(Part 2) Best dry cat food according to redditors

3-4 cats from a nearby temple adopted my dad, and now I subscribe monthly to this.

Dad uses coconut shells as a bowl.

Most of them are older and don't mind the dry food.

For wet food, its meat waste(skin, bones, organs etc) from a nearby butcher shop, pressure cooked with carrots and peas for some additional flavour (NO SPICES, SALT, OR SUGAR!) , but it's reserved only for the kittens.

Cats Love roasted sunflower seeds and sour cream (any fermentd milk product).

EDIT: FIXED THE LINK.

I use Instinct Original Grain Free Recipe Natural Dry Cat Food by Nature's Variety. Subscribe and save for an extra buck ninety off. Kitteh loves the stuff. She's a lazy house cat, but self regulates her feeding is not overweight at all. Been using it for about a year and a half and am just finishing my third bag.

Edit to note: The linked product is not the formula I've been feeding Kitteh. It's a re-formulated product. I'm going with Instinct Ultimate Protein Grain Free Recipe Natural Dry Cat Food by Nature's Variety on my next order.

Edit 2: After reading the reviews, Instinct Original Grain Free Recipe Natural Dry Cat Food by Nature's Variety Rabbit Formula has more actual meat in it. The Ultimate Protein Formula's second ingredient is tapioca. I put in a subscription for the Rabbit Formula.

Congrats on the MC!

I have two MCs....

1. Invest in a water fountain! Cats naturally don't drink enough water (which is why they tell u wet food is better to feed ur cat than dry food)
   
   https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Drinkwell-Platinum-Fountain-Drinking/dp/B000L3XYZ4/ref=sr_1_5?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1542680300&sr=1-5&keywords=platinum+water+fountain
   
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   Also, cats don't like their food and water in the same spot . I found my cats tend to drink way more water and it stays cleaner when they are in different areas. Previously i was cleaning their water daily because my silly cats were dropping their kibbles into the water, or their food was getting sugar ants.
   
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2. Your new baby will need a scratching post he/she can grow into. My boys use this one religiously (we have 3 posts scattered around the house) but this is their favorite because they can stretch all the way to the top. WARNING: its massive. its very sturdy and pretty wide so if u have a smaller place this may NOT be the post for you.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Homes-Pets-Scratching-Extra-Durable/dp/B00JEADDCO/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1542679782&sr=8-9&keywords=cat+scratching+post+for+large+cats
   
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3. Food: my kitties were fed taste of the wild at the breeders, but I transitioned them to Orijen cat and Kitten Food. Extremely pricy but as far as dry food goes some of the best.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Orijen-Dry-Cat-Kitten-Food/dp/B01I3IBQG2/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1542680125&sr=1-4&keywords=orijen+cat+and+kitten+12
   
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4. Cat litter: My previous cats developed issues from the dust from clay based litters. We switched over to something more natural when i got these MCs...like walnut shells!
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Naturally-Fresh-Multi-Cat-Quick-Clumping-Litter/dp/B00BPA12MO/ref=sr_1_7?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1542680260&sr=1-7&keywords=blue+litter
   
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5. Cat Shelves - If you have a blank wall i definitely recommend this! We had to tweak ours a little because the shelves we purchased were entirely too small for Maine Coons. And also had to add supporting brackets. Everyday its a fight on who gets the cat shelves! and if its in a common area, its definitely a way for them to be present and still in their own space up high.
   
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6. Pet insurance. If you can afford to get ur kitten Pet insurance I recommend this. Maine coons since they are a larger breed are prone to things like hip displaysia, HCM, and other genetic diseases. It makes caring for them a little easier as they get older. We use Healthy Paws Pet insurance for our two Maine Coons and i highly recommend them! I want to say as a kitten they started out between 10 and 20 dollars a month?
   
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   Everyone has given u a lot of wonderful advice here! Some of which i actually wish I knew when i was getting my babies! Good luck and enjoy your new kitten :)
   
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True..but like we don't wanna buy this every time. Do we? XD
EDIT: I just realized that the galaxy image covered up the black hole in the mouth...face_palm

My mom is a veterinarian. This is what I feed my cat per her recommendation. YMMV

https://smile.amazon.com/Orijen-Fish-Cats-Pounds/dp/B01MRLOI1O/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=six+fish&qid=1563386915&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I feed mine straight kitten food/kibble. This is what diet mine is on currently: https://www.amazon.com/Wellness-Natural-Kitten-Chicken-5-Pound/dp/B06X9PD36H/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Wellness+core+grain+free+kitten+food&qid=1558665363&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Not the best kibble since it has peas in it, which can cause bladder stones in ferrets. I've been looking for an alternative for a while now in all of my local brick-and-mortar pet stores but haven't found anything better unfortunately.

