Today’s best cat foods–reviews of canned and raw options

520 Responses to “Today’s best cat foods–reviews of canned and raw options”

1. 

   lisa foxx April 5, 2011 at 9:48 am #

   I live in the uk and the only ‘decent’ catfoods avaliable are only complementary or from thailand.

   Could yyou please advise me about quality foods avaliable in the uk?

   I have 3 cats, one has always had bowel problems, and skin irritation and is currently on royal canin sensitivity control chicken and rice pouches and another has pancreas and malabsorbtion problems and is on rc intestinal moderate calorie biscuits, in water.

   I do not feel this is an ethical company. Very little meat protein in the food and very costly. Would be very grateful for your advice.

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     Liz-cat April 6, 2011 at 12:34 pm #

     Hi Lisa, that’s a tough one because I live in the US and haven’t heard of good UK cat food sources as yet. That doesn’t meant they don’t exist.

     But, have you considered online ordering from Amazon.com or Only Natural Pet (shipping info–http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/content/shippingintl.htm)? Also, YoungAgainpetfood.com sources their meat from the US only and their site says to call them about international shipping options. I realize there would be added shipping costs.

     Meanwhile, I’ll keep your question mind and report back if I hear anything. I’m so glad to hear that your cats have so much care and attention to their special needs.

     Reply
2. 

   laurie May 3, 2011 at 7:43 am #

   I can’t wait to see your review of Epigen 90. The company can’t/won’t seem to answer my question, “what is the % carbs?” I just keep getting the same stock response, “Other than meat and organ glycogen and plant fibers, there is no carbohydrate in Epigen.”

   Thanks for providing a HUGE service with your research on pet foods. You rock!

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     Liz-cat May 3, 2011 at 6:19 pm #

     Thanks Laurie!
     I’m delighted to be of service to other cat lovers in whatever way I can. And I understand your frustration. As a nutritionist in the US, I’m used to carb counts being very easy to find on human food! I’m still working on my Epigen 90 research. Thanks for the encouragement.

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3. 

   Stella Hinkle August 25, 2011 at 12:23 pm #

   I’m so happy to have your lists to refer to, thank you! Doing all the research is exhausting and I appreciate you publishing your findings. I don’t give my kitties much fish, maybe two meals a week, but since I read that I should avoid carrageenan I’ve had to take Tiki Cat and Weruva canned off their menu and am looking for an alternative. Weruva’s new pouched formulas do not contain carrageenan and I was wondering what you thought of them. http://www.weruva.com/cats-in-the-kitchen.php

   I’m trying to get my local pet store to carry some of your recommendations and they are great about it, even ordered Epigen 90 for me (a great night-time snack, they don’t seem to scarf it down like, say, Evo, so I leave a bowl out all night and it satisfies my one kitty who thinks he needs food out 24/7 and will wake me up in the middle of the night because he thinks he’s starving). Simon was rescued from a hoarder who had over 100 cats and 60 dogs in a one bedroom apartment so I’m not surprised he has some emotional food issues.

   One day I’ll get them to accept raw food; my Deerhound Rupert eats raw but the cats walk away from it, except Simon likes raw turkey breast so he gets that when it’s being served.

   Again, thanks for all your work!

   Stella, Digit, Archie, Simon and Rupert

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     Liz-cat August 26, 2011 at 4:37 pm #

     Great to hear from your positive feedback, Stella. We have a cat with emotional food issues too! Joel can’t seem to break the idea that every bit of food might be the last morsel he finds. I’m so glad you rescued Simon! What a crazy childhood for him.

     Weruva–some of their canned formulas do not have carrageenan, thank goodness. And their cans do not have BPA. I’ve had a question mark about the food quality, since it’s sourced from Thailand. I’ve asked them if they have some reassurances about that.

     Thank you for telling me about their new grain-free pouches! I didn’t know of them. The ingredients look pretty clean. I worry a little about plastic being that intimate with food. Plastic has so many unhealthy chemicals. I’ve asked them if the food is ever heated in the plastic and whether it has BPA. Will report back. But still, they may be a convenient, reasonable option.

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     Liz-cat August 31, 2011 at 11:39 am #

     Stella, I have a response from the president of Weruva: “The pouches
     are made from a polymer plastic and lined with aluminum. They are BPA Free
     and fit for use in human food products. They are designed to handle the
     heating process. ”

     Also he said “All of the food ingredients we use are also fit for human consumption and
     are in fact also used in products for people. The only cut of chicken we
     use, for instance, is boneless, skinless white breast meat.”

     Encouraging on the meat quality, but I’m a bit uncomfortable with the heating of pouches lined with aluminum for a food a cat eats every day. I would go for variety to avoid build-up over time.

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       Elaine March 21, 2012 at 1:26 pm #

       I am puzzled at pet-food companies touting that they use white chicken breast meat. There is more taurine in the dark meat cuts. I have heard somewhere -maybe on the Web, that people in other countries (like China) prefer the dark cuts. Maybe that’s why the pet companies are using white chicken breast? Is it correct that there is more taurine in the dark cuts? Any idea on the difference?
       Thank you.

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         Elaine March 21, 2012 at 1:27 pm #

         Oops. Looks like I have asked this before. Red face.

         Reply
4. 

   Elaine September 27, 2011 at 3:51 pm #

   Why do companies like Weruva and Tiki Cat use chicken breast when the dark meat is where more taurine is? –I am now testing Tiki Cat Koolina Luau and Puka Puka Luau (both chicken-based foods without guar gum and carageenan) along with Weruva Paw Lickin’ Chicken (also no guar gum or carageenan). The cats seem to like it, but not as much as Earthborn Chicken Catcciatori (which has guar gum and carageenan).
   Also –wonder why potato starch is used. Weruva Paw Lickin’ Chicken and Earthborn Chicken Catcciatori have that. Would rather that not be used.

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     Liz-cat September 28, 2011 at 7:58 am #

     Elaine, I agree–dark meat has more nutrients…and potato starch–who needs it? I’m guessing that since humans have a habit of thinking white meat is better for us–or tastes better– the cat food companies think we’ll be more impressed with white meat. Thanks for sharing your Weruva-testing experience. Sounds like your cats are having a delicious time. Best wishes for finding the just the right foods for them.

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       Elaine March 21, 2012 at 1:29 pm #

       I ended up giving up Weruva Paw Lickin’ Chicken as it seemed to correlate with diarrhea and vomiting. Now that I have withdrawn it, my cats are more stable. The owner said a possible trigger may have been the potato starch. My cats are on Wellness Grain Free, Tikicat chicken (salmon every once in awhile), and Earthborn chicken.
       I am very impressed with Weruva’s customer service. They are a very responsive company.

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         Liz-cat March 27, 2012 at 7:30 pm #

         Wow, good detective work and so glad you found food that works. Yes, we can’t do potato anything over here either.

         Reply
5. 

