Feed composition
After castration and sterilization, the animal requires less protein, which was previously spent on the production of sex hormones. Therefore, the pet’s previous diet has to be changed, reducing the intake of these substances from food. Excess fat in daily food also has a harmful effect on the body and leads to rapid weight gain. In addition, after sterilization, pets often acquire an increased appetite and can eat often and a lot.
Hill's specialized food for young sterilized cats (from 6 months to 6 years) has a balanced composition, the selection of which took into account all the needs of the body with changed physiology. It contains a reduced proportion of proteins and fats, and some animal products are replaced with plant products. This provides the desired amino acid composition, but reduces the risk of deposition of excess purine bases and fat in the form of uric acid salts and subcutaneous fat. If feeding standards are observed, the pet is reliably insured against urolithiasis and obesity.
The food contains:
- chicken meat flour;
- fish meal (tuna);
- corn and soy protein;
- chicken and fish fats, vegetable oil;
- beet pulp (fiber);
- natural preservatives.
Nutritional formulas for sterilized animals include all the vitamins and minerals they need, are enriched with cellulose and include a special weight control formula
Hills for neutered cats is available in 3 varieties:
- dry granular;
- meat pieces (wet);
- mousse.
Depending on the preferences of the pets, the owner can choose concentrates with chicken or fish (tuna or trout) flavor.
Owner reviews of Hills food
All reviews on the Internet about Hills food can be divided into two groups: opinions of pet store customers and thoughts on cat lovers’ forums. Of course, the first group of reviews may not be very objective, because the store that sells the food is, from the very beginning, not interested in the excessively straightforward opinions posted on its pages, as well as in too strict criticism. But forum visitors, especially their regulars, are not constrained in their judgment, so they can be trusted more.
What do forum users write?
To begin with, before you start judging this or that product for animals, experienced owners of mustachioed and tailed animals make a small note that each pet is unique, and if a certain food is suitable for one of them, then it may not be completely suitable for another, so The point here is not only in the excellent composition of canned food, but also in individual intolerance. In the end, there are animals that even an elite holistic specialist by their standards refuses to eat. What can we say about the premium class?
In general, Hills has a reputation among forum users as a very good food for kittens, but of questionable nutrition for adult cats. There are many stories from women who fed their kitten Hills for a long time, and when he grew up, were forced to switch to another brand due to sudden problems with fur color, blood in the stool, bad breath and shedding... However, this criticism does not apply to Hills medicinal products. That is, Hills is good for sick cats, but not all healthy ones tolerate it well.
What to feed a kitten?
Verdict: this food can be tolerated, since it is, after all, not economy class. However, not everyone does this with their regular diet.
Hills is great for cases when your own regular food has suddenly disappeared from sale, and you haven’t had time to find a new one yet (shouldn’t you be buying Whiskas all this time, or other products recognized as poisons from?).
Well, or even in traditional Slavic cases called “the week before payday,” when the whole family is forced to subsist on pasture, say, pasta, and the cat is forced to subsist on food a grade lower. Still, it’s better than eating Whiskas or Kitiket laden with “chemicals.”
Advantages and disadvantages
Compared to other types of food, Hills has the best price-quality ratio. These are affordable products, the quality of which allows felinologists to classify them as premium or super-premium. The food contains only high-quality ingredients: natural meat, vegetables and cereals.
The advantages include the following:
- availability of information about the composition and purpose;
- indication of the recommended dosage for animals of different weights;
- the opportunity to purchase the desired mixture both in pet stores and online companies;
- wide age range (the diet can not be changed until the pet is older).
But many cat owners sometimes note the disadvantages of Hills. Most often these are complaints about a change and increase in the smell of excrement, and indigestion of the pet. This occurs due to individual intolerance to food components.
Another sign that the food is not suitable can be allergic skin reactions.
