’ll move her food bowl to a Less busy area as that may be stressing get out and try the food. I’ll bring her to the vet as well. Thank you
You’re welcome Allison!
Hi Lorena,
Thank you so much for all your reviews!! I just adopted a cat two weeks ago (my first pet ever :)) and I wish I would have come across your website earlier, because all of your reviews, such as your reviews on the best rated automatic litter boxes, are right on point!!! I bought the “scoop free” because it was rated the best on many other sites, and I am a bit disappointed, after reading your reviews, I can’t believe how accurate your reviews on it were.
She was on Iams, and taking your advice, I just purchased the Orijen. Today is day number two on switching her out of it. So far, so good. Many people have told me to stick mainly to dry food, because of her gum health, but reading your articles, I really do want to take your advice, and switch her to dry and wet foods, it makes sense.
My question is, what is the ratio of dry to wet that I should serve? And how many times a week, do I serve her both? Is the dry/wet combo a daily thing?
Lastly, one of the main reasons I was told to stay away from wet food is because of “all the dental problems that will develop over the years, such as gingivitis”. Clearly, you don’t agree with this theory. With that being said, should I brush her teeth? If so, how often? I just took her to the vet, hoping that they would also take a look at her teeth/brush them, but they didn’t.
Thanks for all of this advice! You are great! Keep writing!! You are my #1 resource (for a lost, first-time pet owner)!!
Thank you for your nice comment Liz, I am happy I can help you with my reviews, that is my main goal to help people with honest and comprehensive reviews. Regarding your cat, I think cats should have a mixed diet with dry and wet food, because by only drinking water they don’t get enough water intake that cats need (which they get from preys in the wild). You can give your cat 50% wet food and 50% dry food if your cat is not overweight or 40% dry food and 60% wet food if she is a little overweight. Switch to this percentage slowly, in a week period. The mixed diet must be in a daily basis. One thing I need to mention, Orijen is a very high in proteins dry cat food so make sure not to feed your cat too much with this food. Try with a little less than 1/2 cup dry food and a little less than 3 Oz can wet food in total as daily intake. Keep me posted how she does.
Regarding your cat teeth, you can brush your cat’s teeth with cotton swabs and a small toothbrush, using toothpaste formulated for felines. You can also use salt and water. Ask your Vet for recommended brands of toothbrush and toothpaste. Don’t use people toothpaste. Good luck Liz and keep me posted!
Hi Lorena,
Thank you so much for your reply. I have started feeding her the wet food about a week ago, and she is OBSESSED with it! However, because I am not home for about 10-12 hours during the work week, it is hard for me to leave the wet food out. Currently, I am leaving her the dry food out for when I am away (1/2 cup of Orijen), and when I come home, I feed her a 3oz can of wet cat food. I am also giving her “Omega-3 Nexus” liquid supplement in her food (to help with her shedding). When I first adopted her she was shedding like crazy, and she still is, odd being that she is a short haired breed!
Since, she loves the wet food so much, I am considering giving her a 3oz can in the mornings before I leave for work, and then a 3oz can in the evenings. Then leaving out the dry food for when I am not home. I am concerned though, that if I go away for a weekend, that she will not do well on only dry food, being that she was used to getting a can of wet food in the mornings and evenings. What do you think?
Also, in your previous reply, you stated, that Orijen is very high in proteins and not to feed her too much with this food. Does that mean that I should mix Orijen with Acana (your next favorite) on a daily basis?
About your recommended wet food brands-I went online to Addictions’ website and visited the store near me that stated they had it. When I went there, they stated they no longer carried it, however, the store manager recommended Weruva (the carrageenan and grain free version) as the best. Are you familiar with this brand? I only want to feed her the best. Money is not a concern. I have been trying to do my own research, but have not been very successful (and my vet recommended only dry food for her teeth).
The second brand you mentioned, Authority, is it the one that’s only sold at PetSmart? That’s the only one I was able to locate. Lastly, how do you feel about eventually incorrportating raw food in her diet?
Here are the ingredients of Gracie’s favorite Weruva canned food (so far):
Water sufficient for processing, chicken (boneless, skinless breast), beef, pumpkin, potato starch, sunflower seed oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Xanthan gum, Calcium Lactate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate(Vitamin B1), Nicotinic Acid (Vitamin B3), Ferrous Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, Pottasium Iodine, magnesium Sulfate, Vitamin D3 supplement, Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), pyridoxine Hydochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 supplement
Sorry about all the questions and thank you soooo much!!
Sorry for not answering this, I just saw your question. When I mentioned about not feeding your cat too much with Orijen I mean not the same amount as if you were feeding your cat with regular not Premium cat food. Little less than 1/2 cup daily and 3 Oz can it is the intake for a day. I don’t think you should have a problem leaving the refrigerated canned food in a good automatic cat feeder such as Feed and Go. Plus, you can feed your cat whenever you want from your smartphone if you are away. Check my review about this product.
Checking the ingredients of Weruva recipe I get to the conclusion it is a food cat food, but not for feeding your cat twice a day with it. It contains sunflower oil which is fat, although a good fatty acid, but still fat, and potato starch which is carbohydrates. If your cat is alone probably does not do much exercise. Try to feed your cat only 3 Oz by day plus Orijen and get her toys to keep her busy with games while you are not home.
The rest of the ingredients of the formula are OK. If you get an automatic cat feeder such as Feed and Go you may be able to mix every other tray with wet and dry food up to 3 days if feeding your cat twice a day.
Hope I could help you Liz.
Hi Lorena, I have four cats, all rescue mixed breeds, aged 7, 6, and two aged 13 months. They won’t eat Wellness (any of the line), Evo, Blue, Natural Balance or any of the Nutro line. They LOVE Beyond by Purina, I looked very carefully at the ingredients and as far as I can see, they comply with what you recommend. I also feed them one large can of Petguard Chicken and Beef between them in the evening. They have 3 huge water bowls placed around my apartment and they drink a LOT of water, which I am happy about. Could you tell me, please, if you think I am doing things right here. So far so good, no adverse reactions, and the price of Beyond is pretty reasonable. Thank you!
Hello Sue, what are the ingredients of the Purina you are feeding your cats?
Hi Lorena, thanks for your reply. Here are the ingredients for Beyond.
Chicken, chicken meal, pea protein, dried egg product, whole barley, whole brown rice, whole oat meal, dried yeast, beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, dried beet pulp, natural liver flavor, dried carrots, dried sweet potatoes, dried apples
Essential Nutrients Added for a Complete and Balanced Meal
phosphoric acid, salt, sodium bisulfate, taurine, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, potassium chloride, choline chloride, calcium carbonate, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, copper sulfate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite. C-4260
I’d be really appreciative if you could comment on what you think. As I mentioned, they are all four of them rescues who came to live with me at those various times, and had been fed whatever they feed them at rescues. (Whatever it is, I thank the rescues anyway!). I’ve tried the same variations of top end food with all of them and they all responded well to Beyond while turning up their noses at more expensive foods. No loose stools, not much smell in the stools, which is nice when you live in a condo.
If you can recommend a better food, I’ll try it with them, or perhaps a supplement. I also tried the refrigerated raw food that they sell in the pet stores and they wouldn’t touch it.
Thank you so much.
Sue
Hello Sue,
I am going to analyze the 5 first ingredients. I am not going to claim this brand has exactly what I am going to describe to you, I am only going to tell you how usually these elements are in the industry of pet foods.
Chicken has almost 80% water in muscles, adding weight to the proportion of proteins but it’s really adding water weight to that proportion. Chicken meal is an excellent concentrated source of proteins for cats. Pea protein is a good source of vegetable protein, it does not add too much carbs to the cat diet since it’s only proteins. Dried egg product is a cheap source of protein, usually waste product of egg industry, and it is free of shell. Whole barley is a very good source of dietary fiber and it is low in gluten, it does not cause allergy to cats.
The first 5 ingredients seems OK, except for dried egg product that could have been a source of meat protein instead. Pea protein is a good starch. I have a little problem with the 6th ingredient whole brown rice, I don’t like rice for cats.
Regarding nutritional info provided, I can see 2 of 11 essential aminoacids (Lysine, taurine) in the formula which means this formula is for a maintenance diet. If your cats like this food and they don’t accept higher quality ones, I would suggest you to keep feeding them with it, but adding a high meat based canned food to their diet as well.
In case they have not tried either Orijen or Acana, I would suggest you to try one of them if you are willing to try better alternatives for your cats. Good luck!
Hello Lorena, thank you so much for your detailed response. I just ordered a 13 pound bag of Beyond last week, so I will let them get through that and then I am going to try Acana – they did not like Orijen too much when I gave it to them, it’s funny how they all copy each other – if one doesn’t like a food, the rest follow suit. As Beyond is fairly budget friendly, if they don’t like Acana, I will keep them on it. I do feed them a large can of PetGuard chicken and beef dinner every evening, (I haven’t seen that anywhere except WholeFoods but it’s pretty reasonably priced and seems to have good ingredients) so they are getting a reasonable amount of wet food – and they are good water drinkers, all of them because I have watched them a lot to see who drinks where in my home, and they all like the fresh water but they, funnily, like it in different locations! I have three huge bowls of water in three different places in my apartment.
Thank you again and will let you know how the Arcana works out, I looked it up and it looks great, a bit pricey, but I know that cats eat less of the “better” foods, so it works out about the same!
Sue :)
That sounds perfect Sue, keep me posted.
I have 4 cats currently eating Purina One Indoor Advantage dry catfood. 1 of them throws up the food still in whole pieces. He doesn’t eat much of it just a few bites and he’s done. He doesn’t throw up right away. I know it’s not a good brand so I am reaching out to find a better brand to feed them. Thanks for your help.
Hello Jennifer, I would suggest you to try either Orijen or Acana and Go+ as third option. If feeding with any of these cats foods, you have to feed them less amount since these foods are highly concentrated in meat proteins. Additionally, you need to add wet canned food to their diet and provide your pets lots of water. Good luck!
Have you done any research on Evangers Whitefish and Sweet potato dry cat food? It’s made in Illinois and our dogs love it, was wondering if the cat version is as good? Thanks in advance.
Yes Trish, it’s on the list.
Hello Lorena,
Do you have any comments on Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals Formula for Cats & Kittens (Blue Pack)?
The first 5 ingredients listed are “Chicken Meal, Chicken, Brown Rice, Chicken Fat, Pearled Barley…”
I see that Brown Rice & Barley are listed, is that bad?
Thanks!
Hello Aaron, chicken meal is listed first which means the protein level is higher. The second ingredient chicken does not provides much % of proteins but they provide a crude source of protein (not cooked to high temperature and pulverized). Also, it means the cat will need more water and canned wet food in its diet. Regarding the analysis of the ingredients, you can check my answer to Sue. Chicken fat it’s OK since cats eat fat in the wild, but they also are more active so you will need to exercise your cat if it’s indoor. Brown rice could have been replaced for a source of proteins such as turkey or a carb like pea. I am not particularly fan of rice for cats. I don’t know the aminoacids the formula contains so I don’t know if this is for a maintenance diet. In general it’s a good formula for a very active cat, providing canned wet food and lots of water. I hope I could help you!
Do you have any information regarding the cat food Life’s Abundance? Both dry and wet cat food? I’m bringng home a kitten in the next few weeks and trying to find a great dry and wet cat food. My breeder recommended Life’s Abundance but the ingredients list doesn’t look like it’s all that. Some sources saying to absolutely NEVER feed dry food while others say to only feed raw. Someone told me never to feed only wet food because their teeth will fall out! I’m confused. Help!
Hello Chelsea! I have not reviewed Life’s Abundance cat food, I will check it out and see what its ingredients are.
Regarding what it’s the best to feed your cat, you will always find different opinions about how to better feed a cat and the reason is because cats are suppose to live in the wild and not indoors so we somehow by changing their natural living, have to change their diet as well. We need to provide dry food because it is a concentrated source of proteins (if the food is good) and it helps with cat’s teeth, they do the job that bones would in the wild inside prey. Cats need wet food because it provides crude source of proteins and water. By only drinking water cats don’t get enough to be healthy. Raw food it’s OK but it is frozen and still processed so if we want to get closer to how cats eat naturally in the wild, frozen food it’s not the best answer either. You have to make a decision based in your personal conviction and investigation. Hope I could help you!
Thank you, that does help! If you wouldn’t mind taking a look at Life’e Abundance I would most appreciate it. I also have available to me the Fromm cat food products as well as Merrick and a couple of other’s listed on the top 5 list. Again, thank you!
Hello! I am very intrigued by all of the information you have posted. I have a multi-cat household (10+) and I am trying to find a well balanced dry food that they can nibble on through the day. I do feed them canned wet food twice a day as well and they have water fountains and bowls throughout the house. I want to make sure they are drinking plenty of water (as you have mentioned).
I always thought a higher protein content in the cat food was a positive thing. I am feeding them a higher protein food,however, from what you have stated, by-products in the foods are not a good thing at all. I feel bad that I am feeing my cats a bad food now. Ingredients are: Turkey, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal, soybean meal, brewers rice, whole grain corn, fish meal, soy protein isolate, soybean hulls, dried yeast, powdered cellulose, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, animal liver flavor, phosphoric acid, caramel color, salt, calcium carbonate, taurine, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, potassium chloride, zinc sulfate, L-Carnitine, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite. It has 42% protein which I thought was a plus. I am now reading that Brewers Rice is a terrible item for food too.
I am willing to spend a bit more on food, but I can’t spend too much. I saw that you recommended “Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul Adult formula” for someone in a comment earlier that had multiple cats. This has 34% protein. I know that having too many carbs and fillers can (from what I have read) contribute to the onset of diabetes, so I am trying to find a food that has a good balance for my cats.
I have tried some of the more expensive brands in the past years (Orijen, Merrick, etc.) but not all of my cats liked it.
Any insight you have on my situation would be a great help.
Thank you!
Hello Renee, High protein in cat foods it’s a good thing. What I mean is that I prefer not to feed cats by-products meats because they are not high quality, they may include any part of the poultry, beaks, feathers, feet, wattles and combs. Turkey does not provide high quality of proteins, chicken is much better. Soy, corn and rice are not good for cats. I am not against any food or brand, I am just stating some facts about what I consider not good for cats. You are doing right giving your cat wet food and plenty of water.
I suggest you to try Petcurean Go! Fit + Free Grain-Free and tell me how your cats likes it. Hope I could help!
I just bought M. P. Bistro dry chicken flavored cat food for my two boys, because they were both throwing up the Natural Balance cat food and I don’t trust the Natural Balance brand now. Is this Merrick brand a decent brand? I didn’t see it listed.
Thx
Hello Meg, as all grain-free cat foods, this one has carbohydrates (dry potatoes) as 4th ingredient, which could be further down on the list. In general it is a good formula but make sure your cat makes a lot of exercise because carbs make cats gain weight. If your cat is already overweight, cat foods with high glycemic ingredients (potatoes) within 5 first are not recommended.
First off I just wanted to thank you for taking so much time to reply to all these questions! What an amazing resource you’ve been!
My cat is about 1.5 years old and he is FIV positive. I’ve been doing lots of research on a raw diet but my vet is against it because of his FIV. I know wet food is better so now he is on Tikicat. Since I rescued him he’s been on Blue Buffalo but in January I tried to switch him to Wellness Core. It gave him diarrhea AND constipation which didn’t go away for weeks! I tried switching him to Tikicat completely but it seems to still cause him constipation. I check his stools and they are very hard and he only goes every 2-3 days! I’ve taken him to the vet and since his behavior is completely normal otherwise, my vet can’t figure it out either. But he’s definitely straining when he tries to poop.
I’m really concerned and I’m not sure what to do at this point.
Any insight would be much appreciated.
Thank you!
Hi Nicole, does your cat drink enough water?
Yes, when he was on dry food he would drink from a water bowl and peed 1-2 times a day. now that he’s on wet food he no longer drinks from a water bowl but he pees 3-4 times a day and the urine is much more clear. He’s never had any trouble with urine.
There is an interesting debate if raw food is good for cats with FIV or not good. Some people say raw food it is fine as long as it is HPP treated and if the cat’s white blood cell count is NOT high. It is not easy to make the decision what to feed your FIV positive cat. I suggest you to join FIV-healthscience Yahoo group and share your experience with them and find a common solution. Feeding your cat raw depends mostly on how comfortably you feel about it. Sorry I could not help more, good luck!
I am ok with feeding him whatever is best so his bowel movements return to normal! My main concern is his constipation. Would you recommend adding dry food to complement his wet diet? Or psyllium husk? I know a diet consisting of all meat can mean less poop but 2-3 days without eliminating anything is very startling to me!
Thank you Lorena!
Hi Nicole, constipation could be the result of several different causes and in some cases dry food high in soluble or insoluble fibers might help but depending on the cause of the constipation fiber could worsen the problem. As you told me your cat had intense diarrhea first and now it is constipated, I an not a Vet but that’s a symptom of inflammatory bowel disease. I would not suggest you any food right now because I don’t know the real cause of the constipation. Since you are feeding your cat only wet food and you give your cat lots of water I tend to think the problem is something else than just diet. I would suggest you to take your cat to the Vet to confirm inflammatory bowel disease and start from there to choose a diet. Good luck!
Thank you I will follow up with my vet
hi Lorena, i have kitten that is 8 months old. i am currently feeding him purina friskies. he like eating it but i have noticed he is shedding a lot of hair and his hair doesn’t look really great.. i was wondering which dry cat food should i get for him to help him have better looking hair. Thank you.
Hi sajad, you can try Petcurean or Innova Natures Table Grain Free Chicken and Turkey and see how your cat does with it. Good luck!
Hello.
Thank you for your reviews, they have been really helpful! Would you please make a review on Acana wild prairie? Also I would really like to read your views on cat wet food and on raw food as well.\
Thank you very much
Best wishes and keep up with this perfect work!
Hi Eugenia, currently I am not answering questions because I can’t keep up with so many, but I wanted to tell you that I will do a review of Acana Wild Praire. Thanks for your comment!
Hi Lorena. I know you’re super busy but… I have two 6 year old DLH cats, boy and girl siblings. I have always fed all my pets IAMS until I was informed that was a bad thing. Recently I have switched over our lab mix to Canidae and she’s doing relatively well on it; however, I don’t see that the cat formula rates as high (been feeding them IAMS indoor weight management/hairball control). Would you suggest Chicken Soup for the Soul for my two felines? They are strictly indoor cats, only eat dry and eat from a self-dispenser. They are also big kitties, weighting 12-13 pounds each not from overweight but they are big boned :)
Hope you can answer my question as I’d like to start switching them in the next day or so.
Hello Michelle! Chicken Soup for the Soul is a good cat food, containing mainly proteins in its main ingredients and corn/soy free so I would say, yes, you can try this cat food and see how your cats do with it. Another a little more expensive formula but one of my favorites is Petcurean Go!.
Additionally, I would suggest you to get a cat grass if your cats develop hairballs. It is proven that healthy fresh grass is not harmful for cats. If your cats have been vomiting hairballs too often, it’s good to take them to the Vet.
Can an 11yo slightly overweight inactive cat eat the same food as an active underweight 6yo by adjusting feeding amts? New 6yo does not like wellness core 11yo has been on. They each get 1/2 can wellness core indoor canned per day. It would be very nice to have them on same foods. I’m just now reading where grain free isn’t good for male cats. Thanks so much.
Do you want to feed them both canned food? I have not done reviews of canned food yet, but I know Addiction and Avoderm are good brands.
They each get half a can of wellness core canned per day. I’m combo feeding. The 6yo had several teeth removed before I got him and our vet says dry food should help…reasorbtion?
Vets usually recommend dry food for cats because it gives them a good natural teeth cleaning as they need to chew on kibbles and this creates a brushing effect. If your cat has teeth removed and only eating wet food, it may be subject to gum infections. You just need to brush your cat’s remained teeth and gum to prevent this. I am not sure of other reason other than this.
Thank you. Do you think both cats can be on the same dry food? Looking at chicken soup for the cat…
The cat with no activity needs to eat less fat and carbohydrates and of course, less amount of food. The active cat; the opposite. They may need different foods to accomplish their different dietary needs. If you really want to feed them both the same food, take a look to Petcurean Go+. You need to feed them with wet and dry food and always give plenty of water to make sure they don’t develop urinary crystals. Of course, you will need to give less food to the overweight cat. Good luck Kay!
Note: there are plenty of cat toy feeders to make overweight cats work for their food. You may want to take a look to one of these to feed your overweight cat. You can see a list of reviews of these toy feeders on this website.