   Julie December 20, 2011 at 4:20 pm #

   Hi Liz, I have successfully switched our three cats (Allie, Kasper and Leo) over to a high protein, wet food diet over the past two months. After much research (thanks so much for narrowing things down to a fairly short list), I discovered that Life’s Abundance is the only brand all three will eat. Last week Kasper, our sweet little grey 1.5 year old, was diagnosed with a congenital liver shunt. We are shaken by the news and have opted to support his needs as best we can through diet, supplements and alternative medicine. The vet has recommended a prescription diet low in protein because protein is hard for him to digest. I’d prefer to feed something that’s higher quality and wonder if you’re aware of any other canned food I might be able to try. He’s unable to eat raw or anything that has a lot of fat in it. I’m thinking of mixing in some type of grain with Life’s Abundance since that is one of the few foods he will eat. If you have any other suggestions, I’d really appreciate it. Kind Regards, Julie

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     Liz-cat December 21, 2011 at 2:58 pm #

     Hi Julie, Oh, I am so sorry to hear that Kasper has a congenital liver shunt. At least he’s got great human parents to help take care of him though.
     I’m sorry I don’t know anything about this condition yet and so I hesitate to say anything about what food he should eat for it.

     I did find a site that mentions a couple active online forums of other folks who have cats with shunts, plus it’s lists some vets who specialize it it:

     http://www.catlivershunt.com/favorite.htm

     Also, perhaps the owner of that site would have some helpful tips.

     Let me know if you discover something that might be useful to others too along the way.

     Lifes Abundance is the favorite in our sensitive cat household too, by the way!

     Reply
6. 

   Alice Towery December 21, 2011 at 5:31 am #

   Hi, I changed my 4 cats’ diet from dry food to wet food 2 years ago after reading Dr Lisa Pierson’s writings (catinfo.org) and the website http://www.catnutrition.org. The food that I use that seems to work for them as well as my pocketbook is Innova EVO Cat & Kitten Food Turkey & Chicken Formula. One reason is that it comes in 13.2 oz cans. Is there any other similar cost canned cat food that comes in 13.2 oz cans that you would recommend and/or do you think what I’m using is alright? I LOVED reading your blog! Thank you for all your work, Alice Towery

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     Liz-cat December 21, 2011 at 3:10 pm #

     Alice, welcome! Nice to have you here.
     EVO is one of my “runner up” cat foods. There’s a lot to like – especially the simplicity of the recipes, which are kind to cat digestion. I didn’t give them top billing because they include carrageenan, which has emerged as an iffy ingredient I’d like to avoid: see http://bit.ly/uhbZlw

     For other options, it’s very hard to find them in those big cans you want. One option is to look for the Weruva 10 oz formulas that don’t include carrageenan. However, I believe Weruva is generally more expensive than Evo.

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     Jasmine July 31, 2012 at 9:03 am #

     The Lotus comes in a 12.5oz can (looking at petfooddirect.com). My husband and I are expecting kittens soon, and are seriously considering this food when they are full grown because of this awesome food chart, and because it comes in a convinient size for mutliple kitty households. I hope that helps

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7. 

   Jessica January 11, 2012 at 6:55 am #

   This web site has been so helpful, thank you for all of your research and insights! My cat Bailey is only 4 years old, but I’d like him to stick around as long as possible and want to do everything I can to promote that. I’ve been feeding him a split diet of Wellness dry food (the adult weight maintenance formula) and Weruva canned food. However after reading your blog I see two issues with the varieties he’s eating. One, they each contain carrageenan, and Two, they are all fish based foods (which I’ve read elsewhere isn’t good). I once tried to give him a chicken based Weruva, but it was so soupy he wasn’t interested. Should I try switching to a chicken and turkey formula like the Evo 95%?
   thanks! Jessica

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     Liz-cat January 12, 2012 at 7:59 pm #

     Thanks Jessica! It sounds like you are looking for one dry option and one canned option, right?

     I think Evo 95% canned is good (so do our cats) and I like how simple the recipe is for cat digestion, BUT it has carrageenan so probably not ideal long term. Same with the grain-free Wellness options. You could do worse though.

     I agree that all fish all the time runs too much risk of metal or toxin accumulation, though Tikicat’s canned fish options seem pretty clean and the cans don’t have BPA. However, I don’t see any claims that their fish is test for heavy metals.

     Life’s Abundance Instinctivce Choice canned food is great and most cats adore it. It contains organic poultry, liver, and some shrimp.

     For dry options, in addition to ZiwiPeak dehydrated Cuisine, I’m liking Petcurean Go! Grain Free options (Chick/Turkey/Duck and Grain Free Freshwater Trout).

     Reply
8. 

   Alice Towery March 1, 2012 at 9:04 am #

   Dear Liz,

   I emailed you about changing my cats’ canned food from EVO Cat & Kitten Food Turkey & Chicken Formula because of the carrageenan in Dec of 2011. My 11 yr old cat has been diagnosed since then with a heart murmur, hyperthyroidism, and now had a urinary tract infection for the 2nd time in two months. The culture read E Coli.

   So——- I am going to change my cat food for sure. I am thinking that I’ll give him and my other 3 cats Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Canned Cat Food from now on. It seems to be the cheaper of all the commercial cat foods you recommend ~ the only problem being that it only comes in the small cans. Do you think this is the best canned food for an 11 yr old cat? I wonder if it will ever be manufactured in bigger cans. If I did give them Weruva (10 oz size), which one do you recommend? Would that be alot more expensive than the Taste of the Wild? Thanks, Alice

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     Liz-cat March 6, 2012 at 8:18 pm #

     Hi Alice, I’m so sorry to hear about all those health troubles for your kitty. Any Weruva forumla that does not contain potatoes, grains, or carrageenan is fine, as is Taste of the Wild. With Weruva, I’m not sure about cost – you have to check their recommended stated serving per cat. They put a lot of water in their cans and therefore require bigger serving sizes for cat’s daily needs, so it’s probably more expensive. Remember ordering in bulk online, if you can, can save you money…making sure your cat likes the food first though! (Remember to introduce new food gradually too to avoid instant rejection.) Wishing lots of healing for your kitty.

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     Liz-cat March 6, 2012 at 8:20 pm #

     I would also avoid fish for your cat with hyperthyroid. See my latest post for more.

     Reply
9. 

   Alice Towery March 7, 2012 at 5:28 pm #

   Liz,

   You mentioned avoiding fish for my cat with hyperthyroidism. Taste of Wild canned cat food’s first listed ingredient is salmon. I am thinking that Nature’s Variety Instinct Chicken Canned Cat Food would be preferable, wouldn’t you think? Also It comes in 5.5 oz cans. You mentioned if you buy in bulk, you can get some type of discount~ The cheapest place I can find for Nature’s Variety Instinct is 1800PETMEDS~ do you know of any cheaper place? I hope I am not bothering you with all these questions!

   Thanks, Alice

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     Liz-cat March 20, 2012 at 12:01 pm #

     Hi Alice, yes I do agree NV sounds better in case of hyperthyroidism. I haven’t compared to 1800PETMEDs, but I generally see good prices from OnlyNaturalPet.com and sometimes you’ll see good deals on Amazon.com, but that’s less predictable.

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10. 

    Kim Kiernan March 11, 2012 at 9:24 pm #

    Thanks for your wonderful blog. It’s a wealth of information! Can you tell me why raw with the ground bone is not recommended for cats with kidney disease? I have a 16 year old cat who is in stage 3 kidney disease. He has elevated BUN and creatinine, but phosphorus etc. are all normal. I have difficult time getting him to eat enough. He is on 1/2 canned foods, 1/4 Epigen 90 dry and 1/4 Nature’s Variety raw. He gets sub cutaneous fluids 3 times a week and since starting him on the fluids, his appetite has really increased. He eats approx. 1 NV medallion a day, but really misses it if he doesn’t get it since this is what my dog eats as well. Thank you for your advice!

