TSC 4Health Cat Food Opinions

[Stitch_In_Time]

I am looking for some opinions on the 4Health brand from TSC. I have been feeding TOTW grain free to our 2 cats for quite awhile, but with the rising price I’m considering other options. The TSC food looks to be a similar quality for a smaller price.

I would also like to add canned food to their diet on a more regular basis (they get it as a treat only right now). How do I calculate how much canned and how much dry to feed?

We own 2 polar opposite cats. We have a 13.5# cat that will eat until the bowl is empty, and a 7# cat that prefers to graze all day. Keeping the grazer happy while controlling the weight of the gorger has been a challenge!

Thanks for any opinions or advice!

[One_Two_Three]

following… I fed TOTW to my dogs & cats and TSC employees kept trying to get me to switch to 4health which they claimed was the same stuff as TOTW.

I never bit the bullet and did it because I got frustrated with my local TSC never having ANYTHING I needed in stock (horse or dog or cat) and with the rising cost of TOTW I switched to a different brand that I get at Petco now.

Interested to see if anyone HAS used 4health

[Simkie]

I don’t use it for my house cats, but I do feed it to my barn cats. I think it’s a very good “compromise” food. It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot better than other inexpensive food out there, and the price is fantastic.

[Scaramouch]

I feed it to my barn cat (would feed it to a house cat if I had one) - fed TOTW in the past but switched when we got a TSC due to the price break and she doesn’t seem to have suffered for the change. It probably is VERY similar to TOTW, as I believe both products are made by Diamond.

[Stitch_In_Time]

[QUOTE=Scaramouch;7845624]
It probably is VERY similar to TOTW, as I believe both products are made by Diamond.[/QUOTE]

I sometimes forget exactly how many brands are made by Diamond.

I think for the cost savings I may give this food a try. I just wish I had a TSC a bit closer to where I live.

[Epona142]

I feed the grain free cat food and have no issues, not even in my Sphynx. She stays clean for a good long time before she starts to get her build up of oil/grease on her skin (a normal occurrence). Sphynx are notorious for having delicate digestive systems but I never have any problems from that end either.

YMMV of course, all cats are different.

[ponysize]

I haven’t tried the cat food so haven’t read the label, but the 4health line of dog food I have read and it’s not bad. They recently added a grain free version to that line. Southern States is also coming out with a grain free dog food as well. I’m hoping to switch to that as I too feed Taste of the Wild and with 4 dogs (3 of them labs) it adds up.

[Stitch_In_Time]

[QUOTE=ponysize;7845701]
I’m hoping to switch to that as I too feed Taste of the Wild and with 4 dogs (3 of them labs) it adds up.[/QUOTE]

I remember when TOTW was the affordable premium grain free food. Not anymore, its more expensive everytime I buy a bag!

[SonnysMom]

I feed 4Health dry dog food and have been happy.

I tried the 4Health grain free cat food and my cats were not impressed. I don’t think grain free is up their alley.

I only have one cat that will eat any real amount of wet food. The rest will lick the juice and maybe eat a mouthful.
Even the cat we call vulture doesn’t really go for wet food or the grain free. She will eat noodles, vegetables, lettuce with dressing, any meat but shrimp, eggs, bread, potato chips, Doritos. I wouldn’t say she was particularly gung-ho on the 4Health Grain Free.

[Stitch_In_Time]

[QUOTE=SonnysMom;7845954]
I feed 4Health dry dog food and have been happy.

I tried the 4Health grain free cat food and my cats were not impressed. I don’t think grain free is up their alley.

I only have one cat that will eat any real amount of wet food. The rest will lick the juice and maybe eat a mouthful.
Even the cat we call vulture doesn’t really go for wet food or the grain free. She will eat noodles, vegetables, lettuce with dressing, any meat but shrimp, eggs, bread, potato chips, Doritos. I wouldn’t say she was particularly gung-ho on the 4Health Grain Free.[/QUOTE]

I’ve been lucky that neither of our cats seem picky about the food we give them (knocking on wood). I’ve tried a few different things because the big cat is prone to weight gain.

I find it interesting when people have cats that aren’t interested in canned food, the cats in my life have always gone nuts for it!

[GoForAGallop]

[QUOTE=Stitch In Time;7845821]
I remember when TOTW was the affordable premium grain free food. Not anymore, its more expensive everytime I buy a bag![/QUOTE]

Subbing in to follow this thread.

I started feeding TOTW years ago when I was a poor college student. At under $40 a bag, it was the “cheap” premium food. Now it’s up to $50/bag at the small places, and $47 at Tractor Supply…sometimes goes on sale for $42.

I suck it up with the cats because there is only two and they are both light grazers, so the bags really do last a while. And it’s cleared up my ex-barn cat’s crusty eyes, more than any other grain free food I tried.

