Is expensive cat food healthier for cats or are you just paying more for the name?

Question

I got my cat neutered at a low cost clinic and the vet there told me that any dry food is fine as long as you stay away from generic. My regular vet later told me that science diet or iams is better than the Friskies that I feed my cats but he didn't say why.

Answer 1

Please DON'T listen to vets advice about food. They are paid huge amounts of money to recommend certain brands of food, which they do. Brand like Iams and Science diet are horrible, they are just as bad as the cheap garbage that you can buy at the grocery store like Friskies, Whiskas, Meow Mix, etc.

Here are the ingredients of Friskies, Science Diet and Iams. Not ONE of them is a good food.

Friskies (Dry Poultry flavour):
Ground yellow corn (Should NOT be in pet foods, low quality filler with no nutritional value)
corn gluten meal (Should NOT be in pet foods)
chicken by-product meal (this is the feet, beaks, feathers, organs, of dead or diseased animals, not fit for human consumption)
meat and bone meal (this could be anything, euthanized cats and dogs, horses, porcupine, skunk, cows, sheep, etc.)
animal fat (could be any type of fat)
corn germ meal (should NOT be in pet foods)
soybean meal (Should not be in pet foods)
turkey by-product meal (feet, feathers, beaks, organs of turkey)
animal digest (the stomach contents of an unidentified animal)
salt (should NOT be in pet foods)
dried chicken liver (should not be in pet foods)

Science Diet (Adult):
Chicken By-Product Meal (same as above)
Ground Whole Grain Corn (should not be in pet foods)
Brewers Rice (cheap fraction of rice, not as good as whole rice)
Pork Fat (cats can't digest pork so this is a filler)
Corn Gluten Meal (same as above)
Chicken Liver Flavor (just a flavour, no nutrition)
Iodized Salt (Should not be in foods)

Science Diet (VET prescription)
Rice Protein Concentrate (Should use the whole rice, and MEAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE FIRST INGREDIENT)
Brewers Rice (rice fraction)
Hydrolyzed Chicken Liver (should not be in pet foods)
Soybean Oil (should use sunflower or flax oil)
preserved with BHA (this is a CANCER CAUSING CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVE)
Powdered Cellulose (this is just a starch, no nutritional value)
Hydrolyzed Chicken (chicken should be fresh not hydrolyzed and because it is so far down the list there really isn't much of it in the food)

Iams (Adult Chicken)
Chicken (okay but should be chicken meal and chicken)
Chicken By-Product Meal (same as above, bad)
Corn Grits (should not be in pet foods)
Corn Meal (should not be in pet foods)
Chicken Fat (okay)
Fish Meal (doesn't state the type of fish)
Dried Beet Pulp (cheap filler that cats can't digest)
Natural Chicken Flavor (just flavour, no nutrition)
Dried Egg Product (egg shells and eggs not fit for human consumption)

Okay, so, there are four foods that NOT ONE of them actually has a good source of protein for your cats. They ALL have by-products which are the disgusting leftovers that are not fit for human consumption.

WORST of all is that the Science Diet formula that is vet prescribed is the ONLY ONE with BHA which is a cancer causing chemical preservative! People wonder why individuals like myself try to deter people from going to their vets for nutritional advice, well this is why. Vets are STILL prescribing foods that are KILLING our pets! It is disgraceful.

So, if you actually want a food that is 100% better then these foods and really doesn't cost any more look for foods like Innova, Wellness, Felidae, Eagle Pack Holistic.

Look at the ingredients of INNOVA...the HEALTHIEST pet food on the market (www.naturapet.com). The ingredients are ALL whole, fresh, and human grade:

Turkey
Chicken Meal
Chicken
Potatoes
Egg
Ground Barley
Chicken Fat
Rice
Herring
Sunflower Oil
Apples
Carrots
Whole Pasteurized Milk
Fish Oil
Taurine
Alfalfa Sprouts
Vitamins/Minerals
Viable Naturally Occurring Microorganisms

This food is amazing. And the cats that are fed it live longer, their coats are shinier, they have more enegry. If you really care about your cats health then you HAVE to stay away from the mass market foods like Iams, Science Diet, Purina, Pedigree, Whiskas, Friskies, Royal Canin, etc. These foods are all cheap and contain horrible ingredients.

Our pets are like us. A good diet and exercise will keep them healthy and happy....and away from the vet.

Answer 2

Keep in mind common sense when you look at lables for pet food. Cat are carnivores, so take a look at the back of your bag of friskies and what do you see? Corn, as a first ingredient? ? Maybe some mysterious meat or poultry meal? Flavorings? Soy? Wheat? Rice?

The cat is not a vegetarian. So why are we feeding our cats like they are?

You still need to check on the premium brands - you want plain old 'chicken' or other meat as the primary ingredient. Not chicken meal, etc. It's pretty impossible to find a DRY food that doesn't have grains or other plants in it. However there are many wet foods that are only meat.

A good brand of both dry and wet that won't break the bank is PetSmart's 'Authority' brand.

Answer 3

I did some research about cat foods, because I am a cat lover, I have 4 indoor cats, as well as, I care for a feral colony consisting of 7 cats outside. I was fortunate enough to get the adult ferals into a low cost clinic for spaying & neutering too, which really helps, so I commend you for doing the right thing!!

