Apr. 27, 2024
Science Diet Cat Food Reviews
| Top 5 Ingredients* |
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| Artificial Ingredients | Yes |
| Contains By-products | Yes |
| Price Range | $$ |
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*Science Diet® Adult Indoor Cat Food was selected as the recipe for this ingredient list
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- Good proteins
- By products
- Corn gluten
- Soy
Our Analysis
The Word on the Street...
Science Diet is one of the most widely available premium cat foods on the market. Some customers praise it for its availability, but others complain that their cats experience skin problems while using the formulas long-term. Cats are widely known as strict carnivores, and as a result, they have trouble digesting most plant material, including corn, grains, gluten and soy.
Science Diet features all of these ingredients, most of them prominently. Additionally, its meat sources are low quality, all being by-products instead of real meat. Extra protein is supplemented with soy protein meal, but since cats cannot easily digest it, the usefulness of this extra protein is debatable. Customers who are familiar with the low quality ingredients in Science Diet formulas complain that the formula is high priced for its relatively low nutritional value, making it hard to recommend this brand for any reason other than availability.
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While I understand that ingredients lists should tell a lot of the story I’m not sure that it’s true in this case. Science diet has given me a healthier, happier cat with fur like silk (that disappears if fed anything else). Also helped resolve some issues with overly stinky poo and blockages due to fur. He has a combination of hairball dry and seafood wet. Oh and to top it off, he loves it
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More Information
Science Diet Cat Food
Science Diet is one of the most widely discussed cat food formulas. Many cat owners criticize the food for not being a good source of nutrition for cats. However, some cat owners still seem to like Science Diet, despite the criticism. Is Science Diet cat food a good choice for your cat? What are some other cat owners saying about Science Diet cat food? Learn more about Science Diet brand cat food here!
Who Makes Science Diet Cat Food?
The company who makes Science Diet cat food is called Hills Pet Nutrition. Hills Pet Nutrition can trace its roots back to 1939, when the company was founded by Dr. Mark L. Morris Sr. Mark was a veterinarian, and wanted to create a food to help save the life of his blind friend’s guide dog. The resulting formulas are now sold and promoted by some veterinarians. The Science Diet brand was created in 1968, by Dr. Mark Morris Jr., the son of the original founder.
Hill’s is coming out with a new line of pet food called Hill’s Ideal Balance. Read about it here.
Science Diet Cat Food Recall
Several of the Science Diet formulas were involved in the 2007 pet food recalls, due to contamination with melamine. There do not seem to be any formulas listed on the FDA’s recall website that were recalled after 2007. However, in order to make sure that your cat’s food is safe, it’s always highly recommended that you check the FDA’s pet food recall website. This will help you to stay updated on the latest pet food recall information.
Science Diet Cat Food Ingredients
The ingredients contained in Science Diet seem to differ slightly, depending on the specific formula. For the regular Science Diet formulas, the main source of protein is chicken by-product meal. The second ingredient in most of the regular formulas is corn gluten, with ground corn following close behind. The fat in Science Diet formulas is not named, and referred to simply as “animal fat”. An ingredient called “Chicken Liver Flavor” is present in the regular Science Diet formulas. Science Diet is also available in “natural” formulas, which claim to not contain fillers. These formulas have a whole meat as their first ingredient, with corn gluten meal following close behind. Soy protein is also present in the “natural” formulas.
Science Diet Cat Food Allergies
Science Diet is a fairly corn-heavy food, which is bad news for cats that have food allergies. Corn is a common allergen, and can cause allergy symptoms even in cats that do not have a previous history of allergies. Soy products are also present in some of the Science Diet dry cat food formulas, usually in the form of soybean oil.
