I have 2 old cats and have been feeding Science diet which people now say is junk. I want my kitties to stay healthy. Thank you in advance.
I don't think a poll will give you what you're looking for . It will give you random samples of people's cats. Like when you hear about people that eat junk food and live to be 109. There haven't been any scientific studies, unfortunately.
The only studies I've seen show that cats with kidney issues or diabetes do better on canned food made of animal protein (not wheat, or corn). I think you can make the assumption that most of the cat population would do better on these foods, since they have extra moisture and extra protein. This all seems pretty obvious to me since a cat's natural diet would be a wild animal they caught and killed, which would be about 70-80% moisture and lots of protein, not some dehydrated veggies that happened to be lying around:)
I personally don't like Science Diet because it has lots of corn (dehydrated veggies .. lol) and by-products - beaks, feet, etc. When I think of a cat eating a wild bird, I don't suppose they eat the beak and the feet and leave all the muscles and organs to go to waste. Since you're already spending a good deal of $ $ on cat food, why not go with something more like a cat's natural diet?
Despite what everyone says about what's good food and what's not, I honestly haven't seen a significant difference in the results. My oldest cats were aged 18 and 22 when they died, and they had Special Kitty when they were younger and Meow Mix a bit later in life. Both of these foods are considered fairly poor, and if I had cats right now I certainly wouldn't be feeding it to them, but they were both very healthy into advanced age and neither ever had any major health issues. I know one of the major problems a lot of people have with the lower grades of pet food is that we "don't know what's in them" with all the meals, by-products, and chemical preservatives added in - but the foods most humans eat certainly isn't any better on that count.
I recently started feeding my 15 year old, frail cat "Royal Canin" cat food which is a prescription food. This food is apparently high in calorie and available by way of your vet. You must take care not to over feed your little pal on this food. The food also contains vitamins that are also good for the cat. Well, within a week or two our frail old man gained his weight and muscle back and was back to playing and chasing the other cats as if he was a kitten again. His coat is healthy and he simply looks like he is much younger.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com We have learned that a lot of commercial cat foods, even the ones of good repute, contain too much filler. Cats are simply not supposed to eat anything but meat. Most cat foods can be compared to a human eating nothing but bagels and soft pretzels all day. Tooth decay and diabetes are all too common a result.
Whatever you choose to do, I would seek out a cat food that is all or mostly made of meat, with no grains or soy added.
My cat lived to be 18 and for the last several years of her life she ate Friskies Turkey and Giblets canned. Petsmart's Authority canned is a step up from that, as it does not contain by-products.
Good luck to you. I hope your kitties are around for a long time to come.
I have a 13 year old cat, we feed him Friskies? Dry cat food, and Special Kitty? Wet food. He's a very healthy cat .
The best food for your cat is what they like best and keeps them healthy.
