The best cat foods according to veterinarians for 2022

Many families have pets. These cute animals lift spirits; caring for them teaches children to work and responsibility, and in some cases can alleviate loneliness. This is why many people love cats, dogs, parrots, canaries, aquarium fish and other “living creatures”. But it’s one thing to love, and another to properly care for animals. For example, cats live in many families, but not everyone takes good care of them. Every little detail is important in this matter, especially proper nutrition. What should cats be fed, what advice do veterinarians give on this matter? Let's figure it out.

Rating of super-premium food for cats

Super-premium nutrition class is a normal diet for animals of any age category. Super premium meals include:

• Proteins - meat or meat ingredients. There is a small amount of protein extracted from peas and potatoes.
• Carbohydrates are often rice or oats. Some super premium foods contain potatoes. Plus the ingredients are less allergenic than corn and wheat, which are used in other types of feed.
• Fats - most often in the form of fish or chicken.

Super premium food uses natural preservatives. If the packaging does not list the preservatives that were used to create the product, it is a fake and does not apply to super-premium.

Rating of super-premium food for cats

Most super-premium foods contain healthy additives and are balanced. Veterinarians recommend using this diet on an ongoing basis. The rating of super-premium food, according to veterinarians, is as follows:

1. ALMO NATURE is a company from Italy that produces dry food and canned food. 99% of the food components are whole pieces of fish and meat. The advantages include a large assortment, the absence of unnatural preservatives and GMOs.
2. "Fest Choy" - food from a Canadian manufacturer. It produces exclusively dry food, but for all types of pets. There are separate varieties even for picky and capricious eaters. Veterinarians note the nutritional value of the product, as well as the addition of pre- and probiotics to the composition. If animals are fed this food, the smell of excrement will become less pungent.
3. NOW NATURAL Holistik is a Canadian super-premium grain-free nutrition developed by professional veterinarians. Fresh boneless meat, as well as vegetables and fruits are the main components of this diet. There are no hormonal components or by-products. Animal fats are also excluded from the products used by this company. The main advantage is the vitamin balance.
4. NERO GOLD is a Dutch manufacturer of dry and canned food. A diverse range of products that even includes flavors like turkey and venison. It also contains all the necessary vitamins and microelements. The food does not provoke allergies, therefore it is used for feeding cats sensitive to allergens. But purchasing food in stores is problematic; more often it is ordered via the Internet.
5. Arden Grange - food from an English manufacturer for a full life for your pet. Offers both dry and liquid food. The main advantage is that there are no addictive components at all. The composition fully meets the cat's daily needs for useful and nutritious substances.

Be sure to read:

Holistic food for cats: what it is, review and tips for choosing

These are high-end food varieties that are recommended by veterinarians.

Rating of premium cat food

Rating of premium food for cats
A premium diet is considered to be one in which the content of natural meat products is at least 20% of the total number of components, and there are no additives of non-natural origin. Rating out of 5 premium foods:

1. Belcando is a German company that produces dry and wet food. Contains cereals and vegetables. The composition is balanced in accordance with the cat's daily needs for nutrients and beneficial elements.
2. Bozita is a diet from a Swedish manufacturer, exclusively for healthy cats. The line does not include medical nutrition. The main components are meat and fish. Increases immunity. The disadvantages include the lack of indication of the preservatives used.
3. Flatazor is a French line of food without GMOs and additional additives. The composition contains components containing fatty acids, vitamins (including group B) and minerals, brewer's yeast and natural preservatives. No soy or corn.
4. Iams - American dry and wet cat food. Main components: fish, folic acid and taurine. There are no harmful additives. The downside is the corn flour content.
5. Natural Choice is a Canadian food that contains essential nutrients for cats. The animal protein content is one third, and it is all a natural product. There are also hypoallergenic food options.

The main advantages of premium food are reasonable cost and distribution in pet stores. There is no need to order food online. Feeds of a higher level will be expensive for owners, and it is much more difficult to find them in stores.

Criterias of choice

Veterinarians in reviews of good cat food advise purchasing food whose packaging contains the following information:

• The abbreviation of the American Food Control Association is AAFCO.
• Indication of the source of protein in the composition and its percentage - at least 25%.
• It is advisable that the food contains at least two protein sources to provide the required amount of amino acids.
• Recommended amount of feed per day. The smaller the volume indicated, the higher the digestibility and nutritional value of the selected product.
• The presence of fatty acids, taurine, arachidonic acid, as well as rosemary, vitamins A, C, E, used as natural preservatives.
• Production time.

A specialized diet is required for kittens, nursing and pregnant cats, and pets with certain diseases. Medicinal food is purchased only after consultation with veterinarians.

How to choose a diet and what food to feed your cat? Veterinarians in the councils do not recommend choosing food whose label contains the following information:

• Mentions of the presence of offal and bone meal - these ingredients are undesirable for cats.
• Large amount of feed, which indicates poor digestibility of the product.
• Contains propyl gallate, ethoxyquin, BHT, BHA - substances that are chemical preservatives, as well as dyes, corn, flavors, wheat.

