I finally found what might be a decent cat food at Walmart. It’s called Maxximum Nutrition. The first four ingredients are chicken, chicken meal, corn gluten meal and poultry fat preserved with a form of Vitamin E. It also contains brewers rice, ground beet pulp, fish meal, ground wheat and dried whole eggs. It has NO bi-products of any kind. It appears to be preserved only with natural substances. The corn gluten meal is the only thing I have reservations about.
I live in a very small town. We don’t have a Petsmart within 100 miles. I want to feed my cats the best possible food, but I also have to work within a realistic budget. I’ve heard there are sites that deliver high-quality pet food to your door, but I’m worried I may not be able to afford the food AND the shipping costs.
Is Maxx Nutrition a decent food? If not, are there affordable foods online? I’d appreciate any input.
P.S. Maxx nutrition is $5.49 for a 4 lb. bag.
I know many people, myself included, feel very strongly about pet nutrition and being a responsible pet owner, but I’ve seen some very unkind comments in this section. Please be constructive in your comments. Both of my cats were on the “put to sleep” list when I adopted them. If they had to make a choice between awful food like “Special Kitty” brand and death, they’d probably opt for bad food. (I’d NEVER feed my cats that awful swill, I am simply making a point.)
That said, I’d like to thank all of the people who have given informed, constructive advice in this section. I’ve learned a lot of invaluable information. Before I started visiting this section, I had no idea what to look for in cat food. I thought, like many people do, that Iams and Purina One were quality foods. After learning from you guys and checking labels, I was horrified to discover the first ingredient is CORN!
I, and my cats, thank you.
*****
Thanks for the great responses. I’ve thought about your answers and I’ve done my own research as well.
Mechanic said all dry foods are NOT created equal. I believe JC has said the same thing in other posts. They are right. It IS possible to feed your pet a dry food that won’t cause health problems.
Dry food isn’t better for their teeth, but it’s not bad for teeth, either. Studies show no relation between a particular food type and increased dental problems.
My cats, like most humans, like being able to have a little snack every now and again. This is observation of their behavior, not justification for laziness. I want them to have the best of both worlds, so I plan to keep a good dry food (probably Evo) in their bowls and give them good canned food on a regular basis. They don’t eat when they’re not hungry, so I don’t anticipate any problems. If I notice weight gain, I’ll adjust their food accordingly.
