I really…just…had to try this premium food. So it’s $6 and comparable to Ziwipeak, but it was too good to pass up. The kitties had their raw in the morning so this a nice snack at night.

I chose duck instead of chicken because there are many pets out there with chicken allergies and duck formulas may not be as popular as chicken formulas. Besides, I know for sure that my cats don’t really like duck, so if they will eat this, then that’s great!

Tiny little can makes my wallet bleed, but it’s blood for a good purpose. Nature’s Variety Instinct line is grain-free and gluten-free, perfect for those who don’t want to or can’t feed raw. Also there are a good number of pets out there that’s allergic to gluten, so this is a good choice. I only hope you don’t have 5 gluten-allergic cats, or you’ll be broke in no time. I didn’t pick the Homestyle cans because they contain grain, and I don’t want barley in my cat’s food when there should not be any barley/brown rice/etc.

The crew waiting. Sometimes, I can almost swear that they know whether the food’s good or not. It’s like an animal telepathy or something. Is it my face that gives things away? really?

Look at the gravy content! This can has far more gravy than most of the other premium brands I’ve seen, which makes this a little bit worrying because you may be paying good money for …soup.

The nutritional analysis is as follows:

Crude Protein (min): 10.0%
Crude Fat (min): 7.5%
Crude Fiber (max): 3.0%
Moisture (max): 75.0%

Hm, quite a bit of fat at 7.5%, may give some older cats digestion problems. But in general fat is good; just that this is the highest amount of fat I’ve seen yet. 10% of meat is a bit lower than Wellness Core’s Fowl’s 12% (I sound like I swallowed a brochure here, but it’s just really that I really love visiting pet shops and  reading up nutritional values of pet food). Anyway 10% is still acceptable, given that the fat % is high. But if your pet is fat, then maybe you might want to reconsider this. Fiber is a bit high, (WHICH WILL DEFINITELY MAKE YOUR HOUSE STINK) at 3%. One of the reasons why I changed to raw is because…the litter box doesn’t smell even if I don’t change it for 2 days. Yes I tried. You just don’t detect the ‘kitty odour’. Awesome stuff, raw. But I digress.

[EDIT: Their litter box stank to high heaven the next morning! More than other canned versions. Whew!]

GRAVY!

Here is the ingredients list:

Duck, Turkey Liver, Water, Ground Flaxseed, Tricalcium Phosphate, Montmorillonite Clay, Peas, Potassium Chloride, Carrots, Lecithin, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Dried Kelp, Salt, Taurine, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide), Artichokes, Cranberries, Pumpkin, Tomato, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Parsley

You’ll notice that water is listed as the 3rd ingredient (I don’t get it…water as an ingredient??) and it’s really high up, so that’s not good. There’s also flaxseed, and cats don’t need flaxseed. They can’t convert it; you’re better off using salmon oil. Then there’s a whole grocery list of vegetables that I don’t even eat, like artichokes and parsley.

More soup!

Hmmm…I guess if I were to spend $6, I’d rather spend on Kiwipeak, because Kiwipeak is solid gold, and doesn’t make your litter box stink so much. But if your cat doesn’t like Kiwipeak and you have no choice, then this may be one line you can consider.

But the crew appears to like it:

Take 2:

I will probably try the Lamb formula next!

Categories: Better cat food, The Reluctant Explorer