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Your Search for the Best Cat Food Begins Here
Choosing the best dry cat foods is necessary to keep your pets healthy. Some brands from bigger companies normally have by-products content and other ingredients that may not do good for your pets. If you are looking for the best dry cat foods, opt for the one manufactured by a company that specializes solely in dry cat foods.
This type of company strives to get the best cat food formula based on the needs of your cats. These companies will never use by-products when making cat foods. It is also necessary to ensure that dry cat foods manufactured by all companies should contain a certain formula approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
On Food Products That Show ‘Meat Meal’ and ‘Premium’ as Part of the Label
If you notice some products that bear the ‘Premium’ label, this means that the cat food feature corn or wheat-based ingredients as its main components. Keep in mind that in many instances, these food products may not work for your pets. But if you notice produces that contain ‘Meat Meal’ in its main label, then these products often includes components sourced from corn, wheat and soy. Based on our reviews, the ones that feature the ‘Meat Meal’ label is considered better, thanks to its high concentration of protein in the pellets. However, you might not be able to know at a glance what kind of meat is contained in the cat food. It would be best if you will look for those labeled with defined meat such as duck, turkey, venison or chicken.
You can also look at the label if it contains a defined meat meal such as duck meal, chicken meal or a venison meal with no grains on its first five main ingredients. Therefore, the formula for an excellent dry cat food is one with defined meat without any grains like tapioca, white rice, soy, corn, rye, and potatoes as part of the first five ingredients.
How to Get the Best Dry Cat Food
Super Premium labeled dry cat foods are the most recommended for cats. These types of foods have defined meat, which means that your cats will get more from the food.
Cats can get essential minerals, vitamins and amino acid from these food sources. Super Premium dry cat foods are specifically designed to be absorbed thoroughly by your cats.
Ingredients to Avoid in the First Five Major Ingredients
- Corn meal or corn gluten meal and other proteins sourced from corn-by-products
- Grains including white rice and wheat. White rice has a higher carbohydrate content while wheat has a high gluten content.
- Soy meal, soybean meal, soy flour, and other proteins from soy
- Avoid rye as it can be hardly digested by cats.
- Potatoes that have high glycemic content as it can cause sugar blood increases.
- When the first three out of five ingredients are grains
- High glycemic content tapioca
- Artificial colorants and preservatives
You can Make Your Pet Cats Happier and Healthier By:
- Get the best wet and dry food as possible based on their needs. Ensure that the cat foods given are healthy and FDA- approved and free from by-products.
- Giving your pets the right food through the use of an automatic cat feeder. Also known as pet food dispensers, they are beneficial as it releases right food portion especially for cats on a diet.
- Keeping your pets hydrated as much as possible, through the use of cat water fountains. Water fountains encourage cats to drink more water. Water also keeps cats away from urinary diseases and infection.
- Maintain a convenient and ventilated environment with bedding, toys. Since cats love to hide in some corners of the house, cat owners should provide them with hiding areas.
- Take time to play with your pet every day.
- Keep your home free from stress. Cats might not find it comfortable if your house is filled with loud noises.
To guide you when choosing the best wet and dry cat foods, here is a complete list of meat-based cat foods best for your cats. The dry and wet cat foods are classified based on the first five major ingredients since they show up the greatest nutritional value in the cat food formula. The foods listed below are free from grain, while others have grains as their major ingredients. Other cat owners do not mind whether the cat food has grains, as long as the major ingredients are meat-based. Some also consider the percentage of crude protein in the food as well as the glycemic carbohydrate content before feeding it to their cats.
A good cat food is high protein, and if it contains all of the amino acids essential for the health of your cats. The 11 essential amino acids contained in these dry cat foods include histidine, leucine, arginine, isoleucine, methionine, threonine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, taurine and valine. If the technical analysis of a cat food is not reflected on the label, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is not contained in the food.
Brands are listed and classified based on the protein content along with other essential amino acids needed by cats.
