What dry cat food is recommended by veterinarians

Many people wonder which cat food is super premium and which is not. After all, often sellers in pet stores, online stores, and ordinary pet owners in their reviews misclassify a particular food. For example, very often such brands as Hills Science Plan, Pro Plan and Royal Canin are called super premium, although the latter now hardly reaches the premium level.

The best cat food: veterinarian reviews

Increasingly, people are thinking about their nutrition, counting calories, vitamins and minerals consumed from foods. But what about furry pets? A balanced diet is just as important for pets. Let's find out together with the Murkoshi team what cat food veterinarians recommend buying and what they advise to refrain from.

There is no certain brand of food that is suitable for absolutely all animals. A cat has to make its own choice. If she is playful, healthy, and her coat is shiny, most likely the food is suitable for her and the owner only needs to fill her bowl on time. But this applies to a full-fed diet.

Veterinarians recommend buying cat food, in which a balance of essential micronutrients, minerals, essential fatty acids and meat is maintained. In this regard, dry food fully meets the needs of pets. Wet food, on the other hand, will be more of a dessert than an everyday meal. After all, according to the writer Terry Pratchett, "a real cat, even from the farthest corner of the apartment can hear the kitchen fridge open.

It is also worth considering the condition of the pet and its age. Kittens under a year old should be given food for kittens. And adult spayed cats – with the appropriate labeling. The thing is the different amounts of micro- and macronutrients that the body needs at different ages – an adult cat needs less energy than a small one. Well, some diseases require a certain diet.

Read about therapeutic foods: What is therapeutic cat food

According to veterinarians, the composition of cat food should include meat in the first position, because what comes first is more. Right behind it should be quality by-products (heart, liver, kidney) and other additives of animal origin, including eggs.

If the manufacturer does not specify what by-products are in the composition, most likely, the manufacture used various waste products of the meat industry, which have no value to the body of the pet. The names should be specific, not vague. For example, lamb lung, chicken liver, etc.

Classes of cat food

Today, when advertising and beautiful packaging strongly influence the choice, it is very easy to get confused about what food is best for the pet. To prevent this from happening, it's worth learning a little about the classification of food.

The cheapest and most useless for the body. Its purpose is to satisfy hunger. No nutrients, vitamins and, moreover, meat are contained in such food. Employees of the "Murkosha" center compare such food with "doshirak": the feeling of satiation is there, but the benefits are not.

The cost is more expensive than the economy, but the quality is better. Such foods contain meat and by-products, necessary vitamins and minerals. Such food will not harm the health of the animal. Represent this class of food such as: " Royal Canin ", " Brit ", " Flatazor ", " Eukanuba ", " Belcando ", " Hills ", " Natural Choice ", " Matisse ", " Bozita ", " Guabi ", " Iams ", " Advance ", " Happy Cat ".

They are more expensive than the previous classes, but use high quality raw materials. They have a balanced content of minerals and nutrients, which are essential for the cat's body. The super-premium food includes: "ProNature Holistic", "Bosch SANABELLE", "Cimiao", "1st Choice", "Arden Grange", "Profine Adult Cat". Sometimes it also includes "Royal Canin" and "Hills", but this is more true for the therapeutic lines of these manufacturers.

Specialized natural cat food without fragrances and colorings. They contain animal proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins essential for cats, dried fermentation products for healthy digestion, Omega acids for hair and skin. Up to 85% of the food is fresh meat and fish. However, their cost is significantly higher than average. Popular holistic foods include Innova, Holistic, Eagle Pack Cat Canidae, Almo Nature, Golden Eagle (N&D), Chicken Soup, Orijen and Acana.

Changes in the animal's body

After sterilization, irreversible changes occur in the pet's body, primarily affecting hormones. All this leads to a cat prone to various pathologies.

• Stagnation of urine in the bladder. Neutered animals empty much less often after the procedure, which leads to the development of all kinds of problems. For example, stones and sand can form in the bladder and kidneys. It is equally rare for spayed cats to develop cystitis.
• Changes in the hormonal background. During sterilization, the glands that produce sex hormones are removed from the cat. That's why after the procedure, the animals' natural reproductive instinct disappears. As a result, they stop looking for a suitable partner and compete for their territory. That's why castrated cats sleep a lot, move little and show no interest in games.
• The slowing down of metabolic processes. The cat's sex glands produce hormones that contribute to the rapid burning of calories. And after the level of these substances in the body decreases, the metabolism slows down and subcutaneous fat begins to be deposited.
• Increased appetite. In the body of castrated cats the level of prolactin, which controls metabolic processes, increases many times. Its oversupply results in an increase of appetite. That is why animals after neutering can easily eat two portions at once, and still ask for more. As a result, cats often gain extra pounds.

