OT: Cat food

[Conndog]

I have two cats, one 16 years old and a newer kitten about 5 months old. Cost of cat food is mounting, and I’m wondering how bad it would be to try something cheap like Friskies rather than the premium stuff I get from pet supply stores. Friskies and others like it are in supermarket and are much cheaper, but I want something healthy that cat would eat. What I now buy costs $1.69 a 5 oz can and sometimes a little more. Help, is Friskies okay for your cats?

 

[Dove]

Post/handle?

 

[Mano]

Solution: get rid of cats.

New problem: lack of companionship.

Solution: buy dog.

 

[OviedoFLHusky]

Right now I have 3 cats that don't have issues with crystals; but I used to have one that did. It can get expensive, you're absolutely right. To me, the life of the cat was worth the cost. (very friendly, outgoing, not shy with people at all, full of personality)

That being said, the kitten shouldn't be eating adult cat food yet. Purina makes 3 different "levels" of food: The cat chow, or kitten chow, is the cheapest. Then there's Purina One, which costs a little more than the cheapo cat chow, but comes in formulas that are supposed to be for situations like hairballs, weight loss, and crystals ("urinary tract health formula"). They have kitten food too. The primo (most expensive) Purina food is Purina Pro Plan. That also comes in formulas, and also has a type meant for cats with crystals. And they too make kitten food.

All three "levels" make both dry and wet food.

With the 3 cats I have now, I've been feeding them a mix of Purina One urinary tract health formula and Pro Plan urinary tract health formula. None of them so far have had crystal issues - and the oldest is now 11.

Hill's Science Diet also makes food for situations like hairballs, weight loss, and crystals.

You could look at websites for places like Pet Supermarket, PetSmart, and Petco to compare food prices. Also, the Purina chow level and the Purina One level are carried in many supermarkets.

Hope that helps!

 

[Mr. French]

We feed ours friskies salmon pate and they love it - one half can per morning, then dry food.

We just started with wet food at all a few years ago, I was never up on the best things, I just fed them dry cat food.

We did some other fancier, nicer quality wet food and they actually like this friskies way better.

 

[nomar]

Try Sally’s pizza. If that doesn’t work, love potion.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

My quick research six months ago yielded consensus opinions that Costco's dry food and Trader Joe's wet food were of sufficient quality, and came in with value pricing. If only she'd eat more than a few bites of the wet food, we'd have a winner. But hey, that's her choice.

 

[Bryan Lord]

Costco brand should check both boxes. That's what we do for dog food anyway.. not sure why you have cats but I assume its the same.

 

[Adios]

Flake food can kill fish. Just a heads up. Can cause swim bladder disorder.

Giant gouramis are awesome. Coolest pet I ever had. Incredibly intelligent. Gotta keep mine on the small side by feeding veggies and not too much protein or she'll grow very fast. They eat almost anything.

 

[huskymedic]

Flake food can kill fish. Just a heads up. Can cause swim bladder disorder.

Giant gouramis are awesome. Coolest pet I ever had. Incredibly intelligent. Gotta keep mine on the small side by feeding veggies and not too much protein or she'll grow very fast. They eat almost anything.

This post should be framed.

 

[Mr. French]

Purina naturals is the dry food I roll with. Just as an edit. I just bought some.

It tastes like cat food, but it fills me up.

 

[CL82]

Anyone else think this thread was going to be the saddest Thanksgiving meal thread ever?

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Purina naturals is the dry food I roll with. Just as an edit. I just bought some.

It tastes like cat food, but it fills me up.

That’s what I get for my fatso.

 

[sledog]

How about a mouse or 2?

 

[Yardigan]

scent scale...doesn't wet cat food smell like cat dump?

 

[browndog319]

Right now I have 3 cats that don't have issues with crystals; but I used to have one that did. It can get expensive, you're absolutely right. To me, the life of the cat was worth the cost. (very friendly, outgoing, not shy with people at all, full of personality)

That being said, the kitten shouldn't be eating adult cat food yet. Purina makes 3 different "levels" of food: The cat chow, or kitten chow, is the cheapest. Then there's Purina One, which costs a little more than the cheapo cat chow, but comes in formulas that are supposed to be for situations like hairballs, weight loss, and crystals ("urinary tract health formula"). They have kitten food too. The primo (most expensive) Purina food is Purina Pro Plan. That also comes in formulas, and also has a type meant for cats with crystals. And they too make kitten food.

All three "levels" make both dry and wet food.

With the 3 cats I have now, I've been feeding them a mix of Purina One urinary tract health formula and Pro Plan urinary tract health formula. None of them so far have had crystal issues - and the oldest is now 11.

Hill's Science Diet also makes food for situations like hairballs, weight loss, and crystals.

You could look at websites for places like Pet Supermarket, PetSmart, and Petco to compare food prices. Also, the Purina chow level and the Purina One level are carried in many supermarkets.

Hope that helps!

I just switched my very fat cat to Hill’s Science Diet. He was resistant at first but now he’s eating it. He has definitely slimmed a bit.

If you use Amazon’s Subscribe and Save and have enough ordered each month, you can get between 5-15% off of their already good prices. And it comes to your door!

I am not a cat person and will be getting two puppies on 12/22. My old dog was the most finicky dog in the world. He preferred the cheap dog food to the more expensive food so I would mix them. I also fed him a lot of what we were eating. For those who say it’s bad for him, he was a chocolate Lab who was 14.5 when he died. He truly died from old age - no cancer, no heart disease. He was treated for hypothyroidism and he had arthritis. He did have Lyme’s disease when he was 12 and I thought that would do it, but that’s not what killed him. I’m going to do my best to ensure these new puppies don’t have any finickiness indulged.

 

[browndog319]

My quick research six months ago yielded consensus opinions that Costco's dry food and Trader Joe's wet food were of sufficient quality, and came in with value pricing. If only she'd eat more than a few bites of the wet food, we'd have a winner. But hey, that's her choice.

Good to know! Only problem with those is I’d have to leave my house and go there. Nothing worse than shopping!