Cat food: review, composition, rating, tips for choosing

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Modern industry offers a wide range of finished pet food products. Cat food greatly facilitates the care of a pet, provides everything necessary for its full development and growth, and frees up the owner's time. However, not all brands are equally good, and when choosing, you need to focus on expert advice, composition and recommendations on the package. The rating of cat food presented in our article will also help you make the right choice.

Varieties of cat food

On the shelves of veterinary outlets and supermarkets you can find different types of cat food. There are three main forms:

1. Canned food. Any pet perceives such food as a treat, and rarely any cat refuses such a menu. Many breeders compare canned products with homemade and try to purchase it for their cat. As a rule, canned food is sold in a hermetically sealed tin can. Appetizing pieces have a long shelf life and contain a lot of water.
2. Wet food. Wet cat foodrepresents a middle link between canned food and "drying". The pieces are in the sauce and are also saturated with moisture, but in a smaller amount. Usually wet food is sold in individual packages, which is enough for one feeding. But if the cat has not mastered the proposed portion, then the rest must be thrown away.
3. Dry cat food. In dry granules, moisture is completely absent. Therefore, the provision of clean water is a priority in this type of feeding. However, "drying" does not deteriorate for a long time and does not require disposal if the animal has not eaten everything offered.

Food in pellets has many benefits. Among the main veterinarians call self-cleaning of tooth enamel and long-term preservation of taste.

Economy Meals

Economy-class cat food is the most budget-friendly, but gives only a temporary feeling of satiety, not enriched with useful vitamins and minerals. There is nothing useful in such packages, and only skins and offal can be found from meat there. Similar brands include:

• "Darling";
• "Kiteket";
• "Whiskas".

Veterinarians do not recommend constantly feeding their pet with these foods, because they contain a large amount of flavors, dyes and preservatives. By-products, soy and mineral additives are the main ingredients for the production of economy class feed.

The consequences of the economy class menu

Veterinarians warn that if you constantly acquirecat food is not of the best quality, then the animal may have a number of he alth problems. Among them are:

• urolithiasis;
• hair loss;
• vomiting and diarrhea;
• malfunctions in the digestive tract.

Food from the economy series is produced from the lowest raw materials. They also contain virtually no animal protein. Such a menu can be considered as a temporary option. Constant use will significantly affect the he alth of your pet.

Premium food

Premium cat food is sometimes controversial among different experts. There are brands that have high performance and are comparable in quality to the most expensive samples. However, most manufacturers, in order to reduce the cost of production, try to save on components. Therefore, there are so many corn grits, wheat and, accordingly, gluten in the composition. Premium cat food often contains chicken, which is a source of allergy in cats. Poor-quality rice can also lead to allergic reactions and indigestion.

The source of protein for pets should be only animal protein. In premium feeds, it is often replaced with a vegetable one. In reviews, you can often find the opinion that meat is replaced with offal and cartilage is added.

Of course, the composition of super-premium cat food is much better than budget analogues. However, most veterinarians do not recommend their use on a regular basis.

Super Premium Products

Most experts and experienced breeders are of the opinion that the super premium line is the most optimal for feeding fluffy pets. It contains only high-quality components, and enriched with a vitamin-mineral complex.

Manufacturers try to keep the brand and do not add dyes or flavors. All nutrients, minerals and vitamins are strictly balanced.

The super premium cat food rating is as follows:

3rd place - Hills.

2nd place - Eukanuba.

1st place - 1STChoice.

Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Hills - satisfying any requests

Dry cat food "Hills" is in the top three for a reason. The manufacturer produces a wide variety of feeds that solve a variety of problems:

• recovery from illness;
• weight loss;
• prone to allergic manifestations;
• postoperative feeding;
• food after castration and sterilization;
• recovery of the cardiovascular system and so on.

However, the Hills brand refers to European products, but production lines have appeared in Russia. Experts note the appearance of a large number of samples of domestic production, where quality sometimes suffers, so they advise you to pay attention to the country of origin when buying.

Eukanuba Balanced Food

Breeders are satisfied that the manufacturer produces two series - designed for daily consumption and veterinary. Moreover, both lines can be safely attributed to the super-premium class. Sometimes the manufacturer saves money and chooses lower quality ingredients for the daily diet.

This brand got into the rating of cat food not by chance. Specialists distinguish a balanced composition and a large number of natural meat ingredients. Reviews often note the fact that a small daily portion is required, but due to nutrition, the cat gets everything it needs and feels full for a long time.

