Pouches

One of the more common discussions that I have with clients revolves around whether one should feed their cat canned cat food or dry kibble. Just recently another option has entered the field for me. The brand of food that I choose for my cat (Wellness) has started offering four varieties of food delivered in a pouch. This isn't neccessarily revolutionary, as Royal Canin, Whiskas and a few other brands have been offering a similar pouch for some time...the difference is that Wellness is only brand of the bunch that offers the high quality I demand for Pinkie.

So what is so special about cat food in a pouch? Canned food relies on high temperatures to destroy microorganisms, and in the process this heat can denature proteins to detract both from taste and potentially nutritional quality (I believe that the recipes are formulated to tailor for this possibility). The pouch cat food relies on a clean enviroment for the food preparation, so high heat isn't needed to kill bacteria. Bottom line, it should taste better. If you are interested in seeing a difference for yourself, go check out the soup isle in the grocery store and pick up both a can of soup and a box of soup. Boxed soup, made in a similar way that the pouch cat food is made, tastes a ton better in my opinion.

So what does Pinkie think? Well, she just about went crazy when I brought it home last week. I choose the duck and turkey variety to avoid giving her any fish or beef protein, and she licked the bowl clean. It costs a bit more than I am used to however, so I don't know if we're going to completely switch over. Currently, I will feed her a 12 once can over a three day period, and that keeps my daily expense quite low. If I were feeding Pinkie with 3 oz cans however, I would consider making the switch. The cost is the same, there is less material waste with the packaging, and it seems to be the superior product.