Which Cat Food?

You may have seen a recent recall of dry cat food made by Fold Hill for other companies. Brands affected were Applaws, AVA (Pets at Home own label), Sainsburys own label and Wilkinsons* own label.

The reason for the recall was a suspected link to a serious and often fatal disease called feline pancytopenia.

If you have been feeding one of these brands you may have decided it is time for a change but which brand is best in a minefield of 1000's of pet food brands?

Lets start by looking at the recalled brands to get an idea of cost and product quality.

Example 1 - Applaws Dry Chicken & Salmon: This was a good quality grain free food. Ingredients are Dry Chicken Meal (50%), Dry Salmon (13%), Chicken Mince (13%), Potato, Salmon (6%), Beet Pulp. Cost per day for a 4kg cat eating 50g per day would be 49p based on 2kg bag RRP £19.99.

Example 2 - AVA (Pets At Home) Dry Cat Food: This was a good quality grain free food.

Ingredients are Chicken (60%) ( Chicken Meal 29%, Fresh Chicken 26%, Chicken Fat 2.7%, Chicken Gravy (2.5%), Tapioca (16.5%), Potato (14.5%), Whole Egg Powder (4%), Brewers Yeast, DHA-Algae (0.8%), Pea Fibre , Minerals, Beta-glucans, Glucosamine (200mg/kg), Cranberry extract, Chondroitin (100mg/kg), Pomegranate Extract, Green Tea Extract, Rosemary Extract. Cost per day for a 4kg cat eating 60g per day would be 40p based on a 2kg bag RRP £13.49.

Example 3 - Sainsburys: withdrawn from sale unable to check ingredients & price.

Example 4 - Wilkinsons Active Health Dry Cat Food: This was a low grade budget brand.

Ingredients are Poultry (28%), Wholegrain Wheat (27%), Maize, Chicken Meal (14%), Poultry Fat, Beet Pulp (3%), Chicory (2%), Linseed (2%), Vegetable Gravy Powder, Yeast, Minerals.

Cost per day for a 4kg cat eating 65g per day would be 3p per day based on a 2kg bag RRP £1.00.

Some alternative brand options that we stock would be ;

Option 1 - Connoisseur Cat Chicken with Tuna & Salmon: This is a good quality grain free food. Ingredients are 70% Chicken, Tuna and Salmon (including 28% Dried Chicken, 26% Freshly Prepared Deboned Chicken, 10% Dried Salmon, 4% Freshly Prepared Tuna, 2% Chicken Fat), Potato, Peas, Lentils, Chickpea, Cellulose (2.5%), Beet Pulp (2%), Hydrolysed Liver Gravy, Salmon Oil, Cranberry & Yucca Extract. Cost per day for a 4kg cat eating 50g per day would be 34p based on a 1.5kg bag RRP £10.45.

Option 2 - Carnilove Fresh Chicken & Rabbit Cat Food: This is a good quality grain free and potato free food. Ingredients are Fresh chicken deboned (42%), dried rabbit (22%), dried duck (6%), chicken fat (5%), pumpkin, chickpeas, peas, chicken liver (3%), salmon oil (2%), apples, carrots, flaxseed, hydrolyzed crustacean shells, cartilage extract, brewer’s yeast, chicory root, yucca schidigera, algae, psyllium, thyme, rosemary, oregano, cranberries, blueberries, sea buckthorn, ginger root, sage. Cost per day for a 4kg cat eating 60g per day would be 49p based on a 2kg bag RRP £16.45.

Option 3 - Super Premium Adult Cat Food Chicken : This is a mid range hypoallergenic brand. Ingredients are Poultry Meal (38%), Rice, Maize, Poultry Fat, Sugar Beet Pulp, Pork Hydrolysate, Egg Powder, Fish Meal, Brewers Yeast, Salmon Oil, Minerals, Vitamins, Cellulose, Taurine, DL-Methionine, (MOS), (FOS). Cost per day for a 4kg cat eating 55g per day would be 24p based on a 2kg bag RRP £8.95.

All the above brands are available on loyalty schemes in store which offer even greater savings !! Please feel free to pop in and discuss your cats nutritional requirements with a member of staff.

Read more: https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/06/cat-food-recalled-over-potential-link-to-serious-illness/ - Which?

*Voluntary recall