# Dry food



## Poetess (May 2, 2012)

Is dry food _really_ that bad for cats? I've seen a few different vets over the years, and they all had their own opinion on what cats should eat. Most of the vets said good quality dry was best, and canned should be reserved only as a treat. I've had all say that raw was bad for house cats, and not to do it. Though my new vet in this state claims that only canned should be given, but pretty much forbids dry or raw. Though with my last cat, I tried her on canned food for about a month, and it gave her terrible stomach problems and she wouldn't eat much of it and she lost weight. I switched her back to dry, but she always had bad hairball problems (even though she was not a long-haired cat.) I later tried her on Purina Naturals and her coat got shinier, she was shedding less and she never got another hairball. I could never get her to try cat laxes/hairball medicines easily, and even on the occasion that I made her, it never helped. So once I got Finn, I put him on the same thing and he gets tuna as well. He seems very happy and healthy. Is this really unhealthy for him? I've seen so many varying opinions on food, even from vets.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Raw is absolutely best. How many cats on the Serengeti are eating kibble? :wink Most vets do NOT take nutrition courses and the ones provided are hosted by ....wait for it.... pet food companies. The text books.... provided by pet food companies.

Canned is an OK alternative. A good quality grain free canned that is. Here are a few informative articles about pet food that were posted on here recently.

Commercial Canned Foods by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM :: reading cat food labels, canned versus dry cat food
Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition :: healthy cat diet, making cat food, litter box, cat food, cat nutrition, cat urinary tract health


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## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

Dry food is the devil.


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## Poetess (May 2, 2012)

Wow. Thank you for the information. I never knew half of that after growing up around several animals. I'm still shocked that out of every long-winded thing I've heard from vets about diets, nearly none of that info came up. I don't think I will try the raw diet just yet. I do believe I will try switching him to canned, though. I will try to stay clear of fish-based and grain-based canned food. I can't even remember what kind I'd given my last cat; it was a few years ago. I wonder if it had fish in it. I didn't realize cats were sensitive to fish, or could be.


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## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

Poetess said:


> I do believe I will try switching him to canned, though. I will try to stay clear of fish-based and grain-based canned food.


If you stick with that you'll do great and likely end up with a very healthy and happy cat for a long time. It's amazing how much better cats look at behave when their system isn't trying to make sense of the trash found in poor quality foods.

I switched to wet three years ago, and grain free about 6 months ago and saw very noticeable improvements both times.


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## Gummers (Mar 8, 2012)

I don't believe kibble is the Great Satan, but it's NOT ideal. Raw is best, but it requires a bit of work. Work that's not difficult, but I'm lazy. My cats mainly get Weruva and some Blue Buffalo dry when I'm going to be gone for more than 16 hours (which isn't often).

If you're not willing to do raw, then grain-free wet is the next best option. I'm a raw feeder, and used to be really hardcore into it, but then life happened and it's only a few times a week now.


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## Ted (Aug 28, 2011)

Any advice for good grain-free wet food?

Suggestions of brands?


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

Weruva chicken varieties, Wellness, EVO 95%


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## Ted (Aug 28, 2011)

Thanks very much, Dweamgoil.


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

Anytime


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Before grain, by nature, and Merrick's also.


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## Arkona (May 7, 2012)

Poetess said:


> Most of the vets said good quality dry was best, and canned should be reserved only as a treat.


Wow... that's like saying the best food for humans is super-processed McDonald's, and that fresh veggies and home-cooked meat should be reserved as a treat only. 



Poetess said:


> I've had all say that raw was bad for house cats, and not to do it.


What an interesting distinction, eh? Raw food is bad for house cats, but not bad for... non-house cats? What's the difference, exactly? Do outdoor cats have a different anatomy from indoor cats? Do their organs somehow process raw food differently? *confused*


I think vets are "against" raw food for a variety of reasons... it depends on the vet, and for some it's a mix of reasons, but here are a few:

1. They are misinformed. Just because someone is a vet doesn't mean they have the best information on cat nutrition. Some do, but not all. It's their job to fix a cat's ailments, not necessarily prevent them. Just like doctors aren't always the best source on human nutrition... 

2. There is a conflict of interests. Some vets sell certain brands of food, dry and canned, so they have something to gain from you buying these foods. They sell Science Diet at my vet, so it's no wonder my vet is constantly recommending it even though it's pretty much one of the worst things I could be feeding my cat.

