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| Typical costs: | - Basic dry kibble, on average, costs between under $5 and $8 for a four-pound bag each month.
- Premium or "holistic" dry kibble, on average, costs between $8 and $16 for a four-pound bag each month.
- Canned food or frozen raw food, on average, costs between $16 and $38 for slightly more than two cases of 3-ounce cans of frozen raw food, each month.
- The price per day for any given brand is most expensive with the purchase of small bags and least expensive with large bags.
- The average cat owner spends $188 per year on food, according to a pet owner survey by The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.
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| What should be included: | - Cat foods include one or more sources of: protein, fat, soluble carbohydrates, fiber and vitamins and minerals. PetEducation.com offers a guide to cat foods.
- Some companies make a raw food diet for cats, which consists mostly of raw meat. The raw diet is controversial, so cat owners should do their own research. Amazon.com offers books on raw diets and holistic health for cats.
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| Additional costs: | |
| Discounts: | - Some retailers and manufacturers, such as Nutro and Blue Seal have frequent buyer programs that allow customers to receive a free bag of cat food after purchasing 10 to 12 bags.
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| Shopping for cat food: | - The Menu Foods pet-food recall that began in early 2007 has continuing implications for cat owners. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers current information on the recall. And ThePetFoodList offers a list of cat foods that were and were not part of the recall, as a starting point for consumers who want to do their own research.
- Look at the labels for high quality protein -- such as meat or fish -- at the top of the list. By federal law, manufacturers must list ingredients by weight. PetEducation.com has a primer on selecting a cat food.
- Consider the cat's life stage, weight, activity levels and any food allergies or sensitivities -- which, in cats, most commonly involve fish, beef or dairy products. PetEducation has a primer on food sensitivities and allergies.
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Article updated October 2007 |
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