Science Diet Recipes
Science Diet Dry Recipes:
- Science Diet Indoor Cat Food
- Science Diet Feline Hairball Light
- Science Diet Kitten Healthy Development Original Formula Food
- Science Diet Feline Adult Light Cat Food
- Science Diet Sensitive Stomach Adult Cat Food
- Science Diet Mature Adult Active Longevity Formula Cat Food
- Science Diet Feline Hairball Senior Cat Food
- Science Diet Feline Oral Care Cat Food
- Science Diet Indoor Kitten Food
- Science Diet Sensitive Skin Adult Cat Food
- Science Diet Feline Adult Cat Food
- Science Diet Indoor Cat Mature Adult Food (7+ years)
- Science Diet Hairball Control Formula Cat Food
- Science Diet Optimal Care Bonus Bag
Science Diet Cat Food Ratings
Customer reviews of Science Diet cat food are mostly negative. The main criticism of Science Diet is that many veterinarians promote the food, and it’s thought that they get monetary compensation for this promotion. In general, many cat owners view Science Diet as a low-quality formula, due to the amount of corn, soy and other fillers. The ingredients in Science Diet are thought by many consumers to be low-quality. However, some people seem to still like Science Diet, and don’t report any serious problems with the formulas.
Science Diet Cat Food Consumer Info
Science Diet Cat Food Coupons
Sometimes, pet food manufacturing companies will offer us coupons to share on our site. Are you searching for Science Diet cat food printable coupons? We will let you know when they are available!
Please check back soon for Science Diet cat food coupons!
Have you fed your cat any of the Science Diet cat food dry or canned formulas? Do you have feedback that could help other pet owners? Please share your review of Science Diet cat food!
Ingredient List*
Science Diet Cat Food Ingredient List
Science Diet Coupons
- On your 1st delivery - Use code 12OFF
Cat started to experience leg pain after one month of feeding science diet perfect weight and then science diet senior dry food. It’s now been almost 3 months and I dont like the way he is walking. Scary. Switching to a healthier brand.
I adopted a cat recently from a local shelter. When I asked what I should feed her they suggested Science Diet as that is what they were feeding her. I bought some and for the first three days it seemed like she was barely touching it. I returned it to the pet store and bought some Blue Buffalo and she loved it.
My cat was on the dry indoor adult formula for several years and she liked it and it worked really well. When Hill’s changed the formula it took her a while to adjust because she didn’t seem to like it. Then she started vomiting. I didn’t connect it at first. It only happened periodically but once it became a more common occurrence I thought back to when it had started and the answer was when the formula for her food was changed. I switched her to Blue Buffalo and she has not vomited since and it has been over a month.
My cat ate Science diet dry food for the first several years of his life, at the recommendation of his vet (I’ve since learned that the closest thing to nutritional education at U.S. veterinary schools, at least at the time, was a seminar series sponsored by Hill’s.) He became diabetic at around 7 years old, and went on insulin.
Someone recommended a great pet food store in NYC, and I went there for advice. The owner said, basically, “of course he’s diabetic, look what you’re feeding him.” This wouldn’t have much weight, except that 6 weeks after changing his diet (various premium canned foods, including Abady, and some raw food), he went off insulin.
He remained insulin free and extremely healthy, until he was around 16 years old. Both the vet and the pet store guy predicted he’d eventually have to go back on insulin. He died at almost 19, from unrelated causes.
Anyway. A good diet essentially cured my cat’s diabetes. Which suggests that Science Diet was at least a major culprit. I’m very angry at this company and its marketing practices.
All dry food, not just Hills can possibly cause diabetes, among other things. My cat suffered from uti’s until a holistic vet told me to get him off the dry. I did and it solved the problem.
I just tried Blue Buffalo and my cat has been acting strange since I started feeding her this food, I switched/added to Science Diet. But, I have not had any issues with Science Diet in 12 years. It was this switch that may have created problems. I found that my cats thrive on Science Diet Foods, don’t gain wait and stay healthy and fit. I truly think it is a great product.
Great review. Thanks. I was recommended Science Diet by a Vet. My cat has had digestive problems. I’ve been feeding her some canned food, some Blue Buffalo and some Science Diet hairball remedy. She’s very thin. I ran out of Science Diet so I fed her The canned and Blue Buffalo. She started eating more and hasn’t thrown up since. I think the corn in the Science Diet was indigestible so it just laid in her stomach making her eat less and eventually throwing up. I hate these companies that charge an arm and a leg and insert CHEAP ingredients into their food like corn. Shame on you Science Diet and shame on the vet that recommended it. They’re both overpriced and not helpful to my pet’s well being.
