I agree with you, but what good is giving them the premium expensive food if
they refuse to eat it?

Will they eventually eat the good food if they get hungry enough, or be
stubborn and just starve themselves?

Justin

You know, I have heard this many times, but mostly by store clerks
trying to sell me more expensive food. And I have never had a problem
with feeding grocery store cat food.

"You can keep them healthy longer with healthier food."

So, my 19 year old cat would have lived longer? How about my healthy
18 year old cat?

All of our cats (except for a stray that was ill before we got him,
and an idiot who chased racoons) have lived longer than 15 years.
While the average age has improved, most people consider that to be
pretty good. And my personal cats are 19 (died 10 years ago), 18 1/2
(healthier than the 19 year old was at 16), 10 1/2 (prime of her
life), and 4 (long and lean).

For a food that is supposed to be the equivalent of McDonalds, I do
not understand. None of them have ever had weight problems, unless you
count the older ones *losing* weight. And they've always been healthy.

Maybe it is more about genetics, exericise, and mental health. I
certainly don't see any reason to condemn people for their choice of
cat food. I was 19 when I first was told not to feed grocery store cat
food, and by that time,  Fiona was 17 years old. It was all I could do
not to laugh at the clerk when he insisted my cats would never live
long.

Have there ever been any actual studies to determine if cats on
premium foods typically live longer than cats on cheap food? Or is it
really just a guess?

Another example. Table scraps. Never feed your cat table scraps.
Maynard has been eating my scraps for 18 years. And he's doing great.
It obviously hasn't hurt him. And you know what, he eats vegetables.
His favorite foods are peas and mushrooms. If you give him a choice
between tuna and peas, he will choose the peas. That is what he did
the very first time, back when he was 4 months old. I picked the peas
out of my tuna caserole, looked down during a commerical, and found
him eating my peas. Cats are veggie eaters. The complaint about cheap
cat food is the grain and veggies. Yet, my cat does great with vegiie
supplements and stealing bread.

So, I really have a hard time with all the attacks on people who feed
cheap cat food. If the cats are healthy, then what does it matter?

Do you have evidence to support your hypothesis? As for the phosphorus
level, the bag says it is .8%. It also has no artificial flavoring or
colors. BTW, if this brand was so bad I doubt they'd print on the bag "For
your pet's health see your veterinarian regularly." My cats are healthy and
happy which is pretty much what matters. They eat and are well cared for as
well as loved. That is really what matters.

Well, let's see. Bloodwork done on 17 year old cat. Vet was impressed
with the results. Only abnormality was high white blood count which
was expected since he was being treated for an abcess (my other cat
bit him in the butt).

I asked about the kidneys and thyroid, etc. The vet said everything
looked great. They were surprised at how well he looked. He had a full
geriatric bloodwork as well as urine test and special thyroid test.

They never asked about his food, only commented that he needed to gain
weight. He had just lost weight because I didn't realize he had the
abcess. It made his tail sore, so he couldn't jump up to the food.
After that, I fed him lower until he could jump okay again.

He is now 18 1/2 years old and he's healthier now than he was then.
More arthritis, but he eats better and keeps his weight on better.

I would have to say that he is "doing just fine".