Three of the cat foods exhibiting all 11 amino acids on the label include Petcurean Go! Fit + Grain Free Cat Food, Orijen Cat & Kittten Cat Food and the Acana Grasslands Regional Geain Free Cat Food.
Petcurean Go! Fit + Grain Free Cat Food
This cat food is grain-free and has 48% meat proteins. The first five main ingredients of this cat food are de-boned chicken, chicken meal, duck meal, de-boned turkey, and turkey meal. The recipe behind Petcurean Go! Fit + Grain Free cat food has a good amount of fish and meat such as duck, turkey, chicken, trout, and salmon. It also has a specific amount of chicken fat, which is a natural source of energy.
However, chicken fat content is not that high, to ensure that your pets will not get obese in the long run. The formula for Petcurean Go! Fit + Grain Free cat food includes fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6. It also contains farm-grown vegetables and fresh fruits for better nourishment of cats. The ingredients like de-boned turkey and de-boned chicken make this food a balanced formula for your pet cats.
Orijen Cat & Kittten Cat Food
The Orijen Cat & Kittten Cat Food is produced out of local ingredients such as natural eggs, freshly caught fish, and free-run turkey. Meats used for the creation of this cat food formula are fresh, never frozen and free from food preservatives. The recipe of this cat food contains 80% proteins keeping cats naturally healthy. This cat food is also grain-free and has small amounts of low glycemic content-carbohydrates. All 11 essential amino acids are contained in Orijen Cat & Kitten formula to keep the body of cats in proper function. Amino acids also help your cats stay away from possible diseases. The first five main ingredients of this cat food are chicken meal, boneless chicken, boneless turkey, whole herring, and chicken liver. Take note that Orijen comes in two formulas, one which was created in Kentucky and the other formula was in Canada.
Acana Grasslands Regional Geain Free Cat Food
This car food is based on meat with lamb as its first and second main ingredients. Lamb meat is easily digested by cats, and it is a rich source of protein. With lamb meat as its major ingredient, cats are less likely to develop allergies once they eat this cat food. The recipe also includes proteins from other sources such as wild caught fish, fresh eggs, and duck.
The formula for Acana Grasslands Regional Geain Free Cat Food has a low content of magnesium, liver, and carbohydrates. All of the essential amino acids needed by your cats are present in this cat food. Acana formula contains 70% meat proteins and fats, while the other 30% are comprised of fruits and vegetables. This help improve digestion among cats.
Below is a list of cat foods that do not exhibit all 11 essential amino acids on the label. It includes the Wellness Core Original Formula Fish & Fowl Adult Cats & Kittens, Nulo Freestyle Chicken & Cod Recipe, Fromm Grain Free Game Bird, Halo Spot’s Stew Cat Grain-Free Chicken Cat Food, Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Cat Food and etc.
Wellness Core Original Formula Fish & Fowl Adult Cats & Kittens
Wellness Core Original Formula Fish & Fowl Adult Cats & Kittens Cat food satisfies the carnivore-based diet of pet cats. The formula for this cat food provides high quality meats with its first five main ingredients. Wellness Core uses a formula that is free of fillers and grains so your cat’s nutrition is ensured. It is also free from gluten and carbohydrates, that can cause diabetes and obesity in cats.
Wellness Core Original Formula Fish & Fowl Adult Cats & Kittens Cat food formula has good fats such as flaxseed and salmon oil, which helps your cats maintain healthy skin. This cat food does not have meat by-products, artificial colors, corn, soy, preservatives, wheat or flavors. The first five main ingredients are chicken meal, de-boned chicken, de-boned turkey, whitefish meal and herring meal.
Nutrience Natural Fish & Duck Formula
The first five main ingredients of Nutrients Natural Fish & Duck Formula Cat Food are meat-based, making it a very excellent choice for dry cat food. The formula of Nutrients Cat Food has a good protein balance, such as healthy fats, duck and fish, and carbohydrates that have low glycemic content.
