Affordable Kitten Food
I keep hearing from fellow foster parents asking me for a more affordable option to Royal Canin Mother & Babycat mousse so I did some research and found 3 brands that just might stand up to the "Holy Grail" of kitten weaning, Royal Canin.
Links to the 4 foods we're comparing:
Click here to watch the video on our YouTube channel
What I Compared
In order to find cheaper alternatives, I wanted to look for brands that were at least 20% cheaper than Royal Canin without going down to a Friskies price point.
When I started asking around I discovered that a lot of shelters and rescues use Science Diet so I knew I had to add this one into the comparison. I found the Petco brand, WholeHearted, on a recommendation from another foster mom and I found the Whole Earth Farms simply by spending hours looking at kitten food brands and their prices.
After choosing the food I dished out some of each brand to compare consistency. We all love Royal Canin because it is so smooth and creamy, making it easier to feed to weaning kittens. We all have different ways of weaning so I wanted to be sure to test it a few different ways. I smeared each food on the plate to check the mushy factor and then moved on to a 'syringe' test. I loaded up 10 ml syringes full of each food (without KMR) and tested how easily it came out. Finally, I mixed each food into a gruel with kitten formula.
My Results
Smear Test & First Impressions
The Royal Canin, Science Diet and Whole Earth Farms all smeared really well. I was pretty impressed with the smooth consistency of each of these brands. However, the WholeHearted, while smooth, is VERY thick. On the other hand, I felt like it looked and smelled the most like 'real' food and appeared to contain less by product.
Syringe Test (Straight Food, No KMR)
Science Diet & Whole Earth Foods - These 2 were the creamiest and the easiest to push through a syringe. Best for syringe feeding straight food with no KMR mixed in with it!
Royal Canin - I went into this expecting Royal Canin to be the creamiest and easiest to push out of a syringe. I was incredibly surprised to find it was the 3rd most difficult to push out of a syringe!
WholeHearted - It wasn't impossible but this food was seriously difficult to push through the syringe. It is very thick. Unless you are using it to make a gruel, you're going to want to wait to feed WholeHearted until the kitten is more experienced with solids.
Gruel Test
All of these brands mixed easily with KMR into a nice, smooth gruel. Even the WholeHearted mixed into a creamy texture. I did notice a problem with the Science Diet. There were tiny chunks in it that will get stuck in a nipple. If you are going to syringe feed the gruel or put it on a plate, it would do fine. However, I can see it clogging up a nipple terribly if you are trying to bottle feed a thin gruel.
Overall I think these 3 foods would be a decent replacement for Royal Canin. There are a few considerations with the Science Diet and the WholeHearted but if you keep those in mind, you'll be okay using them.
Save Money With Cash Back Sites
Top Cash Back is the cash back site I use for online shopping. I always click through this site before buying anything online. This helps me save a few extra dollars. TopCashBack.com
More Ways To Save On Your Kitten Food
Take advantage of special offers. Utilizing Auto Ship can save you anywhere from 5% to 15% on your order.
A lot of stores like Chewy and Petco offer an extra 30% off your first Auto Ship order. It could save you a ton of money if you placed one big order like this at the beginning of the season.
For the WholeHearted brand, Petco offers a yearly $29 membership for a 25% savings. Click HERE to check it out.
Here are the details:
For $29 a year you get 25% off any WholeHearted food. The discount is easy to use - simply purchase the subscription with your Pals account and the discount is automatically applied to all WholeHearted products you purchase online using that Pals account. How it Works:
Purchase your membership online with a valid Pals account and your 25% member discount will be automatically applied to your online account moving forward.
The WholeHearted Food Membership may only be used on purchases made online.
The discount for your WholeHearted purchases will be reflected in your cart
Prices & Ingredients
WholeHearted Grain-Free Turkey Recipe Pate Wet Kitten Food, 5.5 oz cans, Case of 12
$13.08 Reg = .19 cents per oz
$11.88 Auto Ship = .18 cents per oz
No artificial colors or flavors
No corn, wheat, or grains of any kind
Antioxidant nutrients help support a healthy immune system
Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids aid in maintaining a healthy skin and coat
Grain-Free Turkey Recipe Pleasing Pate Wet Kitten Food from WholeHearted
DHA to help support healthy brain development
Ingredients Turkey Broth, Turkey, Chicken, Dried Egg Product, Pea Protein, Tapioca Starch, Sunflower Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Fish Oil, Salt, Natural Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Magnesium Sulfate, Dried Celery, Zinc Oxide, Reduced Iron, Vitamin E Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source Of Vitamin K Activity).