Hello,
I have been reading your reviews and I have gotten a lot of great information. I just have one more question. I have always fed all my cats Purina Cat Chow Indoor. I have a 10yr old Female Tabby and a 3yr old Himalayan/Siamese mix Male. The female recently has been throwing up a lot and the food is still full size kibbles as if it didn’t even get broken down. My male cat has not had any problems except an occasional hairball. I’m just wondering what food could I feed both of my cats that will benefit them both. I know with my male he has not had any crystal problems and I would hate to change his food and have him start. Also I do free feed them, but I am aware I need to change that asap. They are both indoor cats, very energetic though. I notice the male does drink a lot of water where as my female does not. I would love to help her throwing up problem without causing more problems for her or even him. I have no problem spending the money for the food, I’m just not sure what brand to turn to? I have heard that Evanger’s may not be bad. What do you think would be best?
Thank you!
Hello Michelle, my first concern is that your 10yr old female cat may be developing some digestive issues? that is not a surprise considering her age, my best suggestion before mentioning any cat food is taking her to the Vet to check her intestine. Sometimes it’s not the food, is the cat’s intestine that can’t handle any type of food because of some issue.
I would not feel well suggesting you a cat food without knowing what’s going on with your female cat’s intestine first. I am sorry I could not help you more Michelle.
Hi Lorena,
We are bring home 2 new kittens today after losing our last baby at 14 yrs old.
I am feeding them “HG”; gatos wet food, and for the dry I am using the “NVI”- Duck & Turkey Meal formula. Can you please chime in with your ideas on this diet?
Thanks!
Hello Val, since they are kittens they need healthy diets from the beginning because they may be eating this food until they are adults. After checking the wet food the second ingredient it was whether liver or salmon and I don’t recommend either one because too much liver is bad for cats and I don’t recommend salmon for kittens. For dry food, try Petcurean and see how they do with it. Remember to keep water bowls with clean and fresh water at all times or get an automatic cat water fountain.
What do you think of the ingredients in this brand called “Nature Bridge”, manufactured in China, where I’m currently living/working. I bought my first kitten here and it’s VERY hard to find decent food. I can get Royal canine kitten imported from France but that is literally ALL they have!
This brand “Nature Bridge” is advertised as more nutritional and is more expensive but there are strange ingredients:
“Skipjack meat (not even sure what skipjack meat is!)chicken meat, rice, brown rice, oats, alfalfa protein, chicken fat, egg powder, beer yeast powder, seaweed, spinach, carrot, walnut kernel, fructo-oligo-Saccharides, choline chloride, taurine…etc”
Is it really necessary to put alfalfa protein and egg powder in the food?
So if this is my only option for food, maybe I should just stick with Royal Canine?
Hello Melanie, I am really sorry for the delay in this response. Regarding your question, I know there is a huge problem of finding good quality cat food in other countries. The one you mention Skipjack meat is the typical tuna used in cans, its protein value is about 22% which is OK. The second ingredient is chicken meat and not chicken meal which means it’s not an extracted concentrated source of chicken. The problem with “meats” is that they are weighed before cooked so the percentage of this ingredients it’s not accurate since the water has been weighed before cooked. Then you have rice (white) and brown rice, those are grains that are not healthy for cats at all. It could be OK with one grain such as brown rice in the 5 main ingredients but this formula has 3 carbs of 5 ingredients. Eggs are good option for proteins, but “powder” means they have been pulverized including shell which is less quality protein. Alfalfa is a good source of fiber and chlorophyll for cats and it helps to their digestion. Since you did not detail the ingredients of the other cat food RC, I could not analyze it. I hope I could help and sorry again for the delay. Good luck!
I would also like to add that I’m able to order imported wet canned foods online (I’ve tried Tiki cat, Wellness, Weruva) She will eat all of these, but seems to prefer dry and has been eating Royal canine kitten since 2 months old. She also likes ”Mio9 tuna’ manufactured from Thailand. It’s main ingredient is tuna but it has a high water content.
I would now like to switch to an adult dry but ordering high quality dry online is too expensive. It’s double the price to order this online since it’s considered ‘imported’. The canned imported is expensive enough but I would like to feed her a mix of wet and dry.
Royal canine (imported from Europe) is really the main brand I can find here on the shelf.
Hi Lorena,
My cat is currently on P U Grain-Free Recipe. I didn’t see this brand on your list so I was wondering if it is a good brand for cat food? I just adopted my first cat and I am quite nervous. It is like having my first baby lol.
The ingredients are as follows:
Turkey, Chicken Meal, Potato, Duck Meal, Peas, Dried Egg Product, Salmon Meal, Potato Protein, Chicken Fat (stabilized with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Natural Flavor, Dried (Tomato, Carrot, Celery, Beet, Parsley, Lettuce, Watercress, and Spinach) Pomace, Yeast Culture, Whole Sweet Potato, Pumpkin, Whole Cranberries, Cranberry Extract, Whole Blueberries, Lecithin, Salt, Choline Chloride, Chicory Root Extract, Dried Kelp, Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate, Taurine, Spinach, Whole Blackberries, Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Marigold Extract, Green Tea Extract, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Bifidobacterium bifidum Fermentation Product, Dried Streptococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Inositol, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Calcium Iodide, Sodium Selenite.
Thank you in advance!
Hello JL, ingredients seem OK to me, except Potato, I am not a fan of potatoes in main 5 ingredients. Also, Dried Egg Product means the ingredient includes shells. Turkey, Chicken Meal, Duck Meal and Peas are good ingredients, though pea is a carb, it’s an excellent source of proteins and fiber too. I would say the formula it’s not bad, but it could be better. Try with Petcurean or Innova Natures Table. Make sure your cat has plenty of exercise. Also, provide your pet plenty of clean and fresh water at all times, you can buy an automatic water fountain for this. You must complement your cat’s diet with wet canned food as well because only water is not enough for its water intake needs. Good luck JL!
Lorena, Thanks for your excellent reviews on dry cat food. I had 5 rescue kittens that I weaned from their feral mama around 4 weeks of age. I started feeding them frisks pate which was recommended by a local rescue organization to help trap them. Once they were seen by a vet, they were all diagnosed with ring worm and put on a diet of hills ideal balance dry food supplemented with vita flora powder packets for 3 months. As they were originally used to the pate/ wet food, I began adding water to the dry food and supplement to get them to eat it. The two I have kept have been on that type of a diet since then. They get fairly moistened kibbles in the AM and PM and about a quarter cup of water with just about 10 kibbles in the afternoon or more when it is hot. I have recently purchased wellness complete health food and wondered if I could just continue this regime with it. Nowhere do I ever see anyone suggest wetting the kibbles but always recommend giving plenty of water or adding wet food throughout the week. I was just wondering why that has never been an option. Do you think there is any issue with doing this? Thanks for your thoughts on this.
Hello Fran, I am sorry for the delay. Regarding your question, canned cat food has approx. 75% (or more) water in the total formula which it’s the closest to a prey in the wild, which is between 70% and 75%. Since dry foods contain approx. 10% of water, you may need to add this extra amount to complete this percentage, which is at least 60% water of the total meal you put on the bowl. Maybe it would be too much water for the cat to eat the kibbles.
The problem is that by only drinking water cats don’t get enough and they need the extra from the prey. My final thoughts is that although adding water it’s an excellent approach to increase water intake for your cats they still will need wet food to complete their healthy diet.
I am feeding performatrin Ultra. Can you take a look at ingredients and let me know what you think. Its a Canadian brand.
Turkey, Chicken Meal, Potato, Duck Meal, Peas, Dried Egg Product, Salmon Meal, Potato Protein, Chicken Fat (stabilized with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Natural Flavor, Dried (Tomato, Carrot, Celery, Beet, Parsley, Lettuce, Watercress, and Spinach) Pomace, Yeast Culture, Whole Sweet Potato, Pumpkin, Whole Cranberries, Cranberry Extract, Whole Blueberries, Lecithin, Salt, Choline Chloride, Chicory Root Extract, Dried Kelp, Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate, Taurine, Spinach, Whole Blackberries, Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Marigold Extract, Green Tea Extract, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Bifidobacterium bifidum Fermentation Product, Dried Streptococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Inositol, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Calcium Iodide, Sodium Selenite.
HI Daniella, you can check my answer to JL as asked me the same question. Good luck!
Very anxious for your wet food reviews! I have really learned a lot from reading your dry food reviews.
Thanks for your comment Pauletta!
My comment somehow keeps on getting lost in the mail after awaiting moderation for a week. Third time the charm, hopefully :(
Hello Lorena,
Thank you so much for this wonderful list! It is so very helpful. I have a year old 7lbs neuter Siamese that I allowed to eat way too much as a kitten.
I am now feeding him a half a can of Royal Canin Kitten instictive in the morning and a little over a 1/4 cup of RC Siamese special dry food. Both of them have a very high grain content and I’d like to wean him to a healthier food that promotes muscles and not fat. I tried to switch him to RC neuter cans in the morning but he got really sick, so I had to go back to the kitten cans for now.
I don’t really know how active he is during the day or overnight, although I do find his toys scattered all over the house in the morning. But I do know that he needs to muscle up a little. I try to play with him at least an hour a day and make him run and jump around, but it really needs to start with his food. I want to keep him on both wet and dry food.
I’ve seen some really good stuff on your list, like PETCUREAN Go! Fit + Free Grain-Free Chicken Formula, Wellness CORE Grain-Free. I really liked the Orijen Cat Food, but you said to only give it to very active cats.
Other foods I was considering were the California Natural Grain-Free Chicken Formula Dry Cat Food, that has the following ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a Source of Vitamin E), Pea Fiber, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, Potassium Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate), Salt, Taurine, Vitamins (Betaine Hydrochloride, Niacin Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Beta Carotene, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid), Vitamin E Supplement, Rosemary Extract
and Authority® Grain Free Adult Cat Food from Petsmart, Ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Dried Peas, Dried Potatoes, Pea Protein, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Fructooligosaccharides, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-Polyphosphate (Source of Ascorbic Acid), Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Pantothenic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite and Calcium Iodate
As far as wet foods, I’m not quite sure yet. My cat only likes the loaf types of wet food, not the slices in gravy type. I was hesitating between Welness Core grain free, and Natural Balance limited ingredients (which I am now scared of since i’ve heard horrors about carrigean). I’m really coming up short in the wet category. I wish there was a comparable study as the one you did on dry foods.
Sorry for the long post, but I could really use some advice. What would you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Atheen, I am sorry about your post getting lost. Regarding your cat if you want to make him lose weight your cat has to eat foods with no very much content in carbs or fats. The first food you mentioned has chicken fat as the 5th ingredient which means it’s a fair amount in the total recipe so I wouldn’t suggest that one to make your cat lose weight. That recipe seems great for outdoor/indoor cats though. The second recipe has carbs in 3 of 5 first ingredients. That won’t help your cat to lose weight either. I suggest you to try with Petcurean and see how your cat does with it.
Dear Lorena, My cat rejects all kind of dry food and wants to eat only wet food. He likes Royal Canin gravy wet cat food and asks 3-4 pouched per day.My mistake was to introduce him wet food last year and now he is like an addict. I can’t reject him as he cries and begs for. Some people say it is not good for him to eat only ready made wet food. Is it true? Thank you.
Hi Ela! you can soak in water a little bit of good quality dry food such as Orijen to make sure they soften, then mix these pellets to the wet canned food and see what happens. This is for increasing the protein level in its meals. If your cat still rejects the pellets you will have to make sure to get a high in proteins canned food and clean your cat’s teeth regulary.
Thank you very much for your fast reply. I will definitely try Orijen with wet food. However in Turkey there are not much wet food brands. Veterinary did not recommend the ones being sold at supermarkets (Whiskas, Champion, Purina Felix, La Cat etc). At pet shops and internet petshop-zooplus there are choices as Royal Canin, Purina Gourmet, Hill’s, Carny Ocean, Animonda. Which brand would be better among them do you think? My cat is 10 years old, spayed, male home cat. He had been a stray cat until 2 years old when his one foreleg had to be amputated. But he is very health and energetic. He also like grilled or boiled beef and chicken meat. But I think eating only cooked meat would not be nutritious enough for his health? He likes wet food grainy and juicy. He does not like mash /puree. Thank you your valuable advise in advance. Ela
I suggest getting the food for your cat through internet, and now knowing better about your cat I suggest you to try Petcurean instead. Only meat is not enough to keep your cat healthy, they need Omega-3, minerals, vitamins, etc. Wild cats don’t usually have a long life because of this. Keep feeding your cat with grainy and juicy wet food and add Petcurean soaked. Good luck!
Dear Lorena, It has not been possible to buy Petcurean as no internet company sends it to Turkey. I bought Orijen and later Acana. He still hates every kind of dry food. Eats them only when he gets really hungry. I give him one pouch wet food every day to make him a bit happy. I am still confused as some say high protein ratio is not good for old and sterilized cats’ kidneys and some say I should not give wet food more than 3 times per weak. My cat also eats his litter a bit sometimes. It is organic (made from corn cop) but still I am worried as litter may contains E. coli and other fecal microorganisms although I clean it regularly.
Hi Ela, feed your cat Orijen or Acana (Grassland) and wet food in a mixed diet every day, BUT not very much food, only the necessary according to its weight and activity. As an idea, an average active 8-pound cat requires to consume about 240 calories per day. The dosis for active indoor cats is about 30 calories per pound your cat weighs. So you need to feed your cat this amount of calories combining dry and wet food in a proportion of 70% wet food and 30% dry food. Hope hat helps Ela!
Thank you for the amazing research and reviews! I’m just going to cut to the chase. Natura petfoods was purchased by Proctor and Gamble a few years back and was just sold on to Mars. They will be discontinuing most of the products. Natura makes EVO, Innova and california naturals. What they DO keep I’m guessing will be changed to low quality cheap ingredients and sold based on the name and the fact that people wont know they are no longer purchasing a quality product. Something to keep an eye on.
Hi Wolfe! thanks for your information. I will keep en eye on the availability of Innova Nature’s Table, ingredients and guarantee analysis. If I see any change I will remove it from the list. Thanks again!
Do you have a review of Nature’s Variety Instinct Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey Meal Formula?
No Kristi, I don’t have a review of that food.
Could you do a review? :-) this is the kind of wet food we use & I wondered if the dry was just as good. Thanks!
I will do my best Kristi. Hugs!
Hi again. :-) I hope you are well. My diabetic cat has stopped eating his wet food. I know dry isn’t as good but really wanted to see if the dry brand that is he same as the wet would be ok. He will eat this. The ingredients are turkey meal, peas, tapioca, canola oil, turkey, natural flavors & so on. I can send you the full list of that helps. It’s Natures Variety Instinct Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet Tuekey Meal Firmula. Thanks!!!
Hi Kristi! peas are high in carbs – although good carbs – but still carbs, tapioca also is high in carbs, turkey is not as high in proteins as chicken. Hope that helps!
Hi Lorena, thank you so much for the very helpful information, it made me decide to switch to another dry food. Now I would like to know, what wet food would you recommend? I don’t live in the US, foods that are available here include: Meow Mix (one of her favorites), Friskies, Fancy Feast, Science Diet, Tomi, Whiskas, LaCat, Bite, Premio, Rafine, Simba.
Hello Tamar, I would recommend Science Diet Adult Grain Free Chicken Entrée. It has good source of protein in chicken and turkey, good source of fiber in green peas, it does not have starch like other formulas, it has good aminoacids such as Lysine, taurine and Methionine. It does not have by-product meats either.
I bought Wellness Core (Grain Free Indoor Formula) today for my cat per your recommendations above but it looks like they changed the recipe. The first five are deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, peas, potatoes. Is this bad?
Hello Luann, it seems like you got “Indoor Health Recipe” instead the “Fish & Fowl Recipe” which is the one I refer in my review. There is a link on the end of the review where you can get the exact recipe I am refering to. The other formula is good too, it includes potatoes and peas as carbs and peas are very good source of protein and fiber, potatoes are not that great but they are on the last ingredients of the 5 first so it is a good formula in average.
Now I’m nervous again. I was just on a website where a lot of people discussed cats getting crystals from Wellness Core. I think I I think I’ll go out and get Arcana. My boy means the world to me.
Hello Luann, Arcana is a good cat food too, but the real problem is when people feed their cats dry food without adding wet food on the diet. If you don’t feed your cat at least 50% wet food and 50% dry food and provide your pet plenty of water at all times, your cat will likely develop crystals no matter what brand of dry food you choose. I have mentioned this factors in my review as a very important point. Personally I suggest you to try Petcurean with your boy. Good luck Luann.
Thank you! What do you do besides helping us? LOL My boy is 10 years old, neutered and indoor only. He does like water so that helps alleviate the stress for me. Are eggs a real benefit to cats? it looks like you really prefer Petcurean over Acana? It looks like Acana is better for more active cats, which Jess is not.
Hello Juann, for male cats I like Petcurean formula better than Acana Pacifica. Acana Grassland is more suitable for indoor/outdoor cats.
Hello, thank you for your reviews! I have an approximately 5 year old neutered male indoor cat. I had switched him to Young Again Zero Carb formula but he has been having some soft stool issues. I am concerned because they list guar gum as the 5th ingredient, and wonder if this might be causing the trouble. Pork Meal, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Chicken Liver Flavor, Guar Gum, Herring Meal are the first 6 ingredients.
What quality dry food would you recommend for him? Any suggestions would be helpful. Based on your comment to Luann I am considering trying Petcurean.
Thank you again!
Hello SC, Petcurean is a good cat food, you can see how your cat does with it. Remember to mix wet food on his diet and give your pet plenty of water. Also, I recommend you to get a cat toy dispenser to make him work for his food.
Regarding guar gum, this is a cheap filler that does not provide any nutritive value. Hope that helps!
I was reading up on cat food, googled around and landed here and as I got to the bottom of reading your informative web page – I saw my photo! Nice.
That picture was taken while I was a volunteer at the Richmond Animal Protection Society’s Cat Sanctuary. :)
Hi Barbara! I am very happy to know the story behind this cute picture. Thanks for sharing it and I hope my information will be useful for you. Hugs!
Hi Lorena, my kitties love Friskies treats and Whiskas temptation treats. I’ve been giving them those treats since kitten. They are now eating Merrick’s healthy weight, grain free dry cat food and fancy feast wet food. One of my outside kitties ran away from home for 4 nights. We were devastated. He came back very sick with as the vet said, he had a partial blockage and had some kidney damage. He stayed at the vet for more than two weeks flushing out his system that actually reversed his kidney damage. Then I was told by a friend that dry cat food is not good at all and to keep feeding him wet fancy feast. My vet also said to not give dry food and feed wet only, so I tried it for a bit to all my kitties. They were very upset and gave me these looks because they wanted their dry treats and food. I caved in and is giving them the dry food and treats again. I don’t know how I could take them off dry foods. Any suggestions?
I now have a kitten who I’m feeding the wet fancy feast food and I found some dry kitten food in my home that my other kitties don’t like much. It’s Natural Balance kitten to adult dry food. She seems to like it. Anyway, I’m just confused on if dry cat food is not good for cats, then why in the world are they in the stores and at the vets clinics? Would like your input on this, if you can.
Thank you,
Jodi
Hi Jodi, high quality dry foods containing essential aminoacids are good for cats, BUT always making sure in feeding them the right intake. Dry cat food can’t be the only source of daily food for your cat, it must be combined with wet food to about equal percentage. Overfeeding cats, not mixing dry food with wet food in diets, lack of water, indoor life without proper exercises are the most common issues that make cats get ill. Hope I could help.
I have a Persian cat that has great difficulty eating the round dry kibble. He can’t eat canned either as he just licks it and smashes it down. Most dry cat foods are the small round kibble. Which of the good quality dry cat foods have large kibble?
Hello Jodie, I have not done a review yet of Nutro Grain Free Adult Cat food Duck & Potato recipe but this is a good cat food with big kibbles. This cat food will give a lot of fuel to your cat (it has pea protein and chicken fat) so mix it with wet canned food and make sure your cat does a lot of playing every day. Drinking water is essential in any cat diet. Good luck! Unfortunately, all the cat food listed here seem to have round or small kibble.
Two year old spayed indoor-only female here…. Have been feeding with BEYOND for about a year now. A few weeks ago, switched to Rachel Ray’s NUTRISH. Pellets are tinier than the Beyond and seem to be *scarfed-down* w/o chewing them first.
Developed a sustained multiple hacking cough last week; never had hairballs; and X-rays show lungs clear. Went back to eating BEYOND (maybe the antibiotics helped also LOL) and the prolonged long sustained coughing subsided.
