Best store bought cat food?

[rketto]

Hello, I've been feeding my cats Wellness brand wet food but it is very expensive over time. I was wondering if there are any good cheap alternatives, ones that do not contain soy, wheat, by-products etc. I want to provide the best nutrition for my cats without spending as much as I am right now.

[furryfriends251]

Have you considered feeding a home prepared raw diet?

[Vivid Dawn]

Yup, raw would be best... after all, cats are carnivores!

However, I'm also on a tight budget. For kibble I buy Costco brand. $17 (after tax) for a 25 lbs bag... it's got rice, but that's the only grain. Also the only kibble my cat won't throw up (I'm sure she'd do okay with Wellness, but as you say, it's pricey).

For canned food, I'm bad and buy at the store. However, 9 Lives seems the best (relatively). And I only give half a can in the morning, so it's not like they're totally on junk food. I also try to get certain flavors of 9 Lives, because for some reason some flavors have better ingredients.

[saitenyo]

I third the recommendation for homemade raw if you want best quality for the best price. Of course it requires a bit more time, effort, and research.

If you have the time to do it, I say go for that!

If not, there should be a number of reasonably-priced decent quality canned foods out there. I can't help you there as I've only looked into grain-free canned (since one of my cats can't eat grain) and yeah, the grain-free varieties all tend to be on the pricey side. I'm sure other members can give you some good recommendations though!

I'd also add corn to your list of things you want to avoid, along with the wheat and soy. It's a pretty high-glycemic grain and can contribute to obesity and risk of diabetes. Something with rice as its grain filler would probably be a better option than any of those, while still being less expensive than grain-free.

[yellowdaisies]

Well, it's not exactly at a normal grocery store, but Trader Joe's has canned cat food that is inexpensive. I've never gotten it, but it seems to have pretty decent ingredients...