My quest for the "perfect" cat foods, canned and dry

[garypen]

In my quest for the near-perfect canned and dry cat foods to replace the Royal Canin dry and Science Diet canned I had been feeding them, I've tried quite a few brands. I will share my personal findings and opinions on the specific brands in the "Specific Brands" section.

First, let me state my simple requirements (I'm sure most of you share most or all of these):

1. Not manufactured by Menu Foods Income Fund, regardless of brand.
2. No Chinese-sourced ingredients.
3. No glutens.
4. No wheat, corn, or soy.
5. Relatively low carb. (using quality carbs, such as brown rice or sweet potato)
6. Small number of ingredients, other than the added vitamins and minerals, to avoid allergies.
7. No artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or other chemicals (except for added vitamins).
8. The cats must like the taste!!!! (It's not very nutritious if they don't eat it, is it?)

Let me tell you, it was not an easy task, especially for the canned foods, as most brands, including most of the so-called "holistic" and "natural" brands use Menu.

Hopefully, my experiences will help others who are also looking to replace their mainstream pet foods with something a little better for their pets, and for their own peace of mind, as well.

You can check the Specific Brand forum for my reviews of the following brands (Nutro, Royal Canin, and Science Diet were used before the recall, and do not fit the requirements above, so I will not be returning to them. But, I will include them in case the info can help others):

Blue Buffalo Canned and Dry
*California Natural Dry
Diamond - Professional Dry and Chicken Soup Canned
Evangers Canned
Felidae Canned
*Merrick Canned
Nutro Natural Choice Dry (coming soon)
Royal Canin Dry (coming soon)
Science Diet Canned and Dry (coming soon)

The brands marked with * are the ones I've chosen as my cats' main food brands.

[Mary K]

Hi, I have 6 of those Merrick dinners in a can. I have never tried it and have been afraid to open them. I know the cats would scarf it down as they haven't had any canned for a while. But I can just hear the cattle lowing pitifully as I pop the top. Any way to get over this?

[garypen]

Yeah. The best way to get over it is to pop it open, and look at it, and smell it. If it's made from garbage, they've managed to completely disguise it in some new way.

There are visible chunks of meat and veggies. It looks like a casserole. All you need to do is add the noodles.Then, you could serve it to your guests at a dinner party.

The Pot Pie, Turducken, and Thanksgivng formulas are the ones I have chosen. No beef. I've read that some cats don't do beef well. Pretty low calorie and low glycemic index (meaning low simple carbs).Good ingredient list, if it is accurate. And, my cats love it, without throwing up. (Then again, they loved Science canned too.)

It's certainly nicer to look at and smell than Felidae or Evangers. Quite frankly, those two brands looked and smelled like crap, especially the second time around when I was cleaning up the vomit.

Unless there is some kind of proof, even anecdotal, that Merrick is lying, and using rendered crap, I'll continue to use it. Sure,. that doubt will nag me in the back of my mind on occasion. But, I can only go by my own experiences, and the experiences of others. I've only read good reviews from Merrick users.

[Neto]

Gary, besides Evanger's, I recently started Artemis Fresh Mix (dry) and canned for my cat.  I haven't really researched regarding your requirement #5, 6, and 7, but pretty much meet others

[PetFoodTracker]

Is Nutro Natural Choice Dry still on your 'might feed' list?  If it is, please, take it off. 

Along with a lot of self-reported anecdotal posts and comments I've seen online, the FDA guy I spoke with last week confirmed they are conducting tests on this and other dry foods, as they have received many reports of illness/deaths due to dry food. The two names coming up most often are Iams and Nutro. 

[garypen]

Nutro Natural Choice was never on my "might feed" list. It was removed years ago when I switched from it to Royal Canin. (The improvement in their health and appearance was dramatic.)

The recent recalls with Nutro brands just cemented the deal.

[Geff]

Gary, it was your blog posts that first alerted me to California Natural. I really appreciate it, Sylvester seems to be thriving on it. At the moment, his health seems better then it was before the recall.

[garypen]

Thanks Geff. My guys seem to like it too. I just hope it doesn't turn out that they're making it from puppies and angels or something.