BTW, eat 1/2 can wet food daily, as well, and love water.
Hoping to see your review on Nutrish. The ingredient list has items that seem bizarre to me e.g. yeast, etc. Anything that would cause possible allergic reactions?
Hello Nanci, what is the Nutrish recipe you fed your cat?
Hi Lorena – Thank you so much for your comprehensive review of cat foods and your diligence and hard work in responding to us cat owners!
I currently have a 5-month-old kitten and am feeding it Wellness Core Grain Free Kitten Formula. Is the Wellness CORE Original Formula Fish & Fowl you recommended in your review better than the Wellness Core Grain Free Kitten formula?
The guaranteed analyses given by wellnesspetfood.com are almost exactly the same except the Kitten formula contains DHA and the Original formula you recommend does not.
Would it be better to keep feeding my kitten the Kitten formula, or is there something in the Original formula that makes it better for kittens? Is there anything unhealthy in the Kitten formula that would make you suggest I switch it to the Original formula even though my little one is still a kitten? I simply figured I should be feeding a kitten by its life stage since the Original formula seems geared more for adults.
Thank you so much ahead of time for your time, efforts, and help! Any and all information you can provide me would be very much appreciated!
Hello Y, there is nothing wrong with the Kitten formula. The formula for kittens is based in young kittens and this formula adds DHA because the fish contained has been cooked, dried and pulverized so it loses most of the natural DHA contained in the oil, which is an Omega-3 fatty acid that helps to develop brain, cerebral cortex, retina, skin, testicles. Make sure to feed your kitten wet food as well containing more chicken proteins and provide your pet plenty of fresh and clean water at all times.
I just took a cat from a animals foster. What food is the best for him? I have no idea, this is the first cat for me. I just want him to be happy, healthy and full of energy. Internet is full of advice, i’m confused.
Hi Jennifer! If you want your cat to be healthy and happy follow my advice in this post from points 1 to 6. Regarding dry food, if your cat is over one year old I suggest you to try Petcurean or Orijen. Finding a good dry cat food is a challenge for most cat owners because it will depend of the cat’s age, activity level, health condition, metabolism, and even if your cat likes it, cats can be very picky.
Try with one of these cat foods and tell me how your cat did with it. Don’t forget mix this with wet food and give your new family member lost of fresh water. You can get a water fountain to encourage it to drink more and get some toy treat dispensers to make him work for his food. Those are good starting points. Hope that helps!
Hi everyone, I have two awesome cats, one is about 7-8 lbs and female and my male is about 15-18 lbs however my male has issues with loose bowels on BB and took him off that and now on Royal Canin but also bought a bag of Orijen my female is very picky, my concern about the Orjen is the high calories since both my cats are strictly indoors…and concerned that Royal Canin has too much grain….help please. Which is the best dry for indoor cats and which is great wet food that doesn’t accentuate loose stools?
Hello Wendy! any dry cat food will make your cat gain weight if it does not have much activity since all dry cat foods have some type of starch to form the morsels and the good brands have high level of proteins and fats which is OK for cats but in the wild, not indoor. So you must make your cats exercise a lot when feeding them dry food. Second, a lot of water intake is essential, especially with high concentrated in proteins cat foods. And finally wet food is crucial in the cat diet either mixed with dry food of fed apart. I usually recommend Petcurean or Orijen in less amount than wet food, and since Ziwipeak Canned Cat Food eliminated Carrageean, I recommend you that wet food. Good luck Wendy!
Hi Lorena,
I have a 13yr old male tabby mix who I raised from a kitten. He was diagnosed at 1 yr with idiopathic epilepsy. He was doing very well up until last year when he was diagnosed with Addison’s Disease and Histoplasmosis (poor baby!) I am heartbroken but the Vet seems optimistic that the meds are working. My question is: He is a very picky eater and does not have a very good appetite. There has been some weight loss in the last few weeks which the Vet says is normal with these diseases. He has also had bouts of constipation. I would like to start him on a premium cat food, both wet and dry. What is your recommendation? I am leaning toward Orijen but don’t know if the protein content would be to much for him at this point. Please let me know which of the brands you recommend whould be helpful. Just wanted you to know that you have a fabulous forum!! I feel so fortunate to have found you. I am a retired Vet Tech and so appreciate your ‘expertise’! Keep up the good work.
Hi Debbie! I am sorry to know about your cat problems, poor little thing! I am a little nervous recommending you any dry or wet food because these recommendations are for healthy cats. I am going to mention two ideas for you, but please consult with your Vet first before starting any new diet with your kitty. My suggestion is to give your cat more wet food than dry food. Whatever food you are feeding him right now make a slow switching within seven days until completing 100% of new dry and wet food. The proportion would be 60% wet food mixed with 40% dry food. The dry food can be Orijen grain free or Petcurean. Wet food that is excellent (for picky cats) and that contains low level of starch and is grain free is Ziwipeak Canned Cat Food. Hope that helps!
I have acquired a family of cats in recent years. Being that I have had to watch my money I have settled for buying Friskies or sometimes Purina products. After reading many reviews, I see no clear winner in any mid priced food being superior over another. Being a restaurant man, I realized that the best way to enhance their dry food was to do that myself by adding tuna, cooked chicken, or cooked lean ground beef. I stopped buying and trusting any wet canned product. It is inexpensive to buy canned tuna on sale, or to buy whole chicken, or my favorite is a 10 pound bag of ground sirloin for 4$/pound which I break up into 12 ounce baggies and then freeze. When I take a bag out of the freezer I share it with my cats.With whole chicken I debone that and make a chicken broth with carrots, onions, celery then I freeze the broth in suitable containers for me and my cats. I also wet their dry food for their main meal, then add one of the above whole meat/fish products into their dry food. They are all doing very well, and the cost is reasonable.
Thank you very much Mark for sharing with us your formula!
Hi mark,
You’re doing great at caring for the kiddies I love that you get the protein in there for them. One thing I noticed in your recipe is that it contains onions, onions are toxic to cats and can cause kidney and liver damage. Please omit the onions
That’s correct! I overlooked the onion part of the recipe, stop adding onion to the broth Mark!
Please consider adding taurine to this mix. Very important.
Yes Hannah, of course. Taurine is one essential amino acid and I have it on the list of the 11 essential amino acids that cats need to be healthy. Thanks!
Hello Lorena,
First I want to say thank you so for all the information, amazing reviews! I have two ragdoll cats, I was feeding them EVO but they started having soft stools so I changed their food to Nature’s Variety Instinct Grain-Free Chicken formula, do you recommend this brand? I would love to switch to Orijen but my budget doesn’t allow me to do so :(
Thanks again and congratulations for having such an amazing forum!
Hi Eddie, I will check the ingredients of this formula and I will respond to you as soon as I can. Thanks for visiting my website!
Hi Eddie, the formula has chicken fat as the 2nd ingredient (that’s a high %) and tapioca as the 3rd ingredient (which is a carb and high glycemic). The formula is high in fat and carbs, but if you can’t buy a better one I would suggest this recipe only if your cat is very active and moves and play all day.
Hi Lorena,
Thank you so much for your response. Thank you so much for checking on the formula, I have been reading online and some people recommend to change the food often, the main reason to do this is to avoid the development of sensitivities to any particular food or protein type. I was thinking in maybe alternating my cats diet between the Nature’s Variety Instinct Chicken formula and the Petcurean Go! Fit + Free Grain-Free. That way they wont eat the same all the time but I wanted to get your opinion before doing so.
Thank you so much for your time, once again I really appreciate all the information you provide! :)
Lots of useful information here, I know more about dry cat food than ever before. We had a number of cats a few years ago and they all thrived on a combination of Wellness dry food and Weruva wet food. They passed away at the ages of 20, 19 and 16 and we were cat free for a few years until we rescued a tough 14 year old female from a family member who was having health issues. This cat grew up on Purina One dry food and while she successfully transitioned to Weruva wet food, she can’t seem to stomach Wellness dry food as she swallows the small pellets whole and regurgitates it pretty quickly after eating. She”s back on Purina One which she crunches up the flat pellets throughly and really likes.
This seems like a strange question but I feel that we can transition her to a better dry food if it wasn’t a round pellet but flat. Which of these brands are flatter than Wellness?
Hello William, Fromm Grain Free Game Bird contains good source of proteins. Duck is a good alternative protein source because it has less water weight so this means more proteins proportionally in the formula. Try it and see how she does with this food. The kibble of this formula is irregular and flat. Hope that helps!
Getting it today, thanks!
Hi Lorena,
I have a new kitten (8 months) and a Bengal (18 months). My Bengal was on Royal Canin and now I’m reading more on cat food. They are now on their second day on Fromm Game Bird. But, after reading your reviews, I hesitate between Orijen, Petcurean and Fromm (Hasen Duckenpfeffer and Game Bird) and should I give them a full loaded bowl or giving them their portions seperatly morning and night ? They are active, but mostly indoor cats. Price is not really an issue.
Sorry if my english is not accurate, it is not my born language :)
Cordialy,
Hi Francis, if your cats dont eat all their food at once, it’s not a problem to leave the bowl full with food. All the foods listed on this list are better than most brands using bad stuff on the main 5 ingredients. These foods don’t use bad ingredients in the main 5 ingredients of the recipe and on top are the foods that list all the 11 aminoacid cats need to be healthy. If you are hesitating, I suggest you to try Petcurean (I feed my cat that one) and see how they do with it. Good luck!
Thank you,
The problem is that they eat a lot more than the recommended portion. I will try Petcurean Chicken + Turkey + Duck for sure next time. It seems to be a great dry food. I will also begin to give them wet food.
Hi Lorena,
Great reviews and also very useful advices! :) My cat is 1,5 years old and she just had been neutered almost one week ago. She eat Purina Pro Plan dry and wet food but it seems she doesn’t like this anymore and now in the covalescence period she only seems to accept Applaws wet food.
I will try to give her Orijen dry food, but would you please reccommend me some wet food too.
Or if you have any other suggestions for dry and wet food to feed her, I will appreciate!
Thanks!
Hellen, a good canned food that is not too expensive is Wellness Healthy Indulgence. I feed my cat this food and she loves it.
Lorena, thanks for you answer. Unfortunately, in my country I can find only Purina Royal Canin, Schesir, Applaws as brand. I will check the internet maybe I can order online. If not, I don’t know what to choose :-(.
Applaws is a fantastic cat food
I have been taking care of my daughter’s cat. This cat had vicious diarrhea and very congested with thick mucus. After numerous blood tests, etc it was determined that she had celiac disease. I bought Pure Balance and saw her reaction. I then checked and it is NOT gluten free it contains barley! Barley contains gluten.
Hellen, I have 2 large orange tabbies. One is 15 and a diabetic. They other is 13 and very over weight. The 13 year old was doing great on Evo, but it is no longer available. I am trying Fromm game bird he seems to like it but he is putting on more weight. They do get some wet food each night. And drink a lot of water. Can you give me some advice to try? He seems to do better with a food that has about 12 to 15‰ fat. So many of the foods today are so high in fat. Thank you.
Hi. Just wondering if you can do a review on Canidae Pure Meadow grain free. I heard that Candida is a good food. I have tried Orijen and he unfortunately would not eat it. I have a cat that has been on Innova Natures Table Chicken formula, however all products have been discontinued so now I have to find something else. My cat has allergies to potatoe, tomatoes, yeast and there are very few foods that do not contain these items. His diet mostly consists of canned food, however I like to leave a little dry food out for him.
Thank you..
I’m actually starting to debate as to whether by-product is a horrible thing. I think it depends on how much of the food is whole, as opposed to by-product. When you look at the actual science behind a cat’s diet, things like bone/ cartilage actually do make up a percentage of their daily requirement, and that is exactly what by-product consists of. I think I read something like 10-15% bone as being a cat diet requirement. In it’s most natural form. So when a cat kills and eats a bird, for instance, it does usually consume a large amount of cartilage and bone.
Hi – I have been feeding cat Iams for a couple years but wondering just how good it is. He absolutely loves it, isn’t too fat and drinks plenty of water (most out of the sink!) But just how good is Iams . . . . ???
I have a seven-year-old indoor cat who does very well on Nutro’s Max Cat. Its first ingredient is chicken meal and its fifth is chicken fat. The other three are grains, including brewer’s rice. I choose this food primarily because the kibble size is large enough to crunch, and I feel this is good for her teeth. So many of the “premium” adult foods that I’ve looked at consist of tiny rounds that are so small could just as well be inhaled. Can you recommend some preferred foods that have large-sized kibble?
I know what you mean Karen, I use Petcurean and the kibble are tiny and my Sophie does not chew on them enough to clean her teeth. Chew treats are not suitable for kittens either so what I do is mixing a tiny bit of Nutro’s Max Cat with Petcurean. I put very little of that kibble on her plate enough to clean her teeth and it works so far. Hope that helps!
PD: She is already with a treatment for her eyes and ears (I got her from a shelter) so I did not want to add extra stress brushing her teeth.
Hello! I love this site!! Has there been any update onto a review of Nulo cat food? :)
The best site I have come across for learning about food for my cats. Thank you. I was feeding my cats Taste of The Wild but, wanted to start them on something healthier. My local non-chain pet store sells Fromm so, I decided to try it. The cats LOVE it but, since I have switched them, their food and water intake has increased significantly. I gave them a measured amount every morning of TOTW and they would eat until full and walk away. Now, I give them the same amount of Fromm and they inhale it until the bowls are empty (sometimes throwing it up because they are too fast) then act like they are starving by the time I feed them again at night. And they’re drinking a ton of water. I kind of thought they would eat less with a more protein rich food but, clearly I was wrong. I don’t mind paying more to keep them healthy but, I have now added a third meal to keep them from eating so fast/much when I feed them and they’re finishing that one off rapidly as well. 10 lbs a week for 6 cats seems excessive and they’re acting hungry still. Any advice or suggestions?
Hi Ryan! If you have 6 cats with the vacuum cleaner syndrome I suggest you 2 approaches: getting the “PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed” which allows you to feed your cats each meal in a 15-minute period, this means the total intake you want them to eat in one meal is slowly being dispensed during 15 minutes. This way your cats won’t inhale their food and then vomit. As a complement to this, you can get a treat toy dispenser to teach your cats work for their food.
Hello. I have 3 cats (2 girls and 1 boy). And I used to buy Royal Canin Indoor (French), but recently it’s become impossible to get original French or Canadian (Only Polish is available). I’ve been reading a lot lately and found that 2 best dry food are Orijen & Acana. Both are available where I live. They are a bit pricey, but money doesn’t matter to me when it comes to my love ones..
Now I’m torn between these ones:
Acana Wild Prairie (less expensive than others)
Acana Grasslands Cat
Orijen cat & kitten (so far considered by me as the best one)
Like I said money is not a problem in my case. I just wanna be sure that I’m giving them the best.
They are all healthy, very active, drink A LOT of water.
Acana Wild Prairie, like I said, the least expensive for me. Looking forward to your advise.
If Orijen should be my №1 choice than let it be.
Thank you in advance!
Lorena,
I have not seen where you reviewed or perhaps were aware of Dr. Tim’s Chase cat food. We were feeding our dogs Blue Wilderness and had thought we were doing well until I did some additional research and found out about the recalls of so many of the major brands as your original article discussed (paraphrased) a sideline business.
After more research I found Dr. Tim’s was one of the highest recommended Dog Foods and had never been subject to a recall or other litigation.
It was then we decided to switch to his cat food. After reading your article it would appear this is a high quality winner and could/should easily be in your top picks unless I’m missing something. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
I have included a link for ease
http: //drtims.com/chase/
Thank You
I would like to hear your opinion regarding “Solid Solid Gold Katz-N-Flocken”.
The first 5 ingredients are: Lamb, Chicken Meal, Peas, Brown Rice, Pea Protein.
Brown rice is not great, I know. From what I can tell, it includes on Taurine from the 11 essential amino-acids. Is it a solid choice for my 2 indoor (active, big and somewhat overweight) cats?
Thanks!
The rest are: Ocean Fish Meal, Pearled Barley, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Dried Eggs, Natural Flavors, Flaxseed, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Salmon Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), L-Carnitine, Dried Chicory Root, Carrots, Pumpkin, Apples, Cranberries, Blueberries, Broccoli, Parsley, Spearmint, Almond Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Sesame Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Thyme, Lentils, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Rosemary Extract,, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.
Thanks to your reviews, I just ordered a sample of Acana Grasslands for my cat to try.
I just said to my husband yesterday after I’d been searching for a new food, that I wish these companies offered samples to purchase since cats are so finicky and high quality cat food is expensive.
Thanks for providing all of this invaluable info. My head is spinning from days of looking for good quality pet food for my cat and her new medical situation.
Hi Sandi, some companies make small bags of cat food but not very many. I understand your point, my cat is very finicky when it comes to food and I have spent good money trying to get her to eat healthy food. She got used to eating corn based food at the shelter I adopted her from so it’s been hard to get her eat healthy food. I hope your baby likes Acana Grasslands.
Make sure your cat drinks lots of water and don’t feed him too much food. WHen foods are high in protein cats need to eat less.
Hi Lorena,
Thank you so much for your reviews — so well-informed and helpful.
I have an 8 year old cat and I’m looking for a low-carb food to switch him to now that his metabolism is slower (he had been eating Purina naturals, and I want something more natural/better for him). I am considering Halo’s Senior food – http://shop.halopets.com/Products/Spots-Stew-CatGrain-Free-Senior-Chicken-Salmon-6-lb
How would you say it compares to the Halo’s chicken you reviewed? Do you think the potatoes (sixth ingredient) is a problem? Please let me know your thoughts, when you can.
Thank you!
Meena
Hi Meena, I analyze cat foods by checking their 5 first ingredients. Potatoes are not part of the 5 first ingredients, which means they don’t represent a big percentage of the formula. However, try to consider a different recipe for your cat. You may want to check Fromm Game Bird Recipe instead.
Wonderful, thanks so much! What’s the main reason you suggest looking for other recipes (rather than Halo’s Spots)? Is it because other brands have more premium ingredients or higher proteins?
Much appreciated. Meena
Hi Meena, I just think it’s a better formula than the one with salmon for your 8-yr cat.
Dear Lorena,
Im thinking of feeding my 8-year-old male (same as above) either Fromm’s Game Bird recipe, as you recommended, or Acana Wild Prairie. Here are the ingredients:
Boneless chicken*, chicken meal, turkey meal, boneless turkey*, chicken fat, chickpeas, red lentils, chicken liver*, boneless yellow perch*, green peas, green lentils, whole egg*, yellow peas, herring oil, alfalfa, dried kelp, pumpkin*, butternut squash*, spinach greens*, carrots*, apples*, pears*, cranberries, mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, dandelion root, chamomile, peppermint leaf, ginger root, caraway seeds, turmeric, rose hips, freeze-dried chicken liver, freeze-dried turkey liver, freeze-dried chicken, freeze-dried turkey, Enterococcus faecium fermentation product plus premium vitamins and minerals. *DELIVERED FRESH
Besides some of the ingredients (like real wisconsin cheese in Fromm’s), what would you say is the biggest consideration between the two? It seems like I can’t go wrong with either, and from what I understand chicken is easily digestible.
Also, you reviewed Acana Pacifica and Acana Grasslands–do you think this one is as high quality as the other two? Acana seems like a very good company.
Lastly, what is it about Acana Pacifica that makes male cats sensitive to UTIs? Is it the concentrated protein? Do you think it’s the same for Acana Wild Prarie? (My cat has no history of them, but I want to make sure I know).
I also noticed Fromm’s “senior” food has carbs in it, and I was wondering why. I’d like to get a low-carbohydrate food for my 8 year old, and I hope either of these recipes (Fromm’s Game Bird or Acana Wild Prarie) will be appropriate for his age and onto his senior years.
Thank you very much for all your help.
Meena
Hi Meena, Acana Wild Praire is a good formula and you can try that one if you like it. Acana Pacifica has fish as main ingredients and fish are not good for cats that have tendency to develop crystals as well as cats that don’t drink much water nor have a mix diet with canned food. Acana Wild Praire is not so high in proteins, however, the recipe has still good level of proteins with chicken meal but not so concentrated as other formulas, which is good for your cat. You can choose from either Fromm Game Bird or Acana Wild Praire.
Great – thank you very much for your help!
I’m definitely open — keen on finding the best solution for my kitty
Poppy’s history: She’s about 7 years old and declawed by previous owners. She’s a “special needs” shelter cat with me now for about 4 years. Behaviour issues which contributed to the “special needs” label are long since resolved (she was said to bite … have separation anxiety … not take to people, won’t use the litter box, etc.), all of which, in my view, resulted from early “rough-housing” by previous owners, being threatened (hit?) with a mop, then being dumped 3 times back at the shelter. She still won’t be picked up, urinates in the litterbox but will likely forever “poop” just outside the box regardless of type of litter used, but in all other ways is a normal cat.
