Veterinarian reviews of Hill's and Gourmet cat food

What is the best food to feed a cat?The nutrition of beloved furry pets is entirely up to their owners. They eat the food their owners offer them. A caring owner always approaches food selection carefully, examining the ingredients and determining their pet's reaction to the introduction of a new food.

Wet cat food

This is a transitional food from dry to canned. The moisture content of these attractive, flavorful pieces is half that of canned varieties. Wet food is packaged in disposable bags according to the norm for one meal.It is not recommended to save leftovers for the next meal, as wet food becomes depleted of vitamins and minerals after drying.

Modern cat food offers so many options that even the most inexperienced pet owner is spoiled for choice. Even low-quality foods are packaged in attractive packaging and scented to appeal to cats, and cats eat them with gusto. Therefore, it's important to understand the best food for your cat. Cat food is divided into several classes.

An economical option

Economy class cat food is not the best solution.By-products are used to prepare food products. Modern grinding machines can handle those parts of the carcass that are not used in human food production. Such ingredients include skin, offal, beaks, claws, hooves, and diseased animal tissues.All of this is diluted with low-grade cereals and soy, enriched with flavor enhancers, chemicals, and dyes, and pressed into neat granules for an attractive appearance.

This type of cat food, according to user reviews, doesn't require much of a family budget. Many owners use it to satisfy their furry pets' appetites, neglecting the principles of healthy eating. Daily use of brands such as Whiskas, Meow, Friskies, Kitekat, and Darling does not saturate the animal's body with nutrients for full growth and recoveryThe brands of the listed foods do not contain meat; they are advertised using the name of a commercial product, but the essence remains the same.

Improved premium or medium class

Premium cat foods contain much more meat than budget options.The feed contains higher-quality grains, with natural meat products accounting for a small percentage of the total weight. Essential vitamins and minerals are also included. Speaking of chemical additives, their sufficient content is noted in the premium classReviews from cat owners indicate that this type of pet food is affordable, as it's almost identical in price to economy-class food.

A diet of this grade no longer poses a serious risk to a cat's health, and regular use is possible. The price of wet food is affordable for consumers. By eating this class of food, cats receive the essential nutrients they need to thrive.

Super premium food

The cat food classification system ranks this type of food as the most popular. Reviews from pet lovers indicate that everyone wants their cat to be playful and healthy. Hill's cat food falls into this category because it contains the necessary balanced nutritional profile, scientifically developed.

Wet foods in this class are easily digested by cats, and manufacturers produce popular brands in medicinal lines. The body copes with digestion easily, as The food contains the required amount of proteins, which is very important for catsGrains are supplemented with select varieties, although the most important ingredient for furry pets is the meat content. Chemical additives and flavorings are almost never present in high-quality brands.

Nutrition for the Holistic Group

Premium quality foods are preferred by owners of highly pedigree cats and are used by owners of prestigious professional catteries. Meat ingredients make up the bulk of the feed, grains are present in very small quantities, and there are no flavors or chemical additives. Due to the pure, harmful-free formula and the absence of artificial flavors, many kittens are reluctant to eat high-calorie food at first, but over time they adapt and eat it with pleasure.

Using Hill's cat food

Hills food - a wide selection of high-quality food.The Hill's brand is available in a variety of options, tailored to the needs of cats and the owner's desire to provide their kitten with a decent life. They produce food for daily consumption by healthy pets and as therapeutic complexes in the form of canned food, wet and dry foodVeterinarians prescribe Hill's food as a therapeutic diet for various pet ailments, such as sensitive stomachs, genitourinary disorders, neutered animals, and other conditions.

Pet owners only choose therapeutic food groups when necessary. For daily feeding, a standard diet is appropriate. Lighter versions of therapeutic foods are not suitable for healthy pets.

Positive features of Hill's food

According to consumer reviews, the food has advantages over other groups:

  • the cost of the product is affordable to a wide range of the population;
  • in the super premium class, according to owner reviews, it is considered one of the most effective nutritional complexes;
  • when used for feeding cats, the owner is confident that the animal receives the required amount of nutrients;
  • the brand provides for the release of food for cats of all ages;
  • For animals with internal organ problems, the treatment series brings significant relief;
  • Available in almost all specialized retail outlets.