3. They underestimate their clients. Some vets actually do realize the benefits of a raw diet, but don't recommend it for fear that their clients won't be able to do it properly. Feeling an unbalanced home-made raw diet, from what I hear, can be even worse than just feeding dry kibble. If you're going to do it, it needs to be done properly, and many cat owners just aren't willing to put in the time and effort to be able to do it properly. So some vets will play to the lowest common denominator and not recommend raw at all, just in case.

So given all these points, I decided to take my vet's word with a grain of salt on this one. I looked up a lot of information on raw cat diets and it just made a lot more sense to me. I transitioned my cat very early on, only a couple of weeks after getting her (she was about 1.5 years old), but I noticed quite a positive difference:

1. She seemed to have more energy (though this could be attributed to her getting more used to her new home).
2. She started drinking less water (cats should get most of their water from their food, not from drinking water), and yet, peeing more (a sign that she is getting more liquid despite the fact that she hardly ever drinks water).
3. Her stool stopped stinking. I kid you not!!! When we first got her, her stool would stink up the whole bathroom, if not for the whole house. Now we can't even tell when she pooped until we clean her litter box and find it. I can't even smell it close to the litter box. There is also way less poop. If that's not enough reason to go raw, I don't know what is. 

Here are a few things to note about my cat, which may or may not be due to her raw diet. I don't know because I didn't have her on non-raw long enough to know how she used to be, plus I've only had her for 4 months so who knows if any of these things will change...

1. In the 4 months I've had her, she only just puked up her first hairball today, and I think it may be due to a little accident we had with her flea meds yesterday (it dripped and she was licking it off  ). Her hair is long-ish, and I don't brush it much since it doesn't mat and she doesn't like it (although I may start after this), so it's pretty amazing that she only puked her first hairball today.

2. She smells great, her fur is super soft, her breath doesn't stink. 


I think I've given you enough lists for today. Seriously, do some more reading on raw and draw your own conclusions. I just couldn't help but share


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## littlesushi (Jun 8, 2011)

Brands of grain-free canned food my cats like: earthborn holistic chicken, tiki cat chicken, addiction, nature's variety, ziwipeak.


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## Penny135 (Apr 6, 2011)

I don't believe dry food is of the Devil. Sometimes thats all a provider can afford. I've seen many health cats live for years on dry food. Even the Wal-Mart brands, although I dont recomend them. 

I just started Mia on dry Evo. Its the best I will be able to give her. Luckily I can get it half off at Pet Supply Plus when its on half of because its expiring in a month or two. Its not a bad thing. Sometimes I think people go overboard and make others feel guilty for what they feed their cats. Just do the best you can and leave it at that. At least he/she is not out on the streets trying to get food.


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## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

My "Dry food is the devil." comment was a poor attempt to be silly and light humored within a sometimes controversial topic. Usually, on cat forums at least, my sense of humor fails me. In all seriousness, I don't believe dry cat food has any relation to theology in the slightest. 

I have great respect for the need to do what you can within a given budget. I free fed my cat dry food for eight years. In the beginning it was Meow Mix that I bought using scratched together change from the gas station convient store I lived behind.

Three years ago I switched to wet food. Friskies actually. I saw a large improvement in his health. Less than a year ago I switched to grain free wet foods. I saw another large improvement in his (all three of my oldest cats, actually) health, physically and psychologically. Because of my experiences, I tend to speak up on the wet vs. dry topic.

I did not mean to offend. I apologize if I did so.


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## Penny135 (Apr 6, 2011)

GhostTown said:


> My "Dry food is the devil." comment was a poor attempt to be silly and light humored within a sometimes controversial topic. Usually, on cat forums at least, my sense of humor fails me. In all seriousness, I don't believe dry cat food has any relation to theology in the slightest.
> 
> I have great respect for the need to do what you can within a given budget. I free fed my cat dry food for eight years. In the beginning it was Meow Mix that I bought using scratched together change from the gas station convient store I lived behind.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks Ghosttown. Apology accepted. Sorry I took it so seriosly. This can be a touchy subject. :crazy


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

I think between Penny and Ghostown an interesting point was raised: you should do the best you can within your means. No one should feel guilty because they can't afford expensive foods. Only you know your own motivations, and if you made an informed decision, you are way ahead of the game. A lot of people simply go by whatever brand they see on TV, and is the easiest even if they can provide better, they just don't want to be bothered.