Medical issues included chronic constipation combined with never — I mean NEVER — drinking water. She was sent home on Restoralax “forever.” I quickly discontinued the laxative after cleaning up the mess throughout the apartment – she was always surprised / distressed when the laxative hit her. I switched her to wet (canned) food when I got her, which helped with the constipation issue. Pumpkin mixed into her food also helped for several months. I now mix in slippery elm bark tea instead of pumpkin.
Poppy has been on Fancy Feast (it fit my budget) but has recently stopped eating the FF chicken. Today I started her on Blue Buffalo Freedom, Indoor Chicken, in rotation with FF Salmon, Liver & Chicken, and Turkey & Giblets.
It’s a given that I want to keep her on wet (canned) food, since she won’t touch water, tho’ I still put down fresh water daily. I spent a fortune trying water fountains, bowls all over the place, etc. She won’t drink water, so I add extra water to any food when it’s been in the fridge for a few hours.
Question 1: What is the BEST canned food for Poppy (we’re in Toronto, Canada so the best of what we can get here)?
Question 2: What is the best, LEAST EXPENSIVE canned food for Poppy? I’m a pensioner so money is tight.
Question 3: Do cats … does Poppy … need multiple flavours of food? I rotate flavours thinking she’ll get bored eating the same thing all the time. But does she really need 3 or 4 flavours?
Thanks for any help / advice you can give.
Hi Chris, your cat needs a wet food that is low in phosphorous with good balance between proteins, fats and carbs. Try to stop feeding anything with fish. I don’t think Poppy needs several flavors but I do understand she may get bored with the same food. My cat gets bored with the same food and I have to change her food once in a while. ProPlan Urinary Tract Health Chicken in Gravy Entree is a good option. The case of 24 cans cost $16. This formula has a very low amount of phosphorous, is cheap but the Cons is that it contains by-products. But we can’t have it all. Hope that helps!
I have a 16 y/o spayed, indoor only, female calico cat. Vet prescribed science diet K/D dry diet years ago due to abnormal kidney lab results. She’s doing well but is there something healthier I could be feeding her? Checkups are fine. Urinating ok. Drinking plenty of water. A bit constipated. Appetite is good. Suggestions? I have never been a fan of Science Diet. Price is not a problem.
Hi Carol, if your cat’s lab checkups are fine and if her appetite is good I would keep feeding her Science Diet. Her constipation may be due to her kidney abnormality which sometimes causes a low blood potasium. Try to make her drink more water, if you can get her a water fountain much better. I am sorry I could not suggest you a different food since the trial and error method with your cat’s food wouldn’t be worth it for your cat’s health. Hope that helps!
I was very surprised to see that Acana Wild Prairie Regional Formula was not on this list as it too is made by Champion Pet Foods (manufacturers of both Orijen and Acana)… an oversight perhaps?
I need to make more reviews Nancy. They will come soon.
Hello ☺
So much wonderful info here. I was hoping you could get some info on Performatrin Ultra salmon weight management food from Petsmart . And let me know what you think. Thanks so much !
Hello Lorena, thanks so much for the reviews! I have an 8-year-old Persian and so far I’ve been feeding her Royal Canin Persian but I recently found out that it’s not the best choice. I live in Greece so the only two brands you mentioned I can get here ara Acana and Orijen, and my question is this: Is Orijen that much better than Acana to justify the price difference? My budget is limited but I’m willing to pay a little extra if it’s worth it!Thanks a lot!
Hello Elena, since you only have Acana and Orijen where you live and your budget is limited I suggest you to try Acana Wild Praire or Grassland. Both are good choice. Make sure to feed your cat wet food as well and make her drink lots of water. This is very important when switching to a cat food that is higher in protein.
Hello again Lorena,
I was wondering if you had a chance to take a peek at the Performatrin Ultra Salmon weight Management food yet? Thanks so much,
Kim
Hi there again, not sure if you saw my 2 posts in April 3rd and 12th
since I never got a reply to either one and you seem to have replied the day after everyone else’s questions.? Anyway thought I’d try 1 last time . I was wondering what you thought of the performatrin and Kirkland brand dry cat foods. Thx
Hello, has anyone any comments about WishBone dry Cat food – Roost. I have 2 senior Ragdolls, one is 11 and the other 10. I was given a sample pack and they both seem to love it.
Hello,
Great review! I found this very informative to know what ingredients to look for when choosing a cat food. My cat is 1 year and a half and I was feeding him Whiskas cat food but stopped after looking at the ingredients following your suggestions. I couldn’t believe how horrible the list was! I changed to Wellness Complete Health because all the ingredients listed on it seemed to be good and similar to your suggestions, plus it was on sale so I figured I’d give it a go. However, my cat got severely constipated to the point where he was bleeding from trying so hard to poop. I took him to the vet but that wasn’t very helpful. Since I think it was from the food, I’m trying to find one that is also good on the ingredients list and won’t make him constipated but I’m so lost!! I can’t afford a supper expensive brand, but I don’t want to chose a food that will also make him constipated. Any ideas? Your help is greatly appreciated.
Hello Nancy. A good dry cat food, high in protein MUST be complemented with wet canned food and lots of water. Your cat got constipated because of the high in protein food, and maybe he does not drink enough water and doesn’t consume wet food either. Since your cat got used to eat some carbs and you want a recipe not too expensive, I suggest you to try Fromm Bird Game, feed your cat wet canned food (half & half) and get a water fountain for your cat. As a suggestion for wet food, I feed my cat “Wellness Healthy Indulgence Turkey & Chicken” and she does very well with it.
Hope that helps!
My cats were on Blue Buffalo since I wanted them on holistic food. The vet said that indoor cats can get fat on that and suggested I switch to Science Diet Light. Well, I just read that is on the worst cat food list for 2016, that it contains wheat gluten, corn & other garbage. I saw list of the best foods and chose Welness Core since I saw that brand in the store. Do you think I’m making a wise decision to switch them? They do get half a can of a small can of wet food daily and seem to be good drinkers. Feels like I’m making a wrong decision no matter what I choose. Which is best?
Hi Christina! when it comes to dry cat food, there is always a chance that one brand is not suitable for your particular cat and another it is. It’s about trial and error for most of us as cat owners. Wellness Core is not a bad cat food, although I wouldn’t state that is the perfect dry food for your cat. For example, I’ve tried Petcurean, Halo, Fromm, and very little of some of the non-very-healthy brands just because they clean my cat’s teeth better. My cat gets bored with the same food all the time so I switch between those brands. She particulary didn’t like Halo very much, but she stills eats it after a while when she gets bored of her food. The best mix so far that has worked perfect for my cat is half of Petcurean and half of Fromm Bird Game. Hope that helps!
I’m looking for some advice on what to feed our 18 year old cat who has lost weight. Recent doctors visit revealed no cause for the weight loss, and I know from reading that he probably needs more fats. He disdains wet food (I suspect the smell is what he dislikes – as weird as that is). Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I’m thinking about trying to make him some homemade food in my pressure cooker – but would like to find him a good dry food while we experiment.
Hello Michelle, a good dry food is Acana Grassland and it has good protein level and fat to make your cat gain weight.
My oh my the comments go on and on. I am wondering if you have a more current review? I am looking to change foods for my 17 year old Siamese mix. She gets both dry and wet foods and has ready access to water. She has recently begun to lose weight. She sleeps a lot but plays with the vigor of a kitten when active. Unfortunately most of the foods on this list are not within my budget at all. My furry friend and I have been together a long time and situations change. Do you have any other suggestions for those with very tight budgets?
Hi Jo, thanks for your question. I will try to add more reviews soon for all budgets, stay tuned.
I have a 10 year old German Shepherd who has SIBO. Consequently, I’ve been experimenting with his diet his entire life. When one of my cats became diabetic 2 yrs ago, I began experimenting on her, too. Diabetes in humans can be controlled and even eliminated in humans through low carb/no grains diet. Ditto for cats. I make moist food weekly for my 3 cats and 4 dogs – canned tuna, chicken livers, chicken breast, and half a doz scrambled eggs combined in the food processor. They all love it. They all still get dry food, but with the cats the dry is a supplement, not their main food. Their poop is much smaller since they’re not eating worthless fiber/filler. And my 16 yr old morbidly obese cat is becoming a more normal sized cat. I also give the cats NaturVet Digestive Enzymes which I bought on Amazon originally for my German Shepherd. It has almost completely eliminated coughed up fur balls. Finally, I’ve recently started them all on Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar. Again, my German Shepherd was sick; he was urinating blood. I found on the internet that ACV is a home remedy for bladder infections. I gave it to him around noon in his food, and by bedtime his urine was clear. It was like magic, and no one was more surprised than I was. I’ve had cats for 50 years, and they always seem to have bladder/kidney problems. So now I give a quarter tsp to my cats every day in their moist food as a preventative. I have CKD, and it seems to help me, too.
Thank you Deb to share you experience. This certainly will help people whose cats have diabetes.
Hello there, I’m currently in a desperate situation. I have 2 cats female and male. The damage just turned 1 year old while the male, paulie is 5 months older. I rescued them both from different animal shelters. And ever since I got them they barely eat dry food. The both eat wet food most of the time. I feed them friskies wet food. And they both have been suffering from diarrhea for about 7 months now, I tried to buy medicine because I thought it was a parasite but the medicine didn’t work. I’very been trying different brands of dry food such as Purina one, fancy feast, whiskies but they just don’t seen to like it. They would only eat it when they get hungry and is not foot time yet. I feed them about one can and 1/2 yo each one every day. I need help and advice to change their diet and find a good brand of dry food that they would like and that is also healthy for them.. I hope you can help me, thank.
Hello Rosie, I am sorry about your cats. That sounds really a desperate situation and I understand how you feel. I got my cat from a shelter too and she had herpes virus being extremely ill all the time. I can tell you what my cat eats. She eats Petcurean mix with Fromm Game Bird plus I give her Lysine gel in her wet food. However, I am not sure if your cats suffer from some intestinal disease or virus or anything like that that is not related to their food. Did you take them to the Vet?
I am not sure if your cats will like these cats food I just mentioned, cats are very special creatures. My cat is picky and she likes these cat foods so I figured they could work with your cats.
I hope you can stop their diarrhea. All my best wishes for your kitties!
Hi, read about feline IBD. That’s what it sounds like and changing foods won’t help. You need a food sensitivity feed like Hills z/d. I completely turned my cat around after seeing an internal specialist and finding out this diagnosis, feeding him only z/d and he needed vital B supplementation injections weekly for a while.
Thanks so much for your help Lori, this will help lot of people with similar issues!
Lorena, just came upon your most informative website! What an incredible service you’re doing for all us Pet Moms. I am totally obsessed with feeding my cat only the best grain-free dry food and only a brand that has never been on a pet food recall list. So far, I find Orijen meets those requirements. I’d like to ask you about Fromm’s Surf & Turf for cats. I’m not familiar with this brand or if you’ve ever reviewed it. Has Fromm’s ever been on a cat food recall list and do you think it’s a good food? Thank you!
Hello Marla, I’ve made a review of Fromm Game Bird and I actually feed my cat this cat food and she does well with it. I must mention that I mix Petcurean Go with Fromm Game Bird and my cat likes this mix. Orijen and Acana are now under my revision because they changed the formula. I will post these changes soon.
Hello Lorena,
I have been giving my cat Chicken Soup for the Soul Weight and Mature Care cat food because of its high fiber content-8%. (My cat has suffered from constipation in the past.) However, I noticed white rice as one of the first five ingredients. Is this variety one you would not recommend from Chicken Soup for the Soul? Here is a list of ingredients. Thanks! Your input is greatly appreciated. Chicken, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, turkey meal, white rice, powdered cellulose, peas, potatoes, potato protein, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), natural flavor, ocean fish meal, flaxseed, turkey, duck, salmon, sodium bisulfate, egg product, potassium chloride, DL-methionine, choline chloride, taurine, dried chicory root, L-Carnitine, dried kelp, carrots, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, cranberries, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, niacin, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A supplement, biotin, potassium iodide, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
Hello Anna, my analysis of cat foods is based in the 5 first ingredients which represent the most percentage in the formula. Ideally no cat should eat white rice but in this case this ingredient is in the 6th position and I decided to include it as a more economic option for people that can’t afford very expensive formulas. Still Chicken Soup and The Soul is a formula healthier than some so called “Premium” cat foods and the reason is because this formula includes chicken meal in the second ingredient and turkey meal as the 4th. This alone tells you this recipe provides a cat a very good amount of protein from meat even including cracked pearl barley as 3rd ingredient.
Thank you Lorena for your quick response and for providing such an informative website regarding dry cat food! Do you provide reviews for wet cat food as well? I have been trying to find a healthy canned cat food that does not include carrageenan and menadione sodium bisulfite complex. There is so much controversy over these 2 ingredients and it is so difficult to find cat food without them. Thank you again!
Hello Anna! I haven’t done reviews for wet food yet but that’s something I want to do soon. I can recommend you Wellness Healthy Indulgence. They have a large variety of recipes. I feed my cat Turkey & Chicken recipe (the green pouch). Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for the recommendation! I will look into Wellness Healthy Indulgence for my cats. I look forward to reading your wet food reviews in the future. Thanks again!
You’re very welcome Anna :-)
Where do you buy this variety of Wellness Healthy Indulgence? The ingredients look great! I am just having difficulty locating it anywhere. It seems to be out of stock on every website. Thanks again!
I personally buy it in Amazon. You can click here and see they have it. If you subscribe for a monthly supply they will give you a discount. Hope that helps!
Very helpful. Thank you! I noticed it takes 1-2 months to ship. Is this normal?
No, this isn’t normal at all. I don’t know why it takes so long. When I buy this food it takes anywhere between 5 to 6 business day. That’s weird.
Hi, I just adopted two kittens (a long hair and a short hair grey/white). For all my life (I had my two beloved cat for 1 years and I just lost them couple months ago) they have been fed on Royal Canin. I visited PetsValu yesterday and tried to purchase the Royal Canin Kitten formula and been given their house brand performatrin to try. I have found the food have a very strong smell and it contains grain. I wasn’t sure about it and spent the whole night reading reviews and recommendations online. I was going give Orijen a try but they are now not made in Canada anynmore.? They are both a rescue kitten from Quebec and just turn 3 months. Do you have any suggestion on which one dry and wet food I should try.? In gratitude.
Not sure what happened to my comment, but will try again. Our cat is 16 years old and all his life has had more vomit issues & sometimes loose stools. This has been since a kitten, nothing checked out that was something for us to be concerned about. We believe he just has a sensitive digestive system. We have him on a probiotic & enzyme for colon that gets mixed in his wet food (Nature’s Logic Turkey Feast). He also has been on Now Fresh dry kibble for almost 4 years. Since on and off again lately he was experiencing loose bowels–wanted to switch his food, went from Merrick canned Purrfect Bistro Chicken feast to the Nature’s Logic (not as many additives), plus was told many cats seem to have reactions to chicken. I was told to try the Grasslands by Acana–but then what I read about that one is that it is not recommended for cats with sensitive digestive issues which our cat obviously has. Then the Orijen (other dry food recommended) I read on comments on this site that since they opened the new facility in Kentucky–they have changed the ingredients in their food causing problems with cats. I have heard and read about a food called RAWZ. Can you tell me what you think of this as a dry kibble to supplement with the canned Nature’s Logic? Thanks so much. Reason I was told to wean our cat off of the Now Fresh kibble is because too many carbs.
Hello Linda! I haven’t checked that brand yet but I will and let you know. Thanks for your question.
I’m trying a sample bag of the Fromm Game Bird kibble. Do you think a cat with a senstitive digestive system would have issues with that? A pet food place (that is more geared to natural & helping the pets) also gave us sample bags of Open Farm Homestead Turkey & Chicken. 3rd & 4th ingred. are whitefish meal & herring meal. Cat doesn’t care for fish, then I wonder about the “meal”. The other sample bag given was N&D Natural & Delicious–3rd & 4th ingred are potato & chicken fat (again not happy about that). He will not tolerate being fed 2x a day. We free feed him all his life & he is 10.6-10-8 lb. typically consistently. I’m not going to switch his feeding at this late stage in his life–especially since he isn’t overweight. Plus I really can’t “wrap my head” around a cat in the wild eating 2x per day. We feed him approx. 12-14 hours a day canned food (mentioned above) & the other hours a dry kibble. Thanks!
Hi, thank you for the excellent resource. I would love to have your opinion on the best diet for my cat. I have always had a dog, never a cat, so I am an extreme novice. I now have a 17 month old female (spayed) indoor cat and I would like to do the best for her in terms of diet and lifestyle. A friend found her when she was about 5 weeks old and we have had her since. She is petite with kind of big ears, gray and white, short hair (breed?). She is very active and seems wild (untrusting, stalks everything, hisses, growls, chatters at birds all day), but again I’m not experienced with cats so maybe that is every cat. She has a fountain cleaned regularly and filled with quality filtered water. She uses it, but prefers to drink straight out of the faucet. We have very hard water and I worry that it is rough on kidneys.
She eats xxx. She likes it. She seems healthy. She has a normal bowel movement a couple of times a day. No hairballs. No vomiting. Healthy weight. She also eats a Sheba Perfect Portions wet food every other day. Everything seems fine, but I want to be educated and do what is best for her health. Can you advise what you believe would be the best food, both dry and wet, for optimal health for her?
Thank you for your time and expertise.
Hello Del, I feel bad even suggesting a different cat food since your cat is doing good with this brand you mentioned. But whole wheat and corn are so bad for cats and this formula has those in the 5 main ingredients which represents most part of the formula. My cat currently is eating a mix of Petcurean Go and Fromm Bird Game and I give her Wellness Healthy Indulgence (turkey, the green pouch) as wet food, adding half inch of Lysine (Viralys) to it and she does so good and I know she is eating healthy. I don’t want to suggest you to change the cat food for your cat but I am only stating facts and the final decision is yours. Hope that helps!
I do want to change her to something that will be better for her in the long run. I honestly just didn’t know any better. She’s a kitten now and feels great. When I was a teen, I ate cheeseburgers, fries, and a shake twice a day most days and felt great, but it has caught up with me and now I’m paying for it and trying to undo the damage. I want to do my best for her now, so that in her older years she won’t be having to pay for what she ate when she was young. Thanks for the advise. It is obvious that you are knowledgeable about the options that are out there. I will try my cat on the same diet that you are giving yours and see how she does. Thanks again! I’m hoping this crazy little devil cat is around to use me as her chew toy for many, many years.
;-)
What would you recommend for a year old male indoor only cat? He is a picky eater with some food sensitivities so needs grain free not too high in carbs if possible. Considering Orijen, Acana and Fromm or even a mix of two of these on different days.
Hi Felix, Orijen, Acana and Fromm are much better cat foods than the ones with grains. Just try not to feed your male cat foods containing fish in the first 5 ingredients. Being a male and having sensitivities it’s a much better idea to give him formulas with very small % of fish. Consider on your list Halo Spot’s Stew Chicken Recipe as well.
I’m trying a sample bag of the Fromm Game Bird kibble. Do you think a cat with a senstitive digestive system would have issues with that? A pet food place (that is more geared to natural & helping the pets) also gave us sample bags of Open Farm Homestead Turkey & Chicken. 3rd & 4th ingred. are whitefish meal & herring meal. Cat doesn’t care for fish, then I wonder about the “meal”. The other sample bag given was N&D Natural & Delicious–3rd & 4th ingred are potato & chicken fat (again not happy about that). He will not tolerate being fed 2x a day. We free feed him all his life & he is 10.6-10-8 lb. typically consistently. I’m not going to switch his feeding at this late stage in his life–especially since he isn’t overweight. Plus I really can’t “wrap my head” around a cat in the wild eating 2x per day. We feed him approx. 12-14 hours a day canned food (mentioned above) & the other hours a dry kibble. Thanks!
This is the comment above that I”ve had to repost a couple times. Somehow it keeps getting missed. The canned food that Casa eats is Nature’s Logic Turkey Feast. I use a 1/4 tspn. probiotic & .75ml of Colon Rescue by Apawthecary 2x per day in his wet food. Does this sound good? Thanks.
Hi Linda, does your cat have constipation?
No, Casa does not have constipation. He has always been a vomiter since he was a kitten, vomiting 1-2x per week typically. Yet, very healthy. He at times has loose bowels. That is why we give him the Colon Rescue and probiotic. Thanks.
