cat food

katiewhompus

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-food?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:6dba5ef5-f545-4d43-98dc-dde1b1fbf8b9Post:8aac8a5a-f01b-4ca6-97d8-5a0958305d43">Re: cat food</a>:
[QUOTE]gah. $10-$15/mo for food? Maybe I should have gotten a cat.  We drop like $75/mo on our dogs.
Posted by Steph0871[/QUOTE]

Our dog will be the financial death of me. Demon (cat) costs maybe $10 a month on food. We easily spend $150-$200 on Katie (the dog) per month between her food and her meds.

number55

Nebb, this is the one Steph linked on my facebook page I believe.  

LINK

raynes

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-food?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:6dba5ef5-f545-4d43-98dc-dde1b1fbf8b9Post:206cb837-c166-4937-9695-5626ce4b5c0c">Re: cat food</a>:
[QUOTE]Wet food is fine for cats, it's actually a good idea to offer both (controlled portions though of course).  Dry food has a lot of carbs/grain in it because it helps to bake the kibble, and since their diet in the wild is primarily protein, their bodies don't process it as well.  When cats come to my work that need to lose weight, a lot of times we will suggest switching to mostly canned food because of the high water content and protein--keeps them fuller, longer.  We have a handful or so of clients who had cats that regurgitated on a regular basis--they switched to grain free canned and it either stopped or decreased in frequency. ETA: the only thing that actually rots their teeth is bacteria that causes plaque and tartar buildup.  Then it causes gingivitis which causes bone loss, which then causes the teeth to rot and or fall out.  To answer OP's question though, I feed my cat Science Diet Oral Care dry (the kibble is about the size of a marble and is made to not shatter when they bite into it) plus some canned, usually nutromax (she loves it!).  I think the cans are .79 each and the dry food is about $23/8lb bag.
Posted by jujub423[/QUOTE]

This is all very interesting.  We used to feed our cats the Oral Care stuff, but switched over to the (only slightly) less expensive Indoor formula.  Maybe I should try wet again for a bit to help slim down the porker.

Also, numbers, thanks for posting that link.  Looks like I might have to give Science Diet the boot when this bag is gone!

number55

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-food?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:6dba5ef5-f545-4d43-98dc-dde1b1fbf8b9Post:049e2cb0-db42-41ff-b9d6-54fec4b0a1ac">Re: cat food</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: cat food : This is all very interesting.  We used to feed our cats the Oral Care stuff, but switched over to the (only slightly) less expensive Indoor formula.  Maybe I should try wet again for a bit to help slim down the porker. Also, numbers, thanks for posting that link.  <strong>Looks like I might have to give Science Diet the boot when this bag is gone!</strong>
Posted by raynes[/QUOTE]

<div>We got Science Diet at the shelter when we first got Kiwi.  And then I happened to post on FB how she ate NONSTOP.  Brie (as in briefit) and Steph and another friend of mine who has cats responded to my status and explained how the cheaper stuff is full of grains and kinda does what grains/carbs do to us...not healthy/satiating.  So we took the plunge and got better stuff.  I figure we feed ourselves fairly well, the cats should eat well too. Of course, this means we can't buy the stuff in the grocery store. Everytime I look at those prices I want to cry a little bit. </div><div>
</div><div>In general I found the stuff on the link really interesting. DH and I have experimented a bit with other brands (reading a lot of ingredients) but have settled on Wellness pretty much. </div>

raynes

Yeah, it totally makes sense.  When we first got Meka we fed her Prescprition Diet (the "fancier" Science Diet) Oral Care stuff, then switched to Science Diet, thinking it was good.  Bletch, I wish I'd looked into it earlier.

Where do you buy the Wellness Core stuff?

number55

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-food?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:6dba5ef5-f545-4d43-98dc-dde1b1fbf8b9Post:910eeb94-26b2-423f-9580-f25a048a9218">Re: cat food</a>:
[QUOTE]Yeah, it totally makes sense.  When we first got Meka we fed her Prescprition Diet (the "fancier" Science Diet) Oral Care stuff, then switched to Science Diet, thinking it was good.  Bletch, I wish I'd looked into it earlier. <strong>Where do you buy the Wellness Core stuff?</strong>
Posted by raynes[/QUOTE]

<div>Pet Valu. Pet Smart carries some other Wellness stuff (all the wet and their regular line) but the Wellness Core dryfood we have found at Pet Valu.  </div>

raynes

Sweet, there's one of those just down the street from my house/pretty much right beside where I drop off my car-pool partner!

aggiebug

Science Diet isn't a bad food. Actually it is a good food, that is balanced and is tested to the highest AAFCO standards unlike any of the "high end" pet foods which only meet minimum requirements.