There is a spreadsheet made by members of this community which list some of the best choices for kibbles as well as the pros/cons of each one. You can find it here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTvMXyhwVBu5TLnYSvGhqJqr_vE_-x_1BADF7dPwatwlB9l--m02ZN23FqvPNqp3v-n5cJyOuSssVfn/pub

Egg yolk twice a week is recommended as well. If you can get some Orijen kitten cat food Orijen cat & kitten food it’s better than most cat food and ferret food on the market. Get some purée pumpkin with no additives (extremely important) to help with blockages. Stella & Chewys to mix in with their kibble will help with fat Stella & Chewy cat treats . Also Wysong offers samples if you email them for some. Wysong Samples.

If they aren’t potty trained, start with puppy pads. Correct when they start going to the bathroom in a corner. Watch their stools for consistency and color. Find a local vet in your area that understands ferrets.

One more thing if you don’t think a ferret can get into something or get access to it, they will. They’re smart and extremely mischievous. They are like toddlers.

Hope this helps.

I worked in the veterinary field for a while as well, and to be honest, having the cat on 100% wet or raw food was by far the most important thing, regardless of quality. By all means, do what you can afford to, but we saw plenty of cats who came in after switching to Fancy Feast Classics 100% canned, and all urinary/bladder issues disappeared. Granted, this will depend on how long the cat was on dry food/if any long-term damage occurred, but if caught early on at least, this seemed to be the case.

I of course understand if you don't care for Purina either though. Another option you can try is checking in with your local butcher(s) to see if they offer whole ground meat suitable for pets. Our butcher does for .12 an oz. You can make it simple and nutritionally complete with a mix similar to this one though there are a few different brands to look into that might cost less. Commercial raw overall though is VERY expensive and sadly out of my own price range. You could also do a daily raw meal along with commercial grain-free wet (Sheba and FF Classics are grain-free and low carb) to help balance things out.

Grandma Lucy's and Honest Kitchen offer dehydrated foods for cats as well that you add water to that make a complete diet; they are sort of a good compromise between commercial and raw. Even if you do it for one meal a day (my own cat eats different flavors at each meal, fussy guy).

Hope this helps! Good luck to you!

What a beautiful baby:) I found this excellent food for my toothless kitty.

How's this?

Instinct Ultimate Protein Grain Free Cage Free Chicken Recipe Natural Dry Cat Food By Nature'S Variety, 4 Lb. Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XP17HNT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KYbaCbZTV8959


He is currently on 9lives which is kinda shitty quality, at least for a cat, and I want him to live a long time and diet is key

Thanks for the response! I have read that before on various posts made by others as well which is why I was transitioned from this cat food: natural instinct raw boost only this only in the mornings and wet food in the evenings.

It's tough having to do all that while getting ready for work in the morning a pure lazy thing I guess..I am going to start by giving them pure wet food on weekends! Any recommendations by the way? At the moment I'm feeding them this wet food

But I'm not sure if it the best? What is raw diet? Any recommendations?


The tower tracks is now in my amazon cart :)

Unfortunately the little dude cries nonstop until the balcony door is open. I'm going to look up how to make a catio and well..make one lol. I understand the danger as he's been over the ledge a few times and I live on the 5th floor apartment..Now I'm constantly outside whenever he is outside..although that can get annoying..

I just buy stuff at the pet store, but I can try and find a few recommendations. You'll want to avoid things with bells or small parts, at least while she's tiny. PetSmart usually has some pretty good stuff, or you can even find a good selection on Amazon. If you're gone a lot, it also might be a good idea to invest in something you can turn on and leave running while you're gone, like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WP7F8YC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2GCMBb2JZP9JV.

Ironically, my cat's favorite toy is a piece of cut up fleece on a stick that I got from the pet store.

Here are a few homemade things that look fun:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/496293492/cat-toy-kitten-toy-kitten-puzzle-cat

https://www.etsy.com/listing/573944129/catnip-toy-medium-kicker-cat-toy-cat

And here are some more things from Amazon that I would recommend:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DT2WL26/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_bLCMBbEDZ585B

And
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QPLUQXY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dOCMBbRA7B6MM

Just make sure she's careful with the string on this one. As long as she doesn't break it off and swallow it, it should be fine.

Some sort of a laser pointer is always a great toy for kitties, just make sure not to shine it in her eyes.

