Pet owners are always keenly interested in the nutrition of their pets. On all kinds of forums for cat lovers, the topic of proper feeding of cats and kittens never ceases to be relevant.
Which food is better - natural or specialized, produced by well-known manufacturers of animal feed? How to feel about, to put it mildly, “unhealthy” additives that are widely used in dry and canned food. Manufacturers loudly declare that all their products are balanced and the only true food for cats, but can you believe these statements, which are often nothing more than advertising? Let's try to figure it out.
One of the most popular foods is the specialized food for cats Happy Cat. Many pet lovers and even breeders of rare breeds use it in the diet of their pets. This food from German developers belongs to the premium and super-premium class (at least, that’s what the manufacturer says).
- Happy Cat cat food
- Happy Cat cat food
- Happy Cat cat food
Types of cat food Happy Cat
The German food manufacturer produces food for cats in the form of dry and wet food.
Dry food is sold in standard packages of 0.3 kg, 1.4 kg, 4 kg and 10.
Wet - these are pouches of 100 g, canned food of 400 g, preserves of 10 g. Let's find out if this food is good and whether it's worth giving it to your pet.
According to the packaging, this food contains the following beneficial substances:
- Dry egg powder,
- Poultry meat (domestic),
- Barley and flaxseed,
- Cracklings,
- Lamb meal,
- Minerals and vitamins that pets’ bodies need for normal functioning,
- Fruit and vegetable squeezes,
- Dried seaweed, chamomile, chicory (root) extract.
But, in addition to these beneficial substances, there are harmful and “unidentified” ones, which, of course, is a disadvantage, causing some mistrust in the food of this series.
- The food contains liver, but for some reason the packaging does not indicate who exactly this liver belongs to. The problem of unidentification of this element in the composition of the feed may indicate the likelihood of toxins.
- harmful additives: poultry and beef fats.
It will be interesting:
- Hills cat food reviews and recommendations;
- about Brit cat food;
- what to feed the cat.
Features of the food
These high-quality products, belonging to the “premium class” category, are well known to most breeders in our country. Pet owners also appreciated the Happy Cat food (for cats). Reviews of these products suggest that these are truly high-quality compounds. Industrial production of assorted feeds began in 2002. All Happy Cat products are manufactured in Germany, at a plant in Wehringen (Bavaria).
Company specialists claim that all formulations produced by the brand are made from high-quality natural ingredients of plant and animal origin. The Happy Cat product range consists of canned food and dry food. The main feature of this product is its unique recipe, which has been improved from year to year for many years. It allows you to stabilize the metabolism in the animal’s body.
With regular use of this food, the manufacturer guarantees your pet:
- excellent health;
- thick, fluffy fur;
- prevention of urolithiasis;
- strong and healthy teeth and gums;
- strengthening the immune system.
Minuses:
- Not available in all stores
- Harmful substances in the composition
As you can see, this food contains not only healthy ingredients. Before buying this food, pay attention to the reviews of Happy Cat food for cats, of which there are quite a few in the comments to the product. You can find conflicting reviews about Happy Cat cat food, which is explained by the individuality of each animal: some people like the food and tolerate it well, while others, alas, do not. It is also worth paying attention to reviews from veterinarians, which are very contradictory for this food, as for all others. Although, according to most veterinarians, if your cat reacts normally to food, then it has a place in its diet, just remember to drink enough.
Happy Cat Cat Food Review
Happy Cat dry and wet cat food is produced in Germany by Interquell GmbH and imported to Russia by Grand Alpha LLC.
The official website (Russian) and https://www.happycat.de (main), the information about feed indicated on them (compositions, feeding rates, etc.) is the same. This food belongs to the premium class. In addition to Happy Cat, the same company produces Happy Dog dog food, which also belongs to the premium class.
Composition of Happy Cat food
Let's study the composition of Happy Cat food using the example of the Adult Weide-Lamm option (Pasture Lamb, for all adult cats). It can be seen in the image below (for ease of reading, left-click on the image):
On the left is a photo of the composition from the food packaging, on the right are screenshots from the official website.
The first ingredient is poultry (21%). It is not clear what kind of bird it is and what its parts are. 21% is a lot, but there is no * symbol next to this ingredient, like there are other dried meat components. From this we can conclude that “birds” are 21% raw, and after cooking in dry food the percentage will be 3-4 times less.
Other sources of animal proteins include meat products, lamb 8%, dried whole egg. Given the general formulations, the first two of the three components are likely to consist of by-products.
In second and third place are rice flour and corn flour, respectively, which are mainly sources of carbohydrates, as are corn and potato flakes placed a little further down.
In addition to Happy Cat's regular everyday foods, there is also a grain-free line called Grainfree Rentier, which uses potatoes instead of corn and wheat (present in some regular options).
Poultry fat is a source of saturated fatty acids. Fiber, beet pulp and apple pulp are sources of fiber. All other ingredients of the composition are added to the food in order to enrich it with certain beneficial substances.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of this food include:
- the main source of protein is meat ingredients (since there is no soy, vegetable gluten and other rich sources of vegetable protein);
- wide range (grain-free food, medicinal food, canned food, treats);
- good content of vitamins and minerals;
- natural antioxidants (tocopherols - vitamin E) are used.
