Super premium food for cats: list, rating, reviews

Updated: 02/26/2021 13:54:59

Expert: Rudenko Irina Sergeevna

*Review of the best according to the editors of expertology.ru. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective in nature, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before purchasing, consultation with a specialist is required.

Pets always require extra care and attention. Loving owners try to choose a diet so that the food is balanced and contains all the useful elements necessary for normal life. In old age, it is necessary to change the diet and switch to food that is specially designed for older cats. With the right diet, you can significantly increase the life expectancy of an animal and make it full and of high quality.

The aging process leads to changes in the functioning of internal organs, and immunity decreases. To alleviate the condition, it is necessary to pay special attention to the composition of the feed. They should not be high in calories or contain components that affect the pancreas, liver and stomach. A formulation is also needed that would not provoke the formation of stones, leading to kidney failure and other irreversible processes. It should support the musculoskeletal system to reduce the unpleasant symptoms of joint diseases.

An adult animal will need additional elements that will add energy and strength for normal life. Based on many years of research, scientists create specialized foods that help cats remain active even after exceeding the threshold of 10 years. From the products on the market, our experts selected 12 that turned out to be the best in all respects. When compiling the list, reviews from breeders and the opinions of veterinarians were taken into account.

Features of the age of cats

All animals are individual, so the aging process is different for everyone. It begins around the time the animal turns seven years old. A person will not be able to notice this process. But, as soon as the animal turns 12 years old, external signs will become noticeable. At this time, the activity of all cells becomes slow, which causes the work of internal organs to slow down. Therefore, the animal behaves more calmly, lies down more and expects special attention from the owner.

Cat age is divided into three groups:

1. Aging animal - from 7 to 10 years;
2. An older cat is considered to be between 11 and 14 years old;
3. Old age begins at 15 years.

Interestingly, they can live up to 20 years. At this age, by human standards, she will be 97 years old. And by the age of ten the animal will reach 56. It is at this time that she acquires all the diseases characteristic of an elderly person.

Signs of aging

As mentioned above, all animals are different. But everyone has similar signs of aging. For example: loss of hearing, appetite, sense of smell, dental disease. All this leads to weight loss.

Over time, an active animal loses flexibility. Skin and fur suffer. She can't lick herself. At the same time, he suffers from pain. They may be caused by osteoarthritis. Almost all cats suffer from this disease.

The sebaceous glands do not work well, causing the coat to turn gray and visually change. The animal is often exposed to various infectious diseases. After all, her immune system reduces its work. My digestive organs suffer from this. Now the animal requires special nutrition that can support its body during aging.

As cats age, their behavior also changes. Their daily routine and sleep are disrupted. Now they do not need contact with the owner. They can spend time in splendid isolation. Sometimes they may meow loudly for no reason at night or during the day.

How to fatten a cat without it being fat

When fattening, it is important not to overdo it, as obesity can cause even more problems. To do this, be sure to control the growing indicator and avoid the most common mistakes.

Weight control

Weigh your pet on a floor or kitchen scale every week. If you gain too quickly, adjust your daily caloric intake or add more activity.

What mistakes should you avoid?

Self-feeding is often accompanied by mistakes. For the safety of your pet, try to avoid sudden changes in diet or mixing different types of food, handouts from the table, uncontrolled eating and infrequent feeding. All these situations can lead to indigestion or obesity.

List of common diseases

Often, minor symptoms of diseases can hide a number of serious illnesses. It is better to know about them in advance. After all, you can not only support the cat, but also help it overcome the disease.

A person can always tell what hurts and where it hurts; cats not only don’t talk about it, but also try to mask their illnesses. For example: people try to hide pain in the body behind a calmer lifestyle. They don’t jump to their favorite place, sleep a lot, and try to pester their owner less. With such signs, the animal should be taken to the veterinarian.

