1st Choice cat food: reviews and composition analysis

1st Choice cat food is a Canadian super premium food developed by PLB International Corporation and distributed in Russia through a distribution partnership. In a short time of its sales in our country, it managed to find its many buyers thanks to the quality strictly observed by the manufacturing corporation and its balanced composition, suitable for meeting all the nutritional needs of pets. The product line is represented by food for pets, sedentary cats, picky eaters, obese cats, allergies or hair loss, taking into account age-related characteristics.

1st Choice Cat Food Review

Dry food for cats 1st Choice (“Fest Choice”) is produced in Canada by PLB International Inc.. The official website is (in Russian, and Canadian — https://1stchoice.ca).
This food is better than premium ones and can be classified as super-premium (judging by the composition, which we will read below). In addition to cat food, there is also Fest Choice dry food for dogs.

Composition of 1st Choice food

Let's study the composition of 1st Choice food using the Finicky option as an example (for adult picky cats, chicken-based formula). To enlarge the images for easier reading, left-click on them:

On the left is a photo of the composition from the packaging, on the right is a screenshot from the official website.

The first ingredients are meat, namely “fresh chicken 17%” and “chicken flour 17%”, which are sources of protein. Fresh chicken after cooking will decrease by three times and 17% will turn into 5%. It is important to note that these ingredients are not necessarily meat, they probably include by-products (otherwise it would be “fresh chicken meat” rather than “fresh chicken”, etc.).

In the composition indicated on the Russian official website, additives are listed as ingredients. Also, the translation of the second ingredient is not correct, it should be like on the package (“chicken flour”, since the Canadian website says “chicken meal”).

Other sources of animal proteins include herring flour, dried egg product, chicken liver hydrolysate (also rich in vitamins and minerals). It also contains rich sources of plant protein, particularly pea protein. Considering that the latter is after chicken fat, it can be about 10%, which is a third of the total protein content in the feed.

Sources of carbohydrates include rice, brown rice, barley and oatmeal. Sources of fats and fatty acids are chicken fat and salmon fish oil. Sources of fiber are beet pulp and pea fiber. The remaining ingredients of the composition are additives designed to enrich the feed with vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of Fest Choice food include:

the main source of protein is meat ingredients;
rich in vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients;
a natural preservative is used (a mixture of tocopherols, that is, vitamin E);
Widely distributed and available in many pet stores.

Among the disadvantages:

although the main source of protein is meat ingredients, and there are a lot of vegetable proteins, probably about a third of 30%;
not only meat is used, but probably also offal (otherwise it would be “fresh chicken meat” and “chicken meal”, and not “fresh chicken” and “chicken meal”).

Opinions and reviews of veterinarians

Veterinarians do not speak directly about Fest Choice food, but they recommend it to their visitors and furry patients. Thus, Ruslana Vanilko writes: “The veterinarian said that it was all due to nutrition and advised feeding the cat hypoallergenic food. I recommended the brand “1st Choice”.

Diyana from Izhevsk writes that she has not tried cat food, since it is extremely difficult to get it in her city. But a veterinarian from Moscow recommended him.

fiery writes: “My cat ate Fest Choice more readily than Hills and Proplan, although she still prefers Royal Canin. The Fest Choice veterinarian approved!”

The overwhelming majority of customer reviews about this food are positive, with the rare exception of cases of individual intolerance to certain ingredients by animals.

Veterinarians agree that the predominant part of the food components actually has a positive effect on the health of pets. Thus, chicory extract, present in all the company’s products, is a source of fructooligosaccharides that help restore the normal microflora of the animal’s gastrointestinal tract. Chicken fat is praised by veterinarians for its richness in omega 6 fatty acids and lanolin acid, which are essential for a beautiful coat, sharp eyesight, the prevention of allergies and heart disease, and the fight against yeast that leads to various infections. Flax seeds contain omega 3 fatty acids, which are important for the brain, joints, skin and fur, and also directly affect proper growth and reproduction ability.

