[Colette]

When it comes to wet foods that are grain + sugar free; is a lower meat higher broth/jelly content a nutritional/health issue, or is it simply a case of paying for less substance and more filler?

Initially the boys were on one tin/tetra pack per day of wet, plus a small handfull of dry (probably 10-15 pieces of kibble).
Some foods they polished the bowls, others they wouldn't touch.

I first reduced the dry to just a tiny handful before bed; now I only use it as a treat a couple of times a week. Still no help.

I got fed up with throwing out huge amounts of food - I don't mind paying for decent food but I do object to throwing it straight in the bin!

I tried reducing the amount of wet - they now get two thirds of a tin per day.

They still leave most of the stuff they don't like, only eating a mouthful or two to keep them going. Obviously I'm keeping an eye on them - they're not losing weight or condition and aren't begging, but they do seem to be eating far less than any guidelines suggest is normal.
(They are neutered and indoor though).

They will eat the fish varieties of Smilla, Animonda carny exotic (all flavours), one flavour of normal Carny tins (beef and lamb), Bozita jelly tetra packs (most flavours), and rabbit Terra felis.
They leave all other Carny, all Bozita tins, and all Grau tins virtually untouched.

Carny = 68% meat, 31% broth
Smilla = from 45% meat, 45% stock to 80% meat, 16% stock.
Bozita = claims 93% meat, but I believe this is in the chunks and does not account for the high jelly content.
Terra felis = 88% meat, 12% veg, herbs and other stuff

All are basically meat in some sort of stock, broth or jelly. They're all grain and sugar free. Only TF (which they get least) contains non-meat ingredients, though it has the highest meat content by far.

I want the cats to get the best diet - but frankly it isn't doing anything for the cats if they won't eat it, and my wallet is suffering.

Now, I was under the impression that whilst grains, sugar etc were bad in cat foods, things like jelly and broth were fairly neutral? If this is the case I would rather be paying for jelly than feeding my bin!

Any thoughts?

And realistically, is what they are currently eating any better at all than whiskas / felix et al?

 

[hobbs2004]

Colette, sorry I am too tired tonight to reply fully so I am not going to comment on your general question just now (also the forum seems a bit slow in loading) but just wanted to point out that according to the info you have listed you cannot compare TF with the likes of AC, say, because AC gives the meat content relative to all other ingredients, including broth, while TF only lists the ingredients but doesn't take into account the amount of broth. I also wouldn't rate any of the four foods very highly.

Edit: And neither do you as you call them mediocre yourself lol

Personally, I wouldn't get too hung up about choosing non-grainy foods. I would always choose foods that contain grains - as long as they are fully declared in terms of type and quantity and as long as they are within a reasonable quantity over those that use lower quality ingredients. So, imo Grau with wholegrain rice is a "better food" than others because it tends to use more meat and fewer by-products (another way to bulk out food cheaply), though even there the content has suffered apparently in the latest recipe reshuffle in a quest for higher profits and rising cost for raw products.

 

[Colette]

Thanks Hobbs, as usual!

I called them mediocre foods because I know they're not the "best", in part at least because of the meat : broth ratio or the veggies etc in TF.

Personally I would prefer to stick with grain free if possible, I just don't like feeding grains to cats, although I don't have any major issues with a food containing a tiny amount of rice being used as one of my rotating brands.
That said, the cats wouldn't touch grau anyway.

I'm confused about the TF - in the ingredients list it specifically states "no stock" - I assumed that meant it contained no stock (it does list spring water which I assumed accounted for the moisture content). Does it actually mean the list doesn't include stock that is actually there?

They won't touch Defu organic or Lily's Kitchen, and they now completely refuse NM (which I stopped feeding before anyway because of the sugars). They stopped eating the better HiLife, though their whole range is crap now anyway.

I guess my questions now are...

Are there any reasonably decent foods that I can get hold of without going down the raw or import route?
What is wrong (IYO) with the foods I'm currently feeding (high broth/jelly aside)?

and mainly - am I fighting a losing battle? It certainly feels like it!!