Pet owners are always keenly interested in the nutrition of their pets. On all kinds of forums for cat lovers, the topic of proper feeding of cats and kittens never ceases to be relevant.
Which food is better - natural or specialized, produced by well-known manufacturers of animal feed? How to feel about, to put it mildly, “unhealthy” additives that are widely used in dry and canned food. Manufacturers loudly declare that all their products are balanced and the only true food for cats, but can you believe these statements, which are often nothing more than advertising? Let's try to figure it out.
One of the most popular foods is the specialized food for cats Happy Cat. Many pet lovers and even breeders of rare breeds use it in the diet of their pets. This food from German developers belongs to the premium and super-premium class (at least, that’s what the manufacturer says).
- Happy Cat cat food
- Happy Cat cat food
- Happy Cat cat food
Types of cat food Happy Cat
The German food manufacturer produces food for cats in the form of dry and wet food.
Dry food is sold in standard packages of 0.3 kg, 1.4 kg, 4 kg and 10.
Wet - these are pouches of 100 g, canned food of 400 g, preserves of 10 g. Let's find out if this food is good and whether it's worth giving it to your pet.
According to the packaging, this food contains the following beneficial substances:
- Dry egg powder,
- Poultry meat (domestic),
- Barley and flaxseed,
- Cracklings,
- Lamb meal,
- Minerals and vitamins that pets’ bodies need for normal functioning,
- Fruit and vegetable squeezes,
- Dried seaweed, chamomile, chicory (root) extract.
But, in addition to these beneficial substances, there are harmful and “unidentified” ones, which, of course, is a disadvantage, causing some mistrust in the food of this series.
- The food contains liver, but for some reason the packaging does not indicate who exactly this liver belongs to. The problem of unidentification of this element in the composition of the feed may indicate the likelihood of toxins.
- harmful additives: poultry and beef fats.
It will be interesting:
- Hills cat food reviews and recommendations;
- about Brit cat food;
- what to feed the cat.
Composition and description of Happy Cat food
The product card indicates that Happy Cat is made from the best selected raw materials, which undergo careful veterinary control and have the highest nutritional value. This, of course, cannot but rejoice. But owners of pets - no matter cats or dogs - know very well that all dry food (as well as canned food) contains a certain proportion of so-called “fillers”, or “empty” components, which often contain a certain proportion of allergens or other - any other harmful impurities.
Animals themselves instinctively feel the more or less acceptable naturalness of food and, if it leaves much to be desired, they simply refuse the food offered by the owner. What's interesting about Happy Cat food?
1. Happy Cat lists liver content. However, manufacturers, as a rule, do not specify which animal’s liver was used (goose, duck, chicken, etc.). The biggest downside to this "unidentified" ingredient is that it may contain residual toxins.
2. Healthy ingredients include dry egg powder, lamb flour, and poultry meat. Some types of food even contain cracklings, which give the food a piquant, attractive taste. Happy Cat uses barley as a valuable source of healthy carbohydrates.
3. For the full functioning of all body systems, the manufacturer adds flaxseed to Happy Cat, which has excellent properties: it saturates the cat’s body with beneficial Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids, helps normalize intestinal function and has anti-carcinogenic properties.
4. Another useful property of Happy Cat food for cats is its saturation with all kinds of minerals and vitamins necessary for the health and full, active life of a pet. Apple pomace, beets, and artichokes are added to the food. All these fruits and vegetables are real storehouses of vitamins B, C, as well as potassium, phosphorus, iron, calcium and other trace elements. And the artichoke is also good because it helps cleanse the liver and kidneys of cats and cats from toxins and normalizes metabolism, which is especially recommended for castrated animals.
5. Mineral and vitamin supplements such as dried seaweed, chicory root extract, chamomile and other medicinal plants significantly enrich the pet's nutrition and contribute to its long and healthy life.
6. And finally, the most important thing - harmful additives.
Unfortunately, ingredients such as beef tallow and poultry fat are found in almost all modern foods. Happy Cat is no exception.
Owners of cats and cats should know (and take into account in the diet of their pets) that beef fat, for example, is a powerful allergen. And poultry fat, which ends up in specialized animal feed, is obtained through industrial melting, during which a large number of preservatives may be used.
So, it becomes obvious that Happy Cat food, like many similar premium and non-premium cat foods, contains both beneficial and harmful additives. To make a choice and not harm your pet, you can also listen to the reviews of cat owners who have tried Happy Cat food in practice.
Tisha tries expensive imported food
Minuses:
- Not available in all stores
- Harmful substances in the composition
As you can see, this food contains not only healthy ingredients. Before buying this food, pay attention to the reviews of Happy Cat food for cats, of which there are quite a few in the comments to the product. You can find conflicting reviews about Happy Cat cat food, which is explained by the individuality of each animal: some people like the food and tolerate it well, while others, alas, do not. It is also worth paying attention to reviews from veterinarians, which are very contradictory for this food, as for all others. Although, according to most veterinarians, if your cat reacts normally to food, then it has a place in its diet, just remember to drink enough.
Happy Cat Cat Food Review
Happy Cat dry and wet cat food is produced in Germany by Interquell GmbH and imported to Russia by Grand Alpha LLC.
The official website (Russian) and https://www.happycat.de (main), the information about feed indicated on them (compositions, feeding rates, etc.) is the same. This food belongs to the premium class. In addition to Happy Cat, the same company produces Happy Dog dog food, which also belongs to the premium class.
Composition of Happy Cat food
Let's study the composition of Happy Cat food using the example of the Adult Weide-Lamm option (Pasture Lamb, for all adult cats). It can be seen in the image below (for ease of reading, left-click on the image):
On the left is a photo of the composition from the food packaging, on the right are screenshots from the official website.
