Now "Nau" Cat Food: Review, Composition, Range, Pros And Cons, Reviews Of Veterinarians And Owners

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

The pros and cons of Now as a basic cat diet

Now, most owners feed their pets with industrial food, because natural food for animals is not leftovers from the table, but a large amount of meat, dispensed according to strict rules, plus special additives. Dry food is not only convenient, but theoretically should provide the animal with all the necessary substances. But this is not the case for every feed.

Content

• 1 What is Now food

• 2 Composition analysis

  • 2.1 Table: Comparison of Nutrient Requirements for Adult Cats and Kittens and Nutrient Content in Now
  • 2.2 Video: feed Now overview

• 3 Feed evaluation

  3.1 Reviews of cat owners

• 4 Feed cost

What is Now food

Today there are several classes of food on sale: economy, premium, super premium and holistic. The difference between them concerns primarily the price and composition. Now food is a representative of the holistic class.

Now is produced by the Canadian company Petcurean pet nutrition, which also authored three other holistic food lines: Go, Gather and Summit

The Petcurean website has information about the company and its products

There are several types of food in the Now line for cats:

• Now kitten - for kittens from 5 weeks to one year old, it can also be given to pregnant and lactating cats. It is prepared using fresh meat and contains adequate amounts of Omega 3 and 6 fats;
• Now Fresh Adult - for adult cats;
• Now Fish is a sensitive food for cats with three types of fish and fresh vegetables. The body of cats always reacts very well to it;
• Now Senior is food for cats over 7 years old. Its formulation is aimed at maintaining a healthy weight in elderly cats that are prone to gaining weight and are neutered. It has reduced fat content and increased fiber content for better digestion.

Petcurean has a full line of cat food

You can also choose the composition of the feed - with poultry (turkey and duck) or fish (salmon and trout).

Composition analysis

A feed claiming to be in the holistic class must be of impeccable composition. Let's analyze the ingredients of Now Adult.

• Like all cat food from this company, it is grain-free. This sets them apart from the products of other manufacturers. Even the Hills and Royal Canin recommended by veterinarians always contain corn and cornstarch or flour in the first places. Since cats are predators, they don't need crops at all. Moreover, their intestines are shorter than those of herbivores, and are not designed to digest such food, so constipation is possible from a large amount of grain in cats;
• Does not contain, like all Now foods, gluten and chicken, two of the most common allergies in cats;
• in the first place in the composition of this feed is the turkey fillet, in the Now Fish feed the first places are taken by the fillets of trout, salmon and herring. The production used just raw meat, and not "dehydrated proteins of animal origin", as in the lower class feed, which can mean any by-products and waste;
• the next places are occupied by potatoes and peas, which are sources of carbohydrates, that is, energy for the animal;
• then comes the canola oil - it is obtained from canola seeds of the "Canola" variety. It is a source of Omega-3 and Omega-6, as well as vitamin E. A little further in the composition is coconut oil, which is valuable for the same ingredients. Moreover, it should be noted that oils are canned in a natural way, without the use of chemicals;
• also in the top five ingredients are eggs, which are highly recommended for cats. Along with meat and fish, they are a source of protein, and essential amino acids are essential for animal health. Phosphorus, calcium and magnesium contained in eggs have a beneficial effect on joints, bones and blood vessels. This is especially useful for the growing body of large breed cats;
• towards the end of the composition are vegetables and fruits, among which there are many exotic ingredients such as papaya, pineapple and grapefruit. In the wild, naturally, cats do not eat these fruits. There will be no harm from these products in the composition, especially since they are contained there in scanty amounts, but, perhaps, a certain amount of vitamins will enter the animal's body;
• Taurine is an amino acid that cats obtain primarily from meat. Strengthens the immune system, improves eyesight and coat condition, normalizes the liver, kidneys and heart;
• aitamins A, E, C, D-3 and group B, minerals;
• L-Lysine is another amino acid that strengthens the immune system, the musculoskeletal system and the cardiovascular system;
• chicory is a source of oligosaccharides that promote the growth of beneficial microflora in the intestine;
• dried algae - a source of iodine, has a beneficial effect on the thyroid gland and metabolism. Be aware, however, that algae can discolor the coat. If you notice that your cat has turned brown, it is better to refuse food with algae or liver in the composition. Although this is more true for breeders whose cats participate in shows, owners of fair cats are unlikely to like this effect either;
• Yucca Shidigera extract is added to reduce the smell of cat waste;
• rosemary extract is a natural preservative.