I’ve been feeding Science Diet products to my pets for more than forty years. ALL of them have prospered on the food. I first started years ago when one of my cats started showing blood in his stool and my veterinarian recommended switching to Science Diet. The problem cleared up immediately! I’ve raised/lived-with ten dogs and over a dozen cats and ALL of them lived into ripe, healthy old age being fed EXCLUSIVELY Science Diet products – living, I might add, far longer than they ever would have lived in the wild.
Have you ever seen what cats and dogs eat if you let them live outdoors? There isn’t a body part of another animal they won’t consume – happily! Old, half-rotted carrion? Yum! Fresh road kill? Sure! Dogs will eat just about anything that won’t eat them first and cats aren’t much pickier. Cats will eat poisonous house plant leaves only to gack it up later – usually on whatever section of floor you’ve cleaned. Hell, we aren’t that far removed from feeding dogs and cats table scraps because there was NO SUCH THING as pet food!
I don’t work for Hill’s, don’t get paid by anyone to say what I think. But I know from experience that anyone who assumes Science Diet is bad for their pet is out of their tiny, prejudiced, silly mind. And if your cat turns their nose up at the Science Diet when you first buy it, just wait a day or so. As soon as their hunger kicks in and they realize you’re not going to pamper them with whatever bon-bons you’ve been hand feeding your precious little darlings, they’ll eat it up. They’re predators, for Christ’s sake, the ultimate opportunists. The fact we’ve gone to the trouble to figure out the metabolism requirements of dogs and cats and produce food products to meet them is a minor miracle, and all responsible pet food companies should be applauded for their efforts. Again, I know from almost half a century of experience that Hill’s is one of the best.
Buy their food. Feed it to your cats and dogs. Watch them prosper. I have . . .
All my cats have always been on SD Original dry cat food (I get Fancy Feast can food – they don’t like the SC wet food) since they were kittens and they have always been in good health. Of course, like with people, as they get older, the body starts wearing out and it really doesn’t have anything to do with the food much of the time…
I have 2 tabbys, one almost 5 and the other almost 2. Had both cats on Taste of The Wild Salmon until started getting hairballs. Switched them to Science Diet Hairball control and mixed it half and half with Kirkland Natures Domain Salmon/Sweet POtato. Everything was going well for about a year until Cookie, the oldest, started missing the litter box and developed bad flatulence to boot. Vet checked her out with a normal stool sample and no weight loss. He said to put her on either one food or the other. I tried that but her symptoms still persist, bad flatulence and loose stools most of the time even though she is maintaining her weight. Switched them to Kirkland Maintenance which they both like but Cookies gas and stools still persist. I am switching to Acana Wild Prairie today on a store owners advice. Any help out there? Could this be IBS, colon problem? Coat still looks good, she plays with the young cat daily and weight is being kept up. Would appreciate feedback.
I’ve head terrible digestive problems with my cat. I would try feeding your cat foods without corn or wheat. Corn is very indigestible. Stay away from Science Diet. My cat is feeling so much better since I stopped feeding her that. I feed her some canned cat food. (9 lives) and some Blue Buffalo. Give that a try. Good luck.
Try feeding coconut oil. What you do is buy the organic or the one that’s in the store and chunk out of piece of it and let your cat lick it you will be surprised how much that will help the stomach I think it actually makes them healthier. I give it to my cats all the time especially if they start to feel little sick and it does help control hairballs also hope this helps you
We tried the Science Diet Indoor kibble and canned food and my cat seemed content with it, plus it is actually one of the few foods I’ve tried that doesn’t give her litter box problems. Ingredients aren’t ideal, but it’s worth noting that in 2013 Hills changed their formula for most of their cat kibble. The ingredients are a little better now, but my cat didn’t seem to like the new formula as much as the old one. Most agree that there are better options out there (as do I), but I can’t deny that my cat did well on this food.