Finally, make sure to get her a cat tree if you have room for one. Cats like to climb. Something like this would be great:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0794T79KM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ERCMBbM18RTGA

Scratching posts are also important, so here's what I would recommend for a scratching post, if you don't want to get the cat tree:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BY385RX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fTCMBbKA5B15Q

Once you spay her, if she isn't already, feed her adult food so she doesn't gain too much weight. A good kitten food to start her on before the spay is Good Natured, at PetSmart. If she's spayed and you want to start her on adult food, I use this, and my cat loves it, and she's super healthy:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XDQCL13/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0VCMBbHDBF7XG

If you have any other questions, please feel free to message me. I have had my cat for two years, and raised her since she was three months old, so I can answer a lot of kitten questions.

One more thing, get her a bed. She may not always use it, but she will appreciate it.

>But it's double the price as Costco.

I notice a lot of cat food on Amazon is insanely over priced as well. We usually buy food that is about $80 for a 12 LB bag which is expensive enough (bengal with a sensitive tummy). Same exact bag on Amazon $140. I'm sure I could find it on there cheaper, but some prices on Amazon are pretty high.

https://www.amazon.ca/Orijen-Regional-Red-Cats-Pounds/dp/B01MRLOAL0/ref=sr_1_9?crid=1CHZ7N2R4TPA7&keywords=orijen+cat+food&qid=1566501169&s=gateway&sprefix=orijen+cat%2Caps%2C413&sr=8-9

Thats good to hear :)

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So to be specific, you're looking for:

Macros

• Protein: 28-35% (always below 40%)
  
• Fat: 10-15%
  
• Fiber: as high as possible
  
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  This is what most adult/juvenile hedgehogs need, but if you weigh him and he's under 250g then consider adding +5% fat intake to his diet.
  
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  Safe ingredients
  
  
• Meats: chicken, beef, turkey
  
• Meat Meals: chicken meal, duck meal
  
• Fats: chicken fat, turkey fat
  
  These are healthy ingredients for almost any hedgehog. You can also choose to add fish to the list of ingredients, although some people say it makes their poop smell worse.
  
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  Unsafe ingredients
  
  
• corn, wheat, brewer's rice*
  
• cellulose
  
• unnamed meats, meat meals, and unnamed fats*
  
• by-products
  
• meat by-products*
  
• BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin
  
• food dyes
  
• menadione sodium bisulfate
  
  Avoid these, but you'll find some of the * products in healthy foods listed beyond the first 10 ingredients.
  
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  Good Choices
  
  Blue Buffalo Healthy Living Natural Adult Dry Cat Food
  
  Purina Beyond Simply Natural, Adult Dry Cat Food
  
  Iams Proactive Health Original Adult Dry Cat Food
  
  I've used the Blue Buffalo for juvenile hedgehogs before and its worked well for them, however I stumbled upon the Purina a year ago and that stuff is pretty great for the price. Both have 4% fiber while the Iams only has 3%, but aside from that the Iams is a good food too. I'd just do a search for your local retailers online and see who has the best deal on each product and go from there.
  
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  I hope this helps

It must have been one of those dudes I saw this morning on the 417. About 10am, rolling along westbound at like 90 in the fast lane with his rusty POS subaru hatchback literally loaded to the roof with amazon boxes.

I live in the boonies so I get fucked with Purolator. amazon.ca is way better nowadays though. A few years ago you couldn't find squat compared to the US. It's still not where it should be but getting better. I mean, $108 for cat food? Really?

We were feeding him wet in the mornings and dry at night before we got the feeder, and we worried that taking him off of wet food might be a problem, but thus far it has not. It might be because it's a "light" cat food.

Fortunately, the cat's gotten much better at rationing his food since we put him on a dry-only, every-eight-hour schedule. Up until now, he's been awful at rationing his food.

It is a limited ingredient kind. Heres the link to what I'm taking about.

https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Balance-Limited-Ingredient-Venison/dp/B01BI2R58S

My cats did this once before when they decided they hated their food. My vet recommended this food and they responded well. I give them this in the morning and Iams wet food in the evening with an extra cup of water in their dish and a pinch of plain psyllium mixed in.

IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH Mature Adult Hairball Care Dry Cat Food 7 Pounds https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AWFSV94/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_n8Sxzb5ZGEMA7

Edit: Spelling

Sorry it took so long, I had to go into work before I got the chance to send the link. It's a little pricy, but if it's just him eating it then it should last.

https://www.amazon.com/Science-Diet-Urinary-Hairball-Control/dp/B00ZQYGSTM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=hills+science+diet+cat+food&qid=1569554775&sprefix=hills+science+diet+cat&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNlQ0SENPRTVDV0pEJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDI2MTY3M1BQTkgwREhKU1hVVSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzgyOTU0M0tEREg2N1VCMUhMTSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl