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High end cat food

3K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  Calistin 
#1 ·
Do you find there is really a difference with high end cat food?

Do the cats need to eat less because of less grain fillers?

What triggers a cat that they are full is the protein and fat content (like from meats).
 
#2 ·
I've never been able to afford high end cat food. Due to urinary issues my cat needed to go on an all wet food diet which can be more expensive then a dry food only one. Right now that is Tiny Tiger from Chewy. I was feeding him 4Health Grain Free 3oz cans from Tractor Supply but the pull tabs on their cans started coming off before I could get cans open. It's amazing how expensive prescription food can be. I've since learned that one thing that urinary tract food for cats does is make them want to drink more water due to some ingredients. With a wet food only diet he's getting a lot of moisture though.

I used to spend too much time looking at all the foods out there and reading reviews for expensive ones. The guilt at not being able to feed him better quality stuff would get to me until I finally realized that I needed to be thankful that he likes what I'm able to feed him and it doesn't affect his health.

I doubt any of that really answered your question though.
 
#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
Canned cat food has substantially less protein than dry, 9% for can, 30+% for dry. I would mix some dry with the canned, you could even soak/microwave it first, in water or chicken fat. Your really only looking for adding water to a meal with can only diets. They probably only add salt to the cans to make a cat thirsty, you could do this with wetting dry cat food (be careful). There is allot of water in meats, may even be cheaper to feed your cats meat instead of cans, certainly will have more protein per ounce. A chicken breast has 54 grams of protein in it, about 30% (same as dry food). Cats need protein and fat, they are carnivorous. This means the fillers are actually bad for them.

Two cans of wet (recommended amount) has 9% protein, one cup of dry (recommended amount) has 30+%, your under feeding your cat by 21+% protein, less than 1/3 of what it should be getting.

I read the label on IAMs and Blue Buffalo (at Wal-Mart) and they just use RICE and PEAS as fillers instead of corn, etc. This makes no difference. At $16 for 4lbs, I expect all meat by-products and no fillers.
 
#5 ·
Feeding plain chicken or hamburger is not going to provide proper and complete nutrition for a cat. They will develop issues over time.

Also, adding water to dry food is not a safe practice. It will grow bacteria VERY quickly and cannot be left down for any length of time.
 
#6 ·
Cats are carnivores, meat eaters, how is straight meat not nutritious for them? What about those chunks of raw meat zoos feed lions that a vet monitors, or better yet lions out in the wild? Lions have lived for centuries without mans help. All that grain and/or vegetables fillers in store bought food is not better for a cat. If so, the zoo would be serving loins a chief salad with their raw meat if this was true. Cat food is all just marketing, use grain/veggies fillers so customer feels they are getting more product. Since people are omnivores, and eat grains, veggies, etc, we think these fillers are OK and accept this. People are not carnivores, but your cat is.

One would treat wetting dry cat food the same as canned food, limited set out time, I assumed that was a given based on I was talking about a canned food replacement. Dry food is cheaper than cans and dry has three times the protein. It’s simply better for your cat to feed wetted dry verses canned, more protein and cheaper. Meat even better. Beef or fish raw, I would cook chicken first.
 
#8 · (Edited)
in the wild, cats don't just eat muscle meat. They also eat organs and small bones.
All of that combined gives them a well balanced nutritious diet. Also zoos are NOT feeding cooked meat, they are feeding raw hunks and they are adding artificial nutrients to those hunks of meat to make up for the lack of nutrition in plain muscle meat. It's your cat, do what you want but be aware that raw ground meat breeds bacteria quickly and is not necessarily a good idea for your cat. Cooked meat of any kind is going to be lacking in nutrition for your cat. Feeding fish is adding minerals that increase mercury intake and can cause mineral buildup in their bladder increasing chances of urinary track blockages. Speak to your vet before you decide your cat is going to eat boiled chicken breast for the rest of it's life.

No where did I suggest you feed your cat a chef salad so being snarky was not necessary.

This isn't just a theory that I've pulled out of my backside. There are studies on how to feed a nutritious and balanced raw diet. MowMow was on it for years and did quite well until he lost his teeth in his old age. It consisted of a fairly specific equation of muscle meat, secreting organs, non secreting organs, and bone (all raw).


Cats are carnivores, meat eaters, how is straight meat not nutritious for them? What about those chunks of raw meat zoos feed lions that a vet monitors, or better yet lions out in the wild? Lions have lived for centuries without mans help.
 
#7 ·
Wow. Ok. Wet cat food has more protein, dry has more carbohydrates. Also, as Mow pointed out, dry cat food with water added begins to form bacteria almost instantly, so unless your cat eats all of it when you set it down, there could be digestive issues.

