Here's some information I've been compiling over the last couple of years in regards to cat food. Hopefully this will help future cat owners here in HK trying to make an informed decision on what and where to buy food for the household royalty.
Some of this may be common sense or repeated from previous posts, but I'll include it anyway. Finally, I'd like to say that some of the following information is based on my personal opinion, though I am happy to back up why I believe what I do if I haven't done so already. I would love for all pet owners to make their own informed decisions. After all, we all want the best for our cats at the end of the day
1. Dry food is unnecessary. Why?
While it is convenient, It only contains about 10-12% water due to it being dehydrated, which isn't enough for a cat that genetically has no thirst drive. Cats are genetically engineered to get the water they require from the food that they eat, so dry food simply won't do. It is sprayed with animal digest to make it palatable. Adding water to dry food will only create bacterial soup, which can be lethal to cats if said bacteria is ingested. That said, if you simply MUST feed dry food, pick a reputable brand such as Orijen. I have no affiliation with the brand, but they have had no recalls, use whole ingredients and are reviewed highly from vets to laypersons alike. They're also widely available in pet shops in HK.
2. Wet food is the best option. Several things need to be considered:
a) Is the food complementary or complete? Brands such as Applaws or Kakato are complementary. This means the wet food will need to be supplemented with a complete dry food (such as Orijen) so that the cat can get required levels of taurine, etc.
b) wet canned food should have around 78% water, otherwise you are simply paying for water, and less actual food.
c) Carbs should remain below 10% of what is in the can, and protein should normally be higher than fat content.
d) Avoid foods that contain carrageenan. It's a controversial ingredient in cat food right now that causes GI issues and allergic reactions.
e) Avoid fish-based foods (mercury, phosphorus levels wreak havoc on kidneys and other organs over time). Turns cats into addicts and makes it hard to transition to other meat/poultry foods.
3. Check food consistency
If you have a finicky cat such as mine, keep an eye on the consistency of the food. Some cats love pate, others love chunks, jelly, or meat in its own gravy. If my cat refuses to eat pate, I have to mash it up with a spoon before he goes near it. Sometimes, a cat may be having issues with its teeth if it stops eating a certain type of food i.e. chunks. Brush your cats’ teeth if possible. Contrary to popular belief, dry foods do not help 'clean' a cats teeth. Chunks of meat (e.g. a raw chicken heart or a boiled piece of chicken) actually do a better job.
4. Considering a raw diet?
There are upsides and downsides to trying to reverse-engineer a mouse.
Upsides: Iherb supplements to add to cat food are easily delivered to your door. Raw meat is available at local wet markets and butchers will happily set aside chicken hearts etc. if you give them notice. There are plenty of FB groups to support you, and several tried and tested recipes online with step by step guides. If you don't fancy mixing up supplements on your own, premixes are available online. Making your own cat food is generally cheaper than buying cans or bags of food in the long run.
Downsides: You MUST follow recipes to the letter to provide adequate nutrition for cats. Finding a vet that supports raw feeding is not the easiest thing in HK. If you do find one, work together to make sure the food takes into account any special requirements e.g. for diabetic or renal cats. Meat grinders that can handle crushing bones are expensive and large for HK kitchens. Not all cats (especially those that have been raised on kibble and are crunch addicts) appreciate a raw diet. That said, I know cats who took to it like a duck to water.
5. Transitioning cats.
Mix ratios of whatever they're addicted to with whatever you want them to eat. For example, my cat loves tuna. I'm trying to transition him to chicken. 90% tuna, 10% chicken the first day. If he eats this, gradually amend the ratio e.g. 80% tuna, 20% chicken the next day. If he stops eating, go back to the previous ratio for a day or two, then change it up again after a day. This may cause some food wastage, but it's worth it in the long run. Also, keep an eye on their litter tray. If they have diarrhoea, you'll want to see if it’s a certain food that's causing it, or too quick of a transition.
6. Check amounts on canned foods when transitioning.
My cat isn't very fussy about brands as long as they are tuna flavoured. That said, I'm first using up all his cans of tuna, then I'm going to attempt feeding him cans that have tuna mixed in with chicken, and then finally cans that just have chicken in them. I will still be using the ratio method above to transition him between cans.
If you're trying to transition from say, tuna to chicken, and see cans that have both tuna and chicken in them, check the ratios on the label. For example, Canagan grain free tuna with chicken has 58% tuna and only 5% chicken. Great for transitioning in the beginning, but not so much later on when you want more chicken in a can and less tuna. I'm still looking for a complete cat food that has a greater ratio of chicken to tuna.
7. Cat still finicky?
Sprinkling FortiFlora (animal digest based additive) or some parmesan cheese can help fussy cats transition to new foods. If you don't have these on hand and your cat likes their dry food, crumble some dry onto their wet food to ease the transition. A little bit of tuna water (not tuna oil) from a human-grade can sometimes help in making food palatable too.