Guaranteed Analysis Crude Protein (Min.) 12%, Crude Fat (Min.) 4%, Crude Fiber (Max.) 1%, Moisture (Max.) 80%, Ash (Max.) 4%, Docosahexaenoic Acid (Dha) (Min.) 0.1%, Zinc (Min.) 20 Mg/Kg Vitamin A (Min.) 1334 Iu/Kg Vitamin E (Min.) 10 Iu/Kg Taurine (Min.) 0.05%, Omega-6 Fatty Acids* (Min.) 1%, Omega-3 Fatty Acids* (Min.) 0.18%. *Not Recognized As An Essential Nutrient By The Aafco Cat Food Nutrient Profiles.
Hill's Science Diet Savory Turkey Entree Canned Kitten Food, 5.5 oz cans, Case of 24
$30.00 Reg = .22 cents per oz
$28.50 Auto Ship = .21 cents per oz
Made with natural ingredients
High quality protein to help your kitten build and maintain muscle
Made with purposeful, easily digestible ingredients young cats enjoy
Contains a clinically proven antioxidants plus vitamins C+E for your developing kitten's immune support
Yummy canned food with balanced minerals for strong bones and healthy teeth
Ingredients Water, Turkey, Turkey Giblets, Pork Liver, Salmon, Pork By-Products, Egg Product, Soy Protein Isolate, Corn Gluten Meal, Corn Starch, Chicken Liver Flavor, Chicken Fat, Whole Grain Corn, Dicalcium Phosphate, Chicken, L-Lysine, Natural Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Guar Gum, Brewers Dried Yeast, Fish Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate, Locust Bean Gum, Calcium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Iodized Salt, Carrageenan, Taurine, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid), Magnesium Oxide, minerals (Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate), Beta-Carotene.
Guaranteed Analysis Moisture: Max. 74.5 %, Protein: Min. 10.0 % Max. 15.0 %, Fat: Min. 6.5 % Max. 10.0 %, Crude Fiber: Max. 1.3 %, Calcium: Min. 1.10 % Max. 1.90 %, Phosphorous: Min. 0.90 % Max. 1.40 %, Sodium: Min. 0.25 % Max. 0.55 %, Magnesium: Min. 0.090 % Max. 0.130 %
(Same price on both sites)
Whole Earth Farms Grain Free Real Healthy Kitten Recipe Wet Cat Food, 5 oz cans, Case of 24
$30.96 Reg = .25 cents per oz
$29.41 Auto Ship = .24 cents per oz
First Ingredient is Quality Protein
Cooked in America With The Earth's Finest Ingredients
No Corn, No Wheat, and No Soy.
No Poultry By-Products, No Artificial Flavors, No Artificial Colors, and No Artificial Preservatives.
Ingredients Deboned Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Natural Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Calcium Carbonate, Organic Dried Alfalfa Meal, Sodium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodate, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate), Potassium Chloride, Salt, Taurine, Agar-Agar, Ground Flaxseed, Locust Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum, Yucca Schidigera Extract
Guaranteed Analysis Crude protein (min.)&9.00% Crude fat (min.)&4.00% Crude fiber (max.)&3.00% Moisture (max.)&78.00% Ash (max.)&3.00% Taurine (min.)&0.20%
(Same price on both sites)
Royal Canin Mother & Babycat Ultra-Soft Mousse in Sauce Wet Cat Food
$42.98 Reg = .30 cents per oz
$40.83 Auto Ship = .29 cents per oz
Formulated for the specific needs of growing baby kittens (1-4 months) and mother cats (pregnant or nursing)
Fluffy mousse texture in sauce is easy to eat and helps kittens transition from milk to solid food; a perfect complement to Mother & Babycat Dry Cat Food
Supports a young kitten's immune system with an exclusive complex of antioxidants and vitamins needed to stay healthy and grow strong
Promotes healthy digestive system development with highly digestible proteins and prebiotics
Includes DHA to build a strong foundation for brain development, starting in the womb and continuing throughout the mother cat's pregnancy
Ingredients Water sufficient for processing, chicken liver, chicken, chicken by-products, pork by-products, wheat gluten, powdered cellulose, modified corn starch, pork plasma, natural flavors, vegetable oil, brewers rice flour, fish oil, hydrolyzed yeast, calcium carbonate, carrageenan, sodium tripolyphosphate, guar gum, potassium phosphate, taurine, vitamins (DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), niacin supplement, biotin, D-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement), choline chloride, potassium chloride, trace minerals (zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, calcium iodate), marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), magnesium oxide, carotene.
Guaranteed Analysis Crude Protein (min.) 9.0%, Crude Fat (min.) 4.0%, Crude Fiber (max.) 1.9%, Moisture (max.) 81.0%.
I got all 4 of these foods at Petco so for consistency there I'm including Petco pricing info on Royal Canin but the best pricing was on Amazon at the time of this posting.
$42.98 Reg = .30 cents per oz
$40.83 Auto Ship = .29 cents per oz
$16.64 Reg = .46 cents per oz
$15.81 Auto Ship = .43 cents per oz