The five major ingredients of this cat food are based on duck and fish proteins. The ingredients include de-boned cod, de-boned Pollock, de-boned haddock, menhaden fish meal, and de-boned flounder. Nutrience is also beneficial in preventing stomach sensitivity among your pets.
Nulo Freestyle Chicken & Cod Recipe
Nulo Freestyle Chicken & Cod Recipe Cat Food has no grain content, and 83% of it is consists of animal proteins. Formula for this cat food has low glycemic content and uses good sources of carbohydrates like peas and lentils. The formula does not have excessive calories and carbohydrates.
This helps cats control weight and keep their muscle mass lean. The first five ingredients of Nulo Freestyle Chicken & Cod Recipe Cat Food are chicken meal, de-boned chicken, whole peas, de-boned cod and turkey meal.
Fromm Grain Free Game Bird
Fromm Grain Free Game Bird Cat Food allows your cat to get a delicious taste of quail and pheasant, chicken, duck, turkey and Wisconsin cheese. Fresh vegetables and fruits contained in this cat food helps your cats in the digestion of food. The formula for this cat food reduces allergies caused by food intake.
Specifically, chicory root extract in From Grain Cat Food helps enhance digestive function of the cat’s body and prevent worms from staying. From Grain Cat Food can be used for all ages of cats as it comes in small batches to maintain quality and consistency. The first five ingredients include pea protein, dried whole egg, duck, duck meal and turkey.
Halo Spot’s Stew Cat Grain-Free Chicken Cat Food
Halo Spot’s Stew Cat Grain-Free Chicken has a formula with natural ingredients with no preservatives, flavors or artificial colors. Fresh meat is used in the Halo recipe and comes with a complete package of essential minerals and vitamins that can be easily absorbed by the body of cats. This cat food formula contains rich sources of energy and proteins added with vegetable broth and natural flavor.
Halo Spot’s Stew Cat Grain-Free Chicken Cat Food has five main ingredients, including pea protein, chicken fat, vegetable broth, chicken and eggs. In the food analysis of Halo Spot’s Stew Cat Grain-Free Chicken Cat Food, only two of the 11 amino acids are listed. Halo Cat Food is excellent for active cats and outdoor cats.
Chicken Soup for the Soul Dry Cat Food
Chicken Soup for the Soul Adult Cat Food uses a formula that meets the nutritional needs of your cats. Ingredients used are good sources of concentrated protein, crude, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, botanicals, and antioxidants. Chicken Soup Cat Food recipe is tasty, making it perfect for cats with selective taste. Chicken Soup Cat Food formula is incorporated with healthy nutritional grains. Your pet can eat both tasty and healthy food with this cat food.
The first five ingredients of Chicken Soup Cat Food are cracked pearled barley, chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, and chicken fat which is preserved with tocopherols. This cat food contains L-carnitine that helps cats maintain healthy weight while burning unnecessary fats. With Chicken Soup for the Soul Adult Cat Food, you get a high quality cat food for a good price.
Evanger’s Pheasant & Whitefish Formula
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Evanger’s Pheasant & Whitefish Formula Cat Food contains high-quality ingredients and proteins from duck, pheasant, and whitefish. This cat food also has vegetable and animal proteins which are a rich source of energy.
Cat food contains fruits and vegetable ingredients easily digested by cats. The recipe of Evanger’s Pheasant and Whitefish Cat Food includes taurine and Omega-3 which can improve eyes and heart health of your cats. This cat food is tasty making it easily adopted by cats. The first five ingredients of Evanger’s Pheasant & Whitefish Formula Cat Food are canola oil, sweet potatoes, pheasant, whitefish and peas.
Wysong Uretic Feline Formula
Wysong Uretic Feline Formula Dry Diet Cat Food helps improve urinary tract system of cats. This cat food guarantees 16% fat content and 36% protein content which satisfies carnivore dry diet of your pet cats. Important nutrients needed by cats are contained in the formula which includes probiotics, micronutrients and nutraceuticals, antioxidants, prebiotics and omega-3. The formula contains healthy amounts of minerals not exceeding the right amount of minerals.