The opinions and reviews of veterinarians regarding the presence of salt in food are opposite. On the one hand, salt can negatively affect the genitourinary system of cats, especially castrated and sterilized ones. On the other hand, salt causes the animal’s natural desire to drink water in large quantities, which is necessary when feeding “dry”.

Cat food 1st Choice - reviews

This Canadian cat food has been on the shelves of Russian pet stores for many years, so there are a lot of reviews about it. We have shared some of them below.

Reviews from veterinarians

Julia writes on one of the veterinary forums in response to a question about this food:

This is a super premium food, quite good. There are no dyes or harmful additives in the composition, if you want, try it. Some of our clinic's clients feed their dogs and cats this food; most do not have any nutrition-related problems.

Customer Reviews

Zlata writes:

My Tosha ate natural food for a long time, but lately I haven’t had time to devote enough time to his diet; from a slender cat, he gradually turned into a bun. I decided to try switching to dry food, and as a result of searching, the choice fell on 1st Choice Sterilized. This is food for sterilized cats and female cats, they usually have problems with excess weight, I hoped that it would help with this.
There were no problems with the translation; Tosha liked the dry food. And so did I, I tried the granules after opening the bag - not salty, not greasy, with a pleasant smell. You can probably eat chiplos instead, they are definitely more healthy)) After two months of feeding, the problem with excess weight did not disappear, but it decreased significantly, it is no longer such a bun. I think it will take the same amount of time and the weight will return to normal.

Irina writes:

Hi all! Today I’ll tell you about the 1st Choice Kitten Growth Formula kitten food that we feed our Maine Coon kitten. He is now 9 months old and has been eating this food since he was 3 months old. The breeder ate Pro Plan, but I wanted something better (before that I had read a bunch of forums and already knew that he was premium and not the best).
1st Choice food is made in Canada. The packaging is in pleasant white and lilac colors; instead of the usual zip locks, it has Velcro. The main advantage of the food is, of course, its composition, which is very good for feeding small cats. There are feeding guidelines on the packaging, but I usually pour it in at random so I can eat it.
The food granules are light brown, small, round, slightly flattened. The smell is pleasant. The small size of the granules was a plus at first, but now the kitten has already grown a lot and they fall out of the mouth, but soon we need to switch to food for adult cats.
During the entire feeding period there were no problems; the food was perfect. To summarize, I would like to say that I was satisfied with the choice; thanks to 1st Choice Kitten food, our baby is growing healthy and strong! Definitely recommend it to your cats and cats!

Polina writes:

My cat usually eats Royal Canin, but when the store didn’t have the usual formula, I thought why not try food from another manufacturer. I took 1st Choice Adult Finicky for picky cats, with chicken flavor. It is a little more expensive, but I decided not to spare the money.
Unfortunately, the cat did not appreciate my initiative, sniffed at the new product and began to reluctantly eat, scattering crumbs around the bowl. The composition seems to be better, the packaging is no less beautiful, the smell is also not very different, but for some reason it tastes worse than Royal Canin. I don’t know what’s causing this, but I won’t buy 1st Choice in the future.

For restricted feeding

First Choice also produces food for sterilized cats prone to obesity and allergies. Such food can be given constantly, but taking into account the health of the pet.

Urinary Health food is suitable for cats prone to urolithiasis. If there are already stones, it helps to dissolve them. It contains chicken, rice, and lentils, which provide the cat with protein. A natural antioxidant, rosemary rids the animal's body of free radicals. Cranberry, sodium bisulfate and Dl-methionine acidify the urine, which helps dissolve stones. If the animal is at risk for the disease, you can feed it constantly.

Food for sterilized cats - made without the use of cereals. Contains chicken, sweet potato, lentils, pea fiber. Thanks to this, the food helps maintain the cat's weight. Dried seaweed, green tea, mint saturate the body with vitamins and minerals. Increased protein provides energy. Spayed and neutered cats not only often gain weight, but their hormonal balance is also disrupted. That's why it's so important to feed them special food.

For cats prone to obesity , Fest Choice produces “Weight Control”. It contains grains, but their amount is reduced, as well as fat. It is low in calories and is also suitable for sterilized cats. Due to the reduced fat content, there is no need to reduce the feed dosage.