My 5yo Maverick was put on SD Adult Light by his vet about 3 years ago. I gradually transitioned him from Purina to SD and all went well. The goal was to have my little guy lose at least 3-4 pounds; however, he’s pretty much maintained his weight and just recently gained a pound. The vet said that the LCarnitine ingredient will help him not get so hungry and give him energy. 3 years later and no progress. He loves to eat! He doesn’t free feed, so he’s on a restricted diet. He eats but is still hungry. The doc recommended SD Metabolic Formula this week but it’s so pricey and I just read a bunch of bad reviews on it. Well, I bought Blue Buffalo Weight Control today for him but I just read so many scary reviews….now I’m not sure whether to keep him on SD or try the switch.
Science Diet Dry Indoor Cat Food. They changed the formula and my cats HATE it. It has taken me six months to get them to eat it without mixing it with another one. Also, their bowel movements are terrible. They will eat some of it now, but still do not like it.
I started feeding my Angora long-haired cat SD in 2011. At first, she seemed fine. She’s a happy girl, very easy-going and although not a picky eater has a healthy, steady appetite. Over time, she began to vomit (almost everyday) after eating SD and seemed to be eating just enough to not be hungry. I also noticed that if the food stayed in her bowl more than a few hours, it attracted small gnat-like flying insects. (I keep a very clean home.) Odd – this never happed with her other food. Short story: I switched her back to a popular consumer brand (that costs less and has meat listed as the first ingredient)and her appetite has returned, she doesn’t vomit at all, she no longer has dandruff on her coat… I could go on. I don’t think SD is bad, but she just wouldn’t eat it. Cats, just like humans, have eating preferences. My advice is to watch your kids… er, cats, track their eating habits and – if you notice anything out of the ordinary for a significant period of time – switch to a brand they enjoy.
My healthy cat (who loved to eat) was eating SD exclusively for 4 years. The new formula caused her vomiting after just one week, and then she simply stopped eating. After vet tests, I tried changing her food and giving her fluids/an appetite stimulate – but nothing worked, and she developed the start of liver failure from lack of food. After $2700 in vet bills, a feeding tube, and eventual heartbreak … I had to put her to sleep. This new food, in my opinion, started a downhill spiral in her health that I couldn’t stop. I hope others don’t have to experience what my cat and I went through. Please get them off this food at the first sign of any vomiting.
My cats refuse to eat it, co to make than finish small beg we needed to mix it with royal canin, definitely never buying again
Really felt cheated, didn’t know that wheat and corn shouldn’t be in the ingredients. I only found out after 7 years of feeding Science PLan when Blackwood came up with a new pack that doesn’t include wheat, soya and corn and I was wondering what’s with wheat and corn and did some research only to find out the ingredients are cheap stuff almost the same as commercial food like whiskas and friskies but yet they charge so high price and they cheat you by labeling as “veterinarian recommended”
My cat experienced the same symptoms. I am so sorry for the loss of your baby. I switched her food about two weeks ago and she no longer vomits. I hope more people follow your advice.
My 10 month old much loved baby is in the cat hospital on IV and pain-killers after I obeyed the vet who insisted she should be switched to Science Diet. She is an indoor cat and I control what she eats. She barely touches the Science Diet. But after a few days of nibbling on it, she ran a high temp and developed a intestinal/stomach bacteria. I can only think it is one thing that has torn through her digestive system.
Question for anyone.
Hills Science diet doesn’t get good reviews. Hills Ideal cat food has okay reviews….how so if both are made by Hills?
Looking for another brand of cat food. Currently feeding Blue and there are so many horror stories recently.
We live in the boonies………..not much available.
Thanks for your help
We have been feeding our cat SD for over 10 years and she was doing very well. Since the food makeup (color, size, ingredients) changed (last 2 bags), our 16 year old cat will not eat it anymore. She eats her hard snacks very well and eats her canned bumble bee very low sodium tuna totally, she will no longer eat Science Diet and she spits it out when she realizes that it is not her snack. They changed the formula enough to where we have had to put her on supplements (nutracal) so she can maintain her 10lb weight.
Hill’s Science Diet…..You didn’t improve your product, you ruined it…..bastards!
I have experienced the same with my to 12+ females. They hate the new formula Science Diet Longevity. Wont eat it unless forced by starvation. They loved the old formula.
