Feeding your cat or kitten | Bertie's Pet Store

The home of quality cat nutrition...

Cat food labelling - What does it all mean?

A lot of leading brands contain questionable ingredients when it comes to cat food, which is why we have taken the time to fine tune our range in store, meaning that we only stock the best quality foods that your cats will thrive on.

Lets take a look at the ingredients in a pouch of cat food from one of the UKs most recognised brands, which is readily found in most supermarkets:

Complete pet food for adult cats with Lamb in Jelly.

Ingredients: Meat and animal derivatives (of which lamb 4%), Fish and fish derivatives, minerals, Various sugars.

But what do these ingredients mean?

Meat and Animal derivatives or Animal By-products-

This can be anything left over from the human meat industry, in other words if we wouldn't eat it - it goes to the animals. The mix of 'meats' used will vary from batch to batch and can never guarantee exactly what meats are being used, which isn't ideal if you have a pet with allergies or intolerances.

If you have a fussy cat, this can also explain a little as to why they suddenly go off of a food even if they have liked it for a while as the composition can suddenly change without the need for the manufacturer to change the wording of the ingredients.

Legally only 4% of the entire recipe needs to contain the meat stated on the flavour of the pack, to put this more simply an 80g pouch of lamb flavour in jelly cat food will only actually contain around 3.2g of lamb by-products.

For a dry food example in a 1kg pack of chicken flavour food will only contain around 40g of chicken by-products.

Hardly the ideal diet for our carnivorous housemates!

Various Sugars -

Did you know that cats can be prone to sugar addiction?

A phrase that we hear quite often regarding certain brands of wet pouches is "my cat will only lick the gravy/jelly, he doesn't like the chunks". This is most likely because the gravy and jelly in some of the top leading cat foods are coloured with natural colouring from CARAMEL. Not so nutritious and definitely not contributing positively to your cats dental health.

Cereals -

Grains and fillers are the top cause of digestive or skin problems in our pets. Their digestive systems just aren't designed to break down these ingredients. They are simply added as a cheap ingredient to help your cat feel full whilst not providing much for them nutritionally. Those with house cats will also notice that foods containing a high cereal content will also create more waste in the litter tray.

Sound appetising? We don't think so!

So what should we be looking for when feeding our beloved feline friends? Here at Bertie's we believe in feeding cats a diet fit for carnivores. The brands that you will find on our shelves mimic their ancestral diet - in other words, what they'd naturally eat.

We stock a range of high quality, high meat content wet and dry foods and also have a range of raw cat food in our freezers from Cotswold Raw.

Click the links below to find out more about the brands we have available in store.

Bertie's Excellence Cat

Bertie's Excellence

Available in 4 different varieties, Bertie's Excellence for cats is our own brand of premium cat food.

The Excellence Cat range has been specifically developed to provide a selection of high protein and high total animal content recipes that are irresistible to cats. The range has been formulated to offer an assortment of the finest freshly prepared animal protein sources with added functional ingredients to help care for a cat’s health.

This range is currently our best seller in store, we have received lots of feedback from customers with fussy cats saying that their cats are clearing their bowls every mealtime.

Click here to see the Bertie's Excellence range for cats.

How does Bertie's Excellence compare to other premium brands?

Their Ingredients..

Dehydrated poultry protein, vegetable protein isolate*, maize, vegetable fibres, rice, animal fats, hydrolysed animal proteins, wheat, maize flour, maize gluten, beet pulp, yeasts and parts thereof, minerals, soya oil, fish oil, fructo-oligo-saccharides, psyllium husks and seeds (0.5%).

Our Ingredients..

