Despite the fact that cats have been one of the most common pets for centuries, there is still a debate between their owners about how best to feed furry purring friends. Each owner wants his pet to live as long as possible and not be sick. That is why veterinarians primarily recommend special feeds: dry and canned.
The most popular of all is premium cat food. Read about how it differs from other categories, as well as what feeds took first places this year.
What is premium food?
Premium cat foods are made from carefully selected and environmentally friendly raw materials. Products of this class have their own, separately developed standards. They do not allow any presence of soy and cereals, preservatives, dyes, which are so harmful to pets.
Premium feeds are saturated with all the necessary vitamins, their compounds and minerals for the full development and vital activity of cats. In addition, such food has very nutritious properties, which significantly reduces the portion size of the pet, at the same time it allows him to get enough. Any premium cat food is jointly developed by specialists and veterinarians.
Premium Feed Composition
In addition to vitamins, any quality feed of the specified category should include the following components:
- natural ingredients (vegetables, liver, meat, poultry, fish);
- cellulose;
- carbohydrates;
- vegetable proteins;
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- amino acids;
- fatty acid;
- various enzymes;
- preservatives E and C.
All of the above components not only significantly enrich the cat's diet, but also contribute to good digestibility of the feed consumed.
Selection recommendations
Before you buy food for premium cats, it is not out of place to study its packaging. The undoubted signal for the acquisition should be the presence of the following designations.
- The abbreviation AAFCO (indicates the maximum balance and nutritional value of the product, approved by the American Quality Control Association).
- Indication of a specific type of meat with a share equal to or greater than 25%.
- The presence of offal or fish as an additional source of protein is ideal.
- Recommended daily serving (the smaller it is, the better).
- Adequate expiration dates (should not be too long or near the end).
In no case should pets be given feed containing: bone meal, chemical preservatives, dyes, artificial flavors, corn or wheat flour, which make up more than ½ of the feed volume.
Remember that the cost or publicity of a product is not an indicator of its quality. Not only will cheap cat eat it with your cat no less quickly, but it will also cause irreparable harm to its digestive system and general health.
Premium Cat Feed Rating
This year, according to reviews of cat owners, together with leading veterinary organizations, the following list of top-class premium feeds has been launched.
- Innova EVO.
- Orijen.
- Acana
- Eukanuba.
- Bozita.
- Pro Plan.
- Bosch
- Hill's.
The above brands are the most reliable premium cat foods . The list goes on, but after the 8th place there will already be products of the "economy" category: Felix, Sheba, Gourmet, Friskies and Whiskas. They have nothing to do with premium.
Feed Innova EVO and Orijen
These products, occupying the first two places in the rating, belong to the premium category with the prefix “super”. Innova EVO is produced by Natura Pet Products (America), the second by CHAMPION PETFOODS (Canada).
Premium cat food of both brands is absolutely hypoallergenic, highly nutritious, and when using it, your pet will not face urolithiasis. In addition, after these products, the cat does not have bad breath.
Both Innova EVO and Orijen are quite expensive, and you can buy them only in highly specialized stores, through intermediaries, the Internet.
Feed Acana and Eukanuba
Acana feed has been manufactured in Canada for over a quarter of a century. The composition of each line is optimally balanced and contains specially grown crops known for their healing characteristics. Cereals in the composition of Acana feed are completely absent. The only minus of the product is the lack of canned goods in the assortment, so you have to make sure that your pet's bowl is always filled with clean boiled water.
Eukanuba food is truly universal - it is perfectly absorbed by any breed. The daily servings of Eukanuba for a medium-sized cat may seem unusually small, but it only seems so at first glance: they will be more than enough to grab, and your pet will delight you with a good mood and playfulness.
Bozita Feed and Pro Plan
Bozita premium Swedish cat food can even be given to kittens: it contains only fresh products, the proportions of which are detailed on the packaging. In addition, all Bozita products undergo mandatory state quality control, which significantly increases their reliability and compares favorably with other cat foods.
The products of another manufacturer, Pro Plan, are famous for a wide selection of tastes, as well as variety: for kittens, adults, old and neutered animals. The Pro Plan assortment also has a separate line of special therapeutic feeds.
Both Bozita and Pro Plan really like cats, although there are no artificial flavor enhancers in their composition .
Bosch and Hill's feeds
This is a premium feed that completes the rating. Both brands can be bought in almost every store, which, however, does not reduce their status. Both Hill's and Bosch's canned foods are slightly inferior in quality to dry foods - they are fatter, so they will not work for lazy and inactive cats. Otherwise, the quality of these feeds is not satisfactory. Pet hair is shiny, no gastrointestinal problems are observed, stool is stable and of normal density.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that, despite the brand of feed, veterinarians recommend choosing it strictly individually for each pet. Only in this case your cat will be healthy, well-fed and completely satisfied.