So, I finally got around to the nutrition part of the forum (yay?)
See, I would like to pick out 1-2 brands to feed my cat that are GRAIN FREE (very important)
The breeder feeds him Royal Canin Sensible.

I can select from Zooplus.de so there's quite a bit to chose from.
I've looked at most of them, but somehow they all seem to have a bad side - Applaws have some bad reviews for runny stools and allergies, Orijen has trouble with too many protein sources - the list goes on.

Could anyone please help me look into this? I don't seem to understand much of anything but looking at meat content and such.
I want his dry food to be the least he eats - Mostly in case I get sick and someone needs to feed him. I can't rely on people to feed him maybe more than once or twice a day (I don't plan on getting sick though, but anything can happen). I originally wanted to do an exclusive raw diet, but it's too big a mouthful for me and those who would take care of him would not be happy for exclusive raw.
He gets some really good wet food, which I don't plan on changing.

Basically, I need some comparisons of dry food so I can pick two brands to mix (so I can at least buy one if the other is sold out of they stop producing it)

The best thing is to continue Nevada on the same food the breeder has been feeding him and transition him slowly to the dry. What would your breeder recommend? There are so many choices out there -- it's hard to decide. You may have to try a couple of different ones. You want something Nevada will eat. And kitten food will be a must for the first year.

I feed Hendrix Royal Canin Sensible as he always had runny stools before he was on that and I stopped his access to his brother's dry food. Is there a reason the breeder is feeding your kitten that? If he has a sensitive stomach you might need to stick to it as it is designed to be easily digestible and firm stools in that instance.

I was looking at Zooplus yesterday as I'd love my two to have the same dry food just to make life easier - and they now supply Thrive dry food, which doesn't seem to have loads of ingredients (and grain free) as I think sometimes that can be an issue with Hendrix. They eat the wet so I'm considering braving Hendrix's tummy with a gradual introduction to it once I've compared the ingredients to RC Sensible to be on the safe side. Of course, they might not like it, Jagger for one is real picky with his dry food.

It's on my next order to give it a go - might be worth you looking at? There are no reviews on Zooplus yet though as they've only just started to stock it!

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Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

My cat has a sensitive tummy, some allergies or IBD, and doesn't do well on very high protein foods either, so I have been trawling and occasionally testing the grain-free dry options for months now! One of the best I've found is Arden Grange: good quality, not full of weird ingredients, single protein source, good company ethics. You can request free samples.

My cat is mostly doing really well on AG; her coat, energy and mood are all amazing, and she developed nearly half a kilo of extra incredible musculature in the last quarter of her first year despite my not having increased her food at that time (I weigh it otherwise she over-eats). However she still has large-ish stools that have half good, half soft to runny textures in most, which makes me think it is not quite right for her, despite all the other very positive signs. Most people's cats seem to do perfectly on AG though, based on the reviews, so don't let my particularly sensitive one's reaction put you off looking at it.

So after yet more searching around, for all the reasons you mention, I'm about to try Meowing Heads Hey Good Looking, because it has no pre or probiotics, and I'm starting to suspect those are the last little bit of the puzzle for my particular cat.

If your cat is OK on very high protein, then Thrive is super-simple high quality food with a very short ingredient list. You can request free samples of this too. Their freeze dried treats are also excellent, if pricey.

Good luck, and if you find anything good that I haven't, do let me know!

Our brands are different in the US than what you have, but I will offer some advice...

1. Probably the #1 thing is that it's not really your decision. No matter what research you do, and no matter what recommendations you get, and what you "decide on", the all-important vote will be his, because yes you want his food to be as nutritious as possible, but even more important that that, it needs to be something that he really likes! (and that it agrees with him).

2. I definitely would not rule out foods just because others say it disagreed with their cat's stomach. That's kind of like saying I don't want to eat peanuts because others have a food allergy to it. What matters is how YOUR cat reacts to it.

3. It really does pay to have 2 or more dry foods that he likes really well, because many cats will go on and off foods all the time. It can be maddening, but I suppose if someone were to feed me pizza every day for every meal, I'd eventually rebel to that too, so I guess I can get that.

4. I really wouldn't mix foods unless you have to. And I think the only time when you really have to is when you are transitioning from one food to another. The reason why I say that is the whole going on/off foods thing. You may be biasing him against *both* foods on any given day.

My advice is to initially do what Sherry said, and keep him on the breeder's food for a few weeks, then select several different brands & flavors that you think meet your nutritional criteria, and buy really small quantities of those (if possible) and try them, knowing that some of them you will end up tossing out (or giving to a shelter).

This is a good article to check out:

http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/s ... -pet-food/

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The little monsters 3

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Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

Maybe it's the potato in Arden Grange?
There's also a Danish brand here called Kingsmoor
Their chicken recipe is 84,5% meat

Looks like I might just try it, then supply with another brand :)

Brianj12
That is actually a really good idea! Maybe I'm just thinking he might be like my family cats and love all dry food with high meat content XD We'll have to see.
I will certainly save this thread too, so good to have something to fall back on when he arrives

Yeah, I kinda feel the same about meat types in my diet (IBS friendly) since I'lleat lots of chicken for weeks then suddenly grow tired of it and go eat beef instead XD
Zoo plus have some trial things sometimes, I might look out for those!

She says he's not on it for a particular reason other than she sees some trouble with her other bengals so it's just to be on the safe side

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Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

Wish every company would offer samples you could try! Nobody wants to buy a 3 pound bag of dry cat food and find the cat doesn't like it! Been there, done that!

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The little monsters 3

Mine get Orijen Cat & Kitten (dry) anytime they want and Hills Science Plan for kittens (wet) every morning and evening. I'm getting both from zooplus, they're good for the kitties, no problem with the poo. My cats arent too picky though when it comes to different brands and varieties, we've tried some other stuff before and they've always eaten no problem, except for canned, pate-like food. For some reason they wouldnt touch it, even good brands like Applaws.

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Thomas

Lily & Noha - Oct 7th 2015

I have purchased some of the smallest size bags of dry food and tried them, but Raiden turned his nose up at all of them. The other kitty didn't particularly care for them either and took several months to finally use them up (thanks to the raccoon who also indulged in the dry food). Now they are eating Fancy Feast dry and that will just have to do them! May not be the best for them, but if they won't eat the other stuff -- why bother.

I order my cat food through Chewy and am extremely happy with their prices and service. They sell EVERYTHING there.