Grandin cat food review
Dry cat food from the Grandin brand is produced in Europe, more precisely in the Czech Republic, at the industrial facilities of the company Dibag as, commissioned by the Russian company. High-quality raw materials are used for production, thanks to which industrial feed belongs to the super-premium class of feed. The full name of the product is “Grandin Holistic”.
Logo for Grandin holistic cat food
Note! This brand also produces dry and wet dog food.
The manufacturer offers a wide range of products, taking into account the individual characteristics of the pet’s body, as well as its age, breed and size. Company employees assure every potential buyer that the main advantage of Grandin is the high concentration of fresh meat in the composition; there are no artificial preservatives or harmful substances.
Treats
The Mnyams brand produces a variety of treats for cats:
- Traditional delicacies. They are produced in the form of sticks and pieces based on animal meat, poultry and fish.
- Moist creamy treat. It contains chicken, tuna and scallop.
- Vitamin treats. This product is designed to strengthen the body, remove hair and prevent diseases. Treats with vitamins and microelements are produced in the form of drops and crispy pillows.
Treats are not intended for constant nutrition. Their share in the diet should be no more than 10%. Sticks, cream and pads can be added to dry food, canned food and pouches.
Composition analysis
Grandin cat food has a different composition depending on the product line. In this case, it will be considered using the example of a lamb-flavored diet for adult domestic cats.
"Grandin" (dog food): dry and canned
The main component used in the production of feed is meat and fish, as well as their by-products. These ingredients are proteins of animal origin. The manufacturer indicates that the percentage concentration of lamb meat in the feed is 25%, dried chicken meat 21%, dried lamb meat 8%, as well as 4% pork liver and 3% cod meat. Additionally, the feed composition is enriched with sardines and conger eel.
Note! The composition is high quality and quite balanced. Veterinarians and cat owners leave mostly good reviews about this manufacturer.
Potatoes are used as the main source of carbohydrates. There are no grains in the composition at all; the auxiliary component is fresh green peas. To compensate for the deficiency of polyunsaturated fatty acids in domestic cats, cold-pressed Norwegian salmon oil and chicken fat are used.
The main sources of fiber are apples and beet pulp. Chicken eggs contain a high concentration of animal protein. Brewer's yeast is a source of B vitamins. It is also worth mentioning flaxseed oil, enriched with unsaturated fatty acids and fiber.
Line of dry cat food "Grandin"
Additionally, to compensate for the pet's deficiency of vitamins, minerals, macro- and microelements, various medicinal herbs are used - chicory and ginger root, Yucca Schidigera to reduce the unpleasant odor of excrement.
Meat content and balance of nutrients
The minimum acceptable percentage of proteins in cat food per 100 g of product is 26%.
However, volunteers and specialists of the Murkosha shelter, based on numerous studies and the opinions of veterinarians, draw your attention to the fact that this is the lower limit, the limit of the norm. It barely meets the cat's protein needs.
The optimal protein ratio in the feed is about 40%. The minimum for fat is 9%, the maximum limit is 20%. In this case, the percentage of carbohydrates and fiber should ideally be in the range of 10-20%. Almost all professional cat food meets at least the minimum requirements for protein content. However, manufacturers achieve this in different ways.
In economy-class cat food, the first ingredients in the composition are usually wheat and/or corn flour (or wheat/corn gluten). These ingredients contain enough protein to meet the minimum daily requirement. In this case, it turns out that almost all the proteins consumed by the cat are of plant origin. It would seem, what's the difference? But animal and plant proteins have a different composition of amino acids (basic nutrients used by the body). For example, plant foods contain too few essential amino acids such as lysine and arginine. As a result, the value of plant proteins is only 60-80% compared to animal proteins. In other words, formally the protein content is normal, but in fact it is not enough. Of course, economy-class cat food also contains meat, although it would be more correct to say “meat” in this case. In the description of the composition of such feeds, there are extremely vague formulations like “meat and its processed products”, while the manufacturer is silent about the percentage of meat and what percentage of “processed products”. And what exactly is hidden behind the words “meat processing products”? Practice shows that waste from the meat industry is used to make economy-class cat food, things that are unsuitable for human nutrition: skin, ears, tails, sinews, as well as bone meal in large quantities. Of course, your pet will not receive any beneficial substances from such a set of ingredients.
With premium food, things are somewhat better. Although the percentage of proteins is still closer to the minimum limit, and some of them are also of plant origin (however, there is much less wheat and corn, potato and pea proteins are often used instead), meat already appears in the composition. However, even here one cannot do without vague formulations like “chicken”. We would like to warn you that “chicken meat” and “chicken” in the composition are not exactly the same thing. “Chicken meat” is exactly that: meat: what a cat needs to eat. And the concept of “chicken” in this context can include both meat and offal (including those that are not usually eaten by humans), and even bones. After all, it all comes from chicken, right? This means that the manufacturer gave (formally) correct information
Pay attention to this trick! Although this is still better than waste and bone meal, which are used in feeds of a lower class. In other words, there is meat in premium cat food, but its quantity is not enough for a predator’s diet, and the quality could be better
The balance of necessary substances is generally maintained.
Read more: Composition of dry cat food: let’s look at the nuances
We see a completely different picture when we move on to super premium food. The protein content becomes close to optimal (in the range of 30-35%), and in the worst case, a small part of them is plant-based (there are also completely grain-free foods). That is, the basis of the feed is meat and high-quality offal (heart, liver, kidneys), which are also necessary as a source of a number of useful substances. Super premium food is fully balanced and meets the nutritional needs of cats.