HI Linda, I am not a Vet, only a cat lover that has investigated the best for my cats for years. What I know is that probiotics are for constipation problems and not the opposite, maybe that’s why your cat has loose bowels. Regarding Nature’s Logic Turkey Feast I haven’t rewiewed that cat food yet, I’ll post my answer for you soon.
Hi! I would like to know if anyone could tell me if the science diet dry food for cats is any good… Keep in mind that im a college student and dont have all the money in the world to feed my cats some more premium food !! I would really appreciate the help :)
HI Lorena- Could you do an article on cat wet food just like this one you did for dry food? I know it would prove very helpful, just as this one on dry cat food helped me tremendously. I just purchased the Orijen and my 8 cats seem to like it okay so far. I would just like to know your brand recommendations for wet cat food and what is the best. I am trying to be careful about the ingredients in their food. What do you think about the Nature’s Variety Instinct Ultimate Protein or their Limited Ingredient diet? I appreciate your time and effort in helping us cat owners make wise choices about what we feed our pets!
Hello Melanie, I am happy I could help you with my reviews. I’ve been busy with other projects and I know I have those reviews pending, I really want to make them soon. What I can tell you right now is the wet food I feed my cat Sophie, I give her Wellness Healthy Indulgence Turkey (the green pouch), it doesn’t have carrageenan, not chicken liver in first ingredient (too much liver isn’t good), it doesn’t contain wheat or wheat gluten, soy, corn, or artificial colors or flavors. They are morsels with gravy and cats need to adapt to that.
I am afraid they are changing this formula but you can get it in Amazon. Here I leave you a link if you want to check it out. Hope that helps!
Thank you Lorena for taking the time to reply and for your advice. I look forward to your other reviews. I have given my cats that Wellness in the past on occasion and will look into it again. They liked the Halo grainfree chicken canned also, but I am disappointed that they have carrageenan in their food; also is pea protein in the first five ingredients a bad thing? Right now I am giving them the Instinct ultimate protein canned that I mentioned before–I would like to know what you think of those ingredients when you have time. Thank you again!
Hi Lorena,
You have indeed given excellent reviews and suggestions to many people for whom cats are really important like a family member.
May I have your advice of Me-O brand? Also, I was advised by some people never to use dry food for cats as it causes kidney failures, but my cats love dry food. One is male, 8 years, Persian and the other is American short-hair,male, 1.5 years. Please advice if we should let our cats eat dry food or not? Thanks
Hi Saadia, I will take a look at the brand you mentioned. Dry cat foods are good as long as you take care of several factors: #1 proper hydration of your cat through daily water intake and wet food, 2# premium dry cat foods without excess of phosphorous or magnesium, #3 providing smaller amounts of dry food than with a regular cat food. This is because high quality cat foods are much more concentrated in proteins than regular cat food so you need to feed your cat smaller amounts to avoid risk of dehydration and finally #5 cat foods without fish on main 5 ingredients are more suitable for male cats, althought they work fine with some male cats that eat more wet than dry food and that drink lots of water, but it’s always good not to test that water if you aren’t sure. Hope that helps!
Hi dear Lorena!
Thanks a lot for your prompt reply and excellent advice! Have a nice day and take care :-)
:-)
Hi there,
I thought I had previously submitted a commnet but could not find it :) I wanted to know your take on the Wellness Canned food- it is the basic one not core, healthy cuts etc. I have been feeding it to my cats for some time…I did see your review on the Nulo and switched them to that dry which they seem to like. I had them on the Castor & Pullnix Organix for a long time but could not find info on it.
I do see Nulo has some canned that is basically the same flavors as the Wellness. I think the ingredient I find concerning is the carageen. I dont see this in the Nulo wet so I am giving it a try.
Please let me know your take on Wellness wet food
Thank you!
Hi Jessica, I use Wellness Healthy Indulgence for my cat and so far she does great with it. I recommend you that one. I haven’t reviewed the basic one, but you want to avoid carrageenan for your cat so don’t buy any food with this ingredient.
Hi,
Sometimes its just a case of finding something they’ll eat. I have 2 middle-aged neutered males. The older one. Dickens, suddenly went on a starvation diet. Off to the vet we went….blood tests showed beginning/borderline kidney disease. ..barely stage 1……..I had the diagnosis confirmed at another vet. He wasn’t really eating. …..wouldn’t touch any of the vet recommended food…..so the job was to get him to eat something. Went through all the wet and dry food carried by Petcock, Petsmart, Petvalu, and several specialty pet stores. Its only been 4 days but I hope I’ve finally found one he’ll eat….Farmina Boar Dry…….It might not be the best food but sometimes its just getting them to eat….
Hi my comments keep disappearing. Help!
I am sorry Linda, what is your comment?
I have an eight year female cat who refuses to eat canned food. She is petite in stature and now weighs 16#! I have her on Dr. Gary’s Best Breed Grain Free for two months now and she absolutely loves it. She previously ate Purina and I think that was when she gained weight. Her coat is now fabulous, she sheds less and previously I saw large amounts of urine in the litter box. Even though her water intake is great the urine seems to be normal now. What do you think about the grain free formula? Besides limiting the amount I feed her how can I help her to lose weight?
Hi Catherine, grain free formula doesn’t necessary means your cat won’t gain weight. Usually the grain free formulas replace grains by carbs such as potatoes, peas, etc. This is still better than grains though. You can help your cat lose weight through playing with your cat very actively for least 15 minutes a day. I do this with my cat and she is slim and in good shape. I just bought a cat toy for her (a mouse with feathers) and she loves it! We play at least 20 minutes a day and she ends up exhausted lol. Hope that helps!
Have you heard of Fresh Pet Select? My niece has been feeding her cat this for about 2 months now. He loves it. He was having lots of issues, not eating. He loves this though. It is refrigerated food. Thanks.
I just started feeding my cat the Pet Select food (Made in Italy). He has eaten most of a big tin in less than a day, and likes it way more than Friskies. He appears fine, more energetic, and loves the food. Has your niece continued to use it?
My comment disappeared too. Was looking for any feedback on Tender and True canned and dry cat food. I found it in Whole Foods and my cat seems to like the canned food. Haven’t purchased they dry food yet.
I’m exhausted. I’ve been doing research on cat foods for a month now. Finally found one I thought was good AND I could afford (price is somewhat of a big deal when you’re feeding 9 cats- some of them outside ferals), Evolve. Then I read on another site where they only gave it 2 1/2 paws up. Not very good. And how does everyone trust Blue Buffalo with all the recalls they’ve been through? Just curious. I won’t touch Purina products, and apparently they recently bought out Merrick? Not good. Not good at all.
I am losing my mind trying to come up with a new brand of food for my two cats who are 2 years old, both neutered males and up until now have only eaten Blue Buffalo. They are indoor only and mostly inactive and starting to gain weight. They do drink water and I even add some to their mix of wet and dry food. My boyfriend thinks I am wasting my time because the vet actually said Blue Buffalo was a good brand. I can’t believe that with all the things I’ve read online about the brand and problems people have had. It has now become an issue of contention between my boyfriend and I because he thinks you can’t trust what you read online. I am taking charge myself and will try to switch to one of the brands discussed on this site but when I read that these brands are changing formulas and need to be reconsidered I am completely perplexed about what to try. Budget is a huge issue and it seems that I have read something negative about every single brand, even the ones listed here. Saying that every cat and their needs is individual and different doesn’t help me decide what to try. I predict that I am about to spend a lot of money that I don’t have trying to find the right brand that is healthy for my cats. I will try to go off of the top 5 ingredients advice, but again, the conflicting opinions about the amount of protein in their food has totally confused me. I don’t think I’ll get any advice based on this comment so I guess wish me luck……… :-/
Hello Claire, I understand your confusion and frustration. It’s not easy to find the right food for our cats, not only because there is always something good in one formula and something not so good but also because every cat is different and reacts differently to a cat food.
What I can tell you is that protein is not bad for cats, but the opposite. What isn’t good for cats is when people feed their cats highly concentrated in protein cat foods without providing wet food as complement and enough water. If a cat eats a high quality cat food with high concentration in protein its diet MUST be balanced between dry and wet food, the cat MUST drink lots of fresh and clean water and also exercise every day. These are the keys to make a good cat food work for your cat. I personally use Petcurean with my cat and she does great with it, she is not obese, her fur is shiny, she is active and happy. I feed her also Wellness Healthy Indulgence wet food. She drinks lots of water and I make her play very actively during 15 minutes straight every day. Hope that helps!
Has anyone ever used Boreal cat food? My pet store Manager is reccommending that I get it for my overweight cat. The ingredients seem Ok. I am researching the Company but I am not sure who owns it.
Where’s my comment? :(
I have two cats that are having hairball issues and I have tried the hairball control catfood but it doesnt seem to be helping them … any suggestions ?
Jenn, I hope someone replies–because we have a cat that has a difficult time getting hair out. I rejoice when once in a great while he will vomit a couple ‘balls’ of hair because normally he does not. I’ve heard the petroleum type remedies are not good for our cats–yet the natural one the pet place recommended (and was not cheap) comes out like liquid oil & our cat hates it–makes a mess, so I don’t use it.
I have been researching foods and ended here. Struggling to find a decent food that is both heathful AND palatable for my nine indoor cats. I have not been able to get them to eat any high quality canned food so have given in to Friskies as I read that ANY wet food was better than dry. I buy the best dry I can as I have one cat who is severely allergic to corn/wheat/soy and they all do better on completely grain free. I would love to hear if anyone has any recommendations.
BUT — as to the hairball issue — my vet recommended that I pour a little mineral oil on the afflicted cat’s food. This really worked for one boy I had who got hairballs terribly. No cat I have had has ever liked that hairball gel, oil or other. Now if you cat will eat canned pumpkin — just plain not already doctored with spices of pie — that is a good fiber producer for either dogs or cats and could help the hairballs move through. I hope this helps!!
Our cat loves Fromm Wild Bird & Game dry (grain free) food. Not cheap though. Since I give him more canned food then dry –it lasts long enough though. Thing is, we only have one cat. It is $10 for a 2 lb. bag…GULP. I believe I tried the pumpkin & our cat wouldn’t touch it. I have to research the mineral oil cuz something I read made it sound like I wasn’t supposed to use that. I could be wrong though.
Please, can you do an updated review on Boreal dry all stages cat food?
I will Jordan. Thanks for your comment.
Hi there,
My kitten is now almost 1 year. He is now eating blue buffalo kitten dry food. I want to switch him to the best dry food out there. He is an active indoor male cat. What is the top 3 dry foods out there you recommend? Thank you very much for the help!!
I recommend Petcurean GO, Acana and Orijen (canadian formula) and also Halo. You need to feed smaller amounts of food and feed your cat wet food as well. Make sure your cat drinks lots of water when eating a highly in protein formula to avoid dehydration that could lead to develop urine crystals.
Hi Lorena,
I love your blog!
So helpful.
I was wondering, is it okay to mix dry food brands? Not just when switching foods but always?
I had my cat on Acana Meadowlands, but wanted to try Fromm. I bought Fromm and my cat really likes it! But since Acana lists all amino acids, part of me wants to keep him on Acana too. He is healthy and 9 or 10 years old.
Thank you,
Mina
Hello Mimi, yes, you can mix cat foods, I do that with my cat too. If you are going to keep feeding your cat Fromm just make sure to seal the bag very well because if there is a tiny spot opened it will get bad and may upset your cat’s stomach. Due to this, try not to buy huge bags of this food. Other than that, it’s a good cat food.
Great, thank you!
Hello Lorena,
I was wondering if you could provide some insight into Tiki Born Carnivore Chicken Luau dry. I am in the process of finding a replacement for Orijen since I am on my last bag of the Canadian version.
Thank you
Hello Craig, I will take a look at that brand.
Living in France and trying to find a healthy non grain wet cat food. Any suggestions is you might know or have heard what might be available in France? Thanks if/when you have time. Love your page.
Hello Barbara, my list of reviews was made based on products available in the USA and Canada. I’ll be back at you if I find a good cat food available in France. Thanks for visiting my website!
Barbara, try looking online. When we lived in Spain, we used to order from animalclan.com (now seems to be kiwoko.com). I also found a lot of Canadian food in the Tiendanimal pet store. Unfortunately, I don’t think either of these are in France, but my point is that maybe you can find an online store that will ship to you, maybe from the UK. Good luck!
When I got my cat from the shelter where I was volunteering, the vet recommended a high protein grain-free diet, and EVO was the only one I could find. She did well on that until it was no longer available locally. Fortunately, by then there were several other options. I fed her Orijen for several years along with other good quality brands for variety so she didn’t get bored. Last summer I got a new bag of Orijen and she wouldn’t eat it. I noticed the packaging was different and found it was from the new Kentucky plant. I still had the old bag so compared ingredients. One thing I noticed (besides less protein) was that the new formula had mustard greens, turnip greens, and collard greens. These have very strong flavors, and I’ve not seen them in other cat foods. Maybe Kentucky cats will accept these, but not mine. She will get “greens” in her diet from a big pot of grass I always keep growing for her. She demands that first thing every morning even before breakfast.
Hello,
I adopted my second cat from the spca last year, he was 10.3 kg and 8 years old. Our first cat, is 3 Years old and a slim build boy with a little bit of a fat sack hanging off his belly, causing him to be slightly overweight. After seeing the vet last year, we chose to switch both of their diets to Hills metabolic dry. We have kept up with Metabolic dry and Omega oils added on top for a year and our big boy has actually gained weight, to 10.8 kg. Our vet said to switch to wet metabolic, which we have done for a couple weeks with dry to wean them off, but I am interested in a better diet to try that is grain-free and for weightloss for at least a year to see if we can find something i believe in. I have read your responses and would like to try avoderm wet and maybe a small portion of dry acana. I am having issues finding an appropriate amount of each to feed, since avoderm wants 1 can per 3 lbs. I would need to feed him 6 cans daily on his own which is not in my budget. Can I get guidance on an affordable but effective measurement of these foods?
Cheers
Hi Corrina, I am launching tomorrow my free e-book “How I feed my cat Sophie” so you will have a reference of how I personally maintain my cat at a healthy weight. Thanks for visiting!
Hi, I am wondering if you have ever tried the “only natural pet feline powerfood dry cat food” since I didn’t see it in your list. How would you rate this one? Also, I wonder if there is a canned food brand that you recommend for cats? (I have a 4 year old, 3 year old, and a 1 year old) Thank you so much!
Hi Yani, I will check that formula and if I like it, I will include it on the list. You can check my free e-book “How I feed my cat Sophie” which includes dry and wet food. You only need to subscribe to download it.
Hello,
I have 2 cats, they’re both 7 months and have been on H S Diet Kitten H D and have been doing great. But recently after doing research I’ve heard a lot of negative but also positive comments. I’m trying to stay in the state of mind of “If it isn’t broke don’t fix it” but just want what’s best for my kitties. I’ve been doing research and noticed that NOW! Fresh Grain Free Kitten food is an amazing food as well. They have tons of veggies and berries, etc. But also heard that they seem to have less proteins as normal cat food. Do you have a recommendation between the two? Is one better than the other? Should I stick with Science Diet since there is no issues? Just looking for opinions and some insight to the better food in the long run for them.
Hello Kayla, personally I would go for NOW Fresh Grain Free Kitten recipe, even though it has Potato Flour, Peas, Potatoes as 2d, 3rd and 4th ingredients, IMO it’s better than Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal,and Whole Grain Corn as 2d, 3rd and 5th ingredients in the other recipe. But this is my opinion, I don’t think I would feed my kittens gluten as a main part of a recipe.
HI Lorena,
I am learning alot from your post and especially the communications between you and the readers. I have 5 kittens at the range of 2 months to 6 months. Currently on Wysong dry food and wellness kitten formula wet food. Their poo is soft and stings so badly. So I am planning to change their diet according to the recommended above, Orijen dry food and addiction wet food.
Or does my cat smelly poo caused by something else? please advice.
Thank you!
Hello Dalima! what’s the Wysong and Wellness formula you are using?
What’s the formula you need information of?
These are the ingredients for the Senior and Weight Management formula: Fresh Chicken, Chicken meal, Brown rice, Ground hulled barley, Fresh chicken liver, Dried beet pulp, Brewer’s yeast, Pumpkin, Natural flavor, Fresh fish, Cranberries, Dried egg product, Potassium chloride, Salmon oil, Canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Calcium sulfate, Spinach, Taurine, Choline chloride, Ground whole flaxseed, Apples, Bananas, Blueberries, Broccoli, Dried algae, Sweet potatoes, Glucosamine hydrochloride, Yucca schidigera extract, Inulin (prebiotic), Pineapple, Vitamin E supplement, Chondroitin sulfate, Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), Iron sulfate, Zinc sulfate, DL-methionine, Green tea extract, Niacin supplement, Zinc proteinate, Manganese sulfate, Copper sulfate, Manganese proteinate, Sodium selenite, Vitamin A acetate, Thiamine mononitrate, Copper proteinate, Calcium D-pantothenate, Riboflavin supplement, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Biotin supplement, Vitamin B12 supplement, Vitamin D3 supplement, Folic acid, Calcium iodate, Rosemary extract. May contain traces of peanuts.
Crude protein min 28.00 %
Crude fat min 9.00 %
Cude fiber max 2.50 %
Moisture max 10.00 %
Ash max 7.00 %
Calcium min 1.00 %
Phosphorus min 0.90 %
Magnesium max 0.10 %
Potassium min 0.60 %
Sodium min 0.20 %
Oméga-6* fatty acids min 2.60 %
Oméga-3* fatty acids min 0.50 %
Glucosamine* min 500 mg/kg
Chondroïtin* min 400 mg/kg
Hello Joanne, the formula points in the right direction with chicken and chicken meal, but brown rice is too close to the main ingredients, it could be further down the list. The guarantee analysis states 28% of protein and 9% fats which is not similar to a cat diet. A dry food that replicates the cat’s diet should be around 40% proteins (it should have at least a minimum of 30% proteins of the total formula).
Hello Lorena,
I have one inside female cat that is healthy. She is just a little over weight so I have switched her dry food to Nutri Source weight management cat food. the first ingredients in order are (chicken meal,peas,pea fiber,barley,oatmeal,natural flavor,beet pulp-dried,fish meal,chicken fat preserved with a mixed tocopherols and citric acid) among others. It also has 9 to 12% crude fat and includes omega 6 and 3. Can you tell me what your thoughts are on this brad of dry cat food. It sounds to me that is is a good one. Unless Im missing something. Thank You Dave
Hello Dave, that formula contains only chicken meal as a source of proteins and the rest are either carbs or grains. As I have stated on my article, I prefer formulas with proteins in at least the 5 first ingredients. You can find good dry cat foods on my list from average to Premium qualities. Average dry cat foods provide about 30% protein in the total formula, while Premium formulas up to 42%.
Lorena,
I forgot to mention Nutri Source also says it has a min. of 29% crude protein .
Thanks Dave
My 3 year old female cat has been on Hills Metabolic and Royal Canin Weight Management, both recommended by the Vet. She lost the weight needed as she is a mostly indoor cat on the sedentary side but the ingredients in the Royal Canin weight management really scared me (as well the vet didn’t even know what the ingredients were or that corn is not good for my cat!) I’m so frustrated finding something to keep her weight down and that she likes. I also feed her wet food. Recently came upon a company based out of Edmonton, Alberta called Homeward Bound, she liked the sample so bought a bag and she is not liking it. Have you ever heard of this pet food (they make dog food as well and deliver to the home) and if so your opinion please. Also the best wet food to feed her? I am feeling like I can’t trust anybody or any label (Blue Buffalo comes to mind with this, we stopped feeding this one.) Thank you in advance for your advice
Hi Debbie, I have not heard about that cat food. I will research. About what dry cat food and wet food to feed your cat, I have my preferences with what I personally feed my cat and I decided to create a free e-book to share with other cat owners to keep their cats at a healthy weight. You can subscribe and get my free e-book and there you will find dry and wet food, feeding schedules, amounts, treats, etc. My cat is slim without obesity problems but I don’t know your cat’s metabolism or activity level, but it’s still worth to check it out.
I’ll just thank you for the work you’ve done here. :)
You’re welcome Selma!
Hi, does anyone have any experience with de-stress methods for a cat with higher anxiety/stress level? Starting to read into it, pheromones have been suggested. Anyone with some experience of this? Thanks!
My cat sometimes is really anxious and I give her 4 drops of Rescue Remedy in her water.
Hello, I was wondering if you have ever heard of a dry food called Farmina? It is manufactured in Italy. It sounds like a great cat/dog food. Thank you!
