Happycat,
The one thing I've learned here on the forum about food...is "Good" and "Cheap" are not mutually compatible!
There are a lot of threads on the different foods, dry and canned or raw...
Wet is best, but if you're going to feed dry, there are a lot of better drys out there now...but you will pay more! There's no way to get around that!
"Good" wet, is going to cost more...
"Raw" or "Prey model" diet is excellent for cats...from what I've read, not that expensive, but some people don't have the time or inclination to prepare it...

I'm not going to make any suggestions, I'll leave that to the resident "Foodies" here!!

 

EVO 13 oz cans are the best cheaper high end food. Around here they're 2.19.

Some mid-range brands of wet are Innova, California Natural, Chicken Soup, Soulistic, Nutrience...

I'd consider Kirkland (Costco brand) kibble for mid-range quality. BLUE Freedom is higher quality too. Chicken Soup is another option... there's likely some others as well but it may be lesser known. For example, President's Choice (Superstore - Canadian) has a decent grain free dry if you're willing to feed salmon... 4Health (or something like that) is sold in an American store called Tractor Supply? I think. It's almost identical to Chicken Soup.

 

Yes, it's really hard to find "cheap" yet good food. Appropriate food for cats are just meat. Know that, remember it well. Anything else put into cat food that isn't, like grain (rice, corn, wheat gluten), or vegetables (potatoes, carrots, peas, zucchini, kale, even tapioca) isn't appropriate for their diet. So right there, it eliminates pretty much ALL dry food. Getting expensive, yes?

But you ARE on the right track by giving them wet food for starters! Yay! Wet is the way to go, even if you ARE feeding them Friskies. I think a lot of people would direct you to catinfo.org just to gain knowledge about food while keeping your cat's health in mind. Take your time reading that, in small bits if you have to, as it covers many crucial but basic things that a LOT of cat owners don't know about. It's a fantastic new beginning for you to wonder about cat food, and learn what you can do to enrich and extend your beloved feline's lives!

Welcome to the world of cats, lol. :catsm

 

Appropriate food for cats are just meat. Know that, remember it well.

I just wanted to clarify, since someone may think they can just start feeding a cooked piece of chicken breast, that it isn't "just" meat. A proper raw diet for a cat is 80% muscle meat, 10% organs (with 5% being liver) and 5% bone. Since the meat in canned food has been cooked and processed it has depleted vitamins and minerals so the company must account for that and readd them, on top of that depending on the types of meat used will also play a part in what needs to re added to the food. Not all meat is created equal. In order to make the food properly balanced it is quite a difficult task.

Also, cats do get a small about of carbs in their diet from the stomachs of their prey but it is not something they require. Considering that, a small about of fruit/veggies isn't a terrible thing... but most foods with them use them in excess. Peas you especially have to watch out for, they are high in protein, but it is plant protein, so it makes the protein percentage on the tin look better than it really is...

 

^^^This. Another black mark against dry is that it is moisture depleted - 10%, whereas cats' natural diet is +65% moisture. They are also very high in carb content, which cats do not need in their diet. You want to risk them developing FLUTD, obesity, diabetes and kidney issues and the high vet bills that go along with them, that's the food to feed.

Stick with the canned, but try to increase the quality. Canned isn't optimal compared to raw,.bit at least it has appropriate moisture content, +70%, which puts it head and shoulders above all dry foods. Nutrition is definitely a "pay now vs. pay later" area, and paying more for a species-appropriate diet is a lot cheaper in the long run than paying vet bills later.

 

I think 10cats2dogs and Carmel gave you your best advise.

The only thing I will add is to say, get the best quality you can afford that your cat will eat.
It doesn't do anyone a blinding bit of good, decomposing in the bowl.

 

I was in your shoes not long ago!
The blinders got pulled from my eyes over dog food but I immediately started looking into the cat food and before I knew, I was ears deep in all kinds of websites reading about the horror that commercial pet food can be! :dis

I have 3 cats and 3 dogs (2 Rottweiler boys and a Rottweiler mix, girl) and it costs just about the same per month to feed all 3 cats high quality wet food as it costs to feed my "little horses" their dry food! :shock:

You got excellent advice already that I can't really add to but I just wanted to say that after I bit the bullet that was the price tag I noticed right away that they don't eat as much, they aren't constantly begging over the day and I think they just look and act happier and healthier! One of mine used to have to strain (every now and then) in the litterbox and we used to frequent the vet and get on the prescription diet but everything works as it should now!

I want to recommend the website TabbCat mentioned! It's a great source of info! Good luck! nekitty

 

I am willing to buy a high level dry food and I have EVO dry now. I push the canned but sometimes I have to use the dry to keep my male eating at home. Are there any others?

 

Fancy Feast Classic varieties. Grain free wet food for around 55 cents per 3 oz can.

 

She asked for a good food, FF does not qualify as good even the Classics that don't use wheat gluten: they use human food rejects, a lot of by-products, artificial dyes that are known carcinogens, use soy and soy protein concentrate, and say they source from "world suppliers" which usually means China.