General symptoms:

1. Problems with the digestive system may be hidden behind loss of appetite;
2. Diseases of the genitourinary system are manifested by thirst or frequent urination;
3. Problems with joints and pain when moving are usually manifested by lameness and a sedentary lifestyle;
4. Frequent startling and disorientation can affect feline behavior.

It is important that the older the cat gets, the more often it is worth visiting the veterinarian. The doctor will help recognize diseases and eliminate pain.

Food and more

For a pet to have a long, happy life, it is important to normalize its diet. With age, it becomes necessary to introduce a balanced diet. It should contain such useful substances as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, micro-macroelements. They are found not only in natural products, but also in premium cat food.

A properly balanced diet will help your four-legged friend become more active. His eyes will sparkle, his appetite will improve, and his coat will regain its lost thickness.

Natural nutrition

From the age of 6 years, your pet’s diet should include protein. By nature, cats are predators. Therefore, you should eat meat, fish, and dairy products. Remember, food should be varied. Therefore, it is worth adding carbohydrates to proteins. Found in porridges and boiled vegetables. But fiber should make up 20% of the diet. Its consumption will help improve the functioning of the digestive system.

Valuable acids contained in oil, fish, and meat fat prevent the occurrence of diseases of the genitourinary system.

Industrial food

Of course, it is very difficult to feed an animal with cereals and vegetables. No matter how the owner mixes healthy natural products, his four-legged friends may not touch it. Therefore, many people switch to industrial food.

Dry, crunchy food saves time for cat owners. They have a long shelf life. They can be stored in any dry place, and the packaging lasts a long time.

Advantages and disadvantages of dry food

The advantages include

1. Ease of use. You just need to purchase the necessary packaging of food. Then open it. At the same time, do not forget to pour some water into the bowl. All pets are full and happy.
2. Dry food is more balanced. They often help out in any situation. It happens that the refrigerator does not have the necessary products for proper nutrition of your beloved cat. Moreover, often there is no time to prepare natural products. Now manufacturers divide food not only by age, but also by disease. Produced for pregnant, sterilized, lactating animals. Will help normalize weight for those who are obese.
3. Wet and dry food contain taurine, which is essential for cats. Of course, it is found not only in them, but also in beef, fish, and seafood. At the same time, it does not often find its way into a pet’s natural diet. Taurine affects visual acuity and the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Interestingly, dog food does not contain taurine. Therefore, there is no point in giving it to pussies.
4. Dry lumps will help get rid of oral problems. Cleans teeth from tartar, plaque, and gum inflammation. This does not mean that your pet now does not need teeth cleaning. But, there are people who don’t take care of their pussy’s oral cavity, so dry food will simply help out.

Flaws

If there are advantages, then there are disadvantages.

1. The big disadvantage is that the food is dry. In this case, the pet should be given plenty of water. Many people don't drink enough fluids. All this is due to the nature of cats. The liquid is consumed from the bodies of their victims. Veterinarians advise first checking whether your pet is drinking enough water. If not, then you should give up dry food. You can combine the diet. To do this, wet food is added to dry food.
2. No matter how healthy the food is, there are still manufacturers who add chemicals. Before purchasing another pack of food, it is advisable to study the composition. If it contains harmful substances, you should refuse to purchase such a product.
3. The digestive system suffers from constant consumption of dry food. May cause intestinal obstruction, gastritis, and ulceration. Here it is necessary to alternate, change the composition and norms of nutrition.

Liquid volume

With the arrival of a kitten in the house, people have to face many difficulties. From the very first, for example, the name of the cat (in the article on the website zoosite.com.ua you can find out what name is best to give to a cat) or litter box training, to building the right eating habits and, as a result, timely changes in the diet taking into account age of the animal.

But from early childhood until the very old age of cats, it is important to monitor one thing - that the animal consumes a sufficient amount of liquid. If your furry doesn't drink enough water, his metabolism, which is already slowing down, starts to work even slower. Have you noticed that your furry is drinking too much water? This could also be a sign of health problems

For example, in some cats, drinking too much fluid is a symptom of diabetes.