To avoid these problems the owner of a neutered pet should radically change its diet.

What food is better to feed a neutered cat

Modern manufacturers produce many variants of special food for neutered pets. There is a choice of wet and dry food with a balanced diet. However, despite the persistent assurances of manufacturers, the quality of products is not always at a high level, even at an impressive cost. That is why veterinarians advise choosing food carefully, paying attention to important details.

• Food for sterilized cats and cats comes with the label Sterilised. Usually, this label adorns the front side of the package.
• Protein in such food should be 30-50%, and carbohydrates – a minimum amount.
• Phosphorus and nitrogen should not exceed 6-7 per cent. An overabundance of these elements in the diet of a castrated pet can lead to the occurrence of sand and kidney stones.
• According to veterinarians, it is best to give preference to food labeled "diet" or "light". Such food is flawlessly suitable for animals prone to obesity.
• Useful additives, such as minerals and vitamins, are welcome.
• The chosen brand should be popular.

Based on the factors described, we were able to compile for you a rating of the best food for spayed cats. Whichever one you choose, it will be a great food option for your pet. This is backed up by vet recommendations and praise from neutered pet owners.

The Top 14 Dry Cat Foods for 2023

1. Hill's Science Plan with Chicken

In the top of the best dry cat food is Hill's Science Plan, aimed at the harmonious development, including spayed cats. The diet is built on a complex of antioxidants to support good immunity. A specific weight control formula strengthens muscles and leads to fat burning. The presence of minerals promotes urinary tract health. Only easily digestible ingredients are used that are both tasty and of high quality.

Good dry cat foods for premium cats

3. Brit Premium with Chicken

Brit Premium, which is recommended by many veterinarians, makes it into the top 10 best dry cat foods for cats. It is suitable for kittens and adult animals. The composition is based on chicken in salmon sauce, healthy herbs, all the necessary vitamins and minerals that contribute to the growth and development of kittens. Herbs give antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cleansing qualities.

A special production technology makes it possible to make a tasty sauce of salmon or chicken liver. This makes the food very tasty and flavorful. It will not leave indifferent even the most fastidious cats.

2: ProBalance with Chicken

The best dry cat food for premium cats is produced by ProBalance. We are offered an all-natural food suitable for spayed cats and neutered cats. Its regular consumption minimizes the likelihood of developing urolithiasis.

After spaying, the metabolism slows down, which is especially relevant in the case of older animals. At the same time, they move less – on average by 20-25%, and their appetite increases, which causes obesity.

Dry food nourishes the body with energy (375 kcal per 100 grams) and at the same time helps to keep weight within limits. This is due to the fat-burning L-carnitine. The ingenious composition increases thirst, due to which the pet drinks more. Therefore the urine output increases and the probability of stone formation decreases. In addition to the meat component, the food contains healthy ingredients.

Purina ONE with Beef, Wheat

Good dry premium cat food contains the optimum levels of protein and fat, which are essential for maintaining muscle mass and proper metabolism. A balance of mineral components supports the health of the cat's urinary system and prevents overweighting. Regular consumption reduces tartar buildup by up to 40% and keeps cats in peak physical condition.

Best dry food for sterilized senior cats

2. Pro Plan Sterilised 7+, with turkey 3 kg

Cats over the age of 7 need a special diet that slows down aging. It contains essential nutrients, including vitamins A, C and E, beta-carotene, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, and natural prebiotics. The formulation is rich in protein, low in fat and optimal in calories.

The cat food is formulated with RSS and APR techniques to ensure normal urine pH levels. It is an effective prevention of urolithiasis.

1. Royal Canin 7+ 3.5 kg

When choosing a food for an older spayed cat, you can stop at Royal Canin 7+, which is recommended by many veterinarians. It is designed to take into account the age and changes in the background of sterilization. The composition is saturated with green tea polyphenols, omega-3 acids, vitamin C. Carefully selected natural ingredients support health at the first signs of aging.

