# Is Royal Canin a good food?



## Francisco Durand

Well I'm getting a siberian cat and I'm doing a list of what to buy before the kitten arrives (A breeder named Lillian Narramore is going to fly from Atlanta, Georgia to my country). Well, I have asked a lot of pet stores and vets of what food they have and they only have Royal Canin, I haven asked all the vets but a significant amount. So I researched online and found that royal canin besides being expensive it's not a great food. So I'm asking here if any of you use that food and what's your testimonials... thanks :"D


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## hobbs2004

Francisco Durand said:


> Well I'm getting a siberian cat and I'm doing a list of what to buy before the kitten arrives (A breeder named Lillian Narramore is going to fly from Atlanta, Georgia to my country). Well, I have asked a lot of pet stores and vets of what food they have and they only have Royal Canin, I haven asked all the vets but a significant amount. So I researched online and found that royal canin besides being expensive it's not a great food. So I'm asking here if any of you use that food and what's your testimonials... thanks :"D


The quality of one food is always relative to other foods that are also available. I don't think you are in the UK so while RC might not be great food given the choice that we have here, the choice whereever you are might be more limited. Let's not forget that RC is a complete food for cats, so it will give your kitten the nutrients s/he needs.

Remember though to feed the food that the kitten was eating at the breeders for a few weeks when she comes to you. That will give you more time to find a food you like the look of too.

Also keep in mind that a dry food isn't the best diet for a cat, so perhaps also look at sourcing a good, complete wet food to feed her mainly.

Hope that helps and enjoy your kitten!


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## newfiesmum

Francisco Durand said:


> Well I'm getting a siberian cat and I'm doing a list of what to buy before the kitten arrives (A breeder named Lillian Narramore is going to fly from Atlanta, Georgia to my country). Well, I have asked a lot of pet stores and vets of what food they have and they only have Royal Canin, I haven asked all the vets but a significant amount. So I researched online and found that royal canin besides being expensive it's not a great food. So I'm asking here if any of you use that food and what's your testimonials... thanks :"D


I feed my dogs on Royal Canin and it is really good for them, but I would not feed a cat on only dry food. Even the dogs have a bit of wet mixed in, as I don't like giving any animals just dried.


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## HeartofClass

It seems that others have advised you pretty good. I've gotten a Siberian kitten myself two weeks ago and she also had to go on an airplane flight to get here. I just want to give you a little advice, keep your distance when the kitten arrives. She will be very stressed and she'll be having a hard time adapting to so many new things at once. Feed her the same food the breeder fed her for some time, try to even use the same litter, don't pay her much attention - a little gentle petting on her back back, other than that let her come to you (I mean, don't try to pick her up whenever you feel like snuggling up with that fluffly gorgeous ball of fur, trust me you'll have to restrain yourself ).

As for Royal Canin food - the breeder of my Siberian fed her Nature's best Hill's and a few times a week a portion of raw meat. I have two other kittens who are fed Royal Canin kitten, so at feeding time I gave her Hill's and they got RC as usual. Immediately Inishka showed preferation for RC as she wanted to eat out of my other kitten's bowls. I like to offer my kittens as much variety as possible, they have also tried Sanabelle, Hill's Science plan and Techni-cal, they prefered RC dry food over any of those. As for wet food, they prefer Hill's Science Plan chunks in gravy over anything, but they also love Animonda, and basically would eat any wet food. Of course all wet food and dry food they have tried is specified for kittens. 

You know, when researchig things over the internet... Let's put it this way, if you searched for information on all brands of food available for cats, read everything negative anyone says about them on the internet and believe it, your cats would be starving. There's no perfect food for cats. RC is, in my opinion, as good as you can get for a pretty decent price when it comes to dry food. But if you really want your cats to have the best diet possible, you should consider raw feeding.  Although I think I'll never be able to feed them completely raw (the heat is horrible in the summer here, it's very convenient that my cats eat dry food too, because it doesn't spoil fast), in the future I plan to do it as much as possible. My Siberian especially, who's used to eating raw, is completely NUTS about it. It can't compare to anything. Right now when I have time I like to cook sime rice with meat, put it in bags in the freezer and just defrost anytime I want - they LOVE it.

In the future if you want to feed your Siberian dry food, you should consider RC longhair indoor (if your cat's going to be indoor), intense beauty or even maine coon. But really, don't forget to feed her wet too, mine always get at least one portion of some kind of wet food a day.


