When it comes to dry foods an ingredient such as cranberries would be a trace amount. For a cat with frequent UTIs it’s worth feeding a more wet diet and ensuring they have an adequate water intake (a water fountain might help).

Hi Michelle, yes that’s fine.

It’s a liquid broth from when animals (namely by-products) are rendered. It’s in many foods, either listed as animal digest, palatant, or even “natural flavor”.

Hi Denise, wet food is a better option than dry. Cats need water intake, especially for preventing crystals which are often caused by a poor diet and lack of moisture. Wet foods also tend to be fresher and they’re less processed than a kibble.

Hi Patricia, a cat’s natural diet doesn’t really include fish as they feed off land-based prey. There’s no harm in feeding fish, but it’s not wise to feed it as an extended diet. Rotation is always good.

That’s certainly not a good sign Lucy, and you definitely need to seek the advice of a vet. I’d also avoid feeding her dry food if possible. Is she an older cat and has she suffered any illness?

Hi Laura, you can always rotate between foods – something I recommend. In regard to their urinary systems it’s worth ensuring they have a sufficient intake of clean water.

Hi Dee, here’s a list of our best-rated cat foods. Hopefully you can find something suitable on that list – https://www.petfoodratings.org/best-dry-cat-food/

Hi Rachel, I try and keep the reviews based on the labeling and guaranteed analysis, but always recommend reading the comments as they say as much about the brand as the review does itself.

Hi Shelley, you could always rotate between the two! I see rotation of foods to be a great way of balancing a diet and adding variety.

Hi Denise, sorry to hear about the problem with the kibble being too small. I hadn’t heard of anyone with this issue before now, but it seems someone else has had the same problem recently.

Hi Heather, it might be because they’re confused about it – cats are slightly autistic. If their old food was a poor quality “junk food” kibble then that can cause a cat to become addicted to a food, meaning a new food isn’t that appealing. Try adding something like chicken stock to entice them to eat it, see how it goes.

Hi Dorothy, changing or rotating food brands is something I strongly recommend to keep a diet balanced. Changing the diet isn’t what makes the cat sick, it’s because they’ve been fed a single food for a long period – if that makes sense.

Hi Sumayah, if the bag is opened it’s unlikely you’ll get a refund. If you haven’t opened it you should be ok.

They’re both very good high protein/low carb foods. It depends which one works best for you, your cat, and your budget.

Hi Miss D, for issues like this it’s hard to find dry foods that cater for the issue as well as providing a nutritional diet. Common prescription claiming to address issues such as bladder stones reduce protein by cutting down on meat, which is essential to retain health and causes other problems. As such many investigate homemade or fresh diets as a better alternative.

Hi Ouiser, it depends on a number of factors including the lifestyle of your cats, supplemental feeding, water intake, and also your budget which you say is an issue. We rate Regal Cat Bites higher than Royal Canin foods, so I suppose that’s an answer, but you could always mix foods.

That’s a very good question, I wish I could give you a definitive answer!

Hi Athena, some foods work better for different cats. Innova has had their issues, so if you have any concerns then try another food. Here’s our best rated cat food list – https://www.petfoodratings.org/best-dry-cat-food/

Yes, it’s very good. It’s based on duck which is a decent lean meat, backed up with chicken. You can always rotate recipes and brands.

Hi Pamela, your easiest option with Chicken Soup is to buy it online, such as from Amazon – click here.

Hi Arefeen, I find Ideal Balance to be Hill’s answer to the growing awareness of pet food nutrition. The recipes are an improvement on Science Diet.

Hi Kai, unfortunately like most things “you get what you pay for” to an extent. Have a look at Applaws which can be found in the supermarkets and Kirkland available from CostCo if you have one nearby. Both these foods are great for their price, although more expensive than Meow Mix.

Buying big bags is obviously the most cost effective option. Most online retailers have regular foods on sale, so it’s worth keeping your ear to the ground.

Hi Amanda, it’s worth noting this food is in our “Worst Dry Cat Food Category” and therefore something we definitely don’t recommend feeding a cat. Only the worst foods contain food colourings or dies of any sort. Yes, there’s Ocean Fish in this food but it’s marginal – it won’t contribute much to the food in flavor or nutrition.

Hi Deborah, sadly the better (smaller) companies don’t have the ability to offer diets specific to conditions, which leaves the likes of Hill’s (Science Diet) and Royal Canin as your only real options. That said, wet is definitely the way to go in this instance, and their wet foods do seem to be of a better quality.

Hi Brandon, there’s a review here – https://www.petfoodratings.org/dry-dog-food/nutrish-by-rachael-ray/

When fruits and veggies are included in trace amounts it mimics a natural diet – what would normally be found in the stomach and intestinal tract of prey.

Nutrience make good foods and as a company have been pleasant to deal with. They’re a small company which is why there’s a lack of information on their products.

Hi Margie, I’ll try and write a review of the 4 Health brand in the coming days, but from a brief look it looks good.

Hi Rosemary, yes certainly – Regional Red is a great food. I need to write a review.

Hi Rosse, sorry I need to review those foods. Yes, it’s fine to feed cats a mix of foods, in fact I encourage it.

Hi Marie, it’s a question of quality, and this is often a very poorly manufactured ingredient in a pet food.

Hi Liz, the question with such ingredients is regarding quality. Your homemade chicken stock is a different substance entirely to the “not for human consumption” ingredient you’ll find in pet food.

Hi Tracey, I’ve heard this a few times with Acana and Orijen, but the main thing is your cat is healthy. Alternatively you could try one of the other foods on our best rated list (https://www.petfoodratings.org/best-dry-dog-food/) or rotate between 2 or 3 foods.

Hi Brian, all the foods on our best rated list can be considered best in class. At Pet Food Ratings we try not to advocate specific brands.

You’ve really made me laugh with this comment Jennifer!

As for Jim’s comment, I’m more than happy to be called an idiot if it’s constructive criticism or feedback… which his comment isn’t.

Hi Ameri, sorry to hear about your cat and I hope the vet’s given some good advice.

For your project you can pick any foods. I recommend selecting a cheap supermarket own brand, one of the big corporate brands such as Purina, then a couple of high end brands such as Orijen as well as a grain free brand. That should give you a decent variety and a lot to discuss!

Hi Tasha, perhaps have a look at Canadian Naturals as another decent Canadian dry food (which I still need to review). Acana, Orijen, and Canadian Naturals only sell dry, not wet.

Oreos must be very healthy. Are their stools firm?

Hi Hannah, yes, I’ve heard a number of reports Orijen foods work well with cats prone to allergies.

Hi Markús,

Thanks for your feedback! I’ve written a review of Regal Cat Bites for you here – https://www.petfoodratings.org/dry-cat-food/regal-cat-bites/

Hi Des, I think the main thing is she has a regular water intake. With the wet food it might be she’s just confused by it (i.e. she’s so used to eating dry food). My cat’s the same, he’ll turn his nose up for a week and then start eating a food. I see no harm in the milk either, especially when you’re providing a solid base diet with the Orijen! There’s no harm in giving your cat a treat!

Hi Jean, both are common ingredients in grain free foods. I’m not concerned with the sugar levels of these ingredients as they’re relatively low down the list. When a food contains an ingredient with a high glycemic index doesn’t mean the food is high glycemic. Orijen for example, contains potato but is one of the few low-glycemic foods available, certified by the Glycemic Research Institute.

Sorry to hear that George. Did they have regular access to fresh water?

Hi Henry, it might be trial an error but any of those foods might work. It depends on what was causing the sensitivity for him in the past.

Hi Tom, Life Protection is on par, with excellent meat ingredients backed up by quality grains and the same range of vitamins, minerals, fruits, and veggies we find in other Blue Buffalo foods. I can’t foresee any problems feeding Life Protection Puppy.

Is this in reference to Felidae/Canidae?

Hi Michelle, all I can suggest is you try feeding at regular intervals instead of leaving food out all day. Perhaps seperate them at meal times to ensure they eat what they need?

Hi Joe, I personally recommend you stop eating Blue Buffalo without mixing in a little gravy.

I hope this helps,
The Pet Food Ratings Team

Hi Rio, the food meets all requirements for a kitten diet as well as an adult diet, so it’s ok to feed to both your cats. It’s a very good food so worth trying. As with any diet it’s worth monitoring your cat’s weight over time and adjusting how much you feed accordingly.