Have you noticed that your purr drinks too much water? This could also be a sign of health problems. For example, in some cats, drinking too much fluid is a symptom of diabetes.

Types of feed

1. Economy class. They are cheap because they consist of by-products. They also often contain harmful substances. Veterinarians do not recommend compiling a pet’s diet only from this class. After all, the animal’s body may lack important substances for life.
2. Premium class. Contains by-products plus pieces of natural meat. The cost is slightly higher than economy class. At the same time, they are an excellent balanced diet. It also contains useful substances that can give an animal a healthy, active life until old age.
3. Super - premium class. These are expensive feeds. But here the quality matches the price. It contains only natural products. Provide your pet with all the necessary minerals and vitamins.
4. Holistic is class. They were developed specifically for cats participating in exhibitions or breeding work.
5. Organic. They are produced only from the meat of animals that graze freely.
6. Canned. Convenient to store, in addition, it consists of 70% liquid, which is necessary for the cat. But, if your pet eats on a free schedule, then it is better not to use this food. After 20 minutes, the consistency turns unappetizing and also sticks to the bowl.
7. Semi-dry. Consists of pieces coated in a delicious sauce. Their disadvantage is their high sugar content.

Rules for feeding older dogs

The principles of feeding aging dogs are the same as younger ones. The animal is fed twice a day - in the morning and in the evening - after a walk; accordingly, the daily dosage of food is divided into two equal portions. If your pet has problems with teeth and gums, you should pre-soak the food in warm water.

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It is extremely important to ensure that your dog is properly hydrated. Fresh drinking water should be freely available around the clock

If the owner is away from home for a long time, it is wise to purchase an automatic drinker, which is replenished without human intervention.

When using ready-made dry food, it is not recommended and even contraindicated to include vitamin-mineral complexes in the diet (unless they are prescribed by a veterinarian). Industrial feeds are balanced and already contain all the necessary vitamins/minerals in optimal proportions. If you create an elderly dog’s diet yourself from natural products, you most likely cannot do without the use of additives. It is advisable that they be prescribed by a competent veterinarian, having studied the sample menu and test results of the animal.

Tips for choosing feed

1. We learn to understand the inscriptions on packages. This does not mean that a person must know all the ingredients by heart. But if you read the characteristics on some packs, you can compare the composition.
2. We purchase food from well-known manufacturers. Large companies always try to spend significant amounts of money on research and development of ideal cat food. Therefore, you should not trust unknown companies, especially those that produce food only for a separate supermarket.
3. Select food according to age. The pet's activity depends on this. Moreover, manufacturers indicate age limits on each series of their products. Here it is important to take into account not only the age, but also the characteristics of each animal. For little ones, nutrition is selected for a growing body. Active people need extra energy. Pregnant and lactating cats need more vitamins and minerals. Lighter foods are selected for those prone to obesity. For the elderly, there is a line of balanced nutrition.
4. You cannot feed your pet the same food. This will affect his appetite. The cat will become more picky about its diet. Therefore, it is worth selecting food from different series, with different composition.
5. Medicinal food is prescribed only by a veterinarian. A specialist can identify the disease and choose the right diet. Remember, all doctor's advice should be followed. This will help quickly return your cat to a healthy appearance.

Feeding mode

Neutered pets are prone to overeating, so control portions and the number of meals. Veterinarians recommend feeding the animal four times a day, giving a maximum of 300 grams per day. For cats over seven years old, the daily portion is reduced to 200-250 grams. One serving should not be more than 60-80 grams.

If you give ready-made food, then it is advisable to leave the daily portion in a bowl if the cat is not noticed in overeating. Otherwise, you risk getting an empty bowl during the day and persistent requests from the animal for more food. Therefore, it is better to divide the daily intake among all meals, giving one serving at each feeding.

If you feed natural food, leaving food in the bowl is unacceptable. Put it in the refrigerator until your next meal, and ideally prepare it fresh each time.

A castrated cat requires attention - watch his diet and then the pet will be healthy.

