Cat food - why did all the cats I have on cheaper stuff last longer than the expensively fed ones?

[WandaWomblesaurus]

3 cats - all fed on cheapie cat food in my twenties - all lasted around 18-20 years.

Recent cats - different expensive cat food - all had health issues.

Am I just imagining it? Is it just bad moggie luck?

My mum fed all her cats on whiskers and they all lived for years. I tried mine on all of the expensive food and all that happened was I wasted my money. He has felix pouches with crispies on the top. And he has whiskers dried food. He is an old boy so I am now just happy that he is eating anything. But cats will eat what cats want to eat. Regardless of the price

So true, I brought up all my cats, 5 over the last 42 years, on Whiskas then Felix as good as it looks. They lived to be 19-20 years.
Mr cat now has Blink, Untamed and Encore, with the occasional packet of gourmet cat food. Thrive biscuits.
Hes always ill and is about 8 or 9 years old.

Cats are naturally contrary.

You're not imagining it. I work in a vets and whenever we get healthy elderly cats in, like 18+, I always make a point of asking what they eat and every time I get 'oh just Whiskas/Felix/Go cat dry food/ whatever'. It honestly blows my mind! My cats won't eat any of that. I think I spend upwards of £80 a month on their food. So far they're healthy enough though 🤞🤞🤞

My old cat lived on whiskers and felix. She lived until she was 18. Current cat also on whiskers and is nearly 15 with no health issues at all

Probably because healthier cats will eat anything and more delicate ones are fussed over more by their owners. Of my two sisters, one did very well because of her sibling’s dodgy tummy as I bought more expensive food to tempt her. In reality she ate when she wanted to and turned up her nose at the expensive stuff as often as she rejected Asda cheapo cans.

I do think there's something in it.

It's the same with dogs - I'm a dog walker and some of the healthiest dogs I know are fed cheap supermarket food and gravy bones.

That doesn't necessarily mean cheap food is the best though - I suspect it's more that those people with healthy pets can get away with feeding them anything, so they don't bother spending a fortune on pricy food and treats.

Bloody cats are a law unto themselves.

Mine currently will only eat Lidl meat in jelly pouches (and dry food - that is the expensive stuff though)

Previously it was the Aldi ones.

Previously it was Tescos tins.

Before that, they'd been raised on raw.

For a short time, they'd eat Felix - but that's not acceptable any more. Whiskers is sniffed at and then they do the poop scrape, same for any kind of fish or pate

Every now and then their food will be out of stock, and I'll have to buy a wide selection until they'll pick a new one they'll eat, and promptly they'll refuse to eat any other...

Mine will only eat Blink fish pouches and purina kibbles. Only shop that sells Blink where I live is Waitrose and it's over £8 a box! I keep eyeing up the cheap kibbles in Aldi, which have very similar packaging to purina (so I'm guessing is a copy), but I can't quite bring myself to buy it. The two of them are very spendy to feed and I live fear of their favoured brands being discontinued!
They will deign to eat tuna though - only from a tin and only in spring water. I once offered them some freshly seared tuna and both turned their noses up at it!
Cats are high maintenance!

Mine only gets raw meat, canned tuna or poached chicken, along with dry food. Sometimes he gets fussy and refuses to eat the meat so I only serve dry for a few days, which cures the problem!