Cat Food | Premium vs Inexpensive Brands

Thursday, April 10, 2008

When I adopted Angelie, I had no idea what kitten food to feed her and later on, what cat food to feed her. I wanted to make sure I was feeding Angelie the kitten food that had the right amount of nutrients she needed to grow. Then when she grew out of her kitten stage, I wanted to make sure she had the right food to help her stay healthy and maintain a healthy weight as she aged. The problem was, I did not want to spend a small fortune feeding the cat. Below is a basic guideline of what to look for when choosing food for your cat.

Your Cats Basic Nutritional Needs:
Water
Taurine - essential amino acid
Protein that is either from fish, poultry, lamb, or beef
Fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes


Canned food or dry food?
There are many nutritionists who agree that your cat should have a variety between canned food and dry food. Your cat should not be fed a variety of food each day, but instead supplement canned cat food with dry cat food to keep your cat interested in eating so your cat does not become a fussy eater. Some other reasons why it is healthy for your cat to eat both canned and dry food are;

Canned cat food contains water. Many cats do not drink enough water regularly. Giving your cat canned food will help them to stay hydrated.

Dry food can be left out for a number of hours so your cat can eat whenever the mood strikes.

A mixture between dry and canned cat food will ensure your cat is getting enough nutrients. Some cat foods add too much filler and not enough of something else like protein for example. By giving your cat both canned and dry food, this helps them maintain a balanced diet.

To reduce the chances of your cat having or developing food allergies.

Prevent your cat from developing a food addiction.


Inexpensive or Premium Cat Food
When people first adopt a new cat, they want to keep expenses to a minimum so they may choose to purchase an inexpensive brand of cat food. Cat food is one area that you do not want to cut costs.

A cat will eat as much as they need to in order to get all the nutrients they require. Inexpensive brands of cat food contain more filler and less nutrients than more expensive brands. As a result, your cat may end up eating twice as much food, which is not healthy for the cat and will cost you more in the end.


What to Look for on Cat Food Labels:
Always check the expiration date.

Look to see that the protein source is labeled. The label should state whether the protein is from chicken, lamb, or beef, instead of just "meat".

With canned food especially, the protein source should be the first ingredient listed.

Compliance with the AAFCO, (Association of American Feed Control Officials), labeling for "Complete and Balanced" daily requirements.


What to Avoid When Considering a Brand of Cat Food:
Corn meal as filler. Cats do not need carbohydrates.

Chemical preservatives such as ethoxyquin, Propyl gallate, BHA, and BHT.

If the label contains words such as "meat and/or bone meal", "By-products", added sugars, and any other wording that contains "digest" or "meal".

Excessive carbohydrates, also known as "fillers". These carbohydrates may be corn, wheat, or rice. Some dry cat food can contain as much as 50% grain. Carbohydrates provide no health benefit to your cat.



"You are what you eat", is especially true when it comes to cat food. The better quality cat food you feed your cat, the healthier and happier your cat will be. Your cat will be at less risk for developing disease or other medical conditions which can become very detrimental to your cats well being and lead to expensive vet bills.

When I first started to feed Angelie, I gave her a brand of cat food that was not the least expensive, but not a premium brand either. We were offered a coupon to try a premium brand for one month and if your cats coat and general well being didn't noticeably improve, you could get your money back, so I gradually weened her off of the less expensive brand until she was eating the premium brand full time. Within the month, Angelie's coat became much shinier and softer, her eyes looked better, she had more energy, she was eating much less, and you could just simply tell Angelie felt much better. It wasn't that she was ill or had a poor coat before, but one could definitely see a difference in her. The extra money I spend on her cat food for the premium brand, which is really only roughly $2.00 more, is definitely money well spent.