Royal Canin for cats is a popular food for pets. The company also produces ready-made food for dogs. On thematic forums you can find a large number of comments about products. There are both positive and negative. The food is complete, it is acceptable to feed pets daily, but we do not recommend doing this, since the composition of Royal Canin does not inspire confidence and is produced by the well-known company Mars, which owns a large number of economy class cat foods, including Whiskas, Kitikat and other. In this article we will talk more about the composition of Royal Canin.
General characteristics
This is one of the world's largest manufacturers of dry and wet pet food. It has occupied a leading position in the market for decades.
The brand has a line of daily and veterinary food. When producing them, the manufacturer takes into account individual needs depending on the health status, breed and other characteristics of the animals.
Manufacturer
Royal Canin is a French brand. He has factories in his homeland, Russia, Poland. The country of origin is indicated on the product packaging.
The Royal Canin brand was recently sold to MARS Corporation. The company also produces other foods: Whiskas, Kitikat, Perfect Fit, Pedigree, Chappie, Sheba, Kezar. More detailed information about the manufacturer can be found on the web resource www.royal-canin.ru.
The brand maintains its popularity by annually holding major exhibitions in the capitals and other large cities of the countries where it produces or supplies its products.
Category
A well-known manufacturer claims that it produces premium and super premium cat food. This means that the ingredients include natural meat in different percentages. The products can be given to kittens, sterilized individuals and those with health problems. However, judging by the composition, this food can hardly be classified as a premium line.
Advantages and disadvantages
The positive points include:
- a varied assortment (dry food, pouches, canned food with different flavors);
- availability (can be purchased in any store or ordered online);
- vitamin and mineral complexes included;
- dietary line for the treatment and prevention of many pathological conditions (for example, dental diseases, hair loss, etc.).
Despite the large number of positive aspects, there are also negative ones:
- questionable quality of raw materials for production after a change in brand ownership and, as a result, a significant decrease in quality;
- the presence of preservatives, flavor enhancers, cheap additives (cereals);
- relatively high cost.
Manufacturer
The French one has been operating since 1967. The first production in the city of Emargue specialized in the production of dry food for German shepherds. A few years later, the range was expanded, and a whole line of special packaging appeared for purebred dogs and cats, puppies, large pets, and animals with digestive problems.
Over time, factories appeared in other countries: Germany, Finland, Argentina, USA, Brazil. Domestic production works according to the standards of the French company, preserving the original composition. Despite this, many dog owners are convinced of the low quality of food produced in the Russian Federation.
Range
The company produces:
- dry and wet food for kittens;
- products for adults, including sterilized ones;
- specialized nutrition for the prevention and treatment of pathological conditions.
The packaging describes the composition, feeding recommendations, and serving sizes. Wet food is packaged in sachets of 85 g or cans of 195 g.
Dry food
Produced using patented formulas and in Russia until recently it was recommended by the best breeders and veterinarians, but the quality of the food has deteriorated. We marked in red unwanted components of unknown quality.
| Name | Components | Percentage of proteins, fats, mineral elements, fiber, nitrogen-free extractives |
| Indoor 27 (from 1 to 7 years) |
Additional component: plantain. |
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| Indoor 7+ | Same ingredients as the previous type. Missing rice. Additionally included are the following components:
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| Indore Long Hair (for longhair) | The same composition as Indoor 27. Additional component: borage oil. |
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| Indoor Appetite Control (for cats prone to obesity) | Basic composition + additional components:
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| Outdoor (for active pets walking in the fresh air) | Main components + additional:
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| Ageing 12+ | Additional components:
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| Savour Exigent (for pets with picky tastes) | Like Indore Long Hair. |
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| Aroma Exigent (for animals sensitive to odors) |
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| Protein Exigent Preference (for those who are picky about ingredients) | Similar to the previous formula, but no rice, prebiotics, or fish oil. |
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Treats and wet food
Wet food is produced in the form of jellies, sauces, pates, mousses with a variety of flavors. We would like to note that the composition is similar to economy.
