Nutritional cat food

[grandmasterstitch]

We have 3 cats. Two with dermatitis, one of the two also has had cat flu, has damaged nasal passages and is very small (but very special). The third is the only healthy one (aside from issues with tear ducts). We have been buying big standard cat food in tins, mainly because it's cheap and one tin does all of them.
But I've been doing some research and think that maybe a more nutritional food might be better, especially for the two with itchy skin. I've looked at Lily's Kitchen but their pack of 19 which is £17 would only last 6 days. Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced but more nutritious food?

[dementedpixie]

Check if the current food contains wheat/other grains as that can cause issues. Think Butchers tins are grain free and not too expensive. Alternatively look on zooplus as they have a wide range of grain free cat foods

[Spandang]

I use Blink cat food, I believe it’s made by butchers. It’s human grade meat and grain free but it isn’t cheap. That said you do get what you pay for. Many people who have seen what I feed the cat reckon they’d eat it themselves.

On tighter months I usually buy a couple of whole chickens or cod fillets and roast/poach them too. This usually works out cheaper in that a chicken feeds our family of four plus three dishes for the cat. You can’t however feed that all the time as cats need taurine.

I’ve also noticed if we buy better quality biscuits (ie not whiskas or go cat) the amount of wet food eaten tends to go down, when she has whiskas she will happily eat 2-3 pouches of Blink a day, when she has something with a higher meat content, that comes down to 1-1.5 pouches a day.

When she was a kitten she used to love Applaws. Again really high meat content but...price to match I’m afraid.

[QueenCT]

Have a look on zooplus under their grain free cat food
Ingredients all listed and lots of good brands on there

[dementedpixie]

my 2 cats eat thrive dry and encore dry which both have a high meat content (encore is the cheaper relative of applaws). I buy from zooplus or amazon. They have a couple of pouches of wet food alongside

[Beamur]

My cats like encore.
I'm also feeding mine a brand called Lifelong which is grain free that's not too expensive.
Zooplus is a good online shop for cat food and bulk buying to get cheaper.

[dementedpixie]

also good for litter, scratchers and cat trees!

[TheSpottedZebra]

I also feed grain free, as my cat had awful tummies. Mine get Sainsbury's own they have the pouches but they do tins too -all grain free.
And Butchers, as pp said, is even cheaper I think.

One also had dandruff type thing and was quite itchy/scratchy -but it's fine now. No idea if that is connected to the grain free!

[QueenCT]

Oh if they're itchy it might be worth trying one meat at a time as well. Mine is allergic to beef! Also salmon oil can help

[grandmasterstitch]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll definitely have a look at some other foods. I've just noticed my older cat has lost two top teeth so I really think the food needs changing (I'm taking her to the vet tomorrow to get checked, poor thing)

[chocolatespiders]

I buy good quality dry food from zoo plus. Purizon and feringa we have at the moment. They do small packs to try if you are not sure then I buy the big sacks and this lasts ages with two cats.
Butchers choice and sainsbury own are grain free wet food. Butchers choice is in tins from Morrisons or home bargains etc.

[StartingGrid]

Encore/Applaws may not be ideal for dental cats as it's shredded meat/fish... I used to feed my elderly gummy cat Royal Canin oral biscuits, with either Lilys Kitchen/Crave (available in supermarkets)/ Natures Menu/Meowing Heads (available online)

[Sootybear]

I bought a supplement called yumega for my dandruffy cat and her skin got better. I've since changed her food to the sainsburys grain free and some Lilys Kitchen (mixed in with some Sainsburys wet food) and her fur is lovely again. I always feed a mix of food incase I can't get one type. I know she will eat the other one.

[Ibizafun]

Thrive.. no additives and a complete food

[FrankieChips]

James Wellbeloved is excellent and quite reasonable.