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## littlesushi (Jun 8, 2011)

i'm incorporating more frankenprey style raw food in their diets cause the canned food can really add up! it takes a little bit more work at first but it's better for them, and better for my wallet. it's a win win


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

Mine LOVE Earthborn chicken (it's shredded, not pate) and they also get wellness grain free varieties (including core), Nature's Variety Instinct, and have eaten Innova, EVO, Before Grain, Go!, weruva, california natural, and felidae (and probably more I've forgotten about) in the past but we stopped because my dad can't remember that many food names lol.

Wet food is MUCH better for cats and luckily people are starting to catch on to this. It is much lower in carbs and much higher in moisture, both of which mean your cats body will be much healthier on a wet food diet and won't have to work nearly as hard. Cats on dry food are often dehydrated and their organs must work very hard to try and process the carbs and sugar they are not designed to eat. If your cat had issues last time you tried wet food it could have been a specific sensitivity to a certain ingredient. If it was a low quality brand that could have been the problem. Some cats are sensitive to certain grains, some have trouble with potato, some have problems with certain proteins like beef or fish. Some cats vomit if their food is served cold. You might need to experiment a bit. The one and only down side to wet food for us was the cost. Feeding homemade raw was much cheaper.


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## Poetess (May 2, 2012)

Penny135 said:


> Sometimes thats all a provider can afford. I've seen many health cats live for years on dry food. Even the Wal-Mart brands, although I dont recomend them.
> 
> I just started Mia on dry Evo. Its the best I will be able to give her. Luckily I can get it half off at Pet Supply Plus when its on half of because its expiring in a month or two. Its not a bad thing. Sometimes I think people go overboard and make others feel guilty for what they feed their cats. Just do the best you can and leave it at that. At least he/she is not out on the streets trying to get food.


You have brought up something that I've been thinking about. I have health problems and am living on about $700, which was never a problem with my last cat in the past. I have always just budgeted my money the best I could and put away a little every month (for emergencies or yearly vet, etc) after cat food, litter, the odd toy or bed, and of course, my food and bills. I had never considered the food a neglectant factor, though I never realized it wasn't the best for cats. I never bought the cheapy dry food or anything; I always tried the get the best dry that I could afford. I think, like you, that it is better than them being on the streets or going hungry. I know Finn is much better off with me than living in a cramped cage at a shelter, and eating skimped portions of very cheap dry. At the same time, after learning all of this, I feel bad, but at the same time, I know that I'm really not neglecting him. But I know that none of these responses were intended to be negative toward anyone.


-------------------------------

I would like some advice from you all. Two things come to mind: Considering that I am aware some canned/wet is very costly, could I get some names of some that would be better options, but at a more reasonable price? Secondly, Finn is very food paranoid. I have given him wet/canned along with his dry before, but generally that was just as a treat a few times a week, and the dry as a constant. However, he wants food to be full in his bowl 24/7, so he can eat when he wants, and if his bowl is empty or not completely full, he will go crazy and yowl (even if he'd just eaten a second before), follow me, and harass me until I fill it. I think he's afraid that he will go hungry if he doesn't see food at all times. I think it might be from living in the shelter for 5 months; I imagine sharing smaller amounts with his sibling(s) made him a bit paranoid. How would you suggest I go about feeding him nothing but wet/canned in this situation?


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## Penny135 (Apr 6, 2011)

Like you I live off a very meger income per month ($735, ssdi). I go to Pet Supply Plus when I need cat food. I buy off their clearance rack. It is items that will expire in 2-3 months. This time I bought a 16lb bag of Evo for $25. I was so excited. It will last a few months. Catfood (dry) is safe for a couple of months after the date if it stored in an airtight container. There is no other way I could afford the "good stuff ". Mia has a stomach of steal so I dont have to worry about switching foods. She just can be VERY picky! However she has never vomited or coughed a hairbal and she just turned 1 (Ive had her sence she was 7 weeks old). I know I'm very fortunate.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

