Quick question (Callie)

calliecritturs

Cat food?  (That needs to be cans doesn't it??)

Cats can eat kibble.  The Purina One is decent for a Purina food.  I wouldn't bother with hairball control type food or the "urinary" specialty type.

The amount I know about cats you could put in a thimble -- a SMALL thimble.  Thank you *so* much for that.  I mean just cos I like dogs doesn't mean they are the only animals that need fed! 

 Having an elder, diabetic cat - can I just say that kibble with lots of corn/carbs/grains is not healthy for them. And considering the seniors are on fixed incomes, a sick cat is not a good thing. I quit feeding kibble cause of the diabetes, so I can't give you any names, but ones that are meat based and carbless are best.

If you have a Tractor Supply nearby Callie, you might look at their prices of TOTW and Blue Buffalo compared to Iams, etc.

The cheap foods are adequate for most animals, or they wouldn't last in the market place.  Dogs survive on Old Roy and some even thrive.  The premium foods are better, of course, but lots of people swear by what we consider to be low quality feeds.

Purina or Iams are both foods I would suggest for the dog and cat food.   Or you could just give the shelter a gift certificate to Petsmart and let them decide. :)  They could probably get those same foods much cheaper at a local grocery store so you might want to give them a gift cert for one of the larger chains in your area.  You can sometimes buy those online and save yourself a trip.

I agree with Jackie on Purina one or Iams, or Chicken Soup if you can find it at Petsmart.  Honestly, even the lower quality foods have gone up in price soooo much lately that something mid level (who would lose customers if they went up too much, etc) are just about the same in terms of cost. 

I know a few people who feed Nutro with good results and although I'm not sure where it is on the price scale, it should be at Petsmart.

I also agree that feeding more animals would be a priority so go with something... and for some dogs not used to it, a high quality food might make them ill from the richness, or overfeeding, and that won't help the folks you are trying to help.

My local rescue requests Purina One when given a choice. They know it isn't the best, but it is available to most everyone and more importantly, the vast majority of dogs and cats digest it very well. They only feed canned to the sick or dentally impaired animals.

Jackie, you're right there with me but the shelter specifically asks for small bags/boxes -- they'll TAKE money but it's definitely not their preference (probably because no one wants to volunteer in this heat so they're trying to make it easy on themselves, I'd guess).

I know low/no carb stuff is FAR better, but I think I'll try for a variety and then if someone has a cat who IS diabetic or has health issues and *has* to have the better food then they have options for that person. 

You might give the SPCA a call before going to the store to see if they have recommended brands/products and if there's a specific need (e.g. kibble for cats, canned food for cats, etc.). And, I would most likely go with Purina One, as mentioned above.

 I agree with going with one of the cheaper foods found in the grocery store.  If a senior were able to get to a grocery store, that would be where they buy pet food also.  I doubt they would be able to shop regularly at a pet store. 

We all know it is not the best, but something is better than nothing.  

That said, my cats, when I had them, loved Meow Mix.

If you see it (and they want it) KITTEN food was incredibly hard to come by when I worked in the shelter.

tried to call -- according to the notice they want dog *food* and dog & cat *treats, so maybe they have someone who is subsidizing cat food or something --

David agrees -- we'll go get food in the morning.    You've all been incredibly helpful -- thank youj!!

 all great suggestions - grain free food is not something I'd give to an unknown animal as it is unlikely that someone getting food donations already had their pet on grain free so it could cause major tummy upset

I usually drop off bags of kirkland food - puppy food as that is what our shelter prefers - not sure if that has changed since they get so many owner turn ins now :(

sharismom

calliecritturs

Cat food?  (That needs to be cans doesn't it??)

Cats can eat kibble.  The Purina One is decent for a Purina food.  I wouldn't bother with hairball control type food or the "urinary" specialty type.

Another vote for Purina ONE.  Our cat did great on it- she lived to be 19 1/2.  She did even better on their ONE Naturals.  ONE dog food is pretty decent as far as supermarket brands go, too.  That said, our neighbors put their dogs on Rachel Ray's food a few months ago, and their dogs look great.  Thier old, black mixed breed has a nice, shiny coat with no dandruff for the first time in all the years I've known them.