Royal Canin cat food

Royal Canin cat food is one of the most prominent representatives of the super-premium cat food segment along with Proplan and Hills. All three foods have rightfully gained popularity in the zoo community: each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Today we’ll talk about our French comrades, about Royal: namely, about Royal Canin cat food - we’ll talk about reviews of them from buyers and veterinarians, and we’ll also look into the range and composition of the food.

Royal Canin is a brand with history. Born in France. Several years ago, the brand was purchased by the Mars corporation with all its production facilities and assets, and since that time the brand can safely be called American.

In 2004, the company’s plant was opened in Russia in the Dmitrovsky district, and since then the needs of the Russian market have been covered by the forces of this enterprise. Simply put: until 2004, the goods on the shelves were from Europe, and now from Russia. Some experts (and not so many) note the fact that from this moment the quality of the feed has noticeably deteriorated; others, on the contrary, say that the products have remained the same, moreover, the quality of the packaging has become better, and the price has noticeably decreased.

You can now view the current price of food and buy it right here:

basic information

We will not analyze in detail the composition of Royal Canin cat food; we will only focus on the main points that customers should know. What essentially distinguishes super premium cat food from economy class? Quality, you say, it’s true, but the concept of product quality is quite abstract and it would be nice to break down what quality from Royal Canin consists of.

All brand products are divided into 2 types:

• Dry granules are presented in packaging of different volumes indicating on the packaging the composition, optimal portions depending on the weight of the animal and feeding recommendations. For testing, you can purchase a small 400-gram package, and it is convenient for breeders and nurseries to buy large bags.
• Wet diets are presented in the form of canned food in metal cans and in the form of pouches in soft sachets with a volume of 85 to 368 g. In this category, you can choose products in the form of pieces of meat in sauce or jelly, pates, mousses with different taste characteristics.

The concept of Royal Canin brand cat food is a scientific approach to determining the composition, dosage, components, raw materials and production technology. For example, other companies prioritize the quick consumption of a product by a cat as a guarantee of its quality. Royal, on the contrary, before launching this or that food, conducts numerous studies in its own laboratories, and when creating a new food, they guarantee its nutritional properties.

How is this possible? Like people, cats are all different: there are passive, rustic, sterilized, with disabilities, fluffy, purebred, and so on. And depending on the breed or lifestyle, a cat needs different food. If, for example, your cat is sterilized and does nothing but sleep, then food for active cats is unlikely to be suitable for him; it contains more calories, salts and other microelements that can have a detrimental effect on the whisker, leading to obesity or urolithiasis.

Royal Canin dry food

How to properly feed your pet Royal Canin dry food

• Created: March 9, 2012
• user marizon -
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There is a completely established stereotype among the people that ready-made dry food, whatever it may be, is something beyond measure terrible. The stereotype, of course, is extremely erroneous, but its reasons are quite objective - a countless number of cats have died from Whiskas, what kind of fame could dry food have?

Food for different breeds

Or food for different breeds also differs in composition. Everyone knows that each breed, in addition to obvious physiological signs, also has its own “breed” predisposition to diseases. For example, the fact that the British have a rather large heart and a massive body - this must be taken into account when choosing an animal’s diet. The complex of products included in the composition should ensure smooth functioning of the heart and strengthen the musculoskeletal system. Royal Canin food for British cats in this context has good reviews from the owners of this breed.

Or Sphynxes, who do not have fur, need to produce a large amount of energy for “warming”, so OMEGA 3 and 6 must be added to the food to maintain the function of the skin barrier.

Composition analysis

According to the category, the diets of this brand are classified as premium feeds. Let's look at the composition of the complete product for large dogs Royal Canin Maxi.

The main and most important part of the food, protein, is listed in the composition as “dehydrated poultry meat” and “dehydrated pork meat”. The manufacturer does not indicate which poultry, but the dehydration process means that the meat product has been dried and removed from excess moisture. Another protein component of the feed is hydrolyzed animal proteins. Typically, protein is hydrolyzed to make it better digestible.

Diets for different ages

The brand’s assortment offers balanced diets that take into account the needs of the cat’s body at different ages:

• For kittens, young individuals up to one year. Here are milk replacers, separate diets up to 4 months of age (also suitable for pregnant and lactating cats), pates, wet food in sauce and jelly, “drying” with small granules for kittens of different breeds (British, Maine Coon, Persian ), and also separately for sterilized pets. Special formulas help strengthen the immune system, normal growth and development of small pets.
• For healthy adult animals, taking into account their breed and other characteristics: with long hair, normal or overweight, sensitive digestive system, active or domestic lifestyle, intolerant of strong tastes and aromas in food, for castrated animals.

Here you can also select diets to solve specific problems: maintaining healthy skin and coat, caring for the oral cavity, or removing hairballs from the stomach.