Authors of the articles: Belanta Clinic team

Top best food, according to customers

Monge Superpremium Cat, with chicken

A 1.5 kg package costs 1,200 rubles. For one package of 400 grams you will have to pay 340 rubles. Contains chicken and grains. Suitable for pets from 7 years of age. It has no medicinal properties, but serves as a preventive measure for dental plaque. Improves the condition of the coat. The energy value is 3890 kcal/kg. Nutritional value is crude protein 28.0%, crude oils and fats 14.0%, crude fiber 4.0%, crude ash 6.5%, omega-6 fatty acids 8.5%, omega-3 fatty acids 1. 0%.

Monge Superpremium Cat, with chicken cat food

Advantages:

• Suitable for older cats;
• Convenient small granules;
• Does not contain harmful substances.

Minuses:

• Large packages are rarely sold;
• The bag does not have a fastener, which makes storage inconvenient.

Winner with chicken

Ten kilograms of food cost 2,390 rubles, but you can purchase a two-kilogram package of this food for 500 rubles. it has no medicinal properties. Moreover, the composition is completely natural. Contains dry and fresh chicken meat, corn, vegetable fats, condensed calendula, tomatoes and many other useful substances.

Winner with chicken cat food

Advantages:

• Small granules;
• Has a pleasant smell;
• Not dry, not salty;
• Suitable for cats from seven years old;
• Natural composition.

Minuses:

• High price.

7+ Hill's Science Plan Youthful Vitality for maintaining activity and vitality, with chicken

A package weighing 0.25 kg costs 261 rubles. Has no medicinal properties. But the composition contains not only chicken meat, but also turkey meat, plus a side dish of cereals. The energy value is 404 kcal/100 grams. Nutritional value is protein 30.8%, fat 15.4%, fiber 1.7%, ash 5.4%, omega-3 fatty acids 0.5%, omega-6 fatty acids 3.5%. Minerals are included in the following percentages: calcium - 0.79%, phosphorus - 0.66%, sodium - 0.31%, potassium - 0.82%, magnesium - 0.08%.

7+ Hill's Science Plan Youthful Vitality for maintaining activity and vitality, with chicken cat food

Advantages:

• Good food;
• small, convenient granules;
• An ideal composition that is suitable for use by animals from seven years of age.

Minuses:

• This food doesn't have them.

How to properly feed your dog natural food

For your pet's health, it is important to monitor the frequency of feedings and the volume of portions. Eating too rarely is fraught with gastrointestinal disorders, and eating too often can lead to weight gain. . To calculate individual norms, you can use the table below.

With its help, you can easily select a weekly menu based on the characteristics of your pet.

To calculate individual norms, you can use the table below. With its help, you can easily select a weekly menu based on the characteristics of your pet.

Feeding mode

Adult animals over 1 year old are fed twice a day: morning and evening. During free hours, the stomach has time to digest all the food received, which eliminates the feeling of heaviness. A longer break is not recommended, as the dog will begin to experience an acute feeling of hunger. During a therapeutic diet, the frequency of feedings is increased in favor of reducing the volume of single servings.

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Puppies are fed much more often:

• 6-8 times up to 2 months;
• 5-6 times from 2 to 3 months;
• 3-4 times from 3 to 6 months;
• 3 times from 6 to 12 months.

The daily portion is divided into the required number of doses in equal or unequal proportions. Here it is better to build on the preferences of your pet. After a night's sleep, many people like to eat a hearty meal, so the morning portion can be made a little larger.

Giving food right before a walk is not recommended. Due to the heaviness, it will be uncomfortable for the pet to move and exercise. And disobedient dogs that tend to run away will be kept from doing so by the feeling of hunger. It is safer to take an hour break after eating or to feed the dog immediately after returning from the street.

