"I'd never heard of this brand before reading this thread. 2 of their 3 cat foods look like they might meet my Kittie's needs. "

Geff,
If you go to Therese's THE PET FOOD LIST and check out the "foods and manufacturers" link you will find Flint River and so many other foods that have had ZERO problems EVER.  Flint River has been there since early spring. People who keep switching from food to food to food are not doing enough homework and are not helping their pets digestive systems either. THE PET FOOD LIST is about the best source I have found and am sorry to see forum members may not be using it. Good luck on your search for kitty's ideal food.

Has anyone used Life4K9 dog food? I emailed many questions to them and got prompt answers each time.   It seems like an excellent kibble so I ordered the adult dog lamb kibble. It came today and the dogs seemed to like it mixed with their Kumpi. I am hoping it will make a good alternate as I like to alternate between two kibbles. Their canned is by Evangers for those who use it. I no longer use any canned. No cat food with this company. Would love to hear from anyone who uses the kibble. Will let you know in a few weeks how it works out here.

ps Never did hear back from By Nature.

Well I give up!

It has now been over a week and I have gotten NO ANSWER to my question as to where By Natures canned is manufactured.   As a matter of fact all my emails have gone unanswered since the one where RDeVone said it was "proprietary information."   Even Tedd has ignored my inquiries.
However, another dog food company that I have been emailing back and forth with all week has answered EVERYTHING and promptly.
I see it as sort  of a ""Tail"" of two companies".
But as I have said all along you buy what you want and I will do the same.

PS: This  second company, Life4K9,  identifies Evangers as the canned food processor with no hesitation. 

catmom5
Glad your kitty is doing better. Ulcerations depending can take longer to heal than a scratch caught early. Depends on how bad but looks like your kitty is on his way to recovery. Glad you found a specialist for him.

Tips Before Buying Any Wellbred Purebreed Dog/Cat:
1.Ask to see certificates for all health screenings done on the puppy's parents before breeding. Hip xray evaluation (OFA), eye exam findings by an animal ophthamologist (CERF), evaluation by vet of patellas, and any other vet certified tests performed. These will depend on the breed as each has their own concerns and some breeds more than others.
2.Ask for the name and number of a vet you can contact who cares for the breeder's dogs.
3. Ask for a pedigree of at least 4 generations. AKC and UKC require records, keep pedigrees and other information on file. Some "papers" require nothing but money from the breeder.
4.You should be given a contract with all information and requirements you both agree to. Most breeders will require you to neuter the dog by a certain age and will state in the papers that the dog come back to them, at any time, if you can no longer keep it. Most breeders will accept deposit and payment by check. Not too many I know take credit cards but some may.
5.All recognized breeds have a parent website under AKC. Much valuable information to know before you buy. Health concerns for that breed are usually discussed and you can contact responsible breeders through it. Probably the same for UKC. I don't register with UKC. Cat people also have registries but you will have to get that info yourself.
6.Visit the breeder's home and the animals if at all possible. Don't be surprised if you are asked more questions than you ask. You might be required to give a reference from a vet.
7.Go to dog/cat shows if at all possible. It is the best way to meet breeders and see your favored breed in a social situation.
8.READ, READ, READ before you pick a breed and buy.
This is a very long committment so know what you are doing. If you do not intend to show the dog/cat perhaps adopting from a purebreed rescue, start with http://www.petfinder.com , is for you. Mixed breeds make great pets too and you will be saving a life.

Added: Most of the national breed clubs end with the term ......Club of AMERICA. Ex. Collie Club of America, Yorkshire Terrier Club of America, etc. There are generally local clubs in each state as well. I am not too familiar with organizations outside the US but every country has their registries.

Thanks for the info Lacy . I'll see what Tedd has to say. HOWEVER, I came home yesterday to find an email from Ray DeVone of customer service for Blue Seal and By Nature.
Remember my main question has been who/where for the manufature of By Nature CANNED dog and cat food. Here is the reply from Ray D,

"I am told that the answer to your question is proprietary information and we do not have a release from our partners to reveal their names."

ODD!!! However, this is exactly the kind of info I found  others had posted on the Itchmo By Nature forums for May '07. Will see what Tedd says.

Lacy/Geff,
I would appreciate the name and/or email address of the person from BY Nature who said Evangers canned their food. As you know I have been trying to get an answer on that  with no luck. I emailed R. DeVone of Blue Seal, a general email  for By Nature and also one for Blue Seal plus the NH headquarters.  Four inquiries. NADA! I also found May entries on Itchmo where people could not get answers to that question. I am not going to buy from people so secretive but as Geff claims I also must be a bit compulsive about some things. Why no answers???
I did email another company from Therese's list on Friday afternoon with the same questions. Had an answer back on SATURDAY morning with all the info. I will try that food as I like to feed a variety.
Thanks in advance for the info.