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      Liz-cat March 13, 2012 at 5:48 pm #

      Thanks Kim! I have seen just a few vets say not to feed ground bones to cats with kidney problems – I gathered it had to do with controlling phosphorous content, and possibly also because of the constipation factor (common with CRF cats). I’m not a vet, but seems to me that if you are keeping a close eye on his mineral levels, and he’s not constipated, one cherished medallion per day shouldn’t be a concern. All the best to you and your well-cared-for little guy.

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        Kim Kiernan March 21, 2012 at 12:59 am #

        Thanks Liz. Thank you for the opinion. I’m thinking at this point just getting him to eat is a victory! He is also enjoying the freeze dried Stella and Chewy’s raw patties. The duck in particular seems to be the softest texture and he will eat some. I appreciate your spreading the word of good QUALITY cat food!

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          Liz-cat March 22, 2012 at 10:29 am #

          Thank you! Yes, that is a victory Kim, and I’m glad to hear it.

          Reply
11. 

    Sahira March 27, 2012 at 6:10 pm #

    I just wanted to let you know that Wellness has pouches called healthy indulgence. They’re grain free and starch free. And they’re carageenan free. You should check them out.

    Reply
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      Liz-cat March 27, 2012 at 7:33 pm #

      Fabulous, Sahira – thanks for the heads up! This list is definitely due for another update.

      Reply
12. 

    Sahira March 27, 2012 at 7:43 pm #

    No problem. bythe way, only 4 ofthe flavours are starchfree. I just found your blog while doing more research on homeopathy for cats. I’m definately going to look forward to your future posts!

    Reply
13. 

    Stella March 27, 2012 at 8:57 pm #

    I keep up with your blog always. I saw your recent post about updating the list. I know this would be a lot more work for you but I, for one, would really appreciate feedback about why you bumped something from the list. I can usually find the answer if someone mentions it in your blog, but it would be great to know why I should no longer be feeding the Epigen 90 (after buying a case of it last week because they had a special free shipping sale). I eventually found it and the rest of the case will now be ‘treats only.’ If you could just put a short comment next to the item that was bumped from the list and why that would help immensely. Otherwise I just keep jumping to the newest recommendations and going through the whole transition yet again, without really knowing why I’ve changed. If it’s just too much to handle I sure do understand and I really, really appreciate all the effort you put into these lists, plus my boys are all healthy and happy on what you’ve recommended (well, Archie could be more cooperative). Oh, and if you come across a wet food that has a beef base that isn’t full of other crap Archie just might go for that…that’s his favorite, beef…he thinks he’s a big cat, lol. Again, thank you for all the great research and listings.

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      Liz-cat March 27, 2012 at 9:12 pm #

      Hi Stella – that’s a very reasonable request. Makes sense. And actually Epigen90 IS still on the “good list” on the Dry Foods page: http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2011/08/best-dry-cat-foods-so-far/

      I did complain about their carb count being higher than I was told, though that was partly my fault for not seeing the math clearly. Anyway, their carbs are still low and mostly fiber – not so bad. I still consider it a good dry food option – on a cat by cat basis, as always. Some cats are too sensitive for new fangled processed foods.

      Both these “best foods” pages are so huge that it’s easy to get them mixed up. Maybe I’ll come up with a brilliant redesign one of these days!

      If you are interested in canned, Newman’s Organic grain-free delivers some major Beef for Archie.

      Reply
14. 

    lamby March 28, 2012 at 11:24 am #

    Hi. Thank you and everyone here for their dedication to their kitty kids! I have been changing my cats food now for the last few weeks. This was the second time we tried going raw, and both times it was instantly rejected. Ugh! I had him on Trader Joe’s dry and wet for a while, as well as the Temptations treats, aka kitty crack, then started my research. The kibble and the treats were eliminated immediately, and he was so not happy about that. I replaced the treats with freeze dried chicken treats, and that seems to work for us both. The only ingredient in there is chicken. It’s pricey – actually this whole food changing thing is pricey – but I will need to find a way to make it work. I have a “pet deli” not far from me, and they have been helpful and patient with me during my spazzy visits there. I am looking for a grain-free, no by-products, smaller (US) company, ingredients I can understand (and pronounce), healthy canned food. This is where we are at as of today. Next week at the deli, I may find something new, or realize I overlooked something. It’s upsetting to me how some of these “healthier” companies feel the need to put carrageenan in these products. Why go through all of the trouble to make it almost perfect, and then throw that one in there?! I will be emailing Merrick today with that same question. In Bailey’s cupboard now are cans of Weruva and their sister company, BFF., as well as Fussie Cat. Those two companies (BFF and Fussie Cat) are all fish, so we only use the tuna with chicken sometimes. These cans are also BPA free, an extra plus. I heard how great Merrick was, from everywhere, and got some on faith. Damn. I will also say that I believe The Honest Kitchen seems to be the best of the best out there. Just add water and everything necessary is included. Maybe he will try again in another year or so. Ah, another thing to possibly consider is that because these “healthier” choices are more expensive, if you have a smaller pet store by you, they very well may have free samples to take with you. Or maybe even calling the companies and asking for one or two, so you don’t spend a lot and then, as I’ve learned, toss a lot out as well. Also I’d like to say that, we are all doing the best we can with where we are at right now for our wonderful little creatures. This is my first time sharing my life and home with a cat, and after picking up a natural cat book at a thrift store, I would learn something new and feel like such a flawed parent. “He should be brushed everyday?” “Don’t leave food out all day?” “Scrub out the litter box how many times a week?!” Geez, it’s like I wasn’t doing anything right. We learn as we go.

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      Liz-cat March 29, 2012 at 11:33 am #

      Lamby, I agree, the carrageenan thing is annoying – ruins some perfectly good cat foods! And it would be great if our cats took more readily to Honest Kitchen, but it’s a challenge for us too. AND yes, we’re all just doing the best we can with what we know at the time.

      Let me tell you, I am not perfect – which is why I’m always looking for tips & tricks. eg, litter box: I just dump it and squirt some enzyme cleaner (like nature’s miracle or simple solution) in there to clean up “automagically.” Let it sit for a bit, then dump a bunch of pine litter over it. No scrubbing.

      Another example: we don’t brush their teeth. We use PET Enzymatic dental “treats” instead, plus vet check ups. See, not perfect?

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        Liz-cat May 23, 2012 at 10:12 am #

        Whoops, I meant CET Enzymatic dental chews! Sorry for typo.

        Reply
15. 

    Alice Towery March 29, 2012 at 12:00 pm #

    Well, I have changed the diet of my four precious cats from Evo to Taste of the Wild and now to Nature’s Variety Instinct Chicken. They LOVE Nature’s Variety! almost too much! My problem is not knowing how much to feed them! Each cat inhales a 5.5 oz can each twice a day ( so that’s 11 oz per cat ) which is costing me plenty. Is that too much to be feeding cats whose weights are 9.5 lbs, 10.5 lbs, 11.5 lbs, and 13 lbs?

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      Liz-cat April 4, 2012 at 9:42 am #

      Hi Alice, that’s good news about finding the right foods for them.

      Here’s the trick for figuring out how much to feed:

      The advice out there ranges from about 25 – 30 calories per pound per day per cat. If cats are indoors, err on the lower side (25). So for example, a 10 lb indoor cat needs about 250 cal per day.

