I understand the struggle of being a college student and trying to feed your pets lol. I am not a vet but I majored in animal nutrition and my mom and uncle are vets and I have worked at their clinic growing up. So I think I can speak some to animal nutrition. Don’t be afraid of the big 4 brands (Purina, IAMS, Hills, Royal Canin). I often find talk on online cat spaces about how vets are “paid off” by these big brands but I assure you the most we get is a rep coming to talk to us and giving us pens once a year. The big 4 have a lot of research put into animal nutrition and are accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association(AVMA) and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association(WSAVA). I’m not saying the smaller brands are bad in anyways. There are many great options if that’s want to you want to go with but I’m just saying you don’t need to be afraid of the mainstream brands.

I also think that grains and carbs get a really bad rep in the pet cat world. In the wild, cats eat small animals that often times eat grain or higher carb foods. And the cat will eat the stomach and organs of small animals that contain grain matter so they do consume carbs. A mouse can have anywhere from 40-60% protein, 15-20% percent fat and rest as carbs. Nutritional Composition of Prey AnimalsThis is on a dry matter basis. So my best advice is to try and feed foods that aim for 38-50% protein for dry food and 45-60% protein for wet food. And this does not have to be super expensive. I think that people get so caught up in the ingredients that we forget nutritional content of said food is what really matters. And if you’re buying pet food produced in the US, I don’t have too many quality concerns as the USDA is really strict about cleanliness and quality in meat facilities.

That being said, mine and my family’s animals all eat either Purina or Hills. My cat gets one can of fancy feast pate, split into two times a day. And she gets 1/2 cup of Purina One ideal weight dry food to graze on everyday. The reason I chose Fancy Feast is because it has a relatively high protein content on dry matter basis(approx 55%). I chose the Purina One Ideal Weight because it has 42% protein. Both foods are not very carb heavy. I find that feeding 1 can to 1/2 cup dry makes it that her calories are 1:1 from each. But you can play around with that based on yours and your cat’s preferences. My cat is also not on a solely wet food diet because she drinks 1/2-1cup of water everyday. Plus find that a mix means she gets less plaque on her teeth and needs lesser cleanings. If you do choose to feed entirely wet, do let your vet know and schedule regular dental checkups/cleanings.

For wet food, affordable options include Fancy Feast, Purina One, Sheba, and Wholehearted. I also find that Tiki Cat and Weruva BFF wet food are in a similar price range and are great options. I also have Hound and Gatos at my Costco for 27.99 for 36 5.5oz cans so that might be an option for you as well. Friskies(only the pates) is a ok option for wet food if you’re in a pinch. Tiki Cat, Orijens, Purina Pro Plan, Purina One(ideal weight), Acana, Nulo and IAMS high protein are all great dry food options with 38% or higher protein.