Food from the manufacturer Royal Canin is one of the most famous and popular among both dog owners and cat owners. So what is their difference from their main analogue competitors, what is their advantage? Let's try to figure it out together in this article.
First of all, we will determine the list of manufacturers whose products are in the same class and price category. The main competitors of Royal Canin on the Russian market are Purina and Hills, and we will focus on them.
For ease of perception, the information in the article is presented in several blocks. Including grouped by animal type - dogs/cats.
Pros and cons of premium food
Premium cat food is not nearly as high quality as super-premium food or food from the holistic line, but they are not as expensive. The quality and composition of the components in them is much better than in economy class feed. Premium food already contains real meat (albeit in small quantities), but also still contains a variety of substitutes, preservatives and the like. In simple terms, we can say that such food is not dangerous to the cat’s health, but it is also not desirable.
Many cat owners choose premium food , as they are a compromise between price and quality. The advantages of such food include greater nutritional value than in economy class, due to which the animal eats much smaller portions and, accordingly, the load on the kidneys will be less, there will be less excrement, and so on. Among the disadvantages of premium food are the already mentioned preservatives, chemical flavoring additives and aromas. However, animals in good health can live their entire lives on this food without any problems.
Pet food
Ready-made food for domestic (ornamental) animals has existed for more than a hundred years . At first there were no special requirements for its composition, but over the years many companies have appeared to produce such products, enriching the methods of their preparation.
There are economy, premium and super premium food. Hill's and Royal Canin are among the latter two. Manufacturers guarantee quality and benefits for pets. They can be purchased most often in pet stores and veterinary pharmacies - they are difficult to find in supermarkets. Their cost is higher than that of economical products. But how are Hill's and Royal Canin different? And when to choose which one?
List of premium cat foods
Premium cat food brands include the following: Purina Pro Plan, Royal Canin, Iams, Hills, Feline Perfection, Fitmin. It is worth noting that very often Royal Canin food and Hills food are often classified as super-premium. This is due to the fact that their medicinal food lines are of very high quality. However, regular food of these brands is not as good as super-premium food, and therefore it is a mistake to attribute them to it.
Capricious creatures
Royal Canin can boast of conquering another important niche - food for picky children:
- Royal Canin is picky about FRAGRANCE;
- Royal Canin is picky about TASTE;
- Royal Canin is picky about its ingredients.
Owners of capricious cats will definitely appreciate the necessity of these diets. After all, no one knows better than them how painful it can be to choose food for a demanding pet. We hope that this line will help you solve your current problem.
Review of ProPlan cat food
ProPlan is a premium cat food that has a completely balanced composition. It is worth noting that the ProPlan veterinary line is often classified as super premium food, as it is of higher quality. Another important fact is that two more cat foods are released under the Purina brand - Purina Cat Chow and Purina ONE. The first food is economy class, and the second is a more decent food. Therefore, you should not confuse them.
ProPlan cat food contains 40% protein, which is completely suitable for healthy animals. However, it is worth understanding in more detail. In Pro Plan, a large amount of this indicator is vegetable proteins (soy flour, corn gluten), which are not at all desirable for a cat’s menu. Moreover, corn is used because it is cheap, but it is the one that is most harmful to cats (in many animals it can lead to hair loss and various allergic reactions).
Purina ProPlan cat food contains real chicken (even in duck or salmon flavored varieties), which is of course a plus. “By-product meal” (ground waste, such as paws, heads) is also a useful ingredient for your pet. But there are also quite dubious components - animal fat and liver. It’s as if there’s nothing wrong with it, but too much liver is harmful for a cat, and the manufacturer does not specify what exactly the origin of “animal fat” is.
Among the cereal crops, ProPlan contains both ingredients suitable for cats, for example, rice, and strong allergens (for example, wheat flour). Additionally, some versions of Purina ProPlan contain cellulose powder, which can also cause allergic reactions in your cat. In conclusion, it is worth noting the presence in these foods of pribiotics and enzymes that are useful for cat digestion, which are usually a feature of the super premium class.
Reviews of ProPlan food from cat owners
Review of ProPlan food for kittens
Nina: When we got a kitten, I immediately started looking on the Internet for what to feed him. Everywhere they wrote that until the age of six months it is better to feed only natural food, and that’s what I did... Then the kitten turned half a year old, and they decided to accustom him to food. You can’t afford the most expensive holistic treatments, but you can’t poison a kitten with Kitikat or Whiskas.