Holistics are even more consistent with the ideal diet for cats (the diet of the wild ancestors of cats in their natural habitat can be taken as a reference). There is even more meat in the composition - up to 75-85%! At the same time, manufacturers accurately calculate the proportions so that the ratio of meat itself and high-quality offal meets the needs of the cat. To make holistic products, only fresh or dehydrated (dehydrated) meat or fish fillets are used, and manufacturers combine several meat ingredients (for example, duck, rabbit and lamb). Of course, all proteins of animal origin and grains are usually absent from the composition.
Pros and cons of cat food from a European manufacturer
Organix (cat food): composition of diets
Food for kittens "Grandin", despite a large number of positive reviews, has not only advantages, but also disadvantages. Before giving preference to one or another product, it is strongly recommended that you first familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of industrial formulations.
The benefits of Grandin cat food include:
- composition enriched with high-quality vitamin and mineral supplements;
- the main source of animal protein is fish and meat components;
- The composition does not contain cereals - wheat, corn, oats, etc., since they quite often provoke the development of allergic reactions in animals.
As for the disadvantages, the following should be highlighted:
- “Grandin” cannot be classified as inexpensive food; in comparison with analogues, the cost is even slightly higher;
- You can purchase the product only in pet stores of the “Four Paws” chain;
- it is not indicated which preservatives were used in the production of the product (the list of ingredients only says “Technological additives: preservatives, antioxidants”).
Composition of Grandin dry food for cats
Note! The manufacturer has been providing its products to the market for a long time, but cat food was introduced relatively recently.
Dietary recommendations
Gemon (food for cats and kittens): description and composition
Historically, cats originated from the arid southern regions. They are an obligate predator that has adapted to feed on whole carcasses of small animals. Knowledge of this feature allows us to note the basic principles of cat nutrition. So:
- Cats are comfortable eating small portions, but often.
- Cats do not like to drink, so quite often they refuse to drink clean water from clean dishes.
- The cat's body does not digest carbohydrates of plant origin well, even after the products have been subjected to heat treatment.
- These animals are extremely conservative in their choice of food.
When choosing a diet, it is important to take into account the individual characteristics of each specific animal, as well as its breed, weight and age.
Proper diet for domestic cats
There are three types of diet for pets: homemade, dry and wet. Most owners prefer a combination of both. It is important to follow certain rules and recommendations:
- You cannot give different types of food to an animal at the same time. For example, put wet food and croquettes into a bowl at the same time, or mix cottage cheese into dry food.
- The organs of the gastrointestinal tract of cats adapt to the food they receive regularly. The term “regularly” means every day. It follows that if an animal is mixed-fed, then every day at the same time in the same quantity it should receive different feeds. For example, in the first half of the day, dry food is placed in a bowl, making up 60% of the daily ration, and in the afternoon, in the late afternoon, wet food in the amount of 40%.
- Each component of the diet must fully meet the animal’s requirements and be balanced. For example, you cannot feed an animal only dry food and chicken fillet just because the pet loves it. Ultimately, this will lead to an imbalance of substances in the body.
If a cat owner has difficulty developing a diet on his own, it is better to contact a veterinarian nutritionist. They will take into account all the necessary characteristics of the animal, as well as its needs.
Chain of pet stores "Four Paws"
Note! Most food manufacturers indicate on their packaging the optimal combination of dry and wet formulations.
How to buy Grandin food and how much it will cost
For now, you can only purchase the holistic product from the Four Paws chain of pet stores. The average cost for 400 g of dry food is 360 rubles, 1.5 kg - at least 1150 rubles.
Cat food "Grandin" has not yet become widespread on the Russian market, since it went on sale relatively recently. However, veterinarians note the excellent quality of production and balanced composition, which provides the animal’s body with all the necessary elements for normal life. Perhaps the biggest drawback is the high cost.
Range
The manufacturer offers dry complete food for cats and cats, which can be supplemented with wet pouches or canned food if desired. The variety of assortment allows you to choose food for your pet, taking into account age and physiological characteristics. But Grandin’s assortment does not include medicinal, dietary or other special diets.
Dry diets
The production of Grandin dry food is based in the Czech Republic. Here we produce complete products designed for cats and kittens depending on age:
- Kitten with chicken for kittens (up to 12 months), pregnant and lactating cats.
- Sterilized with chicken for sterilized cats and neutered cats.
- Adult with beef for adult animals (1-7 years).
- Indoor with lamb for pets (1-7 years).
- Senior with lamb and rabbit for animals over 7 years old.
Each of the presented products is available in three packaging options: 400 g, 1.5 kg and 10 kg. Thanks to a convenient clasp, the packaging is hermetically sealed, so the product is not exposed to air and does not spread odors in the storage area.
Canned food
The production of Grandin canned food is located in Germany. The line includes 4 canned food options recommended for feeding adult animals
- Chicken fillet.
- Turkey fillet with tuna.
- Chicken fillet with tuna.
- Chicken fillet with shrimp.
Canned food contains 55% meat ingredients and is available in 70 g cans. The manufacturer recommends using them as a supplement to the main diet of animals.
In addition, wet diets are presented in packs of 85 g. Each of them is a monoprotein product based on one source of meat:
- For kittens with chicken.
- For adult animals with chicken or veal.
- For sterilized animals with turkey or lamb.
- For animals over 7 years old with beef.
