Hill's Science Diet Cat Food Review (We Tested It)

[@localchumb]

I think it takes guts to stand by your honest perspectives on this brand! This is why we watch you videos :D

[@DancingDevil89]

This KZbinr just gained a new subscriber. They come off as a very knowledgeable person that genuinely cares about their pets.

[@localchumb]

@@DancingDevil89 yea, I haven’t come across another reviewer that sends food products to an independent lab for an unbiased analysis. Plus this channel is cool xD

[@eikoqdupree101]

So many others are to chicken to mention names.Or just bypass any challenges. You are refreshing honest, with a backbone of steel. Thank You.,Also your not trying to sale us something. That's so novel these days. And we don't have to wait to the very end to get to the juicy information. WOW AMAZING...Great Job..you are going places. Oh and you don't push your opinions on others, Respects to you. Will always keep up with you, Thanks

[@fiji16g8]

Dry food is good according to Mallory

[@fiji16g8]

It takes guts to recommend dry food for cats who hardly drink any water in the first place, dry food usually contains mold unless it's freeze dried

[@VictoriaGates]

I appreciate your honesty. I had a cat who had serious health issues at 14 and passed. She was a Hills cat from a kitten stage, but we always struggled with her weight, and she would sometimes get randomly sick and refuse to touch a bag of her food, so I'd switch formulas or flavors and she'd be ok again. I thought I was feeding her the best but have since changed my stance with this brand and I want to do better with my 2 new cats.

[@ArdoMohamed]

I completely agree with you. I have new kitten and she was on Hills. She had serious gas issues. I stop giving her now she is like normal. Then I came cross your video, I can only say thank for confirming it.

[@jeonafide]

I’ve always used Science Diet whenever my veterinarian recommended prescription diets for my furbabies, but now have been hesitant. Just because your veterinarian recommends something doesn’t mean it’s right for your situation. It is the patient’s right (fur parents) to seek a second opinion. Thank you for providing this information.

[@eldestkrikorr]

Thanks for having the intelligence to base your opinion on measurable quantities rather than veterinarian's recommendations. And for having the courage to share your findings publicly.

[@vareesha12]

was recommended hills by the vet for my cats. one for urinary issues. the other for GI issues. after doing similar research and after trying hills, i switched to the stella and chewy freeze dried raw salmon and chicken recipe. no urinary or GI issues since. fur is healthy and soft and the vet can’t believe how good they look in their old age.

[@DancingDevil89]

Would you recommend this for adult cats in general or only for elderly cats? Thank you.

[@vareesha12]

@@DancingDevil89 mine are 10 and 7 and they are doing great on it. worth a try. expensive though.

[@shelbeybridgeman3602]

Please help me! My vet is also recommending the Dr Hills brand to me for my cat with urinary problems... I honestly don’t trust her opinion though with all the problems we have had.

[@vareesha12]

@@shelbeybridgeman3602 vets trust these brands and go with the safest option in their mind. all about cats’ website has a good review of products. raw is probably best, but one of my cats would not have it. its expensive but stella and chewys freeze dried salmon chicken dinner chews worked. they are raw but dry. my cats eat it like dry food. tried everything else for my cat’s vomiting. but it didn’t stopped until i switched to raw. if you have a younger cat they may be more open to wet raw food. but it’s also something you need freezer space for. most urinary issues can be solved if you are on dry food just by switching to a heavily wet food. something like a gravy. tiki cat and weruva have some good variety in their wet food line up.

[@kerrynofford4727]

@@shelbeybridgeman3602 One always has to ask.. Is the vet (or teh business they work for) getting paid in any way for promoting a given brand? (Do they sell it themselves or just recommend it?)

[@FLWildlife]

Thank you for standing up and saying what needs to be said about these big companies that are getting away with keeping our pets sick. Just because it meets nutritional requirements for the species doesn't mean the food is healthy and species appropriate. Any food that has corn, soy, wheat, meat by products, grains for cats isn't in step with the current science. These ingredients are cheap substitutes for the proper food. And we wonder why there is an ever-increasing prevalence of diseases in our pets. As an example, High carbohydrate or Ash content in cat foods, even canned cat food leads to a higher incidence of urinary blockage.

[@HeronCoyote1234]

Mallory, thank you so much for this review! I wish I could hug you. My four yr old male tabby was recently dx’d w/Feline Idiopathic Cystitis. He was prescribed HSD c/d wet food. (I’ve only ever given him wet food, high protein, low carb, no carrageenan. The FIC was due to stress in the house.) I looked at the ingredients and was shocked. I mentioned my trepidation to both the ER vet and his regular vet. I got shoulder shrugs. This feels like a racket between vets and Hills (like pharmaceutical companies making deals with doctors to push their drugs). I am not a vet either, but I know how to do proper research. I look for pH between 6 and 6.5, low to no calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, and low to no ash. You don’t need to apologize for an honest review.

[@brendanhoffmann8402]

I've been using Hills prescription diet multicare (Urinary and stress) for about 3 weeks now and it has really fixed up my cat's urinary problem which the vet said was stress related, she also went on a course of anti-biotics and anti-inflammatories but the food is what really did the trick. She was feral up until I rescued her from my backyard about a year ago. She also has to contend with my other cat who likes to chase her but they are slowly getting to like each other and she is starting to stand her ground more now. I keep them in separate parts of the house most of the time with small doses of introduction time every day.

[@nicholegallo1090]

Awesome !