After reading several articles and reviews, I decided to try Purina Pro Plan food for kittens. I read that sometimes the products present in it cause allergies, but, fortunately, this did not happen to our cat. We also feed him regular homemade food, and when no one is home, we leave him with dry food. I read that it is better not to mix homemade food with ready-made food, but to feed one thing at a time. But a veterinarian friend said that there was nothing wrong with it. Moreover, if the food is not of the highest quality, then it is better not to feed it unnecessarily. And ProPlan is of average quality, at least that’s what a friend said, and that’s how one can judge it as a premium food.
Review of Pro Plan food
, writes Elena. We fed our cat this food for almost half a year. At first everything was fine, but over time the cat began to eat less and showed less and less activity. It got to the point where I almost stopped eating altogether and lay there all day. They took him to the vet. The cat was given an injection and put on an IV. The veterinarian said that the reason was in the food - it was too fatty and the liver could not cope. He also said that food often becomes the reason for visits to him and that even the best food causes problems. That is, the reason here is not only in the food, but also in the individuality of our cat. And yet, now we feed him better and slightly more expensive food.
Review of ProPlan food
, writes Karina: I have been feeding my pet food for neutered cats for over a year now. ProPlan was recommended by the clinic. I feed not only dry, but also wet. Therefore, it is sold out little by little - up to four large (3 kg) packages per year. So far, there have been no problems with either digestion or going to the toilet.
Price policy
The pricing policy of all three brands is quite loyal. Of course, this is due to the presence of cost-reducing components in the food (more on them a little later), but every animal owner can choose the most suitable food that will not “tighten the pocket”, but will provide the animal with all the necessary substances and keep it in good shape.
At Royal Canin, the average price for a package of food weighing 0.5 kg is 263 rubles, for 0.8 kg - 314 rubles, for 3 kg - 1003 rubles, for 12 kg - 3744 rubles.
At Hills, the average price for 0.8 kg is 395 rubles, for a 3 kg package - 1372 rubles, for 12 kg - 4578 rubles.
At Purina, 0.7 kg packages cost the same, regardless of the purpose of the food, and the price for them is 325 rubles. The average cost of a package weighing 3 kg is 1125 rubles, and for a 12 kg package you will have to pay 4225 rubles (only food for older dogs of medium and large breeds costs a little more). The cost of diets from the Duo Delice series is slightly higher.
Important! Prices are calculated for the period of writing the article and may change in one direction or another over time. Therefore, here, rather, it is worth focusing not on a specific figure, but on the general pricing policy of a particular manufacturer. In addition, the price of packages of the same weight, but for different purposes, even within the same manufacturer, may differ significantly. And the packaging itself does not completely duplicate each other, somewhere there are smaller packages, somewhere larger, and here everyone chooses the most suitable option.
In general, the conclusion is this: Royal Canin food is slightly cheaper than its competitors.
Conclusions about ProPlan food
Based on the composition of ProPlan cat food, we can conclude that it contains both beneficial and quite harmful ingredients. Therefore, if possible, it is better to choose food from the super premium (Bosch SANABELLE, Bozita) or holistic (Go, Acana, NOW Natural holistic) class. However, if expensive food is beyond your means, then Purina ProPlan is a good option. If you have chosen this particular food, then the Pskov-zoo.ru website recommends that after several weeks of feeding it, you check the animal’s tests at the veterinarian. If everything is fine with them, the food is suitable and safe for your cat.
Royal Canin cat food review
Royal Canin is a premium cat food, which makes it a good substitute for natural food. However, in addition to a good balance of substances necessary for cats, premium food also contains various chemicals (dyes, odor and taste enhancers, preservatives). a large amount of vegetable proteins, grains, soybeans, and meat by-products are not of the best quality.
If we talk only about Royal Canin cat food , then it is worth noting that the brand’s medicinal line is very high quality and well balanced, and perfectly helps in the treatment of specific diseases, which is why it is often classified as a super premium class. In addition, most veterinarians consider Royal Canin medicated food to be better than the ProPlan or Eucanuba medicinal lines.
But Royal Canin daily dry food, like the mentioned ProPlan, is of worse quality than the line of veterinary (medicinal) food. Therefore, if possible, it is better to feed a cat with food of the highest classes (Fitmin, Akana, Go, Now, Bozita, Bosch Sanabel). However, if, when feeding Royal Canin food, your pet is active, playful, has a shiny coat, has no digestive problems, and the tests done at the veterinary clinic are in perfect order, then the food is perfect for him.
Pros and cons of Royal Canin food
Benefits of Royal Canin food:
- Low price;
- High quality compared to economy class;
- High-quality veterinary food line;
- A wide range of;
- Available at any pet store.
Disadvantages of Royal Canin food:
- Daily feeds are of lower quality than veterinary ones;
- Production in Russia (if possible, it is better to order/buy feed made in Europe);
- The manufacturer of Royal Canin food is Mars, which specializes in economy class food.