Any formula that has 3 or more grains in the main 5 ingredients I don’t recommend it.
Hello again…….
I have 6 kittie’s. All but one eats 80% wet food and 20% dry in the evening feeding. My kitty that won’t eat wet is asthmatic and way overweight. I had him on Orijen mixed w/fancy feast(he won’t eat anything else, though am going to be persistent to change that and to start him on wet), he gained more weight on it. I then stopped it. He is on a mix of Wellness/FF now. I want to eliminate the crap FF. So now thinking of switching him back to Orijen but giving way less. When we are out of town our babysitter comes twice a day. They all get wet in am and also having to leave dry out(b/c my one wont eat wet) both am and pm. Here’s the predicament, do I leave the Orijen out or have to change the dry food while gone. Some cats will eat more than others including my overweight guy. So they all will be getting more than they should of Orijen, do you concur? Thank you!
I suggest you trying Petcurean Go Fit for dry food. It’s the cat food I use with my cat and she is not overweight. Also, it would be a good idea to try different wet foods with your cat, because by only eating high-in-protein dry food your pet risks of being dehydrated. Also, you need to put your cat on a diet, making him lose no more than 2% of its weight weekly. To do this, simply reduce the amount of dry food you feed your cat every day.
On this site I don’t see your wet food recommendations, am I wrong?
Only dry food for now.
Hello!
I have 2 10 month old kittens that I want to start switching over to adult dry food. They’re currently on Hills Science Diet Kitten Healthy Development wet and dry but I know it’s not exactly the best for them. My issue is this: one of them, my female, is about 8 lbs, she eats both wet and dry normally. BUT the boy is about 11 lbs already and he LOVES kibble. They both free feed kibble during the day and get wet at night but I’m wondering what the best dry kibble would be so he doesn’t become completely overweight or diabetic or anything else. He’s very much a grazer and likes to munch throughout the day. We exercise him regularly but maybe he’s just always going to be a big kitty. Anyways, any suggestions?
Hello Lori, you need to feed both of your cats healthy dry food and also wet food. Healthy dry food is high in proteins but you need to make sure feed them not very much for 2 reasons: they can get overweight which is your case already with the male and also they risk to dehydration if they don’t drink enough water. You can subscribe and download my free e-book “How I Feed My Cat Sophie, Tricks & Tips” where I share the dry and wet food I feed my cat with excellent results. Also, I recommend you feed your cat with an automatic feeder, this way your male cat won’t get overweight from eating too much kibble and will only eat a healthy amount of food every day. Additionally, you MUST provide a fresh source of water at all times for your cats, especially when switching to a healthy dry food.
Hope that helps!
Hi Lorena!!
Searching thru the net trying to find our best option down here in Mexico City, I found your review; we have 24 rescued for the Mexican streets cats in three different houses and we always fed them with the Royal Canin Adult formula which is one of the most publicized-as-complete dry foods for cats here and the best available! Until this year a distributor for the Instinct company opened and some stores started to sell Taste of the wild as well; my question is, can you recommend me the best option of those three available here? I will share the ingredients for the three:
ROYAL CANIN ADULT FORMULA (Currently feeding): Chicken by-product meal, corn, corn gluten meal, brewers rice, chicken fat, wheat gluten, rice hulls, natural flavors, dried plain beet pulp, grain distillers dried yeast, calcium sulfate, vegetable oil, fish oil, sodium bisulfate, potassium chloride, fructooligosaccharides, DL-methionine, calcium carbonate, hydrolyzed yeast, choline chloride, taurine, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), niacin supplement, biotin, riboflavin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin A acetate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement], trace minerals (zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate), marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), rosemary extract, preserved with natural mixed tocopherols and citric acid.
INSTINCT CAT FORMULA (Chicken): Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Tapioca, Natural Flavor, Dried Tomato Pomace, White Fish Meal (Pacific Whiting, Pacific Sole, Pacific Rockfish), Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin), Montmorillonite Clay, Carrots, Apples, Cranberries, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide), Freeze Dried Chicken, DL-Methionine, Taurine, Freeze Dried Chicken Liver, Pumpkinseeds, Freeze Dried Chicken Heart, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract.
TASTE OF THE WILD: Trout, ocean fish meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, pea protein, potato protein, canola oil, smoked salmon, natural flavor, choline chloride, DL-methionine, taurine, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, 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 (vitamin B1), vitamin A supplement, biotin, potassium iodide, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.
Contains a source of live, naturally occurring microorganisms.
Thanks a lot in advance Lorena, you are gonna help us best deciding what to do, with 24 cats economy is also a point to be taken into account! Have a nice day!
If I had to choose between those 3 recipes, I would go for the INSTINCT CAT FORMULA. It has only one source of carbs in the main 5 ingredients.
Hey Lorena,
I am in a bit of a situation at this point. Just for some background information – I am a college student, and therefore I can’t afford the best of the best. I knew that prior to adopting my 2 furbabies, and that’s fine. One cat is turning 1 in a week or so and the other will be 2 in about a month (both according to the shelter’s estimates of course). However, the older cat had a rough start with me after having an upper respiratory infection for a while. Flare up after flare up and loads of antibiotics later (5 months on and off) she seems to be doing okay. As many cats do, she has retained the herpes virus that causes upper respiratory in cats. She occasionally sneezes so of course my younger cat has gotten it as well. They both get L-lysine every day per vet request.
I know that heavy loads of antibiotics in people can cause issues like C-diff or general GI distress and immune insufficiencies; I’m sure it’s the same in cats. Luna, the younger of the two, was put on a probiotic by the vet after a bout of vomiting and it helped immensely! However the older cat, Phoebe has recently started vomiting on a fairly regular basis (1-3 times per week).
They both have been receiving a mix of the Purina Kitten Chow and the Purina Naturals Indoor. Yes, I know these are AWFUL, but they started those at the shelter and with being sick and even the tiniest amount of stress causing herpes flare ups, I decided to keep them on that until Luna was 1 year. Now that Phoebe has started her vomiting, I went to Petco and Doctor’s Foster and Smith Digestive was suggested to me. Phoebe is incredibly picky, very, very. She won’t touch anything pate, and prefers broth-heavy wet foods. That day I bought a large bag of the Doctor’s Foster and Smith dry food as well as a few pouches of the Solistic wet food to try (Phoebe was eating Fancy Feast Creamy Broth and Luna was eating Sheba wet food). Phoebe is a tabby, and Luna is an Ocicat-tabby mix, so she is quite big. Luna has started getting a bit chubby around her tummy and Phoebe has started throwing everything up, so it’s become very confusing as to what to do. They both like the Foster’s dry food and the Solistic wet food and there has been no vomiting since I started switching to both 5 days ago. The only issue now is that the price and availability of the Foster’s food is just unsustainable for me. I glanced at the Chicken Soup dry food but I’m worried that it might not be right for both of my cats who wont eat separate dry foods (hence the Purina mix previously mentioned).
Are there any other dry foods that would compare, at a slightly better price point? I’m thinking that it’s going to be important for both to keep receiving the pre- and probiotics such as the ones in the Foster’s food. I just don’t know what to do anymore! I apologize for the extremely long post, but I would really appreciate your opinion! Thank you so very much.
Hello Taylor, you may want to subscribe and download my free e-book “How I feed My Cat Sophie” where I mention the wet and dry food I feed my cat with excellent results! Hope that helps!
Side note, they receive wet food around dinner time every day and the dry food and water are always left out for them.
Hello,
I have Four Cats, one with a rare heart condition.
All from same litter and two years old.
I have been feeding the INSTICT brand both dry and wet, and the POuhces and also pouches of Wellness.
Royal Canin before that, but did not care for their ingredients. (CARAGEENAN)
I see ORIJIEN highly recommended, but pricy.
What wet food do you recommend . I want to change their food as its been a year..They like VITAL refrigerated food pellets in Chicken, whitefish on Occasion as well.
Trying high protein mostly for the heart condition cat.
Thank you .
Hi Gwen, you an subscribe and download my free e-book where you will find the wet and dry food I feed my cat with excellent results. Hope that helps!
Hi Lorena,
Firstly I would like to thank you for writing a great review on cat food. I adopted my two maine coon babies last december with no knowledge whatsoever about cats. The very first brand I bought was Royal Canin. After doing more research, I also tried Blackwood, Brit Care and ProPlan. ProPlan unfortunately gave them both gastrointestinal problems, vomitting and diarrhoea within 3 days of consuming it. (I did introduce new food gradually with each one). So I threw away the rest of the pack. I was so happy when I finally got my hands on Orijen, that was after coming across your review. I read the ingredients listed and definitely they are one of the best cat food in the market. The problem, however, they don’t seem to like the taste very much … so I ended up mixing them with other brands I previously bought.
There is a rather new brand in the market, it’s called PureLuxe (made in Kansas). There isn’t much review around, probably because they are relatively new. The ingredients seem good but they don’t list the 11 essential amino acids though. I was wondering whether you’d be able to share of what you know/think about this product …
PureLuxe for long hair ingredients: deboned chicken, chicken meal, dried chickpeas, dried peas, salmon meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), flaxseed, deboned salmon, natural flavor, pea protein, tomato pomace, dried cranberries, coconut oil, dried kelp, salt, dried chicory root, choline chloride, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid), dried apples, dried carrots, pumpkin seeds, yucca schidigera extract, calcium chloride, minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, calcium carbonate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, iron amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, sodium selenite, cobalt carbonate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide), mixed tocopherols, taurine, turmeric, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product and dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, rosemary extract.
Guaranteed analysis:
Crude Protein (min) 32.0%
Crude Fat (min) 16.0%
Crude Fiber (max) 4.0%
Moisture (max) 10.0%
Ash (max) 8.5%
EPA (min) 0.08%
DHA (min) 0.12%
Calcium (min) 1.2%
Phosphorus (min) 1.0%
Magnesium (max) 0.15%
Vitamin E (min) 80 IU/kg
*Omega-6 Fatty Acids (min) 3.75%
*Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min) 1.25%
*Taurine (min) 1200 mg/kg
*Glucosamine (min) 700 mg/kg
*Chondroitin (min) 600 mg/kg
*Total Lactic Acid Microorganisms (min)…80 million CFU/lb
(E. faecium, L. acidophilus and L. casei) in equal amounts
They also stated the sources of their fresh ingredients (eg. deboned chicken from USA, no ingredients are from China)
Thank you kindly Lorena, much appreciated!
Hi Caroline, I will make a review of this cat food soon. Thanks for sharing the info.
I recently decided to completely change my two cats diets, and they are now healthier than I have ever seen them.
I amended the diets because:
A/ Anastasia, a 14-15 y.o. Burmese was losing weight, when she got down to 3.9kg I decided to take action.
B/ Smegley Boo, a 6 y.o. Burmese and was too fat. To be fair she’s always been chubby in a cute way but she got to the point that she was so fat I was worried she might eat her sister if I missed providing a meal.
I’ve always fed them both Royal Canin Weight Control dry food, as per my Vets advice.
I started reviewing the packaging, reading websites like this, and came to the following conclusions:
1/ Cat food companies want you to buy more product and so they encourage you to feed your cat more than you should. You are their profits!
2/ The “fillers” (grains, potatoes etc) in cat food were contributing to Smegley Boo’s weight problem.
3/ The big brands (Royal Canin, etc here in Australia) are #1 brands due to successful marketing, nothing else.
4/ There is no perfect cat food.
As such, I decided to “blend” my own cat food. Because my two cats are different stages in their life, they have different needs and so I provide them a different blend of dry foods.
I have found that this is working! They both look better than they have in years with shiny, silky smooth fur. Anastasia (the older one) moves around slightly better, and Smegley Boo (the younger fat one) is looking trim and lean.
For the majority of their meals, I give them both a mixture of 4 dry foods, 2 from Royal Canin, and 2 Grain Free brands: (Royal Canin Weight Control, Royal Canin Dental, Core Wellness Original, and Ideal Balance Chicken & Brown Rice).
I provide each cat with a different % of each, so for example:
Anastasia receives ~43grams of dry food /day split: 35% for Ideal Balance, and Core; 20% Weight management; and 10% Dental control.
Smeg receives ~45grams of dry food /day split: 30% for Ideal Balance, Core, Weight, and Dental 10%
For 4 nights/week I also give them a wet food dinner, usually Wellness Minced Chicken for Anastasia, and Royal Canin Ultra Light for Smeg.
This new diet has proved a success for both. I will amend the diet splits as they increase/lose weight, age, etc. I may also bring in other brands as my knowledge increases. However, I am extremely satisfied that I decided to take action and not supply my cats with only one food type.
I honestly don’t believe that there is a superior cat food product on the market, it is up to you, the cat’s slave, to conduct some research and provide them what you think is best (both in quality blend and quantity).
Stuart (in Australia)
Thanks for sharing your experience with your cats, Stuart.
Did they change the Arcana Dry Cat Food Grasslands Region? The ingredients have been changed as long as the packaging. I was planning on buying 10 bags at a great price.
You can find a review of the new formula on this page.
Hello Lorena.
I tend to buy Acana products for my kitties and I’ve tried Pacifica, Grasslands, Wild Prairie, and Ranchlands. I was wondering if you could review Wild Prairie and particularly Ranchlands. I want to make sure whether they contain everything the cats need or if I should stick to the other two. Should I change to another brand once in a while, if so, which?
I hope you can help me.
Kind regards
Elle
Oh and I was wondering if you could recommend wet foods to compliment these products?
I haven’t given them much and I see that’s a mistake now.
Hi Elle, you can download my free e-book “How I Feed My Cat Sophie, Tricks & Tips” by subscribing on this page and you will all the information how I feed my cat dry and wet food with excellent results.
Will do, thanks!
I will soon Elle, thanks for your comment.
Hi there,
I find all of this to be excellent information, thank you! I have a 3-4 year old (?) cat, about 11 lbs. as of today, that was rescued as a stray in Baltimore City right before Winter Storm Juno. He’s totally spoiled now and a complete lap-cat. But he will not eat canned food. No interest at all. Is this a concern for dehydration or nutrition?
I keep multiple water dishes out, and he seems to get what he wants. What is the suggested amount of water per day that he needs? He’s got tons of energy though, very playful and still like a kitten in some respects (including scaling the railings above the 2-story family room and giving me a heart attack!).
Thank you for this site and all the suggestions.
Hello Megan, the water consumption depends on the cat’s activity and type of dry food, but in general your cat should drink from 2 up to 4 Oz of fresh water, the larger the cat, closer to 4 Oz. If you feed your cat high quality dry food your pet needs to drink more, this is because when foods are high in proteins if the cat doesn’t drink enough it risks to dehydration. That’s why cats need to eat dry and wet food always. If you feed your cat dry food with grains it will need a little less water, but on the other hand it risks obesity and diabetes. Personally, I always recommend feeding the cat dry and wet food. If your cat doesn’t like wet food try different types, morsels with gravy, pate, shredded, etc.
Hi Lorena! Your review is very helpful and I am thankful for finding it! I had my very first kitten 3 weeks ago. She is 13 weeks. After reading your review, I realized that the food I am giving her isn’t good (5 first ingredients are chicken, chicken by-product meal, corn meal, chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols and dried beer pulp). It’s the IAMS proactive health. So I took note of the brands you are recommending but is it recommanded for kitten ? Do you recommend something different ?
Thank you for your time ! Sincerely
Hi Marion, my reviews are mostly of foods for adult cats, but in my opinion a good option for your kitten is Natural Balance Original Ultra® Whole Body Health® Chicken, Duck Meal, Salmon Meal Kitten Formula Dry Cat Food. It has a low amount of calcium and Phosphorus, a good amount of Proteins and crude fat and healthy carbs necessary due to the high activity of the kitten. The only ingredient I don’t like very much is brown rice, but it’s on the 6 position so it doesn’t have a big proportion on the formula. The recipe is gluten free. This cat food is a good option for your kitty but make sure to feed your cat also wet food and provide lots of fresh water every day.
Thank you so much ! I will give it a try !
Dried beet pulp and not beer :)
My wife and I loved your website and your reviews! It is so helpful. I am looking for a high-end cat food for our kitty, a 9 weeks old ragdoll. When we adopt him 2 weeks ago, the breeder was feeding him with Kirkland Signature Chicken and Rice Cat Food, but my vet advised me to change for Orijen Cat & Kitten. He loves the food but we noticed big changes with his stools (running/loose stools). We try to supplement his diet with Pumpkins powder and probiotics during the last 10 days, but no lucky so far. We also tried to slow down the transition, changing the amount of the new food from 50:50 (new/old) to 30:70 (new/old) but we did not notice any improvement. I don’t know if he tolerates other kind of meats but we are suspecting that he has some kind of food sensitivity. The breeder mentioned that her cats prefer chicken. I am also feed him with Instinct canned food (chicken), 1/8 of a can (split in two meals, one in the morning and the other at the evening). He was 1.6 kg 2 weeks ago but now he is 1.9 kg. With the exception of this “GI problems” and the gases, he seems to be very healthy and playful. What is your advice? I was thinking about the possibility of giving a try to the Fromm Grain Free (chicken).
Hello Hugo, you may want to read my free e-book “How I Feed My Cat Sophie, Trick & Tips” where I explain the dry and wet food I feed my cat, the hours, treats I use and tricks to keep my cat healthy with great results. You can subscribe on this page and download my e-book.
Orijen is a good cat food even though they changed the formula in the last years. What happens to your cat could be the reaction of its body due to the detox by eating a healthier food, sometimes this happens, they experience vomit and diarrhea before getting better from eating foods with grains previously. But I am not 100% sure if this is what your cat is experiencing. Time will tell. Just make sure to feed your cat a good quality wet food free of by-products and provide your pet lots of fresh water at all times.
First of all, thank you so much for your work done with this blog. It’s super informative.
Secondly, I was just wondering have you ever heard of Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat Food? I have been debating among this brand, ACANA and Orijen. Why ACANA and Orijen are highly recommended even with formula change (worse compared to previous formula) and fish is included? (I have read somewhere that fish is not good for cat on a daily diet) What is your thought about fish in cat daily diet?
Oh, below is the list of ingredient of Dr. Elsey’s:
Chicken, Dried Egg Product, Pork Protein Isolate, Gelatin, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Fructooligosaccharide, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Calcium Carbonate, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Carbonate, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide), Potassium Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Taurine, Salt, Rosemary Extract
CRUDE PROTEIN 59.0% min
CRUDE FAT 18.0% min
CRUDE FIBER 4.0% max
MOISTURE 12.0% max
EICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID 0.06% min
DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID 0.06% min
VITAMIN E 150 IU/kg min
OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS 0.9% min
Thank you in advance and looking forward for your answer !
Hi Lorena,
Thank you so much for your wonderful and helpful reviews. I read a lot of articales and i found your website one of the best.
I have 3 stray cats at home. My beolved red hot feamle Puma i the oldest. She is 7 years old. She has a lot of urinary problems. Infactions which treated with antibiotic.The last year was the worst. She got it 3 times. I notice that she tend to get it when she is stressed. but not only.
I also have a 5 years old mail which tend to obisity and with super premium food it’s been controled.
The last one is a small female, 5 years old which tend to get bouls infaction with high protain nutrition.
I tried many super premium food. Instinct, Go fit for 2 years until i notice my mail loosing weight so i switched to Orijn which cose my little one a boul infaction. Now i give tham all Acana wild prey. Good food whith less protain
I am trying to solve this urinary problem. I dont like all this foods that contain grain. Since they all eating the same food maybe you can recomend me of something? unless you thing that she should eat something difrent? What do sugest in general?
I am very confused. Hope you can help
Thank you so much!
Best regards
Irit
Wellness recently changed all of their dry cat food formulas. The kibble bits are now tiny! My 8-year old kitty just inhales these particles, without chewing. After the food settles in her stomach, it expands, causing her to barf violently!
The search is on to find a replacement food which is high quality, no grains, (white) potatoes, tapioca,etc. However, this wonder food must also have a large size kibble. We feed dry for her teeth; if she doesn’t chew the food will not clean her teeth and she will vomit the whole meal, as well.
Any suggestions? Seems the pet store employees are clueless and I’m no better. Poor Channah Esther was traumatized by hurricane Irma (we’re in FL) and now this change in her food…HELP, please!
Hello Terry, usually high quality cat foods have small kibble and the ones that contain corn or other grains are bigger. I personally feed my female cat with a mix of two cat foods, the kibble are small but she still chews on them. I am not sure about your cat but you can check it out on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/catfooddispensersreviews/ there I show the size of the kibble. Also you can signup there and download my free e-book where I show the mix I give my cat, wet food, treats, the feeding schedule and more. Hope that helps! (PS: I am sorry about what you went through with your cat due to the hurricane, I hope you are doing OK).