And a lot of the "high end" food are not as great as they seem or the pet food ratings site makes them seem.

High protein does not equal a better diet.  Once an animal meets their protein requirements they pee out the rest.  Literally pee out the most expensive part of the food they eat. 

Don't get me wrong. I know a lot of animals that do well on "high end" diets and that is great, but I just dislike seeing all the bashing of perfectly good high quality dog foods. 

EmilyTork

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-food?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:6dba5ef5-f545-4d43-98dc-dde1b1fbf8b9Post:c8db9ca4-1cc2-47e2-bedf-710d04857255">Re: cat food</a>:
[QUOTE]Aside from the fact that Samson has to have special kidney food most of the time, the "normal" food we feed is Chicken Soup for the Catlover's Soul. We buy it on Amazon (free shipping with Prime) and it's about $30 for 18 pounds. It's one of the cheapest high quality foods on the market, I think. And the cats love it. Here's a list of cat food ratings if you want to measure quality and price: <a href="http://www.petfoodratings.net/cattable.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.petfoodratings.net/cattable.html</a> The food I feed is 5 stars, which is the same as Orijen, Wellness Core, Innova, etc, but all those other ones are much more expensive. Chicken Soup for the Catlovers Soul does contain grain, which some people don't want, but it's good quality (not brewer's yeast or any of that stuff).
Posted by msmerymac[/QUOTE]

<div>I use the dog food analysis for my boxer and we feed her Taste of the Wild. When my cat was still alive, he got IAMS. But I will never feed a low quality food again. Once you look at the ingredients on SD, IAMS, Purina or anything of the like, you will realize why they are called "low quality." </div>

EmilyTork

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-food?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:6dba5ef5-f545-4d43-98dc-dde1b1fbf8b9Post:28c70f2d-5ab0-48fb-96b3-daf0c44e43aa">Re: cat food</a>:
[QUOTE]Science Diet isn't a bad food. Actually it is a good food, that is balanced and is tested to the highest AAFCO standards unlike any of the "high end" pet foods which only meet minimum requirements. And a lot of the "high end" food are not as great as they seem or the pet food ratings site makes them seem. High protein does not equal a better diet.  Once an animal meets their protein requirements they pee out the rest.  Literally pee out the most expensive part of the food they eat.  Don't get me wrong. I know a lot of animals that do well on "high end" diets and that is great, but I just dislike seeing all the bashing of perfectly good high quality dog foods. 
Posted by aggiebug[/QUOTE]

<div>Science Diet isn't a "bad" food. Just lower quality. And I don't disagree that it meets all reqired standards. But it is full of fillers. Can you even pronounce half of the ingredients on the package? Animals do <strong>fine</strong> on SD, but one really sees the difference when their pet is switched to something of higher quality. It's like, if someone grows up on McD's, they will survive. But if they were to start eating whole foods (veggies, lean meats, whole grains) they will thrive. </div><div>
</div><div>Each person it entitled to feed their pet whatever they want, but I choose to feed my dog some of the best (in comparison she probably eats better than I do)</div>

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Ditto Emily. SD isn't bad, but it's pushed (by Vets who are paid by SD reps, like doctors who are paid by pharma reps) as "the best." And it's really only a moderately good food. I'd rather my pets eat real meat and veggies than brewer's yeast (a by-product of the beer industry - so basically a carbohydrate with no nutritional value) or discarded fat.

I fed Eukanuba before I knew better, but when I switched to Chicken Soup my cats LOVED it. I tried combining the food to switch them slowly, and they would eat around the Eukanuba to get to the new stuff. And their fur is so much softer now, and their digestive systems are doing better. There's actually less waste product if you're feeding your pets things with less filler - they also eat less, because their bodies process the food better.

