Do you have any suggestions for healthier cat/kitten food?

Question

I have two cats that eat out of one anothers bowls so I need to feed them the same cat food. One is a kitten (9 mos) and the other is an adult cat (6 years). I am currently feeding them Purina Kitten Chow & it's giving both cats VERY loose stools that have a horrendous odor. It gives the kitten horrible, horrible gas. Yes, it's funny to read but not when you have to live with it. Any suggestions on a good healthy cat food that they both can eat that might help the dirreaha/odor problems? Please don't suggest Iams, I refuse to buy from a pet food company that mistreats their animals they use for testing their food products.

Thanks for any suggestions you have!!

Answer 1

WOW, I just get blown away when I read the answers to questions like this. I CANNOT believe that people are still being victims in the commericial pet food world and believe that foods like Iams, Science Diet, Purina, Nutro, Eukanuba, and so on are good for their pets.

Puppyluvtwo, I'm disappointed. Here you are a VET and you promote Iams and Eukanuba products. HAVE YOU ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THE INGREDIENTS?? I can't say one way or the other whether Iams is guilty of animal cruelty but I can say they are guilty of making a horrible, cheap, low quality food. Did you know that your university nutrition courses were probably funded by either Iams or Science Diet. Two companies that produce some of the lowest quality foods on the market. Why have more vets not realized that the times have changed and that there are companies producing much better foods now.

Here are the ingredients of a typical Iams cat food for an Adult cat:

Chicken (this is okay but because it does not say "meal" it means that it is 70% water, when cooked you will actually have very little meat left)
Chicken By-Product Meal (horrible, this is the beaks, feather, organs, of diseased or dead chickens that were deemed unfit for human consumption)
Corn Grits (cats CANNOT digest corn so this is a cheap filler that has NO nutritional value)
Corn Meal (same as the above)
Chicken Fat (this is okay but really doesn't add a whole lot of nutrition)
Fish Meal (why won't the company list the type of fish....what is it hiding)
Dried Beet Pulp (this is a low grade filler that shouldn't be in pet foods)
Natural Chicken Flavor (just a flavouring, no nutritional value)
Dried Egg Product (egg shells and undeveloped eggs that were not fit for human consumption)
Salt (should NEVER be in pet foods)

Iams has NO nutritional value and is filled with cheap fillers so the company can make a huge profit.

NOW,

look at the ingredients in INNOVA which is probably the world's healthiest pet food. You WON'T ever find a vet food that even comes close to being this good:

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

SEE, no fillers, no by-products, just whole, fresh, human grade ingredients.

You cannot trust the majority of vets when it comes to foods as they are biased in their opinion. They are taught that Iams and Science Diet are the best and only those that actually take the time to a little research find out that they have been misled.

Someone like myself has taken numerous nutrition courses (for health professionals) and have spent years researching various foods and the companies. I have yet to find any that stand up to Natura (makers of Innova, Karma) in its quality and integrity as a company.

I hope that you are someone that will realize that pet nutrition is more than "what is the most popular brand" and take some time to find out what REALLY goes into pet foods. there are some great foods out there, you just need to find them.

Good luck.

Answer 2

All of my foster kittens are fed Innova's EVO (canned and dry) and they thrive! It is grainless, has no by-products, no glutens, no chemicals. It is packed with the nutrition that growing kittens need, and you don't have to make a switch to the adult food. Kitten food is really a marketing gimmick, and a premium food will have all the nutrition that they really need. Wellness Core followed by the Wellness canned would be my second choice, as it's also grain free. I use the EVO as my cats prefer it over the Core. The benefits are many - better health, less stink in the litter box (no grain which cats don't digest anyway), the high protein content means beautiful glossy fur. And you have the added bonus of actually paying for food that your cat can digest - why pay good money for Iams when you're really paying for a big bag of corn and by-products, and funding clever advertising campaigns? For anyone who doesn't believe that kittens can thrive on a food that's not "special kitten food" I challenge you to pick up a bag of EVO and read the nutrition content, then compare it to a bag of kitten food. You will be surprised. Amazing what we find out when we take the time to read the labels.

Answer 3

I use Nutro and think it's the best food I've ever fed. They make canned and dry foods for kittens and adults, and they have a new holistic line of food. Any changes in diet should be made slowly to avoid diarrhea - gradually mix more new food in with what you've been using until they're switched over. http://www.nutroproducts.com/

Canidae is another great, all-natural, no by-product food. My friends use this and love it.
http://www.canidae.com

I don't feed IAMS because of the by-products in it. But I think the recent claims against them may be bull. Go to their website and see the companies and organizations that have come to their defense. I used to work for CCI as a service dog trainer and if CCI officials inspected the IAMS kennels and said everything is fine - I believe them.

Most, if not ALL, dog food companies have kennels where they test their dog foods. Better to test it there than on YOUR pet, right? I don't know whether the rumors and websites claiming this are true or not. Check out and decide for yourself:
http://www.iamstruth.com/

If you believe the claims are true, write IAMS a letter and explain why you're not buying their product. If people vote with their $$, companies will quickly change their ways. Some people have said that PETA is responsible for the anti-IAMS campaign - they are notorious for attacking their detractors or people who won’t support their radical agenda. They don’t believe that anyone should own pets at all – even if they’re loved and well-cared for.

Answer 4

I would recommend Science Diet. They have a version for kittens and a bunch of different ones for adult cats. My kitten tends to eat the adult food and my adult cat eats the kitten food but neither have loose stools or gas. It is a lot more expensive than Purina but sounds like your cats aren't digesting it very well. Definitely time to switch!!!! You'll have to mix the two foods together until they get used to it but you should start seeing a difference within the first day. Good luck!!!

Answer 5

Well we have fed our kitten regulaur cat food since he was a few month old and he is a year old now. We stopped feeding the purina kitten chow because it gave our kitten loose stools like the problem your having and it was making the adults fat. I dont even know the brand we feed now

Answer 6

Slowly mix and switch them to a young adult cat food the kitten is old enough to have a young adult cat food and the adult is way to old for kitten food!

Answer 7

Holistic food maybe at least you know its all healthy stuff. I also wouldnt have my older cat on a kitten food she needs the nutrients of an adult food to keep her healthy

Answer 8

Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul
One of the highest quality cat food available and not very expensive.
No by products and no corn.
Fresh meat and good veggies and such in it.
Check out www.chickensoupfortheloverssoul.com
They have great foods and I have used them for years.
My pets look great and are in great health.

Answer 9

Here are the best brands, all are high quality and I have had several vets recommend them to me: Neutro Max or Neutro Complete Care, or Science Diet (I prefer neutro because it is cheaper)

Answer 10

Feed it a good food like Science Diet (cheap cat foods make their litterbox smell). Also, they will be healthier and have shiny coats.
**GOOD LUCK**