What is the healthiest food for kittens? Cat food classes. Are dry foods harmful - readers' opinions

Quite often, for cat owners, choosing high-quality food is a serious problem. Some prefer natural products, some listen to the recommendations of sellers in pet stores, and some follow the lead of intrusive advertising.

In order to provide for your pets, you should also understand what dry food is, what rating they have and what it is based on. After all, it often happens that expensive food does not mean that it is one of the best, but the food is acceptable price category- bad.

There are several classifications of cat food.

By type they can be:

natural;
industrial;

In the first case, the owner of the animal independently determines what to feed his pet, but the big difficulty is that he does not always have all the necessary knowledge and will be able to provide the fluffy with all the important substances and microelements.

In addition, preparing food always takes a sufficient amount of time. In case of power ready-made food these problems disappear, all that remains is to choose a quality one, based on the advice experienced breeders and reliable rating.

All industrial feeds are divided into 2 types:

dry;
wet.

Dry ones, in turn, are divided into types, which are characterized by the quality of the composition. This:

economy;
premium;
super premium;
holistic

Most cats quite easily accept dry food, both economy and premium class, but for owners this should be very important, since poor quality nutrition can significantly reduce the number of years a cat lives.

What are the benefits of dry food?

Some cat owners are afraid to feed their pets dry food. This is due to the myth that they allegedly cause kidney stones in animals. Such conclusions are unfounded, however, kidney stones can indeed appear when using cheap food. Also, when using dry food, the animal must drink clean water.

Among positive qualities dry food can be distinguished as follows:

can be stored in a bowl for a long time;
thanks to granulation technology, many vitamins are preserved;
feed, starting from the premium class category, is covered beneficial bacteria, promoting quality digestion;
dry food is concentrated and lasts for a long time.

Many Russian catteries prefer dry cat food, however, you should choose from the premium, superpremium and holistic categories (if possible).

How to choose good cat food?

To choose best food For your pet, it is not enough to look at the packaging and name. Trademarks lure with various marketing ploys, however, the rating of dry food cannot be fooled. Even kangaroo meat in the composition cannot guarantee that this food meets the standards and requirements.

So how do you choose the right one? good nutrition for cats and not fall into the trap of marketers?

Cat food rating scale

Rating industrial feed is created so that owners of mustachioed pets can easily navigate what they can feed their cat and what not. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the main positions of the brands and names of food that are currently available in Russia on the shelves of supermarkets and pet stores.

7th place

The most worst performance according to the composition of the following economy class brands:

Acti-Crog, All cats, Bab’in (cereals and poultry, meat and carrots);
Cat chow;
Clauder;
Friskies;
Kitekat;
ProTail;
Whiskeys;
5 stars;
Vaska;
Terra cat;
feed that produce hypermarket lines at their own facilities.

Analysis shows that it contains too large a percentage of cereals, namely corn, as well as by-products Low quality, preservatives and dyes. These foods can cause urolithiasis (urolithiasis) in cats, allergies and intestinal dysbiosis.

6th place

Also, cannot be used for daily nutrition and these brands:

Club 4 paws, Purina one, Best choice, Darling, Josera, Porta 21, Oscar, Skif, Stout. They contain a high percentage of flour and preservatives;
Mera cat, Perfect fit (unspecified meat);
Katinka, Lara (low-quality by-products and preservatives).

5th place

For cats that are not actively exhibiting, you can use premium food from the following brands:

advance affinity;
Animonda;
Arden grange;
Bab'in (duck; salmon);
Best friends Bilanx;
Biomill;
Blitz;
Brit Premium;
Calibra;
Farmina Matisse;
Fitmin;
Flatazor;
Guabi SaborAndVida;
Grau, Iams;
Hills Natures best;
Hills Science plan;
Katz;
Nativia;
Nutram;
Monge;
Opti meal,
Optima,
Organix;

The products of these brands contain a large percentage of meat, and also contain corn, wheat and other grains. The disadvantages that the rating describes are usually minor: unpleasant smell, small granules.

