Analysis of Leading Cat Foods

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorUniversity, Master's February 2008

download word file, 5 pages 3.0

Meow Mix, Friskies, Whiskas, and Science Diet which cat food is the best for your cat? Most people determine their pet's food by the value of money instead of the value to the cat. Cat food plays an extremely important role in a cat's life, and it is up to the owner to establish the right food for their pet. Normally I buy generic brands; however, when it comes to my cat's food I do not. In order to find the best cat food I compared several different brands.

MY CRITERIA Price (10 points): The cat food should be a reasonable price, rationable with the bag size. It should not exceed more than $8.00 per six pound bag, or $15.00 per eighteen pound bag.

Availability (10 points: 5 if only at one location, 10 for both locations): Are you forced to buy the cat food from pet stores or are they found at local grocery stores? Nutritional Value (20 points): The food must contain taurine, or it looses all possible points.

Taurine is an amino acid in animal food that lowers blood pressure, clears cholesterol from the body, and protects the heart; it is the most vital nutrient. The food should also contain an adequate supply of other nutrients, and be free of by-products. Recommended feeding dosages should be listed on the bag to prevent over and under feeding. Per veterinarian the vitamins and minerals I am looking for are: Manganese, A, D, K, B1, B6, E, B12, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iron, Sodium, Chlorine, Iron, Copper, Zinc, Iodine, Selenium, Potassium, Magnesium, and Phosphorus. The ideal brand should not use any artificial preservatives.

Variety (10 points: 5 for different formulas, 5 if they make a canned food): The brand should offer options such as: kitten formula, indoor and outdoor formula, hairball relief, diet type, and other flavors to choose from.

Bag size (5 points): The bag must range in sizes. Ideal brands should range from six pound bags to eighteen pounds.

Listed below are the results from best to worst: Iams Iams offers a wide variety of flavors, formulas, wet food, and bag sizes. There are three different bag sizes and the prices are all reasonable. The smallest bag is four pounds and it cost $7.99, then there is an eight pound bag for $13.99 and the largest bag is twenty pounds for $24.99. The first ingredient is chicken, there are no by-products, artificial preservatives, and it includes all of the listed nutrients along with taurine. Access to this brand is not limited you may purchase it at all of the local grocery stores, tractor supply stores, and pet stores.

Price: 10; Availability 10; Nutritional Value 20; Variety 10; Bag size 5.

Total: 55/55 Science Diet You can only purchase this brand from pet stores. The bag size and price are reasonable, they offer three different sizes. A four pound bag cost $7.59, a ten pound bag cost $14.99, and 25.59 for a twenty pound bag. There is a variety of formulas and wet food, but Science Diet does not make different flavors. It has all of the nutritional value that I was looking for, and does not use by-products.

Price: 10; Availability 5; Nutritional value 20; Variety 7; Bag size 5.

Total: 47/55 Nutro Nutro offers two different sizes of bags, the four pound bag is $7.99 and the eight pound bag cost $13.99. You can only find Nutro at pet stores, and they do not make different flavors. This brand does make wet food, and many different formulas from cats to kittens. Nutro gets all possible points for nutritional value because it contains all of the vitamins and minerals essential to a cat's diet. Taurine was present, and there were no by-products, or artificial preservatives.

Price: 10; Availability 5; Nutritional value 20; Variety 7; Bag size 3.

Total: 45/55 Friskies Friskies is an inexpensive brand found at both grocery and pet stores; however, it lacks in nutritional value. Although it uses taurine, it also uses by-products and artificial preservatives. Friskies is known for its wide variety of formulas, flavors, and wet food. There are two different bag sizes, the six pound bag costs $4.19 and the eighteen pound bag only $12.99.

Price: 10; Availability 10; Nutritional value 6; Variety 10; Bag size 3.

Total: 39/55 Purina One Purina one does not have a good variety of options, they do not make different flavors or wet food; therefore, they only have different formulas. Purina one comes in two different sizes and the price is a little more than the rest. It cost $6.69 for a three and a half pound bag and $11.00 for seven pounds; however, it is located at both the grocery store and the pet store. Purina One uses taurine, a supple amount of vitamins and minerals, no artificial preservatives, but it uses by-products.

Price: 4; Availability 10; Nutritional value 14; Variety 5; Bag size 3.

Total: 36/55 Eukanuba Eukanuba is a highly expensive cat food that comes in one size and is only found at pet stores. For a six and a half pound bag it costs $14.99. It meets all of the nutritional value requirements, but lacks a little in variety. Eukanuba makes different formulas and wet food but does not have different flavors.

Price: 1; Availability 5; Nutritional value 20; Variety 7; Bag size 1.

Total: 34/55 Meow Mix Meow Mix has a good variety of flavors and it also makes wet food; on the other hand, it does not make different formulas. There is no taurine in this brand; therefore it lost all possible points in nutritional value, it also contains by-products. There are an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals and there are not any artificial preservatives. Pet stores don't carry this product, only grocery stores do. A three in a half pound bag costs $4.19, and it is $12.69 for an eighteen pound bag.

Price: 10; Availability 5; Nutritional value 0; Variety 8; Bag size 3.

Total: 26 WhiskasWhiskas contains no nutritional value; it uses by-products, artificial preservatives, and has no taurine. Cats do not get any benefit from eating this brand of food. Whiskas is another very inexpensive brand costing only $3.99 for a four pound bag, and $12.19 for an eighteen pound bag. Whiskas is only found at the local grocery stores, pet stores do not carry this brand. Only one kind of dry food exists, it is one flavor and made for both senior cats and kittens; which is not good since they both require a different diet.

Price: 10; Availability 5; Nutritional value 0; Variety 5; Bag size 3.

Total: 23/55 After evaluating eight different cat foods I realized that I need to switch my cat's food. I am currently feeding my cat Science Diet and I should switch to Iams. Science Diet met all of the nutritional requirements but Iams has a better variety. Iams is also more convenient to buy since it can be found at both the grocery store and the pet stores. As well as Science Diet, Iams also comes in three different bag sizes. Not only did I discover which cat food is the best choice for my cat but I also learned the crucial vitamins and minerals that should be a part of a cat's diet. If my cat agrees, I will no longer purchase Science Diet, but I will purchase Iams instead.