7. Try not to free-feed dry food
Especially in a multi-cat household. Reduce dry food intake daily until you're giving none at all and they've transitioned onto wet completely. Some cats will keep asking for it until there's none left in the house (because they can smell it or know where it is).
8. Starvation is a great tool
However, NEVER starve a cat longer than 18 hours. Any longer and cats can get dehydrated and go downhill pretty fast. They don't have a thirst instinct, like we do. Make sure fresh water is available and changed daily. Fun fact. Pets in Hong Kong should not drink out of the toilet as we are one of the (only?) countries in the world to use seawater to flush our loos.
9. Grain-free is best.
Cats do not need grains in their diet. Plenty of cat foods have lovely images of vegetables and meat on their labels, which are actually marketed at what we think, as humans, as being a balanced diet. Cats are engineered to process and eat meat. That said, a little bit of pumpkin is good for cats with delicate digestive tracts, and brown rice <1% is sometimes used as a binding agent in cat food and is acceptable. Think of it as the amount a cat would get from eating a mouse who has just finished its own vegetarian meal.
10. So which (complete) canned wet foods are recommended and available in HK?
This list is constantly changing, but currently here are some options (avoid fish-based options due to bad farming practices, mercury levels and addictiveness)
Ziwipeak (a bit rich for my cat, but may work for yours if they like the meatiness)
Nature's Variety
Weruva Cats in the Kitchen (highly recommended, both pouches and canned versions)
Primal Raw (MUST add water to this)
Tiki Cat (particularly Koolina and Puka Puka Luau)
Organix (This is owned by Merrick who were recently bought out by Purina, so keeping an eye on this)
Wellness Grain Free (but check, as some varieties have carrageenan)
Canagan - not much info available on this online, but so far it meets criteria, especially the Chicken and Duck formula.
Almo Nature - They've changed the formula, and my cat has gone off it. It's widely sold, but the manufacturers refuse to release certain information on it. That said, it's a very good complementary food.
11. Where can I order/buy what I need for my furry friend?
Epet
Vetopia
Upet (my personal favourite because they deliver to Tung Chung, have a loyalty system and store my litter remotely and deliver when I need it)
Wisepet
Apepet
Petproject
SPCA (I used to buy Orijen dry food from them as a portion of what is sold goes to their charity)
Tung Choi street, Mong Kok (lots of pet shops selling individual cans as well as bulk options with discounts)
12. What about bigger brands such as Science Diet, Hills and Royal Canin, or Species-Specific diets?
I personally would not recommend these brands because they use animal digest to make their dry food palatable, and use lots of fillers such as grains. Vets endorse these brands because they're educated to do so (which is not necessarily a bad thing) but in comparison to what IS available for our furred friends, there are better options out there in terms of what we can feed them for their continued health and wellbeing. Would you rather your cat eat a mouse or a lab block? Sure, the lab block has everything it needs to stay alive, but the mouse is what they've developed to eat over centuries of evolution. Variety is the spice of life.
As for their wet food, particular diets are available for cats with renal or weight issues, though similar health results have been achieved by allowing cats to eat what they're supposed to, rather than what is recommended. A quick google search can elaborate on why these particular diets are not recommended. Additionally, kittens do not require 'kitten food' (the exception being kitten formula) and can transition directly onto adult raw or adult cat food when appropriate.
13. Keep an eye on their litter tray
A cat fed well will have drier, smaller and less smelly poop. Keep the litter tray filled with about 6 inches of litter (a lot, I know) which will stop poop or pee sticking to the bottom, making it easier to scoop out. I'm interested in paper litter (would love to hear what everyone else is using), but at the moment am using Dr. Elsey's which is pretty decent with litter tracking and has little to no dust.
14. Why should I listen to what you have to say?
You don't have to. I'm just a crazy cat lady who wants the best for her furry friend, and would love to assist HKers when and where I can with what I know and have researched. I've spent a lot of time and energy on figuring out what is good for my cat as well as what he likes. I'd like to make the process easier for those living here, especially since we don't always have the time to research every little thing.
15. What references have you used to compile all this information?
I've used petsumer report, catinfo.org, naturalcatcareblog, about.com, thecatsite, webmd, petmd, felinecrf.org, feline-nutrition.org and a whole bunch of others on top of this. Individual reference links to studies and published data are extensive and provided on the websites listed above. There's a very detailed guide on how to read a cat food label and nutritional information on the catinfo website, which is written by a vet. Highly recommended if you'd like to do your own research.
Additionally, there are groups such as Raw Feeders Hong Kong and Hong Kong Pet Owners or Hong Kong Cat Owners on FB that can assist should you ever need any help.
I hope some of this information will be useful to whomever reads it. Best of health and luck with your kitties.