4th place

Slightly higher in the positions offered by the premium food rating:

Bosh;
Bozita;
Defu;
Eukanuba;
Frank's pro gold;
Gina;
Greenwoods;
Guabi,
Husse;
Mera Cat;
Nutro;
Nero gold;
Shesir;
Trainer.

These brands represent premium quality dry food. They are designed for the middle price segment and are quite consistent with the price-quality ratio. Suitable for daily feeding of all cats.

Cat food is a deposit good health pet, and the issue of choosing food is always relevant. Naturally, ideally food natural food will bring more useful substances, however, then the owner has to constantly prepare it. Since most modern people There is no time for this, dry cat food is a way out of the situation. What are the features of dry food? Is dry cat food harmful and what is the best? Read further in the article.

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Features of dry food

When dry food enters the animal's stomach, it becomes soggy and larger, thus creating a feeling of fullness. It is also better for your cat's teeth than other types of food. When biting small pieces, the cat's teeth are cleared of plaque. Dry food has an advantage over other types - convenience, so cat food can lie in a bowl for a long time, and it will not spoil at all.

Dry food for kittens and adult pets of the "Super Premium" class has high quality. They do not contain any ballast components or ingredients. plant origin. If the owner feeds his pet with similar food, then there is no need to worry about his health. You can also distinguish a group of Lux class feeds. Among the representatives of enterprises that produce such food there are companies specializing only in animal food.

These are not large corporations that have their own scientific base and conduct research into the usefulness of this or that product for the body of four-legged animals. Today, the choice of pet food is limited only by the financial capabilities of its owner. Any food can cause allergies or the animal may simply not like the food. Therefore, it is best to introduce it into the animal’s diet gradually. We invite you to watch a cute video of a cat having a meal.

Species rating

For kittens

Name	Description	Composition and indications	Photo
Innova Cat and Kitten	Dry food of the “holistic” class. It is one of the highest quality. Manufactured in the United States. It is produced by the company Natura pet Products.	Contains protein at 38 percent, contains chicken, turkey, potatoes, whole eggs, and various vegetables. The food contains components from 5 basic food groups and has a meat base for the intake of proteins into the animal’s body. Added to feed important fats and oils to improve the condition of kittens’ fur and skin and strengthen the immune system.
Orijen cat & Kitten		Contains vitamin A, D3, E, B12, thiamine, choline, riboflavin, niacin and other trace elements. It contains sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, selenium, iron, zinc and other minerals. Indicated for kittens as a complete diet.
Felidae Cat and Kitten Formula	Holistic class dry food. Manufacturer СANIDAE Natural Pet Food Co, USA.	Does not contain harmful preservatives, corn, soy and wheat. Brown rice in the product is a source of carbohydrates that is used to increase energy and health. Indicated for kittens as daily diet. Contains: enzymes, prebiotics and probiotics, chelated minerals and vitamins. Suitable for capricious kittens.
Acana GRASSLANDS CAT		Does not contain GMOs, corn, wheat, soy and gluten, Palm oil, animal by-products, hormones, artificial flavors and preservatives. Animal products are used only from animals that are considered suitable for human consumption. Very nutritious, suitable for daily feeding kitten
ProPlan Junior		Contains crude fats, proteins, ash, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, linoleic acid. Has a combination powerful antioxidants, which are essential, as well as fatty acids and microelements that strengthen the kitten’s natural defense mechanisms.