Hi Terry, I am now caring for my friend’s cat. he can no longer keep her. it is a she. she used to be fed with IAMS brand and Sheba wet food. for me, when i took her, she was quite skinny. and i was told by him, that she is quite a mellow little cat, sleep most of the time. boy, was he wrong! the soonest i had her, she was playful, vocal, loves to linger closed to her human. she is an indoor persian cat. calico color.
Most of the time, on weekday, i caged her up to avoid unnecessary incidents. I feel more secure, knowing she is caged up but whenever i am at home, she will be out of the cage. at night she sleeps next or on me but most of the time, she prefers to sleep on the floor closer to me.
I gave her wet (morning) and dry (evening) food because i want her to have more varieties. She eats 2-3 times a day. on weekday, i will leave some dry food for her, in case if i come back late in the evening from work.
for wet food, she prefers to have varieties as well. if i gave her the same type or same brand, she will eat for few minutes, then wander off then eat again. sometimes it took her 30 min to finish her food. but with varieties, she will finish it up in one go.however, with my cat, i have to give half of 80g. she won’t be able to finish up whole can. i have been trying few times giving her whole can, but until noon, she didn’t eat the food. for dry food however, she does not mind eating the same thing.
currently, I am giving her Nutrience Grain Free (Dry food) and Monge + Cindy’s recipe (Wet food)
The changes i saw:
a) With Iams and Sheba
Damn, her poo smell so pungent! I had to use baking soda and bought expensive cat litter to cover the smell. but they did minimal job. her poo is dark colored as well. hard stool. she drinks water very few. she doesn’t seem to like drinking water. i gave fresh water every meal, constantly changes her water. she didn’t finish up her kibble too. eat very few. but she will finish up her wet food, Sheba. She poo 3 times a day though. small and large continuous lump. but very dark color.
b) With Nutrience Grain Free Food (chicken, turkey and etc) and Monge + Cindy’s Recipe
When i switched to nutrience, she had diarhea on the first day. right after eating Nutrience. She pooed before going to bed. and it was watery. I was concerned. my mistake, i did not use the new food intro technique. but in the morning, when i gave her cindy recipe, her stool was normal. Black stool. the next day, i did the intro, and she was doing fine the rest of the week until i am giving her totally Nutrience kibble. Now, good things are, her poo doesn’t smell so bad. I have stopped using baking soda and just depend on her litter, the smell doesn’t linger unless you go near to it. i was happy. I switch between cindy and Monge for wet food and Nutrience only for dry food, she starts to drink a lot of water. of course, peeing a lot too. i feel good with her changes. She puts up weight too. her stool was no longer dark color but more to lighter color. was not so hard but not too soft either.
However, now, she develops this attitude, only want to be fed with her kibble from my hand. If i put them in her bowl, she only sniffed it by. but when i put it on my hand, she eats them right away. even if i put more food on my hand. once i drop them in her bowl, she doesn’t want to eat. its her usual bowl. I washed it every day. there was no smell. the same routine when she was on IAMS. for her wet food, she will eat them but I have to be nearby or next to her. if i am not there, she will wander off, meowing for me. first, i didn’t noticed this problem. when i was checking on her food, she didn’t finish it, i called her. and she came. she was eating it. then i make my move and noticed she followed me too. i went back to her plate, and she start to eat her food again.
is this attitude problem or food problem? did she not like them? but ate it when I am there because scared im going to scold her? I don’t think my cat ever give a shit when I am mad at her.
Hi Lorena,
Until recently we fed our cats premium cat foods. Not always grain free but without the filler ingredients at the top of the list. Usually switching every few months between, Wellness, Source and Natural Instinct with a meal of wet food with water added for their lunch. They are fed 3 times a day.
Our cat had a urinary blockage recently and the vet has now placed them on Royal Canin Urinary SO cat food. The ingredients look terrible but it does make my cats drink more (I suspect due to the higher salt content?) The vet says if we take our cats off this diet there will most likely be a blockage again and our cats will die. It was such a traumatic experience having the blockage so I’m nervous to switch foods. But I feel like I’m feeding my cat medicated junk at this point.. They have been doing well on it for over 6 months now. What would you recommend? Should I stay on this medicated diet or is there a healthier alternative?
Hi Rose, I am really sorry for what happened to your cat. What type of Wellness food were you feeding your cat and how long did you feed it with that one? Also, how much water your cat drinks every day? The Vet probably gave you a prescription diet with carbs. Carbs allow the digestive system to absorb more water so less risk of dehydration. This type of food is not the ideal for a cat but for now you will have to stick with this diet to let your pet to recover. Let me know those details. Thanks
Hi Lorena,
Thank you for your reply! They were on Wellness Core Grain Free dry food. We usually switched brands when they finished the bag of food (every few months). They mostly ate Simply Nourish Source Chicken and Turkey, and Natural Instinct Grain free. I don’t think they drank much water other than the wet food we fed them for lunch with the added water. Maybe 1/4th a cup in addition to the wet food? The wet food wasn’t good quality food just Purina Friskies wet food. My cats are still on the prescribed diet. They both are doing well and the bathroom habits seem healthy. What do you recommend? Thank you again
Hi Rose, I recommend you to keep feeding your cat on the prescribed diet for a while. They are getting more hydrated and the carbs help on this as well. Just make sure to keep your cat active since carbs and/or grains can be burned with activity.
Thank you again for your reply Lorena. I feel better about letting them eat this food now. Last question: How long do you think I should let them remain on the diet if they’re doing well from now on?
I suggest you to keep feeding them this food for at least 6 months since they are doing good with it.
Thank you for all your help Lorena!
I should also add that they are drinking A LOT more water now on this Royal Canin Urinary SO diet.
Hi. Can u please share your opinion on Farmina’s N&D Grain Free Chicken vs Farmina’s N&D Ancestral Grain Chicken ? Thank you.
ANYONE REVIEW LIFE’S ABUNDANCE ????
I hv a male Burmese. 11 yr old, but slender $ Fit. I am just trying to get him on a healthier diet. I tried Wellness: he liked it until I got Blue Healthy Living & now he won’t touch the Wellness. This was before I found ur website. Your info is great, but my problem is that Yoda won’t eat Wet food Just dry. He also loves baby food. I think that’s because they were fed it when they were kittens during a competition Cat Show by the breeder. He does do pretty well with water. 4 – 8 oz/24 hrs. What can I switch to that doesn’t require wet food consumption??
Hi Alison, if your cat doesn’t eat wet food my suggestion is to get him dry food with one healthy carb in the first ingredients, such as green peas. If you feed your cat a highly-in-protein dry cat food and your cat doesn’t eat wet food then it’s a little risk of developing some problems, even if Yoda drinks a lot of water, but this is not enough for a male feline to keep the optimum hydration on a diet. Additionally, I must mention that Barley contains gluten so if you prefer a gluten-free diet for Yoda, consider this point. Try Petcurean dry food feeding your cat small amounts of it (60 gr/day) and also feed your cat kitten wet food if that’s what he likes. If he doesn’t want to eat that, then try Fromm Bird Game recipe and see how your cat does with it. Hope that helps!
Thanks for all the great info on dry cat food. I have learned alot. I have been considering Diamond Naturals for my cats. It appears to be a good food & I can get it locally. I’m not a big online shopper so that is important to me. Are you familiar with this brand? I was hoping you might give me your opinion. Here is a link to the Diamond site. Thanks again.
Hi Naomi, what are the ingredients of it?
I love your website, I receive emails with everyone’s comments and I love reading and getting suggestions from them; however, I have a problem that I can’t seem to remedy. I have an older cat that will absolutely not eat wet food. He gets constipated, has a sensitive stomach, throws up almost every day, the vet says there is nothing wrong with him and to feed him science diet sensitive, and it helps, not with the constipation, but with the vomiting. I hate feeding him science diet… the ingredients are terrible and I read that it is a bad food for cancer amongst other things. Do you have any suggestions of food brands that might be better for him? I wish there was one good food that targeted all the typical problems of a cat, constipation, hairballs, kidney health, sensitive stomach/digestion, diabetes…
Hi maria, I am sorry about your cat being so sensitive to food. Sometimes just getting your cat not throwing up is good enough, but I understand you wanting to switch to a more quality food. Unfortunately, on my list I provide brands for cats without food sensitivities and in some cases when the foods are a little more concentrated I mention that in the review. Though, I suggest you to get Lysine gel and put a tiny bit in its food (1/4 inch), this will help its immune system and will relieve a little its constipation. I am sorry I could not help more.
Thank you Lorena. I am considering Nature’s Variety LID rabbit and will try the Lysine gel.
You’re welcome!
And just when I thought Purina was good. It lists all the bad stuff you mentioned.
So is wet or dry more desired? I wasn’t able to read all of it.
Hello Diana, the ideal cat diet is dry and wet food. Dry food provides concentrated amount of protein and it keeps the cat’s teeth healthy and wet food provides the moisture cats need.
Hi Lorena and congratulations for the excellent site. Very useful for every cat owner. I have 2 questions:
1) In some ingredients list i read that they include “poultry protein low ash, dried”, instead of “poultry meat. What is the difference between the 2 and which is better?
2) I know that peas, potato and rice are not the best ingredients but if you had to put them in order of “less harm” and glycemic index which would be the order? I usually read instead of potato or peas, potato starch and pea starch. What about amaranth, is it a low glycemic grain? Thanks!
Hello Spyros, the concept “poultry” could be any type of meat source, including diseased non-human grade meat, because the concept “poultry” is a non-descriptive source of protein. “poultry protein low ash, dried” means they don’t include many element that are not meat proteins, such as carcasses, feet or beaks when cooking and then pulverizing the food so the ash content is less. “Poultry” meat is not cooked and pulverized when is weighed before the preparation, but it is weighed before cooking so it includes water weight. After cooked, the real % in the total formula is less. Either way I would say is not good source of protein for cats. Choose instead a defined meat, such as Chicken, Turkey, Duck, etc.
Regarding carbs, the amount of them in the formula will depend on the first ingredients. The ideal is no more than two sources of carbs in the 5 first ingredients. Ideally, a meat meal (chicken meal, duck meal, etc) and a meat (chicken meat, etc.) as first and second ingredient. If we need to choose carbs, I prefer low glycemic, such as lentils, peas, sweet potatoes, chickpeas. Hope that helps!
Hi Lorena!
Thank you so very much for such a complete guide.
I have 4 cats, two of them are overweight since my mother kept free-feeding them (here in Chile we don’t have much responsible pet ownership culture). After I took charge of their diet, I managed to make them lose a bit of weight but the real problem has been trying to change their food to a better quality one.
Right now, they’re eating Royal Canin Light and have not been able to change it. I tried with Nutrience Subzero (both the Fish and the Dog Fraser Valley) and Earthborn Wild Catch and they literally prefered to starve rather than eat what was on the platter (the most picky one wouldn’t even eat the food when mixed with the RoyalCanin one). I had to give the food away in the end since they would not eat them at all. They are total Royal Canin addicts, so much that the (once again) most picky one doesn’t even like wet food at all.
My local petshop started selling Acana and Orijen food and I wanted to try once again to change their food, but I’m scared to fail once more :(
Thank you beforehand.
Hi Belen, do you know the country of origin of both formulas, Acana and Orijen? I would like to know before suggesting the switching. There is a class lawsuit recently for Acana and Orijen Dog food made in the USA, not affecting cat food but I am still on the fence. The Canadian formula, instead, doesn’t have this issue. Let me know.
Hi Lorena! Sorry for the late reply.
It seems like both Orijen and Acana here are the USA formula.
Hi Belen! I investigated the best brands that are currently available in the Chilean market. They are the following: Instinct (chicken and duck), Nutrience (Chicken, indoor cats), Acana, Orijen, Earthborn Holistic. I particularly suggest you Instinct Chicken and rotating with Duck every 4 months. Regarding Acana and Orijen, I am a little hesitating due to the last issues with the dog food here in the USA, although it doesn’t affect the cat food directly, it is a red light for me. Hope that helps! (btw Chile is my country of origin :)
Thank you very much Lorena for your insight and research ♥
Awesome! I had a slight feeling you were Chilean as well for some reason haha
Hi Lorena! Awesome post!
I have been trying to choose a dry food for my cat, he’s a black 3 years old domestic short haired, very long, very active and thin, he’s on good shape but I want him to gain more muscle, so I was thinking on switching to some higher quality food.
And so I run in to this comment from 2018! I’m from Chile as well, so since you saw already the ones we have available on this market, I wanted to ask, I am considering the Instinct Chicken and the new formula Orijen Fit and Trim, but I would love to know your thoughts regarding Orijen, I don’t know if their formula is any better now or if there’s still some issues regarding the last problems they had.
Hope you are doing well!
Hi Javier, I am happy to know you are from Chile too :) Regarding the formulas, I haven’t seen the USA Orijen recipe changed yet. And after almost three years Acana changed the formula and I recommend the new Acana Grassland recipe that was changed in 2020. The main five ingredients are Deboned Duck, Deboned Chicken, Eggs, Chicken Meal, and Turkey Meal. I also recommend Instinct Chicken and Instinct Duck. You can try any of these three formulas and see which one your cat likes the best. Don’t forget to feed your cat wet food as well. Feliz de poder ayudar, extrano Chile :(
Update: I noticed Orijen recently changed its formula. I will make a review soon and let you know if it’s better than the previous one.
Hi Lorena! Thanks for the great info. I have a question about Petcurean GO. I bought their SENSITIVITY + SHINE™ Freshwater Trout + Salmon recipe for my 3 year-old sterilised male cat. He doesn’t like the taste of it and only eats minimum amounts when there isn’t anything else & always acts hungry even his bowl is full with dry food. I have tried to mix it with wet food, meat, fish etc. it’s the only way he eats it.
The dry cat food was in a 7 kg package and I opened it in June 2018, he stayed in another place for summer time so I couldn’t examine his consumption for the first months but after September he was with me. Its expiration date was in February 2019, can it go bad before expiration date and be the cause? The package is stored in conditions of low heat and humidity. I also give it to street cats and they eat it, so I think it’s just about preference and taste. Do you think I should try another recipe from that brand or look for another? (I live in Turkey so my options are limited)
Hello Eda, I usually don’t recommend cat foods whose main ingredients are fish. I recommend Chicken, Turkey and Duck formula.
Thank you for answering. I will try their chicken recipe.
Hello. Thank you for your amazing reviews. I have been feeding Petcurean Go Fit + Free Chicken Turkey + Duck per your reviews. One of my cats is having an allergic reaction to something so our vet suggested changing from this that has fowl in the first ingredients to fish. We are looking now at Petcurean Go Sensitivity + Shine Freshwater Trout + Salmon. I don’t see a review on here and wanted to know what you thought about this one or if there was a better fish based food we could try. At this time we do not know if it is really the fowl causing the problem, but the only way to find out is to change the food. Thank you so much.
Hello Kristi, I will make a review of Petcurean Go Sensitivity soon per your request. I personally don’t recommend fish based dry cat foods, especially for male cats. Why don’t you try with chicken-free formulas? I feed my cat Wild Calling as a rotational diet to avoid chicken allergy. I hope that helps!
Thank you! I can’t find that Wild Calling food. Is wild calling Turkey ok? Do I just feed this for a few months and then back to Petcurean Go for a few months and so on?
Hello Kristi, if you want to eliminate chicken from your cat’s diet, feed it Wild Calling for a couple of months and then you can go back to Petcurean Go or even mixing both if your cat likes it like that. Interrupting the chicken consumption in cats prevents the development of allergy to chicken. Yes, I feed my cat Turkey and she likes it, I have tried Rabbit as well but she doesn’t like that one the same. Hope that helps.
Perfect thank you! I could not find the turkey sweet Potato anywhere so I will try the regular turkey. We have pet rabbits so I don’t think my daughter would like the rabbit food one. Haha. I appreciate it!
Hi Kristi, what do you mean when you say regular Turkey? Make sure you won’t buy Wild Calling dog food. In the dog food the package just says “Turkey”.
Oh yes you are right! 🤦🏻♀️ That’s dog food. Ok well I will keep looking but can’t find the cat turkey food on chewy or anywhere. Thank you so much for all your helpful info!
You’re welcome Kristi!
Why doesn’t Acana Dry Cat Food not have Taurine in it ? Cats need it and without it, it causes Blindness and certain kinds of Heart Disease
Hello Debbie, what specific formula of Acana are you referring to?
Hi, if you had to feed your cat wet food with fish (i have read that you don’t prefer it but lets’s say you did), which one would you choose? Tuna or salmon?
It’s hard to answer this question as several factors play a role. It will depend if the tuna and salmon are wild caught or harvested. What type of tuna is used in the formula if Albacore or smaller fish. Usually the bigger, the more mercury the fish has (Albacore and Salmon). As a general answer I would say that tuna is a better option if you want to feed your cat fish that is low in fat and calories. Salmon is better if you are trying to feed your cat a fish with more omega-3.
Unfortunately most wet canned food with fish, is tuna. I try to buy whenever possible with mackerel or trout. If i want to use dry food with fish, i buy AATU Salmon & Herring, it is very high in Omega-3.
Hello, I am trying again. For some reason my post didn’t show up!
I am wondering your thoughts on Instinct® Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken. I know it has Tapioca in it but besides that does it look ok?
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Tapioca, Natural Flavor, Dried Tomato Pomace, White Fish Meal (Pacific Whiting, Pacific Sole, Pacific Rockfish), Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin), Montmorillonite Clay, Carrots, Apples, Cranberries, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide), Freeze Dried Chicken, DL-Methionine, Taurine, Freeze Dried Chicken Liver, Pumpkinseeds, Freeze Dried Chicken Heart, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract.
Hello Mindy, you can check my review of this cat food here.
Lorena, Thank you soo much. He’s my whole world. All I have. I worry about the high Phosphorus in it now that I read it!
Also I read the Petcurean GO! Carnivore Chicken, TURKEYE + Duck Recipe Cat Food and it contains peas, potatoes, whole dried egg, potato flour, tapioca. I thought we were supposed to stay clear of them? That’s why I didn’t buy it. Now I’m confused. I’m soo sorry for the trouble.
Mindy
Hello Mindy, I feed my cat PETCUREAN Go! Fit + Free Grain-Free Chicken Formula. You are right about those ingredients, but they are further down the list. I don’t recommend those ingredients when they are within the first 5 in the formula because this means they are the highest percentage in the cat food. When they are further down the list means it is used in smaller portions, not affecting the cat blood sugar highly. My cat eats this food since she was 6 months. Now she is almost 3 years old and it’s a slim, healthy and happy cat. Hope that helps!
Hello,
Toughts about Purizon Kitten chicken&fish and Purizon Adult duck&fish? On a scale from 1 to 10 where would you put it?
Thanks
Hello Daniel I would need to investigate the ingredients to come to a conclusion. Do you have any link so I can make a review of it?
Hi,
/shop/cats/dry_cat_food/purizon_cat/purizon_kitten/497260
/shop/cats/dry_cat_food/purizon_cat/adult_cat/727635
Thanks for help.
Hello Daniel for what I see on these formulas the adult cat formula seems very good. High in protein and with low glycemic carbs, with defined meat “duck”. Herring fish is further down the list, which is good. The kitten formula seems good also, but the ingredient “dried poultry meat” gets me a little reluctant. In general both good formulas. Hope that helps!
Hi,
They have more adult formulas but i don’t like them since they have 18% potatoes. Beside the duck&fish they have deer&fish formula and it’s without potatoes but it has a higher chicken fat % so i will go for duck&fish when the time will come.
Thanks alot for your time and help!
You’re welcome Daniel!
Also i just saw that it seems that might be an error in translating in kitten formula. On the .com website (in english) it says “dried poultry meat” and on the .ro website (in romanian) is “carne uscata de pui” which goes as “dried chicken meat” such as “dried deboned chicken” part. I don’t know which version is the right one but i am feeding the kitten with this formula from 3 months since i found him on the streets and he was way underweight for his age (he had some changed teeths but the weight and size of a 2 months kitten) and at the last vet check about two weeks ago he was on the upper limit for his age.
That would explain why in the other formula the meats were all defined as “chicken”, “duck”, etc, and I thought it was strange the ingredient “dried poultry meat”. You might be right and it was a wrong translation. I am really happy to know your kitten is doing good. They deserve the best, they are wonderful creatures!
Thanks for the links! I will check this cat food and make a review of it soon.
