[missys_mum]

hey guys,

i was just wondering wat the best type of food i should feed my kitty??? :?

i am feeding her whiskas, but somebody told me that whiskas isnt that crash hot
but i am in australia and we dont have variety :x so i may not know wat some of u are talking bout :roll:

thankyou heaps

 

[Maleke]

My cats are doing well on Felidae.....it's a really good food. I believe it's close to the top of the line for dry foods. There are lots of good foods out there though, I'm sure AngelZoo will answer this question for you!

 

[wookie130]

I feed my cats dry Innova food, and on Wednesdays and Saturdays they split a can of Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul wet food. They have 1/4 c of dry in the morning, and 1/4 c dry at night. You can find lot of different healthy foods available online...please focus on the first 5 ingredients. A meat source of protein should be listed in the top 3 ingredients...such as Chicken or Turkey. Please avoid by-products...as they don't include the best protein sources from the meat, and will often contain organs, beaks, feet, etc. Some people argue that by-products aren't that bad, as those are some of the parts that cats would be feeding on in the wild. However, most feral cats or "wild cats" aren't receiving optimal nutrition...and many are suffering from malnutrition and starvation.

Here are some brands that are quite excellent...they are more expensive, of course, but really, the more nutrient-dense the food is, the less your cat will eat, the less you have to buy, and in the end, you'll spend less on vet bills...so, all in all, it's worth the extra money to give your kitties good foods.

*Innova (by Natura); uses human-grade ingredients
*Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul
*Nutro Natural Choice (a little less expensive, but still good and widely available)
*Wellness; I haven't tried this one, but I've heard great things.
*Felidae...good stuff!
*Solid Gold...I also haven't tried this one, but it's supposed to be wonderful.

If you search on various websites (I know that Innova, Nutro, Chicken Soup, and Solid Gold have their own at this time...try a search on the others), you can often purchase them right online internationally.

 

[Empath]

My new cat, Kiwi, seems to prefer canned food that is not the "potted meat" type. She prefers to have pieces of meat, like shredded, chunks, sliced and such. Of the higher quality canned foods, could someone let me know the brands that aren't of the "potted meat" form? I kind of hate to buy some of each trying to find them.

I don't know why the manufacturers can't describe the form of a can's contents.

 

[faile]

i believe solid gold canned has what you are looking for, empath.

 

[missys_mum]

thankyou so much for your help

 

[Empath]

Thanks Faile. I wasn't familiar with that brand, so I did a search on Google. The Solid Gold site gave me a list of stores in my area that carries the line. I'll try it out.

 

[AngelZoo]

missysmum

I have had difficultie in the past finding good name brand foods for austrialian cat foods, or just foods in general.

By Wiskas I'm assuming that you mean Advantage? Otherwise known as Waltham to other parts of the world.

There are many good foods offered hear, but I do not know if they are sold in Aussie land.

 

[ForJazz]

Whiskas is definitely not high quality cat food. The first ingredient is byproduct and it's just not very natural for your cat. Basically, if you can buy it at a grocery store, its not good. :? I didn't realize they sold Whiskas in Australia. You learn something new every day.

What I'd like to know is if anyone here has heard of Wysong. The humane society recommended this food to me and said that it is even better than Wellness. It looks good to me, I've looked at and compared the ingredients list. But someone here in a thread somewhere listed it as a third grade food. I'm just wondering why -- it looks just as good as a top grade food to me. Maybe it's only a local food and so less people are familiar with it? Just curious.

 

[missys_mum]

hey guys,

well u really do learn something new everyday, Whiskas is the BEST you can get hre in oz
im a bad mummy
thankyou all for your help, but everything you have suggested so far isnt available in oz and i cannot order online
but i will go into a pet store and talk to a vet and find out

thanks heaps
8)

 

[drjean]

Missys mum, you aren't a bad mommy--at least you're trying!

It's very unlikely that Whiskas is the "best" you can get in Oz. I'm pretty sure that Nutro distributes worldwide. But, your better brands may have names we here in the states are not familiar with.

The best thing you can do is educate yourself about what's in cat food and how to choose a good one. That way you can shop and compare yourself without regard to brand names. Please check out my article on selecting a good commercial food in our free article library at http://www.littlebigcat.com/?action=library . Some of the terms may be different in Oz, but I think this will get you started. In England, labels are a lot less clear than in America, the terms are much more generic and include several of the categories of ingredients that we list separately.

Good luck in finding a food that is suitable for your baby!