For pets with sensitive digestion, you can choose other mixtures from this manufacturer. Hill's Science Plan Adult Sensitive Stomach line contains rice and egg, which help the predator's body more fully absorb plant components.
Despite the fact that Hill's, like other premium mixtures, is hypoallergenic and completely natural, the animal's immune system may react inappropriately. This is expressed by skin rashes when introducing new food into the diet. In this case, veterinarians may recommend special medicinal granules from Nature's Best.
Cats often prefer wet mixtures, but owner reviews note that Hills dry food is of higher quality. When introducing a new diet, you should carefully monitor your pet’s condition, and 7-10 days after the change, you need to take tests and check the quality of assimilation of the new food.
Reviews of Hill's products
When a little kitten, a white fluffy miracle, appeared in my house, I had no idea how or what to feed him, so I stocked up on kitite and whiskey in soft packs. My cat Ciri grew up thin, with faded fur, but I didn’t think it was because of her diet. Then it happened that she got sick and I took her to the veterinarian, where, in addition to the prescribed treatment, we were advised to completely change the diet: either premium dry food or completely balanced homemade food. Having calculated in my mind the required amount of beef, egg yolks and other crap, plus the costs of all this, I realized that they don’t always have the opportunity to prepare food even for themselves, and no, not because of financial difficulties, but for the banal reason of lack of time to cook . Therefore, I decided to switch to ready-made high-quality food. At first, the cat did not want to switch from cheap kitickets to premium food. There was Proplan, then I tried Royal Canin, then yams, and then I decided to try Hill's SP Sensitive Stomach & Skin food for cats with sensitive digestion and skin. When I bought it, I gave it a little at once, and the cat began to eat it right away, without a gradual transition, did not turn away, did not snort, in general, she just ate it and that’s it. So, the advantages: Different volumes of packages - I buy a 1.5 kg package, which lasts about three to four weeks. Maybe if I fed it according to the norm, it would last longer, but the food is always in the cat’s bowl, and she eats as much as she wants. The appearance of the food is quite pleasant. Small, fatty granules with the specific smell of all dry food. Not very pronounced. I especially like this. Ciri just has one habit - when she eats, she always goes to thank me with a small poke of her nose into my nose (I always regard this as a kiss). And if before she smelled of this kittykit, now she smelled of nothing. My girl is now always active and mobile. There are no problems with the tummy. The stool is regular and not as foul-smelling as kitticettes. Her appetite is good. Ciri has recovered, and now, by cat standards, she has an attractive, appetizing figure (chubby butt)). The cat weighs 4,300. This is normal for her age. The fur now does not stick out in clumps, it is smooth, shiny, and pleasant to stroke. The food is quite economical. I do not give the cat the portion stated on the package; I pour a full bowl over the eye. She has enough for a day. The cost of food has become less than when I fed economy. Overall, I'm happy with this food. Kitty is happy, healthy, active and playful. So far, of all the foods we have tried, this is clearly the best.
Product rating:
All reviews about this product
Price and where to buy
Hill's formulas come in different packaging, so the price depends on the type of cat food. Wet canned food in the form of pieces in a small package (85 g) can be bought for 62-65 rubles. when ordering in online stores, but in retail outlets the cost may be slightly higher depending on the region. A jar of mousse (85 g) will cost 76 rubles.
Hills dry products (food in the form of small oval granules) come in packaging from 300 g to 8 kg. The minimum price for a 300 g package is about 230-250 rubles; packages weighing 1.5 kg (911 rubles), 3.5 kg (1,945 rubles) and 8 kg (3,945 rubles) are available. In pet stores, goods are 10-15% more expensive.
Reviews from veterinarians
Vasily Petrovich, Leningrad region
I recommend only these diets. When sterilizing young animals, the rich composition allows the animals to develop correctly; the presence of the necessary minerals contributes to the formation of a strong skeleton and teeth, but practically eliminates the development of urolithiasis.