 

Even Classic Fancy Feast is lower end and works out to more money than EVO. 55 cents for 3 oz is a lot ... its 2 cents more per ounce than EVO.

 

Even Classic Fancy Feast is lower end and works out to more money than EVO. 55 cents for 3 oz is a lot ... its 2 cents more per ounce than EVO.

I bought two cans of Newman's Own for $1.19/3 oz. can; Shelly did eat the first one, but when I put the other one out for her the other day, she just sniffed it and walked away. So that's another flavor, along with Tiki Cat, I've crossed off the Buy Again list.

At least she eats the Fancy Feast. I only buy the chicken and turkey flavors, and stay away from the fish.

I need to go to PetCo. and see what they have, food-wise. That's one store for some reason I haven't been to yet.

Anyone have an opinion of Soulistic food?

 

I doubt it's considered cheap but what do folks think of weruva? Before Bear got sick he loved that brand it was all I bought. Now all he wants is pate style and I've had to rotate between sheba and fancy feast because he didn't like evo and some of the other brands. Given the likelihood that he only has a few months left I figured I'd let him have whatever he wants.

 

Dave's...in 12.5oz cans $1.89 ea...$.15 an oz.

Weruva and Soulistic are good but not remotely close to cheap.

 

My mom's cats have lived on Purina Cat Chow, they lived on that 14-15 years. I agree that good quality cat food is not cheap but even ones like Science Diet, aren't really good. There is a link I posted about canned food and is the best. It is on one of the threads about what is the best canned food to feed cats or something like that.

 

Thank you all so much for your good answers!

Yeah...I read the ingredients of the dry Friskies they were eating and the first ingredient is...corn. What? 0_o
We are feeding them (3) a bowl of that each day and a third of a can of Sheba (gradually replacing Friskies) I don't know how we are going to afford 3 cans of 70 cent Sheba every day though. Eep! 2.00 dollars a day really adds up!

Thanks again for your recommendations, I'll think I'll try an average priced good quality food and find some coupons!

 

I don't know how we are going to afford 3 cans of 70 cent Sheba every day though. Eep! 2.00 dollars a day really adds up!

Buying 12 - 13 oz cans of high quality food is your answer. 9 oz of Sheba for $2.10 or 12.5 oz of Dave's for $1.89. What's the better deal?

When you buy 3 oz cans you're paying as much for the packaging as you are for what's in it. Start comparing using price per oz. You will quickly see the advantage of the bigger cans...even the 5.5 oz vs the 3 oz.

 

Have you tried the large cans (like 12.5-13 oz) cans like EVO that others suggested? For multiple cats, that would definitely help. Some petfood stores online have sales/deals too, but again, your cat may or may not like the brands suggested. Try a couple of cans to get a real feel if they take to it, before splurging on a whole caseload!

 

Trader Joe's is a fair compromise. I like the ingredients and the price, and, surprisingly, my cats do like it... the only Pate they accept. I alternate it with more expensive stuff.

 

Ways to save on canned food:
1. Mix rotation of premium and less premium brands. For example mix rotation EVO, Dave's, Wellness, Nature's Variety and Friskies. If you know your budget you can adjust it accordingly.
2. Online has the best deal and free shipping. I found chewy and dogfood.com have good sales regularly. Local stores like Petco has promotion once in awhile, great to compare shopping once in awhile.
3. Walmart has the best deal on large cans of Friskies. Some pate style are not that bad.
4. 12.5 oz and 13 oz is the best deal you can get per oz. You can freshen the taste (from the refrigerator) by putting some crushed treats on top of the food, leave it at room temp for a bit before serving if your cat is picky with colder food.
5. Fancy feast price per ounce is expensive.
6. Nature Variety INSTINCT dog food can be fed to cats and the price for 12.5 oz is not bad. Instinct canned only and not other variety.

 

6. Nature Variety INSTINCT dog food can be fed to cats and the price for 12.5 oz is not bad. Instinct canned only and not other variety.

I believe I've looked into this before, and found that the cans of dog food do not list taurine. While they do online, I will trust the can over that until I hear otherwise directly from the company. (Who I can't be bothered to contact as Instinct dog food cans are like 4-5 dollars for the 12 oz cans... I can get very high quality 5.5 oz cans of other foods for cheaper.)

EVO and First Mate are the only two I know for sure can be fed to a cat or dog...

 

Hmmm, that's weird because the bigger can I have now listed taurine, next to salt. It's Nature Variety Instinct Chicken for dogs. The amount of ingredients listed online for dogs exactly the same as the cat's variety. I add some extra taurine powder just in case. I don't know any other canned dog food that can be suitable for cats consumption. In the US average about $2.75 for one can of dog's NV. Once in a while its ok for me as part of the rotation.

 

Corrections:
- website for cheaper cat food is doggiefood.com and chewy.com. I'm looking for other options as well. The only downside for buying online is the dented cans. I don't mind but some people do. Something to consider.
- NV Instict larger can is 13.2 cans. The cheapest one is around $34 usd for 12 cans or about 21.5 cents per ounce. Fancy feast is around 18.3 cents per ounce. Buy in bulk and when they are on sale. You can save a lot of money that way. Online shopping over 50$ is usually free shipping.

