** EDIT: Anonymous may post, but all anonymous will be screened to prevent spam showing up **
** EDIT #2: See added notes on the bottom **
For those who have been living under a rock :) there have been cases of tainted pet foods from a company called Menu Foods. The affected pet foods have been sold in both the USA and, they recently discovered, also in Canada.
You can see their press releases here.
Essentially, wheat gluten has been tainted with a chemical called Melamine - yes, that stuff often used in plastics - which has resulted in health problems such as kidney failure in both cats and dogs - though cats are more susceptible to this problem (I don't know specifically why, but my guess is that their smaller size, and thus smaller kidney size to begin with, might have something to do with it.)
The reason I'm tagging this as an educational post is that I want to inform people that cats in particular really should NOT be eating wheat and rice products ANYWAY - they are carnivores by nature and genetics. Why are wheat and rice products often sold in cat foods? I would imagine that it's due to it being an inexpensive filler in comparison to using quality meats.
Some folks are turning to raw feeding - which, by itself, isn't a bad thing per se, but you need to understand nutritional requirements for the pet(s) in question. Cats have more specific nutritional needs and requirements than dogs - for example, cats need Vitamin A *AS* Vitamin A - they are unable to convert Beta Carotene to Vitamin A since that it something their prey is expected to have already done.
Caveat: I'm a cat person, not a dog person, thus my advice is geared for those who live with cats.
Various veterinary nutritional guides would be of help in determining a good raw food diet, however, since not everyone can slog through medical terminology :) I also recommend the site Holisticat for plain speaking and a large population of people who care deeply for their cats. Unfortunately the Holisticat listserv is no longer existing, however, they do have a forum which I also recommend highly.
(Remember: no vampire chat there :P )
If you can't afford or are otherwise unable to provide a raw diet, I'd like to recommend the food I've been getting for MY kitties: Innova Evo (which, btw, is made for both cats AND dogs...) This is a grain-free pet food that uses human-quality meats and vegetables. And when you open a can of wet food it doesn't smell grocery-store-food vile either. :)
The actual website for the Innova Evo line
Granted, it's not cheap. But then, quality PEOPLE food isn't cheap either. :) It also can be hard to find, depending on your area.
Here's my trick for getting it at or below list price without having to leave the house: Pet Food Direct. They have an email list service; sign up on their email list, and they send you coupons to your email every few days. Wait for a coupon that's 20% or better, and order Innova Evo through them. They carry both dry AND canned - AND THEY DELIVER - an absolute godsend in shitty weather. :)
The disadvantage of Pet Food Direct is that regardless of what the website hints at, allow up to TWO WEEKS before it arrives at your doorstep, and they typically ship UPS Ground. Plan accordingly - Coupons at 20% or better usually get sent out 1-2/month; usually they run between 10-15% off.
For anything else, always always *always* PRICE COMPARE between local sources and the PFD website. You might find that ordering something else costs 2x as much before shipping, as it would to drive to the other side of town and pick it up from your local store.
Caveat: I don't know if Pet Food Direct ships outside of the USA - call or email them to find out. Shipping will probably be proportionately larger to other countries if they do, as they are USA based.
** Edit #2:![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
memoryanddream mentioned Wellness brand has a no-grain alternative called Core, so there's at least two no-grain/rice/barley options out there now. **
** EDIT #2: See added notes on the bottom **
For those who have been living under a rock :) there have been cases of tainted pet foods from a company called Menu Foods. The affected pet foods have been sold in both the USA and, they recently discovered, also in Canada.
You can see their press releases here.
Essentially, wheat gluten has been tainted with a chemical called Melamine - yes, that stuff often used in plastics - which has resulted in health problems such as kidney failure in both cats and dogs - though cats are more susceptible to this problem (I don't know specifically why, but my guess is that their smaller size, and thus smaller kidney size to begin with, might have something to do with it.)
The reason I'm tagging this as an educational post is that I want to inform people that cats in particular really should NOT be eating wheat and rice products ANYWAY - they are carnivores by nature and genetics. Why are wheat and rice products often sold in cat foods? I would imagine that it's due to it being an inexpensive filler in comparison to using quality meats.
Some folks are turning to raw feeding - which, by itself, isn't a bad thing per se, but you need to understand nutritional requirements for the pet(s) in question. Cats have more specific nutritional needs and requirements than dogs - for example, cats need Vitamin A *AS* Vitamin A - they are unable to convert Beta Carotene to Vitamin A since that it something their prey is expected to have already done.
Caveat: I'm a cat person, not a dog person, thus my advice is geared for those who live with cats.
Various veterinary nutritional guides would be of help in determining a good raw food diet, however, since not everyone can slog through medical terminology :) I also recommend the site Holisticat for plain speaking and a large population of people who care deeply for their cats. Unfortunately the Holisticat listserv is no longer existing, however, they do have a forum which I also recommend highly.
(Remember: no vampire chat there :P )
If you can't afford or are otherwise unable to provide a raw diet, I'd like to recommend the food I've been getting for MY kitties: Innova Evo (which, btw, is made for both cats AND dogs...) This is a grain-free pet food that uses human-quality meats and vegetables. And when you open a can of wet food it doesn't smell grocery-store-food vile either. :)
The actual website for the Innova Evo line
Some reviews for Innova Evo:
@ About.com
@ Rateitall.com - Dog food
@ Rateitall.com - Cat/Kitten food
Ratings on Amazon for Innova Evo Cat & Kitten dry kibble:
here, here, and here
Ratings on Amazon for Innova Evo Cat & Kitten Canned:
here, here, and here.
Simaler good reviews for Innova Evo dog food were seen on Amazon as well.
Granted, it's not cheap. But then, quality PEOPLE food isn't cheap either. :) It also can be hard to find, depending on your area.
Here's my trick for getting it at or below list price without having to leave the house: Pet Food Direct. They have an email list service; sign up on their email list, and they send you coupons to your email every few days. Wait for a coupon that's 20% or better, and order Innova Evo through them. They carry both dry AND canned - AND THEY DELIVER - an absolute godsend in shitty weather. :)
The disadvantage of Pet Food Direct is that regardless of what the website hints at, allow up to TWO WEEKS before it arrives at your doorstep, and they typically ship UPS Ground. Plan accordingly - Coupons at 20% or better usually get sent out 1-2/month; usually they run between 10-15% off.
For anything else, always always *always* PRICE COMPARE between local sources and the PFD website. You might find that ordering something else costs 2x as much before shipping, as it would to drive to the other side of town and pick it up from your local store.
Caveat: I don't know if Pet Food Direct ships outside of the USA - call or email them to find out. Shipping will probably be proportionately larger to other countries if they do, as they are USA based.
** Edit #2:
memoryanddream mentioned Wellness brand has a no-grain alternative called Core, so there's at least two no-grain/rice/barley options out there now. **Read 4 riddles | Ask a riddle?