      Check the calories on the can – it may say Kcal or kilocalories, which in this case just means calories – according to http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/resourcesforyou/ucm047113.htm

      Source: Animal Medical Center in New York and FelineNutrition.org

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      Deb Waldin August 15, 2012 at 11:46 am #

      Alice – I have the same problem not knowing how much and how often to feed my 12 lb. Ragdolls. I feed them 3 times a day (huge pain – would like to delete the noon feeding) and they get a total of about 6.5 oz each a day. They’re indoor only so not a lot of exercise. My Vet says cats are supposed to be lean, hunting machines. They’re a good weight so I think they’re getting enough but I see you’re feeding 11 oz each! It’s so hard to know what to do!! Plus, good food is so ecpensive!

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        Liz-cat August 22, 2012 at 10:10 pm #

        Hi Deb, on your comment about much and how often to feed your kitties, I’ll weigh in. First, in my humble opinion, 2x day works quite well.

        I gave up on going by ounces because the calories in an oz. different from food to food, and I found that the advice on packaging to almost always overestimate the amount of food a cat should get per day.

        For example, according to the good sources I cited above, a 10 lb indoor cat needs about 250 cal per day (outdoor may need a bit more), but when I was following package instructions I was feeding considerably more than that! In other words, packaging instructions seem to err on the side of getting us to buy more food!

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16. 

    Jenny | Floppycats.com May 17, 2012 at 2:31 pm #

    Liz,

    Have you heard of Nature’s Logic? http://natureslogic.com/ – if so, do they make the list? I guess they are on Susan Thixton’s list?

    Thanks,
    Jenny

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      Liz-cat May 25, 2012 at 5:55 pm #

      Jenny, your message was unfairly spammed but I rescued it. Sorry for the delay. (Akismet seems to be spamming everything with a link now and I need to figure out how to change that setting!)
      Anyway, Nature’s Logic looks promising. Doesn’t look like I researched it yet. It goes on my TBD list now!

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      Liz-cat May 25, 2012 at 6:35 pm #

      One more thing on Nature’s Logic – the dry food doesn’t look good enough to me because it has grains (millet) and the carbs look a little high (fattening esp for indoor cats). Other than that, could do worse.
      However, I was just reviewing it more and I’d say thumbs up to their canned food.

      Reply
17. 

    Sahira May 19, 2012 at 8:58 pm #

    I see that healthy indulgence pouches are on the list! Now I don’t have to worry about feeding them while I transition my new kitty to raw thank you for the updates! By the way, do you know if the weruva pouches are low in starch or not?

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      Liz-cat May 23, 2012 at 10:03 am #

      Hi Sahira, glad to help! The Weruva grain-free pouches are quite low starch/carb…in fact, I may add them to the “Best” list for the next round. Thanks for bringing them up. The only problem is they do contain one controversial ingredient: http://cats.about.com/b/2009/04/06/menadione-sodium-bisulfite-complex.htm

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        Sahira May 24, 2012 at 4:52 pm #

        OK that’s good to know, i bought only 2 to try them for our new cat, but I’m planning on feeding raw and only supplimenting with another premium grain free canned food for a while. Thanks again! Keep up the great work!

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        Sahira May 24, 2012 at 6:48 pm #

        i looked at the pouches I bought and see that they do not contain menadione. I checked ontheir aite and only some of the canned foods have that ingredient, so the pouches I have are an exception.

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          Liz-cat May 25, 2012 at 6:00 pm #

          Huh, I think I was looking at the ingredient list at OnlyNaturalPet. The manufacturer would be more up-to-date, so this could be good news.

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18. 

    Cynthia May 20, 2012 at 12:47 pm #

    Liz,

    THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your website!

    You mentioned PET Enzymatic dental “treats” (where do you get those? I found C.E.T. oral hygiene chews — is that the one?) I’m relieved to hear that you, an obviously very loving and diligent kitty mommy, aren’t saying that only brushing is acceptable (like my vet makes me feel). Jupiter won’t let me LOOK at his teeth, much less brush them!

    I think I may have picked up a sample of the C.E.T. chews at the vet’s once and Jupiter didn’t like it, even when I broke it into smaller pieces for him. I’ve been reading about some enzymatic drinking water additives. Are you familiar with any of those and if so, is there one that’s safe?

    Thanks in advance and thanks again for making this site happen!

    Cynthia

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      Liz-cat May 23, 2012 at 10:10 am #

      Cynthia, you are so welcome! Yes, typo on my part – I meant CET. Those are the ones. Our holistic vet said we could get away with using these or letting our cat chew on raw poultry necks to keep their teeth clean. The necks didn’t work out, so it’s CET for now. In addition, we’ll keep getting them checked each year to see if the vet thinks they need more cleaning of some sort. That’s our imperfect strategy. No accounting for taste with cats – our cats think CET chews are the most exciting tasty thing on earth!
      Oh, enzymes for drinking water – our vet had one “healthy mouth?” that he was convinced worked. Assumes cats are actually drinking the water too. Another option that Felice at Feline Instincts likes is: http://www.felineinstincts.com/orderNow/lebaIIInaturalcatanddogteethcleaner.html

      Reply
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        Cynthia May 23, 2012 at 4:32 pm #

        Thanks Liz! Jupiter does drink a lot of water compared to most cats (and almost never likes treats). The link you posted looked like a topical application rather than something for drinking water so I looked for healthy mouth and found this: http://www.healthymouth.com/Articles.asp?ID=289. If you happen to know whether those ingredients are ok, would be great to know what you think. Otherwise, I’ll check with his vet.

        Thanks again,
        Cynthia

        Reply
        • 

          Liz-cat May 23, 2012 at 5:25 pm #

          Yep, that’s the one my trusted holistic vet liked. Looks fine to me – and your cat actually gets the ingredients in *very* diluted amounts.

          Reply
      • 

        Esther June 16, 2012 at 8:24 am #

        One of the ingredients of the product in your link is neem oil. Other holistic pet care websites state that as toxic to cats. It also has peppermint oil,rosemary oil, and thyme oil, which )being aromatherapy oils) may well be toxic to cats, too. Cats are pure carnivores, and their livers are probably not equipped to deal with highly-concentrated plant oils.

        Question re. CET chews: my cats have choked on chicken-necks before (gotten large pieces stuck in their throat), aren’t the CET chews a choking hazard, especially for “greedy” cats? I am afraid to try them after the chicken-neck trauma.
        Thanks!

        Reply
        • 

          Julie June 16, 2012 at 2:37 pm #

          Hi Esther, I feed my cats the CET Chews every day and haven’t had any issues. I break apart the paper and crumble them on top of their food. One of my cats, Leo loves the paper so I tear it in half – it basically disintegrates when he starts eating it. In fact, I taught him to come, sit and shake paw using the paper parts as treats!

          Reply
        • 

          Liz-cat June 30, 2012 at 3:15 pm #

          Hi Esther,
          That’s alarming about the choking on chicken necks. The CET chews crumble and breakdown very easily, so it’s hard to imagine them as a choking hazard. One of our cats, Joel, is totally the greedy type but he’s never had a problem with them. Julie mentions crumbling them, which certainly would remove all risk – though I’m not sure theyd be as effective in teeth cleaning that way because I think part of how they clean is through the teeth sinking into them.
          About the Healthy Mouth product link – I wonder if they changed their ingredients but I’m looking at it now and not seeing neem, peppermint, rosemary, or thyme. Maybe we’re talking about different products.

          Reply
19. 

