Best thing I did was start reading about pet nutrition and how vets basically have very little education about dog/cat nutrition in school (which is usually funded by the worst foods for our pets Aims, Science Diet, etc).

A couple of good reads:

Not Fit for a Dog!: The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food

Description:Not Fit for a Dog highlights the dangers of modern pet food how it is unbalanced, creates addiction, and often contains ingredients that can literally poison your pet. It destroys the myths propounded by pet food companies that human food is bad for pets, and that natural food diets are unsafe. In this revolutionary book, three veterinarians share their expertise to provide an in-depth appraisal of the pet food industry and what people are feeding to their cats and dogs. The first insurance for an animal s health and happiness is good nutrition and pet owners, veterinarians, and other professional animal care-providers will find this book to be an invaluable and inspiring guide and resource.

Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale

Living Enzymes - The World's Best Kept Pet Food Secret

Description:A must read for all devoted pet parents! Robert Mueller - BARF World's co-founder & pioneer advocate of raw feeding - has discovered "THE SECRET" of happy healthy pets! It's about the choices we make as guardians for our pets and what we can do to improve the health and well being of not only our pets, but also ourselves. Rob has found the key that unlocks the pathway to improved health.You will be amazed at the simplicity of the world's best-kept pet food secret.

Healing Pets with Nature's Miracle Cures

Description:How holistic and conventional medicine can work together effectively. For pet owners and veterinarians, these practical healing methods integrate 'natural' and conventional therapies. Written in layperson's terms, this book can help animals suffering from chronic as well as acute illnesses, including cancer, asthma, skin diseases, diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis. Readers will learn * what pets need for optimum health, system by system * the truth about nutrition: natural raw food or processed pet food? * facts on herbs, vitamins, and minerals * raw meat diets and the protein diet controversy *See how conventional and holistic therapies can be used together to treat various diseases and disorders .


Read a few of these books and you'll start really reading those pet food labels and rethink what you feed your pet.

Thanks Vicki.

Perhaps you would find this question odd, but from what you read about high quality diets for pets -- did it change any of your ideas about human diets? :wiggle:

Yes. All the carbs and processed food affects them the same way it does us.
Cancer rates in our pets dramatically increased when kibble came out.
I can tell a dog that's on a kibble diet just by their body shape.
I feed my pets better than I do myself, but I'm working on that.

Vicki, I finally got another pet from the shelter. She looks remarkably like Harrison, who went to the rainbow bridge last year. She's a porker, so I have to get smarter on pet food...so your old posts are appreciated.

She was stuck in a cage for two months. So maybe now with love, playing and better food she'll do better and loose a pound or two (she's 10 pounds). She's remarkably well adjusted and makes progress every day.

It's weird, it's like Harrison never left... :angel: No name yet, I'll let the wind carry it to us.

Richard

Glad you found a new family member.
I see the kibble diet in the photo..lol
Maybe she was stress eating?
Did you decide which food yet?
She's a bit hefty so watch the protein.
Alot of these new grain free cereals have much more protein.
Can be hard on the kidneys as they get older but a younger more active pet can use the protein.
I love when a new pet does something that reminds us of our past pets.
Love never leaves us!

Vicki, I love this: Love never leaves us! What a great thought.

Do you have recommendations as to what dry food I can get as a stepping stone to something better? I've gone to the pet food stores and come out empty-handed, I'll go again. All the primary ingredients are corn-meal and chicken-meal by by-products. What-the-hell is a a "by-product?" Reminds me of the movie Soylent Green!

Any opinion on the Newman brands? That's looking better than Iams and others...

Newman's Own Organics Premium Pet Food

cat food link
 

Here's a good link:

Cat Food 101: What You Need to Know About Feeding Your Cat

The Newman's brand lost me at soy and oats.
I would try and find one that doesn't have grain in it.
Cats are carnivore's, they need meat not grain.
I'm not sure what type of stores you have around you.
Do you have any special pet stores besides Petsmart or Petco?
Here we have Holitisic for Pets or Boneappetite which only carry better quality foods.
I would try to find a specialty store because they usually have better selections and also give away sample bags so you can try the food first.
Are you only wanting to feed dry food?
The wet food is better because it gives them more meat, and more moisture.
Cats are prone to get urinary crystals especially ones who only eat dry food.
Read this:

What causes crystals in cat urine? - Yahoo! Answers
I had to send a cat to rainbow bridge because of these crystals.
Spent $2,500 on surgeries trying to clear it up and this is what started me reading books about pet food. The vet had no idea about food and the vet I go to now said that they study about two weeks of nutrition in school and most of it is sponsored by Aims :(

The worst thing to do is just leave food out all of the time.
They really need to eat twice a day.
I feed mine in the morning and at night.
I put it down and they eat it up...just like a dog.
I don't let them have people food either.

If you only have the option of a Petsmart type store, the Blue Buffalo brand is decent but there are better brands out there.
Did the vet say if she is overweight?
If so, you may need to get an indoor formula or one that is made for an overweight cat.
I've been feeding mine a raw diet (Rad Cat) for years so I haven't looked at the other type of food for awhile.

The people in the pet store's are sometimes knowledgeable and sometimes not.
I would stay away from Iams, Science Diet and Royal Canin.
Let me know what kind of store's you have to choose from.
I'm glad to help.
Did you give her a name yet?

Rich

Just left my pet food store.
Looked at the food for you.
Fromm or purevita looked pretty good.
Maybe their websites will show you if a store in your area
that carries their product.

Love never leave us....

Memories sustain us.

So glad you have another pet to love...
Love makes us whole, happy & healthier!

My litte poodles have been my lifesavers.... And they are funny as heck too! :wiggle:

Thanks Vicki, that's awesome. No name yet, though my my wife likes Lily (from a Pink Martini song). Don't like it. Waiting for the wind to blow it in...