Meat comes first in Now adults

Below the composition on the package is the analysis of the ingredients.

• proteins - 31%. Growing cats need 30% protein, adults 25–30%. An increased amount can put too much stress on the kidneys, so there is no need to chase a high percentage of protein in the feed;
• fats - 18%. Adult cats need about 15–20% fat, young cats need 20%. No more need to avoid weight gain.
• Fiber - 2.5%. Cats need about 3% fiber in their feed. Its increased content is needed for older cats and animals suffering from overweight and constipation;
• humidity - 10%. Remember that dry food will never have enough moisture on its own! A cat sitting on a "dryer" must always have access to water. If your animal does not recognize liquid, then you can soak dry food with water, getting a kind of canned food;
• ash - 6.5%. At the sight of the word "ash", many buyers think that the feed is of poor quality, since waste is added there. In fact, the ash content of the feed shows the content of inorganic substances in the feed, the residue that does not burn, that is, minerals;
• phosphorus, magnesium, taurine, fatty acids, lactobacilli - all these are useful substances.

Table: Comparison of Nutrient Requirements for Adult Cats and Kittens and Nutrient Content in Now

Ingredients	Eating an adult cat	Kitten food	Feed Now
Total protein	not less than 30%	not less than 34%	31%
Total fats	not less than 18%	not less than 20%	eighteen%
Total fiber	no more than 5%	no more than 3%	2.5%
Humidity	no more than 10%	no more than 10%	ten%
Ash	not more than 6%	not more than 6%	6.5%
Magnesium	not more than 0.09%	not more than 0.1%	0.09%
Taurine	not less than 0.19%	not less than 0.18%	0.24%
Fatty acid	not less than 3.5%	not less than 3.5%	0.45%

Video: feed review Now

Feed evaluation

Benefits:

• The meat is in the first positions, and not in the form of dehydrated proteins, namely fillet. As indicated on the packaging, the meat was raised without added hormones;
• there are no cereals, but fiber is present, which should have a beneficial effect on digestion;
• an adult cat weighing three to four kilograms needs only 40–55 g of feed per day, which, firstly, indicates a fairly high protein content in it, and secondly, it is economical;
• useful vitamins and minerals are present; contains essential amino acids;
• balanced in the composition of proteins, fats and carbohydrates;
• natural preservatives, does not contain impurities and pests;
• the taste of the feed will not deteriorate by the end of its shelf life;
• quite widespread;
• competitive price - on par with premium feed and cheaper than many other holistic feeds.

Disadvantages:

• contains pesticides in trace (extremely insignificant) quantities;
• flavors are present.

Veterinarians' opinions on Now food differ sharply. Some say that they are too high in vegetables and fruits for the cat's diet, but others recommend this food to their patients and give it to their animals themselves. Most experts agree that Now foods are well balanced and can form the basis of a cat's diet.

Personally, I have twice faced a sharply negative attitude towards holistics in general and feed Now in particular. One veterinarian argued that holistic class foods are not as aggressively processed as other foods and thus contain hormones and antibiotics. However, Now does not contain hormones, and careful processing allows you to preserve more nutrients. Another veterinarian said that according to her personal statistics, cats whose owners feed their holistic food are more likely to suffer from urolithiasis, but there was no evidence base or scientific explanation for this.

Cat owners reviews

Feed cost

The advantage of Now feed is its relatively low cost. You can buy it at a price of 1,500 rubles for a pack of 1.82 kg and about 4 thousand for a seven-kilogram package.

At the cost of Now, it is not much more expensive than premium feed, which cannot boast of a similar composition.

Now is not much more expensive than Purina, and Royal Canin is not inferior in price at all. Moreover, if you study its composition, it will become obvious that it is much less useful for animals.

Now belongs to the class of holistic, but only slightly more expensive than the premium Royal Canin

It is most profitable to order food from online stores such as LiDMart, PetShop and OZON. I have selected a few sites that are most convenient for me and regularly check them for promotions that will allow me to buy a large package of feed very cheaply. However, calculate the strength and appetite of your animal. If the best price is for the largest volume, can the cat eat the entire pack before the food goes bad?

Each animal, as well as man, is unique. Something that works great for some cats causes undesirable reactions in others or is simply disgusting. However, many breeders and simple owners of cats believe that feeding holistic food is beneficial to their pets and find Now a very worthy representative of this class.