Rating of holistic food for cats

Rating of holistic food for cats
Holistic food is a product consisting only of fish or meat (it does not contain grains). Thus, manufacturers reduce the cost of production, and as a result, the food turns out to be budget-friendly. Rating of optimal feeds in this class:

1. Golden Eagle is an American product created by experienced veterinarians. There are dietary meals and feeds for different age categories.
2. Innova Evo is a diet used from an early age. There is a line for kittens at 1.5 months. Contains milk, probiotics and fish oil.
3. GO! – popular food in Russia from a Canadian manufacturer. The composition contains minerals and vitamins, and only natural preservatives are used. The disadvantages include the high price compared to analogues.
4. Wellness Core - food from 5 types of meat, as well as potatoes and tomatoes. Tomatoes are a source of essential antioxidants.
5. Acana is a Canadian manufacturer of high quality cat and dog food. The main component is fresh meat. The manufacturer tried to create food that is as close to natural nutrition as possible. According to a study by Roskachestvo, the food could successfully receive the Russian quality mark (if it were produced in Russia). There is a minus - a large amount of fat.

Veterinarians claim that holistic foods are not fully balanced due to the lack of grains. But at the same time, the food belongs to professional types of food, since it was developed by veterinary specialists taking into account the balance of price and quality.

Be sure to read:

Comparison of cat food of different classes: what should be included, analysis of dry and wet food,

Feeding rules

The basic nutritional rules created by experts are the following:

1. — choice of ready-made high-calorie food of premium or superpremium classes.
2. - you cannot put wet and dry types of food in the same feeding bowl.
3. — the food must be well digested.
4. - Granules that are too small should not be used.
5. — the portion should correspond to one meal, uneaten food should be thrown away. The cat has no sense of proportion, follow the recommendations on the packaging and age category.
6. — sufficient amount of clean drinking water for the day.

When choosing food, you need to pay attention to such points as the health and age of the pet (food for an adult is not suitable for kittens; a neutered cat should not be given fatty food, so as not to gain excess weight).

Neutered cats are not suitable for nursing or pregnant cats. Careful study of the composition (after all, meat, and not meat-containing products, bone meal and fish scales). Try to study your cat’s taste preferences as much as possible so that food is a joy and a pleasure.

Economy class feed rating

Rating of economy class food
Economy class is the most popular among the population, since almost everyone can afford such food and is sold in many stores. But veterinarians do not advise getting carried away with feeding cats such food, since it is not healthy. The nutrition is not completely balanced, and some components of such feeds are only partially absorbed. List of economy-class cat foods based on the opinions of independent experts:

1. Darling is a predominantly cereal food. Meat in the diet - 4%. The composition also contains preservatives and dyes. May cause allergic reactions and digestive problems.
2. Diamond - does not contain dyes or preservatives. The only preservative is vitamin E. The percentage of meat content is 6%. This is normal for this budget category of diets.
3. Dr. Alders - German food contains meat and vegetable components with a minimum of processing. But there is little meat in it, the food is mainly plant-based, and therefore inferior.
4. Dr. Clauders is another German food, but completely without meat. It is replaced with liver and some other offal. The benefits include ample amounts of chicken fat.
5. Lara is a classic food of this class with a low percentage of meat and a high content of grain and vegetable components. There is a range for all age groups and for cats after sterilization.

Economy class food cannot fully provide a cat’s body with vitamins and minerals, and therefore such food should not be used as the sole and main source of food. It's more of an inexpensive supplement.

Requirements for different types of nutrients

In cats that live in the house, energy expenditure is minimal (hyperactive individuals are rare). They lie or sleep most of the day; if there are too many nutrients, their weight increases.

The volume of consumption depends on many factors:

• mass, fatness;
• physiological state (before mating, during pregnancy, feeding kittens);
• age, breed characteristics;
• health conditions;
• time of year (mainly temperature, which determines heat transfer).

Expert opinion

Dusheba Vera Ivanovna

In 2010, she graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine named after K.I. Scriabin with honors, specializing in veterinary medicine. I regularly attend veterinary conferences, congresses, and webinars.

Cats are not characterized by metabolic flexibility; they are not able to adapt if the diet is incorrectly selected. Young individuals per kilogram of weight should receive 200-250 kJ, 30-50% more during pregnancy, 3-4 times more during feeding of the offspring. Neutered animals require a low-calorie diet.

Squirrels

Compared to dogs, cats need 3 times more protein. What is important is the completeness and content of essential amino acids (found only in meat): taurine, sulfur-containing compounds, methionine, cystine. If there are not enough of them in the food, cats become seriously ill. An excess is also undesirable. With any deviation, metabolic processes are disrupted, pathogenic bacteria develop, and immunity decreases.