From cathealth.com

Wet Food is a Natural Source of Water, a Critical Nutrient

Wet (canned) food is beneficial for cats because it provides moisture. Cats in the wild get most of their water from the prey they consume, with little or no need for drinking it on the side. In fact, cats have evolved with a very low thirst drive as compared with other species. When eating an all-dry diet, their water intake easily falls short of their actual needs, allowing them to become dehydrated and more prone to kidney disease and urinary tract problems.


Here is some more information about wet cat food and water content:
Wet food is about 75 percent water, which is roughly equal to the percentage of water in cats’ prey in the wild. Dry food is only about ten percent water.

The average cat who eats only dry food needs to drink several ounces of water a day to make up for the lack of water from food.

Studies show that cats fed solely dry food have a lower water intake and lower urine volume than cats on a wet food diet, even if they have constant access to fresh water.

Studies also suggest that, regardless of cats' total food and water consumption, the proportion of water in the diet is higher for cats fed wet food than for cats fed dry food.

Some veterinarians warn that insufficient moisture in the diet may increase the risk of crystals or stones in the urinary tract. An ample volume of urine is necessary to dilute solid materials that could otherwise accumulate and form stones. Stones can cause painful, sometimes even life-threatening, urinary tract blockages.

A recent study showed that switching from dry to wet food decreased the incidence of cystitis, or inflammation of the bladder, in cats.4 Make sure your cat has fresh, clean water every day. If your cat eats predominantly dry food, you may want to invest in a pet water fountain to encourage more water consumption.

Excess carbs get converted into body fat and promote a sugar/insulin imbalance. This, in turn, sets the stage for obesity and raises the risk for diabetes.
Having said that, my girls do get some kibble in their diet.
 
#9 ·
I have noticed a big difference to high-end cat food. Prior to having my cats on Nature's Instinct Grain Free Chicken kibble, I'd have to bathe my cats at least every 3 months or the dander would make me sneeze and sneeze. I haven't had to bathe a cat because of dander in years. Also, none of the cats have suffered from UTIs or crystals in the urine since switching about 9 years ago. I feed my cats the Nature's Instinct kibble in the morning with a 1/4-1//2 tsp of lecithin granules tossed on top to help with furballs and Wellness Grain-Free Chicken Paté in the evening.
 
#10 ·
My wife recently discovered a product made by Iams, dry food that our newest kitty loves. She will be fed twice daily when the dog is fed. She makes food her primary interest since being dumped and having to fend for herself for who knows how long. I want to lessen the stress she has worrying about food.
 
#11 · (Edited)
While Iams is not the worst, it's definitely not the best choice. But I do understand that we feed our cats what we can afford (and what they'll eat).

The second biggest flaw of Iams is that it contains meat byproducts. This term means that the meat used in the product has been found to be inappropriate for human consumption, that is, meat from diseased or dead animals, or spoiled meat. This meat derives straight from the rendering industry.

Good cat food should list actual types of meat on the label, things like chicken, lamb, or fish. Any reference to "meat" in general, or worse, "meat by-products," means the material very likely came from the rendering plant.
My girls have been eating a lot of crappy food lately, because I'm doing what I can to get Cali to eat. I'll switch back to better food later.
 
#12 ·
Many people have low opinion of dry food, and you'll hear bad things of Iams (and Hills and Purina and all the others)... but you have to do what works for you and your situation. Cats who have been dumped/abandoned often have serious attitudes about food - food insecurity, I guess.

Gold stars to you rescuing her. :)
 
#13 ·
^ Agree. I won't even post what my girls are eating right now. 8-O Cali is ruling the food choices.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I went nuts awhile back trying to find the best food possible without breaking the bank and frankly it's just not possible and there some debate over what is "best" for them.


That said while all my previous cats just had the standard dry food from the local supermarkets they were also outdoor cats that liked to bring me "gifts" so I am sure they supplemented their dry cat food diet with hunted down food and never had much issues. Doing weeks of the above mentioned research I found that dry food is pretty much the bottom of the rung in terms of quality and healthy choices for your cat which I will assume is less of a factor if your cats go outside and do catch and eat other beasties to supplement what you are feeding them.


After adopting Jasmine which is an indoor only cat I decided to do things different. She eats Fancy Feast, "pate" only as I found the ingredients in the pate better, and has one can a day. Half during breakfast and the other half at dinner in the evening, she also has a bowl of dry food to nibble on if she gets hungry in between but far less than my previous pets had.


This seems to working out great for her, her fur is super nice and shiny, she doesn't have any digestive problems. We add a little water to her fancy feast when we give it to her and she just loves it. We add water as she doesn't really want to drink water from her bowl and "needs" to drink "fresh" water right from our glasses...we actually just get her her own glass now...lol


She particular likes to jump on my wife's work desk and steal her water!
 
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