Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium Dry Cat Formula VS. Hill's Prescription Diet C/D Feline Dry Cat Food

I have two cats. Arthur is 7 years old and Tanner is 2. Both are indoor cats. Since Arthur was beginning to gain too much weight, it was time to make a change in his diet so he could lose some of his unwanted bulge. Because Tanner is more active and younger than Arthur, he doesn't necessarily need weight management.

I wanted to find the proper diet that both of the cats could eat. I went to a pet store and talked with an associate about my feline dietary concerns. After careful consideration and deliberation, I chose Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium Dry Cat Formula.

When I think of a natural balance, I think of everything working together in harmony. This food did not leave my cats' digestive systems working harmoniously. It left their bowels working overtime. They were pooping like a Christmas goose and stinking to high heaven. Being awoken in the middle of the night due to this smell was not good for my night's sleep either. Cleaning the litter box several times a day to rid the house of the rancid waste coming from both cats became an unpleasant chore.

Arthur had never had a problem with bladder/urinary tract infections in his life. After eating Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium Dry Cat Formula for only a short time, Arthur not only now had what I would imagine a sore rear end from his increased bowel movements, he now had a bladder/urinary tract infection. For anyone who does not know this, a male cat can die in a short time due to this because of the crystals in the urine causing a blockage in the penis. This inability to urinate will cause an untimely death. I took Arthur to the vet and after three bottles of combiotics, he got well.

To avoid any further problems with the cat's health, I obviously discontinued feeding them the Natural Balance cat food. At the suggestion of the vet, I switched to Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Feline. Not only does this food help maintain a healthy weight in both of the cats, it does not give them nasty potty habits or infections. Much to my relief, it was not included in the recent pet food recall either.

Although Arthur gets perturbed with Tanner's antics and often growls and hisses at him, they are the best of buddies much of the time. Tanner helps keep Arthur young. After many months of consuming the Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Feline, both cats are happy and healthy.

The only down-side to this food is that the cats love it so much that they become obsessed with their next scheduled feeding time. They are fed at 7:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and again at 9:00 PM. About an hour before it's time to eat they are underfoot, pacing maniacs. They want to be fed NOW! They even fight when it's almost time to eat and they feel I'm ignoring them. The intelligence of animals is amazing to me at times. Perhaps Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Feline boosts their brain power as well? At least the hungry part.

I strongly advise you to use caution if you feed your cat Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium Dry Cat Formula. Pay attention to your feline's bathroom habits. Arthur's unfortunate illness caused him pain and suffering. My pain and suffering was in the form of having to shampoo my carpets twice because of his squatting and peeing in various locations throughout my house. He had given up on trying to get to the litter box at his every urge to urinate. Poor fella.

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/240929/dick_van_pattens_natural_balance_ultra.html