Which cat food?

[Mark]

Whiskas supermeat is pretty good as a wet food as unlike the ones in jelly or gravy, there is no cereal or soya in it - it is all meat & meat derivatives.

I didn't know that Mark so it's not as poor as I thought it was as mine loved it, they've gone off it recently though 

Mine seem to have as well although they are eating the senior one which has extra oils added to it.

I only found that out recently - Ocado/Waitrose are pretty good for finding out ingredients of things 

http://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Whiskas-Supermeat-Multipack/24637011 - click the "What's inside" tab 

[Fire Fox]

If you have a Home Bargains nearby they have Hi Life dry in stock which is 24% meat to Go Cats 4%, and no more expensive! Also Feline Fayre pouches which are 60% fish, cheaper than they are in Asda on offer, IIRC 22p per pouch.

[Janeyk]

Whiskas supermeat is pretty good as a wet food as unlike the ones in jelly or gravy, there is no cereal or soya in it - it is all meat & meat derivatives.

I didn't know that Mark so it's not as poor as I thought it was as mine loved it, they've gone off it recently though 

[Mark]

Sainsbury's sell Applaws dry under the name Encore - an 800gram bag is about £5 but the amount needed is much less as it is 80% meat.

Whiskas supermeat is pretty good as a wet food as unlike the ones in jelly or gravy, there is no cereal or soya in it - it is all meat & meat derivatives.

[Fire Fox]

My friend's rescue cat ate half a tin of kidney beans which she left on the side in the kitchen! 

I have a nutrition background so have been taking an interest in the ingredients of a whole range of cat foods. I'm shocked that most of the commercial brands (Go Cat, Felix, Whiskas) and supermarket own brands contain just 4% meat, the remainder being meat derivatives, cereals and additives. This is the same for both wet and dry foods - check the packaging! For wet food I am looking to switch my cat to Tesco Just Nature or Pets at Home Purely (both small tins) both of which contain around 50% meat and are reasonably priced. For dry food I have requested samples from a large number of brands with high meat content and will end u with at least a month's worth of food for free! If you are on a tight budget Jollyes Lifestage is very reasonably priced for 26% meat.

[Janeyk]

  aren't they funny!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

With beans in  ......cats!

[Kay and Penny]

I think so, Gill

I tried my lot on the Just Nature chicken varieties, but the only one they really liked  was the one with beans in, which rather  surprised me

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

is that a complete food?

[sarasara]

Expensive but I'm feeding the pusssies on Tesco 'Just nature' now as it has pieces of real fish as opposed to the horrible chunks of processed goo in their other stuff. The pouches seem small but I give one in the morning and one in the evening and the best quality cat biscuits I can obtain in-between, there is a 'just nature' range of biscuits but I give them others as well for variety. I wish I lived near a city where I could probably buy even better food but in the countryside you just have to cope with what is available in the town.

[miafey]

I prefer to feed a mix of wet and dry - if they like both because some cats just prefer one or the other, good quality if possible but food has to be enjoyable too.  I think you'll generally find out what she prefers  everything in moderation I believe.

Regarding what they can't eat this link in our cat care guide section explains:

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,26919.0.html

Thanks! It's a very helpful post - I though all cats live on raw fish!
My cat doesn't like fish anyway... And I should be careful about tuna
But she's had one mosquito, one moth and one spider already....all caught by herself 

[Janeyk]

I prefer to feed a mix of wet and dry - if they like both because some cats just prefer one or the other, good quality if possible but food has to be enjoyable too.  I think you'll generally find out what she prefers  everything in moderation I believe.

Regarding what they can't eat this link in our cat care guide section explains:

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,26919.0.html

[Gillian Harvey]

Don't forget to make any diet changes gradually to avoid tummy upsets - and the chicken wings (or any bone come to that), RAW only, never cooked 

[miafey]

Thanks!

Glad to know it's ok to feed cat raw meat. I thought it would cause worms or something. I'll be more than happy to share my chicken wings with her, 

I'll try change the biscuit first as I think she's not so picky about that. For wet food I've tried felix in jelly but she wouldn't eat at all

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I think a combination of wet and dry is the best.

You are wise to start with to stick with what she had and there is nothing wrong with whiskers but it doesnt agree with some cats.

We all have different ideas what is best for cats to eat and maybe a slightly better type of biscuit would be worth trying........I know James Wellbeloved is used by many but my cats will not touch it.

Its really a matter at finding what your cat likes the best but change any food slowly so as not to upset her tummy.

The most important thing is that she eats and most cats will not eat something they dont like.

[Gillian Harvey]

Wet food is better for overall health as it contains all the moisture a cats needs which is very important. True, tinned food does little for their teeth (but then dry food doesnt either, contrary to what some pet food manufacturers would have you believe!) Most dry food is also full of carbohydrates, which cats don't need in their diet and dry food is dehydrating by its very nature. Go Cat is mainly cereals, veggies - hardly any meat in it at all, so not ideal, Whiskas products arent brilliant in terms of meat content and some do contain cereals (although Whiskas Supermeat in tins, doesnt). Have a look at this site for really good info about why dry food isnt best for cats (written by vet Lisa Pierson) http://catinfo.org/ . A good way to help keep teeth clean is by giving cubes of raw or cooked meat, or raw chicken wings.

There are quite a few good quality high meat content/no carb i.e. cereals, wet foods, for instance Hi Life Real Meat (poultry or fish), Nature's Menu, Applaws (does contain a small percentage of rice and isnt complete), Bozita. Good quality dry with low carb + high meat include Applaws and Orijen.

Tuna is ok to give, but only as an occasional treat (she might like some of the Applaws tins as they have fishy varieties)

Personally, I feed my cats twice a day with a mainly raw diet, along with occasional Hi Life or Applaws, with a handfull of dry food at bedtime. And, yes mine are interested in my own food too LOL! There's quite a few human foods that are a no no for cats, including onions, garlic, tomatoes, chocolate, processed meats (too much salt) and I'm sure others will think of more things I havent mentioned. 

[miafey]

I'm sorry for this rather silly question but being a first time cat owner is confusing

I've got a rescue cat and she's amazing! Black and white, about 2 and a half, neutered. When I got her from the fosterer I was given some of her whiskas pouch. I think it would be better to stay on this kind of food so mainly she's now on GoCat biscuit and whiskas wet food daily. I was told she used to eat one pouch in the morning, one in the evening and some biscuit during the day. She's eating less now, around one pouch everyday. But she's eating around 50g biscuits everyday and she's not allowed out at the moment. So I assume she's eating fine. She's very picky about the flavor of the wet food though, likes pork, beef and chicken, alright on duck and lamb but no turkey...And she doesn't like meat in jelly, only in gravy

I'd always think this combination is OK for her. But I heard rumor that whiskas was found containing by products which is very harmful for cat a long while ago and should be avoided. Is it true? I mean I'm not feeding her Whiskas because it's cheap but because it was the food she's used to. But if I need to change her diet for her good I'll definately do that. Besides is wet food absolutely necessary? I know the talk about wet food being not good for cat's teeth is over but I'm still not sure which way is best. All dry food or a combination of wet/dry food? Also my cat is mad about tuna but I'm trying not to give her too much as it might be harmful. So what on earth is kind of "no good food" for a cat which we should avoid? Salt? Suger? Butter or oil? It is difficult to say no to her everytime as she's always interested in our food  We sometimes would give her a tiny little bit to taste on but we need reassurance...

So, anything about what a cat can eat and can't....