 

Maybe Instinct food has taurine and I'm confusing it with another (possibly Weruva), however they do not list the percentages (unlike First Mate and EVO do online) so until hearing from the company I would not feed it as any kind of staple in a cat's diet. And like I said, it's 4-5 dollars... maybe it's cheaper where you are, but I might as well buy just about any other dog food at that price, and it would be cheaper.

 

Could you be thinking about Sheba? Sheba doesn't have taurine. One of the reasons I don't feed it anymore.

 

I'm in the midst of figuring out how to spend less while feeding better. I found the 12.5 oz Wellness chicken cans at Chewy to be very reasonable. They run around $23 for a 12 pk, which is 15 cents per ounce.

Since my cat doesn't like Wellness alone, I mix it with Soulistic (which is VERY reasonable only when you do "auto ship" on petco.com- it's over a 20% savings!). 8 cans of 5.5 ounce is about $9 (about 20 cents per ounce).

Compare that to Fancy feast- on amazon, they are $14.50 per 24 pack of 3 ounce cans. That's 19.4 cents per ounce! The better food is the same price OR LESS!!!! Plus, fewer cans is better for the environment.

He doesn't care for the big chunks in Soulistic, so I have to chop it up a bit.

To make things palatable after the big can has been in the fridge, I slip the mix in the micro for 10 seconds, add a bit of water, and stir well. He actually prefers the mixed up second day version better; the water makes it more gravy-like and has a smoother texture.

 

happycat, I'd personally go to PetCo over of PetSmart because I feel they carry healthier options or your local small "mom & pop" type pet store carries much healthier options. The staff are usually much more knowledgeable than big box stores too, if you have questions. Online shopping like Chewy.com seems to have the best pricing in cat food when you've found the ones with ingredients you like and your cats eat willingly, too.

You've already got some great advice here, so do your homework and read up on those articles suggested earlier! Your cats will be healthier!

 

your local small "mom & pop" type pet store carries much healthier options. The staff are usually much more knowledgeable than big box stores too, if you have questions. Online shopping like Chewy.com seems to have the best pricing in cat food when you've found the ones with ingredients you like and your cats eat willingly, too.

So...go to the independent store, pick their brains, get educated by them, maybe take their samples and then give your ongoing business to an online store? I'm an independent pet food store owner so that doesn't sit very well with me...

 

I wanted to try Dave's canned and had to drive 30 minutes to an independent pet store. Their prices were pretty good and they did have some bulk discounts. I was really surprised that the samples they gave me, freeze dried and canned all were fish flavors with fish in them. I try to give those type of stores my business when I can and since my cats don't seem to love any canned food, it helps if I can buy a variety and hope.

 

TabbCatt...thanks for clarifying. Obviously you can see this is a bit of a hot button. I get people pretty regularly who come in take my time for 30-45 minutes and then when asked to sign up for the Rewards program say "no, I won't be shopping here that much" or even blatantly say they'll be shopping online. I actually had one customer say "this food is really expensive, do you know of a website where I can get it at a better price?".

So thanks for supporting your local store....you too Cat Owner Again!

 

I work at a pet store that focuses on holistic nutrition and I absolutely hate it when I spend time on customers, answering their questions and teaching them about proper nutrition, and then they end up buying Beneful because of the picture of veggies on the packaging, or Purina cat chow cause it's cheaper... Why waste my time when you're not gonna listen and take my advice?! Or the customers who assume I can give them medical advice so they don't have to pay for a veterinarian... sigh.

I had one person (not a frequent customer thank god) come in and say that her dog was bleeding and had a huge gash on its side and was limping with a bone sticking out. She asked what it could be and I couldn't take her seriously and gave her a lecture and demanding she go to the vet NOW. She just said "but they will charge me too much money." FACE PALM. I got her name and number and reported her to our local rescue.

Sorry for being off topic.. as you can see I get a little heated too.

 

I shop at a regional independent, too, Benson's Pet Center. They only have about 5 or 6 locationsin my part of NY State and MA. They have the best price for Cat Attract litter (cheaper than PetSmart and PetCo!). They also carry many of the "better" brands of food I see mentioned here. I just tried Shelly on the Wellness brand and she wiped the dish clean, so I'll be heading over there to see if their price beats PetCo's.

I can't buy mail-order because my Post Office is run by idiots. After I had a package worth $120 stolen off my front stoop where the carrier left it instead of brown-carding it, I was done. I avoid mail-order whenever I possibly can.

 

OMG! Molldee, thats beyond unbelievable! So glad you reported her...hope that dog got the care it needed!!
I have a favorite person at PetCo where I get my dog and cat food, she is really up on the foods and soooo very helpful, whenever I have questions, I look for her! I have let her know how much I appreciate her help and knowledge!
After being here on the Forum and being very confused about all the debates, etc...
I have a true appreciation for those who have studied and done a lot of research, to try and help the rest of us!!