[@mommyshark1124]

Nice! How are they doing? I have 2 strictly indoor cats, a ginger 3yr old male and a 1yr old hellion female. I want to bring in a stray from my backyard, but idk how they'll react. I sincerely hope all is well with your furbabies

[@brendanhoffmann8402]

The urinary infection is a distant memory now, my two cats are best of friends now. I still feed them Hills but now just the regular indoor cat one. My little stray sometimes eats too quickly still and can vomit sometimes but she is a great little cat now. Now approx 5 yrs old. My other cat I got as a kitten from the shelter, he loves his sister too. They often play and chase and wrestle with each other, best friends!@@mommyshark1124

[@YukisNation]

This is what my vet recommended. I asked why and agreed with the answers my vets gave as to why it's a great food. My cats like this and purina pro plan.

[@thewannabegamer9]

Both this and Purina Pro Plan contain corn and other inflammatory ingredients. Just because your vet recommends it doesn’t mean it’s best for your pet. Please do your own research. Cats also should be on a high protein wet food plan. And most of the food those brands sell doesn’t fit those recommendations. I highly recommend brands like Tiki Cat, Nulo, or Wellness for brands that actually care about the health of your cat. Especially Tiki Cat. They’ve been at the top of the market for forever but of course no vet is going to recommend them because it doesn’t keep the pets coming back.

[@skepticaled2940]

Great honest review (as always). While managing my 18 yo girl’s CKD, I tried many, many recommended foods (starting with the K/D line), read and watched your content (among many others), bought Tanya’s food analysis book, and read many vet-produced papers on the subject. In the end, it was a non-operable tumor that took her. Kind of wish I’d’ve just fed her what she liked… Now, my 11 yo boy is having UT issues (not crystals, but mucous plugs). Vet recommended Hill’s C/D (which he carries), but said I should try any of the urinary health brands available (Hill’s, Purina or Royal Canin), from any vendor. With CKD, I was willing to experiment with other non-vet-recommended foods; but a blocked bladder is another thing altogether. Unless my boy proves us wrong, he’s staying on what the vet recommended, regardless of the cost, and I hope the plugs never return. A blocked bladder is NOT something to mess with.

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Sounds like you're doing a great job. Wishing you and your cat all the best.

[@sanyeung1620]

Same thing for my cat (male, neutered), he also suffered from mucous plugs and blocked bladder often. Consistently on C/D but the occurrence keep coming back every few months. He passed last year :( I think the best diet for kitties suffering this kind of issue would be raw diets (homemade or not) or may be try the freeze food diet. I trusted my vet but since my cat's passing I started to have doubts.

[@KoalaSnuggles]

@@sanyeung1620 Sorry to say but any vet actively pushing Royal Canin and Hills as the best options I just never trust anymore. You can see just by looking at the ingredients that they are barely above supermarket-brand quality, and in some cases even worse. Purina wet foods like Fancy Feast offer better protein amounts and seem to have less nasties added which is odd since almost every vet fills their walls with Hills. I don't think they're all doing it as shills of these two companies but some vets are just indoctrinated through their training that these brands are good options without doing their own critical analysis. Most vets probably focus more on treatment side rather than looking at diets like this which most definitely are factors leading to health issues in cats they treat, particularly ones fed only the dry options up to geriatric age.

[@skepticaled2940]

Appreciate the good dialog here. My boy hasn't had another case of what my vets have determined is sterile cystitis or feline idiopathic cystitis (whichever name you prefer) since being on C/D Stress kibble and Fancy Feast Petites wet (he doesn't like the C/D wet). An article in Veterinary Medicine and Science Vol 6, Issue 1 (Feb 2020), titled "The effect of a therapeutic urinary stress diet on the short-term recurrence of feline idiopathic cystitis," funded by Utrecht University and conducted between 31 cats in Holland, the test cats were fed Hill's C/D wet, dry, or a combination, and it showed to make a difference in FIC reoccurrence (29.4% for test cats vs 78.6% for control cats on owner-controlled diets)... not 100%, but significant. I'm going to keep trying this feeding regimen.

[@yongli4304]

An honest review. Hill's Science Diet is no better than many other brands that are half the price or less. They did a great marketing job with the vets and shelters.

[@edschulhof6303]

Hill's trademarked the term "prescription diet" in 2012. It is a marketing term with no legal standing. The FDA treats all prescription/veterinary diet food as food, not drugs or medicine.

[@elizabethschefers2065]

I like that you stand by the honest side. You are not to concerned with their reputation

[@pennysnow6162]

Mallory, excellent review. I am a new kitten mom. I feed my two kittens per your recommendations. You have cleared up so many of my concerns with your research. You pack alot of important & badly needed information into all of your videos. Between you & Jackson, my kitties are flourishing. Please, keep them coming.

[@traceysimmons4913]

I have used science diet in the past and all my cats liked the foods but the wet food not so much. I believe in some of their prescription diets like CD for urinary infections and KD because I have seen it help many cats over the years. I think it is ok to have opinions on since diet nonprescription diets but the problem is when some folks not you by all means say to take your cats off of these prescriptions diets, when they are life saving in some some cases. All cats need meat and wet food for sure but when it is a medical issue I would leave it up to your vet just my opinion.

[@nicholegallo1090]

I agree 100%

[@vickiebailey5261]

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

[@BVA663]

If a product has high protein levels in the food, can this cause kidney problems because as soon as a cat or dog has kidney issues the first thing a vet tells you is to put your cat or dog on a low protein diet? Was interested to hear your views on this as I have looked at foods that can go up to 75% protein value, which sounds good but could this be the problem causing kidney problems?

[@jter2839]

I hate that I have to rely on this brand and Royal canin. My boy kitty Puff had a urinary obstruction. I didn't want to put him on either of the diets they were suggesting because of how awful the ingredients are. He kept having problems until I tried the above brands diet for urinary care. He is in perfect health now. I think there is a lot of research that goes into their food and they formulate it specific to an animal's needs. I just wish they would use better ingredients. This food is so expensive, it should have ingredients that match that price.