I think everyone should just do what they can, it doesn't make you love your pet less if you can't afford the most expensive foods. Until a few years ago I'm pretty sure most people were in the dark about the down sides of kibble, and I don't know any cats that suffered a shorter thn average lifespan for it. My aunt's cats - there have been three - all lived 16-18 years on Iam's kibble back when everyone seemed to think it was great stuff. Likewise Blaze until a few years ago lived fully on Friskies wet along with free feeding whatever kibble was cheapest in the store. He's 16 now and never had a health concern. My mother's cat is 14 and has lived on Whiskas kibble her whole life. She's a very fussy cat and has refused healthier kibble brands, although recently I've talked my mother into giving her a little grain free wet every day - half a tin. I think cats that are predisposed to problems may really benefit from grain free, and of course it's better for every cat, but where it's not possible is not some kind of death sentence like if you were to eat McDonald's daily.


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## ronss (Dec 12, 2010)

there are different opinion from vets, i have seen 2 vets now, and they both had different opinions..the vet i saw yesterday, said dry food was good. she also stated that it was not too good years ago, but now the quality is good

the vet i saw before this one said to stay away from the dry.

i sort of doubt vets take nutrition courses in vet school. they study on operating on animals, sickness, that sort of thing. 

the cat food my cats like, its the best i have bought so far , is earthborn-Chicken Catcciatori Grain Free Canned Cat Food. it was real shreaded chicken in it, sort of looks like i could eat it. its expensive though.

i do give some dry too...i give my 2 cats 8oz of wet food a day, and 1/2 cup of dry. trying to get my siamese to loose some weight.


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## Lucas718 (Feb 19, 2012)

I found this site to be a great source of info on the wet vs. dry debate. It's long, but worth a read. In short, the worst wet food is better for your cat than the best dry.

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition :: healthy cat diet, making cat food, litter box, cat food, cat nutrition, cat urinary tract health


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## Arkona (May 7, 2012)

Like others I agree, do the best you can within your means. I do think having cats and feeding them dry food and giving them activity and love is better than letting them roam the streets where they can be run over by a car or starve to death, or get euthanized by a kill shelter, or live in an over-crowded shelter.

With that said, I think canned food can be reasonably affordable and it's far better than feeding dry. Most responsible owners I know feed at least a mixture of both. 

Of course, I think raw is best but I recognize not everyone can do it. It doesn't make you a bad cat owner if you can't. If you are willing to do canned, I think that is a great step in the right direction. 

This video by Dr. Karen Becker, a holistic vet, has a list of best-to-worst foods for your cats. Please take a look, it should help you find the best type of food you can afford:





I don't really fully agree with her ranking (I totally agree with the first 3 and last 3, but human-grade dry food before super-premium wet food, and a few others, I don't see the reasoning), but then again I am not a vet. I know vets aren't always right when it comes to nutrition, but this woman clearly has done her research and has the best interest of the animals in mind.

Personally, I would say that other than a raw diet or a grain-free canned diet (the latter can be even more expensive than the former, I think), your next best bet in my opinion is grocery store wet food. You can even "supplement" that with occasional raw "treats" you get from the grocery store, like a raw chicken neck or heart, which are very very cheap. That way your cat gets to chew and fight the tartar buildup from the wet food a bit.


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## Ktns (Apr 25, 2012)

I havent done so much research on this, but I remember one big argument for dry food was that it helped scrape away natural tartar buildup, helped massage the gums, etc, like a natural toothbrush?


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Ktns said:


> I havent done so much research on this, but I remember one big argument for dry food was that it helped scrape away natural tartar buildup, helped massage the gums, etc, like a natural toothbrush?


That was the old wives tale but unless the kibble is formulated for helping teeth it doesn't do anything. It would be like saying that since Cheetos are crunchy they will clean your teeth.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Lucas718 said:


> In short, the worst wet food is better for your cat than the best dry.


I used to agree with this statement, but as I continue to research I'm not so sure anymore. The ingredients that go into the worst canned foods have been rejected for human consumption because there is something wrong with them...dead, dying or diseased animals that may be pumped full of drugs before they died or drugs due to euthanasia, not to mention whatever disease kill them. Grains, fruits and veggies can be mold and insect infested...many molds are toxic, corn and wheat are particularly prone to aflatoxins. Artificial preservatives that are known carcinogens and have been outlawed for human use but are still being used in pet foods. Artificial colorants also have a history of being carcinogenic. Sure they cook the **** out of it to neutralize these ingredients, but then what nutrients are left? You also have to consider where the ingredients are coming from (e.g. China) and the risk associated with the source. 

Good dry food presents two problems...dehydration and carb content. I think that the carb content issue is probably equivalent to a cat getting it's nutrition from nothing but by-products...they still have to eat way more of it to get what they need. I can't imagine that it's any easier for their bodies to digest chicken gristle than peas or potatoes. Neither are the best source of nutrition for a cat, but I think I'd rather my cat get some protein from human grade peas than a chicken that was dead on a truck for who knows how long in 100 degree heat before it got to the slaughter house.

So that leaves us with dehydration. If I had to feed dry, I could figure out ways to get more water into my cats. I would have some level of control over the situation. If I feed the worst wet food I have absolutely no control over what goes in those cans and it can be really nasty.

So...given the choice of feeding high quality dry (human grade ingredients) or the worst wet food (or even many of the mid-range wet foods)...I think I'd feed the dry and find a way to get more water into my cats. It's a lot of water; they need 1.25 cups of water for every cup of dry. They drink about half on their own. It would be some work and take some creativity, but I'd be more comfortable doing that than feeding junk wet foods. And no free feeding...measured amounts, meal feeding so that their weight is controlled.

I know many of you are probably picking your jaw up off the ground to hear me say this. But I've been doing a lot of research over the last couple months and have become absolutely disgusted by what I see going into the grocery store and mid-range foods. I'm also someone who has lost two cats to cancers of the digestive tract at very young ages (10 & 12) that I now attribute to their diet. This was before I knew anything about foods and both of them ate a primarily low to mid range wet food diet.


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## Arkona (May 7, 2012)

I am guessing that is the logic behind the list I posted by Dr. Karen Becker...


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

I fully agree with Doodlebug. I will at any time choose Orijin dry over Frisky/Wiska/FancyFeast cans. But I guess for ppl who buy those cheap cans, price is one of the major factor. High quality dry food are quite expensive. If ppl can afford Orijin, they can afford Merric, Chicken soup for cat lover, Felidae cans. So the comparison ppl usually make is between low quality cans and low quality dry. In which case, the winner is obvious  

PS: When I feed Orijin to my cats (twice a week as a treat, since they like it so much), I add quite a bit water in it.


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## Thradia (May 6, 2012)

MowMow said:


> Most vets do NOT take nutrition courses and the ones provided are hosted by ....wait for it.... pet food companies. The text books.... provided by pet food companies.


I just wanted to add a little insight in here. I am an Animal Health Technician student and I took a nutrition course that was sponsored by Purina. I don't know about other companies, but I can tell you about this course. 

I have to tell you that it was not a push to use purina brands. Yes, we were educated on Purina brands and what they offer to dogs and cats. However, the course education us on how cats and dogs digest, the nutritional needs and how they differ for age, health, size, medical complications, etc. It taught us the biology of the animal and how to fulfill it's needs, no matter what food you use. 

Obivously, Purina showed their brands and stated their case on how they would fulfill the animals needs, but the course itself was extremely educational (and hard.. I had to redo 2 tests). It talked about raw, soft and dry food. 

Now, how a Vet uses this information, is going to differ obviously. But for me going into this field, it was good information that I learned that I can use to direct pets and their owners the right way. I don't feel any need to push their product.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I can't agree with the Orijen vs high quality canned cost assessment. I sell a 5.5 lb bag of Orijen for $20.99 (US). Assuming 1/2 cup (2.5 oz) per day for a 10lb cat, the bag is enough for 35 days. 

Assuming one 5.5 oz can per day of canned food:

Chicken Soup for 35 days (@ $.85/can) = $29.75 (almost 50% more)
Merrick ($1.41) = $49.35
EVO 95% Ckn/Tky ($1.47) = $51.45
Wellness ($1.69) = $59.15 (2.5 times more)

If I were to sell Friskies canned food it would be $.71/can for 35 days = $24.98. Still more than feeding Orijen dry. 

Of course these prices vary if you buy bigger bags, larger cans, find it on sale, order it online etc. etc. But for the general apples to apples comparision (my mark up on dry and canned food is the same across the board), it's quite clear that the best dry food is still less expensive than one of the worst canned foods. 

I don't advocate dry food at all, but if you can afford grocery story canned food, then I'd say go for the really high quality kibble, take the extra few bucks left over and by a few cans of high quality canned and use it to flavor the extra water you want your cats to drink. Feed the flavored water before the kibble. You're even cost wise and the cat is getting much better nutrition.


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## ronss (Dec 12, 2010)

dry foods just don,t contain enought water for a animial that has a small thirst drive..that is why its bad, only about 10% water....your cat seems to do well on dry, untill later on when some sort of problem begins from the lack of water.

homemade seems to be the way to go, i may try it in the near future after i get a grinder and good receipe. right now its chicken soup and earthborn chicken


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## Poetess (May 2, 2012)

doodlebug said:


> I can't agree with the Orijen vs high quality canned cost assessment. I sell a 5.5 lb bag of Orijen for $20.99 (US). Assuming 1/2 cup (2.5 oz) per day for a 10lb cat, the bag is enough for 35 days.
> 
> Assuming one 5.5 oz can per day of canned food:
> 
> ...


Thank you for that, Doodlebug. I was wondering about that. I believe I will try that.


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## ibbica (Jul 28, 2010)

Thradia said:


> I just wanted to add a little insight in here. I am an Animal Health Technician student and I took a nutrition course that was sponsored by Purina. I don't know about other companies, but I can tell you about this course.
> 
> I have to tell you that it was not a push to use purina brands. Yes, we were educated on Purina brands and what they offer to dogs and cats. However, the course education us on how cats and dogs digest, the nutritional needs and how they differ for age, health, size, medical complications, etc. It taught us the biology of the animal and how to fulfill it's needs, no matter what food you use.
> 
> ...


I don't think anyone is thinking they'd be so obvious as to say "...and Purina of course is the only brand you should feed!"  

Nevertheless, they do have a vested interest in presenting information that leads you to such a conclusion. This may mean presenting information that has little to no basis in careful research, or by only referencing studies done in-house or so poorly as to be useless (e.g. the studies so frequently mis-cited as evidence that "cooking food kills cats!" or "dry food is best for oral hygiene!"), and by failing to note any studies that may contradict their claims.

Do they cite any primary research articles backing up (or better yet, contradicting) any of their claims? What resources do they cite when talking about a particular species' biology, digestion rates, and nutritional needs? Or is it based on "everyone knows..." sorts of sources? Do they present you with primary data and the methods used to obtain it, or a summary of an unpublished study? Is anyone encouraged to go read the primary research for themselves, and discuss whether the results were compelling evidence for the authors' (or presenter's) conclusions? Or did they just have you memorize the "facts" presented?

I don't want to pick on just Purina here, and I really don't think their instructors are intentionally providing bad information. I have to think that they do really believe what they're presenting, because I try to think that not everyone's a money-grubbing psychopath... Although yes, I do wish more people would think critically about what they're told, I don't think anyone 'evil' for not doing so! And there certainly are companies that do make what I would consider "high-quality" food that also provide, well, let's call it "misleading information" on their websites for example (IMO, Wysong is one of the worst offenders!).

I simply wouldn't trust any manufacturer's claims about nutrition or biology without independent external confirmation, and I hope that you don't either.


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

doodlebug said:


> I can't agree with the Orijen vs high quality canned cost assessment. I sell a 5.5 lb bag of Orijen for $20.99 (US). Assuming 1/2 cup (2.5 oz) per day for a 10lb cat, the bag is enough for 35 days.
> 
> Assuming one 5.5 oz can per day of canned food:
> 
> ...


You are right Doodlebug. I wasn't doing math when I wrote my previous post. Just because Orijen has price a lot higher than most other dry on the shelf, I thought it must be more expensive than the worst cans. But I just checked, the 7kg bag (largest available) cost me almost 80$ (I ended up donating most because my cats soon switched to wet food). According to the feeding instruction on the bag, I need to feed my cat 45g each day, which is about .52$. Friskies 5.5oz cans is .79$, so it's more expensive. Then there really is no excuse to feed those junk food (either can or dry).

