To maintain the health of a pet, nutrition is important. The feed should be balanced, containing all the necessary minerals and vitamins. Of course, you can regularly buy fresh products and cook homemade food for the animal, but for many breeders this is problematic. Therefore, the owners choose ready-made feed. Veterinarians often recommend Hills food for cats. You can make a choice in favor of him, but first you should find out what his composition, advantages and possible disadvantages are.
About Hill's Brand
Among animal lovers, the Hills brand is known for its quality and balanced feed. The manufacturer gained popularity not only among ordinary breeders, but also aroused the trust of specialists. All products belong to the premium class. According to some reports, it is classified as a super premium.
The brand produces wet and dry cat foods. Moreover, in addition to the main diet, the manufacturer offers a therapeutic series. All feed is produced in the United States, there are lines that are located in the Netherlands.
Main cast
All breeders who decide to upgrade to Hills for cats are interested in the composition of the product in the first place. To analyze the main ingredients, you can take as a basis the popular adult food Science Plan Indoor Cat. The first component on the list is poultry flour. According to the manufacturer, the meat ingredient is at least 40% of the total.
At the same time, the composition fully complies with the requirements of the AAFCO association, the standards of which indicate that skin and bones may be present in meat flour, but at the same time there should be at least 50% pure meat.
Further, the ingredients are arranged in the following order:
- Corn flour. It is an additional source of protein.
- Rice flour. It complements the composition of the product with complex carbohydrates that provide the pet with energy.
- Cellulose. A controversial product, but a good source of fiber, which improves digestion and eliminates constipation.
- Vitamin and mineral complex.
"Hills" for cats is available in various versions. Therefore, among a variety of products, each breeder will be able to choose the best option for his pet.
Additional ingredients
In addition to meat ingredients, feed can be fish based. Often used tuna. Grain crops - rice, wheat, corn, act as easily digestible carbohydrates. Fatty acids and vitamin D guarantees fish oil. The healing series also contains extracts from plants, extracts of dried herbs. Pieces of vegetables complement and enrich the composition, providing food not only with vitamins, but also with natural fiber.
All feeds are enriched with a vitamin complex - C, A, B, E. There are also minerals - calcium, zinc, selenium, potassium, manganese, sodium, iodine. Amino acids are represented by taurine and lecithin. Packs for adults are enriched with antioxidants. They support animal health by slowing down the natural aging process. In addition, digestion is supported at the cellular level, preventing the release of free radicals, protecting the cat from oncopathology.
Release form
It is difficult enough to say which form of ready-made food is preferable for a cat. Some pets are completely transferred to "drying", and they feel great. For others, only wet nutrition is suitable. But all experts agree that for a pet it is best to diversify the diet. Many breeders agree with this position. Hills food for cats can be purchased very different. The manufacturer offers several forms of finished food production.
Dry food "Hills"
For cats, "drying" can fully suit and satisfy the needs for nutrients and vitamins. But there are individuals who do not absorb such food. Therefore, packs with granules can have both positive and negative characteristics.
Often, such a diet is chosen by those people who work hard and come home only late in the evening. Dry food does not deteriorate, you can pour the daily rate and be sure who the cat will be full and get everything necessary for development. In this case, the direct access of the pet should always be clean water in unlimited quantities.
Hills cat food in dry granules has excellent palatability. However, the manufacturer advises to keep the pack tightly closed to avoid loss of taste.
Hills Wet Food
Hills wet food for cats is an individual pack that is convenient to dose. As a rule, one package is enough for a full cat dinner. Wet food is also available in cans that contain Hills canned food for cats.
Hill's Feed Range
All products of the manufacturer can be divided into two lines. The first of them - Science Plan - is suitable for healthy pets who do not have digestive problems. Feed is divided into:
- for kittens up to 12 months;
- for animals from one to seven years;
- for mature animals over seven years old.
The second line is Prescription Diet. Refers to therapeutic feeds when adjustments in nutrition and therapeutic effect are required. Each food sample is designed taking into account the needs of the pet for each specific disease. The manufacturer offers 16 dietary diets for cats.
