I've got two mischievous kittens on my hands, and they're now nine months old – basically, they're full-grown cats. They're super active, each with their own unique personality and preferences. However, they do share one thing in common: over the past couple of months, they've both flat-out refused to eat commercial cat food.
As a result, I've got a dozen reviews piled up because I've had to keep buying them new food that they just don't like. It's like they have a sixth sense for sniffing out the worst stuff. This time around, I thought I'd try the Best Dinner Adult Skin & Coat Duck & Cranberry cat food, but unfortunately, it's been the biggest disappointment so far.
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Best Dinner Adult Skin & Coat Duck & Cranberry Cat Food
Description
The Best Dinner Adult Skin & Coat Duck & Cranberry cat food is a high-quality, complete diet for cats, formulated to meet their specific nutritional needs. The duck meat is rich in essential amino acids for optimal health, while the high levels of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids will leave your cat's coat looking sleek and shiny. Cranberries and DL-methionine in the recipe help prevent urinary tract issues, and Yucca schidigera is great for shedding and eliminating unpleasant litter box odors. The heart-shaped kibbles are sure to win over even the pickiest eaters.
Price: 1200-1500 for 1.5 kg
Where to buy: marketplaces, Bagira, PetShop
Place of purchase: Bagira
Packaging: 1.5 kg, 400g
Additives: duck and cranberry
Manufacturer: Best Dinner
Country: Russia
Age: from 1 year
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Packaging and appearance
I really liked the packaging – it looks stylish, and there's a cute cat illustration on the front. Depending on the additives, the cat's eyes on the packaging are different colors. In this case, it's an orange hue, matching the duck flavor.
The packaging has all the info you'd want to know - the ingredients, the percentage of protein and gluten, and what's in it - duck and cranberries, to be specific.
The back of the packaging has all the details that didn't fit on the front - the product characteristics, the full ingredient list, how to feed it to your pet, and a dosage chart in grams, plus storage conditions.
The expiration date is right there on the packaging, so you can be sure you're getting a relatively fresh product - I bought mine at a local pet store and I'm confident in that.
The zipper closure is super convenient for storage - I don't always have the option to transfer the contents to a separate container, so that's a definite plus.
I've got to say, the new granule size and shape of this cat food are a welcome change. Gone are the heart-shaped kibbles of the past, replaced by uniform, rounded granules that are all the same size. It's a nice touch, and one that makes the food look more appealing to my feline friends.
One of the first things I noticed when I opened the bag was the texture of the granules. They're nice and plump, with a pleasant aroma that's unmistakably cat food. There's no dryness, no sogginess, just a nice balance of moisture that makes them easy to digest.
My cats are getting on in years, with both of them now over 9 months old. They're still growing, thanks to their breed, but they've definitely outgrown the kitten food stage. They gobbled up the new granules with ease, with minimal choking hazards and no signs of digestive upset.
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Ingredients
The ingredient list is impressive, with dehydrated chicken as the first ingredient, followed by rice, barley, duck meat, oats, poultry fat, hydrolyzed meat proteins, a vitamin and mineral complex, dried brewer's yeast, flaxseeds, salmon oil, hawthorn berries, blackcurrants, yucca schidigera, dried chicory root, DL-methionine, and taurine.
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Final Verdict
We've got two almost grown-up cats living with us - a girl named Sonya and a boy named Senya, brother and sister. They're 9 months old, born in April, just a week before Easter. I've had no issues with them whatsoever. They're super affectionate (although their mom is a total introvert), and they love me and our kid. They even recognize our daughter as their owner and only sleep with her.
I fed them dry kitten food from one brand for about 6-7 months. But either the food went bad or their taste buds changed, because I've been struggling to find a suitable replacement for the past 3 months. I've already left a ton of reviews on all the stuff they didn't like, and we're still going through them.
I've tried more expensive and cheaper options (not Viskas, of course, with a better composition), but nothing worked. I've also tried different formulas - chicken, duck, fish, food for finicky eaters, and food for cats with sensitive stomachs - and I'm still on the hunt for the one that'll please my aristocrats.
I had high hopes for this duck-based food from Best Dinner. There are tons of great reviews on marketplaces and this site, and many people swear by it. The composition is decent, the smell is pleasant, and the crunchy kibbles are a delight to crunch.
When I first introduced this food to the cats, they loved it at first sniff. The smell was spot on, and they devoured it with gusto. I was even thrilled to think that I'd finally found *the one* that I could buy again without worrying about them rejecting it. But, literally a day later, they started tipping over their bowls, hiding the food under the rug, and making it clear that they didn't like it after all.
But then things started to get really ugly, because within just two days of feeding this food to the cats, their stools changed dramatically. They got diarrhea, and it was immediate - both cats were hit with it. The smell was so bad, like a toxic waste dump, that I spent hours airing out the hallway and surrounding rooms.
The cats were constantly growling with stomach pain. This had never happened to them before, even after nine months of eating all sorts of foods. They'd even tolerated some pretty questionable options without any issues. Their stomachs were growling, and it was clear they were in pain, too, because they became completely unbearable for those few days. And to top it all off, one of the cats started vomiting up seeds one day. That was the final straw.
Sonia
Sonia
I've had pets my whole life, and I've bought my fair share of cat food for both my own cats and the ones my relatives have. But I've never, ever seen a reaction like this to a food. What is it - an allergy or just a bad formula?
Of course, we ditched the food, and I bought one of the ones they'd liked a bit better before. Now I wish I'd done it sooner, because those two days of misery were completely unnecessary. I'm just glad they're okay, and I'm grateful that all we got was diarrhea and stomach pain - not something worse.
Sonia
Semyon
I wouldn't recommend this food to anyone. I know animals can have different reactions, but when the same symptoms pop up in two of my pets at the same time, it's a major red flag. I'm done with this brand for good. I wouldn't buy it again, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. The quality is subpar, and it's done a number on my two fur babies.
Semyon
It's affordable;It comes with a zipper closure;The container is huge;The kibbles are crunchy;
It didn't agree with my cats;My cats were constantly whining and seeming uncomfortable;Diarrhea in both of my pets;The stool was stinky;One of my cats even threw up;