The hunt for tasty non-smelly food

[Cherryana]

I recently got a kitten. He is already my love!!

Here is my kitten food reviews so far:

1. Iams kitten food - started here because it was what he was eating. I was shocked at the terrible smell. Terrible.
2. Scrumbles kitten food - in a can, which I like for ease of recycling. Looked more like food than Iams. Kitten didn’t like it.
3. Blink Kitten food - so now we are getting somewhere. This is more like food. Mostly not smelly but it is still cat food and looks good. Kitten preferred the jelly ones to gravy ones. They do I £1 trial box deal and then it’s a subscription. Website was really easy to use. Love the branding. They offer a recycling scheme where you wash them out and post them back. I was going to go for this because those plastic pouches bother me. However…
4. Untamed. Has the same recipe percentages as blink. But it comes in a can. So much easier to recycle as can just go in my recycling. I have only just opened the first can of this food. So maybe I am being presumptuous but it was hands down the best smelling and looking cat food. It smelt like food. It looked like real chicken.

So - Untamed wins the best non-smelly-real-food-cat-food-award from me.

Am I missing out on trying any others before subscribing to this company?

Any recommendations?

TIA - if you got this far!!

Webox naturals isn't too bad.

Personally I wouldn't subscribe to anything with a cat as once you do, they're guaranteed to hate it forever 😂

Meowing heads.

Yup.

Cats like smelly food. Honestly the smellier it is, the more they like it.

I feed mine Canagan. It does smell like real food but OMG it does smell. Thankfully they eat it v quickly so the smell doesn't linger but I am yet to persuade them to brush their teeth and if they want a cuddle straight after dinner the whiff of herring breath is quite something.

These answers are so funny!!

You are right I am probably subscribing to cat food doom!

Talking of smelly food - I have it on good authority (cats protection) that a cats all time favourite is pilchards. 80p a can and very very smelly. Cat nectar!!

One of mine likes Mjamjam. I get it from Amazon. It would be very economic if you had lots of cats as you can get it in huge tins. Sadly my two small cats don’t eat much so I get the small tins. It does smell quite meaty but I don’t think it’s bad. Both girls like the chunks in gravy and the smooth chicken from The Cool Cat Club - you can get a trial pack and the both like Blink but dh doesn’t like the way it’s runny so it’s limited here. You can also buy Blink in Pets at Home.

My cats love Untamed. I alternate it with Purina One so they don't get bored.

Untamed is great, Lilys Kitchen is similar, my cat gets a rotation of their shredded fillets.

If you can't stand the smell don't try Meowing Heads. Mine loves it but it stinks out the whole house!

If you're using tinned fish as a treat make sure they're only in water, not brine or oil.

DP kitten only eats ham and chicken and the odd bit of a dry food that I can stand the smell of. I didn’t want a cat I don’t like them and I have ASD and detest strong smells so I am in charge of the food ! He got one anyway and the dc fell in love with it . I’m terrified of her as she pounces with claws out of we walk past. When he goes to work I have to just put her in the dining room or conservatory with a litter tray and some food as I’m so scared. The smelly food made me feel nauseous some of it was horrible

Kittens need a proper balanced diet that meets their needs, not ham and chicken.

Mine will only eat Sheba wet food and raw chicken
I want him to eat good quality wet food, he wants to eat junk
We have compromised on good quality dry and he eats one pouch of wet food begrudgingly while glaring at me. I give him bits of raw chicken if I'm cooking it as additional wet food

Exactly. It sounds as though someone who's unable to feed a kitten appropriately shouldn't be in charge of the food.

I feed my cats raw food. Hardly smells at all. They do occasionally get sardines too, they reek!!

That diet could potentially kill a kitten

The pouncing is what kittens do. She needs stimulation and play. ETA not only are her dietary needs not being met, she's being shut away for long periods.

What is ok then ? Plain chicken breast chopped up? Can cats have chicken and rice like dogs ? What regular non smelling food is ok . I saw tinned fish mentioned above - I can tolerate the smell of tuna so the one in water is safe ?

Kittens need to be fed on food with the correct balance of vitamins and minerals, not some home made diet for the sensibilities of the owner. And shutting her away on her own as you're doing is cruel.

DP and dc play with her loads I just can’t cope with the claws and the pouncing and climbing up me I’m terrified. As I said I didn’t want a kitten but DP went ahead as BIL cat had kittens I did say it had to be a joint decision and it very much wasn’t. I’m trying my best but it’s left to me as I’m the one at home daily and it wasn’t what I wanted .

I’ve asked DP to rehome but it’s a firm no and now there’s the added emotional blackmail aspect of how much the dc will hate me for it if I insist.

It doesn't sound as though a kitten should have been introduced into your household at all.

It’s not just a case of ‘I don’t like certain smells’ it’s a full blown sensory hell that makes me nauseous and vomit.

I totally agree

Dry food?

My cat seems to hate all wet food so we just give her Iams and make sure she drinks enough water. They don’t absolutely need wet food.

One of my friend's cats, who's now 4, steadfastly refused all wet food and existed on dried food and chicken, until he tried Untamed. He'll eat that.