[@gracem6064]

Hills urinary diet was the only food that stopped my cat from blocking but yes I wish they would decrease the carbohydrates & add more meat to their foods . I think of Simbas food as a medication! Yes it’s expensive !Purina makes a urinary cat food but my vet said it wasn’t strong enough to to keep Simba from blocking ? Therefore he should continue on the Hills urinary diet . All I can say is that it works !!

[@I-hate-youtube797]

Yeah I agree. I will be fair to hills that I’ve heard good things about their prescription diets. But their ingredients are such low quality! Like corn and meat by products? Really?

[@tesangge]

my adopted cat which in november i got spayed, developed skin desease around the face and cheek area. She was so depressed. he was at firts made ti eat hills digestive... but we stopped it after a month. however, we tried thier sensitive tummy and skin, our somy loves it and not her face is healing. so in the morning we are feeding her wet, the purina fancy feast in the morning then the hills dry in the evening. and her coat be omes shiny and her skin desease is drying

[@MsLouisVee]

Thank you for your honest review. you have confirmed what I’ve heard and suspected for years. I think this brand is very overrated and overpriced and you know that vets are paid to sell this brand

[@pamela5568]

You're right about veterinarians recommending Hill's. Not sure if there is just a relationship there or if maybe there are some financial benefits involved. Who knows. But, many folks can't afford the high priced pet foods -- especially right now with inflation and shortages. Thanks for doing this review

[@C.C-e4n]

I just discovered your channel while researching for my new cat that I'm going to be adopting next week. Your channel is a gold mine of information! Thank you for your thorough research.

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Welcome! So happy to be useful!

[@dianaoneil5469]

Food for thought.......Sept 2021 when we adopted our cat fromHumane Society we were given a free bag. I did not know until the head of the shelter told us that they, like many vets, have contracts with pet food companies and she could not recommend another food when I asked her. So, it may be the #1 vet choice because they contract with so many vets? Cat lovers, buyer beware.

[@KobeLoverTatum]

I work at an animal shelter and we only feed science diet because it’s donated by Hills, they do a lot of contracts, a lot of donations, and a lot of research work - these things have nothing to do with the quality of the food. It is below average.

[@canadianliving1]

I volunteer at a Canadian shelter too, and they have to use the Hill's food almost exclusively. The staff, that has no control over what food the shelter orders, knows that the food isn't the greatest but they don't have a lot of choice.

[@kelleywyskiel8513]

I have two extremely ancient cats and one refuses wet food and regurgitates anything expect the hills science. We tried, really, but when you’re chasing a cat who eats and runs straight to puke on only the most inconvenient difficult to clean parts of the house….lol, you give him what works.

[@tahnihinchley5337]

My cat has IBS. My vet recommended Hills Gastrointestinal Biome biscuits and THEY WORK. I use them in combination with a Royal Canin sensitive wet food and no longer have to give her a bum bath every time she goes to the toilet.

[@ilovegoodsax]

My senior cat was also diagnosed with IBS, the worse case the vet said she had seen in her 20 year practice. The diagnosis came after surgical biopsy. Long story short, after reading the ingredient list there was no way I was going to feed my cat that Hill's garbage and Royal Canin is just as bad. My cat is on Ziwi Peak wet canned and air-dried lamb, a high-quality probiotic and monthly maintenance of vitamin B-12 injection and is doing great!

[@tahnihinchley5337]

@@ilovegoodsax I tried to give my cat Ziwi Peak but she wouldn't eat it. Meanwhile she can't get enough of the Hills biscuits 🤷‍♀️

[@paige_hamm]

Any animal I’ve had that’s tried this brand never really seemed to enjoy this food. Thank you for the honest review!

[@traceysimmons4913]

Mine have always liked the dry food but the wet food was never a hit.

[@vikkirose7854]

Thank you for this great info!! My vet put my overweight cat on dry Hills food. Seriously? I didnt look at the amount of carbs in the food. Thank you for enlightening me. Keep up the good work!

[@Some1_No1]

Meh, been feeding my 3 cats Hill's Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin (dry) for 9 years now. They love it and I've had no issues. And FWIW, 2 different vets have told me that it's very good cat food.

[@pinkpotatoes9849]

It's really hard to evaluate how good cat food are given different perspectives and recall backgrounds!

[@vero_sr_g800]

I know this video is a year old and I just discovered this channel. Back in 2004 I started working at vet clinic and back then the Hills Prescription line used to offer owners at home recipes if their pets were having issues eating the food. I believe that program has been discounted unfortunately since I left that job many years ago. I also had my cat who was on C/D and thank goodness he never got crystals again after the first time before being put on the diet He lived up to 16 1/2 years old. Thank you for the reviews. As new research comes out on cat diets this channel is helping me alot on finding what foods work best for my cats.

[@PetFoodPuzzleGuy]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWLYhmOwj7-rpdE ❤. Hills stopped offering the homemade recipes because pet parents wouldn’t follow them correctly so pets were being harmed. It’s the problem with home cooking.

[@Hiililylani]

I’ve been feeding my cat Hill’s Science Diet Kitten Kibble in Chicken flavor since he was 2 months old (also mixed with purina pro-plan wet food in chicken and liver entree). He’s 8 months old and extremely healthy and active. Overtime I’ve also incorporated bone broth to help hydrate his food further, and the Instinct Raw Kibble Toppers in Rabbit or Chicken for extra protein. He also has Viralys and Imuquin supplements to help with his eyes and immune system, and I’ve recently been feeding him the Purina Beyond Grain-Free dry food in white chicken and egg recipe along with the Hills. Anyways, my cat is fine and very healthy. My vet recommended hills and pro-plan and I trust her. I’ve looked into her credentials and she’s reliable. Feed the cat that’s in front of you, and if you feel like your vet is giving you questionable advice, just find another vet! But please always consult with experts.