Hello. I have a great three year old male cat that developed urinary crystal blockage back in Nov 2018. I was feeding him ALL wrong… lots of fish dry food and a bit of fish canned food. I know… I did taste tests with him when I got him at two years old…. and that is what he liked… and never had a male cat before. So…. He has been on Royal Canin urinary SO since…. and has been doing fine. So that is great (never want him to go through that again) but it costs a ton of money with what appears to be not that great ingredients (?). My vet has read me the riot act to not feed him anything else… and I was considering home cooking since at that price I figured human grade protein with the needed supplements had to be better. What are your thoughts on that… and any recommendations on where I can find a recipe for his issues if home cooking might work….would also be open and appreciative of your recommendations on what commercial food (besides the Royal Canin) that I could try. Need both wet and dry (he now gets almost all wet food with a little bit of dry (his fav) at night. Thanks!
Hello Jody, I know special urinary foods prescribed by Vets can be quite expensive. Your cat needs to be on that food since he is doing good with it and we don’t want him to develop urinary crystals again, only him knows how painful that was, poor thing. Cats with tendency to develop urinary tract issues may need cat foods with very little Phosphorus content, avoiding “chicken meal” or “duck meal” or any “meal” because these provide more Phosphorus in the cat’s diet. However, I may suggest you to feed your cat raw food, it contains the right amount of moisture and good balance of protein and fat. You just need to make sure to keep the temperature chain for this type of food to avoid bacteria. With healthy cats I recommend a dry food and wet food diet, but with your kitty I suggest you raw cat food diet.
Thank you so much for taking the time to give me your thoughts and expertise. Raw food, eh? Well… that is a new track for me to learn about. If you have any recommended resources (books, links) to learn about the best way to go raw food diets … I would be most appreciative. It makes a lot of sense to me to try…. Blessings to you from me and Olive.
Hello Jody, the first thing before jumping into a new diet is stabilizing your cat from the urinary issue it had to endure. There is a product by Scruffy Paws (website https://scruffypawsnutrition.com/) called “UT Wellness chews” that helps support UT health, even if your kitty doesn’t have crystals now, you still need to reinforce his UT health to prevent future issues. The second things is learning all about raw feeding guidelines (and also about feline ailments). The website belongs to Dr. Lisa Pierson’s http://catinfo.org. Finally, If you want to cook the food for your cat, I recommend you the book of Dr. Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats. I hope Olive gets much healthier, blessings for both :)
Olive has been stable since the first of the year.. and levels looked good when checked in March… .so I think enough time has past to begin to look at alternative food choices. I will investigate everything you have kindly mentioned here. He was a stoic guy during his episode and only showed visible symptoms at the very end … but now I monitor him differently. He is a great spirit and I am so happy he is a part of my family…. so thanks again. Jody
You’re welcome Jody!
Hi. Was wondering if you could possibly review and give your opinion on Carnilove’s Duck & Turkey cat food? I have a mixed Maine Coon and Persian cat that’s 9 years old with arthritis and another tabby cat that’s 2 years old. Would it be okay to give them both this food and if you could possibly give your thoughts on this food in general? I’ll link the official site with the ingredients below. Your blog has been really helpful! Thank you in advance if u decide to review it and I hope it’s not too much trouble!
http://www.carnilove.co.uk/cat-food/dry-cat-food/carnilove-duck-turkey-large-breed-cats-muscles-bones-joints/
Hi Lorena,
I have a 13 week old Maine Coon kitten. He is currently eating Taste of the Wild. Would you recommend I switch his food to an Acana or Orijen product? Or do you think NATURAL BALANCE or Petcurean would be better? I am open to any other suggestions, just want to make sure I am feeding him the best food possible :)
Hello Kate, I feed my cat Petcurean mixed with a smaller portion of Wild Calling turkey. My cat is healthy and happy.
Hi again Lorenna, what do you think of these dry cat foods?
https://brit-petfood.com/en/products/cats/5233-brit-care-cat-angel-i-m-delighted-senior
https://www.zooplus.com/shop/cats/dry_cat_food/wild_freedom/adult/652484
The second has more meat, although it doesn’t specify the kind of meat (just poultry), the first specifies the meat but propably has more carbs because of the rice.
Another question, do you think if a dry cat food has chelated minerals, is it better than having minerals tha are not chelated?
Thanks.
Hello Spyros, formulas with generic meat names are not good, rice is not good either. The least bad of both I would say it’s the first, but I don’t recommend it. The second question I believe it’s better chelated minerals since the bond better with essential aminoacids present in the cat food.
Hello, Lorena. Your writing is really helpful, would love your opinion in this dry cat food ingredients i gives my cat, it’s called Kitchen Flavor Grain Free for baby cats and kittens, its from China and one company which produce Nature Bridge, someone already ask about.
Here the ingredients;
Chicken meat, sweet potato, potato, pea,
chicken fat, fish meat (in it’s package, it claimed deep sea fish, didn’t specify what fish tho), brewer’s yeast, alfalfa, taurine, choline chloride, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, biotin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, potassium iodine, citric acid.
I know there’s potato, and know that’s its not good, but it is tolerable or definite no?
It’s kinda hard looking for great dry cat food in my country, famous brand and claimed to be great and common are Pro Plan and Royal Canin, which used by-products ingredients yet expensive, especially RC.
So, any opinion? Thanks in advance.
What do you think about the calcium, phosphorus and magnesium percentage in dry cat food? Some brands like Applaws, Canagan, Orijen regional red and tundra, have about twice the amount in calcium and phosphorus than others. Also i have read that magnesium should not be more tahn 0.1%. Salt is another important factor. Many brands that produce dry food especially for sterilised, have increased salt levels (usually referred as sodium in guaranteed analysis) in order for the the cat to drink more water which i don’t think is the best way to achieve increased water intake.
Hello Spyros, effectively, excess of calcium and phosphorous is bad for the cat urinary system and other bodily functions. Only water is not enough for a cat to be hydrated. The diet must include wet food and drinking lots of fresh water.
I have read many articles stating that aloe is toxic for cats although there are many dry and wet cat foods that have it, such as N&D dry food, and schesir and porta 21 wet food. Have you experienced any problems with it?
Hello Spyros, I haven’t fed my cat any food with Aloe Vera so I haven’t experience any problem.
Hi there do you have any research on the cat food by Horizon legacy? And for wet food Vita? Can you please review and get back to me? I’m picking up my new kitten in a couple weeks and I’m wanting to provide the best possible :)
Thank you so much
Hi, I am Ipek from Turkey! I am so happy to encountered with you who wants to give honest advice and make such an awesome cat food reviews!
I am so picky with choosing a healthy cat food for my cat ,Minnie who is 2 years old sterilized cat, eating Acana Pacifica cat food. I have read you review about Acana Pacifica cat food which got 3.5/5. I also support with wet food once a week and give vitamin daily. My cat gets weight she is 10.1 ıbs now. I got Acana cat food big one that enough 5 months to feed it. Nowadays, she eats it reluctantly, so I am thinking to change brand with Farmina which is italy based cat food brand.
Could you look at N&D QUİNA DİGESTİON
Or should I continue to feed it with Acana Pacifica ?
Hello Ipek, Acana Pacifica is a good cat food in the sense that provides a good amount of protein to the cat diet, but the downfall is that too much fish is not good for cats. I would suggest you not to feed your cat this food in a long-term basis. Acana Pacifica is a suitable cat food for cats that love fish but not feeding the cat in a long-term basis, let alone feeding the cat only fish cat food. I checked the ingredients of Famina N&D Quinoa digestion and they seem healthy, I just think that if you will remove fish from your cat diet for a while you need to chose a cat food fish-free. I don’t know if you have the option to buy Go+ Sensitivities Limited Ingredient cat food in Turkey. I hope you can. If not, the Famina Quinoa formula seems better than Acana Pacifica since it doesn’t provide too much fish. I hope that helps!
What’s the best dry and wet foods for cats with allergies? We aren’t sure what she’s allergic to. Right now we are trying instinct lid grain free turkey in both dry and wet but still having issues. Thanks!
Hello Kristi, here’s a list with the 9 most common food allergens in cat food https://www.vetinfo.com/common-food-allergies-cats.html Hope that helps!
Hello! I really love your reviews, they’re really helpful. Right now I am searching for new dry food for my cats, which of course I could be able to find in Greece. My first cat used to eat Arden Grange Kitten, then after being neutered I started giving him Arden Grange Light, from which he sometimes had diarrhea. The problem started when I brought my second cat, with her I started with the same food, but she always had diarrhea from the start. Found out that she had some bacteria and we started giving her medications. But then they both started having diarrhea after a month my first cat started having blood in his stool and also started medications. Now they’re good and they’re eating Hills Sensitive stomach and skin. But I haven’t read good reviews with this food and want to change. I thought changing it to Arden Grange sensitive, but unfortunately I can’t find any reviews of it online. Maybe you can see there ingredients and tell me if its a good ? On there website they have all the ingredients. It will be really helpful if you can help me finding the right food for them, because I am very worried. Thank you!
Hello Zina I would suggest you feed your cat the formula your Vet recommended until your cats have a stronger immune system. If your cats had diarrhea with that brand I wouldn’t suggest you use the same one now that they are recovering. I usually recommend the Petcurean brand, the GO formulas, anyone without fish. Unfortunately, I don’t know if you can find it in Greece.
Hello! Thanks for your reply. I have started giving them Petcurean Go Carnivore. One of my cat is ok but the other one is still having diarrhea,should I try the Sensitivities one ?
Hi Zina, I feed my cat with Sensitivities and she does well. I think your cat will do better with it since it has limited ingredients.
Hi everyone,
I’ve recently transitioned my cat to ziwi peak canned food and I’m very happy with it. She transitioned easily in less than a week. You can tell the food is high quality when you open the can; they use best quality ingredients, no fillers (except for chickpeas wiuch isn’t the worst), no grains. Plenty of different recipes too. Their dry food is air-dried with quality ingredients as well. I hope this helps.
Hello Joanna, can you provide a link to that formula, please? Thank you!
Hey there Lorena,
I feed a small colony of strays. I have had them all vaccinated and spayed/neutered and would like to keep them as healthy as possible. We also provide shelter for them. There are 5-6 in the colony so it can get expensive to feed. Although I would love to be able to feed them the best food, Unfortunately, I just cannot afford to do that. Wondering if you can suggest some healthy inexpensive foods.
Thanks
Tammy
Hello Tammy, I can suggest Iam Proactive Health. The 16 lbs bag costs about $22.00 Hope that helps!
imm getting a new kitten a cornish rex and the breeder has her on iams but im pretty sure thats not a good brand. what would be best for a new kitten to switch her too? im located in canada.
Hello Kim, I suggest you trying Wellness CORE Grain-Free Kitten Formula Dry Cat Food (Turkey and Chicken) for your kitten. See if your kitten likes it and let me know. Hugs.
Hello! I have a question about ingredients.
The first 5 ingredients of my cat food are: ocean white fish, chicken meal, Pea starch, cassava root flour, sorry protein isolate
I’m not sure about the last 3 ingedients, are they okay?
Thank you!
Soy protein isolate* ….. dang autocorrect
Hello Anne, cassava root flour could be toxic for cats because it contains linamarin which is degraded into hydrogen cyanide, a toxic substance for cats. Also, I stay away from Soy and its derivatives. I don’t recommend this formula.
Hi, I have a 4.5 year old cat who is indoor and outdoor. I worked at a vet hospital (not as a tech) for about 4 years and was always told Hills and Royal Canon were good. My mom used to feed her dogs Hills Science diet and she believes it caused her dog to die. It was around the time the recall happened 2019, but I am kind of freaked out. I feed my cat Hills science diet adult chicken flavor dry and fancy feast wet(she wasn’t eating it sometimes when i had both wet and dry Hills) so I switched it up for more flavor. She’s my baby and I want her to live a long healthy life but am worried I could be causing her harm by feeding Hills. What would u recommend for my girl?
Hello Jaimie, if your cat is healthy, I would suggest you try the following cat foods. My cat Sophie has been feeding over these cat foods, each brand for over a year:
1. Petcurean Go Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey, and Duck recipe (portions on this food should be smaller than usual)
2. Petcurean Sensitivities Limited Ingredients
3. Wellness Core Turkey & Duck
Sophie’s been doing great with these cat foods. Another brand she ate for a long time was Wild Calling, but they are out of business. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for the reply!! I will definitely try those. Any flavors u recommend? Or does it just come in one for dry?
Oops sorry you listed the flavors LOL. It’s ok yo mix with fancy feast? Also, I was never really sure how much dry to be giving her?
Thank you! How much dry food should I be giving her????
It depends on your cat’s current weight and activity. If your cat is chubby you need to feed her 20 calories per day, per pound. In general terms I suggest 1/4 cup per day dry food and 1/4 cup wet food if you have an average size cat. Fancy Feast is not the best for cats, but it’s OK. You can feed your cat 1/4 cup of Fancy Feast and the other 1/4 cup dry food. Never forget to provide your cat a source of clean and fresh water at all times. Hope that helps!
Yes it does, thank you! I tried getting the wellness core, but it doesn’t seem like she wants to eat it. Idk if it’s the flavor or maybe even the siE of the kibble or maybe just picky. She did that with Hills too but when I did 7 days to switch her from hills to wellness core she would eat the hills more. That’s also why I got fancy feast to entice her to eat more. Not really sure what to do..
Hello! Very interesting article.
I’ve been feeding my cat royal cabin fit 32 since we’ve got him but after lots of research I can see that there are definitely much better foods out there for him. I’ve been looking at Meowing Heads dry food and Scrumbles dry food, what do you think of these two brands and are the ingredients well suited? I also wanted to start mixing in some wet food here and there just to bump up hydration, I think I would go with the same brand of whichever I choose, I’m a little stumped on how to portion a mixed wet and dry diet though.
Any help would be appreciated! Thanks.
Hello Matt, what are the ingredients of that formula? Or send me a link so I can research the guaranteed analysis to give you an idea. Regarding wet and dry food what I do with my cat is I give her about 40% wet food and 60% dry food. This proportion may change if you have a chubby or skinnier cat. The more weight the cat has, the more wet food and less dry food. Hope that helps!
Hi Lorena. Thank you for your reviews. Latte, our Maine Coon is our first cat so it is totally new to us. He is now almost 5 months old.
While going through your website, it seems that you would recommend Petcurean most of the time and you are feeding your love one Petcurean as well.
What are the reasons that you choose Petcurean over Orijen?
How much wet food should we feed him at this age?
Most of your review here are towards premium food. What are your thoughts on the common one like Royal Canin?
I am feeding him Royal Canin now because it is the popular, easy-to-get food here in my area, Japan.
Thank you!
Hello Loh, I am happy to know I have readers from Japan :). First thing is that there is not such a thing as a unique cat food that cats will love forever and that will be healthy for them to eat them so. Cats constantly change their taste and require some variation after a while, plus it’s recommended to rotate to chicken-free, egg-free, and fish-free cat foods for a couple of months or more to avoid food allergies in cats. In the beginning, I fed my cat Petcurean a lot, but now she is almost 6 and half years old and she changed her taste. I have been feeding her various brands and varieties, such as Petcurean Limited Ingredients, Wild Calling (discontinued), Instinct Original, Organix, and currently I am feeding her Wellness Core free of eggs, fish, and chicken and she loves it. I haven’t tried Orijen because they changed the recipe and I have read some cats don’t like it the same so I rather not experiment with it for now. I don’t know what Royal Canin you feed your cat but most of those cat foods use grains in the main ingredients and that alone makes me not feed my cat with it. One thing I haven’t mentioned is that when I rescued my cat she was about 4 months old and the shelter gave me her fav dry food which was Nutro Max for kittens so I fed her with that food up to when she was about 6 or 7 months. Then I switched to Petcurean slowly, mixing half and half. Regarding wet food, you can feed your cat 2 pouches or cans of wet food per day and about 25 grams of dry food. It will all depend on the breed and activity level, if your kitten is very active and a large breed you can feed him up to 3 pouches of wet food per day, plus the dry food.
Hi Lorena, thank you for your suggestions. At first, I thought the reason you chose Petcurean Carnivore over Orijen is because of the high Phosphorus (1-1.1%) and Ash (8%) in Orijen but Petcurean has almost the same amount of Phosphorus (1%) and Ash (9%) as well. So, it kept me wonder.
Anyway, I guess it is unlikely to avoid Phosphorus and Ash. I think I will be settling down with Petcurean, Orijen and Acana.
Instinct Original and Organix are out of my reach in Japan.
I am trying to look for a wet food which doesn’t contain any ingredients that is harmful to cat. And so far, I came across Ziwi Peak and Wellness Core Divine Duos series which do not have ingredients flagged in yellow/red.
However, the price for Ziwi Peak is OUCH!! while Wellness Core Devine Duos series’ protein is kinda low at 5.5% .
Do you have any suggestions for wet food and what wet food are you feeding your loves?
Thank you!
Hello again Loh, wet foods are more of a challenge than dry food. In my article about why cats refuse to eat their fav wet food, I explain that my cat is not eating her favorite formula. To my surprise, a lot of my readers told me the same! So something is going on with the wet food industry. Anyways, It’s hard to recommend healthy wet food that your cat will love and eat steadily. However, a good formula is Wellness Healthy Indulgence, preferably formulas with turkey and chicken, avoiding seafood. They come in pouches. Another good formula is the Instinct Original Pate Duck Recipe, it comes in a can. Hope that helps!
Hi Lorena, thank you for your suggestion. I am able to obtain Wellness Healthy Indulgence in my area.
Currently I am feeding him some local Japanese brand and he seems to be fine with it.
Previously, I fed him Royal Canin wet food and his poop become watery. I was told that watery poop means it is not good. So, I guess Royal Canin wet food is not suitable for my cat even though it is more expensive.
I am happy you found a good formula for your cat. I personally don’t use the brand you mentioned and that’s why I don’t include it on my list.
Hi, my mother has 2 very overweight female cats that are on the vet prescribed Hills science diet urinary care cd wet and dry due to one having had a urinary tract infection once, the vet said they needed to remain on that food for life but my mother measures out small amounts for each cat at each meal so they aren’t eating more than the vet reccomended but do not lose any weight. After reading this article and reading the ingredients of that prescription food I feel there is definitely something better for them to be eating that will not encourage a uti but could help with their weight, do you have any suggestions? Thank you so much for your time and consideration!
Hi Jennifer, thanks for your trust in my reviews. I usually don’t suggest cat foods for cats with chronic conditions since I am not a Vet, only a very passionate cat mom and cat lover with a lot of research on my back. Do your mom’s cats exercise? They need to play at least for 15 or 20 minutes every day nonstop. Also, they can’t eat any treats. Your mom’s cats are overweight because the formula the Vet prescribed provides fewer minerals such as Phosphorous which is the mineral that contributes to developing UTIs in cats. Less meat means fewer minerals and more carbs which makes your mom’s cats gain weight. The bad news is that formulas containing powered cellulosa are suspected to include recycled cardboard in that ingredient. I am not saying this is what the formula of that particular brand contains, it only means is suspected it could have. The other bad news is that gluten in an overweight cat is not a good ingredient, because gluten is an inflammatory agent and cats that are overweight already have stress in their joints. Like I said I am not a Vet but if you want to try a new food, there’s a brand named Wysong, they are in the market for many years and the formula Wysong Uretic has good reviews. This is my review of it https://www.catfooddispensersreviews.com/wysong-uretic-new-formula-review/ The formula has some ingredients such as potato protein and brown rice that could increase the glucose in the cat’s blood which doesn’t help with overweight cats, but this is nothing in comparison to a formula which main ingredients are grains. One important thing is to switch to this formula slowly to avoid digestive disturbances in the cats’ stomachs. Let’s say mixing the old food with the new one by 10% each day. I hope that helps.
Any suggestions on healthiest kitten foods? Dry and Wet.
Hi Maria, I haven’t done cat food reviews for kittens. What I fed my cat Sophie when she was a kitten was Nutro Max dry cat food and then when she was a little older (under a year old) was Petcurean Go, Chicken. Regarding wet food, I fed her Wellness Healthy Indulgence wet food (morsels, chicken & Duck). I am planning on making reviews on cat foods for kittens. Hope that helps!
Thank you. I just rescued a kitten from a parking lot, about 8 weeks old.
Awww, thanks so much for doing that, Malinda. If you need any other information about cats you can check the content on my site or asking me directly, I will be more than happy to help in any way. God bless you.
Your article is very informative for me after reading your article i got a lot of information my name is Elias Jaxon i am gating information about cat your article is very fantastic
Thank you!