Wysong Uretic Feline Formula Dry Diet Cat Food also has methionine, which is known to be a very essential amino acid that improves urinary function in cats. The first five ingredients of this cat food are peas, chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal and fish meal.
Precise Holistic Complete Cat Food
Precise Holistic Complete Cat Food follows a high standard for the basic needs of your pet cats. This brand is certainly suited to cats as the ingredients help treat ear problems or itchy skin caused by leaky gut syndrome and Candida Albicans in many cats. No by-products have been used in the formula creation with real and fresh meat as the main ingredient.
It consists of 20% crude fat content and 32% crude meat content which are very important in maintaining a healthy and natural diet in cats. The Precise Holistic Complete formula comes in a complete package of vitamins and minerals easily absorbed by the cat’s body. The first five ingredients include oatmeal, chicken, chicken meal, chicken fat, and ground brown rice.
Natural Planet Organic Cat Food
Natural Planet Organic is not just like any ordinary organic food in the market. This cat food is certified and approved by the Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO). OTCO is an organic integrity organisation symbol recognised internationally. The standard followed in the Natural Planet Organic formula exceeds the organic standards of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
It uses organic crude meat as its primary ingredient. The formula does not include any by-products which make it safe and healthy for pets. If you wish to get detailed information of this cat food’s nutritional analysis, you can check out its full review online. The first five ingredients of this cat food include organic barley, organic yellow peas, organic flaxseed, chicken meal and organic chicken.
Points to consider with grain-free cat foods
If a cat food does not contain grain, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is healthier compared to cat food with grain. Some cat foods that are grain-free make use of starch like potatoes or tapioca with its five main ingredients. This means that cat foods with grain have carbohydrate content as much as the cat food with quality grain sources.
Cat foods with grains and those grain-free differ in terms of the first five main ingredients. For instance, other cat food containing grains have barley, oats or peas as the main ingredients, while grain-free foods consist of tapioca and potatoes as the major ingredients.
Is it Possible to Find a Perfect Cat Food?
There is no such thing as perfect cat food since there are lots of factors to be considered in terms of the nutritional needs of your pet cats. Choosing the best cat food will depend on the medical conditions, age, and whether the cat is outdoors or indoors. It may also be dependent on the genes and breeds of your cats.
Some cats may not like dry cat foods that have grains, while others may like eating cat foods with grain until their old age. The most important thing is to choose the dry cat food with meat as the primary ingredient and those with no fillers or by-products contained. Fillers include white rice, soy, corn, wheat, colorants or artificial flavours.
You also need to take a look at good balancing between wet and dry foods. Always choose the cat food that makes your pet healthier and happier. The price should also fit into your budget since it is not necessary to go for expensive ones. To find the best choice of cat food, you can go through trial and error strategy to test the efficiency of each cat food.
Changing Cat Foods for a healthier feline – Our Thoughts
You can’t just change your cat’s food in an instant, as your pet might not adapt so easily. Here is how you are going to switch from one cat food to a better one. One the first day, give your cat the first meal that contains ‘ new cat food and ‘ old cat food. For the second meal, you can give him 1/3 new cat food and 2/3 old cat food. On the second day, give him a first meal that contains ‘ new food and ‘ old cat food. For the second meal, 2/3 new cat food and 1/3 old cat food is better. Then finally on the third day, you can give your cats all new food.
There is no single cat food guaranteed to suit all kinds of cats. Cats may have varied reactions to the food items that are served to them. It is up to you to test and decide which cat foods will suit your cats, based on their needs and your personal judgment.
But with that being said, if you stick to the food choices on this list that help you get the best wet cat food and dry cat kibbles then you are on an easier road than trying to find the better ones for your feline.