PS: It's surprising that almost everything is more expensive in Canada, e.g., chicken soup 1.69/5.5oz can, wellness 2.19/5.5oz can, yet Friskey can's price doesn't vary a lot.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

yingying said:


> PS: It's surprising that everything is more expensive in Canada, e.g., chicken soup 1.69/5.5oz can, wellness 2.19/5.5oz can, yet Friskey can's price doesn't vary a lot.


I edited that for you.  Everything is cheaper across the border. Great examples would be cars, even if they're made in factories in Canada.

The cheapest place I can find Evo 95% Chicken/Turkey it's 1.89. And that's only because of competition I believe, before that it was 1.99-2.09. Some places it's still over 2 dollars.

Anyway, the people that buy lower end food aren't often shopping in pet stores, and they aren't doing the math; they'll just wonder why the kibble isn't 10 dollars like in grocery stores.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

i was going to start my own thread about dry food vs. wet but since you just did, i'll just give my .02 from the peanut gallery if that's okay:

i just recommended the site www.catinfo.org and its own nutritional breakdown of several kinds of canned food: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html

i believe the main thing she's trying to convey to people is that canned food should be fed and not dry (grain-free or not) and she explains why. she also says that feeding canned only is 90% of the battle even if you don't or can't go raw for any number of reasons. a very salient point of the site is that if you can only remember one thing is that dry is harmful in many ways, healthwise. how you choose the canned (or raw) food is another set of complex considerations *but* if you can at least go canned within your price range, you will be doing a great service to your cat.

i recommend reading the section, "but my cat is fine on dry". i actually recommend reading the entire site, but then again, i recommend reading the dictionary to improve vocabulary LOL so read at your own leisure, whenever you have time.

i have spent years reading about (and practicing) good human nutrition, primarily so that i could counter doctors' admonitions of "you're going to die if you keep eating this way," (vegetarian--no eggs and very little dairy). the dietary requirements of cats and humans are polar opposites if you observe percentages of disease process (#1 killer of humans in US: cardiac/circulatory system disease--linked to eating too much meat, fat blah blah blah: solution? whole grains. then look at the most common feline diseases caused by eating grain-based diets their body was never intended to ingest.) (and just as an aside: i have several chronic health problems, one of which is kidney disease and the fact that i don't eat meat is probably the main reason i'm not on dialysis. it wasn't why i quit eating meat, because i didn't even know at the time, it's just an accidental benefit.)

i don't tell people how to eat because i think it's rude lol (well come on, you don't try to make me eat steak and i'm not going to try to convince anyone to eat seitan or quinoa. it's a personal choice) but cats can only eat what we feed them, so it makes perfect sense to be aware of their nutritional needs.

personally, i never knew how bad (for a multitude of reasons) most dry food is for cats. the woman who publishes the site doesn't make money from it and has obviously done her research so it's worth a look.


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

Carmel said:


> I edited that for you.  Everything is cheaper across the border. Great examples would be cars, even if they're made in factories in Canada.
> 
> The cheapest place I can find Evo 95% Chicken/Turkey it's 1.89. And that's only because of competition I believe, before that it was 1.99-2.09. Some places it's still over 2 dollars.


Let's not start this topic... It literally hurts me everytime someone list cat food price in US :fust


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## Poetess (May 2, 2012)

Update: I am now giving Finn mostly canned. Considering I bought him a big bag of dry at the first of the month, cat food money was fairly low, so I bought some Friskies wet for this month. I'm pricing wet/canned foods right now, so I should have it figured out by the first, and I'll then get him a better food in my price-rage. I found Weruva on Amazon at about $26 for 24 cans. As I have Prime, I'll have no shipping fee, so that may be the winner. I've looked at the food elsewhere, and it can run higher. What I've been doing is giving him half a can in the morning, then at night (that's what the vet recommended), and he has the dry to snack on if hungry inbetween. I'm also adding a little water to the wet food. Though he's very good about drinking his water, so I think he does OK. It's amazing how much info on cats' nutrition has come about - even since I was growing up and I'm 26. I wanted to thank you all for the information. It's all been helpful.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Evo 13.2 ounce cans might come out cheaper per ounce (too lazy to do the math for your right now) and By Nature is a pretty cheapo not bad brand that sells on Amazon as well. It's my filler brand (I always keep it on hand to feed Book, aka the walking stomach).


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## Poetess (May 2, 2012)

I just looked; it adds up to about the same (By Nature). Which would you say is better?


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I feed both regularly.


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