| Name | Components |
| Instinctive 7+ in sauce, jelly |
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| Ageing 12+ in sauce and jelly | As with the previous type + oils and fats. |
| Sterilized in sauce, jelly, pate (for sterilized) | Components as in Instinctive. But there are no crustaceans and molluscs (standard composition). |
| Instinctive in sauce, jelly, pate (over 1 year) | The same components as in the previous version, but fish and its by-products are present. |
| Kitten in sauce, jelly, pate (for kittens from 4 to 12 months, pregnant cats) | Same as Sterilized + yeast and sugar. |
| Kitten Sterilized in jelly, sauce (for individuals from 6 to 12 months) | Standard composition + yeast. |
| Mother and Babycat (from birth to 4 months and for nursing mothers) | Basic composition + milk and by-products, yeast. |
You can choose wet food in a sachet with a flavor that your pet prefers and give it instead of a treat.
Specifics
The food manufacturer has developed variations that are suitable not only for animals of a certain age and health status, but also for their breed.
Royal Canin is popular with owners of British and Scottish Fold cats , Scottish Straight cats , and Neva Masquerade cats .
There are special products for:
- Persian cats;
- Oriental cats;
- Maine Coons.
However, before using the food, it is better to consult a specialist.
Note! The animal's body's reaction to food can be unpredictable. There are cases when the fur of British cats with a gray color acquired a brown tint.
Royal Canin will help couch potatoes stay in shape
After consuming food from the medicinal line, unforeseen consequences occur less frequently.
If the owner takes into account the breed of the pet when choosing food, he should give preference to:
- British Shorthair Adult (in sauce) – for British cats;
- Maine Coon Adult (in sauce) – for Maine Coons;
- Persian – for Persian cats;
- Sphynx Adult – for Peterbalds and Don Sphynxes ;
- Siamese Adult – for Siamese and Oriental cats .
Proper nutrition allows your pet to stay in shape and has a positive effect on its health.
If you want to learn more about how to feed a cat correctly, we recommend reading the article
Note! There is no need to overfeed your pet. If medicated food is used, the dosage is prescribed by a veterinarian. Failure to follow the doctor's recommendations can negatively affect your pet's health.
The Royal Canin company has developed an offer for pets leading a sedentary lifestyle.
If your cat doesn't like to run and prefers to spend the whole day on the couch, he can quickly gain excess weight.
Using Indoor Appetite Control will help prevent your pet from becoming obese without reducing the frequency of meals.
The physical form of the animal depends on the diet
Conclusion on Royal Canin dry and wet food
The current composition of Royal Canin is similar to economy. Lots of grains, no percentage of ingredients, no additional instructions such as what kind of rice was used, etc. For example, let’s compare the compositions of Royal Canina and good holistic dry food GO! (we compare it with it, since it has the same price per kg as Royal Canin, from 500 to 700 rubles, unlike other holistic brands, such as Akana or Orijen).
Screenshots from official websites (click on the image to enlarge).
| GO! FIT + FREE Grain-free for Kittens and Cats 4 types of Meat: Chicken, Turkey, Duck and Salmon | Royal Canin FIT 32* |
Of the minuses, it is worth mentioning potatoes in 11th place. However, it is not one of the first 5 ingredients and therefore will not harm your cat. | So, in the first place comes dehydrated proteins of animal origin, this phrase does not allow us to understand what exactly the component is made of, it could be feathers, offal, in general, anything that a bird has (it could be a pigeon). If you look at the first ingredient in GO! The manufacturer specifies that this is chicken meat. In second place is wheat, which means that there is about 50% of it in the feed, maybe less, maybe more, we don’t know, because the manufacturer doesn’t specify this. What you need to know about wheat? It is a cheap source of carbohydrates and vegetable protein. Gluten (wheat protein) is a common cause of allergies in cats and is difficult to digest, and the carbohydrates in wheat cause obesity, diabetes and other problems. In sixth place is flour from grain crops, this is an even more undesirable ingredient than wheat, all the same problems + incomprehensible quality, composition, in general, waste from flour mills. Rice, which comes in third place, is not as bad as cereals, but its quality is unknown, maybe it’s leftovers swept from the floor. There is little useful in this. We have discussed only the main ingredients; there are also other undesirable ones, animal proteins, soybean oil, etc. |
Read our review of the best premium kitten foods.