[@violetblythe6912]

Both my animals mostly eat science diet (I’ve tried a lot of other stuff but always end up going back to it) and they are very healthy. However, I do add wet food and fresh food into their diets regularly. I wonder if part of the reason some peoples cats got sick eating it was that they didn’t have any variety and weren’t absorbing certain nutrients as well from Hill’s. My animals have strong stomachs from variety and only twice have they ever had digestive trouble from switching foods. Just like humans, animals can vary in what forms of nutrients they absorb best. So I feel that varying the diet is the best way to make sure it’s balanced. And although Hill’s has a lot of strong testing behind it, eating only meal bars/meal shakes your entire life would cause issues for some humans, so I think it’s likely to do the same for some animals. I don’t think it’s an unhealthy food whatsoever, I just don’t believe it should be the ONLY thing you ever feed your pet.

[@thewannabegamer9]

The toppers and the supplements are the only things keeping your cats healthy. If you were feeding them the food straight up, they would be having some issues.

[@meowrumble]

in my opinion, recalls are good. it means, quality control and observation are present. im more worried on brands without any recall.

[@thewannabegamer9]

I disagree. I would argue recalls are bad because that means there was a fault in their quality control. Brands that have been recalled multiple times especially close to one another means that they don’t have a thorough quality control process and that they don’t care about their customers. For example, the 2019 recall that Hills Science had still hit store shelves. People’s pets still ate the food. Pets died. My dog was almost one of them. In my eyes, it’s the worst thing a pet food company can do to be so careless as to let something like that happen. This is ESPECIALLY prevalent because the brands that get recalled the most ARE THE ONES THE VETS RECOMMEND. Please explain to me how that makes any sense.

[@spiralflash6169]

Thank you for your impartial review of Hill's Science Diet. When I adopted my 7-year-old cat from a friend who was a scientist, she came with a bag of Hill's. Over the past several months, I have done a little research and transitioned her to wet food (still giving her a few grams of kibbles to hold her over mid-day while I am at work). The kinds of wet food she prefers are apparently not the most nutritious, but I plan to eventually switch her to a raw or homemade diet in the future when I have more time to devote to doing it correctly. Now, when I travel, I put dry food in an automatic timed feeder to give her a couple small meals in a day since my sitter can only come in once a day for the canned food. So a bag lasts a long time, but I am needing to repurchase before my holiday travel. After much label-reading, I had switched to Instinct Raw Boost dry food, which has less carbs and grains and additives. I was considering going back to the Science Diet, since she liked it more, but after watching this review, I will not. Thanks again, I love your content.

[@murray1505]

Thank you for this review! There are many others who agree with you, including vets. And one of the reasons this brand is popular in shelters is because Hills donates to them. Nice way to get adopters hooked on Hills..,

[@athenarivera251]

We've had our Furbaby for 3months and he came with a bag of science diet for kittens. Naturally we just bought the same when that bag ran out as our kitten seemed to like it a lot. This video gives me great pause on staying with this brand. Thank you for your well thought out research and honesty with your findings. I'm definitely going to look for a dry food with higher meat content

[@HeronCoyote1234]

Athena, please reconsider feeding your cat wet food. They need water, and will not seek it out, so most of their water needs to come from their food. Wet canned food has a much higher water content (no matter the brand) than dry (kibble). Also, cats need taurine, so look for that. And, avoid anything that contains carrageenan. Might as well let you kitten smoke a pack of cigarettes a day.

[@athenarivera251]

@@HeronCoyote1234 I do feed him wet food. He eats wet food twice a day and the dry once a day. Also he's very good at drinking water. Thanks for the advise though

[@HeronCoyote1234]

@@athenarivera251 I’m glad to hear that you feed him wet food.

[@DancingDevil89]

I literally just commented on another video for you to give us your honest opinion on this food. Our vet recommended it to us, but I don’t know. You literally stopped me from heading over to petsmart to buy a new bag. Thank you! 🙏🏽❤️

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Glad you found it helpful, Cece!

[@ronaldkrikorian4712]

My 11 yr old cat has pancreatitis! $1500 every time he goes to the vet! Vet recommended hills prescription diet I/d digestive care chicken and vegetable stew canned! He’s done fantastic on this! Unfortunately now he has stage 2 kidney disease so will probably put him on I’d! His BUN is 25. Creatinine 1.7. SDMA 16. Urine specific gravity 102.5

[@rdavis7350]

Thank you for your thoughtful videos. I personally have to follow my cats preferences. I'm trying to break his addiction to the cheapest food (or dryer lint!) as it makes him sick. I am still looking but have found that Science diet is acceptable for him so I use it. I bought a whole flat of blue buffalo cans that he tries to bury or won't even give a sniff. That went to the shelter. I had a much loved cat who died of kidney failure at 12 years old so I worry about Ozzy, he is 6 now. So I am always looking for better food for him.

[@snowpuppies1]

I’ve heard from vets that said hills representatives actually came to classes when they were “taught” about “nutrition”. I also know that hills does a lot of vet scholarships.

[@KoalaSnuggles]

It's basically sanctioned corporate corruption, the same thing you see in pharma as well with docs pushing certain drugs.

[@bertroost1675]

I get that vets want to make money but they shouldn't be recommending that a person buy the foods they sell under the guise of being prescription only. Because it's a persons pet they get away with it but it's almost like a hospital tell you in order to get better you need to eat their prescription food.

[@pobster88j94]

My vet sent out a mailing alerting clients grain free diets are causing heart issues in dogs and cats. They encouraged us to switch to a regular cat food that is balanced.

[@thewannabegamer9]

And they’re getting sued for almost $3 billion for making that claim.

