[AddFran]

are fish flavors not as good for our kitties?

My cats eat Wellness cat food, wet and dry...so far from what I can gather...we all agree that Wellness is a good food.

I've seen some posts that fish is not necessarily good for your cat and to stear away from the fish "flavors" and look for chicken, beef, turkey...a.k.a "meat". Well if that's really so...why does Wellness produce such a variety of fish flavors?

Both my cats prefer the trout over the chicken flavors, am I doing something bad by giving it to them? Should I limit them to the meat varieties. And lastly, what do your cats prefer in wet food in terms of flavor?

 

[BoscosMum]

Good question....my cat would not touch fish flavors at first.
Now that is all he wants...I am popping in to hear some
opinions on this as well.

 

[drjean]

A lot of cats love fish, but no, it is not that great for them. Many of the fish species used in cat food come from highly polluted waters or are the discards from the fish-farming industry. Fish farms (such as "Atlantic Salmon") feed processed foods, fungicides, and antibiotics to keep the fish alive, and red dye to color the flesh (otherwise it would be gray--yuck!).

Many cats are sensitive to fish; it is a common allergen; and a lot of cats develop urinary tract problems if fed a lot of fish.

Cats who develop a taste for fish often become "junkies" and refuse other foods. A wide variety of flavors is much better, so they don't become so finicky.

So...I generally stick with poultry (chicken, turkey and duck), lamb, and beef flavors.

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

 

[RarePuss]

I feed my cat Fancy Feast Roasted Turkey Feast, that's the only canned food brand and flavor we give. He loves it

I got him some tuna/shimp treats, but he wouldn't even touch them. :? Then we got some Temptations Tantalizing Turkey flavor and he loves it, but again, he doesn't run for it, he's really a laid back cat

Dry food, we only feed Royal Canin, right now he's on "34-Kitten". Royal Canin has a great balance of carbs/protein in their dry food, and again, Marsh LOVES it

He usually has about 5 dry snacks a day, and then we give him one can of wet, split between morning and daytime.

 

[drjean]

Feeding a single food all the time is a good way to develop food allergies, food addictions, and nutritional deficiencies. Variety is the way to go. See
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?a ... chingfoods for why and how to switch.

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

 

[RarePuss]

Feeding a single food all the time is a good way to develop food allergies, food addictions, and nutritional deficiencies. Variety is the way to go. See
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?a ... chingfoods for why and how to switch.

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

I respect you as a doctor, but i'd have to say that everytime we tried to give Marsh variety in wet food, he either didn't eat it or ate it, but not with his usual eagerness. His breeder, who's been showing and breeding cats for 20 years, is also doing the same thing she taught us.

Marsh's coat and weight are perfect, he's truly magnificent. He has zero stomach problems, pee or poop problems and never shown any disorders. We also, at the urge of our breeder are adding one cap of lysine to each bowl of dry food.

 

[drjean]

You don't have to take my advice, but I would recommend reading the article and deciding *after* you have heard both sides of the issue!

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

 

[AddFran]

Thank you to everyone who has responded...and to Dr. Jean for clearing up the fish question. I'll stick to the others moving forward. It's funny though that they seem to be drawn to the fish for some reason. In any case, if it's risky, it's not worth it.

Thanks again.

 

[drjean]

I'm "drawn" to Fritos and Twinkies, but that doesn't mean they're good for me!

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

 

[AddFran]

Ha! Well put! Now that's a language I can understand!
Got it...thanks!!!

 

[BoscosMum]

hehehehhhehhheeeeee :lol:

 

[imatarb]

My kitties love the meat flavors...mostly turkey, chicken, beef and liver. I try to buy different kinds each time I make a trip to the pet store. I have purchased Nutro Gourmet (these are great little chunks of different combinations), Felidae and Wysong. I'm going to try Wellness next time.

Just as an aside and a push for an all-wet diet, my cats' coats have dramatically improved since the all-wet diet. They are sleek, smooth and feel like satin. The coats are shiny, too. I noticed a difference in a matter of a couple of weeks.