Differences
Still, there is a difference between them, which can be key when choosing the right manufacturer:
- Hill's entered the consumer market earlier and is distributed outside of Europe.
- Royal Canin has a wider range of feeds, which makes it easier to individually match the animal's diet.
- However, Hill's, having a more modest selection than its competitor, produces several varieties that do not contain grains, which is better suited for pets with sensitive digestion or prone to obesity.
- It is noted that there are still more meat components in Hill's in percentage terms.
- However, Hill's contains less healthy fiber.
- Royal Canin, according to reviews from breeders, lost a little in quality when it began to be produced in Russia, so some prefer to order it in European countries.
- He also has dry milk formulas for babies up to 2 months.
- Hill's most often can cause an allergic reaction.
- Royal Canin is very popular and available on sale.
Reviews of Royal Canin food
Ekaterina: We have a kitten (female) of the Don Sphynx breed.
We started feeding him Royal Canin food for kittens from 4 months. In our stores this food is one of the most expensive, but our little one did not eat it very willingly. When the cat grew up, we switched to Royal Canin for Sphynxes, but the cat didn’t like to feast on it either. Moreover, after some time a rash appeared on the cat’s body - the diagnosis was allergy. We decided to switch to another food - everything went away and the cat was happy. Our cat not only didn’t like Royal Canin, but also did a little harm. Therefore, I do not recommend buying it; it is better to take something of better quality.
Elena: I fed my cat Royal Canin dry food from the age of six months. For two years there were no problems, but when a British cat moved in and appeared, problems arose. The cat was quickly gaining weight, although everything was fine with the cat. Perhaps the reason is that the cat is sterilized. I had to change the brand of food, I chose 1st Choice, it suited both)) There are no complaints about Royal Canin, I just didn’t want to buy different food for the cat and cat, so I chose one suitable for both.
Review of Royal Canin medicinal food
, writes Galina: After diagnosing urolithiasis in our cat, the veterinarian, in addition to medications, also prescribed Royal Canin Urinary dietary food for the prevention of urolithiasis. They treated and fed as prescribed by the veterinarian, and after a month the cat’s condition improved significantly. She began to eat better and lead a more active lifestyle. An examination at the clinic showed that the cat was already healthy. The veterinarian stopped taking the medication, but recommended feeding him food for another 3-4 months. If veterinarians recommend it and it helps, then Royal Canin is a good medicinal food!
NOW Natural
The top three best foods include only holistic foods. NOW Natural line of products for cats belongs to . The main ingredient of the food is natural, boneless meat. NOW Natural does not contain by-products or grains, as the latter can cause allergies. The product contains a balanced amount of vegetables and fruits with gentle processing to preserve all the beneficial substances and deliver them to the pet. Like all holistic products, NOW Natural contains prebiotics for better absorption of nutrients. Veterinarians recommend holistic food of proven quality for proper and complete nutrition. These include NOW Natural. This line is not available in all pet stores, but it can be ordered online.
Conclusions about Royal Canin food
Judging by most reviews, Royal Canin is a good food for cats, especially the veterinary line. However, analyzing the composition of Royal Canin food, we can say that although it is much better than economy class food, it still has significant drawbacks. Therefore, our recommendations are as follows: if you have the opportunity to buy top-class cat food, be sure to take advantage of it; if not and buy Royal Canin food, monitor your pet during the first days and weeks, so you will know whether the food is suitable for him.
Hill's cat food review
Hills Feline cat food belongs to the premium class. Although the Hill's medicinal line of food is often classified as a super premium class, since it is of better quality than daily food for healthy cats. Note that this is not a reason to buy a medicinal line instead of a regular one, because for healthy cats it may be less useful than a regular one.
You can feed medicated food only in case of a certain disease in the cat and the food has been prescribed by veterinarians. If you know what your cat is sick with, you can choose the food yourself, following the labels on the packaging (for example, “for neutered cats,” “for cats with sensitive stomachs,” etc.).
Ingredients of Hill's using Nature's Best Kitten Chicken as an example: Poultry meal, corn gluten meal, animal fat, brown rice, corn, hydrolyzed protein, minerals, barley, oats, fish oil, dried beet pulp, flaxseed, dehydrated carrots, dehydrated peas, tomato pomace, chopped spinach, citrus pulp, grape pomace, rice, oat fiber. Supplements per kg: E672 (vitamin A) 36,830ME, E671 (vitamin D3) 2,170ME, E1 (iron) 87 mg, E2 (iodine) 1.4 mg, E4 (copper) 8.5 mg, E5 (manganese) 9 mg, E6 ( zinc) 180 mg, E8 (selenium) 0.2 mg. With natural preservative and natural antioxidants. Iron oxide colored.