[@BoomBoom-xn7ud]

I agree, thank you for an honest review!

[@lindalanasa1437]

The reason I’m here is to get an honest review. The vet did recommend the oral care recipe. My cat will eat nothing else. I read the ingredients and was not impressed. Getting her off of it will be the challenge. Thank you. I wish I’d known then what I know now.

[@SL4PSYM4XY]

I just bought my first bag of Dr. Elsey's Cleanprotein. If my kitties like it, that's all I'll be buying from now. I was on the fence about Hills, but the Vet strongly recommended it, so that's what they've been eating for a year or so. Time to switch! Thank you soo much!

[@Music4mix]

There are different diets for a reason, sometimes we think we have a healthy pet, but without a Vet visit and a blood and urine test probably we'll never know about future problems, my cat is 3 years old I always make sure that his food doesn't contain grains or by products, he's been eating wet and dry food, make sure he drinks water etc, but 3 month ago he started to have urinary problems, took him to the vet and they did a Xrays, blood and urine test, and surprise he had crystals in his bladder, blood and urine tests, he was high in magnesium and low in something else, he went for bladder surgery to remove the crystals, long story short Veterinarian put him on Hill's C/D diet (wet and dry food), and reading the ingredients that are inside probably I wouldn't buy it, but this is a prescribed food and you can't not buy it without a prescription, my cat is doing very well, he's happy and urinating normally and that's the most important thing to me, in a year I going to take him for the test again and see how good is this food for his condition, sometimes you can give your pet the most expensive, the best ingredients and the best quality food available in the market, but the question is: Is that the food your pet needs?, there are Veterinarians and different kind of food and diets for a reason, as in humans sometimes pets are diabetics, have bladder problems, kidney problems and you don't see it, they look healthy to you.

[@rebecca81387]

Thank you for this! My cats have been on HSD Rx C/D wet & dry food because of urinary crystals one of our cats developed as a kitten (and has been fine since) and I always wondered about this brand because vets really do sort of push it on you, but in a very subtle way. It doesn’t seem gimmicky or anything, it just seems like there’s this greater understanding that this is the superior cat food. I’m just starting to look deeper into nutritional values in cat food because I want my babies to live as long as possible, and when I was younger it wasn’t even something I thought about. Love your videos!

[@hsoderberg9929]

The melamine recall was a big eye opener for me. But now with a 11 plus cat I've started trying it. I haven't found many brands that are designed specifically for senior cats.

[@jennifer9047]

My 10.5 yr old cat was put on Hill's weight loss w/d (which I just accepted, because he was getting chubby), and one year later had not only NOT lost ANY weight, but he'd also developed full blown diabetes. I assume due to the high amount of carbs in this food. I had to give him insulin shots 2x daily, and he fluctuated wildly between ketoacidosis and diabetic shock. Yet when questioned, my "vet" insisted that Hill's w/d was the best food to keep him on while he figured out my cat's proper dosage levels. After two ER visits, I started doing my own research. I put him on Tiki cat chicken and egg kibble, and introduced wet food twice a day, and within 3 months, he was able to go off insulin completely! He also lost 3 lbs. I monitored his blood glucose levels at home and he was within normal range. Unfortunately, the damage done to his liver and kidneys during my "vet's" period of wild experimentation had shortened his life span and I lost him due to organ failure one year later. That vet and Hill's food killed my cat.

[@nelcyoviedo19]

My cat was having tummy issues and was immediately prescribed this brand. I read the ingredients and was shocked! Not happy at all. My cat is used to Tiki Cat. But this is the only thing she can stomach righ now. I hope that as soon as she gets better we can bring her back to Tiki Cat. Thanks for the honest review! I love your videos.

[@bluvs_tae]

What was causing her tummy issues ? 😢 my cat is 2 years old and has runny poop and i don’t want to feed her hills the vet recommended it

[@nelcyoviedo19]

@bluvs_tae so.....she started with the diarrhea, distinctive bright orange and smelly. The vet thought it was a parasite and gave her antibiotics that made her worse even though the test came negative. I looked at a video from the two crazy cat ladies about food sensitivities. Bought the kit, and bam!!! She is sensitive to 9 foods to include all fish and potatoes, which are in almost every food. So now she is on a single protein diet that has flaxseed for omega instead of fish. She is back to being my little crabby old lady. I used Nutriscanlabs. The vet will send food brand options based on the results. I wish more vets did this. 😪 Good luck!

[@edschulhof6303]

If a cat has kidney or UTI problems, feeding it dry food is the last thing you should do. Cats get most of the moisture they require from their food. At least feed wet food. Raw or homemade would be best.

[@TeraNazantia]

Really appreciate all that you do. Your videos are the best.

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

So kind of you to make this comment. Thank you.

[@Aivlyss]

Very good video!! I stopped using this brand 15 years ago after some in-depth research myself. The sad thing is that not all vets realize the different nutritional needs of dogs and cats. When taking our cat to the vet, we told the vet that we feed high protein, low carb foods. The vet then cautioned us that, per studies, it causes kidney disease in dogs. She then continued by saying that while they don't have those same studies for cats, it could be assumed this type of diet would have the same effect on them. This vet also insisted that by-products were a natural source if food for cats.

[@itsaaronlolz]

cats eat animals whole. they don’t just eat the muscle meat.

[@Aivlyss]

@@itsaaronlolz You are right , but unfortunately manufacturers put parts in meat by-products that cats would never eat (unless it's a little mouse). The term by-product is not well regulated and companies get to put things in it like hooves, feathers, diseased animals, feces and heads, that cats would not eat on their own. Otherwise, I'm with you, I think that cats should be provided with as much of the whole animal as possible.

[@HeronCoyote1234]

Geez, I hope you’ve changed vets!! This one sounds like Dr. Oz.