Lisa

 

[adavis333]

I feed my cat Fancy Feast Roasted Turkey Feast, that's the only canned food brand and flavor we give. He loves it

The first brand that mine went crazy for was also fancy feast. However, I have since learned that "meat-by-product" is a big no no. Although it is not the primary ingredient, Fancy Feast does list it. I weaned mine off of it but have not yet found a brand that they seem to LOVE like they did the fancy feast.

Is some "meat-by-product" okay or should I stick to my guns? It just seems like they enjoyed it so much more than any of the other brands I am trying. I want to do what's best for my kitties and it seems from all I have read that any meat-by-product is off limits. But I just want to double check.

And the article Dr Jean listed is very informative! I recommend it to all who have not yet read it.

 

[Annissa]

Sabby likes all the Wellness flavors I've given him, but then Sabby's a cat who just loves to eat.

 

[AddFran]

Franny and Addison will eat all the wellness flavors too...but I notice them scarf down the fish flavors like there is no tomorrow. In any case, I'm going to avoid fish and give them a variety of turkey, chicken, beef, etc.

And, I have noticed an BIG improvement in Franny's coat since we started incorporating wet food into her daily diet. Didn't realize there was a problem before, but now that I see how shiny and soft it is, I'd never go back.

 

[queen of the nile]

adavis, I just wanted to point out that Fancy Feast is poor quality for more than just the presence of "by-products"

Here's the list for Fancy Feast - Beef Feast
MEAT BROTH, MEAT BY PRODUCTS, BEET MEAT GLUTTEN, FISH, CORN STARCH MODIFIED, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SOY FLOUR, SALT, CARAMEL COLOR, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATES, TAURINE CHOLINE CHLORIDE,IRON DIOXIDE, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, THIAMINE MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), FERROUS SULFATE, ZINC SULFATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, VITAMIN A ACETATE, COPPER SULFATE, PYRIDOXUNE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, NIACIN, CALCIUM PANTHOTENATE, RIBOGLAVIN SUPPLEMENT(VITAMIN B2), COBLAT CARBONATE, VITAMIN D3 SUPLLEMENT, VITAMIN B 12 SUPPLEMENT , MENADIONESODIUM BESULFATE COMPLEX (SOURCE OF VITAMIN K ACTIVITY ), FOLIC ACID POTASSIUM IODIDE, BIOTIN FIA 5600-K.

The first ingredient is basically water (meat broth - they don't state what animal it comes from, because they don't know)

Second ingredient is meat by-products - so basically the greatest meat source in the food comes from the unusable parts of various animals, not a single source. You want to stay away from by-products as well as foods that do not list the animals source (ie: like meat, fish or poultry)

Third ingredient is a starch filler.

Fourth ingredient is another no-name animal source.

The rest of the ingredients are more carbs, artificial flavours and added chemicals.

Don't forget to look at the name of the food as well. "Beef feast" means there has to be at least 25% beef in the product. That's kind of scary isn't it? The rest of the food, therefore, is filler. I have nothing good to say about Fancy Feast, because there is not a single good ingredient in the food.

Here's a bit of an article from this site http://www.api4animals.org/79.htm
The "dinner" product is defined by the 25% Rule, which applies when "an ingredient or a combination of ingredients constitutes at least 25% of the weight of the product" (excluding water sufficient for processing) as long as the ingredient(s) shall constitute at least 10% of the total product weight; and a descriptor that implies other ingredients are included in the product formula is used on the label. Such descriptors include "recipe," "platter," "entree," and "formula." A combination of ingredients included in the product name is permissible when each ingredient comprises at least 3% of the product weight, excluding water for processing, and the ingredient names appear in descending order by weight.

The "with" rule allows an ingredient name to appear on the label, such as "with real chicken," as long as each such ingredient constitutes at least 3% of the food by weight, excluding water for processing.

The "flavor" rule allows a food to be designated as a certain flavor as long as the ingredient(s) are sufficient to "impart a distinctive characteristic" to the food. Thus, a "beef flavor" food may contain a small quantity of digest or other extract of tissues from cattle, without containing any actual beef meat at all.