A moderate concentration of fats counteracts weight gain as long as the recommended portions are met. Adapted phosphorus content strengthens the kidneys and urinary system.

So what is the best cat food?

The best food is the one that suits your cat and is truly complete. If the food is cereal-based, with only a couple of percent meat ingredients, and vitamin-mineral supplementation includes only 3-5 vitamins, you can't call it the best or even good.

You can't call any particular food the best either, even if its composition is very good. The reason is simple – there are at least a dozen other foods from other manufacturers with the same good composition. And, by the way, what should be a 100% ideal composition for a cat, too, no one knows.

Our conclusions and recommendations

In conclusion we recommend not to believe advertisements, as well as labels like "Super premium" and "Holistic" on packages of food. Always check the composition, because very often advertising and similar labels are far from reality. Since there is nothing in the laws of the country about the classification of cat food, even an economy food manufacturer can write the word "Holistic" on the package.

For pet food classes, see the pet food classes chapter. These are linked to at the top of this page (before the ratings).

Also, note that the ratings above are based on our cat food reviews, in which we parsed the composition by ingredient. In the future, as we become familiar with new foods, it's possible that the ratings above will change slightly.

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Comments Off on

Hi, why isn't Prime Wild food in the holistic rating? According to the composition, it seems to be even better than some.
And can you please tell me, I happened to pick up a package of this cat food and dog food. The cat happily eats both, the dog food is even better. The composition is similar. If I continue to take the dog food for the cat, is that okay?

Hi! Please advise me on what food to transfer a British golden chinchilla cat 7 years old. Previously, was first on Farmin, switched to alleva, after 3 months, here are the problems began, apparently too fat and protein for it was. From a series of mcb vet life I see, but I do not understand whether it is really good. Does anyone have any experience with it?

Hello. The vet did not prescribe any therapeutic cat food? Vet Life is a therapeutic line, they have Vet Life Struvite, you can feed it. There is also Monge VetSolution Cat Urinary Struvite, also good. Therapeutic foods can be fed up to 6 months. Then pick up a regular food.

Pros and cons

Every pet owner sooner or later begins to think about what is the best way to feed their cats and cats. And the choice is usually between ready-made food (dry and wet) and self-cooked food. Ready-made options have a number of distinct advantages.

• Balanced. Such food has everything an animal needs at a particular age, namely meat and vegetables in the right dosage, vitamins and minerals.
• Ready-made feeds no need to cookThat saves a lot of time.
• High-quality dry and wet food can be very good for cats. In addition to a variety of flavors, they can help normalize digestion and prevent various animal diseases. Dietary feeds are considered particularly relevant as a preventive measure against overweight and against urolithiasis. It is especially common in spayed and neutered animals.
• It is believed that dry food is more beneficial. However, this is quite contradictory, because if you buy premium food, the price of dry products does not come out cheaper than natural meat, which is prepared by the animals themselves.
• Balanced dry foods clean the teeth of your pet, and therefore serve as an excellent prevention of tooth decay.

The disadvantages include the fact that budget foods have very little moisture, and this has a negative impact on the health of animals. It is also believed that not all foods are gentle on teeth, rather the opposite, tartar and cavities form as a result of using them.

Cats and cats quickly become accustomed to poor quality foods.

Varieties and their main characteristics

The most popular are considered budget versions of food and premium. This is connected, of course, with the affordable price. Super-premium options are considered more expensive, and holistic – the most refined for cats. As a rule, The best reviews from veterinarians and felinologists receive holisticbecause they are considered as natural and balanced as possible, and are not addictive to the animals.

These foods are very rarely advertised, because breeders already buy them.

Economy

The greatest demand in our country for Fodder economy class. This is due to their very affordable price and active advertising, but their composition leaves much to be desired, because almost all of them are not made from meat, but from meat waste. Cats "love" them for their excellent aroma and flavor, but they are only additives and flavorings.

Let's look at a comparison chart of economy food.

From kittens to older cats and felines, as well as for animals with medical conditions.

Not all of the listed foods are low-grade – many are quite suitable for pet food.

The main thing is to clarify the composition of the product you choose and avoid options with allergens like corn and wheat.

Premium

There's also great demand for premium foods. They usually have 20-25% more meat than economy versions, so they are better suited for pet nutrition. Premium brands include the following:

All of the above brands have a higher content of cereals and vegetable proteins, as well as the number of allergens. But at the same time the range presented is very diverse: you can buy and canned food in cans, and bagged varieties, and dry food. And the variety of possible flavors is also countless: chicken, fish, turkey, beef, and much, much more.