Of course, there are also disadvantages to the food. The composition contains vegetable protein, to the detriment of the animal. In addition, the range is not wide enough and not all breeders can choose the type of food they need. In supermarkets, products from this manufacturer are quite rare to find, and in Russian veterinary pharmacies, food is not yet very common. In general, the composition is well enriched with meat components and supplemented with a vitamin-mineral complex.

1STChoice - completely safe and diverse

The best super premium cat food. It fully justifies its first place, because during production it undergoes a multi-stage quality assessment. Despite the fact that all the components here are strictly balanced, the line also contains completely hypoallergenic options. The food is made in Canada and meets all standards.

However, breeders distinguish a numbershortcomings. The list of ingredients in the line for daily use includes poultry flour and cellulose, which is acceptable, but does not add nutritional value, but only contributes to rapid satiety. In addition, it is not known for certain what this flour consists of and what else the manufacturer added to it, except for chicken. Many do not like the limited choice of food and the inability to choose a diet based on the he alth of the cat.

Holistic feed

Cat food review ends with holistic class. In this case, manufacturers do not spend money on advertising, but everything speaks of the use of high-quality raw materials. Basically, the composition of such a line is similar to the super-premium class, but the main difference is in the quality of the ingredients themselves. All meat is strictly tested for the absence of antibiotics and growth hormones. Therefore, the food is completely safe for cats of any age and in any he alth condition.

Only food from the holistic series can satisfy the animal in nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Despite the fact that the packs are quite expensive, a daily portion is required a little. Due to this, it turns out to save.

The ranking of the best feeds is as follows:

1. Innova Cat and Kitten.
2. Acana.
3. N&D Natural and Delicious.

More about their features later.

Balanced - Innova Cat and Kitten

Food can be called almost perfectbalanced. The protein here is only of animal origin. In order for the cat to get enough and get everything necessary for the full development, she needs a small portion. This makes it possible to rationally use quite expensive packs. Experts note that the composition is completely free of harmful ingredients and components that can harm.

However, the food is very expensive. In addition, it is not available for free sale and you can buy it only through official representatives on Internet resources. Also, veterinarians note that packs intended for daily use contain a lot of animal protein. Therefore, this menu is not suitable for neutered cats. A special reduced protein treatment line needs to be considered.

Acana - range for he althy cats

The brand occupies the second position because it includes food only for he althy individuals. For weakened animals, the menu, unfortunately, is not provided. However, all packs have a quality composition. Contains about 80% meat ingredients. In addition, all dry food is enriched with lactobacilli and prebiotics, which significantly improves digestion.

Interestingly, the manufacturer produces food completely devoid of grains. This is a rather rare occurrence, even in the holistic line. If the assortment were more expanded, "Akana" would boldly be located in the first place. In addition, the brand is not found in free sale as often as we would like. Basically, breeders buy food online.

The disadvantage of the feed isonly in the limited range, and besides, it is distributed by age. Breeders with cats with he alth issues need to look elsewhere to support their immunity.

Kind of N&D Natural and Delicious

There is a harmonious composition, where meat ingredients from trusted suppliers are in the first place. In addition, other components that a cat needs are included - vitamins, minerals. However, plant components of unknown origin are noticed in the composition. Experts doubt this fact. Also, the taste of the granules is quite peculiar, because there is nothing here that would improve the aroma. But the cat quickly gets used to it and already sharply perceives the substitution.

The manufacturer offers a wide variety of flavors. Many breeders choose this brand because the cat feels great when eating it. But it is difficult to buy food in ordinary stores. However, it is presented in a wide range on Internet resources.

What to choose

Sometimes the average breeder gets lost and doesn't know which cat food to choose. Inexpensive, but high-quality will belong to the premium class. If the cat is he althy, does not experience problems with the gastrointestinal tract and does not suffer from allergic reactions, then you can opt for this line. Among the presented samples, you can always choose the appropriate option.

If the cat has suffered a serious illness, is neutered or is shown a treatment menu, then it is necessaryconsider food from the superpremium series. In this case, you can choose a diet that fully satisfies the needs of the animal and helps him maintain normal he alth.

Food from the holistic series is recommended for show cats and individuals that are used for breeding and continuing the pedigree. This menu maintains the natural beauty of the coat, teeth and overall appearance.

Owners who have different pets often ask if dogs eat cat food. Of course, in terms of taste, it completely satisfies them, but nutritional value may not be enough. Therefore, they have a completely different menu.