What dry food to feed my cats now?

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

Harry never eats the stomach, that always left 

[Gillian Harvey]

Also, cats wouldnt necessarily eat the stomach every time, and even if they did eat the stomach it may not always be full anyway  - so the amount of vegetable/grain matter per day would be infinitely small as Des mentioned. So its how to replicate the fibre aspect that they would get from fur and feather - and most raw recipes seem to add something like pysillium, but I know lots of raw feeders who don't add psyllium. Grain, I think would be alkalizing when in the amounts added to many dry (and some wet) foods, but likely wouldnt make significant difference when cats eat their 'natural' prey diet, because of the miniscule amounts.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I think I would prefer to feed a dry food with a high meat content and a small amount of vegetable matter than one with a low meat content and high grain content.  To a young, healthy cat at least.  But dry foods with a high meat content and no grains are a relatively new thing, and there isn't really much research regarding any potential problems.  That's why I'm wary of feeding something like Orijen all the time, and like to alternate it with something else.  But of course, dry food per se is not an ideal food.

As a bit of an aside, I think I will make a new year's resolution to actually get to grips with feeding a raw diet.  I've been playing with raw snacks for the past year or so, but I've just given Jaffa and Mosi some raw turkey mince.  Jaffa devoured it with so much gusto that I think he would really take to a raw diet.  He doesn't eat any processed wet food with that enthusiasm (not even his beloved felix).  I just need to get the right supplements and make sure I am providing a balanced diet, but I'm convinced it's the way to go for Jaffa.  Mosi likes it too, but he's not as keen as Jaffa.

Sorry for going off topic!

[Desley (booktigger)]

They would C, but it would be minimal - not quite sure how big a mouse's stomach is, but with the size of them, I am betting not very.

[Millys Mum]

It would be grainy or leafy depending if chowing on rabbit or birdy, bone,/fur/feather would also be helping to bulk out too 

[Christine (Blip)]

You see, I don't actually reckon all those ingredients in Orijen - I mean alfalfa? carrots, spinach, peas, toms, apples? not to mention all the herbage! - what concerns me is the effect all that veg/fruit content has on urine pH? Much veg has an alkalising effect - which is not what we want. I would worry that long term feeding could cause problems in that area - just my thoughts. 

Interesting...

A natural diet would include the undigested stomach contents of prey, wouldn't it?  Arguably that would more likely be grain than vegetables?  I've also been advised to increase the fibre in Blip's diet so I think I'm stuck with grain as that, presumably, won't have such an alkalising effect?

[Gillian Harvey]

You see, I don't actually reckon all those ingredients in Orijen - I mean alfalfa? carrots, spinach, peas, toms, apples? not to mention all the herbage! - what concerns me is the effect all that veg/fruit content has on urine pH? Much veg has an alkalising effect - which is not what we want. I would worry that long term feeding could cause problems in that area - just my thoughts. 

[Millys Mum]

My lot not keen on Orijen or Applaws dry, its 80% chicken but smells like fish to me  has potato in it for carbs

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

- I am concerned as it is the nearest we have to decent dry cat food.

Don't forget there's the new applaws dry due out in shops in the new year.  Also grain free.  Orijen is my dry food of choice but I do like to mix things up a bit as I tend to be wary of feeding one food all the time.  After a few months of orijen I usually give Mosi some Hi Life dry or James Wellbeloved dry.  He's currently on Royal Canin Beauty which he's enjoying and doing fine on, but it doesn't have as high a meat content as some of the others - 20% meat.  Pets at Home Premium is also a good dry food, esp if you're on a budget.

[Mark]

  - I am concerned as it is the nearest we have to decent dry cat food.

We can't be sure of anything but unlikely.

You can see their updates on the situation here http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/products/CatIngredients.aspx

As far as ingredients go, I don't think you would find better. I am going to send them an email about the Zea Mays content.

It sounds much better than my diet 


Deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato, lake whitefish, chicken fat, sweet potato, whole eggs,deboned turkey, salmon meal, salmon and anchovy oils, salmon, natural chicken flavour, sunflower oil, sun-cured alfalfa, dried brown kelp, carrots, spinach, peas, tomatoes, apples, psyllium, dulse, glucosamine Hcl, cranberries, black currants, rosemary extract, chondroitin sulfate, sea salt.

TONIC HERBS AND BOTANICALS

Chicory root, licorice root, tumeric root, funugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, zea mays, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosehips.

ORGANIC MINERALS

Iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate.

PROBIOTIC MICROORGANISMS

Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

PREMIUM VITAMINS

Mixed tocopherols (source of vitamin E), choline chloride, vitamin A, vitamin D3, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12, folic acid, biotin.

[blackcat]

trust you to know the details Mark 

How can you be confident they don't irradiate food here?

[Mark]

Yes but it has been proven that it was contaminated by being irradiated in Australia - they have tested food from all other countries and Australia which accounts for 0.5% of sales, is the only country with this issue. The irradiation destroyed the vitamin A and other things (the dose was higher than usual)

[blackcat]

and don't forget that Orijen was recently the subject of a major contamination issue in Oz, with cats dying ... 

[Christine (Blip)]

Blip isn't keen on Orijen either, sadly, so we're sticking with Royal Canin too.  At least the Mature is 6% fibre.

[MrsR]

Thanks will probably stick with RC, will get some smaller packs first for them to try rather than jumping in with buying a 6/10kg bag like I normally do.

[madkittyrescue]

My lot love the RC food... either the Fit 32 or the Sensible they thoroughly enjoy.  As mark says the Sensible does smell a bit more 'food' like! and it goes down well with my lot.

[MrsR]

Thanks Mark I tried my guys on Orijen bu tthey didn't like it.

[Mark]

I am quite happy with RC sensitive 33 for all of them - it actually smells appetising compared to most. I am going to try Orijen again as I am convinced it is the ultimate food due to lack of grain - although I did see on a site the other day that someone said it contains zea mays (maize) - I will check before ordering.

[MrsR]

All  my cats ate RC Urinary dry food as Sylvester had to stricly be fed on this but now for obvious reasons I do not have to stick to a purely urinary diet.   

Wondering what is a good quality dry food to feed the rest of my guys on.