The list of veterinary food

Everyday ready-to-eat cat food from hundreds of different brands is sold in Russia, but only a few of the manufacturers produce therapeutic foods. Below we have compiled a list of veterinary food brands that can be found in pet stores and veterinary drugstores in Russia:

Which of these foods is best?

We have not yet had time to prepare a review of each food from the list above, however, we have already studied their compositions. Therefore, we can make a rating of veterinary foods ahead of time, based on the quality of the composition.

The first two undoubtedly stand out qualitatively from the rest – they do not use corn gluten, wheat, corn. The third is also without these ingredients, but not quite grain-free – rice is present. Nevertheless, it is still significantly better than all the other therapeutic foods we reviewed in the first list (the one alphabetically).

This ranking may change in the future if new therapeutic foods become available that are better than those currently on it.

Comparisons of formulas

To illustrate the qualitative differences in different veterinary foods, let's compare their formulas. Let's take the therapeutic cat food for kidney disease from Brit and Pro Plan as an example.

The composition of Pro Plan begins with corn, followed by "vegetable products", wheat flour*, corn gluten and wheat gluten. That said, the manufacturer marked all of these ingredients with an asterisk, which leads to a notation stating that they are all sources of protein. But corn and wheat flour are mostly sources of carbohydrates.

Prices and where to buy

While there are big differences in the quality of the formulation, the prices differ much less. For example, let's take a therapeutic cat food for urolithiasis:

• Brit Veterinary Diet Cat Struvite – from 320 rubles for 400 g;
• Farmina Vet Life Feline Struvite – from 390 rubles for 400 g;
• Forza10 Urinary Active – from 330 rubles for 400 g;
• Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Stress Urinary Care – from 370 rubles for 400 g;
• Monge VetSolution Cat Urinary Struvite – from 430 rubles for 400 g;
• Pro Plan Veterinary Diets UR Urinary – from 370 rubles for 400 g;
• Royal Canin Urinary S/O High Dilution – from 390 rubles for 400 gr.

So the leader of the rating is practically the cheapest. But this may be because the food has only recently appeared and is not yet very widespread. But even the most expensive Monge VetSolution is only 30 rubles more expensive than the significantly worse Royal Canin.

Online stores where you can buy most of the above foods can be found in the marketplace "Yandex Market" ( link ).

"Don't be guided by price." How to pick up dry cat food after sanctions? Tips from Perm veterinarians

How to choose a dry cat food? What should be the composition? Royal Canin since they started producing it in Russia is no longer the same? And Whiskas can be eaten at all? We asked these and other questions to Perm veterinarians: Evgeniya Bardasova, a veterinary nutritionist, and Sergey Volkov, a candidate of veterinary sciences. We wanted to choose the best food for a striped fluffy cat, but veterinarians say that everything is not so obvious, the body of each cat is unique and there is no universal recipe. Some people like Whiskas better than ProPlan, and some only like Monge or Royal Canin.

– The division of economy class, premium, and holistic is more of a marketing move. The difference is not that big," says Eugenia Bardasova, an intensive care veterinarian and dietician at Fang Clinic. – The main difference between economy and premium food is the quality of ingredients. That is, if the economy class contains meat and bone meal, that is, waste from production, then the premium and above contain a higher quality product – meat meal and some products that can even be used in human nutrition. Foods may be labeled Human grade – that is, products that can be eaten by humans.

An expensive cat food may not suit a cat, but on the economy food it will have good digestion and a beautiful coat, said the expert. The food is chosen individually, the veterinarian advises to take a small pack and see how the cat feels, if all is well, you can take a large pack. Feed from it, by the way, it is recommended to pour into glass containers and store in a closed form.

Veterinarians recommend to pay attention not to the cost of food, but to the manufacturer and composition. Because it happens that the economy class feed in the producer country becomes a super-premium on the Russian shelves because of logistics costs.

There is no benefit in cheap feeds?

All economy-class feeds contain the essential amino acid taurine, which cats get in the wild from mice, said the expert. They also contain vitamins A and D, which a cat's body cannot synthesize on its own. Veterinarians advise to pay attention exactly to the content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

– Our owners like to read the composition, which says, for example, "lamb meat" and do not pay attention to the protein and fat content in the diet. The composition that is listed is an approximate composition. The true composition of the ration will not be given by any manufacturer – it's a technological secret," explains veterinarian Evgeniya Bardasova.