I am currently experiencing similar things with my cat who has been eating the SD Active Longevity for the past 4 years. He is also 16 years old. I am currently working on switching his food to Blue Buffalo Wilderness Mature. What food did you end up switching your cat to?
I got my cat from a shelter about 2 weeks ago, and he came very healthy. the vet did a check-up and said he was overweight so they recommended the very expensive science diet metabolic formula. About a week in, we started toilet training this cat, and so we were able to see that he had blood in his stool starting about a week ago. He was tested for parasites when he was at the vet and de-wormed, additionally he isn’t vomiting or having any trouble like that but his feces is very soft and sometimes diarrhea-like although not all the way. The mystery is this bloody stool which has continued and gotten worse the last few days. I talked to my dad today, and he asked me about the food. I started looking up reviews, and saw horrible reviews started after these “new improved formula”. The metabolic formula seems to be very new and not even have reviews, but it seems so likely this is the cause of his stool problems, i will be switching him off science diet immediately. I hate the idea that so much CORN MEAL and GLUTEN is being used in cat food. How awful…they just through the cheapest things in. I’ll be making my own cat food from now on.
We have been feeding our various cats hills for years..BUT….over the last year one of them (he’s 4) developed a hideous skin condition..he was full of scabs and bald patches. After many visits to the vet he was put on steroids and it was confirmed he had an allergy but no one knew what he was allergic to…at the same time our other cat started to develop scabs so after reading reviews of the science diet and the ingredients cats find hard to digest we changed to a wet diet with some Applaws dried food which contains no cereals. Within 7 days all scabs had disappeared on both cats and 2 weeks later their coats are like velvet…I can only put this down to an allergy to the dreadful Hills ingredients. I will never feed my cats Hills again. If I hadn’t read other reviews of Hills which revealed that other cats had displayed similar conditions I would never have thought about changing their food.. I would strongly advise against feeding any food which is packed full,of cereals.
Since starting on Science Diet, my cat has developed allergies, nearly continuous sneezing, and congestion. Her symptoms are very similar to those of livestock being fed GMO corn product. It appears the product not only includes GMO products, but has so little nutrition that the cat eats more to overcome slow starvation. I’ll remove this product from the house and replace it today with something less toxic and more nutritional. Many thanks for posting this valuable information on your website.
The ideal diet for a cat must approximate what it would eat in the wild – and that is NOT pure meat! My cats on the farm eat the mice they catch in between meals – and they eat all of it! Which is bone, teeth and toenails and some meat; when they eat a bird it is all consumed, feathers and all. Pure meat is poison for a cat – the high nitrogen content damages their kidneys over a period of time. Kidney failure is the most common cause of death in older cats; so if you want Kitty to live longer, do not feed high protein. Also remember that in the wild a cat will often eat once every second day and sleep between kills; the more often you feed your cat, the shorter it will live too.
The best cheap diet for a cat is a mixture of steamed rice, pumpkin (pips included) with steamed chicken on the bone; liquidise and feed. This is a recipe given to me by an animal dietician. Avoid anything with high magnesium content – that leads to struvite bladder stones, which can be lethal.
Bot cats are 15yrs and exclusive indoors. Both have been on Science Diet food for 12 years (different kinds. For past yr they were on Longevity and doing okay. But beginning Nov or Dec 2012 we noticed severe vomiting by one cat and the other did not care for their regular food. Thought it was other physical problems but now I suspect their cat food. I even tried Science Diet new products to no avail. More surprising that they dont want their daily treat of wet can food!! Never has happened before. Dear Science diet and PetsMart something has been wrong since November 2012!!
Enough of this whole carnivore crap. My cat was doing amazing on Science Diet prior to me switching him to Grain Free Blue Buffalo food. After 15 months on this diet, both cats started to look frail. One of my cats who has been extremely healthy got a UTI. Actually he had gotten a few UTIs while on Blue Buffalo, Wellness and Halo. I had to switch back to Science Diet and the problem went away. I am tired of reading reviews of people bashing this product. Guess what? It works! It’s also saved me hundreds of dollars in vet fees and my cats are healthy and playful again!
