Alternative to Iams catfood

Claire_Bear

I have read a lot about Petsmart's cruelty in the US, I don't know if Pets at Home are a part of this company at all but I don't seem to be able to find any details relating specifically to [EMAIL="P@H"]P@H[/EMAIL]. Most of the cruelty was at the warehouses which supply the animals to the stores, not the actual stores themselves so although people working at the stores may be animal lovers, they might not realise what's actually happening behind the scenes. There's a link here http://www.petsmartcruelty.com/ but the content can be quite disturbing.

Like I said though, this was Petsmart, so I'd be interested in seeing any links directly relating to Pets At Home. Although it could be guessed that they use the same production methods

Sunnyday

Claire_Bear wrote: »

I have read a lot about Petsmart's cruelty in the US, I don't know if Pets at Home are a part of this company at all but I don't seem to be able to find any details relating specifically to P@H. Most of the cruelty was at the warehouses which supply the animals to the stores, not the actual stores themselves so although people working at the stores may be animal lovers, they might not realise what's actually happening behind the scenes. There's a link here http://www.petsmartcruelty.com/ but the content can be quite disturbing.

Like I said though, this was Petsmart, so I'd be interested in seeing any links directly relating to Pets At Home. Although it could be guessed that they use the same production methods

I`d be very interested in any link too, i do shop there sometimes to pick up offers.

SD

Claire_Bear

Sunnyday wrote: »

We don`t have a traditional butchers nearby any more - it closed a while back but there is a market butcher that i could ask for bits and pieces , he tends to charge for absolutely everything but as long as its pence rather than pounds thats ok


SD

Where I live there is an indoor market with loads of butchers there, I was walking around looking for some tasty bits for Pepsi and they were all really cheap. Most seemed intended for dogs like big carriers full of large bones for 30p, but things like small bags of pet mince and other offally things were pennies so shouldn't cost you a bomb to try. Or you could get a full pig's head for £3 :eek:

Fire_Fox

Sunnyday: Noah only has one joint of chicken wing a couple of times a week, but you could give one a day if you want. I feed him several times a day so just replace, say, half a pouch with half a wing.

Definitely use up what you have in stock, there is no ethical sense in waste! Tinned human tuna is not advisable for cats it's missing many nutrients, try Feline Fayre 400g tins of tuna cat food 50p from Asda, or the Pets at Home Purely in 160g tins (unless we get more info from rev_henry obviously).

CyberBob is quite correct in what he says about free-range meat BUT many of us simply don't have access to farm shops and butchers and no budget for supermarket ethical ranges. I started out wanting 100% ethical and 100% healthy cat food and have had to lower my standards.

I disagree that there is no point in making one stand when you don't make another - if everyone had to go from uber consumer to halo-wearing-vegan-recycler overnight we'd never make the switch! For most of us it's a stepwise approach with mistakes a-plenty. Most commercially made pet food is overpackaged and has a huge carbon footprint from the processing.

Cyberbob are there any online suppliers of free-range raw cat food/ wings/ offal etc. that you know of? Can it be done for 50p per day?

Sunnyday

Claire_Bear wrote: »

Where I live there is an indoor market with loads of butchers there, I was walking around looking for some tasty bits for Pepsi and they were all really cheap. Most seemed intended for dogs like big carriers full of large bones for 30p, but things like small bags of pet mince and other offally things were pennies so shouldn't cost you a bomb to try. Or you could get a full pig's head for £3 :eek:

I`ve seen the pigs heads but couldn`t bring myself to buy one :eek:
I couldn`t even read all of the thread by Weezl when she bought one to cook

Dsis has bought bits of one like cheeks etc and i may be able to cope with that but the market that sells those isn`t nearby so it wouldn`t be a regular thing.

When i get around to the dogs i may have a try at some bits.

The younger hound (around 3) has a very delicate tum and it took me a good while to find anything that she could eat, she also had struvites when we first rescued her so i am careful with her diet. The oldie is ancient and will eat many things but is a stickler for routine and was extremely badly abused in his past so when i get around to the dogs it will take an awful lot of work planning and trialling things.


I think that once i get the cat sorted out i`ll work out a plan for the houndlets.
SD

JMW77

I too am horrified by Proctor & Gamble and will read through all the replys as my cats love iams and i have several cats, so although it is expensive compared to say go cats dried food it is the best way to feed all mine as its the cleanest and cheapest i don't want messy cans ,i would have to buy loads not very money saving.

Thankyou to OP i hopefully will find something my cats will eat from the replys!

Sunnyday

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Sunnyday: Noah only has one joint of chicken wing a couple of times a week, but you could give one a day if you want. I feed him several times a day so just replace, say, half a pouch with half a wing.

Definitely use up what you have in stock, there is no ethical sense in waste! Tinned human tuna is not advisable for cats it's missing many nutrients, try Feline Fayre 400g tins of tuna cat food 50p from Asda, or the Pets at Home Purely in 160g tins (unless we get more info from rev_henry obviously).

Wow, i didn`t know about the tinned tuna! She adores it and would have your hand off for a tin but she dosen`t have it often, if i`m making sandwiches she has a bit and its not really possible to have any yourself without giving her any, she seems to have a sixth sense where this is concerned and appears at my side miawing and pawing

She likes tinned sardines too :rolleyes:

Right i must get off and prep their food for the morning as i`m up at 4 to go to the horrible place.

I`ll check back tomorrow and catch up.

Thanks everyone for some very useful information and advice.

SD

h007

just to let you know i weaned my cats off iams ocean fish and onto purina one - salmon flavour without much hassle

rev_henry

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Please elaborate and feel free to post links.

Well I can't actually find anything on the internet I'm just going on the word of someone who used to work for the one in Barrow in Furness I think it was. Tales of small rodents who weren't sold being fed to reptiles, and far too many small animals dying through overbreeding/lack of care.
I tend to be pretty skeptical about any big company that has dealings with animals. This kind of thing seems to be synonymous with large corporations tbh. As soon as they start making significant amounts of money ethics go out the window and all they see is £ signs.

I'm surprised people are only just finding out about this Iams business now, the original scandal was maybe 5 years ago! Shows how well P&G kept it covered up.

Sunnyday

There is lots of information here, i`ve been reading bits and bobs here and there, this page has links at the bottom to pet food suppliers.

http://www.uncaged.co.uk/petfood.htm

I shall read some more when i`ve a bit more free time, i`m liking the look of the trophy website. I`ve never heard of them before but am considering some food from here and also some raw food too, maybe half and half?

Does anyone have any opinions of the food from the trophy site please?

SD