What is the best brand of cat food for my cat/kitten?

Question

I've heard that some food can actually cause urinary problems and other things, i definately want to avoid this! Also is wet or dry better? or should I feed both? My kitten is 8 weeks old right now

Answer 1

I feed my kitten Iam dry food, tuna flavor. I stayed away from wet food because the dry food promoted healthy teeth and gums. My vet completely supports this decision. It is really up to you but my only advise is to not be cheap with the food. Think to yourself "if I were my animal, would I want my owner to buy the cheap stuff"?

Answer 2

A whole prey diet is the very best. Followed by ground or chunked raw meat with supplements. Followed by certain commercial canned foods. After that, you're just feeding to keep your cat alive! lol

If you want to learn more about the raw diet options, I can hook you up.

In the meantime, you can choose any or all of the foods from this list (What to feed) and learn more about cat nutrition from the other links.

I'm not a kitten specialist, but I believe I've heard that it's not necessary for them to eat "kitten" food - it's just that they need high protein levels when they're growing. I'm not completely sure about that; hopefully someone else will jump in on that.

But I do recommend feeding at least a good canned food from the get go. That way you don't raise a "kibble junkie" who gives you a hard time later on if you wish to change their diet!

As for urinary health, canned (or raw) food is best. It's true that canned foods have a high moisture contents - but that's GOOD! Ms. S summed that up pretty well. Basically, hydrated cats' urine will be less concentrated, which means you're less likely to develop problems.

Answer 3

I have always fed my cats dry food all my life. I have 5 adult males ( one is an outdoor feral that adopted us over a year ago) and they all eat dry food only ( on a 3 times a day feeding schedule). They do get Sheba wet cat food once or twice a week, if at all. I use wet food as a special 'treat'.
Same with my outdoor cat.
As far as brands go, I feed them Felidae cat and kitten formula. Its an all natural hollistic cat food, that is made from all human grade ingrediants. None of the crap like wheat and corn gluetens. Thats what ended up getting re-called!! My cats do EXCELLENT on Felidae, although its quite the $$ from the pocket. Its worth those extra bucks to keep them strong and healthy in their aging years!! ( my cats are 8,6,6,3 and the outdoor is about 2) Some other good foods are Wellness,Natural Balance ( be careful with that one though, it can upset some kitty tummies ) and Royal Cat ( i think its called ) are some good brands. Most of those can be found at Petsmart/Petco. Felidae and Wellness are more likely to be found at a specialty pet store.
Good Luck!

Answer 4

Buy a high quality food that can be used for cats and kittens.

Some of the best kinds are:
Natura Innova EVO, Wellness, Felidae, Eagle Pack Holistic Select, Holistic Blend, Orijen, Petcurean Go! Natural, Petcurean Foundations, Petcurean Summit, Natura California Natural, Natura Innova, by Nature, Nutram, Nature’s Variety

Check out their websites to see if they are available at a store near you. Look for foods with high meat content, low grains or grain-free.

Avoid foods with by-products and chemical preservatives. Don't buy cat food from the grocery store unless it comes from the organic section, otherwise you are surely getting crappy food. Buy from a pet store that sells premium food.

Canned is best, but if your cat doesn't like canned that much or you can't afford an all canned diet, feed a bit of canned and add water to it a couple times per day, put it in the fridge after 30 min though so it doesn't go bad. A can should last a few days or longer. Then leave dry food out all day.

With all the pet food recalls going on, it's good that you learn about pet nutrition. This site has a lot of great articles about the subject:

http://cats.about.com/od/catfoodandnutrition/Cat_Food_and_Nutrition.htm

Answer 5

Whatever brand you choose to buy, read the ingredient list carefully, and keep in mind that Nature made cats to eat meat, not grains. This means that you want to avoid any dry food that contains a grain (corn especially as it's just a cheap filler) as a first or second ingredient. Also avoid foods with by-products, or by-product meal. By-products aren't real meat - they are scrap "parts" that have been deemed unfit for human consumption (tendons, beaks, hides, spleens, intestines, and so on). The best brands are not found in the grocery store - you'll need to make a trip to the pet store to find healthy foods. There you will have many brands to choose from at many different price levels. For a bit more than the grocery store foods, you'll find foods with real meat and no corn, and your cat will be healthier for it. Remember that you get only what you pay for - corn is cheaper than meat, and hot dogs are cheaper than chicken.

Answer 6

Wet food is best. It's closest to what cats eat in nature. Also, cats, as desert animals, are designed to get most of their fluids from the food, so they don't have a strong thirst feeling and often don't drink enough. Cats that eat only dry food often are permanently slightly dehydrated, which, in the long run, can lead to all kinds of health problems, including kidney failure.

You want to find a food with lots of actual meat in it, and little or no grain fillers and by-products. Some good brands are Wellness, Merrick, and Blu Spa. They seem expensive at first glance, but actually in the long run they're cheaper than the "cheap" foods - your cats will need less, because there are more actual nutrients and less fillers, there will be less "output", so you'll save on litter (and the box won't smell!), and your cats' overall health is going to be better.

Here's an article on why cats need wet food
http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/canned_food.htm
and another one on how to recognize a good food from the ingredients list.
http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/tipsforchoosing.htm

Answer 7

Depends what your cat was weaned onto. Go for dry food that has the urinary health mark on the package. Don't buy cheap supermarket stuff cause it's full of colours and preservatives. Get a food that has Chicken or Beef as the first ingredience listed on the back.

Don't chose one with meat by products as they generaly don't have the right nutrients for your cat.

These are good ones that you can purchase from most pet shops and vets.
Eukanuba
IAMS
Scientific Diet

As well as dry food add a little fresh chicken cooked with no bones or some tuna everynow and then.

Canned or Wet food is 80% water so your paying mostly for water.

Answer 8

We have always used Hill's Science Diet dry food and it was recommended by our breeder as well. We don't use wet food. They tend to have ingredients that can create urinary tract problems in some cats. My boys get their "treats" each morning and night....a little scoop of Whiska Lickins or similar. Be sure to pick out the food specifically designed for kittens. All companies have a line just for kittens, usually until they are one.

Answer 9

Natural choice complete care indoor kitten dry food. wet food isn't necesary. and most all of the food recalls lately have been wet food so I wouldn't chance it with the wet food.

Answer 10

when my cat was a kitten i give her allways Whiskers, thats the best food.