Need dry food advice for my cats.

[ginnyinWI]

I am firmly in the camp that believes that wet food is best for cats, and the higher animal protein the better. (Looks funny typing that because I myself am a vegan.)

But when we leave them overnight I need to put out dry food. Right now I'm using Purina Natural dry food, and it is full of grain and soybean meal. I'd like to find a good grain free cat food to put out instead. What are you using that you and your cats like?

One of my two is somewhat overweight: she's a larger breed and should weigh 11 lbs but does weigh 13. The other is normal weight. Needless to say, the "kitty buffet" of dry food does nothing for the fat one's figure! Hopefully a grain free formula will help, because I normally also give them both a little dry food (1 T.) in the evening as a treat.

At Amazon I have looked at a brand called "Merrick" and also "Natural Balance" Merrick made in USA, which may make it safer from recalls. What do you think of Merrick?

Thanks in advance!

[KC]

1. Wellness

is a great grain free product for both dogs
and cats. I switched my dog to it and
he loves it. I have not tried my cat on it
yet.
My cat has had a terrible time with dry cat
food. He would throw up any brand so I
had pretty much just stopped feeding him
dry food. When I was in PetSmart one day I decided to try him on Royal Canin brand
dry food. I got the bag that said
Special 33 for sensitive stomachs. He not
only likes it, he hasn't thrown it up in
the last 6-8 months! I don't put much out
for him and am not giving it everyday just
because I know wet is better for them.
I haven't looked to see if grain free though.

[ginnyinWI]

8. royal canin does have some grain

It has corn and other grains, depending on the flavor.So it seems for the same price I can get grain free in another brand.

[meti57b]

2. EVO ....

This page doesn't give the carb content but on the package, it reads 7% carbs. That is really low carb!


http://www.petfooddirect.com/product/6668/EVO-Turkey-and-Chicken-Formula-Dry-Cat-Food?extcid=PLA&gclid=CO7K8r_38LgCFU5xQgodLj8AMw

Ingredients

Turkey, Chicken Meal, Chicken, Herring Meal, Chicken Fat, Peas, Egg, Turkey Meal, Pea Fiber, Natural Flavors, Apples, Carrots, Cranberries, Herring Oil, Tomatoes, Pumpkin, Dried Chicory Root, Cottage Cheese, Alfalfa Sprouts, Taur, DL Methionine, Minerals, Vitamins, Direct-Fed Microbials

Analysis:

Crude Protein (min) 50%
Crude Fat (min) 22%
Moisture (max) 10%
Crude Fiber (max) 2%

[KC]

5. I think EVO

had some recalls recently.

[meti57b]

7. I telephoned the company about that........

They said that they are stocking it again, and in order to make certain that you have new stock,.... make sure that the label has the date of 6/10/14 or after.

My kitten is eating it as we speak.

I do give dry food only on occasion. Kittehs normally get canned food.

[ginnyinWI]

9. Their manufacturer is Natura Pet

And they have had a lot of recalls in their products: Innova, Evo, California Natural, Healthwise, and Karma are all Natura Pet brands.

The other one is Diamond Pet Foods, which makes Diamond Naturals, Taste of the Wild, Nature's Variety, and Kirkland.

[City Lights]

11. I did not know that Diamond manufactured Taste of the Wild.

That is very disappointing. Thanks for the information.

[City Lights]

3. We feed our cats Wellness CORE and Taste of the Wild

Rocky Mountain Formula. Both are grain free. Our cats love it.

http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/products/cats/dry_food/rocky_mountain_feline_formula/

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/product-details.aspx?pet=cat&pid=133&dm=grainfree

FYI, both of these come in wet form also (which we also feed our cats).

Our cats' coats look fabulous. Shiny, silky, and smooth.

[Voice for Peace]

16. +++

The cats love Taste of the Wild. We supplement with
wet food daily but the dry is the bulk of their diet.

Also shiny beautiful healthy coats, clean breath.

[hamsterjill]

4. I'm a fan of Royal Canin.

My brood eats the "Special" blend which is for those that have some digestive issues. I have seen much less throwing up since changing them to this dry food.

And I agree with you about wet being better. Mine get both with the majority of their intake being (by their choice) the wet food. And you didn't ask, but I use Wellness wet food.

You might want to check out www.chewy.com as I order from them often and have, to date, had good luck. Like most websites, it's important to be a knowledgeable consumer as some products are cheaper on this site while others may be cheaper elsewhere.

[ginnyinWI]

6. thanks all

I also found a link that lists content of a lot of dry foods:

http://www.sahjasiamese.com/index_files/foodcomparisonchart.htm

I'll go and comparison shop some of these brands you mentioned, as well as the ones on this page and see what I come up with.

Speaking of silky coats: do cats just come with a certain silkiness in their coats, or is it directly due to their nutrition? If a cat with a dry, rough coat gets put on a better diet, can it actually become silkier?

[Curmudgeoness]

10. As to the cat's coat,

my experience is that different kinds of cats just have different kinds of fur. Some is just rougher and some is very silky. (I pay attention to this since I have bad allergies that occur when I have contact with the silkier furs.) I have had very soft and fine fur on a domestic longhair cat who was eating the same thing as the domestic shorthair that had a rougher coat. They were both healthy, but nothing would make the shorthair really soft (except maybe a bath and conditioner).