I use to believe in the grain free, all meat ingredients crap and was I misinformed because I believed everything I read on here about how bad grains are etc… My cat was healthy before his diet switch and I regret changing to Blue Buffalo etc…
Don’t believe everything you read on here… it will be costly to you and your animal.
My cat was eating Science Diet before I bought him from a breeder, but I slowly switched him to Evo (grain free of course). He now has diarrhea and sometimes blood in his poop. You are probably right. I plan to buy a bag of Science Diet, and see if that fixes him. I’ve read from actual cat nutritionists, vets, and others that this “grain free” hype may very well be a marketing scam by small companies trying to sell an expensive product. There are some interesting AND scientific articles out there that support products like Science Diet, or even Friskies. I’m sure some cats do very well on grain free, but mine isn’t. And I know many cats who’ve lived up to 20 years on “cheap crap!”
Your experience seems to be the exception rather than the rule.
Cats can eat carbohydrates and they use them as an energy source. Be careful of these ultra special brands they are not all good and especially when using the word “Holistic” it is meaningless without any type of regulation. My previous cat ate Iams for 17 years,he died of renal failure for which I do not blame the diet.
Yes science diet is very expensive, however you can buy it by the case at many suppliers for much less. Also there are many diets just as good at lower prices. I personally am feeding my two new refuge adopted cats science diet, they had quite a few medical problems and one spent 4 days in the hospital on IV fluids, antibiotics, pain killers…..when she was realeased she went on special science diet wet food and both are prospering very well without any problems, no vomiting, nice stools, lots of energy and very happy. My only problem with science diet is the price, however I now buy in bulk at a much better price and have it delivered free.
Cats are very different from each other as are their habitats and owners so one persons experience may not result in the same problems or satisfaction. Check that the food meets set standards and if your cat likes it then forget about these fear mongers trying to push you into foods that have not had a lot of reasearch, time on the market and especially the ones that say “EVEN SAFE FOR HUMANS”, what does that have to do with it’s value to the cat, many human foods will kill cats, some cat foods can also cause illness in humans. The comparison to humans, telling you grains are bad and use of the word “HOLISTIC” are signs to stay away, as the maker is willing to fool you with meaningless or potentially harmful claims which sound good on the face of it, a good cat food manufacturer does not need to scare you into using their product. Growing up (in the 60’s we had lots of cats and they all ate cat food that was far less nutrious, rsearched etc.. They lived very long and happy lives.
Cats are carnivores and do not need, or do well on a food that has a lot of grains. That’s why, due to the main ingredient being corn, SD is not an appropriate food for a cat. If your cat lived a relatively long life eating this food, it’s not because of how good the food is, but because your cat had good genes and would have probably lived the same length of time eating Friskies..and you would have saved yourself a bunch of money over the years.
After years of telling us how great corn is, and how the digestability is the same as chicken, and how by-products are quality ingredients, SD is changing their food and will be eliminating the corn and by-products. So what they’ve been saying all those years was a lie? Why aren’t they sticking to their story about the ‘quality’ of the ingredients they’ve been using? I don’t trust that they have my animal’s best interest at heart. Do your research about what should and shouldn’t be in your cat’s food.
BS! Science Diet studies cats throughout their lifetime and came put with their Age Defying 11+ which is for cats 11+ and my cats have been eating SD for all their lives. So how can one be 20 yrs old and the others over 15 and look just fine, act young and have no health issues? How could that be? huh? They are all 4 neutered males. Hill’s makes sure the food has the right PH to prevent UTIs and I believe it. Maybe it is crap food and my cats are thriving purely on love alone???
I was recommended Science Diet by someone else, and it was terrible. My senior cat, who always had a sensitive system, has thrown up literally EVERY day since I put her on Science Diet. I’m switching brands today. My kitten is on it as well, and hasn’t shown any adverse affects yet, but I plan to switch her as well, before she develops any problems. I would NOT recommend this food.