The first ingredient is poultry (21%). It is not clear what kind of bird it is and what its parts are. 21% is a lot, but there is no * symbol next to this ingredient, like there are other dried meat components. From this we can conclude that “birds” are 21% raw, and after cooking in dry food the percentage will be 3-4 times less.
Other sources of animal proteins include meat products, lamb 8%, dried whole egg. Given the general formulations, the first two of the three components are likely to consist of by-products.
In second and third place are rice flour and corn flour, respectively, which are mainly sources of carbohydrates, as are corn and potato flakes placed a little further down.
In addition to Happy Cat's regular everyday foods, there is also a grain-free line called Grainfree Rentier, which uses potatoes instead of corn and wheat (present in some regular options).
Poultry fat is a source of saturated fatty acids. Fiber, beet pulp and apple pulp are sources of fiber. All other ingredients of the composition are added to the food in order to enrich it with certain beneficial substances.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of this food include:
- the main source of protein is meat ingredients (since there is no soy, vegetable gluten and other rich sources of vegetable protein);
- wide range (grain-free food, medicinal food, canned food, treats);
- good content of vitamins and minerals;
- natural antioxidants (tocopherols - vitamin E) are used.
Among the disadvantages are:
- a small percentage of meat ingredients, their quality is unknown;
- high price, comparable to many feeds of a higher class.
Which position should you choose for your pet?
Diets for kittens:
- HAPPY CAT JUNIOR Sensitive Grainfree
The menu is based on easily digestible poultry and potatoes. The food is grain-free and ideal for babies. Manufacturers have included a formula in the diet that has a positive effect on the growth of the kitten, on the strength of its bones, at the same time the food cares for the oral cavity, and Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids ensure high quality wool. The diet contains a lot of taurine and minerals responsible for the correct level of acidity in the body.
- HAPPY CAT JUNIOR
Animal protein is represented by a high percentage - 89%. The presence of fish and poultry meat at the same time ensures good palatability of this food.
Reviews of Happy Cat food for cats
If you are interested in hearing the opinions of furry pet owners, then read on.
Maria: “When I got a British cat, I was determined to feed him only natural homemade food. But such food did not suit him. According to the vet, my cat falls into the category of “cats with sensitive digestion.” He also recommended Happy Cat ready-made food to me. It's amazing that this food came right away. The cat eats the food with pleasure, has gained noticeable weight and his fur has stopped falling out. I am pleased".
Andrey: “We have an ordinary mongrel kitten Vaska, whom we picked up from the street. He was dirty, shabby, sick and terribly hungry. At first we fed him pure meat, but it was clear that the kitten had difficulty chewing it. After this, my wife bought Happy Cat dry food to feed the kittens. We pre-soaked the food in water and gave it to Vaska to try. At first he refused, but gradually he began to eat. Within a month, we noticed that the kitten had become noticeably stronger and grown. I’m glad that the company has a very large selection of food, although you can’t buy it in all pet stores.”
Yasmina: “I started feeding my Persian cat Pouchi food from Happy Cat. He was absolutely delighted with them and ate the entire portion. Over time, I realized that the cost was hitting my pocket hard and decided to try Happy Cat in preserves and canned goods. The cat's reaction remained unchanged, and the portions were also eaten completely. However, in canned food the pieces are larger, a lot of broth and vegetable additives are not visible at all.
The brand has a large assortment, a lot of different tastes, which I alternate every day. The pet’s stool is regular and there is no strong odor.”
Reviews of Happy Cat cat food
Galina : “Initially, I was very determined and, having brought the kitten into the house, I planned to feed it only with natural food. But my kitten turned out to be both allergic and thus a “cat with sensitive digestion.” I had to look for a replacement for natural food in ready-made food. They also didn’t find their food right away. From some of them the cat was seriously upset, from others he was always hungry or suffered from constipation. At the pet store I noticed Happy Cat, picked up both wet food and dry food and, it seems, got it right this time! The cat eats with pleasure, has gained one and a half kilograms in weight, and his fur is not falling out. It’s nice that the food comes in many different flavors.”
Grigory : “We started feeding Happy Cat with spiders, which our Briton really liked. But over time, we realized that the budget for spiders was bursting at the seams and tried Happy Cat in cans. We didn’t notice any difference in the cat’s reaction, only canned food doesn’t have as many flavors and the appearance is a little different - the pieces are larger, there’s a lot of broth, and the vegetable additives aren’t visually visible. But it’s not for me to eat, but for the cat, and he doesn’t pay attention to such little things. The cat’s stool is regular, shedding is not year-round.”
Mark : “Feed produced in the European Union inspires confidence. With Happy Cat food, the cat now has natural cheeks! I noticed a funny thing - the cat eats the first portion of food of a new flavor with appetite, eats the second half-heartedly, and doesn’t eat the third at all. Therefore, large volumes are not suitable for us. I buy preserves or pouches. Among the shortcomings, I would like to note the fact that you can’t buy food in every pet store - you have to run after it.”
Tell us about your experience of feeding your pet this food.
Conclusions about Happy Cat food
There are both positive and not so positive reviews about Happy Cat food for cats. Its composition is quite consistent with the premium class (although some options do not reach it), and this food can already be fed to pets. However, the price is too high; there are many price analogues with a better composition.
For example, Brit Care dry food (super-premium class, produced in the Czech Republic) with a better composition costs only 1,195 rubles per 2 kg package.
Verdict: not desirable (?)
- Premium food for cats
- German cat food
