No Added Pufa Cat & Dog Food Finds

puella

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Joined
Jan 19, 2016
Messages
71
Location
USA
Hi all,

Just wanted to share some of the brands I have recently found that are slightly better than most but still not quite ideal. I'm constantly searching for a better food because I've seen a huge change in my cat since we've moved from an area where she had access to "free range" mice. When she was eating field mice she seemed so robust and just alive (I'm sure it was a combination eating head to tail & her daily access to her favorite past time of hunting).

I haven't seen our dog on her "native" diet but assume it's still important & want to improve where we can. She will eat anything so it's a bit easier trying different foods with her.

So my two front runners are: The Real Meat Company and Party Animal's Cocolicious.

The Real Meat Company - Air Dried Chicken Cat Food
Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken Heart, Chicken Gizzards, Chicken Neck, Parsley, Pumpkin, Rosemary, Inulin (from Chicory), Vegetable Glycerin, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E Supplement), Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Vitamin E, Iron Proteinate, Selenium Yeast, Copper Sulfate, Nicotinic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin K1, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide (source of iodine), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid.

The Real Meat Company - Air Dried Lamb Dog Food
Ingredients: Lamb, Lamb Lung, Lamb Liver, Lamb Heart, Parsley, Pumpkin, Rosemary, Inulin (from Chicory Root), Ground Lamb Bone, Vegetable Glycerin, Choline Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E Supplement), Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Vitamin E, Iron Proteinate, Selenium Yeast, Copper Sulfate, Nicotinic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide (source of iodine), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid.

Pros:
Simple Ingredients
Free Range Meat (sourced from USA, New Zealand, or Australia)
Mixture of Organ & muscle meats
Hormone/Antibiotic free
No corn, wheat, peas, or oats

Cons:
Dried (It's like really tough jerky that has been cut up. it seems like the cat likes the food but has a hard time actually chewing it. I tried soaking it in water and added a little gelatin to help with the texture but she wouldn't touch it then)
The price? (I haven't actually done the math on this...and for what they claim it seems pretty reasonable. We bought 3 generous samples for $16 and that includes shipping)


I haven't bought the Cocolicious for the cat yet because of the underlined & bolded ingredients below:

COCOLICIOUS Organic Turkey & Chicken Cat Food
Ingredients: Organic Turkey, Organic Chicken, Organic Turkey Broth, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Brussels Sprouts, Organic Kale, Organic Garbanzo Beans, Organic Lentils, Organic Bananas, Organic Chia Seeds, Organic Liver, Organic Guar Gum, Dicalcium Phosphate, Taurine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacinamide, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Calcium Pantot henate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Minerals (Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Proteinate).

**HOWEVER, the dog food doesn't contain most of the ingredients I'm concerned about. So I was thinking I could try adding a little taurine in the dog food for the cat but need to find out more about the proper dosage.

COCOLICIOUS 95% Wholesome Duck Dog Food
INGREDIENTS: Duck, Duck Broth, Organic Coconut Oil, Liver, Organic Guar Gum, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacinamide, L-Ascorbyl-2- Polyphosphate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Minerals (Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Manganese Proteinate).

COCOLICIOUS 95% Organic Beef Dog Food
INGREDIENTS: Organic Beef, Organic Beef Broth, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Liver, Organic Guar Gum, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacinamide, L-Ascorbyl-2- Polyphosphate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Minerals (Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Manganese Proteinate).
 

Anne99

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Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Messages
4
Bump... Has anyone found any reasonably priced dog food that does not contain added PUFA?
I make all my own dog food now, but I don't know if I can keep up after I move and add another hour and a half travel time to work every day.
 

Jennifer

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Jul 8, 2014
Messages
4,635
Location
USA
Hi Anne!

Below are the two brands I had my dog on before switching him to a freshly made raw diet. Both have a cat line as well. It has been a while so I'm not sure of their current cost. I preferred the Orijen's brand because it has less isolated vitamins and minerals added. Both have a few different varieties per product line, but these are the two my dog ate:

Bravo Homestyle Complete Natural Beef Dinner

Freeze Dried Beef Dog Food | Bravo Raw Pet Food - Bravo Pet Food

INGREDIENTS: Beef, beef liver, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, beef hearts, beef kidney, beef spleen, green beans, cranberries, dried eggs, tricalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, dried kelp, turmeric, rosemary, parsley, thyme, oregano, salt, mixed tocopherols (preservative), zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, rosemary extract.