Hi Ashley, please refer to my other comment – cats do indeed consume fruits and vegetables in their natural habitat, from eating the internal organs (stomach and intestinal tract) of their prey.

Hi Mamoon, I’ve checked the Nutrience website and they state 78% premium animal ingredients, 22% fruits and vegetables for the Grain Free food. It doesn’t seem to have similar information for Nutrience Natural.

Pet food manufacturers aren’t required to state the percentages, so not many do.

RJP – are you saying omegas shouldn’t be included in a food because AAFCO doesn’t stipulate they should be?

10 years ago I may’ve thought the same! Thankfully there’s much more awareness these days, and a lot more research into pet nutrition.

Hi Lydia,

The best way to treat FLUTD is “water”, so that should be your primary focus. Make sure your cat has access to clean water at all times, and if you find she doesn’t drink enough then it’s worth switching to a wet food or at least adding water to the kibble to add moisture. Feeding an expensive “prescription diet” dry food for a cat with urinary difficulties isn’t focussing on the main requirement, which is moisture. SO isn’t necessarily a bad food although it does have a high corn content, and like you say it’s expensive.

Hi Jody,

Generally the higher the meat content in a food the more it costs, so feeding a high protein food to an inactive cat is more about budget than anything else.

Petcurean is made in Canada, but that doesn’t necessarily mean all the ingredients are sourced from Canada. It’s worth asking Petcurean direct to see how they respond?

Hi Hannah, what you’re looking for here is “water”. In this situation I’d recommend looking at wet foods and/or ensuring your cat has clean fresh water available at all times. Royal Canin Urinary SO isn’t a bad food apart from the corn content, it’s about 3 stars in my opinion. If your cat doesn’t seem to drink enough water then it could be worth wetting the kibble and seeing if that works, and perhaps gradually transitioning to a better food over time (such as the Blue Buffalo).

Hi Cairin, it’s not necessarily about potatoes being in the food but the level of carbs and fat in the food as a whole. Your dog will more likely gain weight on a food that is too high in carbs or fillers.

Royal Canin Persian isn’t a bad food, but I’d be inclined to try TOTW. I recommend TOTW more than Royal Canin.

Hi Bonnie, this review is for their dry food, but I agree with your sentiments.

Hi Nina,

There’s no brewers yeast in this food, so I assume you’re referring to another product?

Yes, there is nutritional merit to brewers yeast, especially in comparison to the more commonly seen brewers rice, which holds almost no nutritional value.

Hi Diana,

Cats will eat to satisfy their nutritional and energy requirements. If they’re getting what they need from the Orijen then that’s likely the reason they’re not finishing the wet food, which isn’t a bad thing.

Hi Nina,

This isn’t something I personally believe, and there’s little substantial fact. A dog’s native diet is high protein, and the same is generally the case with wet or raw based diets. The same applies to cats. Personally I see more harm in feeding an animal a product based on sub-standard ingredients and fillers.

I learn something new every day ;o)

Hi Nadine, we only review dry foods, but I’m sure their canned food is of decent quality. I’ll look into it and ask my contact at Nutrience, as currently they don’t list the ingredients and nutrition analysis of the wet food online. Thanks.

Hi Kristen, in many ways wet food can be better – higher protein, lower carbs, fresher/more natural meat, oils, and nutrients. It’s also less convenient and can cost a lot more. Dry food is better for teeth and gums. Personally I’ve always fed dry food, but that’s dry food to a high standard (I only buy the best!). I feed my pets wet occassionally, and also meat as and when I cook it for myself.

Orijen is a great food. You may need to transition your Munchkins gradularly as Orijen is richer than Iams – they won’t be used to it. Soaking it in water is great if they eat it, but the important thing is you ensure your cats have access to fresh water, in their food, in a bowl, or whatever works.

Here you go –

Hi GT, this recipe is a definite improvement from Goodlife. With the brewers rice, yeast, and by-products I’d give it 3 stars.

Hi William,

Some of the manufacturers do follow these reviews and contact me occassionally. A few have adjusted their ingredients accordingly, so it’s nice to have some influence. I try and keep the reviews as up to date as possible but unfortunately it isn’t an easy task as I have a day job too!

