Apparently they are giving out free samples of Hills’ “Nature’s Best” dry dog and cat food somewhere near work. Someone left a sample on the table at work yesterday and today there was a woman on the elevator holding three samples. I could NOT hold my tongue in the elevator – and simply told her “You know, that is NOT very good pet food.” She said “it’s not?” and I said “No, read the ingredients. Mostly grains, little meat. I used that exact pet food as an example of BAD pet foods in a recent talk I gave on the subject, and why reading labels is important.”
If you’ve read anything on my blog, you probably know I do NOT think feeding dry pet food is a good idea. I also DETEST Hills’ pet foods – they use horrible quality ingredients and were among the last to stop using carcinogens as preservatives… all under the guise of being “veterinarian recommended”. Recommended by vets because they give free food to vet students and fund vet courses on animal nutrition and market themselves HEAVILY to vets! NOT because they make good pet food!
Apparently “Natures Best” means LOTS MORE GRAINS – but lots of DIFFERENT TYPES of grains, so they don’t appear first on the ingredient listing.
Ingredients: Chicken, Cracked Pearled Barley, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Oats, Brown Rice, Dried Egg Product, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Meal, Soy Protein Isolate, Brewers Rice, Cranberries, Apples, Carrots, Peas, Soybean Oil, Chicken Liver Flavor, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Broccoli, Flaxseed, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, Oat Fiber, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Tryptophan, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.
http://www.hillspet.com/hillspet/minisite/naturesBest/naturesBestCheckTheLabelFeline.hjsp
Their slogan is “Check the Label”. PLEASE DO!!! If you READ the label, I am sure you’ll find there are MUCH better options for your beloved pet!
What does NATURE have to do with this pet food at all? Cats are CARNIVORES, designed by NATURE to eat MEAT! They need moisture in their diet, and have little need for vegetables, fruits, or grains and do best with NO fiber added to their diet. This pet food is a recipe for IBD, diabetes, FLUTD, CRF, obesity, and a host of other ailments.
Life of the Lintee Bean 
Is their slogan really “Check the label”??? HA HAHahahaha!!!
(dies of the irony)
I was convinced by my (now ex) vet of the Joy of Dry Food. By the time my poor babes were 2 years old, one was overweight, one had bad tartar (oh, the irony) and the third had been diagnosed with IBD, and was about to be put on steroids for the rest of her life. Thank heavens I found Lisa Pierson’s site just in time (BTW, it was through her site that I found your blog – I prolly should’ve mentioned that before :-)). That was 4 years ago, but I still get a kick out of litter tray cleaning, when I see Pearl’s lovely firm poos! (Oh dear, perhaps I need to get a life…) Ax
LOL – Annette, I am right there with you on needing a life then. 😀
Lynette
….all under the guise of being “veterinarian recommended”.
You hit the nail on the head…unfortunately. 3 years later, Hills has the same slogan and same carpy ingredients.