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

 

[felinefanatic]

HI there Missy's Mum,
I am also in australia so maybe I can help you out a bit here.
Wiskas is a common supermarket food and I have nothing good to say about it.
I found out the hard way, that my cats are allergic to it, something in their ingredients caused them all to have diarrhoea periodically, and one kitten had is so bad, along with vomiting, that she became very ill indeed and spent 3 days in hospital !!!
from then on, I try not to even walk down the pet-food isle at the local supermarket !!
If you can, steer well clear of any of that 'junk' food, including the dry food variety's they sell there.

The best food (in my opinion) you can give your cat is a raw diet with a well balanced dry food.
You can get cheap meat at discount prices in the supermarket, chucksteak, mince, chicken, lamb..... (dont feed the cat pork) and even some cooked chicken is ok....
Your local vet hospital should supply the best DRY food on the market, I recommend Hills Science Diet.
It may seem expensive, but it is a compact diet, which means you feed less of it and the cat will benifit more, thus, a small bag should last 1 cat about a month..... if you add up all the dry and tinned food you gave previously, you will find this science diet CHEAPER in the long run.

hope I have helped some.

 

[AngelZoo]

Hmm I would by pass the Hill Science Diet option, and just go by some good general cat food guidlines, make sure you read that link Dr. Jean offered so I don't have to retype everything here myself

ForJazz: The reason I asked about Whiskas, is because most often people from Australia, whom have referred to this food, are actually talking about Whiska Advantage. Which in the states is actually a food called Waltham, they make a perscription line of food also. While not the best normal food, they are better then meow mix, friskies and the likes.
Wysong, has some good dry food formulas for dogs, I'm not all that crazy about their dry food for cats, I think it comes up short. However, they have some canned foods for canines and felines which are awesome! I personally feed their canned rabbit food as a suppliment.
As far as seeing it listed as 3rd grade that would be a list I sometimes post. Now the comment about it being better then wellness. Lets have this speak for itself. I don't know what forumulas they were speaking in comparison about, but lets use the dry adult standard formula.

Wysong Vitality Feline Diet
Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Giblets, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols as a source of vitamin E), Ground Wheat, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Corn, Ground Oat Groats, Fish Oil, Salt, DL-Methionine, Taurine, Eggs, Plums, Dried Wheat Grass Powder, Dried Barley Grass Powder, Whey, Dried Yogurt, Lecithin, Citric Acid, Natural Extractives of Sage, Natural Extractives of Rosemary, Dried Kelp, Garlic, Black Pepper, Artichoke, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus lactis Fermentation Product, Dried Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus niger Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Product, Ascorbic Acid, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement.

Protein 34%
Fat 15.5%
Moisture 12%
Fiber 7%


Wellness Super5Mix for Adult Cats
Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chicken Liver, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Whole Oats, Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols & Rosemary), Cranberries, Blueberries, Flax Seed, Eggs, Peas, Taurine, Garlic, Alfalfa Leaf, Spirulina, Norwegian Kelp, Whole Apples, Zucchini, Sweet Potatoes, Yucca Schidigera, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine, Pro-Biotics (Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus), Pre-Biotics (Mannanoligosaccharides), Beta-Carotene, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate (A Chelated Source Of Zinc), Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate (A Chelated Source Of Iron), Manganese Proteinate (A Chelated Source Of Manganese), Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Cobalt Proteinate (A Chelated Source Of Cobalt), Copper Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Copper Proteinate (A Chelated Source Of Copper), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source Of Vitamin K Activity).

Crude Protein, minimum 33%
Crude Fat, minimum 19%
Moisture, maximum 10%
Ash, maximum 6%
Crude Fiber, maximum 5%
Linoleic Acid, minimum 3.5%
Taurine, minimum 0.18%
Magnesium, maximum 0.1%

 

[drjean]

I agree, AngelZoo, Wellness is much better than Wysong. "Chicken" of course is a misleading ingredient in dry food, and its presence at the top of the list actually means there isn't much of it!

I've had a lot of cats turn up with urinary tract problems on the Wysong Vitality. Their response? Feed them Wysong Uretic diet instead. My response? Make your darn food better so these cats don't end up with stones!

Of course, I'm not a great fan of dry food for any cat, best to balance it with a good portion of canned every day!

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

 

[ForJazz]

That's good enough for me! Thanks for the replies AngelZoo and drjean. I will make a gradual switch over to Wellness dry and keep feeding them Wysong, Wellness, and Felidae wet. drjean -- is 1/3 a can enough for them every day? Too much? They also eat 1/2 -2/3 dry each day. Thanks again!