With Chicken Soup I think the important thing to note is it’s still a good food. It was very good value for money before, now not as much.

You’re entitled to your opinion Melissa, and entitled to feed your cat a food such as Friskies which is predominantly corn (uh, is corn a MEAT!?). Yes, cats are carnivores and their native diet is meat, but meat of animals that consume fruit and vegetables in their natural habitat. I see fruit and veg as a good inclusion in a food, giving a balanced diet, and there are certainly far worse ingredients that can be included.

I’d always recommend feeding a dog a decent food, and this is a decent food. Give it a try!

There are many reasons that cause a cat to vomit or regurgitate their food – change in diet, eating too fast, an intolerance or allergy. If your cat’s otherwise in good health then it probably isn’t serious, but it’s always worth checking with your vet. Perhaps your cat simply doesn’t like Nature’s Variety products, in which case I’d feed her something else.

Hi Lex, there’s a number of low carb foods on the market, even “no-carb” foods like Young Again. I haven’t reviewed it but it’s pretty good by the looks of it – https://www.youngagainpetfood.com/

Hi Christine, thanks for posting. Refer to our list of best rated dog foods to narrow down your search. Most of them are easily available on Amazon, and most of the bigger names like Canidae, Fromm, TOTW, Orijen & Acana should be easy enough to find locally.

https://www.petfoodratings.org/best-dry-dog-food/

Hi Selene, here’s a review of Wilderness – Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dry Cat Food.

Sorry, we only review dry foods on Pet Food Ratings, but other websites do review wet foods.

Hi Joan, have you considered a decent quality wet food? Water intake is key, and a wet food is better for that than dry.

Hi Abby, all feedback is appreciated – thanks. I’ve put Simply Nourish on my list of foods to review in the coming weeks.

Hi Lindsay, both Fromm and Orijen are very good foods. I wouldn’t be concerned about the protein levels. Give one or the other a go for a month or so and see how it goes.

Great info Morressa, it’s nice when people add such useful feedback for a food. Kirkland is definitely one of the cheapest “bang for buck” in pet food, still maintaining a quality in ingredients.

Good spot Nathan, I’ll edit that! The omega fat content will come from ingredients such as the chicken, animal fat, canola oil etc, but I’d prefer to see the inclusion of flaxseed and fish oils as quality sources of omegas. You can read our Omega Fatty Acid info here – https://www.petfoodratings.org/nutrition/omega-fatty-acids/

Hi Veronika,

Although Australia has a limited pet food market compared to the US, there’s still some good foods around if you search for them. You can buy Artemis at My Pet Warehouse, which is a great grain-free food, and also the Aussie made Black Hawk which is pretty good. Canidae is also available at a number of pet shops and a food I’ve never had any complaints about:

http://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/dry-dog-food/artemis-osopure/
http://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/dry-dog-food/black-hawk-holistic/
http://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/dry-dog-food/canidae-grain-free/

Hi Mike, this website primarily focusses on ingredients and nutrition analysis and as such Wellness CORE holds up. However, the amount of complaints with this food is alarming and I hope this is clearly apparent with the review and subsequent comments. Many people associate any illness with their pet to the food they feed, which isn’t necessarily based on fact. Many cats suffer kidney problems, which may be caused by their diet, lack of water, or anything else. Personally I’d be deterred from Wellness CORE by the comments on this page, but will leave it to the readers to decide for themselves. I certainly appreciate your feedback, and that of all the other people who’ve commented – raising awareness is the key. Thanks.

Hi Heather,

The ingredients are good, so definitely no qualms about feeding it (if you’re ok with my slight warning at the top).

Hi Hank,

I’ve answered your first comment here – https://www.petfoodratings.org/dry-cat-food/taste-of-the-wild/

I’m not a believer in high protein foods causing continuous damage to kidneys, it’s not proven. I see more health benefits in feeding a decent food, and that includes foods such as Blue Buffalo and Orijen. Low phosphorous and low sodium foods should have health benefits. Honest Kitchen might be worth a try – it’s a fresh mix which you add water to.

