special kitty cat food?

Question

is the special kitty cat food ok? if not why not? my cats have been on it their whole life and they sure like it!

Answer 1

First of all, I'm a pet nutrition consultant. Educating people on what they should feed their pets to keep them healthy is literally what I do for a living.



With that said, NO, Special Kitty is not a good brand of cat food. If you simply look at the ingredients list, you'll quickly see why... animal by products (which means heads, beaks, feet, intestines, possibly some excrement, etc. etc. etc.), "filler" grains like corn and wheat (which are extremely hard for cats and dogs to digest, and they often cause stomach sensitivities and allergies in pets), harmful artificial preservatives and colorings and flavorings, etc. etc. etc. Basically, it's full of a bunch of junk that does absolutely nothing to benefit the health of your cats... it's edible, but it's not really "food".



You need to feed your cat an all natural pet food, such as BLUE BUFFALO or Innova. When you look at the ingredients list of all natural food brands, you'll see that the ingredients are actually "human grade", meaning that they're good enough for people to eat! You should look for healthy ingredients such as real meat (not meat by products, but real cuts of chicken or lamb or fish, which should "always" be the first ingredient on the list), fruits and vegetables, "whole" grains like oatmeal and barley and brown rice (which are easily digestible and actually provide pets with healthy energy), and chelated vitamins and minerals.



I'm sure your cats like the taste of Special Kitty, because that's all they have ever had. Many animals like the taste of processed foods that are terrible for them, just like many humans like the taste of double bacon cheeseburgers and large chocolate milkshakes. Just because it's yummy doesn't mean it's even remotely good for us!



But if you switch your cats over to an all natural food, they'll like the taste just as much as they like Special Kitty, as soon as they get used to it! You just have to switch them over "gradually", because changing a pet's diet too suddenly often leads to diarrhea and other digestive issues. But if you mix the new, all natural food with the old, processed food for a while (10 days is a good amount of time, and make sure to gradually increase the amount of new food until you're at 100%, starting out with 25% new food and 75% old), your cats will get used to the flavor easily, and they probably won't have any digestive issues from it. :)

Answer 2

Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they need meat to live a healthy life. Special Kitty is full of corn and other filler junk that they can't digest. Check out the feeding guide on the Special Kitty bag. Then go and find a real cat food (Taste of the Wild for example). You'll notice that you have to feed MUCH LESS of the TOTW vs Special Kitty. That's because TOTW doesn't have all that junk in it. It'd be like if you ate McDonald's every single day for the rest of your life. It's crap, so it doesn't fill you up, and you have to eat three or four times as much as if you'd just sat down and ate three balanced meals a day.

Answer 3

I know this is an old thread,but I just have to say,my cats been on special kitty,9 lives,and 2 are on special diet for urinary tract from special kitty.My vet said being I couldn't afford their food,that special kitty was ok to feed as it does have all the nutriants they require.And in 10 yrs the only problem I had was urinary tract issues with feeding them friskies.He said to NEVER feed my cats friskies as it is what caused the issues.My cats are healthy,coats shiny,and in good shape.10 yrs speaks for it'self.I feed both dry and canned.So it is ok to feed them special kitty,just not friskies.We all can't afford them $60. bags of 30 pounds of cat food.Those are on the recall list most of the time killing both dogs and cats.

Answer 4

Simoriah said "You should look for healthy ingredients such as real meat..... fruits and vegetables, "whole" grains like oatmeal and barley and brown rice (which are easily digestible and actually provide pets with healthy energy), and chelated vitamins and minerals."



I agree 100% on the real meat, but as for the rest.... pure garbage. You bought the latest fad hook, line and sinker. Whole grains, fruits and vegies are a healthy part of YOUR diet, NOT your cat's. Try taking a look at the real breakdowns of the nutrients available in some of these high dollar foods. Label requirements are not the same as for human food, ignore them and do your research. "Real meat" of whatever sort includes the fat as well as the muscle, did you know that? The carbs from your super special whole grains and such are fillers, nothing more. Your cat can metabolize fat more easily than carbs, did you know that? How then are these grains any better than the corn fillers. Simple, they're not.



The single best thing you can do for your cat is to dump the dry food. A can of Friskies or Special Kitty is better than a bag of Hill's, byproducts or not. Period. Some varieties of canned food will be healthier than others, of course. The point is, canned is healthier than dry. Do your research and quit talking out the side of your neck.