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## hobbs2004

HeartofClass said:


> You know, when researchig things over the internet... Let's put it this way, if you searched for information on all brands of food available for cats, read everything negative anyone says about them on the internet and believe it, your cats would be starving. There's no perfect food for cats. R*C is, in my opinion, as good as you can get *for a pretty decent price when it comes to dry food.


As I said, it is all relative. If you live in a country where you have access to a grain-free dry food with a good meat content, or even better if you live in a country where you have access to good quality wet food, then RC is not "as goo as it gets". If you live in a country where choices are limited and you don't have access to grain-free dry food, then by default RC is as good as it gets. So, it is all relative.

Personally, I would always rather feed a complete wet food than a dry food; no matter what ilk. If I had to feed dry and I had a choice, I would choose grain-free dry food.

True, raw food can be a great alternative to commercially available cat food but only IF and WHEN you have made yourself knowledgeable enough to know what you need to feed them and why. The crappiest complete wet food in my opinion is better than an unbalanced raw diet.


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## HeartofClass

hobbs2004 said:


> As I said, it is all relative. If you live in a country where you have access to a grain-free dry food with a good meat content, or even better if you live in a country where you have access to good quality wet food, then RC is not "as goo as it gets". If you live in a country where choices are limited and you don't have access to grain-free dry food, then by default RC is as good as it gets. So, it is all relative.


Notice I said as good as you can get for a decent price when it comes to _dry food _. Of course it is all relative and what I said is generally speaking.


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## hobbs2004

Of course it depends on where you get your RC and what deals you can get but Orijen, for example, isn't that much more expensive and that is a "better" dry food imo.

Edit: Just saw your reply on your other thread; orijen and co aren't available in your country. That was my argument; so I rest my case.


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## jo-pop

In my opinion Royal Canin is an decent food if you insist on feeding dry. There are better alternatives available in the UK (Applaws, Orijen to name just two) but I am not sure if you can get them where you are. When the time comes when you are considering changing over (you need a good few weeks on the same food as breeder was giving) then Id suggest looking for a high meat content grain free food. 

The most ideal situation would be after a few weeks or a month or so gradually change over to a good quality wet food.

If you are feeding good quality then there is no reason to buy kitten specific food, it is just not needed.

The RC special varieties (indoor, BSH etc etc) are a bit gimmicky I think. Too expensive for what it is.

I hope this helps a little. Enjoy your new arrival.


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## HeartofClass

hobbs2004 said:


> Of course it depends on where you get your RC and what deals you can get but Orijen, for example, isn't that much more expensive and that is a "better" dry food imo.
> 
> Edit: Just saw your reply on your other thread; orijen and co aren't available in your country. That was my argument; so I rest my case.


Yeah, I guess I should've mentioned it in my post here too - I do often forget UK pet stores tend to be much more supplied and probably hold better brands than RC too.


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## Francisco Durand

Well, I've been over-informed my brain is exploding for all the incoming information. Thanks all for all of your replies and well I've made a decision, I'm gonna dive into raw feeding. And for occasional treats I'm thinking giving him some kibble (?).


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## hobbs2004

Francisco Durand said:


> Well, I've been over-informed my brain is exploding for all the incoming information. Thanks all for all of your replies and well I've made a decision, *I'm gonna dive into raw feeding*. And for occasional treats I'm thinking giving him some kibble (?).


Then please just make sure that you make yourself as knowledgeable as you can. Raw feeding isn't rocket science but it doesn't just mean putting a slab of meat on the plate.


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## Francisco Durand

hobbs2004 said:


> Then please just make sure that you make yourself as knowledgeable as you can. Raw feeding isn't rocket science but it doesn't just mean putting a slab of meat on the plate.


Of course. I'm currently reading www.catinfo.org www.feline-nutrition.org and cat nutrition - home and my parents says it's ok that they are gonna discuss it with the vet when the kitty is here


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## hobbs2004

Francisco Durand said:


> Of course. I'm currently reading Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition :: healthy cat diet, making cat food, litter box, cat food, cat nutrition, cat urinary tract health www.feline-nutrition.org and cat nutrition - home and my parents says it's ok that they are gonna discuss it with the vet when the kitty is here


All excellent places to start.


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