Country of origin information:

http://bravopetfoods.com/country_info/BV_HC_BF_COOL_12_11_14.pdf

Orijen Tundra Freeze-dried Dog Food

https://www.orijen.ca/foods/dog-food/freeze-dried-dog-food/tundra/

INGREDIENTS: Venison (ground with bone), duck (ground with bone), whole steelhead trout, bison (ground with bone), elk (ground with bone), quail (ground with bone), duck liver, duck heart, spinach greens, pea fiber, bison tripe, elk liver, elk heart, elk kidney, whole ground sunflower seeds, whole pumpkin, butternut squash, whole carrots, whole cranberries, whole blueberries, whole blackberries, apples, pears, plums, apricots, brown kelp, mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, dandelion root, summer savory, peppermint leaf, ginger root, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate.

Orijen's suppliers:

https://www.orijen.ca/orijen/fresh-regional-ingredients/
 

Regina

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Aug 17, 2016
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Chicago
Bump... Has anyone found any reasonably priced dog food that does not contain added PUFA?
I make all my own dog food now, but I don't know if I can keep up after I move and add another hour and a half travel time to work every day.

For dry, I give him a scoop of this everyday:
Ziwi Peak Daily-Dog Lamb Cuisine Grain-Free Air-Dried Dog Food
Ingredients
Lamb - Meat (Includes Up to 3% Finely Ground Bone), Lamb - Liver, Lung, Tripe, Heart and Kidney, New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussel, Lecithin, Chicory Inulin, Dried Kelp, Parsley, Naturally Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Vitamins: Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Chelated Minerals: Iron Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Selenium Yeast, Potassium Bicarbonate, Calcium Carbonate.

Of course, it's expensive. I also make homemade and get a raw frozen ration delivered monthly. Table scraps and cottage cheese and ice cream also.
No vet bills though.
 

thomas00

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Joined
Nov 14, 2016
Messages
872
How long does it tak
For dry, I give him a scoop of this everyday:
Ziwi Peak Daily-Dog Lamb Cuisine Grain-Free Air-Dried Dog Food
Ingredients
Lamb - Meat (Includes Up to 3% Finely Ground Bone), Lamb - Liver, Lung, Tripe, Heart and Kidney, New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussel, Lecithin, Chicory Inulin, Dried Kelp, Parsley, Naturally Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Vitamins: Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Chelated Minerals: Iron Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Selenium Yeast, Potassium Bicarbonate, Calcium Carbonate.

Of course, it's expensive. I also make homemade and get a raw frozen ration delivered monthly. Table scraps and cottage cheese and ice cream also.
No vet bills though.

How long does it take you to go through a bag of that stuff regina? I'm giving my dog the canned Ziwi Peak stuff at the moment.
 

LUH 3417

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Joined
Oct 22, 2016
Messages
2,990
I feed my cat ziwi lamb and mackerel in the can. I used to give her Stella and chewys chicken but she likes Ziwi Infinitely more and licks her bowl clean. Sometimes I give her butter and cheese, if I’m making liver for myself I’ll cut her off some. She seems happier with ziwi. Progesterone whenever she gets a bout of cystitis, which has happened very infrequently since giving her a few drops of progesterone.
 
L

Lord Cola

Guest
Preference by the Honest Kitchen is pretty low fat, and has a good Ca:P ratio (I don't know if this ratio is important for dogs). It's supposed to have good, "human grade" ingredients. I've attached the nutrient profile of the product. This is a base mix, so you want to add some meat to it each meal.

There are other products with meat in them, but I think it would be better to cook meat at home to make sure you give the best quality meat to your dog.
 

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Regina

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Chicago
How long does it tak


How long does it take you to go through a bag of that stuff regina? I'm giving my dog the canned Ziwi Peak stuff at the moment.
oops, just seeing this now.

I've switched to a food that does not have a vitamin pack.
Vital Essentials Beef Entree Mini Nibs
Ingredient:
Beef, Beef Lung, Beef Liver, Beef Stomach, Beef Heart, Beef Fat, Beef Kidney, Beef Blood, Herring Oil, Mixed Tocopherols, D-Alpha Tocopherol.

It's expensive. But I can find no other ration with such a lean list.
I stretch it with Trader Joe's orange slices, cottage cheese, other ziwi treats and leftovers.

