I've always bought my cat food at the supermarket. However my friend who has a dog says she never does that because the food isn't good enough quality. Is that the same for cats? Should I buy food at only pet stores?

I can't think of a single supermarket brand that is of the same quality of a pet store or veterinary exclusive brand. Read the label. Would you want to eat that? Most cheap cat foods are full of animal bi-products and fillers.

It sucks, too, because our family always feeds our cats cheap crap because they can't afford anything better. I figure our cats are still better off with us than living out in the street somewhere, but I wish we would do better. Of the supermarket brands, does anyone know which one is the best choice?
Thanks,
Lindsay

Iams would likely be the best choice of the supermarket brands.

I would not recommend buying any of the brands sold at supermarkets or superstores like wal-mart and meijers. Occassionally I'll buy Whiskas for my cat only because he goes crazy for it, but usually I stick to Eagle Pack for all my pets.

I stopped buying Iams for this reason. (http://www.iamscruelty.com/introduction.asp)

I can't think of a single supermarket brand that is of the same quality of a pet store or veterinary exclusive brand. Read the label. Would you want to eat that? Most cheap cat foods are full of animal bi-products and fillers.
veterinary exclusive brands aren't always the highest of qualities either. My mother used to feed her cats a food bought from the vet, first three ingredients were corn, corn meal and chicken by-products. Not all of them end up getting a lot of information on animal nutrition.

You're right though, read the label. Unless you're feeding your cat a vegan food, the first three ingredients should all be meat, or meat based. Ideally there should be no corn at all.

We feed Royal Canin to both of our cats (and the hedgehog too!). It's ranked in the low middle for the higher quality cats foods, and honestly about the highest quality that we can afford. It's also fairly nice that it's easy to find. :D
Were it easier to get (and a bit cheaper), I'd probably rather go with Wellness or Timberwolf Organics (this one is impossible to find in my state).
When we can get it, we do feed Wellness wet food, since the cats go crazy over the stuff.

I stopped buying Iams for this reason. (http://www.iamscruelty.com/introduction.asp)
Yes, I was just speaking of health factor. But without getting into the Iams Cruelty debate (several threads on that subject with many varying opinions), I would say that I'm pretty certain that of the supermarket brands Iams is probably the least cruel in their test methods. So those people who switch from Iams to another supermarket brand are making uneducated purchases. Best intentions don't always have the best results. PETA will be targetting the other companies after the Iams campaign has run it's course. So anyways, if you want a healthy brand you need to get away from supermarket brands, and if you want a cruelty-free brand you need to get away from supermarket brands also.

Our vet recommended Hill's Prescription Diet or Hill's Science Diet for our cats, as the Purina food we used to give them had adverse affects on their health. We use Science Diet as we can buy it at the pet store, and she says it is the same quality as their Prescription line. I noticed a dramatic difference when they started eating Science Diet (Uma's urinary tract problems disappeared, and they all had more energy and brighter eyes, healthier coats, etc). And they love it as much or better than they loved their Cat Chow.

When we really need cat food and haven't made it to the pet store before they close, we use Health Valley or another natural food from the HFS. I would feed a supermarket brand only as a last resort, and then I probably would choose IAMS (as a one-time thing, you understand). The health of my cats is too important to me to risk it with sub-standard food. I would rather go without myself than put them back on that stuff.

Absolutely true that grocery store pet foods are inferior. I feed my cat Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care. You can get it at any pet store. She's a short haired tabby and she rarely sheds. I've never seen her cough up a fur ball. And her fur is soft as satin. I can't recommend it enough.

I just adopted another tabby and I'll be transitioning him from Hill's to Nutro. Right now he sheds quite a bit and his fur isn't soft. I'll be interested in seeing the changes in him.

Natural Balance is a high-quality cat food and they don't conduct cruel tests on lab cats to prove it. Unfortunately, my oldest cat is set in his ways and won't eat their canned food or any of the other premium canned foods I've tried. He's addicted to junk food I guess.

I figure our cats are still better off with us than living out in the street somewhere.


I agree with this too. I took in my sister's cat when they had to get rid of it and my sister now informs me that they'll probably never take it back and she also 'forgets' now to bring her share of food and cat litter for it. So in a way I'm glad my cats won't eat the premium canned stuff well because at $1 a can it would be quite expensive for 3 cats. They do eat premium dry food, though. Anyway, all of them are way better off than they would be if they didn't live with me, Friskies or not. :p

Im bumping this up again. I have a question.

The first three ingrediants should be meat based? Whiskas, which is what we feed out cat contains corn meal as a first ingredient. I pointed this out to my parents and they'd like to know why the first three ingrediants should be meat based.

If we do switch over completely, it's going to be diffacult, 'cause when we mix her food, she won't touch it unless there is a little bit of Whiskas mixed in.

Im bumping this up again. I have a question.

The first three ingrediants should be meat based? Whiskas, which is what we feed out cat contains corn meal as a first ingredient. I pointed this out to my parents and they'd like to know why the first three ingrediants should be meat based.

If we do switch over completely, it's going to be diffacult, 'cause when we mix her food, she won't touch it unless there is a little bit of Whiskas mixed in.

Its difficult to find a dry food that has meat as the first three ingredients and that does not contain corn. Corn is used in tons and tons of cat foods, even top quality ones. There has to be some grain high on the list to get dry food to be crunchy -- at least thats what the cat food manufacturers tell me. (I used to deal with them a lot at work)
Wet foods are different though. Whiskas is rather crap food either way.

Its difficult to find a dry food that has meat as the first three ingredients and that does not contain corn. Corn is used in tons and tons of cat foods, even top quality ones. There has to be some grain high on the list to get dry food to be crunchy -- at least thats what the cat food manufacturers tell me. (I used to deal with them a lot at work)
Wet foods are different though. Whiskas is rather crap food either way.

innova EVO dry food has no grains in it, and it is plenty crunchy.

naturapet.com

I've always bought my cat food at the supermarket. However my friend who has a dog says she never does that because the food isn't good enough quality. Is that the same for cats? Should I buy food at only pet stores?Felidae is one of the best cat foods out there. It most completely mimics what they would eat in the wild. Meat based, which cats need. Most others are corn based, cats are carnivores not herbivores. The only plant product that cats ever would naturally get would be by ripping out the stomache and eating it along with the contents.

^^^ Okay, kinda off subject here, but why do cats eat grass? My cat used to munch on it.

I always thought Science Diet was the best kind, and if its price is any indicator of its quality, then it must be.

Felidae is one of the best cat foods out there. It most completely mimics what they would eat in the wild. Meat based, which cats need. Most others are corn based, cats are carnivores not herbivores. The only plant product that cats ever would naturally get would be by ripping out the stomache and eating it along with the contents.
Felidae contains rabbits, mice, and moles? I'll have to check that out!

angie, cats & dogs munch on grass usually when they have an upset stomach. or with cats, sometimes a hair ball. The grass often helps them throw up.

Felidae contains rabbits, mice, and moles? I'll have to check that out!

angie, cats & dogs munch on grass usually when they have an upset stomach. or with cats, sometimes a hair ball. The grass often helps them throw up.As far as rabbits, mice and moles....lol no. It contains meat bases instead of corn bases. But I definately agree, the live prey is a better option. And is a very integral part of our cats diet...:|

As for the grass munching, that is one of the major reasons, along with it being a vehicle to bring up excess mucus and bile. It's also somewhat soothing to some cats, much like a dog chewing a bone.

angie, cats & dogs munch on grass usually when they have an upset stomach. or with cats, sometimes a hair ball. The grass often helps them throw up.

Thanks, kpickell.