    Debbie May 20, 2012 at 11:12 pm #

    What’s wrong with the meat processed in China? Is it likely that the rabbit meat imported from there will be contaminated or something?

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat May 25, 2012 at 6:27 pm #

      Debbie, yes, exactly. More likely to be contaminated. Quality control is not a high priority in their manufacturing. Cheap and fast is. A number of cases in recent years (other brands).

      Of course, the world is full of risks and we can’t live in constant control of all of them. Nature’s Variety is a good company and I understand if some people prefer to just trust them.

      Reply
20. 

    Sue June 7, 2012 at 1:24 pm #

    Hi Liz I just wanted to know your thoughts about “Natural Balance” I feed my cats the canned and dry food, only the grain free limited ingredients.

    Thank You

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat June 16, 2012 at 7:45 pm #

      Hi Sue, I answered in reply to your email already, but just copying here so others can read it:

      Good question. The dry Natural Balance LID is about 40% carbs – which means too fattening and diabetes-prone for indoor cats in particular.

      The wet Natural Balance LID is a much better option. There are just two little nits I have with it – First, the lamb formulas are from an unspecified country so I can’t vouch for the quality of those, and the wet food has carrageenan, a controversial ingredient (which, unfortunately, is still in many high end cat foods). To understand the carrageenan concern, scroll down in this post here. But since we don’t have a ton of research of about it, I tell people if that if carrageenan is the only questionable ingredient, I wouldn’t rush to change what’s working for your family.

      Reply
21. 

    Esther June 15, 2012 at 6:40 pm #

    Newman’s Own small cans do have BPA. They are not aluminum but steel like large cans. I was shocked to find out and have even communicated with their staff vet about this, so I am not just guessing.

    Regards,

    E.

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat June 30, 2012 at 2:44 pm #

      Esther, thanks for reporting on this. It’s frustrating that we get mixed stories on these matters. In this case I as going on what PetsumerReport said. However, their information could be outdated.

      Reply
      • 

        Esther June 30, 2012 at 2:48 pm #

        Sadly, I can guarantee you that the small Newman’s Own cans have BPA. I erased my email conversation with their staff vet but you could confirm the same by writing to them. The cans are made of steel, just like large cans, and have BPA. Makes me think that Evanger’s organic cat food (5.5oz) has BPA also (even though they actually claim otherwise) since those cans are steel a well (as opposed to aluminum). But there is absolutely no doubt about the Newman’s. Just ask!

        Reply
22. 

    Janice Hester June 16, 2012 at 4:22 am #

    I am trying to find a canned cat food without the carrageenan and bpa that is low in carbs. my cat is young but vet advised me to
    find low carbs so to avoid health problems later. is the bistro and wild delights really low carb I tried to ask the company but they did not
    know. I worry about the potato starch I see. Also natures variety instinct has a clay in it. Is that bad?
    thank you so much, I am so tired of looking and always finding something that won’t meet the test.

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat June 30, 2012 at 2:54 pm #

      Hi Janice, good question about finding canned food without carrageenan and BPA that’s low in carbs: the good news is that almost all canned food is much lower in carbs than dry food (even canned food with some grains). Yes, the Bistro & Wild Delights canned are very low in carbs, even with the potato starch. Less than 5% carbs.

      Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat June 30, 2012 at 3:04 pm #

      Oh, and about the montmorillonite clay. Another interesting question. I cannot say I’ve found any hugely definitive info on it (ie, “big science”), but I know it’s believed that animals would naturally eat some in the wild for detoxification, as it binds to toxins but not vitamins. Only concern I personally would note is that it apparently binds to medicines and would reduce the effectiveness of them – something to keep in mind.
      Bhattacharyya, KG; Gupta, SS (2008). “Adsorption of a few heavy…”. Advances in colloid and interface science 140 (2): 114–31. DOI:10.1016/j.cis.2007.12.008

      Reply
23. 

    Keri July 3, 2012 at 5:18 pm #

    Hi Liz

    I live in Melbourne Australia – do you know if any of these foods are available here?

    BTW I love your blog and the free ebook was full of great tips. I adore my cat and want her to live a long and happy, healthy life.

    Unfortunately she really doesn’t like wet food and prefers dry, but I’d be happy to try as many of these products out on her as possible to see what she likes.

    Many thanks
    KERI

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat July 13, 2012 at 11:12 am #

      Hi Keri, great to get your nice comment! We have a lot of Australians around here – I think there’s something about Australia and cat lovers. I’m sure Ziwipeak will be available locally for you. As for the rest, most are available either at Amazon.com or Onlynaturalpet.com, and many likely to ship your way, I believe. Do tell me if you discover otherwise.

      Reply
      • 

        Keri July 14, 2012 at 2:39 am #

        Hi Liz – thanks for the reply – I’ll see if I can track down some Ziwipeak as a first option. All the best : )

        Reply
24. 

    Heather July 3, 2012 at 7:35 pm #

    Hi Liz,
    Thanks so much for this labor of love that you’ve put together. Thanks to you, I know more than my former vets about healthy pet food. Now I’ve found a wonderful holistically and Chinese medicine-trained vet who is recommending PawNatuRaw. She is recommending PawNatuRaw, http://www.pawnaturaw.com/? I’m now feeding this mixed in with a little of your recommended grain-free canned food to my elder cat, Roxie, who was having vomiting issues. This has been resolved now except for a skin allergy problem which her vet says should dissipate with good nutrition in a month or so.

    I also realized from reading your blog, albeit too late, that my cat Apollo lost his vision from high blood pressure last year because I (and his vets!) thought it was OK to feed cats the crap made by the large pet food manufacturers, and of course, the crap they sell in their offices. Even though I was feeding him dry Orijen, Organix and Wellness, etc., I realized a few months ago from doing the research that it was the high sodium content that contributed to his high blood pressure. He passed on last month but at least I can do the right thing with Roxie. What are your thoughts on PawNatuRaw (http://www.pawnaturaw.com/)?

    Have you heard of Dr. Patricia Jordan and any of her interviews on the net? In addition to diet/nutrition, she addresses the issues of how we’re over-vaccinating our pets. I also find Dr. Becker’s website and videos very informative.

    Again, much thanks for all your research. I have passed your website on to many of my friends who love their pets, some with chronic health issues. Hopefully, this knowledge will help their loved ones return to good health again.

    Do you recommend any good natural dog care / food websites?

    Heather
    =^..^=

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat July 13, 2012 at 11:47 am #

      Heather, I’m so glad you wrote in. That’s great news about Roxie and about the wonderful new vet you have. Paw Naturaw looks like a very high quality raw frozen food. Paws up, I’d say. it’s a small US company, looks new.

      You also prompted me to check out Dr Patricia Jordan and I’m very interested in exploring her writings about cancer, as that’s an ongoing research project for me.

      I hope you’ll check back in about Roxie’s progress. I try to collect inspiring, helpful stories so I can do posts about them and help others see what’s possible.

      Reply
25. 

    Heather July 3, 2012 at 7:40 pm #

    Sorry, Liz. I just read my post as edited and didn’t mean to mention the PawNatiRaw 3 times. Was cutting and pasting the text. Please feel free to edit as appropriate.

    Reply
26. 

    Emily July 4, 2012 at 5:46 am #

    Hi,

    Thanks for your wonderful website. Truly a labor of love!