I've done mine and I'm sick of the whole mess. Mine are on canned for now but will be transitioning to a raw food diet based on THEIR nutritional needs, not mine or what sounds healthy. I'll be making my own with veterinarian recipes and ingredients that I trust. Hell, I'd use ground mice (yes, you can buy that) if I had the stomach for it. If you buy prepackaged raw food, you still need to do your research. Cat food companies are in it for the money, same as any business. Some make wonderful products, but make no mistake. Your cat's nutrition is secondary to their bottom line. Anyone who is at all interested in this, here's a few links. Take the time to check these sites out, it's well worth it. Don't just grab the recipes and run (if you do, don't alter them. Every ingredient is important)



http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood#Note:

http://feline-nutrition.org/nutrition/making-raw-cat-food-for-do-it-yourselfers

http://tcfeline.com/cat-food-recipes/



Here's an excellent site to source antibiotic and hormone free raw meats. Excellent prices, I wish they sold people food. Prices compare to the unhealthy stuff at the grocery store.



https://www.hare-today.com/about.php



I know this is an old dead thread but if it popped up in my search it will likely pop up in someone else's.

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.



RE:

special kitty cat food?

is the special kitty cat food ok? if not why not? my cats have been on it their whole life and they sure like it!

Answer 6

Special Kitty

Answer 7

Special Kitty Cat Food

Answer 8

Special Kitty is about one of the cheapest and worst foods you can buy. It's got no real meat in it, and is nothing but cheap fillers that barely meet your cat's nutritional requirements. They might like it, but that sure doesn't mean it's healthy for them to eat. I'm sure you like potato chips, french fries, and donuts - does that mean they are good for you to eat? The money you save on buying food now will cost you eventually in vet bills. Proper nutrition is as important for cats as it is for people. Nature created cats to be carnivores - and there isn't even real meat in this brand of food. The first two ingredients are corn - and cats actually derive very little nutrition from corn. The only meat source is by-products - that is all the bits and parts that have been deemed unfit for human consumption. It's heads, feet, hides, intestines, spleens, spinal chords, and even diseased and spoiled meat. Not exactly a high quality protein source for your cat.



The best foods contain no corn, and no by-products. Yes, they cost more, but even for people, nutritious and health foods cost more than junk foods.

Answer 9

That's the brand they sell at the dollar store... so I'd be very suspicious of it. I fed it to a cat for a short time, but I wouldn't do it again.

Answer 10

Cats have special dietary requirements as they grow and age but you can't tell them what to eat. Who are we kidding? lol My cats turn their nose up at some of my choices, even nicely packaged expensive foods. Their favourites have been committed to memory and anything else is either snubbed or half eaten.

Answer 11

I have Three cats In my Family. My Cats will Not eat Cheap cat food. They Also will Not eat Catfood that is One Color. They Are very Picky about what they eat. And They Will Literally Starve themselves if They Don't Like The Food I Put in there Kitty Bowls.



All of My Cats Have different Opinions With Their Food.



But There is this One Cat Food That They All Love ALOT.

And The Cat Food is Called Meow Mix.

They Love it because It has all different types of Colors in it.

They eat it as soon as i put it in there bowls.

And they chow it down FAST.

Answer 12

It has to conform to the minimum requirements set by federal law for cat food.



Is it GOOD, that's a matter of debate. It's made to keep a cat alive long term. This does not guarantee that the cat will get the proper nutriton to avoid health problems further down the line as the cat ages.



Look at the ingredients. There should be no corn in the first 5 ingredients, and no by-products in the first three (they're inferior protein sources). Canned food needs to be at least 10% protein, as well.

Answer 13

Special kitty PREMIUM cat food is new and an amazing brand, it has meats as first few ingredients and everything else is all natural. We have the salmon brand and when the bags open you can just smell the fresh fish!

Answer 14

It has to pass "industry" standards, so it is okay. I feed mine the Special Kitty, and none have died or been "unhealthy" because of it. I use both the dry and wet. They get 1/2 a can of wet per day, and they can free-feed on the dry.



I have been told that most of the "commercially available" (a.k.a. CHEAP) cat food has more "fillers" and SUGARS in it than cats need. The DIAMOND brand dry food was recommended to be as being HIGHER in the OILS that cats need for a healthy digestion and coat, and less fillers and sugar. This results in less ... um... "poo" production, too! I have tried the Diamond brand, and they do like it, too. It is also NOT AS EXPENSIVE as the Iams or Science Diet, but it is a bit more than Special Kitty (not a lot more, however!).





Me... kittyslave23... I know my place.

Answer 15

The Special Kitty food must be okay otherwise they wouldn't sell it. If your cats like it then that's fine. Many people just buy the doctor recommended food because most of the time your cats are much healthier and live longer.