For adult cats

Name	Description	Composition and indications	Photo
Innova Evo Cat	Holistic food. It is one of the highest quality. Manufactured in the United States. It is produced by the company Natura pet Products.	This food is shown to be active and healthy pets. Contains quite a large number of protein in its composition. All protein is of animal origin. The food contains no ingredients causing allergies in animals. Can be used by both long-haired and short-haired cats. Flavorings are natural and are used to attract cats to food. Not addictive. Contains probiotics and enzymes to aid four-legged pet's digestion.
Orijen	Dry food of the “holistic” class. Products from Champion Petfoods. Made in Canada.	It contains nutritious animal proteins and is suitable for both long-haired and short-haired pets. Contains vitamin A, D3, E, B12, thiamine, choline, riboflavin, niacin and other trace elements. Indicated as the main diet for cats.
Canidae	Holistic food. Manufactured in the United States of America.	One hundred percent consists of natural products. Even people can eat it. Consists of chicken, turkey, fish and lamb, as well as white and brown rice. Natural supplements balanced Omega 3 and Omega 6 are included in the product. Shown as for healthy cats, as a complete daily diet, and for animals with skin and coat problems.
Acana	Food grade " super premium" Manufactured in Canada by Akana.	Balanced complete food made from fresh ingredients for cats of any breed. Contains 71% regional animal ingredients, 32% regional vegetables and fruits, grain-free, includes 4 types of fresh protein. Indicated as the main diet for cats.
Pro Plan	Premium food. Manufactured by Purina, USA.	The food is made from the highest quality products: it contains chicken, salmon, turkey or duck as base component, which serves as an excellent source of protein. The feed does not contain preservatives or dyes. A balanced content of rice improves digestion. Indicated as the main diet for cats.

Is there any harm from a dry menu: opinions of veterinarians

Each owner decides which food to choose independently. However, in order to accept correct solution in feeding, many owners of four-legged animals are also interested in reviews from veterinarians. According to many veterinarians, feeding cats dry food is beneficial. The thing is that the finished food has a balanced composition. Long-haired or short-haired pets will not only be healthy, but the owner will also spend less money on dry food.

Also, such cat food stores well and has moderate consumption due to the low water content in the product. In reviews, veterinarians also note disadvantages. Thus, dry food is not as appetizing as natural or canned food. But by adding water to it, it will become more attractive to your pet. The reviews also provide a recipe for such a process.

You need to add 230 ml of water to 425 grams of dry food, the temperature of which does not exceed forty degrees.

The reviews also list another disadvantage of dry feeding. It lies in the fact that such food contains only dry ingredients, which impair digestibility. In the production of feed, meat flour and other components that have been processed are used. Violation of the drying regime, in turn, greatly reduces the amount of nutrients. However, among dry cat food, there are also those for the production of which various fresh meat ingredients are used.

Thanks to this, the feed granules contain large quantity fats and proteins with great biological value. Also, according to veterinarians, today Russian market There are no feeds that would be perfectly balanced. Almost all of them contain a lot of carbons, most of them have high glycemic index. Many feeds, even those of the super premium class, exceed the carbon standard by forty percent. In a pet, exceeding this norm can lead to unwanted fluctuations in blood glucose levels, and other health problems are possible.

Video “Raccoon steals food”

Did you know that not only cats love dry food? IN next video You'll see a raccoon steal food from unsuspecting cats. Still would! Who would have thought that the impudent man would have so much courage?

Many owners give their pets dry cat food, without even thinking about how healthy and safe such food is. As a result, a lot of harmful substances, including dyes, flavors, preservatives, and other chemicals. All this leads to the appearance allergic reactions and other problems.

Your pussy would buy...

If a cat had the same opportunities as you and I, then she would never buy cat food such popular brands as Whiskas, Friskies, or Kitiket. Because it just smells like meat. The composition may contain any chemicals. In addition, more of this food is consumed, and it creates excess stress on the kidneys.

Veterinarians also speak negatively about Purina One, Felix, Sheba, Darling, Purina Cat Chow, Dr. Clauders, Our Mark, Stout and other well-known and not so well-known products belonging to the economy class.

Premium class

Somewhat better premium cat food. These include Hills, Royal Canin, Bozita, Brit, Purina Pro Plan, Iams, Natural Choice.

There are a lot of nuances associated with these products. Eg, premium cat food from Hills, or Royal Canin from the veterinary series are much better than the products for healthy cats produced by the same manufacturer.

Hills has great ones premium food for kittens up to a year:

With chicken – Chicken;
With ocean fish – Hills Kitten Ocean Fish;
With tuna –

They have a good balance of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The animal quickly gains weight and remains in excellent shape.

