What is the difference between indoor cat food and regular?

Ginny

What is different about the indoor cat food formula and should cats that are indoors or mostly indoors be eating it? Thanks!



Valeria

To give the best answer, Id have to compare actual brands. But to summarize, very little is different. The indoor formulas may have slightly lower calories but thats about it. Its in no way an official label - its really pretty much meaningless. I have found that the better cat foods dont use these labels at all, so to answer your question Id say no - dont feed anything that claims to target a specific breed or age of cat. Im going to compare Iams products (not a brand I would ever recommend).Indoor formula contains:Ingredients Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Grits, Corn Meal, Dried Beet Pulp (Sugar Removed), Powdered Cellulose, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken, Dried Egg Product, Natural Chicken Flavor, Chicken Fat (Preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Sodium Bisulfate, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Fish Oil (Preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Brewers Dried Yeast, Choline Chloride, Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (Source of Vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Source of Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Source of Vitamin B2), Inositol, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), L-Carnitine, Rosemary Extract Original (chicken) contains:Ingredients Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Grits, Corn Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E, and Citric Acid), Fish Meal (source of fish oil), Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Sodium Bisulfate, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Brewers Dried Yeast, Choline Chloride, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid], Calcium Carbonate, Minerals [Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate], Salt, Rosemary Extract. Original has more protein - lowering the protein is NOT a good thing. It claims 433 calories per cup. Indoor claims 303 calories per cup. Its lower in protein and fat (not a good thing). Theyve removed the meat! Theyve saved on calories by removing anything remotely healthy. If a gun were held to my head and I was told to feed Iams, Id choose the original formula. Its still horrendously bad food, but at least theres some healthy stuff in it. So to sum up - dont feed indoor formulas. If your cat needs to lose weight or you need to keep an eye on that, there are much better things you can do. EDIT: NB is a decent brand of food. Youll do fine with that, I think.



An

I think that indoor cat food is possibly less fattening as cats arent as active as outdoor cats and helps to stop them gaining weight I think.



Suzy

Most dry cat foods are the same, but, their are those that use the same ingredients as in milk or cream, and some that contain grass so that your cat can still get the ingredients it needs indoors as what it would eat if it were an outside animal.



Bonnie

It usually has slightly less fat and protein than the regular, so that a less active indoor cat doesnt gain too much weight. but it doesnt mean your indoor cat necessarily needs it. many times it is used as a replacement for actually exercising the cat and feeding it proper amounts.



An

One difference is that indoor cat food contains nutrients that outdoor cats get from grass, that indoor cats only get if they have indoor grass. Also, the indoor cat foods are designed for less active cats.



Patricia

Usually indoor formulas contain less calories and more fiber. This allows the cat to attain a "full" feeling without overeating. Some indoor formulas have supplements to assist in passing hairballs. Indoor cats are natually less active than outdoor cats. If your cat lives exclusively indoors, then the lower calorie foods are probably a better choice.



Annabel

Www. catinfo. orgread this article for all the healthy choices in food for your cat. www. geocities. com/jmpeerson/canfood. ht… Janet and Binkys Cat food chartPlease read the first link. It will answer your food questions and give you help in picking the right food for your cats. Thank you,



Carly

The indoor formula has more vitimins and more protiens and all. I dkn. why theres a differnece?



Magnolia

Indoor cat formulas have less protein. I read the ignrdients on everything. Most indoor cat formulas do not have as many meats as regular. My cats have access to indoors and out, but even if they were indoor cats, I would still offer them regular cat food because of the better protein content. Also natural balance is a great brand. Especially the grain free canned varieties. My cats eat the reduced calorie dry food along with it. My cats arnt over weight. But it has more protein less carbs than the regular. Innova is good but very pricey.