Among the disadvantages are:
- a small percentage of meat ingredients, their quality is unknown;
- high price, comparable to many feeds of a higher class.
Which position should you choose for your pet?
Diets for kittens:
- HAPPY CAT JUNIOR Sensitive Grainfree
The menu is based on easily digestible poultry and potatoes. The food is grain-free and ideal for babies. Manufacturers have included a formula in the diet that has a positive effect on the growth of the kitten, on the strength of its bones, at the same time the food cares for the oral cavity, and Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids ensure high quality wool. The diet contains a lot of taurine and minerals responsible for the correct level of acidity in the body.
- HAPPY CAT JUNIOR
Animal protein is represented by a high percentage - 89%. The presence of fish and poultry meat at the same time ensures good palatability of this food.
How to choose?
Happy Cat cat food, in addition to being divided into dry and wet, has other varieties. When choosing food for your pet, you should take into account its age, health status and other characteristics, so it is better to consult a veterinarian. If a small cat has settled at home, then Happy Cat Junior is perfect for him, which is developed using a special technology that contains high-quality protein and has a gentle effect on the gastrointestinal tract of the little purr. This diet ensures normal development of the cat and accelerates growth.
Grain-free food is worth trying for pets who have allergies.
For cats prone to allergies, Happy Cat La Cuisine is suitable, which does not contain grain gluten, and potatoes and rice are responsible for maintaining the carbohydrate balance. For large older cats, the HappyCat food line includes BestAge 10+, which contains a reduced portion of protein and mineral elements, thereby reducing the load on the kidneys, liver and heart muscle.
For overly active pets, a special food has been developed called HAPPY CAT SUPREME ADULT, which contains a predominant protein that gives the cat energy. And also “Happy Cat” with salmon, the calorie content of which is adapted to the cat’s physical activity. You can even find Happy Cat for neutered cats, which eliminates the possibility of gaining excess weight and acts as an excellent prevention of urolithiasis, a disease manifested by the formation of stones in the organs of the urinary system. This type of Happy Cat food for sterilized cats will also be useful and necessary.
Reviews of Happy Cat cat food
Galina : “Initially, I was very determined and, having brought the kitten into the house, I planned to feed it only with natural food. But my kitten turned out to be both allergic and thus a “cat with sensitive digestion.” I had to look for a replacement for natural food in ready-made food. They also didn’t find their food right away. From some of them the cat was seriously upset, from others he was always hungry or suffered from constipation. At the pet store I noticed Happy Cat, picked up both wet food and dry food and, it seems, got it right this time! The cat eats with pleasure, has gained one and a half kilograms in weight, and his fur is not falling out. It’s nice that the food comes in many different flavors.”
Grigory : “We started feeding Happy Cat with spiders, which our Briton really liked. But over time, we realized that the budget for spiders was bursting at the seams and tried Happy Cat in cans. We didn’t notice any difference in the cat’s reaction, only canned food doesn’t have as many flavors and the appearance is a little different - the pieces are larger, there’s a lot of broth, and the vegetable additives aren’t visually visible. But it’s not for me to eat, but for the cat, and he doesn’t pay attention to such little things. The cat’s stool is regular, shedding is not year-round.”
Mark : “Feed produced in the European Union inspires confidence. With Happy Cat food, the cat now has natural cheeks! I noticed a funny thing - the cat eats the first portion of food of a new flavor with appetite, eats the second half-heartedly, and doesn’t eat the third at all. Therefore, large volumes are not suitable for us. I buy preserves or pouches. Among the shortcomings, I would like to note the fact that you can’t buy food in every pet store - you have to run after it.”
Tell us about your experience of feeding your pet this food.
What kind of food?
Happy Cat was founded more than a hundred years ago, and to this day operates successfully in Germany. It makes no sense to talk about special “German” quality; it is enough that the composition of each feed is absolutely transparent and accessible to control. The unique developments that Happy Cat flaunts are the use of herbs, fruits, and vegetables in order to make the diet of cats of all categories and kittens, including newborns, as varied and complete as possible.
Happy Cat food is positioned in two segments at once. They are assigned premium and super premium classes. It should be noted that the line of food is distinguished by its varied composition and the presence of special dietary nutrition. Happy Cat's developments include a complete diet for cats intolerant to grains.
Advantages and disadvantages
One of the biggest advantages of Happy Cat is the ability to satisfy the most demanding taste of cats: they happily feast on delicious canned food, and dry food is not inferior in the general ranking of preferences.
According to reviews from owners, the food causes not only positive emotions in cats, but also active weight gain in kittens and a significant improvement in the appearance of adult cats.
What could be a better sign of quality than an active and beautiful cat? Just a satisfied expression on the pet’s muzzle.
The shortcomings of Happy Cat are quite controversial and it all depends on the owners’ own views on cat nutrition. The presence of fats and liver in the composition, which many call a disadvantage of food, must be approached objectively: without them, normal development of cats is impossible. Even for castrated people.
Another problem is often the lack of food for free sale - only on the Internet.