Serving Size Calculation

In addition to health status, portion size is affected by age and weight. Puppies need to eat 6-7% of their body weight, and adult dogs - 3-5%. Regarding calories, veterinarians recommend taking into account either age (for puppies) or breed (for adult animals):

• 220 kcal per 1 kg up to 2 months, 265 kcal – from 2 to 3 months, 201 kcal – from 3 to 4 months, 136 kcal – from 4 to 8 months, 100 kcal – from 8 to 12 months;
• 53 kcal per 1 kg for giant breeds, 60 kcal for large breeds, 69 kcal for medium-sized ones, 84 kcal for small breeds, 110 kcal for dwarf breeds.

EXAMPLE: Based on average indicators, you can calculate the norms for a husky - a six-month-old puppy weighing 15 kg and an adult dog weighing 25 kg.

Thanks to simple formulas, you can easily calculate the indicator for your pet in calories or grams

Please note that the totals are for general guidance only and are subject to change at the discretion of your veterinarian. Depending on existing problems or lifestyle, your pet may be able to reduce or increase calories, as well as change the ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

Sample menu for the week

Feeding dogs natural food with a pre-selected menu makes choosing food and preparing meals easier. You can take ideas for breakfast and dinner from the table.

Despite the possible variety, try to keep the diet as simple as possible. Otherwise, the pet will begin to be picky. The chosen menu can be followed throughout your life.

Also try not to introduce new dishes on the same day of the week. This will help track down the source of allergies or digestive problems if such are suspected.

For spayed and neutered cats

Hill's Science Plan 7+, with chicken

The package costs 1,080 rubles and weighs 1.5 kg. Suitable for sterilized pets over 7 years old. It tastes like chicken and has a grain side dish. The energy value of the product is 374 kcal/100 g. Nutritional value: protein 31.5%, fat 9.3%, fiber 0.90%, ash 5.6%. Minerals are included in the composition in the following quantities: calcium 0.86%, phosphorus 0.63%, sodium 0.32%, potassium 0.81%, magnesium 0.07%.

Hill's Science Plan 7+, chicken cat food

Advantages:

• Likes animals from 7 to 14 years old;
• Affordable price;
• Convenient packaging.

Minuses:

• Sometimes the granules have a pungent odor;
• Insufficiently balanced composition.

Royal Canin Sterilized (in sauce) 85 g (pieces in sauce)

Wet food costs 60 rubles 85 grams. Suitable for sterilized, neutered, prevention of urolithiasis and excess weight. Has a good balanced composition.

Royal Canin Sterilized (in sauce) 85 g (pieces in sauce) cat food

Advantages:

• An ideal treat for older cats;
• Acceptable price;
• Sold in economical packaging containing 24 sachets.

Minuses:

• Has a pungent odor that repels some cats;
• Often cats refuse it;
• Often the package contains a lot of sauce but little food;
• Packaging may be damaged upon delivery from an online store.

Perfect Fit with chicken 85 g (pieces in sauce)

It is sold in 85 gram bags. The price for one piece is 24 rubles. This is a wet food that contains all the necessary substances for feeding older cats from the age of seven.

Perfect Fit with chicken 85 g (pieces in sauce) cat food

Advantages:

• Ideal for sterilized older cats;
• Restores the functioning of the digestive system;
• An excellent budget option.

Minuses:

• You can purchase expired products in online stores.

Medicinal feed

Royal Canin Ageing 12+, prevention of urolithiasis

A 4 kilogram package costs 2,560 rubles. This is a medicinal food that serves as a preventive measure for urolithiasis. Its composition is natural, containing a large number of useful substances. Nutritional value: proteins 30%, fats 19%, dietary fiber 4.4%. It contains minerals in the following quantities per 1 kg of product: iron 37 mg, iodine 3.7 mg, copper 11 mg, manganese 48 mg, zinc 145 mg, selenium 0.06 mg, phosphorus 0.6%

Royal Canin Ageing 12+, prevention of urolithiasis cat food

Advantages:

• An ideal treat for cats aged 7 years and above;
• Helps restore health to older cats;
• Affordable price.

Minuses:

• There were no deficiencies found in this food.