 

[drjean]

I recommend at least half of their diet be wet food. There are a lot more calories in the dry; it's more nutrient dense. I'd think about at least 1/2 can (of the 5-6 oz size) for each cat.

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

 

[Aimee]

Just wondering...

There might be a difference in the Science Diet available in the US vs. Austrailia. I know the UK version is a lot better:

Ingredients
Chicken and turkey meal(minimum Chicken 44 %; minimum Chicken and Turkey combined 59 %), ground maize, ground rice, animal fat, maize gluten meal, digest, potassium chloride, choline chloride, DL-methionine, vitamin E supplement, salt, calcium carbonate, taurine, mineral/vitamin mix:ferrous sulphate, vitamin C supplement, zinc oxide, niacin, mixed tocopherols, thiamin, copper sulphate, vitamin A supplement, beta-carotene supplement, citric acid, calcium pantothenate, manganous oxide, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, rosemary extract, calcium iodate, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, sodium selenite, biotin, vitamin B12.

At any rate, I'd feed SD over Whiskers any day. Iams/Eukanuba should be available in Austrailia as should Nutro; you might have to look around to find them. Natura also distributes in Austrailia. Good luck to you, and no, you're NOT a bad mommy!

 

[faile]

oh, please don't feed iams or eukanuba. they are owned by procter and gamble, a company that conducts terrible terrible animal testing.

http://www.iamscruelty.com

 

[octoberdana]

Eukanuba has posted this on their website as their position on animal research. I think all consumers should read it, as to me it sounds like they have changed their policies:

Like humans, our canine and feline companions are faced with many threats to their health. Millions of cats and dogs around the world suffer from allergies, skin and gastrointestinal diseases, kidney failure and painful bone problems.

At The Iams Company, we work hard to advance scientific understanding of how nutrition can help pets resist and recover from such diseases, and how this understanding helps optimize their health so they can lead happier and longer lives. Research plays a key role in accomplishing these goals.

Our research is governed by the following principles.

1. The results must help veterinarians and pet owners worldwide nutritionally enhance the well-being of cats and dogs, and manage important pet health conditions.

2. Studies will only be conducted if alternative, non-animal methods or existing research cannot answer the questions raised.

3. We will ensure the humane treatment of cats and dogs, and provide for animal well-being, socialization and husbandry in a manner compatible with the company's philosophy, creating a total culture of care. We will also meet or exceed standards established by the Animal Welfare Act of the US, the US Department of Agriculture and Directive 86/609/EEC of the European Union.

4. We will not fund or participate in any study requiring or resulting in the euthanasia of cats or dogs. We will only conduct research that is equivalent to nutritional or medical studies acceptable on people, including: urine, feces, blood and immune cell analysis, allergy tests, and skin and muscle biopsies, for which adequate anesthesia and analgesics will be provided whenever necessary.

5. Research will be closely monitored at internal and external facilities - with the goal being to eliminate even minor pain or discomfort and to create enriched environments for the cats and dogs involved. To enforce this principle, Iams will place, at these facilities, a company-designated and funded person responsible for ensuring the well being of cats and dogs. This trained, qualified person will follow guidelines used at the Paul F. Iams Technical Center to make certain that cats and dogs are properly cared for and socialized.

6. We will test our foods on groups of cats or dogs within the general population who already suffer from target diseases or conditions. However, we will not contract for, nor conduct, any study involving surgeries to create or mimic diseases such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, or intentional damage to other organs; nor will the company use non-surgical methods to induce or simulate diseases that are not acceptable in nutritional or medical research on humans; nor will the company fund any university positions that may be involved in such activities for the study of cat and dog nutrition.

7. We will not use, in any studies, animals that are already induced with disease or surgically altered through other research; nor will the company conduct such studies under the auspices of any industry association or group.

8. Our findings will be communicated to benefit others who are seeking to improve the health and well-being of cats and dogs, and to help prevent repetition of tests requiring animal involvement.

We are proud that we have led breakthroughs in the health of cats and dogs, and we are committed to continuing this tradition with the principles outlined here as our guide.

 

[drjean]

This is a very nice politically correct statement that doesn't really say very much. For instance, the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act are so minimal as to be worthless.

The parent company, Procter & Gamble, still conducts animal testing for their products and have no intention of stopping. Any dollar you give to Iams promotes animal testing.

Plus, it's lousy food!

Cheers,
Dr. Jean