There’s all sorts of cheap pet food on the market but it’s usually a false economy.
How come? Apparently because the ingredients aren’t as good, you need to feed your cat or dog more of it than the more expensive stuff, so it works out better for your pocket.
Premium cat and dog food contains more animal protein and less vegetable protein too, so your pet gets more of what he or she needs to stay fit and healthy. They’re better balanced in terms of nutrition, the formula and quality of the ingredients.
Premium pet foods usually have better quality protein, but they also come without artificial dyes and contain vital extra antioxidants and vitamins. As a result they provide better digestibility. And there’s a big difference at the other end of your dog or cat too, with less poop to deal with… because pets have to eat more of the cheap stuff to get the nutrition they need, there’s a lot more waste.
Before you buy pet food, check the feeding guide on the packaging to see how much you need to serve for each meal. Look for the minimum levels of protein, fibre and fat. Make sure you buy the food with the highest amount of poultry or meat-derived protein and the least corn, wheat, gluten, soy and bone meal, all inferior sources. Most ingredient lists show the ingredients in quantity order, so you should be able to figure out which is the best food more or less at a glance.
Look out for nasty additives too – colourings are put into cheap pet food to make it look more attractive to pet owners but they’re completely unnecessary.
In the long run a healthier puss or doggie means fewer vet visits, which can also save you a small fortune…
P.S – I’ve also noticed that solid, traditional tinned catfood lasts about twice as long as the tinned chunks in jelly or gravy, probably because it’s 100% meat rather than 50% jelly or gravy.
Thanks to http://www.sxc.hu/profile/Felles for the super-cute pic!)