Price and where to buy

You can buy this food in online pet stores:

"Yandex Market" ():
Packaging 1st Choice 2.72 kg - from 1986 rubles;
Packaging 1st Choice 5.44 kg - from RUB 3,390.
"ZooMag"():
Packaging 2.72 kg - from 1840 rubles;
Packaging 5.44 kg - from RUB 3,130.
"Old Farm" ().

Prices shown are current as of July 2022 and may change over time. To see current prices at the time of reading this text, go to pet stores using the links above.

Advantages and disadvantages

Everyone chooses food for their cat at their own discretion. Fest Choice has its pros and cons, just like other foods.

Pros:

a wide range of;
convenient packaging;
natural and high-quality composition;
no harmful preservatives, only natural ones;
the composition is revealed to the maximum;
hides the smell from the tray;
does not contain wheat, soy, corn, by-products;
well absorbed;
contains unique natural flavors.

Minuses:

presence in tomato paste, which can become an allergen;
contains salt.

Advantages and disadvantages of food

The advantages of the food include the following factors:

Availability of percentage of components. This helps to evaluate the composition and quality of the product. Having specific information creates trust.
The presence of grain-free food in the line. Diets with vegetables are less likely to cause allergies. They usually contain more nutrients, but in this case the proportion of meat components is approximately the same. Cereals are replaced with potatoes.
A wide range of. It is easier for buyers to choose the optimal product for their pet, taking into account the characteristics and needs.
Meat components are in first place. There are foods in which the proportion of animal products is even lower, so this can still be called an advantage.
Poor choice in terms of types of meat used. Most of the products contain chicken and fish; the grain-free, hypoallergenic food contains duck. If the animal is allergic to all these types of meat, you will have to choose a different food.

The disadvantages of the product include the following factors:

Attempts to deceive the buyer. It's not yet a scam, but changing the names of components and trying to portray flaws in a different light is misleading.
Relatively low meat content in dry matter. The proportion of fresh product decreases after evaporation of water, and chicken meal additionally contains waste: bones, beaks, claws, etc.
High proportion of cereals. In most feeds they occupy several of the high positions. In total this is more than the amount of meat.
Not all therapeutic feeds can be used for the intended purposes. For example, theoretically, hypoallergenic food should be a complete diet, but it cannot be used for a long time due to the almost complete absence of meat in the composition.
Wet food is identical to each other. Only the taste is different. There are no foods with low or high calorie content, various therapeutic additives, etc.
There are no natural antioxidants in most foods. Tocopherols and rosemary could help reduce the amount of salt in the feed. Excess sodium negatively affects the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and urinary systems.
The presence of a potentially dangerous preservative in the composition. The manufacturer uses sodium bisulfate (E222) to extend the shelf life of products. The preservative is also added to sausages and processed into fruits, but it is assigned a third degree of danger. With prolonged use and accumulation of the substance, gastrointestinal problems, kidney stones, dental defects and allergic reactions may occur.

I once bought First Choice food because of my inexperience, and the choice was small. It was difficult to find holistic products in pet stores, and at that time I did not trust online resources. Nothing bad happened to the cats, it’s still better than Whiskas or Royal Canin. However, there is nothing particularly good about the food. Now I would not buy it because of the weak composition and inflated price. On average, 1 kg costs 500 rubles. (RUR 600 for grain-free formulas), but for the same money you can find a better option. First Choice food should only be purchased by animals with very sensitive digestion and who are not suitable for holistic diets. Due to the use of barley, peas, oats and rice, the risk of allergies is reduced.

Is First Choice food suitable for everyone?

Conventionally, First Choice food can be given to any healthy cats, however, due to the low proportion of animal proteins, it can provoke the development of diseases. It is advisable to prefer holistic-class products or natural nutrition.

Holistic food contains more than 50% components of animal origin, including dehydrated and fresh meat, as well as offal

If you have health problems, you should consult a veterinarian. Food may not be suitable for animals with kidney disease, gastrointestinal tract or allergies.