Allot of cat foods consist of actual finely grounded up paper, for one...... Other things you should look for that can be harmful is the either the BHA or BHT, I found that its an ingredient compareable to anti-freeze!!

I have found that yes, Iams & Science diet can be more expensive, but, at the same time, it basically lasts as long as the cheaper stuff because once cats are either spayed or neutered, they are no longer hormonal driven, thus having less of an appetite!

Answer 4

Unfortunately No. The best foods contain no corn, byproducts, wheat gluten or soy. Since cats are obligate carnivores they need to eat MEAT not corn and fillers. Cats get most of their water from their food since they are not big water drinkers. Dry food only diets do not give a cat the adequate hydration and therefore canned food really is the best option. A good mixture of canned and dry is ideal. Some high quality brands are. Innova Evo, Wellness Core, Blue Buffalo, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul, Weruva, Natural Balance, Halo and there are many more.

Answer 5

Science diet is not any bettertahn Friskies.
Read the label on the bag and see what is in the food.
Both have corn as a main ingredient. Corn is a cheap filler and does not really have a place in a cats diet.
I feed a food that has no corn wheat sor and no by-products and only natural preservatives.
It is worth what I pay for it as I read the ingredients it lists meat as the top four things in it.
Science Diet is an expensive food but made cheaply.

Answer 6

The more expensive brands do not contain fillers or appetite stimulants, as do Friskies and other national brands. If your cat is prone to certain behaviors, like gorging (yeah, they do that, that's why I know about this stuff), it won't happen with the science diet. Another reason you would want the good stuff is because of the fiber type and content and the calcium/acid balance. Cats are prone to urinary tract problems that are almost eliminated by giving them better stuff.

My other cat had a strange eating behaviour of chewing plastic bags and licking photographs, and even eating Ben-Gay! A lot of that stopped when she started the Hill's, on the advice of the vet.

Answer 7

My cat has a horribly sensitive stomach, she can't digest pretty much anything properly. But our vet put her on Science Diet Feline ID (which can only be purchased through a vet) because it's the most delicate food for cats, meaning lowest in fat. It's very expensive though. We've since been able to move her up to Science Diet Sensitive Stomach, still lower in fat but without the vet cost. The bottom line is the brand names like Science Diet are better because they are higher in protien (or in my kitty's case lower in fat). They also are wonderful for their coats. I have no problems with hair balls, my cats both have wonderful coats. It stinks paying that much, my sister buys the Friskies for like a third of what I'm paying, but my cats are healthier for it.

Answer 8

Just read the ingredients. Make sure some sort of meat or fish is the number 1 ingredient. You don't want to feed them a food that is mostly flour or something. They won't get enough nutrients. I just compared the different brands offered in the store I shop at. I feed my dog beneful healthy weight because he seems to gain weight easily. Do NOT buy Iams. They test on animals. Science diet is good but expensive. I don't see any problem with Friskies. Your vet was probably just trying to make a sale.

Answer 9

First of all, more and more vets are recommending at least a combination of dry and wet for the cats' diet. Male cats are particularly prone to getting crystals in their urine and having blockages which can be fatal within 48 hours if not treated.

You should read "Foods Pets Die For" by Ann Martin. It just is too long to type the rationale and commercialism surrounding the production, manufacture and advertising that goes into pet foods.
One thing is you must learn to read the ingredient list on the bags.
All inexpensive foods have corn or a corn by-product as second and third ingredients. This means that the food may be as much as 2/3 corn. The corn in your $4.00 box of corn flakes costs about 14 cents. There are eight "grades" of corn and if you think you are getting one of the top grades in your cat's food, think again. Remember how the tobacco companies went for thirty years telling us that smoking was not harmful!

Cats came into human lives because of the rodents that were attracted to our grain fields. They did not go for the CORN. Cats are obligate carnivores, that is different from dogs and humans.
Cats need a minimum of 40 to 60% meat in their diets. Corn is fed to animals that are fattened up for slaughter and who have life spans of under two years.

So kitty may be fine on the corn for a few years of her life. The results of poor diet will come along in due time. We as humans have been bombarded with information about this. Later in life kitty will be overweight, get diabetes, hyperthyroidism, have urinary blockages, maybe even cancer. All this at great expense at the vet's and a lot of time and trouble on your part, suffering on kitty's part, and even the heartbreak of losing a beloved pet.

We all need to "save" money in these times. Please do get your toilet paper, cleaning products and whatnot at bargain prices. You are not saving any money by buying cheap food for your cat (or your dog). We all buy steak when it is on sale and it is still wholesome food that is good for us nutritionally.

Realise that the quality of kitty's food is just as important as the quality of what you eat and feed to your families.

Answer 10

I feed my cat Meow Mix that has hairball remedy in it. She eats this just fine. I also give her about a teaspoon 3 times a day of can food. Has oil for their skin and coat. I buy both the dry and canned at Walmart. The can food is called Special Kitty. You get 4 cans for 88cents. I buy 3 different flavors and rotate them after 1 gets empty. My Cat is very healthy and not over weight!!!

Answer 11

In the case of generic food, you literally get what you pay for.

Now, I never could get a cat to eat Iams. As long as your cat is eating, and is healthy and happy, then Friskies is fine.