    Been a fan of Feline’s Pride for years, but switched from raw to canned when we rescued a FIV+ youngster. After lots of research and conversation, it seems that many vets and folks says raw is okay for FIV+ cats, since it’s important to optimize their health and immune system. I’m still a bit anxious, but have decided to gradually switch back to raw but continuing giving canned, too.

    I’m considering a range of raw: Honest Kitchen, Feline’s Pride, Primal, and Raw Health. Also, canned Life Abundance, Nature’s Logic and Nature’s Variety. I also occasionally crumble Ziwipeak Raw Cat Treats on top of canned food.

    Just wondering your opinion about rotating canned and raw diets. Also, any thoughts on the FIV+ issue?

    Thanks again for your dedication!

    Emily in NYC

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat July 13, 2012 at 11:53 am #

      Emily, I really appreciate your nice comment here. When it comes FIV (or any condition) and raw foods, I defer to vets. You did the right thing by investigating many opinions on it.
      I think rotating between canned and raw is a great option in general. Both types are very hydrating and the raw will provide extra highly digestible nutrition for your cats every week.

      Reply
27. 

    Flowercat July 13, 2012 at 10:26 am #

    Hi Liz-cat,

    You may find these links interesting.

    The first one is about the carbohydrate content (%) in canned food. In the post, Fromm’s carbohydrate percent ranges from 26-32%, but you have the food as low starch.

    http://parenting-furkids.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=nohgvj98dpofuar8ldopphajs6&topic=747.msg4369#msg4369

    This thread is about the fat content in cat food, and how even though the food is low-carb, in some ‘high’ quality foods, there’s more fat than protein..:s

    http://www.thecatsite.com/t/245993/high-quality-canned-high-fat

    Oh the joys of researching cat food! Its never a dull moment it seems

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat July 13, 2012 at 11:59 am #

      Hi Flowercat,
      I always appreciate fellow researchers on the journey! The furkids carb chart’s canned Fromm percentages do not make any sense. Those look like dry food percentages – I think it’s a mix up. You can see here http://frommfamily.com/products/four-star/cat/can/chicken-duck-salmon that the carb percentage is about 9%.

      Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat July 20, 2012 at 5:38 pm #

      You know, maybe they got that carb count by applying a dry matter basis calculation. Whether they did or not, pondering it forced me to research the dry matter basis approach more deeply and I have decided I should be using it! So thanks for bringing this to my attention. Looks like I’m removing Fromm from the chart, and this will raise the carb levels of a few foods – may shake things up a bit!

      Reply
      • 

        Flowercat July 21, 2012 at 5:08 am #

        Not a prob . I hope I didn’t shake the pot too much, that wasn’t my intention, but I am curious to know the results of the dry matter basis calculation. I have been feeding my kitties the wet recommended, however, I find that my princesses still seem to have large stools, they can be incredibly stinky so I have been pondering the carb %’s in the foods, so let me know what you find. I’m also hoping to add NV raw in their diet soon.

        Have you seen this?

        http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/very-bad-news-for-raw-feeders.html

        Here’s the petition for any infuriated by this:

        http://www.change.org/petitions/american-veterinary-medical-association-avma-protect-pet-owners-rights-to-feed-a-raw-meat-pet-food

        Keep me posted!

        Reply
        • 

          cynthia July 21, 2012 at 10:46 am #

          hello all,

          flowercat’s mention of large and very stinky poo caught my eye. may not relate to her kitties at all but when i first gave my cat jupiter young again zero carb and then 50/22 (both dry, hence this may not be pertinent here) and for a few weeks after the transition began, he had large, soft-ish, and VERY stinky poo. in a discussion with the young again sales manager, she told me (at least as it relates to young again) that those are symptoms of him over-eating protein. just wanted to pass that along for whatever it may be worth.

          i haven’t reported in recently on jupiter’s (and my) take on young again so i’ll do that soon over on the dry foods page.

          thanks again, liz, for this site!

          cynthia

          Reply
          • 

            Flowercat July 22, 2012 at 6:32 am #

            Thanks for the comment Cynthia! =)

            That’s always a possibility, but since cats are obligate carnivores, I highly doubt that commercial brands are able to provide more protein than what they would eat in the wild, especially from a dry food, seems highly suspicious to me.

            I have two hypotheses for why they still have relatively larger and stinkier poop even though they are on the best canned foods out there.

            1. The carbs % in the food is still too high, or;

            2. Its a result of the guar gum. Guar gum is a soluble fiber that helps to prevent constipation by softening the stool, and now that they are off the degraded carrageenan, all their foods contain guar gum.

            Personally I think its a combination of both, so I’m going to start adding some raw NV in their diet to see if that helps, the more the food resembles their natural diet the better.
          • 

            cynthia July 28, 2012 at 1:44 pm #

            hi all…this is a reply to flowercat’s reply to me on 7/22:

            flowercat, thanks so much for the guar gum clue!

            i just wanted to clarify my previous comments. it wasn’t that a commercial food is providing more protein (percentage) than what they get in the wild, it was that jupiter was eating too much food. (Young Again said it’s very common for there to be a transition period of overeating because they are accustomed to taking in more food to compensate for the typical carb fillers in most commercial cat food versus the protein they need.)

            his large, soft, stinky poo (and the conversation with YA) was only during the first few weeks of him getting Young Again Zero Carb. zero carb. so it couldn’t have been the carb content…at that time, that was the only food he was getting. (coming off of a diabetes scare.) after he adjusted (lowered) his intake of the YA ZC, his poop became much smaller, firmer, and not stinky at all. (YA ZC does contain guar gum so at least for Jupiter, that does not seem to be the stinky poo cause.)

            i’m not advocating Young Again, or dry food. (the above was a few months ago…J now gets a rotation of high-quality dry — Wysong Epigen 90 — and high-quality canned — Nature’s Variety Instincts. tho just a few days ago i found Hound & Gatos…we might be in love as long as he doesn’t have a negative reaction to the brewer’s yeast but i’m going to post separately for liz’s comments). i’m not saying we should (necessarily) trust what pet food sellers tell us (though sometimes that’s the only source available for certain info).

            i just wanted to pass along what i was told because what i observed with J’s transition to the new food was consistent with what YA told me: large, stinky poo would be temporary because he was overeating (protein) and when he adjusted intake, large, stinky poo would go away…and it did.

            thanks, flowercat and everyone (especially liz), for helping us put more clues together!
          • 

            Liz-cat August 4, 2012 at 3:26 pm #

            Cynthia,
            I think I mentioned this somewhere on the blog – our cat Phil had similar with YA Zero Carb. It was not pretty! We stopped using it right away. I assumed there is something about the processing involved in creating their zero-carb dry food that was not good for digestion! That’s why I don’t list Zero Carb, only the 50/22. Thanks for bringing this up.
28. 

    Rhonda July 13, 2012 at 3:22 pm #

    Hi,

    1. Was wondering what you thought of Earthborn Holistics canned food? I’ve been doing a lot of research on best cat foods, and I don’t see any objectionable ingredients, and they are grain-free. (At least in Chicken Catcciatori – which is Skipper’s favorite- and in Monterey Medley).
    Note: We also feed Fromm (which I see you have listed) and just bought several flavors of Weruva (I did make note to avoid the flavors with Carrageenan).

