Expensive cat food vs. ordinary

[zafferana]

We just adopted a healthy cat from the RSPCA. She was being fed Royal Canin at the kennels and I got a voucher for 2 free bags of the stuff, which she seems to like. However, it is really expensive, so I'm just wondering if it's worth buying this kind of premium food on a permanent basis? We can afford it and I certainly don't want to feed her rubbish as I wouldn't eat rubbish myself, but what is the real difference between this fancy stuff and the bog standard Whiskas, Felix, Gourmet whatever?

[chocolatespiders]

She might feel fuller on the better ingredient food.
Mine have applaws to graze on and one pouch of Natures menu wet food a day.

[ClientListQueen]

Wild freedom dry is like crack. I don't know why but my cat adores the stuff and will shove his whole head in the bag if he can
For wet food he likes natures menu, almo nature, AATU, crave

[GuppytheCat]

Any views on Meowing Heads (for which Guppy would happily slaughter her grandma or do handstands in the bag)? I tend to feel that anything a kitten likes that much is probably bad for it.

[ClientListQueen]

Meowing heads is pretty decent from what I can remember

[AnnaMagnani]

Mine have Animonda. Tried Bozita which was good but came in chunks and fusspot cat preferred the jelly and left the chunks.

Animonda is no chunks so all gets eaten.

Our cats would sell their souls for Cosmas Snackies. Left a tube out once and one cat chewed through the cardboard to get at them. Even the neighbours cats know the sound of the Snackie tube and come running.

[theSnuffster]

We use bozita wet food and applaws dry food. We were using animonda wet food but one of the cats went off it.

It's not necessarily about spending more money, not all of the more expansive brands are the best quality.

I find that what we use doesn't actually work out any more expensive than things like whiskas or felix pouches. It's better quality, high meat and protein content and not packed with fillers like cereals- which means you don't have to feed them as much per day.

[msmith501]

OP - what did you pay for Encore online?

[zafferana]

The Encore was 5 for £3.75 on Fetch @msmith501. She had a tin of the chicken breast tonight and it all disappeared very fast! It smelt and looked really nice - just shredded chicken in broth.

Wretched animal has been in the brioche bread though! She's nibbled the top off several slices and had slashed open the plastic bag to get at it. I've never known a cat to eat bread before. She's a total nutter! And she is ALWAYS starving. Never known such a greedy guts. I wonder if it's because she was a stray and probably went hungry a lot of the time before she was rescued?

[dementedpixie]

One of mine ripped open a freezer bag to get at pancakes and had a nibble. Same one got on the worktop and did the same to sesame seeded burger buns. Didnt seem too keen on those ones though.

[Ninjakittysmellz]

You have all made me feel terrible about feeding ninja kitties whiskers now.... I genuinely had no idea it wasn’t good for them

[Dino44]

We feed ours hills as that’s what the vet recommended (the vet does sell that though so not without bias!) how does hills compare to some of these brands, should I be looking to swop?

[dementedpixie]

Look at the ingredients. You ideally want high meat and no cereals/grains as cats are carnivores so dont need them

[dementedpixie]

From googling , hills isnt that great either as it does have wheat and rice

[Branleuse]

mine get a mix of wet and dry food. They like james wellbeloved dry food, and felix pouches. They are all perfectly healthy cats

[AnnaMagnani]

Silkycat is a dustbin. She hovers around us after meals to lick the plate - I can see her point after meat but when it's a vegan meal

'You are not a vegan cat' is a phrase I never thought I'd be saying but crosses my lips every week.

Wouldn't put it past her to like bread.

Come to think of it Oldladycat really likes rye bread and stole my sandwich once. I thought she was after the ham, but she wanted the bread!

Cats are weird.

[Earslaps]

We give ours wet only, with dry as an occasional treat.

We get Animonda Carny, Smilla and Feringa duo from zooplus- they are high meat content but not expensive. Then whatever no grain dry food is on offer.

My cats are always hungry too. They catch and eat plenty, plus they've broken into bags of guinea pig food, pasta and wraps! Neighbour spotted them today trying to catch fish from her pond

[cheezy]

I’m considering making my own cat food maybe using offal. So inexpensive and nutritious. But time consuming.

[Cuddling57]

I've just looked into this and ordered some Grau from zooplus. All the above brands were good too.
It's very confusing!
Make sure it's a 'complete' food rather than complemtary (which is just a treat)

[dementedpixie]

Mine wont eat the good wet foods and dont like pate style. They eat high meat grain free dry though alongside the bad wet food

[lljkk]

I Think that Butchers Classic & Sainsbury's own (or one of their own, anyway) is grain free. Aldi is supposed to have an inexpensive meat free cat food. Don't have to spend a fortune.

[SayrraT]

Our cat gets butchers classic and James wellbeloved. He loves them both.

[sqirrelfriends]

I would really recommend a good grain-free food, It's so much better for them and closer to what they are evolved to eat. Some cats can have really bad effects from gluten.

[Goldwispa]

Dry premium cat food in my experience works out a lot cheaper than supermarket cat food. A bag of dry food from my vet costs £30 and lasts 3 months.

[GiantKitten]

My main belief is that what they want to eat is the best food to buy - I’ve tried a variety of “better” wet & dry food and ended up giving it away.

My cats have the cheapest Felix pouches (£10 for 40 as a rule) and Royal Canin vet care neutered young female biscuits. They are all very healthy & energetic with nice glossy coats (& inoffensive poo)

10kg bag of biscuits costs £45 from pet drugs online, & lasts about 2 months, so 25p per cat per day; Felix, 3 pouches between them, another 25p per cat per day.

Both the females aren’t so young now (7 & 6), and the other cat is male, so technically the biscuits aren’t a good fit any more, but they love them. They get plenty of meat protein from the pouches so I don’t think the cereal does them any harm.

[lisag1969]

The dearest food is the best. Like you said you would not eat cheap food. Grain free is the best food. Personally I prefer Lily's kitchen cat and dog food, but if you do change the food you have to do a transition otherwise they get sick and or a bad tummy. X