Negative characteristics of feed

Although reviews indicate that the food is affordable and of good quality, it does have some drawbacks:

  • the plant component in the composition accounts for up to 55–70%;
  • Because of this, some cats cannot tolerate high carbohydrate content;
  • in weak animals prone to allergic reactions, it causes corresponding symptoms;
  • Hill's dry groups have higher quality characteristics than the wet group nutrition.

Cat food should not only be tasty, but also healthy.To ensure that their pets feel great, owners take an individual approach. Veterinary consultations are of great importance., but observing your furry pet's behavior will reveal the need for a particular food after each meal. General feeding recommendations are as follows:

  • For small kittens, the following names are suitable: Nature Best Kitten with Chicken, Hills Science Plan Kitten Chicken, Hills Science Plan Kitten Tuna;
  • Neutered animals successfully feed Hills Science Plan Young Adult Sterilized;
  • Adult pets receive nutrients with Adult Feline Sensitive Skin, Adult Feline Hairball Control.

Practical tips for feeding domestic cats

Cats always love to drink, so for this purpose, a vessel with drinking water is placed in the feeding area, which is changed once a day. When introducing new food into your cat's diet, you need to carefully study the ingredients and instructions on the packaging.Cats are usually fed morning and evening. There's nothing wrong with training your pet to eat three meals a day, as long as someone is present at home and this routine is consistent.

The ideal food is selected through substitutions and selection from several options. Avoid feeding two new foods together to determine which is harmful and which is beneficial. Once you've chosen a food, don't experiment further, as with a consistent diet, your pet's stomach will easily handle the familiar ingredients. By choosing Hill's wet food, do not give your pet supplementary food in the form of natural products, meat or milk, since such diversity often gives rise to problems with the digestive system.

Gourmet cat food

Gourmet food is loved by animals, but it is not as healthy as you might think.According to consumer reviews, cats eat this brand's wet food with pleasure and gusto. The palatability is acceptable for cats. However, reading the nutrition label reveals that this product is not beneficial for cats. It contains sugar, which is harmful to cats.

The ingredients on the label, which are written in small letters on a sparkling golden background, indicate that 85g of the product contains 8% meat, including chicken and liver in halfThis is insufficient for a balanced diet for a domestic cat and will not provide significant benefits. Therefore, Gourmet food is an economical option and is not suitable for long-term daily feeding of cats.

Mealfeel cat food

Customer reviews of the food for their domestic cats indicate that its composition differs from that of economy-class food only in that it contains a higher protein content. The packaging states that the food contains lamb, but upon reading the ingredients, the buyer discovers that The declared meat content is only 4%The remaining meat is listed as meat and meat derivatives of unknown origin, accounting for 36%. Vegetable protein also makes up about 2%, and fish by-products make up 1.5%. Complete proteins are scarce in the diet, and the term "meat derivatives" refers to ordinary by-products.

According to veterinarians, switching from economy class to Hill's is easy; you just need to follow a few simple rules. For a week, to gradually acclimate, the owner mixes the new food with the old one in small amounts; by the end of the week, the Hill's food will be the dominant food. Some animals are resistant to the switch, and it takes a month to get used to it.

Larisa Ivanovna, veterinarian

Many cat owners, when bringing their cat to the veterinarian with an upset stomach, begin by telling them they bought random food from an unknown brand at the supermarket. The goal is to stuff their pet to the brim. This is absolutely unacceptable, as it can lead to serious problems. The cat's stomach doesn't adapt easily to other foods, leading to an imbalance. Other owners simply use human food if they haven't stocked up on their regular food, which also leads to problems.

Arnold Petrovich

Cheap, economy-class varieties contain many flavor enhancers and baits to attract their furry companions. Transitioning cats to a more advanced diet is difficult, as the improved food has a natural flavor they're not accustomed to. With persistence, the pets gradually begin to eat healthier foods.

Alexander, a specialist at a veterinary clinic

Comments