    2. As far as dry food… What do you think of Fromm 4-star nutritionals Surf & Turf (grain-free)?

    Thanks for the info and advice!
    Rhonda

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat July 27, 2012 at 3:46 pm #

      Hi Rhonda,
      I haven’t looked at the canned Earthborne Holistics yet – the dried version ALMOST made the list except the carbs are tiny bit high and it has one iffy ingredient (DL methionine). I am adding the canned to my “to be researched” list.
      Poor grain-free Fromm just got taken off the list because i’m applying a stricter carb calculation to canned food now called “dry matter basis” – when I apply that to Fromm canned the carbs come out a bit high. Other than that they are great.

      Reply
      • 

        elaine July 27, 2012 at 7:17 pm #

        I look forward to feedback on Earthborn canned foods, especially the chicken variety.

        I feed Earthborn chicken canned food. My cats love it. I don’t like that it has potato starch, carrageenan, and guar gum. I buy it by the case. I had one batch that didn’t seem to be mixed well –looked like some powdery substance wasn’t mixed in well. I learned that they mix by hand so the flakes of meat are not damaged. I also had a can with a bit of gray item in it and the company is sending me a mailer so they can take a look at what it might be…looks like a piece of organ meat to me. It is my cats favorite food. They go nuts for it.

        I have also noticed that the smaller cans’ chicken is lighter whitish pink while the larger cans’ chicken is more of a rosy beige. I am guessing the food in the larger cans is hotter longer and maybe that accounts for the darker color….more cooking.

        I don’t feed other Earthborn canned varieties as they all have fish, which is allergenic in many cats. Mine seem to vomit more with many fish-based foods. I will not feed kibble as one of my cats cannot tolerate it… will never feed kibble to a cat again per my experience.

        Complete ingredient list for Earthborn chicken canned food: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Potato Starch, Sunflower Oil, Guar Gum, Tricalcium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide.

        Reply
        • 

          Liz-cat August 4, 2012 at 3:47 pm #

          Hi Elaine, Earthborn seems to source food from well-regulated countries like US, so that’s good. The carb count is low (despite the potato starch), it’s grain-free, and the ingredients are pretty clean and simple. The only complaint I have is the Carrageenan. So this one would be a “Runner’s Up” (but not Best of) list item!

          Reply
          • 

            elaine August 5, 2012 at 3:01 pm #

            I have to correct your notion that Earthborn sources from U.S.

            I buy Earthborn chicken canned cat food by the case. (My cats go nuts for it.) The box clearly states that the product is made in Thailand. When you read Earthborn’s publicity information, you have to read it very carefully as they do not state this. They note that their dry food is prepared in a U.S. facility. They also say that they TRY to avoid sourcing elements in their vitamin mix from China…. I feed Earthborn as my cats like it and seem to do well on it. As mentioned, I am unhappy with the potato starch and carrageenan. I also wish the product was made in the U.S. including all its elements.

            One note –Wellness canned cat food told me via phone that they were getting their taurine from China. That bothered me. They said they couldn’t get it in the U.S. I really don’t believe that. I told them so. I think they couldn’t get it at the price they wanted in the U.S. –I also told them, and Earthborn, that I would rather pay a higher price for pet food that was sourced in U.S.

            Not sure that that will happen though.

            Tiki Cat, another canned food that I like is also made in Thailand (like Earthborn).
        • 

          Liz-cat August 8, 2012 at 7:12 pm #

          Elaine- about Earthborn food sources, that’s very interesting that the can says manufactured in Thailand. PetsumerReports says this: “Earthborn Holistic Pet Foods are manufactured in company owned facilities in Monmouth, IL (Midwestern Pet Foods). The company has three pet food manufacturing facilities in the midwest; manufacturing facilities are HAACP approved, FDA and USDA inspected…” and that most of their food is sourced in the US.

          Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat July 27, 2012 at 3:54 pm #

      Whoops, I wrote “also made the list” when I meant “ALMOST made the list”…corrected.

      Reply
    • 

      elaine July 27, 2012 at 7:22 pm #

      One of my cats vomited more related to Weruva Paw Lickin’ Chicken. The owner of the company, who is impressively responsive, said it might be the potato starch. –Yet potato starch is in other foods my cat tolerates. Another item it has is xanthan gum…not sure if that’s an irritant.

      Weruva recently said they were going to remove spinach from their foods for cats….some folks from a group I follow send a number of letters asking them (and other companies to do this as spinach is high in oxalates –not good for FLUTD)…Anyway, I was really impressed with how responsive Weruva was…

      Weruva Paw Lickin’ Chicken: Chicken (Boneless, Skinless, White Breast), Water Sufficient For Processing, Potato Starch, Sunflower Seed Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Nicotinic Acid (Vitamin B3), Ferrous Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement.

      Reply
      • 

        Liz-cat August 4, 2012 at 3:53 pm #

        Hi Elaine (sorry if I got your name mixed up with Rhonda’s in the last reply)!, regarding your cat throwing up Paw Lickin’ Chicken (ironic)…my first suspicion also would have been the starch. My next is the Xanthan Gum because of the fiber. Thanks for the update about Weruva. I do like their customer service too.

        Reply
29. 

    Emily July 13, 2012 at 10:56 pm #

    After consulting your website ad ebook — thank you thank you! — I started introducing Nature’s Variety raw frozen, which my kitty really seems to love. The one thing that kind of has me a bit perplexed is its use for both dogs and cats. If I ended up feeding this primarily (with some cans), should I add in some kind of raw supplement, or is this not necessary? Thanks for any thoughts you might have on this!

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat July 27, 2012 at 3:59 pm #

      Hi Emily,
      No worries – they formulated it to meet cats’ needs, and dogs’ needs are basically a subset of what a cat needs, so it’s all good. From their website: “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Nature’s Variety Instinct [raw] provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages of dogs and cats.”
      So glad it’s working well for your kitty!

      Reply
30. 

    cynthia July 28, 2012 at 2:02 pm #

    hi liz,

    was wondering if you’ve heard of hound and gatos yet. i got the tip from the wonderful shop where i buy jupiter’s food, big bad woof in takoma md (suburb of washington dc where i live). the hound and gatos 98% meat for (adult) cats is a brand new product at the shop so i picked up a few cans of the chicken and beef to let jupiter try. (he goes crazy for it so at least the taste has gotten paws up.)

    other than guar gum, the ingredients list appears to be very clean. the brewer’s yeast is something i’m watching because i’ve read some cats can be allergic and i read another place that said (without explaining) that brewer’s yeast should never be fed to a diabetic cat. jupiter completely reversed his 10/31/11 feline diabetes diagnosis sometime in january so he is not now and may never have been truly diabetic. still, i sort of wish it wasn’t in there. (jupiter doesn’t have fleas.)

    liz, i would love it if you could take a look at hound & gatos 98% and let us know what you think. i’m slightly concerned that the ingredient list might be too short. (yeah, i know…it’s always been the opposite problem!) but i don’t see antioxidants and some of the other things that are now being included in some of the best foods.

    thanks!
    cynthia

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat August 4, 2012 at 4:23 pm #

      Cynthia,
      Jackpot! Hound & Gatos looks like a big paws up! Thanks so much for asking about them. Awesomely simple recipes for sensitive cats, variety, and not even any BPA in lining. I will have to add them.

      Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat August 4, 2012 at 4:38 pm #

      Cynthia,

      I’m not sure why brewer’s yeast would be bad for a diabetic cat, except that if you ate a lot of it you would get some carbs. However, it has more protein than carbs. The important thing is an overall low carb percentage of the cat food. I also wouldn’t worry too much about the allergy factor because it’s very rare – more common in dogs.
      That is such great news about Jupiter reversing his diabetes!