In addition, veterinarians explained that there are European and American standards for feeding small animals. Foreign brands of feed comply with these feeding norms. Such norms are not set for the Russian feeds, there are only GOST for feeding small unproductive animals (that is, traditionally not used for milk, fur, or, for example, honey), but these norms need to be finalized. That's why it's hard to recommend Russian producers' feeds in general for the time being, specialists say.

Price of super premium fodder

As we have noted above, despite approximately similar composition, the price of super premium cat food can be very different. To show how much, here are some of the prices of these foods. The list includes Russian-made feed and foreign-made feed that can still be found in Russia.

1. Zoomenyu 1,5 kg – from 635 rubles (1 kg ~ 424 rubles) Russia
2. Pronature Life 2,27 kg – from 1250 rub (1 kg ~ 550 rub) Canada
3. Holka 1,5 kg – from 860 rub. (1 kg ~574 rub.) Russia
4. Doctrine 3 kg – from 1823 rubles (1 kg ~ 608 rubles) Russia
5. Nutro 1,4 kg – from 868 rubles (1 kg ~620 rub.) Germany
6. Savita 2 kg – from 1245 rub. (1 kg ~ 623 rub.) Russia
7. Bud Zdorovy 1 kg – from 700 rub. Russia
8. Zillii 2 kg – from 1400 rubles (1 kg ~ 700 rub.) Russia
9. Best Dinner 1,5 kg – from 1100 rubles (1 kg ~734 rub.) Russia
10. Landor 2 kg – from 1520 rubles (1 kg ~ 760 rubles) Spain, Russia
11. Acari Ciar 1,5 kg – from 1200 roubles (1 kg ~ 800 roubles per 1 kg) Russia
12. Brooksfield 2 kg – from 1613 rubles (1 kg ~ 807 rub.) Italy
13. 1st Choice 2,72 kg – from 1865 rub (1 kg ~ 822 rub) Canada
14. Territory 1,5 kg – from 1374 rub. (1 kg ~ 916 rub.) Russia
15. Blitz Holistic 1,5 kg – from 1400 rub. (1 kg ~ 933 rubles) Italy
16. Chicopee HNL 1,5 kg – from 1525 rub. (1 kg ~ 1017 rub.) Germany
17. Monge BWild 1,5 kg – from 1535 rub. ( 1 kg ~ 1024 rub.) Italy
18. AlphaPet 1,5 kg – from 1580 rub. ( 1 kg ~ 1054 rub.) Russia
19. Sanabelle 2 kg – from 2143 roubles (1 kg ~ 1072 roubles) Germany
20. Bon Appetit 1,5 kg – from 1610 rubles (1 kg ~ 1073 rub.) France
21. Lapico 2 kg – from 2180 rubles (1 kg ~ 1090 rub.) Russia
22. Ownat Ultra 1,5 kg – from 1650 rubles (1 kg ~ 1100 rubles) Spain
23. Italian Way 1,5 kg – from 1670 ( 1 kg ~ 1114 rub.) Italy
24. Leonardo 1,8 kg – from 2190 rubles (1 kg ~1217 rubles) Germany
25. Crave 1,4 kg – from 1880 (1 kg ~1343 rub.) Germany
26. Bozita 2 kg – from 3186 rubles (1 kg ~ 1593 rub.) Sweden

Conclusion and conclusions

From all the above information we can draw the following conclusions: the best super premium food is not necessarily the most expensive in its class. And one more piece of advice, choosing dry food for your pet, look not only at the inscription "super premium" on the front of the package, but also at the composition itself. After all, it does not always correspond to this inscription.

In conclusion, we note that on the Internet there are many articles with a list of super premium cat food. However, most of them are written by human copywriters who have never even seen the brands they classify. The result is full of misleading information (for example, Acana holistic turns out to be on the premium food list, and Royal Canin premium turns out to be assigned to the super premium class).

Our list and rating are made on the basis of reviews made by us, in which the composition of food is studied in detail. And it is based on its composition that dry food is assigned to a class. That is, the entire classification is based on the quality of the composition, and without examining it, you can not call the food economy, premium, super premium or holistic.