70% Fish (Including 34% Dried White Fish, 26% Freshly Prepared White Fish, 6% Salmon Oil, 4% Freshly Prepared Herring Caviar), Potato, Peas, Lentil, Chickpea, Cellulose 3%, Beet Pulp 3%, Hyrolised Liver Gravy, Minerals, Fructooligosaccharides (FOS, 460mg/kg), Mannanoligosaccharides (MOS, 120mg/kg), Joint Pack (Glucosamine 175mg/kg, Methylsulfonylmethane 175mg/kg, Chondroitin Sulphate 125mg/kg), Dried Cranberry, Yucca Extract (190mg/kg).

VS.

Bertie's Excellence ingredient break down.

70% Total fish content:

This includes 34% Dried White Fish, 26% Freshly Prepared White Fish (From top quality, sustainable fisheries in the UK), 6% Salmon Oil, 4% Freshly Prepared Herring Caviar. (We are one of the first in the UK to include Caviar in a diet for cats, only the best for our feline friends.)

Potato:

Potato contains solanine, which has a sweet, nutty flavour that cats find appealing. It is added to our recipes to improve the taste and texture of the food.

Chickpeas and peas:

Chickpeas have a unique texture that helps to prevent constipation and ease digestion. They are also a great natural source of Vitamins A, B6, C & E.

Lentils:

Lentils are a great natural source of B Vitamins and Iron, they also provide a great source of dietary fibre and protein.

Beet Pulp and Cellulose:

These ingredients are added as a good source of soluble and insoluble fibre for cats. They help to improve the absorption of foods and help to improve stool consistency.

Another benefit of adding beet pulp and to our cat recipes is that it can help with the passage of hairballs through the digestive system.

Fructooligosaccharides and Mannanoligosaccharides:

Fructooligosaccharides, these are a prebiotic sugar that occurs naturally in some foods. It cannot be digested by cats but instead it is used by the beneficial bacteria that are found within the large intestines, to help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. This in turn helps to improve health, immunity and fecal quality.

Mannanoligosaccharides work a little differently, they contain the sugar mannose, which limits the ability of 'bad' bacteria to attatch to the intestinal wall, and instead allows the bad bacteria to be passed through the digestive system without incident.

Joint Pack:

Our White Fish and Caviar and Chicken, Tuna and Salmon recipes both include a joint care pack making them suitable for older cats. Glucosamine is added to help maintain healthy cartilage within the joints.

Methylsulfonylmethane (or MSM) is added to help form connective tissue and repair joints, tendons and ligaments.

Chondroitin Sulphate helps to promote water retention and elasticity within the cartilage helping to ensure adequate shock absorption and nourishment of the tissues that line the joints.

Cranberries and Yucca Extract:

Cranberries are added to help maintain urinary tract health, and yucca extract can help reduce the smell of the stools, great for those with indoor cats.

Carnilove TRUE FRESH is one of the first pet foods to use exclusively fresh meat in their recipes. This means that no dried meat, meat meals or derivatives are used.

They are 100% grain and potato free, so particularly great for cats with a sensitive digestion or allergies.

Currently available in 3 different varieties.

The True Fresh recipes have been formulated for easy transition from one variety to another.

Switching varieties is beneficial for preserving taste attractiveness of the food, especially for those with fussy eaters.

It can also help to ensure diversity within the diet as each meat contains its own spectrum of amino acids and other essential nutrients.

Carnilove tins and pouches.

We also stock a range of tins and pouches from the Carnilove range. They are all grain free, and potato free and contain a balanced, holistic formula to satisfy cats' instinctive love of meat.

Their recipes closely mimic an ancestral diet and contain high levels of pure white muscle meat, organ, salmon oil and are gently cooked in their natural broth to help maintain a good moisture intake.

(As always fresh drinking water should always be provided.)

Cats evolved in a wild landscape, driven by an ancient intuition to hunt for wild prey. Their bodies are perfectly adapted to get everything that they need from fresh meat and fish. Every ingredient in Canagan has been specially selected to deliver optimum nutrition, digestibility and flavour, in a perfect balance for your feline companion.

Canagan for cats is currently available in store in 4 varieties for kittens and adult cats, and 1 variety for senior cats or those needing a weight control diet.

