Cat Food Cost

• Basic dry kibble, on average, costs between under $5 and $8 for a four-pound bag each month.
• Premium or "holistic" dry kibble, on average, costs between $8 and $16 for a four-pound bag each month.
• Canned food or frozen raw food, on average, costs between $16 and $38 for slightly more than two cases of 3-ounce cans of frozen raw food, each month.
• The price per day for any given brand is most expensive with the purchase of small bags and least expensive with large bags.
• The average cat owner spends $188 per year on food, according to a pet owner survey by The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.

• Cat foods include one or more sources of: protein, fat, soluble carbohydrates, fiber and vitamins and minerals. PetEducation.com^[1] offers a guide to cat foods.
• Some companies make a raw food diet for cats, which consists mostly of raw meat. The raw diet is controversial, so cat owners should do their own research. Amazon^[2] offers books on raw diets and holistic health for cats.

• The average cat owner spends $41 per year on treats and $31 per year on vitamins, according to a pet owner survey by The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.

• Some retailers and manufacturers, such as Nutro and Blue Seal^[3] have frequent buyer programs that allow customers to receive a free bag of cat food after purchasing 10 to 12 bags.

• The Menu Foods pet-food recall that began in early 2007 has continuing implications for cat owners. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration^[4] offers current information on the recall. And ThePetFoodList^[5] offers a list of cat foods that were and were not part of the recall, as a starting point for consumers who want to do their own research.
• Look at the labels for high quality protein -- such as meat or fish -- at the top of the list. By federal law, manufacturers must list ingredients by weight. PetEducation.com^[6] has a primer on selecting a cat food.
• Consider the cat's life stage, weight, activity levels and any food allergies or sensitivities -- which, in cats, most commonly involve fish, beef or dairy products. PetEducation^[7] has a primer on food sensitivities and allergies.

1.  www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+1770&aid=667
2.  www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/103-0692060-0195803?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dst...
3.  blueseal.com/pet-food-frequent-buyer-program/
4.  www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/ucm129575.htm
5.  www.thepetfoodlist.com/
6.  www.peteducation.com:80/article.cfm?c=1+1399&aid=2660
7.  www.peteducation.com:80/article.cfm?c=1+1402&aid=142

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