+HeatherW

Our Venus gets meow mix indoor cat formula ($20 for big bag) and whiskas wet cat food. (about .57 / can)

aggiebug

My biggest issue is that there are a lot of minomers out their about pet nutrition.  Companies have attacked the established brand casting them as poor quality food which is flat out wrong.  They are HIGH quality foods.  With decades of research backing their formulations.  And they meet HIGHER  AAFCO standards than any of the dog food you consider to be of higher quality.

Filler isn't a bad thing.  Yes it bulks up their stool but that can actually be a good thing.  "fillers" are fiber which promote the growth of normal flora in the food.  Hills SD actually puts fillers in their food on purpose, and that purpose has scientific backing.  It is not meant to cheat their customers which some other companies would like you to believe.

I take animal nutrition very seriously.  I have done my own research, and made my own opinions based on that resarch.  I am not brand loyal when it comes to my patients.   I try my hardest to work with my clients to do what is best for their animals.  I do my best to educate them on nutrition and help them make the choice that best fits their lifestyle etc- if that includes an expensive dog food than so be it.   I just get so frusterated on here because it seems a lot of misinformation is spread. 


and no I do not like that petfood ratings site.  I think the standards it uses to rate foods is ridiculous and bias.  I have read the reasonings behind it and most of the info he presents as truth is really opinions or flat out wrong.

EmilyTork

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_cat-food?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:6dba5ef5-f545-4d43-98dc-dde1b1fbf8b9Post:4b6d4dd6-a313-4ace-a3fc-2365d0976ecb">Re: cat food</a>:
[QUOTE]My biggest issue is that there are a lot of minomers out their about pet nutrition.  Companies have attacked the established brand casting them as poor quality food which is flat out wrong.  They are HIGH quality foods.  With decades of research backing their formulations.  And they meet HIGHER   AAFCO standards than any of the dog food you consider to be of higher quality. Filler isn't a bad thing.  Yes it bulks up their stool but that can actually be a good thing.  "fillers" are fiber which promote the growth of normal flora in the food.  Hills SD actually puts fillers in their food on purpose, and that purpose has scientific backing.  It is not meant to cheat their customers which some other companies would like you to believe. I take animal nutrition very seriously.  I have done my own research, and made my own opinions based on that resarch.  I am not brand loyal when it comes to my patients.   I try my hardest to work with my clients to do what is best for their animals.  I do my best to educate them on nutrition and help them make the choice that best fits their lifestyle etc- if that includes an expensive dog food than so be it.   I just get so frusterated on here because it seems a lot of misinformation is spread.  and no I do not like that petfood ratings site.  I think the standards it uses to rate foods is ridiculous and bias.  I have read the reasonings behind it and most of the info he presents as truth is really opinions or flat out wrong.
Posted by aggiebug[/QUOTE]

<div>You are entitled to your opinions and have every right to feed your animals what you want. But IMO, fillers are exactly what they say they are, fillers. They fill they gut with no nutritional value. In the wild, wolves do not eat corn or other "fillers" unless necessary. They are carnivores, treat them as so. I know dogs and cats are not wolves, but as descendants of wild animals, they require certain things to maintain optimal health. But hey, that's me. </div><div>
</div><div>I can eat cardboard and fill the gut, but it won't do me any good. My dog can eat corn and by-products and be full. But they will shiit it out later with no help to them whatsoever. </div><div> </div><div>Ok, I'm done. Not going to argue pet nurtition on TK. </div>

aggiebug

dogs are omnivores no question about it. cats can be debated but I still believe they require some plant products in their diet. But even wild cats eat "by products" include bones and skin and feathers. so yes pet food companies use different fillers than a cat finds naturally in the wild but different isn't always bad.

and while I do respect your reference to their decendents in respect to what they should eat. I find your comment about wild animals eating for "optimal health" quite ironic. Wild animals eat for survival not optimal health thus one of the reasons their domesticated decendants live longer. And again what you label as "fillers" actually serve a very important role in promoting the normal flora in the gi system. While it appears that it passes right through them with no benefit to the animal it does provide vital nutrients to the bacteria in the gut. I believe this to be the primary reason I have noticed more dogs and cats having issues with soft stool on the expensive diets over the brands commonly reported as low quality. This is one of several roles it plays in digestive health. again I don't label the expensive brands as bad or even say that they are worse than say purina or hills. I just think all information should be given.