The veterinarian will help determine the necessary option. Often, medical "Hills" for cats prescribed courses. There is medical nutrition that helps fight the disease. Next, a preventive series is prescribed, which restores the strength of the animal after the disease. Also, the therapeutic line involves a diet that is recommended for cats with problems with the digestibility of certain components.
Varieties of medical nutrition
Each medical feed is developed by the company to solve specific problems. The entire line is divided into the following groups:
- for kittens;
- for animals suffering from gastrointestinal diseases;
- for cats suffering from urolithiasis and to prevent diseases of the bladder and kidneys;
- for mature pets;
- for cats with a tendency to allergic manifestations;
- food for animals prone to overweight;
- "Hills" for sterilized cats, where protein levels are reduced by 40%.
Daily food
For the daily feeding of animals that do not experience health problems, a rather extensive series has been developed. It has dry food, wet and canned food. Choose a diet based on the age of the pet, individual preferences and family lifestyle.
For kittens, three varieties of food are offered:
- Kitten Healthy Development with Chicken.
- Kitten Healthy Development with tuna.
- Young Adult Sterilized Cat.
The form of the feed implies dry granules, additionally enriched with protein, which is necessary during a period of intensive growth.
For adults, Hills also offers variety.
- If the animal is neutered or sterilized, the Feline Adult range is required. Hills for sterilized cats is enriched with a vitamin complex and contains less fatty acids.
- For cats with excess weight and leading an inactive lifestyle, they recommend the Light line. Food contains less complex carbohydrates.
- Sensitive line is suitable for especially sensitive cats, which give a reaction to many products.
- If the pet has access to the street, it is preferable to feed him with food from the Optimal Care series.
- Sensitive Skin / Stomach is intended for allergic animals. Helps make hair smooth and skin moisturized.
- If the cat is long-haired and there are problems with the formation of lumps, then Hairball Control is recommended.
For the feline family, whose age has exceeded the seven-year threshold, special nutrition is required. It is recommended to purchase feed from the Mature series. Their balanced composition will provide the body of an elderly animal with everything necessary. The diet is enriched with antioxidants that slow down the aging process, fatty acids to restore the former shine of the coat and calcium to restore bone strength. Vitamins and minerals are equally important in old age. Due to the optimal composition, urogenital diseases, which often develop in mature individuals, are prevented.
Hills Feed Benefits
Any dry Hills food for cats and packs with wet contain everything you need for the full growth and development of a cat. Among the main advantages of the brand are:
- Variety of assortment.
- The range includes a daily diet and therapeutic nutrition.
- Relatively low price, if we consider feed from the super premium class.
- The composition is completely balanced and involves the inclusion or exclusion of different ingredients depending on the purpose of the feed.
- Compliance with the standards adopted in Europe for the manufacture of pet food.
- All lines have high nutritional value and energy value.
- The brand is widespread. Packs can be purchased at large supermarkets and pet stores.
You can buy Hills food not only in stores. For the convenience of users, large distributors organized sales on the Internet. However, when purchasing goods online, you must choose trusted sites that have long been selling pet products.
Cons of the brand "Hills"
Despite the fact that the diet belongs to the premium class, experts highlight its shortcomings. From the reviews of the breeders, we can also conclude that it is not always suitable. So, judging by the composition, meat products are only 40%, plant components prevail. Flavors and stabilizers are highlighted. However, no similar ingredients were found in the treatment series.
According to the reviews of the breeders, they lack specificity in the specified composition. So, for some components there is no percentage ratio. Vegetable protein prevails, but fiber is lacking.
There are cheap cereals - wheat, corn, soy. They practically have no nutritional value, are poorly absorbed. Such products also include beet meal and yeast.
In general, the "Hills" for cats has positive reviews. With its help, you can create an individual diet, offer sick animals therapeutic feeds and diversify your cat’s nutrition with new tastes.