Easier said than done Lacy! If you read my entries you will see I never get a straight answer from either Blue Seal or By Nature. Never did in April when I complained that their rep misled people at a dog show. Only a "sorry you were misinformed", no answers. Nothing more from the distributor and no answers fron my two inquiries to two different emails yesterday. Only a total non answer. Blue Seal is a trademark but my own investigation leads to a big animal feed, fertilizer company in the midwest. No way would I use any of these foods just for the secrecy alone !!! I am positive you can understand why what a pet person says on a forum would not be much help to me under these circumstances. Plus how about that EVASIVE "assurance" of 8/06/07  from Blue Seal's president I posted?
Too many quality companies out there with no history of any problems and completely open with all their info to spend more effort on this one. As I said to Jenny, to each her ( his ) own. Happy weekend.

Get the cat back to the vet! Having had a scratched cornea myself and having had dogs with them, one in 2005, the meds usually work quickly. You have to use the full course but improvement should be noted in about 24 hours. See if you can find a pet ophthamologist in your area. They do exist and are as knowledgable as the human kind.

Jenny you go by looks if you want.    I only go by direct information from the company ( if I think I can believe them).
Geff I have been using Kumpi since April and am happy with both food and service.  No canned though. Good luck in your search but I fear you may have to think out of the box if poor kitty has so many allergies. Maybe a dehydrated would work for him as the # of ingredients are generally fewer than canned. Most send out inexpensive samples. It took a few feedings but my dogs now love both Thrive and Force  from Honest Kitchen. You can get samples of their Prowl for a few dollars.
Have a great weekend all.

That link is not from the company. It is a post on a forum. If its true why aren't they saying so???  I am only interested in answers from the company. I believe Brandon Farms is also canned by Menu. It all SMELLS worse than the fish Geff's cat does not want to eat. 
Never did hear back from RDeVone  or the NH headquarters or the distributor  who emailed me about two weeks ago. Wonder why 
Well feed what you wish. They are your animals not mine!

Seems the cans ARE made by Menu and  they won't tell. Also guess I got no answer on imported products in the food made in the USA as they do use imports. Wonder what's from China
By the way, Therese's info says Blue Seal is manufactured by Menu. Nothing about Evangers making it on her lists. She does an A+++ job on those lists don't you agree. I still use them regularly.

Jenny what would Geff do without you?  However, he may want to read this himself!

Geff  FYI :
http://www.blueseal.com/petOwners.php

PS Maybe Lacy would too.

Hi Jenny,
The pouches are made in China using "human food". Problem is some "human food" in China is DEFINITELY NOT human food here. Out of curiosity I emailed By Nature, Blue Seal Feeds about 9:40am EST asking about the pouches and if any vitamins, other supplements or any products used in the rest of their foods came from China. I specifically asked for their USA canneries. At 9:55 am EST RDeVone@BLUESEAL.com answered and confirmed on the pouches. He answered nothing else except to say Menu did not can for them. I immediately emailed back to reask my questions, especially about the cannery. It is now almost 4:20pm EST. I should have had an answer by now, don't ya think?
As for the foods I recommended to Geff, perhaps he should check them out  for himself. As far as I know most, if not all, produce canned, dehydrated, raw food for both dogs and cats. Some use Menu to can but all readily admit it and NONE have had any problems at all Menu or not. Possibly Geff's parameters are so narrow that he might have to make his own food. I have used no canned of any kind since March but would rather use companies completely up front about it than one that keeps such information secret.  Don't you agree? After all why hide such information? Nature's Variety and Wysong both have the rabbit he seems to want. Maybe some of the others do too. I know many show people use Breeder's Choice, Wysong, Wellness and Solid Gold with great results. All depends on what one's priorities are I presume.
Sylvia, from the BEAUTIFUL Jersey Shore
PS Here is a site with easy,  quick info to help start your own diet. Just the basics plus reference sources. I make some of my own food now and found it a good beginning. No charts, no mess, no fuss. Why should their food be more complicated than ours? If you are having lots of health problems try looking to the vaccines.
http://www.petsynergy.com/diet.html

Geff I would stay away from the By Nature pouches as they are from China.( See By Nature threads on this forum.) I was contacted by one of their reps about two weeks ago - email- to let me know he had By Nature in a local feed store now. I emailed back about the experience I had in April and I never heard from him again. I guess some of their food is still from China. Also difficult to track down where some Blue Seal products are actually manufactured. (See threads again.) I have a friend with a few cats who uses a food called Nature's Variety. She has healthy, long lived cats.
Some of the foods I looked at that I have never heard any problems with at any time:
Bench and Field, Breeders Choice especially Pinnacle, Eagle Pack, Honest Kitchen, mORIGINS,Sojouner Farms, Flint River, Solid Gold, Steve's Real Food including Halo, Timberwolf, and of course Wellness and Wysong. I have no cat now so you will have to do the research. All are on Therese's list as are even more choices. Historically the problems with pet foods in the past have been with the larger companies. Diamond had major problems this time and also in late 2005. Some of these foods are hard to find but worth it to me. There is also a Dr Harvey-raw- manufactured here in the east but I don't do raw. Do love Honest Kitchen dehydrated though. Good luck with your kitty.