# Whiskas, sheba, gourmet??



## teresa k (Aug 31, 2015)

I see a lot of people dismiss whiskas as full of rubbish. So can someone tell me the difference between whiskas and other wet food like sheba and gourmet. When I've looked at the ingredients they all seem the same


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## Bertie'sMum (Mar 27, 2017)

All three you mention are the same - none of them are particularly good as they contain grains and sugars (which cats just don't need and can't process)

For details of all the good wet foods out there have a read of this topic
https://www.petforums.co.uk/threads...-just-the-good-stuff-work-in-progress.440844/


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## teresa k (Aug 31, 2015)

Bertie'sMum said:


> All three you mention are the same - none of them are particularly good as they contain grains and sugars (which cats just don't need and can't process)
> 
> For details of all the good wet foods out there have a read of this topic
> https://www.petforums.co.uk/threads...-just-the-good-stuff-work-in-progress.440844/


Thank you for the link. I shall save it for future reference


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## 5r6ubertbe6y (Dec 5, 2017)

4% animal derivatives and full of fillers - grain, cereal and rusk.
Sheba and Gourmet aren't even cheap.


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## Quartermass (Nov 25, 2016)

If it helps, here's something to think about - pets don't buy cat food, humans buy it so a lot of the product development is with marketing in mind rather than quality as we don't always go for quality.

You can get healthy food, you can get appealing food and you can get food that's healthy and appealing. Generally the more expensive the stuff is on the zooplus thread the more appealing it is, all of the food there is healthy though.

All of our cats (apart from ones with special dietary needs), to the best of my knowledge would be perfectly fine if they ate relatively cheap Macs and Smilla etc but sometimes cats are choosy and want more expensive stuff, and sometimes we want to treat them with stuff they like even more.

Good cat food needs the following

* High meat content
* to be wet
* Zero grain/sugar content
* to be 'complete' (added taurine etc)
* no nutritional gap (add up the nutritional analysis and if it's less than 100% then it's likely carbs are there and we don't want carbs)
* around 80% moisture or less - otherwise you'll need to feed more of it, which isn't in itself a problem but bear in mind
* around 2:1 protein:fat ratio which is broadly in line with prey

Other than that it comes down to storage, to convenience and to how much it appeals to our cats.

Finally the general opinion here is that raw is better than anything else, but it can take more effort.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

MissMiloKitty said:


> 4% animal derivatives and full of fillers - grain, cereal and rusk.
> Sheba and Gourmet aren't even cheap.


The 4% referred to on a tin/pouch of cat food means that there is a minimum of the stated variety included in the make up as in .tuna flavoured/rabbit flavoured and so on ,it doesn't mean that there is only 4% in total.
I don't disagree with anyone who says that Whiskas/Felix/Sheba etc are at the low end of the available food but I would point out that my lad who has IBD and is a fussy bugger has done much better on Sheba than he ever did on any of the "higher quality" foods ,even my vet says he looks well on it and his vomiting has reduced dramatically .
From reading some other posts by IBD cat owners it seems he isn't alone.


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## 5r6ubertbe6y (Dec 5, 2017)

buffie said:


> The 4% referred to on a tin/pouch of cat food means that there is a minimum of the stated variety included in the make up as in .tuna flavoured/rabbit flavoured and so on ,it doesn't mean that there is only 4% in total.
> I don't disagree with anyone who says that Whiskas/Felix/Sheba etc are at the low end of the available food but I would point out that my lad who has IBD and is a fussy bugger has done much better on Sheba than he ever did on any of the "higher quality" foods ,even my vet says he looks well on it and his vomiting has reduced dramatically .
> From reading some other posts by IBD cat owners it seems he isn't alone.


I looked at the back of a Whiskas tin and it makes sense now, but I wonder why they don't mention the total percentage of animal derivatives. It's seems that only grain free foods state the total percentage. 
Some Sheba foods aren't too bad. The fresh choice pouches are quite expensive and I believe are grain free and higher meat content.


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## SbanR (Jun 16, 2017)

MissMiloKitty said:


> I looked at the back of a Whiskas tin and it makes sense now, but I wonder why they don't mention the total percentage of animal derivatives. It's seems that only grain free foods state the total percentage.
> Some Sheba foods aren't too bad. The fresh choice pouches are quite expensive and I believe are grain free and higher meat content.


Yes, but does it have "various sugars"?


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## Treaclesmum (Sep 26, 2011)

Sorry to ressurect an oldish thread, but I'm finding my cats to be doing well on Sheba too!

I'm feeding Fine Flakes and the Terrines which are lovely and tender as they are fish based. They do contain "various sugars", but I find the texture makes the difference as they are not sticky at all so they don't linger on the teeth and seem to be very digestible. All 4 of my cats like it and Poppy has put some healthy weight on her tiny frame.

Hope this helps anyone who may be considering Sheba products.


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## bluecordelia (Jan 5, 2014)

I think for me it is the heavy marketing that makes people think they are buying well.Cat Chat is great in that people can go and do what suits them and their pet but with some understanding. 

I blindly bought Maine Coon dry as a new owner. I should know better and thanks to this forum I do!


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## Summercat (Oct 8, 2017)

I avoid sugars as I think long term it damages teeth.
I notice many wet foods have bits of grains, often rice as fillers, sometimes I pick up a tin or packet and think this looks good but then read the ingredients.

I have heard of this brand but think it is only sold in the UK and I am outside. Looks good and is sugar and grain free. Plus may suit cats who like sauce:
https://purrandmiaow.com/products/cat-food-pouches

Has pea starch but as I have found, aside from raw, there isn't any wet cat food without at least one objectionable ingredient.
I rotate various wet foods and try to feed raw for one meal a day.


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## ScruffyCat (Jun 7, 2013)

My girls seem ok with Meowing Heads wet and dry... with the exception of the surf and turf flavour. 
I have been trying to wean them off felix but it's difficult as it's all they have known for the past 9 years. Only 4% meat and meat derivatives just doesnt sound appealing.... 
MH boasts 93% meat. It is a bit on the pricey side but the girls seem to like it. 

I have just ordered a trial pack of Edgart Cooper too....


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