--------------------------

So I hope that clears up what is wrong with Fancy Feast. What other foods have you tried? My cats' favourite was Wellness.

 

[BoscosMum]

I have a comment on this.....I have just switched my cat to a all wet diet.
I tried EVERY food...Fancy Feast is all he would eat.
I wanted to share that this morning I opened a can of 'Precise'....he
ate it almost as madly as he does the Fancy Feast!

So for all of you out there with a very finnicky cat....
Please try the Precise. Let me know if you have the same results.
I am going to check out the other flavors they offer. Since I only grabbed 1 can.

 

[Ianthe]

Thats great Where did you buy the Precise?

 

[queen of the nile]

I'm so glad you've found something he likes, BoscosMum. Sometimes kitties just like to make things difficult.

 

[adavis333]

queen of nile--Thanks for the break down! I've read bits and pieces of all the info in various articles and do my best to pick the best foods. Right now they are eating AvoDerm and Nutro
AvoDerm INFO:
Breeder's Choice AvoDerm Cat & Kitten Ocean Fish Formula
Your cat will LOVE this irresistible ocean fish formula. Contains 5 skin and fur conditioners! Low in both ash and magnesium for a healthy urinary tract.

Ingredients:
Fish Broth, Ocean Fish, Chicken, Kidney, Chicken Liver, Turkey, Rice Flour, Oat Bran, Avocado Oil, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Ferrous Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Sulfate, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Biotin, Sodium Selenite.


Guaranteed Analysis:
Moisture (max) 78%
Crude Protein (min) 10%
Crude Fat (min) 7%
Ash (max) 1.9%
Crude Fiber (max) 1.5%
Magnesium (max) 0.03%

"Fish Broth" is number 1...crap! From now on I'll look up all the foods online and decide BEFORE going to the store. In Hawaii there aren't any large pet stores and even less of a selection of premium foods.

They are also eating
Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Kitten Chicken & Liver Chunks in Gravy is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for gestation, lactation and growth.

Ingredients:
Chicken Broth, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Wheat Gluten, Beet Pulp, Dried Egg Product, Herring Meal, Sunflower Oil, Glycine, Guar Gum, Salt, Menhaden Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Brewers Dried Yeast, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Chicory Extract, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite.


Guaranteed Analysis:
Moisture (maximum) 82%
Crude Protein (minimum) 9%
Crude Fat (minimum) 4.5%
Ash (maximum) 2.5%
Crude Fiber (maximum) 1%
Linoleic Acid (minimum) 0.7%
Calcium (minimum 0.18%

Here again "chicken broth" is number 1.

The other Nutro....
Nutro Gourmet Classics California Chicken Supreme
Our gourmet line is the best in taste and nutrition. Made with the finest ingredients.

Ingredients:
Chicken Broth, Chicken, Lamb Liver, Chicken Liver, Turkey, Lamb, Potato Flour, Beef, Iodized Salt, Guar Gum, Natural Flavors, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Taurine, Sodium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Beta Carotene, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), d-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Sulfate, Folic Acid, Niacinamide, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride(Vitamin B6), Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin.


Guaranteed Analysis:
Moisture (maximum) 78%
Crude Protein (minimum) 10%
Crude Fat (minimum) 4%
Crude Fiber (maximum) 1%

And...
Nutro Gourmet Classics Salmon & Whitefish Entree
Our gourmet line is the best in taste and nutrition. Made with the finest ingredients.

Ingredients:
Salmon Broth, Salmon, Chicken, Lamb Liver, Cod, Lamb, Chicken Liver, Turkey, Beef, Potato Flour, Iodized Salt, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine,Taurine, Sodium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Iron Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), d-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Sulfate, Folic Acid, Niacinamide, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Moisture (maximum) 78%
Crude Protein (minimum) 10%
Crude Fat (minimum) 4%
Crude Fiber (maximum) 1%

But the Nurto is all chunks in "sauce" so does it make since for broth to be the number 1 ingrediant?

I just looked up Precise online and found a shop that sells it in Hawaii! I'll go ASAP. I wish I could just order food online, cost are so inflated here. Ordering would be so much easier. But the shipping would KILL me. It's so expensive!