He gets about 3/4 cup most days. Some days, he might just get people food.
I'm embarrassed to tell you the speed in which we go through these expensive bags.
It is what it is.
 

OceanSpray

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Joined
Aug 3, 2019
Messages
58
Whatever happened to just feeding a dog raw muscle nad organ meat? Those ingredient lists are insane, PUFA is like one percent of the problem.
 

Regina

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Aug 17, 2016
Messages
6,511
Location
Chicago
Whatever happened to just feeding a dog raw muscle nad organ meat? Those ingredient lists are insane, PUFA is like one percent of the problem.
Yeah. I did that for years.
NATURAL POWER FORMULA (NPF)

My dogs got to a point where they could not tolerate it. Sourcing and handling (of the meat) could have been an issue. I tried to mimic it myself.
It became very difficult. (slicing large frozen organs into portions and re-freezing) Then they wouldn't eat it.
Found myself throwing a lot out. And my time is worth something.

Other than the herring oil, what exactly is wrong with those ingredients in the Vital Essentials?

The Vital Essential Mini-Nibs and cottage cheese (no gum) and orange slices in the evening has been a game changer for this dog.
He suffered from severe seizures and aggression when I adopted him (he was said to be 2 yr old) in 2007.
He is at least 12 or 13 now and seizure free. Beautiful teeth, clean ears, lovely coat, no itchies in central florida summer w/o any flea "medicine".

He did get my rib eye bone this evening though. ;)
 

Dutch Thomson

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Joined
Jan 5, 2020
Messages
17
Trying Taste of the Wild High Prairie Dog Food for 6 mo old Labrador Retriever. Ingredients look good, except for raspberries, and I think they recently stopped using Canola Oil.
 

postman

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Joined
Mar 3, 2016
Messages
1,284
If you're already paying about 5 dollars per serving, you might as well just feed them raw meat from the grocery store.
 

LadyRae

Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2021
Messages
1,525
Hi all,

Just wanted to share some of the brands I have recently found that are slightly better than most but still not quite ideal. I'm constantly searching for a better food because I've seen a huge change in my cat since we've moved from an area where she had access to "free range" mice. When she was eating field mice she seemed so robust and just alive (I'm sure it was a combination eating head to tail & her daily access to her favorite past time of hunting).

I haven't seen our dog on her "native" diet but assume it's still important & want to improve where we can. She will eat anything so it's a bit easier trying different foods with her.

So my two front runners are: The Real Meat Company and Party Animal's Cocolicious.

The Real Meat Company - Air Dried Chicken Cat Food
Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken Heart, Chicken Gizzards, Chicken Neck, Parsley, Pumpkin, Rosemary, Inulin (from Chicory), Vegetable Glycerin, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E Supplement), Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Vitamin E, Iron Proteinate, Selenium Yeast, Copper Sulfate, Nicotinic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin K1, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide (source of iodine), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid.

The Real Meat Company - Air Dried Lamb Dog Food
Ingredients: Lamb, Lamb Lung, Lamb Liver, Lamb Heart, Parsley, Pumpkin, Rosemary, Inulin (from Chicory Root), Ground Lamb Bone, Vegetable Glycerin, Choline Chloride, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E Supplement), Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Vitamin E, Iron Proteinate, Selenium Yeast, Copper Sulfate, Nicotinic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide (source of iodine), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid.

Pros:
Simple Ingredients
Free Range Meat (sourced from USA, New Zealand, or Australia)
Mixture of Organ & muscle meats
Hormone/Antibiotic free
No corn, wheat, peas, or oats

Cons:
Dried (It's like really tough jerky that has been cut up. it seems like the cat likes the food but has a hard time actually chewing it. I tried soaking it in water and added a little gelatin to help with the texture but she wouldn't touch it then)
The price? (I haven't actually done the math on this...and for what they claim it seems pretty reasonable. We bought 3 generous samples for $16 and that includes shipping)


I haven't bought the Cocolicious for the cat yet because of the underlined & bolded ingredients below:

COCOLICIOUS Organic Turkey & Chicken Cat Food
Ingredients: Organic Turkey, Organic Chicken, Organic Turkey Broth, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Brussels Sprouts, Organic Kale, Organic Garbanzo Beans, Organic Lentils, Organic Bananas, Organic Chia Seeds, Organic Liver, Organic Guar Gum, Dicalcium Phosphate, Taurine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacinamide, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Calcium Pantot henate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Minerals (Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Proteinate).