The only drawback is the high content of plant components. This is not very good for an obligate predator, so some owners complain about digestive upset in their pets.
Margarita Nikolaevna, Moscow
The animal protein content in Hill's mixtures for sterilized cats is about 35%. This is enough for complete nutrition. Thanks to the reduced amount of protein, both the risk of urolithiasis and the risk of salt deposits in the joints are reduced. Many owners continue to feed their animals dry kibble until they reach 6 years of age even after this period. But sterilized cats over 7 years of age are better off switched to special mixtures with an even lower protein content.
Veronica Petrovna, Krasnoyarsk
After sterilization, cats gain weight 3 times faster than before. Reducing the diet is not the best solution, as the pet will begin to starve and experience discomfort. Hill's dry and wet mixtures for castrated and sterilized animals allow owners to feed their cat well, but not make it obese.
The composition of the feed completely satisfies the body’s daily nutritional needs. The high fiber content promotes satiety, but may affect your cat's stool.
All information posted on the site is provided in accordance with the User Agreement and is not a direct instruction to action. We strongly recommend that before using any product, you must obtain a face-to-face consultation at an accredited veterinary clinic.
Hills Science Plan Cat Food Review
Science Plan cat food is produced in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc.. Official website - (in Russian), https://www.hillspet.co.uk/ (in English).
This food belongs to the premium class. The Science Plan brand also produces dry and wet dog food. The company also produces Ideal Balance, Natures Best, and Prescription Diet foods.
Science Plan food composition
Let's get acquainted with the composition of Science Plan food using the example of the Feline Adult Indoor Cat Chicken option (for adult cats leading a domestic lifestyle). You can see it in the image below, we recommend clicking on it to enlarge it for easier reading:
Top left is a photo of the composition from the packaging. Below is a screenshot of the lineup from the English version of the official website, and even lower and to the right is a screenshot from the Russian version of the official website.
The first ingredient, poultry meal, is a source of protein. It is clarified that “chicken min. 40%,” but it’s not clear - 40% of this ingredient or of the total content? Above the composition it is written “total content of poultry meat min. 53%). But if the food contained 53% “poultry meat”, then this would be indicated in the composition itself. Otherwise, this is nothing more than advertising text.
In many versions, the packaging says “poultry meal”, but in the original description of the composition in English there is no word “meat”, it is simply written “poultry meal”, “chicken and turkey meal”, etc. That is, meat appeared thanks to the miracles of translation into Russian.
Meat meal is made only from meat, while poultry meal can include any part of the bird (since it is not specified what exactly it includes).
Another interesting thing is that on the official Russian website, the English website and on the packaging, the information on the composition is slightly different. For example, the percentage of chicken, data from guaranteed analysis.
Corn is a source of carbohydrates and many amino acids, useful in small quantities. However, when it is one of the main ingredients, it can be considered a cheap food filler. Rice is a good source of carbohydrates.
Corn gluten meal is a source of plant proteins. Cellulose is a thickener. Protein hydrolyzate is a source of protein (it is not clear whether it is plant or animal). Animal fat is a source of saturated fatty acids, and vegetable oil is a source of unsaturated fatty acids.
Potassium chloride, calcium sulfate, salt - all these are different salts. Needed as a flavoring additive, as well as a source of potassium and calcium.
Advantages and disadvantages
Among the advantages of Science Plan food:
- very wide range, there are dry and wet food;
- natural antioxidants and preservatives are used (tocopherols and citric acid);
- good content of vitamins, minerals and other useful substances;
- Widespread, available in almost every pet store.
Among the disadvantages:
- It is not “chicken meal” that is used, but “chicken meal”. The latter probably includes offal, and the word "meat" in the composition appears as a result of the miracles of translation;
- it is not known how much vegetable protein and how much animal protein (and it is impossible to approximately estimate since the % of all protein sources is not indicated);
- relatively high price (there are analogues with a more understandable and high-quality composition and the same cost).
