Cat Food Advice

4nnabella

Hi everyone

I've had a quick look through some threads but thought I'd start a new one to get some advice, so apologies in advance if this may have been answered elsewhere...

I have two cats, they currently get fed a mixture of wet and dry. I tend to give them one wet pouch split between them, twice a day, and then leave them biscuits down for when ever they want to graze. I only split one pouch between them as they tend to lick the jelly off and leave the chunks if I give them a pouch each and was getting fed up of throwing food away, as if the chunks were left there too long then they wouldn't eat them.

Anyways, I usually feed them Felix or supermarket own brand pouches, depending on what is on offer, and the biscuits are normally Go Cat or similar. However, I want to improve their diet, especially as one of the two is a bit on the chubby side! So, the advice I am asking for is what are the good brands of dry food to be going for (and where to get them from for the best price!)?

I'm happy to move entirely to dry food, they don't always get have wet food, and as I leave food out for them during the day when I'm at work I'd much rather it was biscuits. I normally cut down on wet food over the summer as well due to flies etc anyway. FWIW they have a cat flap so go in and out as they please.

Thanks in advance for any tips!

murphydog999

Thanks to a thread on here I changed my cats food from felix, as I found out how bad it was, and what it contained.

If you search for 'pet food' on this forum you will probably find it, but the crux came from 2 lists 'the A - Z of dry food' and 'the A - Z of wet food' on http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-health-nutrition/112132-z-wet-food-cats.html it was a big help to me. Unfortunately she seems to like Applaws (and I don't blame her, it looks good enough to eat), which is quite expensive.

rita-rabbit

If you have boys you need to feed some wet for their urinary tracts. It's not just about your convenience - their health matters.

Methinx all the info you need is covered in other threads. I will say however that most supermarket foods is of poor quality & overpriced - check out the internet & stock up. I use Zooplus.

when I made the transition from Felix & Go-cat & bought Burns - they needed hand feeding to get them to eat it - free feeding will have to become a thing of the past & set feeding times measuring what you give them instead.

cjmumto2

I have to agree, ALL supermarket food is rubbish and false economy as they need to eat more of it as it containls mostly additives and very little pure protein.

I use Burns and have always, you will notice your cats fur get softer and eyes shine, as well as less poo. They cant have it left out all day though as they only need the smallest amount.

Zooplus seems to be the recommended site for cat food and lots of people take about Bozita. Just look for natural food ie that contains meat and rice and maybe a few vitamins not added colours flavours and grains etc.

rita-rabbit

You will find when you stop `free feeding' they will become less fussy & eat what you put down immediately. I know it's messy but you I recommend raw feeding ocassionally.

Don't forget if you have boys they MUST have some wet in their diet - not only dried. My tom nearly died last year due to blockage through crystals formed as he wasn't getting enough fluids in.

ladymarmalade

Hi, we feed ours mainly hills science plan dry food which they love. Then about twice a week we give them a tin of tuna in spring water and then if we have chicken, or fish or beef etc they get a little bit. Although they get less 'wet' food then when they were on tinned wet food when we fetched them from the people we had them from...that food was making them quite poorly, but now they are really healthy with beautiful coats.

Hope that helps

McKneff

We feed Tink half a pouch of food morning and teatime and dry food lunch at about 8pm. Dry food is last because then the wet food
is not sticking to her teeth.

We never free feed her, she would eat 24/7 if we let her lol.

MrsE_2

rita-rabbit wrote: »

If you have boys you need to feed some wet for their urinary tracts. It's not just about your convenience - their health matters..

rita-rabbit wrote: »

Don't forget if you have boys they MUST have some wet in their diet - not only dried. My tom nearly died last year due to blockage through crystals formed as he wasn't getting enough fluids in.

I don't believe that.

I believe cheap dried food isn't a good diet for cats, but all the premium diets are dried anyway.

I do believe its important they drink lots of fresh water & I have a fountain to encourage that.

I feed Royal Canin, but there are other good dried diets too.

spike7451

I have to feed Daisy a mainly wet diet as she does not drink! Period...In the year & a bit that I've been her slave,I have yet to see Daisy drink any water & believe me,I've tried every method I can think of to get her to drink.
Because of this,I tend to feed her food that I know has a lot of jelly in it.(she wont eat the stuff in Gravy)

ailuro2

I was told off by the vet for leaving Brekkies out for my cat, he said they are far too calorific to have them around for the cat to eat as and when it pleases - so weigh out what they need in a day, find a cup ir container to suit, and give them their cupful throughout the day - with plenty of water of course - you'll find they eat their wet stuff more if they're a bit hungrier too.

spike7451

ailuro2 wrote: »

I was told off by the vet for leaving Brekkies out for my cat, he said they are far too calorific to have them around for the cat to eat as and when it pleases - so weigh out what they need in a day, find a cup ir container to suit, and give them their cupful throughout the day - with plenty of water of course - you'll find they eat their wet stuff more if they're a bit hungrier too.

I don't find that with Daisy,I leave a mix of a couple of different kibble out for her & she grazes thruout the day but I find she eats more of it when I'm in bed during the night.
Had her at the V E T today for an ab shot (she's had the sniffles) & a check up & she's doing grand.