Kip Says Two Paws Up! Way Up!
Written: Feb 19 '01 (Updated Feb 19 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Healthy & Nutritious Food For Kitty! Very Affordable! Cat Loves It!
Cons: Absolutely NONE!
The Bottom Line: I would highly recommend this to anyone, because I have had nothing but the best experience using this product.
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| botsybaby's Full Review: Purina Cat Chow |
For those of you that have a cat or cats and actually like them, you will most likely understand, comprehend, and possibly even enjoy this review. Now for the rest of you, if you have a problem with cats, cat food, Purina or reading reviews in general, you might as well take a flying leap!
Well, now that we have all that behind us, we can now proceed with the subject at hand.
As many of you may already know, I have a pet cat and I love him very much. He's been with me for about nine years now. He has seen me through those awful teenage years. He's my companion, my child, my family, my pet, my friend and if I were really sick he'd be my lover. (Sorry, not that I'm trying to make fun of the Jerry Springer guests or anything) ha ha.
Purina Cat Chow is made by Ralston Purina Company, St. Louis, MO 63164 USA. I find there cat food to be reasonable in price, if not inexpensive in my book. I had recently bought a 3.5 LB. bag, which is 56 Oz. or 1.59 Kg (In case you're in Europe and use the metric system). This size bag cost me about $5.97. Don't quote me on that price, but I'm pretty sure that's what I paid for it. I live in Hawaii, so it might be cheaper in your area. Personally, I'm satisfied with the price, the quality, and my cat's reaction. My cat seems to enjoy his food and the taste of his food. He has not gained or lost any weight from eating this food, and has encountered no side-effects. He's happy, healthy, and content. Therefore, I have no complaints.
My cat is a very picky eater. It's in his blood to be. He's half Siamese and half Himalayan. Even when he likes something, if you give him it too much, he'll stick his nose up at it. The strange thing is, Kip never turns his nose up at his Purina Cat Chow, no matter how many times you give it to him. This is the one thing in his diet that remains constant. He has been eating Purina Brand cat food since he was about 5 months old. He started out with Kitten Chow and graduated to Cat Chow when the time was right. So Kip and I definitely give this product two paws/hands up.
Technical Junk-
Well, we all like to know what we are feeding our cats. Right on the front of the bag Purina states "Balanced Nutrition For Cats Of All Ages'", assuming Purina doesn't like lawsuits, we can safely say that it most likely isn't false advertising. Besides, they've been around how many years?
I really like how they have aqua blue colored box on the back of the bag, in black outline, that gives you a freshness date. It's easy to find, and it's always good to check the date to make sure it has not been sitting on the shelf of the store for too long. On mine it says "GUARANTEED FRESH IF USED BY FEB 12 02". On the bag it also tells you to store your cat's food in a cool, dry place. Like how much more helpful and informative can the company be?
Anyway, here's the list of the ingredients and some percents:
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (Min) 31.5% Moisture (Max) 12.0%
Crude Fat (Min) 11.0% Crude Fiber (Max) 4.5%
Linoleic Acid (Min) 1.25% Arachidonic Acid (Min) 0.02%
Calcium (Ca) (Min) 1.1% Phosphorus (P) (Min) 0.9%
Taurine (Min) 0.125%
They list the key nutrients in the cat food as being: Taurine, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin D-3, Vitamin B-12, and Vitamin E.
INGREDIENTS: Poultry by-product meal, ground yellow corn, wheat flour, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, brewers rice, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of vitamin E), fish meal, brewers dried yeast, animal digest, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, calcium chloride, choline chloride, dicalcium phosphate, salt, taurine, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), L-Alanine, riboflavin supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, biotin, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, copper sulfate, citric acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), calcium iodate.
Feeding Instructions For Your Cat:
Weight____________5-9 LBS.__________10-14 LBS.
Amount Daily______2/3-3/4 cup_______3/4-1 1/4 Cups
*Using Standard 8 oz. measuring cup.
My experience: I fill his bowl up to the top and let the cat chose how much he feels like eating. Cats are not generally known as over-eaters. This is usually a problem faced with dogs. That is, unless your cat has an eating disorder, or is a glut, or has some other kind of problem. My cat doesn't have any problems physically, especially regarding his weight.
Feeding Tip: (This will explain why some owner's cats may not take well to this cat food at first) Changes in your pet's diet should be made gradually (notice the word gradually) to allow your pet to become accustomed to a new food. Substitute small amounts of the new food for the old food, gradually (there's that word again) increasing the amount of the new food while decreasing the old food, over a period of 7-10 days.
My Input: You see, cats are a lot like humans. In more ways than some people will ever realize. In this example I'll compare my father with my cat. My father has always liked his coffee a certain way. My mother at one time used less sugar than he did. Now a days I think he might use less than even her. My mother was the one who started this though. She slowly cut back the amount of sugar she would put in his coffee. She did it gradually, so that he wouldn't notice any drastic difference. Then when he went to go fix his coffee one day, he made it the way he had always done in the past. The only thing is, he didn't like it. He hadn't made it any different, but he was no longer used to his coffee being sweet, and now preferred it with half the amount he used to use. The moral of the story, you can get used to just about anything, when it's done right.
This food is generally used for cats, but on the bag they also have instructions for feeding kittens.
Kitten Feeding Instructions: Kittens generally nibble solid foods at three to four weeks of age. Keep moistened Cat Chow available to these kittens at all times. After weaning, at six to eight weeks of age, kittens will normally eat dry or moistened food at will. If water is added, use no more than one part warm (not hot) liquid to three parts Cat Chow, changing frequently to ensure freshness.
(Here's an extra little thing printed on the bag that I didn't know before, but found interesting) Feeding For Reproduction: Cat Chow provides the extra nutrition needed by reproducing females in stages of gestation and lactation. Food consumption may vary during gestation, so feed the amount needed to maintain the pregnant female's good body condition. Food intake may double or even quadruple during lactation.
Water: (If you don't know this one then you're dumber than you look, no offense)Adequate water intake is necessary to maintain your cat's health and body functions. Provide fresh water in a clean bowl daily.
Purina Cat Chow- Contact Information:
On the back on the bag they talk a bit about cats and invite you to call on their dedicated staff of cat care specialists.
1-800-CAT-CARE (1-800-228-2273): a toll-free, 24-hour information line loaded with product news, cat care tips, and more.
www.catchow.com : Their web site packed with comprehensive information on cats and cat care. There's also fun stuff for cat people; like the ability to customize a home page with your cat's picture. Plus it's a convenient place to send them e-mail with questions, suggestions, stories or comments. For more pet care information, games and merchandise, visit www.purina.com .
1-800-7PURINA (1-800-778-7462): a toll-free consumer relations center (open weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Central Time) staffed by cat care specialists that are ready to talk cats. Examples: Has your cat suddenly started scratching the furniture? Are you wondering what to expect as your cat gets older? Got a suggestion for how they can share information even better? Well, then give them a call. They say "Give us a call...let's talk about it." So if there is anything that you have to know about your cat, the food your feeding it, or anything related to the subject matter, I suggest you take them up on their offer.
Remember though, every pet is different, and ONLY YOU can decide what is best for your pet.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
botsybaby
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Member: Renee
Location: Prescott Valley, Arizona, Usa
Reviews written: 95
Trusted by: 140 members
About Me:
Not gifted, moody, chronic complainer, malcontent, emotional-basket case. That pretty much sums me up.
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