Premium food is much better than budget food. However, the composition still contains a lot of harmful substances for animals. vegetable proteins(soy, gluten, etc.), there are flavoring additives and preservatives. Therefore it is much preferable to use super premium cat food, which will be discussed below.

Super premium cat food

This class offers high quality products and very affordable prices. Yes, it is more expensive than Whiskas, but the difference between premium and super-premium is not so great as to save on the health of our pets. After all super premium food for cats does not contain many harmful or causing food allergies, substances.

Popular super premium cat food:

Bosch SANABELLE;
Nutram;
ProNature Holistic;
Arden Grange;
1st Choice;
Profine Adult Cat;
Cimiao.

It should be clarified that all these super premium food for cats arranged in random order. The list does not reflect the quality of the products in any way. You should also remember that each animal perceives even the best cat food in its own way. Something on which one cat can live for a long time and healthy life may cause allergies in others.

There are other important points:

In most cases, super premium cat food are really good only if they are original products. Unfortunately, some manufacturers have opened production in Russia. This had a negative impact on the quality of the products. We can only hope that we will be able to find original samples in warehouses, or order them online.
Also some super premium food for cats are named as such only because they have a series of medicinal and specialized products (this could be cat food that helps with obesity, or food for neutered cats).

Number 1. Or the best food in the world

Each specialist has his own opinion about the quality and usefulness cat food. Sometimes the conclusions of veterinarians and felinologists may not coincide.

So what is the best dry food to feed a cat?? There are a lot of elite brands that do not contain harmful chemicals and preservatives. Among them:

Innova;
Gina Elite;
Orijen;

They also produce very high quality products

Golden Eagle Holistic;
GRANDORF Natural & Healthy;
Chicken Soup;
NOW Natural holistic;
Eagle Pack Cat Holistic;
Wellness;
Earthborn Holistic;
Nutram Grain Free;
Almo Nature Holistic;
Natural&Delicious (N&D);
Acana;
Felidae;
ANF holistic.

Are you interested in Which wet food best for cats? Anyone belonging to the holistic class. That is natural. This cat food does not have any significant disadvantages, but it must be selected individually.

However, there is one caveat. If the cat is used to strong odors, for which cheap food is “famous”, then at first he will not touch the food. By evening, nature in the form of hunger will win, and the animal will eat normally.

What food is best for kittens? What is the difference between economy, premium, superpremium and holistic food? Can small kittens eat adult cat food? What you should not feed a kitten and why it is so important to choose the right diet.

Bringing a kitten home, every owner hopes that it will grow up to be healthy, beautiful and smart. a pet. As your baby grows, you will learn more and more information about keeping kittens, but it is better to know some nuances in advance.

Why is it so important to choose the right diet? Proper nutrition– this is the key to the normal formation and growth of a kitten, regardless of its breed and age.

Until about 4 weeks of age, kittens feed on their mother's food; as they get older, they begin to become interested in adult food. If the kitten was raised in good conditions and was surrounded by care, at about 2 months of age he will completely abandon mother's milk and will become dependent on the diet that is formed by the breeder or owner.

What is the best food for kittens?

After a complete change of teeth, kittens can be given dry food. Until baby teeth were replaced by molars, from 4–5 one month old, dry food is introduced into the kitten’s diet, but only in a soaked form. To prevent the baby from spoiling his bite and having problems digesting food, the granules must be poured warm water 10–15 minutes before serving.

Dry food is introduced into the kitten’s diet so that upon reaching the right age, the transition to drying was more comfortable. In addition to soaked food, the kitten should receive high-quality canned food and a cat's milk substitute. The key factor when choosing dry food is its quality.

Traditionally, feed is divided into four classes.

Economy class food

Economy class is the most famous, advertised segment of food, slightly inferior in price to the premium class. Economy class feed is strictly not recommended for daily feeding of animals, as they are harmful to health and lead to development chronic diseases, do not contain enough proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Read also: What dry food is best to feed a cat: tips and tricks

Well-known economy class food:

Gemon.
Perfect.
Protail.
Vital.
Wellkiss.
Whiskas.
Gourmet Gold.
Darling.
Cat Chow Purina.
Puffins.
Felix.
Friskies.
Sheba.