Line by breed
There is a line designed for certain breeds of cats (Persian, British Shorthair and others). According to the manufacturer, each of them has its own individual characteristics, the necessary substances are selected optimally for the breed, and the food is adapted to the size and structure of the pet’s jaws. But we doubt it, again we rely on the composition. The line includes products for:
- Bengals;
- Persians;
- Maine Coons;
- Siamese;
- Siberian;
- sphinxes;
- British and other popular shorthaired, semi-longhaired, longhaired breeds.
Let's look at the composition using the example of food for everyone's favorite Maine Coons, screenshot from the official website.
Again, animal proteins of unknown quality, rice, grain flour, vegetable proteins. Perhaps the ingredients in the last places are selected for Maine Coon, but in the first places they are still the same as in all other Royal Canin foods. Our pets do not need all these components.
Veterinary feed
Intended for the prevention and treatment of pathological conditions.
For example, when:
- chronic gastrointestinal diseases, poor appetite (Gastro Intestinal, Sensible 33, Sensitivity Control);
- problems in the endocrine system (Fibre Response);
- predisposition to allergies (hypoallergenic Hypoallergenic);
- urolithiasis (ICD), renal failure (Urinari S, Senior Consult Stage 1);
- pathologies of bones and joints (Royal farm);
- liver diseases, incl. for pancreatitis (Hepatic);
- tendency to accumulate hair in the digestive organs (Intense Hairball).
There is also nutrition to prevent excess weight gain, pathologies of teeth and gums, and early aging.
Medicinal food is prescribed by a veterinarian for rehabilitation after surgery (for example, after a pet has been spayed or neutered).
Let's look at the composition of Urinary Care:
Again, little inspires confidence. Whether you choose these foods for your pets is, of course, up to you, but we categorically do not recommend this.
The better than others
No premium pet food has such a wide range as Royal Canin. Sixteen types of dry and canned food for puppies, more than 20 for adult dogs, plus a separate therapeutic and preventive line. It is possible to meet the needs of representatives of any breed with different characteristics. With this choice, food has a relatively low price and is freely available.
Daily feed requirements
The size of daily portions depends on the weight, age, and individual characteristics of the animal. Each package contains daily allowances based on these characteristics.
Determining the fatness of a pet is quite simple, you just need to look at the cat from above. In normal condition, her waist will be visible. The outlines of the body should be smooth, without depressions or angular protrusions.
If everything is not in order with the mass, it is necessary to adjust the dosage. However, it is not advisable to go beyond these limits. You can measure portions using a special measuring cup. For example, Indoor 27 food has the following daily value in grams (+ 1 Royal Canin Instinctive pouch):
| Animal weight | 3 kg/if supplemented with 1 bag of wet food | 4 kg/with pouch | 5 kg/with sachet | 6 kg/with liquid food |
| Normal | 45 | 56 | 65 | 74 |
| 26 | 36 | 46 | 55 | |
| Extra | 37 | 44 | 52 | 59 |
| 17 | 25 | 32 | 40 |
Price and where to buy
You can buy this food inexpensively at the online pet store:
- "ZooPassage" (link):
- Packaging 1 kg - from 690 rubles;
- Packaging 3 kg - from 1280 rubles;
- Packaging 15 kg - from 4262 rubles;
- Canned food 195 g - from 78 rub.
- "Yandex Market" ().
The indicated prices are valid at the end of September 2022, differ depending on the option and may change over time. For the exact current price, see the pet store’s website using the link above.
Cellulose
Royal Canin Kitten diet (for kittens up to 12 months) contains so-called “plant fiber” (No. 6 in the list of ingredients) and psyllium husks and seeds. Plant fiber was probably called cellulose - a cheap ballast filler of unknown origin. It is not nutritious for cats and should be avoided in the diet.
The shell and seeds of plantain consist of 70% soluble fiber, which is beneficial for intestinal microflora and normalization of stool. Unfortunately, there is very little of this ingredient in the food - how much it can help animals remains open.
Plant products are difficult for predators to digest, and a large amount of fiber in the food increases the volume of the food bolus and gives cats a deceptive feeling of fullness.