**HOWEVER, the dog food doesn't contain most of the ingredients I'm concerned about. So I was thinking I could try adding a little taurine in the dog food for the cat but need to find out more about the proper dosage.

COCOLICIOUS 95% Wholesome Duck Dog Food
INGREDIENTS: Duck, Duck Broth, Organic Coconut Oil, Liver, Organic Guar Gum, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacinamide, L-Ascorbyl-2- Polyphosphate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Minerals (Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Manganese Proteinate).

COCOLICIOUS 95% Organic Beef Dog Food
INGREDIENTS: Organic Beef, Organic Beef Broth, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Liver, Organic Guar Gum, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacinamide, L-Ascorbyl-2- Polyphosphate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Minerals (Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Manganese Proteinate).

Pretty sure these bags of food are more expensive than the organic food I buy for myself 😑
 

Regina

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Aug 17, 2016
Messages
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Location
Chicago
Pretty sure these bags of food are more expensive than the organic food I buy for myself 😑
Totally.
But I keep a bag each of the Lamb, Beef and Chicken freeze-dried ration by Rawbble
(Beef flavor ingredients:
Beef, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Beef Bone, Pumpkin, Coconut Oil, Salmon Oil, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols (a preservative), Rosemary Extract.)
on hand and add our "people" food. But we don't always eat well ourselves.
So on nights we just have pizza or spaghetti, the dog gets the rawbble.

But over the lat few months, the rawbble has exploded in price.
It used to be around $25 a bag. Now it's more than double that.
 

Mossy

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Jun 2, 2017
Messages
2,043
I'd be curious if anyone has had experience with Instinct brand dry kibble and freeze-dried raw food for cats. A lot of people are losing their minds in the amazon reviews due to the use of Montmorillonite Clay, which it seems the manufacturer was using to avoid using gums. Not all the reviewers have a problem with it, but some do.

My cat likes this food, and it seems to be good for his digestive system. It's not a top-tier cat food, though it is supposedly just below. It's crazy how much you have to pay, just to get away from the meat by-products and grain ingredients in the common, big named brands.
 

LadyRae

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Mar 20, 2021
Messages
1,525
I'd be curious if anyone has had experience with Instinct brand dry kibble and freeze-dried raw food for cats. A lot of people are losing their minds in the amazon reviews due to the use of Montmorillonite Clay, which it seems the manufacturer was using to avoid using gums. Not all the reviewers have a problem with it, but some do.

My cat likes this food, and it seems to be good for his digestive system. It's not a top-tier cat food, though it is supposedly just below. It's crazy how much you have to pay, just to get away from the meat by-products and grain ingredients in the common, big named brands.
I feed my 2 indoor cats this same food! Arrives quickly from Amazon like you said.

My female Kitty is only 6 months old and she has the softest and silkiest fur, so many people comment on it. Nacho is three, he is a very large orange male Kitty but he is not fat at all. Also very sleek and smooth.

I have two litter boxes that I scoop every other day and I do not think this food uses a lot of fillers and the cats always have well-formed stools but they are not overly big. The cats get the food put down in the morning with a little soft food and water mixed in for kidney health, and they work on it throughout the next 24 hours without any binge eating hahaha!
 

Mossy

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Jun 2, 2017
Messages
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I feed my 2 indoor cats this same food! Arrives quickly from Amazon like you said.

My female Kitty is only 6 months old and she has the softest and silkiest fur, so many people comment on it. Nacho is three, he is a very large orange male Kitty but he is not fat at all. Also very sleek and smooth.

I have two litter boxes that I scoop every other day and I do not think this food uses a lot of fillers and the cats always have well-formed stools but they are not overly big. The cats get the food put down in the morning with a little soft food and water mixed in for kidney health, and they work on it throughout the next 24 hours without any binge eating hahaha!
Great review! Glad to hear of your success with it. You've motivated me to continue with it after my trial run.

As budget allows in the future, I will consider frozen raw.
 
Last edited:

Mossy

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Messages
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Tinned tuna and sardines with crackers. Eggs, meat, dinner leftovers.
Strangely, my cat is not too excited about tinned tuna—he's more excited about the tuna water. I think he does like sardines more, from my recollection of trying those about 3 years ago. I do know he likes beef liver very much. Ultimately, I've decided at this point to go primarily with quality manufactured cat food and supplement with occasional normal food as treats, i.e. sardines, chicken liver, beef liver, etc.
 

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