[@Aivlyss]

@@HeronCoyote1234 It was my first and last time seeing this vet. I wish we had vets specializing in cats, like in California.

[@MRxSLEEP]

The "by products" used by hills is definitely not hooves, fur and such. It's organ meat, which is a good thing. Every batch of meat is tested. Tons of nutrition in organs compared to muscle. People would be healthier if we ate more organ meat, but we are squeamish.

[@gwellsgavin]

For those that use Hills for the c/d line what would you recommend instead.

[@Yokujiii]

Bumping this cause I really need help! I hope she sees this. My vet prescribed me hills C/D diet for life

[@nicholegallo1090]

@@Yokujiii if your vet prescribed you a medicated cat food. Stick with it. Hills prescription is much different then hills science diet

[@jc.1191]

I used the prescription wet food for UTI for a month. It was very expensive and I thought it was overpriced a lot for what I visibly saw in the can. Otc was way cheaper with regular brands and no uti issues in 7 years.

[@bertroost1675]

What OTC products are you buying?

[@jc.1191]

@@bertroost1675 Purina one UTI. I ve used the dry food, but they have wet as well.

[@sherfinley8855]

I fed my cat when I got him years ago & he liked it. I think it has to many carbs. Thanks Mallory for this for your research on this product. Very helpful.

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Thanks, Sherry.

[@farmtruck9885]

I rescued this kitten that fell in my window well and was trapped because I have a plastic cover over it and mother cat could not fit to rescue it so I took it in. A friend of mine is a vet tech and I let her take Speedy to work to check him out and get fixed and all the shots. Anyways she told me to feed him Science diet, so I did because I didn't know any better. Fast forward 12 years Speedy got sick and took him to my local vet and found out his kidneys were failing. The vet asked what I fed him, and I told him science diet and he told me that was the worst food and that is why his kidneys failed. 😭Wish I would have known but I believed the vet.

[@susangrande8142]

Oh, Golly!! 😭 I’m so sorry, and I just went through the same experience!! My Gracie died of kidney failure at age 10, after being fed Science Diet i/d her whole life. It was prescribed by our vet!!! 😤 😭 It broke my heart!

[@jennifer9047]

Same. Exact. Story. Hill's is just demonic!!!😡

[@2660mh]

Was at vet yesterday and saw the Hills foods and somehow feel like you nailed it!

[@localchumb]

Wow this is a little crazy but I just woke up from a dream about my aunts old pup, Freddy. He ate science diet his whole life! This is a little spooky but it was really nice seeing him again :) thanks for the magic, Mallory

[@kanzaki0001]

I had my cats on hill’s CD stew. And they were fine until late 2021 when they both had diarrhea and threw up. I took both to the vet to get them checked out. It was a bout of gas. And they were given some meds and they recovered. 3 weeks later the same issue returned and I kept them off since then. But one cat needs to be on c/d because he blocked. But the pate version works better and I use dry.

[@noizeemama3697]

Thank you for doing this video. My cats never liked it when the vet recommended it many years ago. I have stuck with the local pet food stores recommendations....except when it comes to renal failure. Then I have to buy whatever the vet gives.

[@michaeljohnrizzo6643]

Hi Mallory, I really loved hearing your review of Hills. One of my cats has a UTI and we put on C/D Urinary formula when he was very young and it’s been the only food that has kept him from developing stones again. As someone who worked in the pet food industry and who also has two other cats, it has been very difficult for me to know that my Bashful is eating crap food. The ingredient panel irritates me to no end but each time in the last 10 years that I have tried a different food for him his UTI has seemed to be irritated and the peeing out of the box starts up again, etc. making it necessary to resume HIlls. Long story short, have you found any other options for a Urinary tract food that has a better ingredient list with more meat and less carbs and other assorted “junk”? I truly appreciate your time and really value your insight!

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Hey Michael, thank you for the thoughtful comment! The only thing I can offer is our article on the best cat food for urinary tract health, which details some of the factors to consider when picking a food for cats prone to these issues. allaboutcats.com/best-cat-food-urinary-tract-health Hope this helps!

[@chonklife1809]

I've been trying to find a healthier option for my newly diagnosed Hyperthyroid cat. It has to be something completely deplete of iodine...all of the food I've looked at has kelp in it 😩 Hills is the only option out there that I've found 😏

[@prasselboll]

Thanks for being honest. This video helped me a lot!

[@imalifeformknownasmanuel3019]

This brand was recommended by the vet for my Cat that has diabetes and only recently we looked into the ingredients and seeing the amount of carbs it has we started buying fancy feast for now which has way less carbs and it's wet food not kibble like the vet's recommendation

[@barhernan153]

I'm stuck with hill's for two of my cats because of GI issues. They are only able to digest hydrolyzed protein, so I feed them z/d. I'm mad that at that price point, they offer such low quality ingredients. I know the hydrolyzacion process much be expensive, but still.... But hey, that's what they digest without issues, so.... But if my cats were healthy, there's no way I'd be choosing Hill's. I completely agree with you !

[@rileyspenceryoutube]

This was an eye opener, switching NOW! THANK YOU

[@victoriaryan1509]

Thanks for this - my cat has gastrointestinal issues and was eating Royal Canin but has recently gone off it so I'm looking for alternatives. Hills was on the list, but that low level of decent protein has put me off. I do know however that he doesn't like high protein grain-free foods either! Fussy boy.

[@crazycatman5928]

I have 20 cats so I buy a bag a week. Before inflation it was $46 a bag. It went to $53 a bag. Now it’s $56.99..after tax over $60 a bag. I didn’t cave I bought Iams instead. I’m slowly switching foods as to not hurt their stomachs. If more people didn’t cave to things..companies wouldn’t be so greedy.