But at a bag every three weeks for the three dogs, that extra $10/bag over what it used to be sure does start to add up…the thing is they just look so darn GOOD on it. And I have a cattle dog with food sensitivities who will have seizures, so I’m understandably even more nervous about switching, if it’s just to save $5-10…

[Simkie]

[QUOTE=Stitch In Time;7845985]
I find it interesting when people have cats that aren’t interested in canned food, the cats in my life have always gone nuts for it![/QUOTE]

Cats get addicted to carbs just like people get addicted to McDonalds Doesn’t mean it’s good for them or that their palate “knows best”! It can be really frustrating to try to get a dry food addict onto canned.

[Epona142]

I do supplement my cats with one can of high quality wet food a day, as well. Forgot to mention that part.

[shayaalliard]

[QUOTE=One Two Three;7845527]
following… I fed TOTW to my dogs & cats and TSC employees kept trying to get me to switch to 4health which they claimed was the same stuff as TOTW.

I never bit the bullet and did it because I got frustrated with my local TSC never having ANYTHING I needed in stock (horse or dog or cat) and with the rising cost of TOTW I switched to a different brand that I get at Petco now.

Interested to see if anyone HAS used 4health[/QUOTE]
It is literally the same stuff as TOTW. Same maker- diamond. The non grain free is chicken soup for the pet lovers soul. They do not advertise the maker, because tsc carries both.
Edited to add- you can, and I have, swap from TOTW and back without any mixing because of that. If there is a torn TOTW bag cheaper than 4-health they get that.

It is the best food in the price point that I have found. I can’t afford the best foods on the market anymore- core and evo are pushing 90.00 a bag. I feed it and am happy with it, even with my food allergy senior.

[wendy]

You should never feed dry food to cats. You should never leave food out for cats to eat all day- the “grazers” are just headed straight for diabetes and kidney disease. Why do so many cat owners refuse to feed cats properly? They are carnivores and should eat a wet, high protein meal and then fast for hours. Not nibble on dry carb-laden food all day. No wonder so many people think a 12 year old cat, who is young and in the prime of life, is “elderly”.

Cats should only be fed wet food at set meal times. Cats are rather delicate animals and when it comes to food you just kind of have to say “NO” sometimes because they don’t know what is good for them. The cheapest wet food on the market is better than any dry food for cats. Despite the claims about oh you can’t force your cat to eat we haven’t yet had a single cat starve itself to death when offered the option of eat healthy or die.

[shayaalliard]

I do agree with you wendy, but I answered the question as asked. I;m actually pretty please with 4health canned and I do feed it, but I wish they had a grain free option.

[Lynnwood]

I feed TOTW to my cats I’ve also swapped in the 4 Health Grain Free White Fish and Potato. My cats liked it even my picky "everything must be fished based or I will not eat it " cat.

I feed 4 Health brand solely to my dogs have for over a year very happy with it was feeding lamb and rice. Decided to try the grain free duck and potato so far so good.

[RedMare01]

No opinion of the 4Health as I’ve never fed it, but you can get a big bag of TOTW on Amazon for just under $29 with free shipping.

[Stitch_In_Time]

[QUOTE=wendy;7846816]
You should never feed dry food to cats. You should never leave food out for cats to eat all day- the “grazers” are just headed straight for diabetes and kidney disease. Why do so many cat owners refuse to feed cats properly? They are carnivores and should eat a wet, high protein meal and then fast for hours. Not nibble on dry carb-laden food all day. No wonder so many people think a 12 year old cat, who is young and in the prime of life, is “elderly”.

Cats should only be fed wet food at set meal times. Cats are rather delicate animals and when it comes to food you just kind of have to say “NO” sometimes because they don’t know what is good for them. The cheapest wet food on the market is better than any dry food for cats. Despite the claims about oh you can’t force your cat to eat we haven’t yet had a single cat starve itself to death when offered the option of eat healthy or die.[/QUOTE]

I am aware that cats are obligate carnivores. We do not leave food out for out cats all day, the big cat would be the size of a blimp if we did. They both get several small meals a day. I know that dry food is not ideal, especially as one of ours is a large male cat. However, feeding an all wet diet is prohibitively expensive, which is why I’m trying to find a happy medium with a decent quality grain free kibble and increasing the amount of wet food we feed.

Incidentally, my childhood cat ate the cheap grocery store kibble her whole life and died of old age at 21 years old. Back then there was no such thing as quality cat food, she basically ate corn her whole life and never had a single health problem.

[danceronice]

I feed the 4Health grain-free or regular to my cats. They prefer it to Purina One and seem to like the grain-free better. The dogs get the 4Health small bites or lamb and rice forumlas and like it (they got a turkey and venison based kibble for a few weeks and Maggie almost refused to eat it. She’s much happier now I made a TSC run.)

The cats HATE the 4Health canned food, but it may be texture. And my cats are insanely picky about wet food/‘people’ food–only PC will eat real chicken. The others act like I’m trying to poison them.

(FWIW regarding the dog food, Pricey 21st Century Vet down here, when discussing Puff’s weight, said “What’s wrong with corn?” when I said one reason I fed 4Health is no corn. Yet another reason I wasn’t thrilled with the $400 bill for that visit. Though Puff got the “prescription” of every dog’s dreams when all the tests for why he was skinny came back normal: “Just feed him more.”)