Please check that your senior cat does not have early-stage kidney failure. That is a common cause of vomiting in elderly cats – and in that case your Kitty will need to go on a special low-protein prescription food. All elderly cats should be on a low-protein diet to help them live longer – this is usually described as ‘Mature’ or ‘Senior’ on the cat food package
We have a cat that throws up all the time and the only food she can keep down is Science Diet Sensitive Stomach !!We mix it with another brand grain free because she is diabetic but if not for this food she would throw up daily !!!
Think it’s time to update your info. Science Diet now has Ideal Balance cat food which has chicken, not chicken by-products and it also has no corn. They also have it in a grain-free formula.
We have tried our cats on other food,Blue,Iams,Wellness,Natural balance,TOTW,We are currently feeding our 3 cats our siamese 13yrs old,Bengal 2 1/2 yrs and we have a savannah 1 yr old the Science Diet balance,so was really happy when they came out with a corn free food(mixed with Iams until it is gone) and the Friskys wet, all of the other grain free dry food seem to be to rich and our siamese and bengal get diareah,people can say what they want about science diet,it has been working for us for over 13 yrs and i highly recommend there food
I started my healthy, happy 10 month old cat on the Science Diet Grain Free at the recommendation of my vet. My poor baby is now in the cat hospital, on IV, and in severe pain. She’s running a 105 temp. She refused the food but the vet said to insist. This is the result. I’d like to see the Board of Directors of Science Diet gobble a bowl full of this “food.” See how they survive.
Six of one half a dozen of another. I`ve had cats and dogs all my 58 years and have fed them Purina products and they have lived anywhere from 12 1/2 to 18 years. We could all go to different sites and drive ourselves nuts and get different opinions. To each his own.
I have found myself lucky enough to be the second owner of a Beautiful Bengle and i only wanted the best for her so i changed her from Parina Kitten to Science diet Kitten dry food. Its been 6 weeks, her hair is very shiny but its falliong out at an incerdible rate! She sleeps twice as much as she should and her stool is the worse thing ive even smelt!
I read the ingrediance and there isnt any MEAT in it. She is a cat – Cats eat animals – she needs meat.
Even if your cat seems fine on this diet can you imagine how much more energy it would have if it was eating something closer to what nature would provide for it.
Just imagine
After adopting my snowshoe Siamese 17 years ago, I began feeding her Science Diet dry food. Although costly, at the time, it was considered among the best on the market! To this day, Kona refuses to eat wet food and shuns other brands. I have never had any reason to question the foods quality as Kona has never had a single health issue in her life! At 17 years old, Kona continues to be beautiful and active!
While I understand that ingredients lists should tell a lot of the story I’m not sure that it’s true in this case. Science diet has given me a healthier, happier cat with fur like silk (that disappears if fed anything else). Also helped resolve some issues with overly stinky poo and blockages due to fur. He has a combination of hairball dry and seafood wet. Oh and to top it off, he loves it
steve could you please email me the name of the second brand you listed the ingredients of… lostzy@live.co.uk
thanks
I am astonished at what people feed their cats. Science Diet is nothing short of pure poison. First, think about what cats eat in the wild. Remember, cats are carnivores, so nearly all their nutrition comes from meat…real meat (http://www.catinfo.org/). Science Diet, along with many other cheap brands, use Grade D meat, at best and often use roadkill and even ground up, euthanize cats. In addition, grains (such as one of the main ingredients in Science Diet…corn gluten) can actually make a cat sick. Quite simply, nature did design their digestive systems to eat it.
Here’s a label of Science Diet:
water, turkey, egg product, turkey giblets, liver, salmon, fish meal, pork by-products, corn gluten meal, corn starch, chicken liver flavor, ground whole grain corn, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), soy protein isolate, chicken, powdered cellulose, l-lysine, guar gum, brewer’s dried yeast, locust bean gum, choline chloride, calcium sulfate, potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, carrageenan, taurine, vitamin E supplement, iodized salt, thiamine mononitrate, l-tryptophan, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), ferrous sulfate, niacin, beta-carotene, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, calcium pantothenate, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, biotin, calcium iodate, folic acid and sodium selenite
Here’s a label of another brand (I won’t say which brand):
Turkey, Chicken Liver, Chicken, Chicken Broth, Carrots, Natural Chicken Flavor, Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Zucchini, Cranberries, Blueberries, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Ground Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Taurine, Iron Proteinate (a source of Chelated Iron), Beta-Carotene, Zinc Proteinate (a source of Chelated Zinc), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Proteinate (a source of Chelated Cobalt), Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate (a source of Chelated Copper), Folic Acid, Manganese Proteinate (a source of Chelated Manganese), Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Biotin.