[@Jason.cbr1000rr]

Hi mallory.. you and jackson galaxy and senior cat wellbeing are the best cat informative channels!! Thanks mallory you whyte as chick 😃

[@vistalite]

Kitten Lady (Hannah Shaw) has a lot of informative videos, too.

[@Jason.cbr1000rr]

@@vistalite oh cool i will check her out 😃 🐈 😻 🐈‍⬛ 🐱

[@jessicas4295]

My cats vet just gave me a bag for my newly diagnosed diabetic 11 year old cat. He didn't ask of I wanted it, just handed it to me and chsrd me almost $90 for it. I'm adding Tiki wet dark in his food now with the dry hills one but after this I wonder because he needs lower carbs than what most foods have with high protein. I also have to make sure if my other cats eat his food they won't get sick from it. Which hills makes my eldest cat very sick.

[@Jekyll_Island_Creatures]

So what's the best dry food then? I try to feed him a 75/25 wet/dry ratio. For wet food he prefers Sheba. He devoured Tiki Cat After Dark the first couple times I fed it to him, but now he doesn't touch it.

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

You might appreciate our video on the best dry cat food: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6qnnmCAoddlZ6M

[@seajay958]

I've settled on Wysong. It's the best bang for buck and they eat it.

[@andreathesmall]

Thank you for this review. Do you have a recommendation for an alternative for a cat with FICU? Thank you

[@desynoer4401]

So grateful to come across your video! Thanks a lot for sharing. I wish I had this sooner.

[@moggridge1]

That's very good research, thank you. I suppose at least one thing one can compliment Hill's on is their expertise in marketing to vets. 🤔

[@jamesdk5417]

Wow, thanks very much. That’s all I feed my cats. Do you have a video on what you recommend. I only want what is best for them. Hopefully your recommendation is available in Australia. So many of the products you recommended are not available here. Thanks very much for all you do for our best friends.

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Hi James, I think you might appreciate our article on the best cat food in Australia: allaboutcats.com/best-cat-food-australia

[@yeseniazuniga.]

Hello, Do you recommend Nulo dry food for my cats? I was originally feeding them Hill's brand, but they have been gaining a lot of weight. I would really appreciate your help 🙏

[@kirikamamoru1169]

What about the IAMS ProActive Health Adult Indoor Weight & Hairball Care Dry Cat Food? would that be good for weight loss??

[@dwj81]

Thanks for the research Mallory. Would really like to know what you would recommend as an alternative? What do you feed your cats? I’ve spent a lot of time looking at recipes from all the major brands, and they all seem to have about the same crude protein levels and fill in with fruits and vegetables. Seems like expensive dehydrated raw food is really the only way to get above 50% protein, which definitely doesn’t work with a automatic feeder. Thanks

[@ilovegoodsax]

Oddly enough, Mallory feeds her cats Fancy Feast. She mentioned in a video a while back that it's the only cat brand Wessie and Forrest will eat.

[@localchumb]

@@ilovegoodsax love your name lol

[@deenarubin4967]

Which video was that?

[@localchumb]

@@deenarubin4967 it might’ve been the video of a day in life of Mallory. Was a pretty cool one

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

@Deena Rubin Hey all, the video is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6jQaWiiZaaVr5I I think this is a case of "do as I say, not as I do"-we have financial and preferential limitations on what we're able to feed Wessie and Forest, and this is just the best I can do. I don't think Fancy Feast is the best on the market and would far prefer that you choose something from one of our lists of the best food you can buy.

[@Ravierave]

Hillls was the first cat food brand I ever actually looked into because I had just gotten a kitten. I bought it once and never again.

[@WingsDragonfly]

This has been a frustrating struggle. When I first got my handsome Dude, he was on a locally made high meat content wet food. Then came the extremely expensive and life-threatening bout with Urinary crystals. My vet recommended Hills Urinary. I've never been happy with the ingredients, but other Urinary formulations are similar. I would love other options that would not threaten the health of my boy, but it's not an easy experiment.

[@shelbeybridgeman3602]

Please let me know what you find out! My vet also recommended this to me but her opinions have not been working out in my cats health’s favor.

[@Yokujiii]

Hi! Struggling finding more information or what I should do for my cat. He’s been prescribed hills science C/D for life but I don’t really like this and stressing what diet to put them on. Are you sticking with this ?

[@rachelnguyen1655]

Which brand would you recommend for sensitive tummy?

[@xlM3RCxl]

I am tired of the rx diets. We have a cat with diabetes and were feeding him rx diabetes food for years and giving insulin with no remission. I got tired of it and started feeding him a popular brand that is not rx and a few months later he was in remission.

[@donnapranzarone2327]

Thank you, Mallory, for a wonderful in-depth review and analysis of these foods!

[@NVeeThatsMe]

My vet just recommended Hill's food for their z/d (hydrolyzed) line. My cat has IBD and has issues with proteins. We've tried novel protein food (such as Royal Canin venison and rabbit), but that hasn't resolved his issues. The hydrolyzation process breaks down the proteins to such tiny components, that the immune system no longer can recognize it and attack it. If you happen to know of or tested any hydrolyzed foods by other companies, I'd love to hear your take on it. IBD is such a huge and common problem for cats and the variety of manufacturers who make this type of food doesn't seem to meet the demand.

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Blue Buffalo and Purina Pro Plan both have hydrolyzed recipes. Pro Plan: www.proplanvetdirect.com/ha-hydrolyzed Blue Buffalo: bluebuffalo.com/dry-cat-food/blue-natural-veterinary-diet/hydrolyzed-intolerance/

[@NVeeThatsMe]

@@AllAboutCatsYT Thank you!

[@judyyk]

Please review Orijen cat food!

