Is there a cheaper way of feeding my cat?

[DangerQuakeRhinoSnake]

We recently got a new cat and the vet has recommended Applaws. We're ordering online. I was hoping to feed her the biscuits with an occasional pouch to supplement. But she doesn't like the biscuits.

She's obviously a wet food fan but I was hoping there would be a cheaper way (supermarket brands aren't suiting her tummy).

Any suggestions please?

Hi Yes taurine is essential and cats can go blind if fed dog food which is generally not as meat protein based.
Quite a lot of catfood contains TVP (textured vegetable protein)- vegetable protein bound with alginates and then roll refined to make steak like chunks. Also rendered meat from carcasses - bone stripping powdered then roll refined.

So total protein on the pack may be misleading

So it is not down exclusively to "grain free" although that is a common bulker

If your cat is a bit windy or has digestive issues chances are there is a lot of TVP in the food- Whiskas looking at you!

This is exactly what we do too. The 100g pouches are the perfect size to cover two meals plus grazing on Scrumbles. We get Meowing Heads from Amazon and Scrumbles from Pets At Home.

By the way the Fray Bentos pies also contain TVP!!!!

I used to work in catfood R+D

You have to be really careful with some cat foods as they’re not a complete food and it can make them poorly if that is all they have access to. I have 5 cats that thrive really well on Iams dry food with 1 pouch of Felix as good as it looks (half am, half pm). Before the cost went through the roof I fed purina pro plan biscuits and can really recommend that too. They’re in excellent health - some have been fed this diet for 10 years.

We feed Hi Life-all meat-quite reasonably priced for quality wet food. I get it off Amazon.

I used to feed her Carny but it did give her some tummy upsets-think it’s quite rich having a lot of organ meat.

It's a lot easier if they are happy with just kibble. We just leave out a big bowl or dispenser of James Wellbeloved and water and they eat when they want. Only works with cats who aren't greedy, though. We had a Maine coone cross kitten who ate 6-9 sachets of top quality grain-free food a day as well as kibble and he cost a fortune!

Mine is raw fed (Nutriment) because she has a dodgy tummy but in the past I've bought a lot from Zooplus (Smilla, Bozita, Animonda Carny) It's cheaper feeding her raw but the ones from Zooplus will probably be cheaper than Applaws.

Another vote (from the cat) for Meowing Heads. He loves it, and it seems to suit his digestion, but my goodness, it stinks to high heaven when you first put it out!

I'm feeding fussypot Rex Purina Revelations mousse, sold in supermarkets and online (shop around to get it on special) and Purr & Miaow - (70% protein, complete & grain free) biscuits from Amazon. Latter are cheaper than Scrumbles which he did eat.

He will eat Gourmet Perle gravy pouches under sufferance, and if I mash up the lumps! He wouldn't touch Applaws tins.

I’d also recommend Scrumbles.

We have two rescues and we found a lot of biscuits gave one a funny tummy. Switched to Scrumbles, alongside Felix naturally delicious, and he’s generally fine now. They also showed a lot more enthusiasm for Scrumbles than our previous offerings!!

It doesn’t deliver poos that are less stinky as promised though 😂

Harry had Meowing Heads for a while. I was so glad when he went off it, I was vile! If we ever get another furry overlord that is one food they won't be allowed!

Mine has conned all my neighbours that she is a poor starving kitten. I could probably stop feeding her.

Sorry that is not helpful I know, but OP where is the kitty tax?

2 of my cats have Amazon pate trays, 62 % meat and animal derivatives. Clean bowls every time. I get the poultry and Salmon one. The beef one was too rich for them.
Amazon Brand - Lifelong Cat Food - Paté with Poultry, 100g, Pack of 16 https://amzn.eu/d/9rJ58tB
I'm paying about £45 per month, I get 8 packs of 16 for two cats.

Other cat has Scrumbles salmon biscuits, he's a lean hunting machine so he's free fed. They also have Hi Life (also from Amazon)fish pouches for supper,
or Perfection fish pouches(complimentary)
from B&M.
I would do mixed wet and dry but my eldest cat is on a calorie controlled diet so I don't free feed him.

Luckily I bought some microchip feeders from Facebook Marketplace so I can control their intake.

Oh my goodness I ordered some tins from Feringa and they are HUGE 😂 not sure my girl will get through one before it goes off!

We use the applaws tins, they get half each once a day. It looks like pure fish mix or chicken and really fills them up. They get biscuits for their other meal.

Sainsbury's do their own grain free wet food.

I buy a sack of purizon good quality dry food from zooplus, lasts for ages.

I was getting nature's menu wet food but he has gone off this.
To be honest I get whatever wet food I can down him as he needs the moisture from it.

I don't worry as much know the dry is good quality.

Taurine is found in the offal of rodents, probably other animals too (no idea really). This is how feral cats and big cats (I'm guessing) get taurine.

I feed 50 or so cats. I give them all Butchers Classic cans. It's complete, grain free, vet recommended (by vets in our clinic), seems great at sorting out diarrhoea, and is cheap. The thing is my cats don't have the option to be fussy. I can't guarantee you won't end up in a battle of wills if you try it - but worth a go.

I've just come across some premium wet food called Mjamjam on Amazon, I'm considering ordering a few small tins to see if my cats will transition to it as there's one that's over 93 % meat and offal that I can afford. One of my cats has the occasional slightly runny poo so maybe he'll be better with higher meat content.

My Bertie was on Butchers classic pouches when we adopted him from Cats protection. He was happy on it, they initially thought he had an allergy to grains in cat good (but he didn't) we switched to higher meat content. It was really cheap in Home Bargains or The Range.

The tinned cat food comes in 400g tins but also 200g. I only buy 200g despite it being slightly more expensive that way so as not to have open tins hanging around. I am feeding two Maine coons...could see even the 200g tin would linger for one dinky cat! There are plastic can lids thing you can pick up for a pound or two off Amazon/ebay but be prepared for fussiness re fridge v room temperature too!

We use Applaws wet food and Hills Science biscuits. Cat is incredibly fussy but does like the Encore brand from Sainsburys.

Pets st Home often have deals on Applaws and vouchers on the VIP card.

@Galliano luckily I have plastic takeaway pots for just this kind of scenario! Hopefully she won't mind the temperature. In my house if you snooze you lose when it comes to the cats, so I think she'll eat it regardless!