Plain and simple, Science Diet is poison. It’s the equivalent of feeding your cat fast food…or worse.
My minor was in chemistry in college. I don’t see anything in the ingredients list that would actually be BAD for a normal cat. Cellulose is indigestible by animals, but it’s not poison. A lot of those chemicals are listed by their IUPAC name, not their common name. Like pyridoxine hydrochlorate is the scientific name for vitamin B6. Quite a few of these chemicals are just vitamins, actually. The worst thing I can see on that list is the corn products.
The other list, however, is comparable to the Science Diet list, except it contains fruit and veggies. I’m not a vet, but I have had cats all my 46 years. There is no way you could get a cat to eat a blueberry, unless it suffered from dementia.
I’ve fed my current cat Science Diet all his life without issue. He is healthy and happy, though after doing a bit of research, I do think it’s overpriced. I’m thinking of switching to Blue Buffalo or trying the Science Diet Balance, which is probably over-priced too.
My cat eats blueberries and is fussy with so many brands of cat foods. I have tried so many foods I think I have dementia. My cats are two years plus. Can’t wait to see what the future holds.
My Maine Coon mix was not able to tolerate any of the Science Diet products not even the ones sold at vets as he has an allergy to corn…even corn gluten (many people say not possible. Tell that to my cat) which results in irritable bowel disease. Diarrhea with blood and mucus is not fun for me or the cat. He does tolerate small amounts of the Hill’s Prescription Hypoallergenic Cat Treats as they do not have corn in them. I would think that a company that bills itself as a premium cat food supplier would actually make their food “premium.’
My cat has bloody diarrhea too and the vet told me to feed him science diet, which isn’t helping. Is your cat still having these issues? If not, what food are you feeding your cat?
We’ve had both of our cats, ages 15, and 9, on science diet for 5 years. Before that we had them on cheap commercial food, Iams, and purina brands. They develped crystals in their urinary tract, and the other conintued to have seisures once a month. Since we’ve switched to Science diet w/d for diabetes, and wieghtloss, the cats have never had crystal problems and the seizures stopped altogether. ( I don’t know if this is coincidence or cause). We have yet to find a cat food that is comparable to this at local stores, so we continue to get it from the vet. If your pets have issues with crystals, and urinary problems, this food will save you money by avoiding vet bills!
Same issue here… Science Diet rocks!
I have two kittens and both do not like the Science Diet kitten formula. They like Whiskas wet food, though.
2 of my cats (now age 4) have started on Hills at the age of 1 month – and is still only fed with Hills dry food – They are both in superb condition. No weight or other issues. The same goes for the mom and 4 kittens I’ve taken in from January 2011. No food related problems. They are ALL shiny lively and very playful. The only problem with Hills is the price which are a bit steep for my 7 cats and the odd neighborhood ones that keeps coming by to feed.
Additionally, I have never fed my cats wet food, only dry.
I have feed my two cats Science Diet for years. I have only had an issue with the light formula. I tried to transition my 13 year old to the mature (light version) cat formula, but that was a disaster; He would throw it up constantly. As for the regular formula, I have never had a problem. Last week was their regular checkup and the vet informed me that both of them were healthy and my oldest looked very good for his age.
I have fed all of my cats (many) WD, RD, and Maintenance and everything has been fine up until the last year or so when one of my cats developed fairly severe allergies, in the form of skin irritations to the face. She also has tremors, which don’t seem to interfere with her quality of life at all. Now, the other two who have been on various Science Diet dry foods, have also developed some skin irritations. I have just about ruled out everything else. SO I am going to try a different dry food with less corn in it and see what happens. I feed them small amounts of Fancy Feast canned foods, as well.