Each recipe contains:

- A high level of meat or fish, proudly sourced within the UK.

- Salmon oil, which is an excellent source of Omega 3, DHA and EPA. It helps to promote healthy skin and coat, improve cognitive function and cardiovascular health.

- Sweet potato, which is a highly digestible premium source of slow-release energy, rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals, and a great source of soluble fibre.

- Taurine & cranberry. Taurine is an essential amino acids that cats need in their diet, it is essential for healthy heart and brain function, while cranberry helps to promote good urinary tract health.

Canagan Dental

Canagan Dental for cats is formulated to include ProDen Plaqueoff. Plaqueoff is made from a special seaweed, harvested along the North Atlantic Coast. It works through the bloodstream, releasing a natural compound into the saliva which breaks down the bacteria film on the teeth which plaque sticks to. Gum disease is experienced by over two thirds of cats, and can be very painful, and may lead to toothloss. Canagan Dental is currently one of the only brands in the UK to offer oral care cat food that contains an active ingredient that will help combat oral health problems.

Canagan Light/Senior or Sterilised.

This recipe is made with Free Range Chicken sourced within the UK, it is a slightly lower calorie diet that doesn't compromise on flavour. This recipe also has a high inclusion of Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulphate and MSM to help protect and care for your cats joints.

Canagan tins and pouches are also available in store, these are available for all life stages. Canagan wet foods are such high quality that opening a tin of Canagan Fresh Ocean Tuna would look similar to a tin of tuna that we would eat ourselves, with the added benefit of being nutritionally complete, so you don't have to worry that your cat is missing out on any vital nutrients.

Cooked in their own natural gravy with no added colours or flavours.

Cotswold Raw for cats can be found in our store freezers alongside the range of raw foods for dogs.

Cotswold Raw is formulated for cats, using their own supply chain of raw ingredients and includes "Raw Aid for Cats". A high specification nutritional supplement from the experts at GWF Nutrition.

It’s designed to help cats thrive on a raw diet and contains 26 essential daily vitamins & minerals for optimum health & wellbeing.

Supports growth & development – includes folic acid, magnesium, phosphorous & vitamin B2.
Supports heart health & a strong immune system – with taurine, carnitine, vitamin D3, vitamin E and zinc to support your cat’s first line of defence.
Supports cognitive health & eyesight – includes choline, vitamin A and vitamin B6
Supports general health & wellbeing – with high levels of coconut & seaweed meal and omega 3.
Formulated with protected minerals to increase the bio-availability of important nutrients.

Ingredients:

80% British Chicken with bone, Chicken Heart, Chicken Liver (97.5%). Sea Kelp, Milled Flax Seed, Beet Pulp, Copra, Sunflower & Linseed Oil, Molasses, Mineral & Vitamin Pre-mix.

Analysis:

Moisture 67.9%, Protein 18.1%, Fat 12.1%, Ash 0.6%, Fibre 0.5%. Vit A 833iu, Vit E 41mg, Taurine167mg, Carnitine 17mg, Manganese 9mg, Copper 3.5mg

Energy 1830kcal/kg

Introducing a deliciously fishy range of Finest wet cat food from Fish4Cats.

We currently have 5 different flavours available in store, including a range of luxurious ingredients there is plenty there to tempt even the fussiest of cats.

Cats adore the taste of fish – and with fish being rich in Omega 3 and a high quality easily digestible protein it’s a healthy and delicious meal – they will love you for it.

With its very high fish content Fish4Cats wet foods gives a diet reflecting the natural diet of cats making it the healthiest way to feed your cats.

The Fish4Cats wet food range is a complementary food, meaning that it should be fed as a treat or alongside a high quality dry food to ensure that they are receiving all of the nutrients that they need to thrive.

Feeding a complementary wet food is a great way of ensuring a healthy moisture intake, but as always fresh water should always be provided.