Really confused with the different cat food out there..?

Question

I have a 3 month old kitten. I have been switching around products out of peoples knowledge and experiences with them but now i'm totally lost coz in our stores there ain't much variety for cats.

Grocery stores: Purina, Whiskas, katkite (I think thats what its called right?), mjau

Pet store: Science hill, Iams, Eukanuba, Royal Canin.

Thats about it unless I missed some... I have fed it Whiskas (dry), but he had stomach problems. Also tried Purina and mjau kitten food, had no problems there. But switched to Science Hill after people saying grocery store food ain't good.

Now I read science hill ain't all that either! Is there nothing thats good for the cat?

Right now he eats Science hill (dry food) for kittens. That he gets during the day and Whiskas wet food in the evenings.

I have heard wet food is good for the cat but unfortunately there isn't much here for kittens.

Btw, I'm a vegetarian so me making his own food is not an option..

I stay in sweden and sometimes hard to find food for myself:)

I've checked out 2 pet stores near by. They have the same products. I can check online...

My cat is really nice, he eats whatever I feed him, all I want is him to be healthy.

Answer 1

EDIT: I didn't know you lived in Sweden. I'm not sure what is out there for cat food. Just buy the best that you can find and afford. Read below about what to avoid in cat food.

I currently feed Merrick Gourmet Canned Cat Food (all varieties) as her main meal and supplement with Nature's Variety Instinct Dry Cat Food.

When she was a kitten I feed Wellness Kitten Health Dry Food and Wellness Canned Kitten Food (she didn't like the canned) I switched to the Merrick canned food and she loves it.

Here's a list of quality cat food and the website, click on store locator to see if its available near you:
Wellness
http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/wellness/cat_index.html
Merrick
http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
Nature's Variety Instinct
http://www.naturesvariety.com/
Innova
http://www.naturapet.com/

WHAT TO AVOID
* Words such as "By-products," "meat and/or bone meal," "animal digest," most other descriptions including "digest" or "meal," and added sugars.
* Chemical preservatives, including BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, and propyl gallate
* Corn meal as a filler and other grains
* Excess of carbohydrate "fillers" (Dry food can contain as much as 50 percent grain)

Cats are Obligate Carnivores, and cannot thrive on vegetarian diets, although most vegetables can be added to cats' diets, either by the manufacturer or the consumer.

Pet food manufacturers cannot print "complete and balanced" on their labels unless one of the following criteria is met:

The food must pass feeding tests for the life stage recommended on the label
The composition of the food must meet or exceed nutrient levels established by AAFCO
Preservatives, at the level included in commercial pet foods, have never been scientifically demonstrated to cause any problems in pets (or people) at less than 100 times the levels found in such foods. On the other hand, the current trend for many cat food manufacturers is toward using natural preservatives, such as vitamins C and E.

Answer 2

I have a 7 week old kitten and a 14 year old cat with a glowing health report. I feed the older cat Purina One dry food, and Fancy Feast canned food. The kitten just started weaning off of her bottle (abandoned rescue), and I'm feeding her Pro Plan Kitten Food in the can. I had to order it from PetSmart online. She seems to like it and all of the stomach upset she had went away, so that's what we're going with. I will always keep my pets on Purina. I've used it for years and have had much success with it. Besides...the products I use didn't end up on the contaminated recall list from China that caused so many pets to die. That in itself is a big reason for me.

PS- Don't waste your money on Hill's Science Diet....I've never had a pet that would eat it...dog or cat.

Answer 3

It's really up to you and your kitten which food best suits her. There are wet foods specifically for kittens that don't have large lumps and are easily digestible, or you can find a brand of wet food that she likes. Dry food or biscuits could be offered regularly because they help keep cats teeth clean, but you must ensure clean water is available always. The answers you read contained different opinions and preferences, so long as your kitten is happy and healthy feed her what you choose.

Answer 4

Many people who do not eat meat themselves feed their cats a raw meat diet.

Have your really checked out all your pet stores for quality food for the kitten? You should be able to find things like Natural Balance or Wellness somewhere. You can find many quality foods from Pet Food Express. Shipping charges can add a lot to the cost of the food and it is still worth it from the standpoint of the kitten.

Hill's is a really trashy, high-priced food. You can do much better than that for the same price. You are wise to use a canned food with a little male cat. People don't seem to know that "penny-wise is pound foolish" and they can avoid a lot of unnecessary veterinary expense down the line with better cat food.

Answer 5

I feel your pain. But there IS good food out there. And you don't have to buy "kitten" food either.

Sorry to throw another loop at you! But it's true. "Kitten" food is little more than marketing hype. So long as you buy GOOD quality food, your kitty will be fine.

See the What to feed link. All will link you to their sites so you can use the store locators to find where it's sold in your area. If that doesn't work out, you can go to www.petfooddirect.com to order online. Or I'm sure there are other sources where you could order these foods.

Both Wellness and Evo are good canned foods for kittens and ones that either make kitten food (to make you feel better) or are certified "for all life stages."

I'm also going to link you to my blog so you can read more on these topics, if you wish.

Answer 6

I feed my cats Nutro and they love it. The pieces are bigger so they eat less and there has been a noticable difference in their coats (much shinier) and also in their energy level (more active). I also feed them wet food as a special treat, but only 2 or 3 times a week and all 4 cats split one 5oz. can.

My sister switched her cats to Nutro after noticing the difference in mine and they are doing well on it also...

Answer 7

I feed my cats kitten chow from purina (well, now cat chow, because they arent kittens anymore...) There are alot of different and conflicting opinions about cat food out there. I personally dont feed my cats wet food because i am afraid about them gaining weight, since they are indoor cats. I avoid meow mix like the plauge. (they wont eat it anyway)

I dont know if my way is the "best" way, but my cats are perfectly healthy.

Answer 8

I never could get a cat to eat Science Diet or Iams.

But I have fed my present kitties Purina Kitten chow and haven't had any trouble with them, and now they're on an adult formula, one that's supposed to help control hairballs.

Answer 9

Whiskars i stay well away from, i got 3 cats and i nevr feed them it, its to rich and full of e-numbers.
Science hill as got a quite good rep.
Wet food is better than fried food when a kitten as is easliy digestable and unlike dried food, dont contain so much salt.( start dried food when its a bit older.) Even tho you are a vegetarian, cooking some boneless fish for your kitten wont hurt him.
Its what he like and is happy with that matters. If you keep changing his brand of food, its going to upset his tummy.
I dont give my boys red meat, i stick to white meat, i.e. rabbit turkey, fish and chicken. they less likey to go down with tummy upset unlike with red meats. You can try as well some boiled rice, some cats do enjoy it.

Answer 10

confused cat food