Fats

Cats do not need vegetable fats; they do not replenish their supply of vitamins and fatty acids. The content of animal fats in the food of kittens is 15%, for adults 20%. With less volume, kittens grow poorly, adult animals suffer from skin diseases and vitamin deficiency.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are divided into difficult and easily digestible (starch). The first group includes fiber; it serves as a preventative against diarrhea and constipation. The main source is vegetables. With excess starch, diabetes can develop.

Vitamins, minerals

For cat food, the balance of mineral and vitamin components is very important. The volume increases for young individuals, during pregnancy and feeding. If there is an insufficient amount of these substances, some disease immediately develops. Vitamin A, found in animal livers, is especially important.

Prices for food of different classes for cats

Prices for different classes of cat food
Prices for food vary depending on the type of diet. But there may be price fluctuations within different classes:

• Super premium food. The most expensive. Their price ranges from 1000 rubles per pack of dry food 1.5-2 kg. There are also expensive options starting at 2,000 rubles per kg.
• Premium dry food costs from 700-800 rubles per 2 kg.
• Holistic will cost the owner approximately 600 rubles per 1 kg.
• Economy class meals are affordable and start from 200 rubles per 1 kg.

Wet diets vary in cost:

• Super premium - 80 rubles per 50 grams.
• Premium - 50 rubles per 50 grams.
• Holistic - 40 rubles per 50 grams.
• Economy - 25-30 rubles per 50 grams.

Cat food is one of the products whose price directly depends on the quality. The more natural meat there is and the more balanced the food, the more expensive it will be.

How to switch a kitten to an adult diet

It is necessary to gradually transfer your four-legged friend to food intended for adults, since a sudden change can cause stress for his body.

New food is introduced gradually, in small doses. At first, you need to continue to feed with food intended for kittens, but dilute it a little with adult food. If the baby ate dry food, then mixing them in one bowl is allowed. When wondering how to properly feed your cat wet food, it is worth considering that you should not mix it in one meal; it is better to alternate these canned foods.

Over time, increase the dose of adult food until you completely switch your meowing friend to it.

What is the best cat food?

Each owner chooses the appropriate food for their pet independently. But you should definitely consult a veterinarian. If the cat is prone to allergies, then the food should be hypoallergenic (anti-allergenic). If you have certain diseases, then you need to buy products from medicinal lines.

Be sure to read:

What kind of porridge can be given to cats and at what age?

What is the best cat food?

Most manufacturers have separate foods for sterilized cats, neutered cats, and pets with oral diseases.

Among the budget options you can also choose food for your pet. Therefore, the best food is the one that is suitable for a particular pet and that is recommended by a veterinarian.

Special food or natural product?

Human food is not suitable for daily feeding for cats. This primarily applies to processed meat. There are too many preservatives and dyes. Therefore, instead of sausage, it is better to offer your cat high-quality dry or wet food.

If we talk about a balanced diet, it is very difficult to follow it yourself. In order for the cat to receive all the necessary substances every day, it must eat vegetables, grain components, meat, and fish every day. Therefore, premium professional food will be the best option. It is advisable to consult a veterinarian before purchasing.

General recommendations

Not all cats can dose their food, so you need to leave food in a certain portion. Constant access to food is unacceptable, otherwise the pet faces obesity. But clean and fresh water should always be within the animal’s field of vision. The more often the water is changed (2-3 times a day), the better for the pet. The bowl for water should be large. Read about how many times a day you need to feed your cat here.

Combining several types of food when feeding an animal is harmful to the cat’s stomach. There should be one type of food (store-bought food or homemade food). It is better to stick to one brand of food. Then the cat will be healthy, active and live long.

Can neutered cats eat fish?

Neutered cats need a special diet as they are prone to developing urolithiasis and obesity. The first rule for those who keep a neutered cat: the animal should not be overfed. When your pet eats fish, the amount of salts in the body increases and the risk of sand deposits increases sharply. This leads to the formation of stones. Experts have come to the general opinion that fish should be limited. Professional food for neutered cats also does not contain fish.

Preventing diseases with proper nutrition

The main diseases of cats occur due to problems with nutrition and low activity. Therefore, to prevent diseases, you need to properly balance your diet. There are lines of food on sale from various manufacturers that prevent the development of urolithiasis, kidney failure, excess weight, and vitamin deficiency. You won’t be able to formulate a diet for your pet this way yourself.

To prevent disease, the diet must contain all vital vitamins, amino acids and microelements.

How to properly transition a kitten to adult food

In the first year of life, the kitten grows and develops. When he turns 8-9 months old, not only his appearance changes, but also his needs. During this period, the baby becomes an adult and no longer needs the same nutrition. Now his body requires a balanced diet containing moderate amounts of protein and fat.

If you do not provide your cat with proper nutrition during this period of its life, it may become overweight and there is also a risk of problems with the musculoskeletal system.