You can tell if the coat is healthy by the look more than the way it feels. Well groomed, glossy fur that lays well shows health. Also, you should not see dry flaky skin (dandruff) on a healthy cat.

[ginnyinWI]

13. I agree with you on the fur.

I volunteer at a shelter and have contact with a lot of cats, and there is a wide variety of fur types. The longhair mixes do tend to have that very fine hair that flies up into the air. I have one of these at home too, and her fur collects in little balls around the house. And the shorthaired cats I deal with can have very smooth and silky or rather rough coats. Maybe grooming would help the rougher coats--I don't know.

[liberalla]

15. Good info at that link--thanks!

My suggestion (post #14) is on this chart. (Solid Gold Indigo Moon)

The reviews/ratings at Petco give it a 4.9 out of 5 (49 reviews).
Many of them mention the benefits for skin and coat.

http://www.petco.com/product/109059/Solid-Gold-Indigo-Moon-Holistic-Cat-Food.aspx

[CountAllVotes]

12. Halo Spot's Stew Grain Free Hearty Chicken Recipe

My solitary cat will eat only this food.

She'll have a bite of lamb or buffalo now and then if you are lucky enough to have some (not often here and I do not care for buffalo at all). She occasionally enjoys a lick or two of tuna, but not often.

She's gone from being a shy, oh so happy to be adopted cat, to a finicky middle-aged cat and is spoiled rotten.

She's doing well on this food and loves it!



More info. below:

Description:

Total body health for your cat is always within reach if you're feeding him Halo Spot's Stew Grain Free Hearty Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food! This all-natural food for felines has all the tastiness of a home-cooked meal-- butcher-quality chicken, whole egg and a bounty of farm-raised vegetables that are conducive for easy digestibility and of course, great taste! Fortified with minerals, vitamins, prebiotics and probiotics, Halo Spot's Stew Grain Free Hearty Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food is completely free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives! You won't find any rendered meat or meal here; just the good stuff! So give some of this crunchy goodness to your furry friend and watch him meow for seconds!

Benefits:

Real meat
No artificial flavors, colors or preservatives
No rendered meat or meal from chicken, lamb, poultry, fish or plants
Balanced Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids
Farm-raised fruits and vegetables
Wholesome and easily digestible

View all Halo Cat Food

Back to Top
Ingredients

Chicken, Eggs, Pea Protein, Vegetable Broth, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Whole Peas, Chicken Liver, Flax seed, Salmon Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Pea Fiber, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Green Beans, Carrots, Blueberries, Alfalfa, Cranberries, Zucchini, Calcium Sulfate, DL- Methionine, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Inulin, Salt, Vitamins (Folic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Choline Bitartrate, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Ascorbic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Magnesium Proteniate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium longum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product.

Analysis:

Crude Protein 33.0% (min)
Crude Fat 18.0% (min)
Crude Fiber 6.5% (max)
Moisture 10.0% (max)
Omega 6 Fatty Acids 3.1% (min)
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 0.50% (min).

[liberalla]

14. I've started using Indigo Moon Holistic Cat Food, and now that's all my cats want :)

even over wet food sometimes...



I was looking for something new to offer (one cat is very picky), and asked for suggestions. This was one of two they recommended. (I don't remember the other one) I found it at Petco.

Anyway, it's their favorite now. I wasn't looking for high protein specifically, but that is how they describe it.

"Solid Gold is proud to introduce our newest dry cat food, Indigo Moon. Indigo Moon is a high protein, low carbohydrate, completely grain/gluten free diet designed to more closely resemble the nutrient composition of a cats natural diet.

Made with high quality chicken meal, fresh chicken, and ocean fish, Indigo Moon is extremely palatable, even to the most discerning cat.

Indigo Moon is formulated to meet the AAFCO Nutrient Profiles for all life stages."


Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein 46% Minimum

Crude Fat 20% Minimum

Crude Fiber 3% Maximum

Moisture 10% Maximum

Ash 7.5% Maximum

DHA 0.05% Minimum

Calories 450 kcal/cup


Ingredients

Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols) , Chicken, Pea Protein, Natural Flavor, Ocean Fish Meal, Choline Chloride, Salmon Oil (source of DHA), Taurine, Potassium Chloride, dl-methionine, Dried Chicory Root, Parsley Flakes, Pumpkin Meal, Almond Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Sesame Oil (preserved by mixed tocopherols), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Thyme, Blueberries, Cranberries, Carrots, Broccoli, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Calcium Panthothenate, Riboflavin, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Carbonate, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Rosemary Extract

http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/products/index.php?product=90

I love the packaging with the cat and moon and stars. They're based in California.
Good Luck in your quest!

[ginnyinWI]

17. I have decided to try Natural Balance Reduced Calorie Formula

It has higher quality proteins with no soy or animal by-products. It does have brown rice and potato, but it's 35% protein, and lower in fat at 10% than their regular version. Since my cats are on more wet food than try, I'm not worried about the carbs or too little fat in their diets. The Purina is 38% protein, but not good quality protein.

And it is just $2.02 per pound at Amazon in the 15 lb. size. I was paying $1 a pound for Purina Natural, and many of the premium ones are $3 per pound and higher. And many of those have even less protein in them. Good reviews at Amazon, for what that's worth, especially for helping fat cats slim down. The cats love it--of course they loved the Purina too.

So I think it is a fair compromise between a high end grain-free product and the cheap grocery store brand full of corn and yuck.