      Reply
31. 

    Jasmine July 31, 2012 at 12:11 pm #

    About the Blue Buffalo canned food listed on this chart:

    I have been scouring the pet food deilvery sites, and I have found that the Blue Buffalos are consistantly coming up as the most expensive (at almost double the price). I’ve checked petfooddirect.com, onlynaturalpet.com, mrchewy.com, etc. Am I looking in the worng places?

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat August 4, 2012 at 4:44 pm #

      Jasmine – oh my, you are right! That’s an error in the chart. Blue Buffalo should be marked as HIGH price. Will fix. Thanks very much.

      Reply
32. 

    Rhonda August 5, 2012 at 8:13 am #

    Hi and thanks for all your efforts….
    Because of your info on Carageenan, I now only buy Earthborn Holistics Catalina Catch (which is their only flavor which does not have Carageenan). The bulk of my canned food is Weruva (Carageenan-free versions), with an occasional can of Fromm 4-star nutritional. As for the dry I’ve decided to go with Origen (instead of Fromm). Your info was invaluable, and I feel I am feeding my fur-babies the best possible diet. So, Thanks, AGAIN!
    Rhonda

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat August 16, 2012 at 5:31 pm #

      Rhonda, so happy help a fellow cat lover out. Thanks for your nice message : )

      Reply
33. 

    Jasmine August 10, 2012 at 12:38 pm #

    My husband and I are getting two little kittens in two weeks! Our breeder has been feeding our babies on the Nature’s Variety raw food diet already, so I’m super excited that they will have such a good start (and we won’t have to worry about changing their food when they get here). I’ve been talking with our local pet food stores, and one of them suggested Bravo. Just poking around their website a little, this is what I found:

    “Our raw diet products never contain grain, preservatives or additives, and all the ingredients are always human-grade quality. Our red meat products are hormone-free and grass-fed, our lamb and beef is 100% pure grass fed New Zealand lamb and beef. The result is a lean, rich red meat that is better for a pet’s health, our poultry is antibiotic-free, our raw vegetables are Grade A fresh and washed prior to processing, we never use preservatives, additives, or artificial ingredients or colors.”

    What do you think?? It’s $6.99 for a 2lb chub, so it’s cheaper than the Nature’s Variety. We are already saving money on the raw diet (vs dry or canned), so I’d like to make sure that we are feeding them the best.

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat August 22, 2012 at 9:02 pm #

      Hi Jasmine,
      Congratulations on the double adoption!

      Bravo food- new to me, interesting…I took a look. It seems they don’t include any ingredients but meat and bones – they don’t add nutrients and dont’ seem to do AAFCO nutrient level.

      It does certainly seem like high quality meat, but I’m paranoid about cats ending up with nutrient deficiencies so if I fed Bravo I would follow some of their basic additional supplementation advice: http://www.bravorawdiet.com/supplements.html

      I wouldn’t want to risk something like a taurine deficiency, which can be fatal to cats. It did happen with one raw rabbit meat study where they didn’t give supplementation. It’s suspected that the processing/grinding degraded the natural taurine levels – so it wasn’t like cats eating what they catch in the wild.

      Reply
      • 

        Jasmine August 23, 2012 at 6:41 am #

        Thanks so much for your reply, I’m definitely concerned about making sure our kittens have all the right nutrients! I am thinking about supplementing taurine, but am a little afraid of giving too much.

        I did some more poking around, and they seem to have a new “balanced diet” that is supposed to have nutrients and meet AAFCO standards. “Bravo! Balance meets AAFCO standards for 100% complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages of a dog or cat. Available in Chicken, Turkey and Beef formulas.” This is the link to their new “balanced” raw diet if you have time to check it out:

        http://www.bravorawdiet.com/product/balance/index.html

        I’d love to hear your thoughts. Until we are sure about this food, we will stick with the nature’s variety raw. We are picking them up in two days! We are so excited!!

        Reply
        • 

          Liz-cat August 28, 2012 at 10:22 pm #

          Hi Jasmine, the Bravo Balance looks much more promising. I’m always paranoid about taurine levels degrading with processing, and they don’t add any, so I am waiting to hear back from them on whether they do the AAFCO testing after processing or not.

          Reply
          • 

            Jasmine October 8, 2012 at 6:44 pm #

            Hi! I’m wondering if you ever heard back from Bravo! about their balance formula?

            Thanks again for all the hard work you put into this!
34. 

    Gia August 13, 2012 at 3:18 pm #

    Hi there

    Thanks so much for your research! Just wondering, have you taken into consideration the protein:fat:carbohydrate ratios when selecting the food on your list? They say in order to mimic a cat’s natural diet, a food should be ~50-70% animal-based protein, 20-40% fat and <10% carbs. So even if a food is "Grain-free" it may be too high in fat or carbohydrates calories.

    Thanks so much!
    Gia

    Reply
    • 

      Liz-cat August 22, 2012 at 9:35 pm #

      Hi Gia, good question about the ratios in cat food and in the wild. I look for about 10% or fewer carbs in wet food, but in dry food I’m more lenient because even the lowest carb dry food is usually 14 – 17%. When the carbs are low, the protein and fat generally fall 50-70 & 20-40 range you mention. But I admit that I haven’t scrutinized the fat content because I’ve never noticed it to be ridiculously high.

      Reply
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      Flowercat September 7, 2012 at 12:33 am #

      Here’s a link with some info on percentages of fat. You can skip the main post and go right to “the spreadsheet” to see what she’s found. Surprisingly, there are many canned foods that contain very little carbs (1-5%), but MORE than 20-40% fat, and still claim to be high quality.. its definitely something to consider.

      Cheers,
      -Holly

      Reply
      • 

        Liz-cat September 19, 2012 at 10:50 pm #

        Thanks Holly. Hmm. Those numbers do look out of balance…but of course they are very different percentages if we were just looking at them with the moisture percentage on the back of the can. It looks like the amounts she shows are based on “as fed” calculations, but http://fnae.org/food.html says to convert “as fed” amounts “to a dry matter basis so you may calculate the most accurate results.” Maybe there’s another step that would make those numbers look more reasonable? I still believe carbs are much more of fattening risk than fat for cats.

        Reply
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        Liz-cat September 29, 2012 at 1:43 pm #

        Ok, I think I know what’s going on with those outrageously high-looking fat percentages. Because she’s applying the “as fed” calculation, it basically doubles the percent by counting fat calories as opposed to fat content. But, when we hear that cats should be having around 20-40% fat, I believe that number is not based on the “as fed” calorie value – I believe it’s based on the content percentage we are used to looking at in foods.

        Reply
35. 

    Kelly August 19, 2012 at 8:00 am #

    hi
    thanks for all of the information. I just wanted to point out that not all of the Wellness pouches are grain free – there are four that are, four that are not. http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/products.aspx?pet=cat&ft=4
    Kelly

    Reply
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      Liz-cat August 22, 2012 at 9:47 pm #

      Hi Kelly, that’s interesting about the wellness Healthy Indulgence packages. I think I see what you mean, some of them don’t say Grain Free on the label. As far as I can tell, it’s because those have oat fiber. I did note that this is gluten-free oat fiber, but mentioned that oat fiber may not be as digestible for sensitive cats. Technically though, that’s pretty grain-ish so I’ll amend the table to say to avoid those. Thank you.

      Reply

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