Which dry food for cats?

[samstar999]

Hi

Can anyone tell me what is the difference between for eg - Go-Cat/Sainsburys own dry food and the more expensive iams/purina - apart from the price. There is a huge difference in price. My kitty is about a year old ... and seems to eat whatever I give her. So is the cheapest OK??? Thanks

[Devine22]

Its just the name!! Dont feed her on expensive stuff or she will never go back to normal cheap food!!

[Fantomas]

Mine get a mixture of Iams and Hills Science Plan, depending which is on offer when it's time to buy some.

 

The Iams is fine, but I notice that when theyr'e on Science Plan they do seem perkier and the quality of their coat increases very noticeably. It's a shame it's normally more expensive.

 

Not sure I'd give them Go-Cat/own brand stuff if that was all they were getting but that's just a gut feeling, not really based on experience.

 

One thing to bear in mind with the more expensive brands is that you need to give them far less of it, so it might not cost that much more when you average it out.

[Sarah1982]

i use whiskas dry food, but the vet did tell me Hills was much better, Ziggy didnt seem to like it though, so ive stuck with Whiskas

[samstar999]

Consensus seems that the really cheap stuff isn't great? Devine22 - you seem to suggest that they do prefer the expensive stuff - is that taste? Do they put something magic in it? Ana the kitty's fur isn't as shiny as it should be - maybe I should treat her to some lush food (esp as she lost her sister a few weeks ago) ...

[jayne67]

Both my cats eat Whiskas complete. I have also tried Hills Science plan, but they much prefer the Whiskas, probably tastes meatier, I don't know. In respect of their coats, they are indoor cats anyway, but the vet comments on their coats everytime they go for boosters etc. I'm sure its down to the food, rather than being indoors. Also, their poo is solid, I never have a loose poo to clear out of their litter, and I'm sure this is also down to the food.

 

Jayne

[Devine22]

Consensus seems that the really cheap stuff isn't great? Devine22 - you seem to suggest that they do prefer the expensive stuff - is that taste? Do they put something magic in it? Ana the kitty's fur isn't as shiny as it should be - maybe I should treat her to some lush food (esp as she lost her sister a few weeks ago) ...

 

Sorry about your loss, it must be the taste, or the fact they know its more expensive!! I always find expensive stuff packaged in smaller packs, so probably keeps fresh for longer too.

[Noodle]

I give my kitties Science plan, they'll eat whiskas dry if we run out. We order it off the internet and it's only £15 per cat per month which I don't feel is alot for the benefits. They have really glossy coats and are really healthy.

[Strix]

The same goes for dog food.

 

Iams and Purina have all sorts of additives to improve coat condition, help joints, give them more 'bounce' etc, so it's worth considering for mothers who are currently feeding a litter or for older dogs, though supplements can be added to the cheaper food to achieve the same effect

 

Brude wouldn't eat pedigree advance, or the fancy one brought out a couple of years ago, so he has bakers complete

[medusa]

In terms of cost-effectiveness the more expensive brands are not as expensive as you think. Mine get a mix of a Science Plan and James Wellbeloved, which is a high quality natural dry food.

 

You can feel the difference between the standard of the biscuits- the higher quality ones have much more substance to the biscuits and feel oily, whereas the less expensive ones are dry. Given that cats (according to vets) should have a high proportion of their calories from fat, I'd rather feed them a smaller quantity of an oilier biscuit than lots of ones that are nutritionally less similar to their natural food.