Hi Hank,

I’ve answered your first comment here – https://www.petfoodratings.org/dry-cat-food/taste-of-the-wild/

I’m not a believer in high protein foods causing continuous damage to kidneys, it’s not proven. I see more health benefits in feeding a decent food, and that includes foods such as Blue Buffalo and Orijen. Low phosphorous and low sodium foods should have health benefits.

Hi Karen – that’s an interesting test, I like it!! It’s worth considering that cats can take a while to adjust to a new food. It’s not so much they don’t like a new food, more that they could be confused by it. It smells and tastes different. There’s also little correlation with your test between what the cats like and what’s healthy for them. For example, if you gave a child a McDonalds and a Caesar Salad, you may find they go for the McDonalds first ;o)

The recommended level of sodium in a dry cat food is 0.2%. The added salt in Wysong is low in the list, so I really don’t see it as an issue (I’ve amended the review slightly as it seems I made it a more prominent point than necessary). Other, cheaper foods have salt much higher in the ingredients which is disturbing, especially when your cat eats a food every day.

Salt is often added to enhance flavor (or inhibit flavors of sub-standard ingredients). We also find other added flavorings in Wysong, which serve no nutritional benefit to our pets.

Hi Kristin,

Firstly, FortiFlora is a Purina product. I’m not a big fan of Purina period. They claim animal digest is a great ingredient, but not many other sources agree.

In any case, there are other probiotics on the market such as Pet Guard. That uses human grade ingredients, has no animal digest, wheat, soy, corn, or sugar.

Hi Kirsti, we’re not a veterinary practice so have to urge you to take the advice of your vet. With your cat being diabetic I assume you’re looking to feed a high protein/low carb food, perhaps wet rather than dry? Whether a cat with kidney failure requires a low protein/low phosphorous diet is a controversial subject and can be regarded as myth. In our opinion you’re better off finding a food with a protein source that is highly digestible, such as a lean chicken or turkey meat. Cats are carnivores and by nature seek a high protein diet. However, if you do wish to feed a lower protein diet then most good brands (Fromm, Candidae, Artemis, AvoDerm, Wellness, etc) offer a lower protein food. Look for anything under 22% approximately.

I try and take into account the levels of protein, carbs, and fats in a food. Generally if a food lists a range of meat meals but has a low protein level then we can assume the quantity of those meats isn’t as much as we’re led to believe. Pet food manufacturers also use other ingredients (such as peas) to bulk up protein levels, so we need to be wary of that too. It’s hard to gauge, but generally the levels of proteins, carbs, and fats should tally with the ingredients. In cases where it doesn’t I try and mention this, and it’s been on my mind for a while now to cover these percentages more thoroughly.

Thanks for your feedback, it’s very useful to hear and I will definitely make more of an attempt at doing this from now on. Thanks!

Hi Linda, thanks for your feedback – it’s always nice to hear we’ve helped someone, and raised awareness of pet food ingredients.

Hi David, I’ve reviewed Natures Variety Instinct for you. It’s certainly recommended if you’re unable to get Orijen in Israel.

Hi John, thanks for your comment. Pet food ingredients change over time and it’s hard for me to maintain all the reviews on this website. Blue Buffalo have changed their ingredients only recently so thanks for bringing it to my attention and I’ll update accordingly. It seems they’ve removed whitefish and salmon meal, as well as Herring Oil, which is a shame as all three are very good quality protein and omega sources. They’ve made turkey meal more prominent which goes some way to balance the change. It’s still very good as far as the ingredients go, but I preferred the previous ingredients.

Hi Nancy, that’s a difficult question to answer. How long since she had the ear infection, and how much is she scratching it? They can take time to clear up, especially if she’s frantically scratching it. It may be worth switching to another brand of food for a while to see how it goes, then reverting back to Orijen later?

Sodium selenite is a common source of selenium in pet foods. If you’re concerned about toxicity then I don’t believe this ingredient has shown any occurrence of that in about three decades. AAFCO set a margin of safety for this, and other minerals, to avoid excessive amounts in pet foods. No pet food manufacturer can 100% guarantee levels of minerals in their products – take for instance the Blue Buffalo recall in 2010 for excessive amounts of vitamin D causing toxicity.

Peas are actually a very good source of protein if processed correctly. I prefer to see meat proteins, but as this is an indoor food I see no reason against this ingredient.

