# Is science plan food really good for cats?



## Guest (Aug 4, 2011)

I recently changed my cats food to science plan on the advise from my vet as they said it was healthier for cats. 4 weeks later and she has gone from 3.6kg to 4.1kg and I have been feeding her inline with the science plan guidelines. Surely it is not healthy as my cat has put on weight and is now sleeping all the time and has no energy, she is normally really playful and I am getting extremely concerned and have discontinued the science plan food. I read online that some peoples pets have been dying from them feeding there pets science plan.

I dont trust my vet now and was wondering what food would be best to help her safely reduce her weight?


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## Dante (Feb 21, 2011)

Most vets are endorsed by companies such as Hills and Royal Canin and therefore are technically paid and trained to tell you that their food is the best for your cats.

How old is your cat currently? As weight gain from 3.6kg to 4.1kg really isn't so much of a problem dependant on age/sex/size of cat. Both of my 17 month old boys weigh over 5kgs now and are a healthy weight for their age and frame. There are members on here with cats that weigh more than that and they are perfectly sized still, same with members who have smaller framed cats.

For more info about Hills food.. And to find one (out of many better foods!) to suit you I'd recommend having a read of http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-health-nutrition/112132-z-wet-food-cats.html


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## Guest (Aug 4, 2011)

Dante said:


> Most vets are endorsed by companies such as Hills and Royal Canin and therefore are technically paid and trained to tell you that their food is the best for your cats.
> 
> How old is your cat currently? As weight gain from 3.6kg to 4.1kg really isn't so much of a problem dependant on age/sex/size of cat. Both of my 17 month old boys weigh over 5kgs now and are a healthy weight for their age and frame. There are members on here with cats that weigh more than that and they are perfectly sized still, same with members who have smaller framed cats.
> 
> For more info about Hills food.. And to find one (out of many better foods!) to suit you I'd recommend having a read of http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-health-nutrition/112132-z-wet-food-cats.html


She is a 2 year and 3 month old neutered female indoor cat and since being on science plan her body looks weird and she has a pot belly now.


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## Vampyria (Dec 14, 2009)

Welcome to PF! 

Hill's, despite what the vets say, is really not that great in terms of quality. The foods, particuarly the dry foods, are quite high in cereals, which is probably the reason your cat has put on weight. Cereals, grains and other fillers are high in carbohydrates. Cats, being obligate (strict) carnivores, cannot digest carbohydrates very well - especially in such high quantity. It often gets stored as fat as the body can't use it for energy very well.

There are two very good food guides from our resident food guru that may help you find a better food to feed your fuzzy one:
http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-health-nutrition/112132-z-wet-food-cats.html
http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-health-nutrition/116753-z-dry-food-cats.html

Good on you for looking for alternatives  I hope those links are of some use!


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## TatiLie (Nov 2, 2010)

Funny you mentioning that. My husband brought home at lunch time a pouch of Science Plan, present from a friend because her cat won't eat it. My cat, who is used to grain-free, sugar free and low carb food, ate it in two second and was hungry again 2 hours later (usually she's fine until 7-8 in the evening!!). I can imagine the highs and lows of glicemia and how it works on letting a cat fat, lethargic and craving for more food (which is really good for business).

When we brought her home from the shelter she was on Felix and a little bit chubby. Then we fed her only grain-free, sugar free and low carb food and she got healthy slim in a few weeks. I think you should seriously consider changing your cat's diet.


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## Guest (Aug 4, 2011)

I have decided to put my cat back on whiskers as she loves the variety and hopefully this will bring her weight down. I have tried her on various high quality meat foods before and ended up ordering aload on zooplus and spent a small fortune only to find she didnt like it and she'll only eat whiskers.


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## TatiLie (Nov 2, 2010)

Whiskas has loads of carbs and sugar and that's why she won't go for high quality food. It's like my niece that quit eating her greens after being introduced to 'chocky' and ketchup. You need to slowly introduce it in her diet and remove the junk food.


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## Peter Galbavy (Apr 29, 2010)

A vet recommending Hills is like your doctor recommending McDonalds or Kentucky Fried Rat as you new "healthy" diet. Just don't do it.


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## Celador (May 12, 2011)

As others have mentioned, most Vet's aren't actually 'educated' about cat nutrition and what education they HAVE received was usually from a large cat food company rep.

I have a friend who works in a Vets and he was raving about pro plan dry food, how great it was etc. and it turned out that everyone who worked at the Vets was being given presentations / lectures about pro-plan .... by a pro plan rep. They were making all sorts of claims and it convinced everyone that it was THE BEST food.

Listen to your vet about other health matters, but not about nutrition. Especially not if they try to convince you of one specific brand of dry food. That's a pretty good sign they've been told to sell that particular brand.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

I am a Hill's PNA (Pet Nutritional Advisor). I have a certificate to say so and I could have a very pretty badge if I wanted. In order to gain this highly prized qualification I was required to read a very thin brochure and answer a set of multiple choice questions. The 'right' answers were fairly obvious  The whole process took me less than 40 minutes.

Hill's are no better and no worse than most dried food. Their marketing however is second to none.


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