Review of Nine Lives Daily Essentials Cat Food

I have owned cats all of my life, and I know that the kind of food you feed them really does make a difference in their general health and happiness. Different kinds of cats like - and need - different kinds of dry food. Some cats prefer Iams but turn up their noses at Purina; others adore Meow Mix but could take or leave off brand fare. My cat Smokey is no exception; at seven years old, he is a true cat food veteran; he is an incredibly smart cat, and is very good at making his opinions known.

Generally, I purchase large bags of cat food based on his preference and whether or not it is on sale. Smokey is finicky in some ways, but likes a broad enough variety that it is not very difficult finding a brand that he likes on sale. Recently, though, the only cat food on sale at the local dollar store was Nine Lives Daily Essentials brand cat foot. Although Smokey had never tried this kind out before, I figured that since it was such a good deal at $7.00 a bag, it was worth a shot.

Touted as being "100% Complete & Balanced for all Life Stages", Nine Lives Daily Essentials seemed like a pretty safe bet. After all, all different stages of cat - from kitten to middle aged to senior cats - are billed as being the target felines. It also proclaims to be made with "Real Salmon, Chicken & Beef"; it would seem that a cat would find one of those ingredients palatable. Overall, the bag described a promising sounding and nourishing meal for cats of all ages.

Within minutes of pouring this food into Smokey's bowl, however, I could see that there was a problem. Usually, when I refill his food bowl, Smokey eats contentedly for at least five minutes. He looks over at me happily and wags his tail in appreciation. Upon filling his bowl with Nine Lives Daily Essentials, though, he did none of these things. Instead, he began pacing the kitchen floor nervously, emitting a jittery and complaining meow.

The food sat in Smokey's bowl untouched for the remainder of the day; I saw him making a feeble attempt at eating it late in the evening. Feeling sorry for him, I found a spare bag of Meow Mix and mixed it in with the Nine Lives food. Later, I saw Smokey eating from the bowl, only he was carefully picking out and eating only the Meow Mix morsels; he wanted nothing to do with the Nine Lives food.

It is safe to say that Nine Lives Daily Essentials receive an emphatic "paws down" from my feline critic. I will make sure to steer clear from this variety in the future, but will try other Nine Lives offerings instead.

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1621789/review_of_nine_lives_daily_essentials.html