Almost all economy class food is made from waste and pure form have an unattractive smell and taste. To ensure that cats eat the products with pleasure, manufacturers add flavor enhancers to them.

Taste enhancers, in turn, lead to the development of addiction. It is for this reason that most cats, accustomed to economy-class food, refuse higher quality products or natural food.

Note! Salt is used as a preservative in economy class food, which is fraught with the development urolithiasis even at a young age.

Premium food

Premium food is the most common choice of responsible owners, suitable for daily feeding of healthy animals. As part of the premium line, preventive food is produced for keeping neutered animals, pets with sensitive digestion, etc.

The disadvantage of premium food is its high carbohydrate content. Quite often, food is not fully fortified.

Well-known premium foods:

Almo Nature.
Animonda.
Brit Premium.
Nutra Mix.
Organix.
Pro Plan.
Probalance.
Royal Canin.
Happy Cat.
Hills Science Plan.
Advance.

Some of the above manufacturers produce premium and super premium food. The lines differ slightly in price. Therapeutic and preventive foods produced in premium lines are used only as prescribed by a veterinarian.

Remember! Switching an animal to preventative food on its own most often leads to the development of a disease from which the owner is trying to protect the pet.

Super premium food

Super-premium food is distinguished by premium, increased content proteins. Super premium class food is considered optimal choice for everyday feeding of pets. Most of the food in this line contains full complex vitamins and minerals, so the owner does not have to worry about additional feed additives.

Well-known super premium foods:

Arden Grange.
Blitz.
Brit Care.
Dr. Clauder's Super premium.
Royal Farm.
Superpet.
First Choice (1st Choice).

In super premium food, the protein content should be at least 60–70%. Salt is never used as a preservative, which reduces the maximum shelf life.

Read also: Making a protective Elizabethan collar for a cat with your own hands

Holistic class feed

For the production of super-premium and premium-class feed, decommissioned products, that is, not suitable for human consumption, can be used. The holistic class of food is considered the most natural. According to manufacturers, holistic food is made from high-quality, fresh products and does not contain preservatives or other hazardous ingredients.

Well-known holistic food:

Go Natural.
Akana.
Applaws.
Wildcat.
Grandorf.
Kanagan.
Carnilove.
Orijen.
Farmina.
Holistic.

Holistic class food is significantly more expensive than premium and super premium products. Moreover, most pet stores do not sell holistic foods because they have a short shelf life. The easiest way to purchase holistic food is remotely by contacting official distributor in your region.

How to choose the right wet food for a kitten?

Most manufacturers produce dry and wet food within the same line or brand. Typically, dry and wet food do not differ in composition, but contain different amounts of water. Wet food is more expensive than dry food, and considering that you also pay for water, the price increases several times.

Note! Wet food, like dry food, varies by class, age and individual range.

However, if you want your pet to be healthy, you won’t be able to completely stop buying wet food. When feeding exclusively dry food, the kitten’s tooth enamel is quickly worn away, which will lead to caries and other problems in quite a long time. early age. Veterinarians and food manufacturers recommend giving your cat 75% dry food and 25% wet food.

It would seem, in this case, it would be better to transfer the kitten to feeding exclusively wet food. This measure is fair and reasonable, but only until the kitten’s baby teeth change. Feeding exclusively wet food, when the kitten has formed a permanent set of teeth, leads to a decrease in the load on the gums and their loosening. The consequences are destructive and not always reversible - the cat’s teeth begin to loosen, which can lead to their damage and loss.

Can a kitten eat adult cat food?

A small kitten physically cannot eat in one sitting required amount food. It is for this reason that kittens aged 3 months and older eat at least 4 times a day. In addition to main meals, the kitten willingly snacks on light but nutritious foods.

