We all know that, if we eat well, that is, if we eat quality food and according to our needs, the health we will have will be good or, at least, good enough so that the day that, for example, a virus wants to infect us the immune system can fight it without problems. Well, the same thing happens with cats, and that's why I'm going to talk to you about I nourish.
Nutro is one of the brands of animal feed that have also wanted to add to the bandwagon of those who have something as logical in mind as that cats are carnivores, being hunters by nature. But, What exactly are the characteristics of your products, and what are their advantages and disadvantages?
What is Nutro? Company history
The history of the company started in 1926, when John Saleen bought a dog food company from a British businessman. He named it Nutro Products, and later moved to Industry, California, where he turned it into a family business that sold only locally.
In 1976 they bought it, and from there it expanded the market. With the help of Dr. Sharon Machlik, in 1985 he developed and introduced the Max line, composed of feed formulated with chicken, lamb and rice. They did not use traditional advertising, but instead chose to detail the composition of their meals and to compare them with the ingredients of other brands.
Years later, In 2007, the company was acquired by Mars, Incorporated, and the headquarters was moved to Tennessee. Today, its products are sold in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe.
What are the products you sell?
Nutro specializes in the production of feed for both dogs and cats. They have two lines of food for felines, which are the Max Cat and the Natural Choice, and three for dogs, the Nutro Max, Natural Choice and Ultra. As this is a blog about felines, we are going to show you the most popular flavors that they sell for them:
| Flavour | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
|
Nutri Natural Choice Kitten
|
Kittens grow very fast, at a rate of 50-100 grams per week or so, so they need to be fed high-quality food.
This flavor is made with turkey protein, omega fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. It does not contain by-products, antioxidants or artificial colors. It is sold in bags of 300 grams and 1,5kg. |
€ 20,33 / 1,5kg bag |
|
Nutro Natural Choice Hariball Control for Adult Cats
|
Did you know that cats are prone to hairball problems? When grooming, they swallow many hairs that accumulate in their stomach.
Help them by giving them a feed that has insoluble fiber that traps and eliminates those balls, such as this flavor indicated for felines from 1 year of age. It is sold in 1,5kg bags. |
23,17€ |
|
Nutro Max Cat with chicken for adult cats
|
Cats are adults and are not usually as eager to play as puppies, but they still need quality food to have a strong defense system and iron health.
With this flavor, you will be giving them a feed that contains selected ingredients, and is also rich in omega oils that will help them have shiny hair. It is sold in 1,36kg bags. |
37,85€ No products found. |
|
Nutro Wild Frontier Grain Free with Fish and Fresh Salmon
|
If you want to make sure that you give your four-legged friends excellent quality food, you can give them this flavor that does not contain any type of cereal.
In addition, it is made with 70% meat (poultry and white fish), and 30% vegetable proteins. It is sold in 1,5kg and 4kg bags. |
€ 37,61 / 4kg bag |
|
Nutro Max Cat Senior with chicken
|
When a cat turns 8, 9 or 10 years old, depending on the breed, it is considered older since its pace of life slows.
In doing so, it is essential to give him a feed that is easy to eat, that satisfies him completely and that can help him to be well, such as this flavor that contains chicken, fish oil and omega oils among other ingredients. It is sold in 2,72kg bags. |
49,31€ No products found. |
What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving Nutro to cats?
There are several advantages and disadvantages, so let's see them separately:
Advantages
- Being very rich in animal protein, it means that animals need to eat less to satisfy themselves.
- Hair regains its natural shine.
- Your teeth and, really, your whole body, stay healthy, especially if we give them cereal-free flavors.
- Cats tend to improve their mood (it is not always seen or when it is detected, but it can happen).
Drawbacks
- The price is high". Without a doubt, much more than that of the supermarket feed.
- The quality may not be as good as they say.
Criticism of Nutro
And now is when we talk about the "dark side" of the company. That does not have to be this way, but this article would not be complete if we only counted the good that this brand of feed offers. The truth is that In April 2008 the web portal consumeraffairs.com reported many cases of diarrhea, vomiting and other problems in animals that were fed Nutro feed.. In September of that same year, the Pet Food Product Safety Alliance carried out various tests and discovered that the level of copper exceeded the recommendation of the American Association for Food Control (AAFCO) (here you have news that was published as a result of these reports).
The company rejected the allegations, but if we think about it, that's a logical reaction from any company. However, in May 2009 it recalled dry cat food from the market that, after having carried out some tests, they found out that they had excessive levels of zinc (2100 ppm, while it is advisable that they be 150ppm) and low potassium.
A month later, Dr. Stephen Hansen, veterinary toxicologist and senior vice president for Animal Health at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), said that zinc levels were "terribly high", and that, although the long-term effects are not known, it is known that they can cause liver and kidney disorders (here you have the study).
Is it a good idea to give them Nutro? Are there alternatives?
Having seen what you have seen, you are probably wondering if it is really safe to give these feed to cats, right? Well, I am nobody to say "this brand is good or this brand is bad", because I am not a nutritionist. But of course, when you inform yourself and read things like the ones I just told you, it is normal for you to look for alternatives.
If that is your case, I definitely recommend any of these brands that you will see below. They are the ones that, from my own experience (well, that of the cats with whom I have been sharing and am still making my life) are really of good quality.
- Applaws
- Taste of the Wild
- True Instinct (especially the High Meat variety)
- Origin
- Acana
- Or similar
I hope you have learned a lot from Nutro 🙂.