Nutro Max Dry Catfood

Question
QUESTION: Hi,

I have been exclusively feeding my 8 yr. old cat, Fluffy, Nutromax kibble (various formulas as he has matured), and would like your opinion of this diet.  I only give canned food as a treat once/mo. or so.  In recent time, I have mostly been feeding the Lite or Senior formulas due to his age and activity level.  In general, Fluffy has always seemed satisfied with this diet, but recently got the taste of a generic brand of dryfood (which we keep on hand for feeding ferals in the area), and has been relentlessly begging for it ever since.  He knows the cupboard it is kept in and will stand there and meow for long periods of time, and will get extremely excited if we actually open the cupboard.

My question is:  Could there be something lacking in his NutroMax diet that is making him crave whatever is in the generic brand?  Should he be getting canned food more often?  (Quite honestly, I've been afraid to give him any since all the recalls). He's an otherwise very healthy, even playful, guy.

Your advice or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

ANSWER: Hi Vicki,

That is a great question.  First off, let me mention that Nutro, sadly, is far from being a premium food.  It is advertised as having quality ingredients such as Science Diet, etc.  However, it still contains fillers and by-products that I seriously don't recommend feeding.  When purchasing a food, look for brands that will list detailed nutritional information and specific information about their ingredients.  Products that contain human-grade ingredients, fewer grains, and NO fillers, are the ones that are the safest.  By-products are okay IF they contain human-grade by-products, as many by-products that are labeled for animal use contain chemicals, slaughter house waste that is unfit for even by-product usage in chemical plants, rendered animals that contain drugs and toxins, etc.  A lot of the fillers are also trash products that nothing should have to eat...they include sawdust/pulp waste from lumber mills, grain products that have gone bad and are no longer fit for human consumption, etc.  Please check out the brands that advertise as being organic...that are selective in choosing ingredients to make sure that they are human-grade, by-product free, and contain fewer grains and no fillers.  You'll notice that you might pay slightly more or else a very comparable price to Nutro...but you will be getting a much better quality (and safer) food.      

In regards to your question about Fluffy liking the taste of other brands...basically, most pets will prefer the flavor of the cheapest, worst quality food when given a choice.  There are several reasons for this.  The cheapest and worst foods will contain a lot of sugars/carbohydrates (mostly derived from grains) so will taste sweeter.  The animal will become hungrier again quicker (due to blood glucose levels) and in turn eat more.  The sugars aren't good for their teeth and gums, lead to weight problems, and can ultimately lead to diabetes.  Another reason that they prefer the cheaper foods is due to the amount of fats that they contain.  The absolute cheapest animal by-products, which come from anything from veterinary disposed of cats and dogs (which have been euthanized) to livestock, are going to be greasy and fat.  Most fats are loaded with flavor and cats and dogs love them.  As a preservative, most are loaded with sodium too.  On top of that, you have the artificial flavoring that is added to 'cover up' all of the filler and junk contents...thus deliberately making something that animals will love the flavor of, get addicted to the sugars and carbs they contain, and thus prefer the brand.  You'll find that in the super premium brands, like Innova, Wellness, and Nature's Variety (those who only use human-grade products), it might take a while for your cat to get used to them and might be really picky about the flavors, etc.  This is because the ingredients are all natural, chemical free, and contain few preservatives and no artificial flavors.  However, you should notice the difference in skin and coat, shedding, and overall health w/in a month of changing foods.  If you want to offer your cat a treat, stick with the dry in a super premium brand...my cats love the Wellness Dry.  I feed twice a day, both canned and dry, and then give either the Wellness dry or cooked chicken, beef, or tuna as treats (occasionally).  Nature's Variety also makes freeze dried liver treats which all of my cats love.  

Hope this helps.  If there are more questions that I could answer please feel free to ask.  :-)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi,
Thank you so much for the very informative reply. I was pretty stunned by your opinion of NutroMax, as even our vets have supported our feeding this diet.  Anyway, I've copied a link to the NutroMax Adult Gourmet Classic dry food ingredients list, and would very much appreciate your review of any questionable or harmful ingredients that you see in this product - especially any chemicals, artificial flavors, fillers or by-products:
http://www.nutroproducts.com/mcgcdry-arc.shtml  

I have also looked up all of the organic or holistic brands that you suggested and can see the differences in them vs. NutroMax, especially in the addition of fruits, vege's, yogurt cultures, etc.  I guess my biggest concern is in how Nutro's primary (protein/carb) ingredients compare to them.  Also, what would some of the "buzz words" be to lookout for when comparing brands?