I agree with your point about the unknown manufacturing location aspect of this food – this is information which should be readily available from the company.

Hi Jessica, you can buy it in 6lb and 18lb bags.

Neither of those are very good. Have a look at our best-rated list, hopefully something on there fits your budget – https://www.petfoodratings.org/best-dry-dog-food/

As far as ingredients analysis goes EVO is still a very solid food. What makes it difficult to review a cat/dog food is the integrity of the company, manufacturing standards, and quality of ingredients are all hard to gauge. For example, “chicken” in one food might be far superior to the quality of “chicken” in another food. A company may use quality ingredients but their manufacturing standards might be sub-par. Some companies use a number of different manufacturing facilities, some better standards than others. We can say a food is poor due to a number of recalls, but even that is uncertain. I know some pet food manufactures have made a number of voluntary recalls, and they’ve done this because they have high standards and wish to ensure their product is of a high quality – that to me means they’re a good company. In the case of Innova Evo, it seems apparent the quality of the food has diminished since P&G took over. All I can do is state that information, and leave it up to the readers to consider (or to research further). This is still a better food than many others readily available in your local store.

Very sorry to hear that Bill

Firstly, thank you! It’s always nice to know Pet Food Ratings helps people!

Special Kitty is awful, so good to see you’re looking for alternatives. I haven’t much experience with Actr1ium, and it doesn’t help in reviewing foods when Walmart won’t publish information (which is usually suspect). It also only seems to be available in Canada. From the ingredients it looks really good, especially for the price. Could be worth a try?

You can’t go wrong with Chicken Soup, so if it’s within budget then give it a go. If you can buy online, such as Amazon, then you can save money.

You’re also a victim of faulty punctuation keys, but thanks for your comment.

That’s great to hear. My first cat Rodney was diagnosed at 14 and given 6 months, but lived to 21! It’s great to know a food has kept them healthy for longer, and also that you’ve done your best for them.

Well said. I can’t believe people are so easily led.

McDonalds should change their golden M to a huge carrot, then swathes of people will flock in believing the food’s healthy.

Hi Melissa, Pursuit Premium is very high in protein (30%) which is unnecessary for larger breed dogs and can cause joint problems for large breed puppies. Kinesis would be the better choice, but even that’s quite high in protein. Try looking for a food with up to 23% protein, such as Blue Freedom.

Hi Georgia,

May I refer you to this article on Canola Oil and some of the internet rumours around the ingredient – http://www.greendogpetsupply.com/blog/canola-oil-separating-fact-from-fiction/

Other oil choices (such as olive oil) would be preferable, but lets not forget this ingredient serves as a tertiary source of omega-3 behind flax seed and salmon oil.

I’m always open to constructive opinion rather than comments about my brain being lost.

Hi Ogrn,

You can’t really go wrong with Orijen, and the same applies to Acana. They’re very much alike. I’ve reviewed Acana here – https://www.petfoodratings.org/dry-cat-food/acana-grasslands-cat-kitten/

Farmina is a European brand and relatively new to the US market. The ingredients seem quite good, but I don’t have enough experience with the brand to give an accurate review at this stage. It could be worth a try?

Hi Sherry,

I appreciate your feedback, and yes it is an expensive food. You are, however, paying for “human grade” food so do pay a premium for that. I find with Honest Kitchen the price varies a great deal within the range, so it’s worth looking around a bit. Surely it’s better to add water at home than pay for the weight of the water on the shelf? With Honest Kitchen you know you’re paying for the important stuff!

Here’s a 10lb box on Amazon for $58, about half the price of what you said – Honest Kitchen Keen 10lb.

Hi Susanne, there would be no harm in trying as it’s a quality food! It’s high protein so great for the kittens, you’re fine there. Is the senior cat an indoor or outdoor cat? With the higher protein food he/she may become more active and actually lose weight, but only time will tell. Generally with a decent food like Orijen you find the cat will eat less as they’re getting more nutrition from less quantity. It’s worth a try…

I have a dog that eats the cats food, and the cat eats the dog food, so I know how hard it is to separate foodstuffs!

Interesting information – you certainly aren’t a fan of Beneful!!