Pros and cons of Hills food
The benefits of Hill's cat food include:
- low price;;
- vitamins and minerals;
- quite a good range of treatments;
- availability in most stores;
The disadvantages of Hills Feline food include:
- high percentage of plant proteins;
- quite frequent cases of allergies in cats;
- Hill's wet food is of worse quality than dry food.
Hill's
The company initially focused on developing food for dogs with medical conditions that required a specific diet. Over time, she began to produce products for healthy people, and later developed products for cats. It is recommended by veterinarians and breeders.
The brand's products are developed in several directions:
- For animals with health problems (Prescription Diet). Research has been conducted to develop the most balanced products to support your pet's physical well-being.
- For healthy animals (Science Plan). They contain essential nutrients, trace elements and vitamins. They can be selected according to the age and size of the pet.
- Natural food (Ideal Balance). They contain no corn, wheat or soy, and no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
- For preventive health (VetEssentials). Suitable for keeping the body in good shape, especially during intense physical activity (preparing for exhibitions or competitions).
Hill's produces both dry and wet food. The composition contains vitamins and natural antioxidants. The series of medicinal products of this brand is considered to be of the highest quality, therefore veterinarians most often recommend purchasing products from this particular series.
The most commonly cited disadvantages are the content of plant ingredients and the presence of flavorings in some types of food. It can be purchased at a relatively inexpensive price.
Hill's cat food - reviews
Review of Hills food for kittens , writes Galina Panko. Just two years ago, we got a five-month-old kitten. She called him Tonic (although the man calls him Tapk), started looking on the Internet about feeding kittens and most wrote that at this age it is already fashionable to start accustoming them to food. For testing, I chose small packages of Hills food for kittens and ProPlan for kittens. The baby did not eat very willingly at first, but then the whims disappeared :-)
I stopped at Hills feed and fed him until he was one year old. Then I switched to food for adult cats. I can say that during these two years there were no problems. The cat's coat is good and his health is not satisfactory. True, I not only feed him dry food - Tonic often asks for something tasty from the table, and it’s hard to refuse him)) I hope my review will be useful and Hill’s food will suit your cats too!
Review about Hill's cat food
sent by Valya: I fed my Tusya whiskey for almost four years. Everything seemed to be fine, the cat was eating and eating. . It turned out that Whiskas was an advertised time bomb for cats. I immediately switched to the best food, but the best brands are expensive, so I had to find a compromise between price and quality. Hills food became such a compromise - both the composition is much better and the price is reasonable. From time to time I also buy canned food of the same brand.
Now Tusya looks much better thanks to her shiny coat! Therefore, we can conclude that if Hills is not the best, it is certainly much better than any Whiskas. It’s good that I realized this in time and I hope my cat will please me for a very long time thanks to this! Let everything be fine with your pets!
Review of Hills food for sterilized cats
, Rosolinda:
We chose this food on the recommendation of the clinic after the cat was castrated. We have been feeding them for more than four years. The cat is happy, and so are we. People, don’t be sorry to spend a little more on food, because if you feed it whiskey or kitikat, it will end up being more expensive. Have pity on your cat! And don’t forget, when feeding dry food there should always be water near it!
Diseases
They say that animals are worse than children. And, if they are sick, then caring owners physically feel the pain of their cats. It’s better, of course, not to suffer from any diseases, but if this happens, then we can please you - the Hills developers have a whole range of treatments:
- Hills Diet R/D (for obesity);
- Hills Diet I/D (gastrointestinal disorders);
- Hills Diet K/D (kidney and heart disease);
- Hills Diet Z/D (for allergies);
- Hills Diet L/D (liver disease).
We sincerely wish health to your lovely pets. And let the therapeutic effect produced by these foods be maximum and bring noticeable relief to furry family members - they will feel much better.
Conclusions about Hills food
If you are looking for inexpensive cat food of relatively good quality, the premium segment is just for you. and Hills food of course. Reviews from owners indicate that it is suitable for many animals and years of feeding them do not show negative consequences. Veterinarians note that although they often recommend Hills medicinal food for certain diseases, if possible, it is better to feed healthy cats and female cats with super premium class food. Although they are more expensive, they are very high quality.
Veterinary ruler
In addition to the everyday diets that were discussed above, these manufacturers have veterinary products with a more attractive composition, high digestibility and a narrower purpose. Here you will find excellent hypoallergenic food, food for dogs and cats with various diseases and special needs. Depending on the purpose, such food can be given to animals in courses or throughout their entire life.
- Veterinary dog food Royal Canin
- Hill's Prescription Diet Veterinary Dog Food
- Purina Veterinary Diets
- Veterinary food for cats Royal Canin
- Hill's Prescription Diet veterinary cat food
- Purina Veterinary Diets