[@cutejapanesecatsandanimals5338]

As cats age, they sleep more and more. They start sleeping as much as kittens, and some older cats sleep more than 20 hours. As they get older and their strength declines, they spend more time out and sleeping to reduce their activity and conserve energy. Another aspect of this is that they can sleep longer because their hearing deteriorates and they are less likely to notice noises. Cats enter their senior years around the age of seven and gradually begin to show signs of aging, many of which are difficult to notice visually. If they start sleeping longer, it is one of the signs of aging, so start taking care of them according to their age.😻😻😻😻😻😻😘😘😘😘😘😘

[@JeannetteShoreland]

A very accurate description of my senior cat.

[@danielsan3681]

I so appreciate honest. 🙏

[@OctopusWith7Knives]

Awesome content! I learned a lot watching your videos helping to take care of my first 2 kittens! If you are looking to improve something in your production I would recommend looking into sound recording. Right now it distorts the sound when you talk a little louder, sometimes you have the bad right/left channel balance, plus it records "unwanted sounds".

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Hi Artem, thank you so much for the advice. Getting the sound right has been a constant challenge, so I appreciate the reminder that it's still not quite where it should be. I'll work on it! Thanks.

[@justtubingby8342]

Would you be able to tell us what percentage of the sales the vets pocket?

[@caelenmarshall2674]

Hey there, me and my fiance are getting a kitten in about a month. She will be 12 weeks old. We're wondering, what is the best kitten food we can get for her? If anyone has any recommendations, I would really appreciate it

[@vistalite]

My vet initially recommended Science Diet but then suddenly switched to Royal Canin about three years ago. Both brands were prescription canned food for urinary issues. My cat liked them both but was not in love with either. At this point, my cat is eating three to three and a half cans a day at a price that is about $5. After watching one of the other AAC review videos, I have decided to try Nom Nom Now. I have just ordered the food yesterday and I’m looking forward to my cat’s reaction. If all goes as I hope, my cat will have a better tasting and healthier food at a lower cost.

[@justinc8638]

Just wanted to thank you for the genuine update, you don't find that a lot nowadays. I had my vet recommend this product. I'm glad I did my own research & found your video. You earned me as a subscriber and a thumbs up... vets don't always get it right theirselves $$. Thanks again

[@abdulhaqq6183]

Please kindly do a review on Royal Canine, Orijen and taste of the wild dried food, thanks very much!

[@charlessavoie2367]

In 1978n when my precious Deputy Dog's death was predictable due to heart troubles, the vet put him on Hill's Science Diet. Deputy Dog HATED it! And I hate this company for making his quality of life worse. "Science did that," a sorrier expression than this I NEVER heard!

[@emilyanschuetz8409]

Hi Mallory, what did the vet that you interviewed think of this brand?

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

She recommended it. I didn't publish the interview as I didn't manage to get out anything that you wouldn't really find anywhere else-the brand is backed by extensive research, undergoes feeding trials, and is scientifically formulated. All of the information was pretty general, and I didn't manage to get any specific or detailed answers to the questions about these brands.

[@MRxSLEEP]

@@AllAboutCatsYT if you weren't going to mention the vet's opinion, I don't think you should have mentioned the fact that you interviewed a vet.

[@ALL_For_His_Kingdom3224]

I'm looking for a healthy canned wet cat food for my 11 year old female that was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroid. I tried Hill's Thyroid canned food but she immediately had diarrhea so I'd like your opinion on what you suggest. I've always tried to stay holistic with freshly made venison meat or organic duck for her. She also has had bladder and allergy issues in the past. Thank you Mallory.

[@dianestewart893]

My poor cat recently had surgery for (bladder) kidney stones. She's a rescue cat, with us for about 3 years, so I don't know when the stones began. I've fed her according to your rules, so wasn't happy when the vet suggested that I use the Hill's Urinary brand. I was told that I needed to give her food that has less phosphorus and magnesium to prevent an occurrence. She doesn't like it, won't eat the wet food, only the dry, sometimes. What can you suggest?

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

There are a few non-prescription recommendations in this list of low-phosphorus foods for kidney disease. I'd recommend contacting the manufacturer to learn about magnesium content. In general, though, you should avoid fish-based foods and always opt for wet products. allaboutcats.com/best-cat-food-for-kidney-disease

[@mycrazywonderfulbeautifullife]

Mallory, you’re the best! ❤ I watch this channel because of you. Please keep posting videos specially your reviews on every brands. God bless!

[@cindymeschke697]

Really appreciate the work you're doing!

[@cjw8817]

Hills has had many recalls on pet foods

[@FlyinZX10R]

My 6 month old kitten and 14 year old cat both love Nulo Turkey and Chicken Pate. It’s healthy and well priced if you buy it in the 12.5 oz cans.

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Thanks for sharing.

[@anthonywisniewski2241]

Love your work.

[@FarmLifestyle997]

Hi there, we aquired our little tabby cat a few days ago. First i bought Optimum and after speaking to my vet he said to buy Hills Science for cats. We decided to go for royal canin which he highly disaproved of. And today i stumbled across your videos and discovered what i should be looking for in cat food. Seems like my vet is somewhat recieving benefits from Hill Science, how could he offer such garbage food to me? So i asked him about Meals For Mutts/ Meows. He told me they're over rated. After looking through your videos, reading the ingredients on Royal Canin we went to the shops and had a look at Meals for Meows. It clearly states the ingredients and we bought it. Im now returning my unopened bag of R. canin tomorrow. Ive noticed that my kitten has severe flatulence build up, even the cheap brand optimum never did that!! Her poos are so sticky that i had to wipe her bottom after she used the litter. I gave her MFM and she accepted tight away! Its an Australian made brand. Thanks for your valiable info! Ive also figured out to read what people NOT vets or big brands say!! Im subscribing :)