Unlike adult cats, kittens have an increased need for fats and fatty acids. In addition, kittens need a lot of protein. Approximately 30% of energy activity is compensated by proteins, the rest of energy consumption is compensated by fats and carbohydrates.

Important! Food for adult cats does not take into account the needs of the kitten's growing body and does not contain enough proteins, vitamins and minerals.

In addition, adult cat foods contain a lot of fiber, which can lead to pain, increased gas formation and diarrhea.

Manufacturers producing pet food pay attention to small pets. There are entire lines specialized nutrition for kittens. Wet food occupies a special place in them. High-quality wet food has a number of features:

In him great content natural products. There is meat, fish, chicken or turkey.
Jelly with pieces can be eaten by any breed of kitten without any problems. The dish will not harm developing teeth.
Packaging in bags or jars is intended for exactly one meal. It's comfortable. The owner does not need to calculate the weight of the dish, and the contents will not be stored for long and will not spoil.
Wet food contains a minimum amount of preservatives and chemical additives. They are safe for animals.
Contains products ideal for balanced diet kitten
The product has a high energy value. The pet will be satiated quickly and for a long time.

Feed classes

Wet food is divided into classes. The main criterion here is the quality and price of the product. The owners, based on their capabilities, independently determine what to feed their pet.

There are four classes in total: economy, premium, super premium, holistic. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. There is no clear answer to the question “what is the best wet food for kittens.”

Economy class food

The disadvantages of this class include the fact that there is no meat in food packages for animals; it is replaced with vegetable protein. No vitamins. The food is not optimized in composition and is poorly absorbed by the fragile bodies of small animals. It is known that these foods are made from canned food. Pros: accessibility, low price, a large assortment tastes. Among the varieties of economy feeds, the following stand out:

- Meal;

— Doctor Zoo;

— Vaska;

Premium class

Disadvantages of the product - there a small amount of meat, plenty of water. There are more advantages. The food is well digested by kittens. They are optimized. The cost is average. Premium food names:

— Royal Canin (Russia);

— Doctor Alders, Flatazor;

— Happy Cat;

Super premium class

The only negative about these feeds is their high price. There are many advantages. This is a balanced food that contains enough meat to satisfy the baby’s body’s needs for this product. Huge selection by assortment. No dyes. Minimal amount vegetable protein. Such food does not contain substances that are not digestible. The food will appeal to animals of all breeds. Super premium feed:

— Royal Canin (France);

Holistic

Holistic is a class of feed that contains all the substances for animal health. It is these foods that provide one hundred percent balance in the pets’ diet. They're better than natural nutrition or other ready-made feed. Manufacturers of this class of products are confident that they know the answer to the question “wet food for kittens: which is better?”

There are many advantages in the product. Holistic feeds are superior natural nutrition. There is a lot of high-quality meat without antibiotics. No chemistry.

A significant disadvantage of such feeds is the very high price.

Holistic class foods include:

— Eagle Pack Holistic Select;

Experts advise owners to start giving wet food to a kitten that is already two months old. Soft foods can be introduced as complementary foods. Dry food will cause stress in a small body. After the milk that the cat drank or drinks from the mother, dry solid figures are absolutely not suitable.

At 2 months the kitten is already quite developed. He is very active. The baby constantly plays and explores the apartment. In order to be strong and energetic, he needs high-calorie food in addition to his mother's milk.

If the pet drinks milk from its mother, then feed should be given 1-2 times a day. If he shows to feed increased interest, which means the number of feedings should be increased. The animal does not get enough of its mother's milk.

It is better to purchase food from a specialized pet store. Sellers will be able to guide the buyer and provide him with necessary information about different brands of products.

You cannot feed a purebred pet with cheap food. Due to this diet, the kitten may experience problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

If owners buy an economical option for a small pet, then it should be supplemented with special vitamins from the pet store.

Wet food for kittens, which one is best to buy for a pet, is decided by the owners. Much depends on people's well-being. However, it is worth understanding that a purebred kitten needs higher quality food than an ordinary one. You definitely need to monitor your pet’s health and mood. A cheerful, active kitten will bring only joy to its owners.