I feel just awful that we've been feeding our ferals that generic cat food too!  We really can't afford the pricier brands because we are feeding so many cats.  Do you have any suggestions as to what cheaper brands might be better over the other?  

Also, what is your opinion of the Iams and Science brands?  Our vets have also recommended these very highly.

Thanks again for your time and any additional information you can offer.
Vicki  

Answer
Hi Vicki,

I'll do my best to answer your questions, as my time is slightly limited now but I know that you are waiting for a reply...if I miss anything just reply back and I promise to write a more detailed answer.

When trying to interpret labels, they can be so misleading and non-specific that it's practically impossible to determine what is harmful in them.  The problem is this; the pet food industry isn't governed with the same standards as the human food industry...in fact, it's appallingly worse.  When brands don't state that they are made of organic and human-grade ingredients...beware.  The meat, grains, fillers, etc. can come from so many sources that you have no idea just how 'pure' or nontoxic they really are.  For example, even something as simple as added or natural flavoring could be the processed fats from a rendering plant...and what is rendered and processed is anything from road kill, diseased livestock, veterinary euthanized domestic animals (including cats and dogs as this is where vets legally dispose of animals...the rendering places pay them for the remains based on weight).  The fats and oils that are the product of the 'rendering' process can legally (and super cheaply) be used as 'natural' flavoring and also anything from added protein, natural meats, and a whole plethora of 'scientific' and 'chemical' names.  What is so wrong with this is how little the general population is informed as to what goes into pet food (and livestock food).  This is just one example though.  You can imagine how many other 'natural' ingredients are derived...even chicken by-products and grains.  Grains can be so rancid that they were rejected for human consumption or so chemically toxic that they couldn't use them in human food.  Major pet companies buy the cheapest products...which has resulted in the enormous pet food recall.  You just can't look for specific ingredients and know what you are getting...you just have to go with the organic and human-grade brands which do not use cheap harmful products.  You'll also notice that some of the premium brands will state that none of their products were ever recalled, as they don't import cheap by-products or use anything that is potentially unsafe to begin with.  

Please check out Ann M. Martin's books.  They are both wonderful and contain a wealth of info.  http://www.newsagepress.com/foodpetsdiefor.html
She provides a lot of information regarding pet food ingredients and gives quite a few recipes to make food at home.  Most of her recipes are great and you could make food a lot cheaper than purchasing it.  However, I strongly recommend added a supplement like Platinum Performance if you choose to make food at home or feed  a raw diet.  https://www.platinumperformance.com/animal/feline/products/productcategories/product.cfm?category_id=310
Cats need a lot of additional vitamins and supplements, including taurine, that I really worry about in a home made diet.  If however you feed a premium food like the Wellness or Nature's Variety etc., in addition to raw or home made, you could cut down on cost and be assured that the premium food will give them enough vitamins.  If I were feeding a large number of cats or feeding feral cats also, I would add raw and cooked chicken, cooked beef, etc. into their diets...possibly feeding a premium dry in the morning and solid meat at night.  If even this is cost prohibited, try some of the recipes that are listed in Ann Martin's book and/or raw foods...just be sure to supplement.  That would probably be cheaper in the long run, as a container of Platinum Performance would last quite a while.  Just be cautious in trying pet store  brands of supplements, as most are seriously lacking.

...and your question about Science Diet and Iams...and also the other 'big' named ones.  Most vets don't even realize just what a scam the pet food industry is and how horrible the ingredients are.  Vet students are bombarded with Hills Science Diet reps. and given free meals and such throughout their schooling.  Some even receive a partial payment of their student loans, or so I've been told.  Science Diet is marketed to vets, who in turn market to the public, the profit margin on Science Diet is HUGE for vets.  Most never think to question the ingredients in their foods, as it's been a familiar name to them for years.  However, just in the past couple of years more and more vets are speaking out against the so called 'premium' food brands and demanding higher industry standards...which we have yet to see.  So as for Purina, Science Diet, Iams, Eukanuba, and all of the 'non human grade' ones...you just don't know what you are getting.  I'm certain that most of the ingredients would disgust anyone and if they knew literally what their pets were eating, would immediately change foods.

Hope this answered your questions.  If not, just drop me a note.