• For individuals over 7 (including sterilized) and over 12 years old in the form of dry granules, wet diets with jelly or sauce.

About the composition

It is obvious that the meat component of Royal Canin cat food is much higher than that of economy class food. Nevertheless, this indicator among other foods in the super premium segment is generally at the same level = that is, it is the same in both proplan and hills.

Vegetable additives such as soy and corn are also present in the feed. Sources of glucosamine, lutein and chondroitin are of natural origin, but the main components (corn gluten and rice flour) contain a large amount of carbohydrates, which, according to some owners, does not have the best effect on animals.

In some products, proteins of plant origin are indicated in the first place in the composition (for example, vegetable protein isolate in drying for adults British Shorthair). Compared to animal protein, they are of less benefit to cats, who remain carnivores by nature.

In addition, the manufacturer does not always indicate the exact sources of individual components, indicating them in general terms. For example, animal fats, vegetable fiber. The origin and quality of such components remains unknown to buyers, and is therefore alarming.

Thus, taking into account the general analysis of the composition of Royal Canin food, we can say that the declared super-premium class does not correspond to the real picture, since the composition uses controversial components that are, at a minimum, useless for the cat’s body. If it is possible to switch your pet to another food with natural meat ingredients in the first place in the composition, you can refuse to feed your cat Royal Canin.

Ingredients

Dehydrated poultry, animal fat, rice, vegetable protein isolate, fibre, corn, hydrolysed animal protein*, animal protein*, yeast, beet pulp, soybean oil, L-lysine, fish oil, minerals, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), egg powder, sodium phosphate, hydrolyzed yeast extract (source of mannooligosaccharides), DL-methionine, taurine, marigold extract (rich in lutein), beta-carotene, L-carnitine.

*LIP: Protein selected for its high digestibility.

Royal Canin medicated food

The food from the Royal Canin line of medicinal and dietary cat food can be particularly highlighted. Only Hills can compete with it in the segment of medicinal feeds - they have no others equal on the market.

Many veterinarians highly appreciate the manufacturer’s medical lines for their wide range and high quality of products. For dry and wet diets, special components and proven formulas are used, intended for the prevention of chronic pathologies, restoration of the body after illnesses and surgical interventions, or as special dietary nutrition throughout life.

Important! Therapeutic diets should be used to feed your pet only in consultation with your veterinarian, taking into account the pet’s condition and the characteristics of the disease.

Among the veterinary diets, the manufacturer includes the following lines:

• Gastro Intestinal (for disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, including chronic pathologies).
• Hypoallergenic (with a tendency to allergic reactions).
• Urinary (for pathologies of the urinary system).
• Mobility (for disorders of the musculoskeletal system).
• Renal (for the treatment and prevention of renal failure).
• Recovery (for the recovery period after illnesses and surgical interventions).
• Hepatic (for liver pathologies).
• Calm (for animals that have suffered severe stress).
• Diabetic (for diabetes mellitus).

Royal Canin's assortment includes such a wide selection of medicinal foods for different purposes that it is impossible to list everything. In addition, there is no point in memorizing all the options, since if necessary, the cat owner will need to look for a specific product for his pet, taking into account the problem that has arisen and the recommendations of the veterinarian.

Let us present to your attention 2 of them - Urinary and Renal.

Renal

Renal cat food from Royal Canin is available in both dry and wet forms and is used to prevent and treat kidney failure in cats. The minimum period of therapy for these products is 6 months as recommended by the manufacturer. Please note: this product should not be given to pregnant or lactating cats. It should only be used with a prescription from a veterinarian.

Urinary

Problems with the excretory system in cats can lead to urolithiasis. Royal Canin specialists have developed Urinary food for cats, which has received positive reviews and some fame around the world. However, often on domestic forums, owners of sterilized cats speak ambiguously about this Royal Canin food, saying that their pets become very fat from this food. As you know, in addition to the direct purpose of this food, it also has an indirect purpose - keeping the pet in good shape: in other words, so that our mustaches do not get fat, and buyers expect that this property will be realized “in practice,” which does not always happen.

Of course, each case is individual. In particular, this may be due to hormonal imbalance and other problems. It is best not to neglect the advice of a specialist and not to self-medicate.

Review of the line of food for different breeds

The manufacturer is trying to reach as wide an audience as possible by producing diets for all the needs of pets. The company's products are produced in the form of canned food in cans, wet portioned food in bags and dry ready-made diets. For very tiny babies left without a mother for some reason, the manufacturer offers a feeding formula. And the reviews about it are quite good. If you want to learn more about how to feed newborn puppies, watch the video from the Pethouse.ua channel.

The entire line of this brand is divided into:

• everyday food for puppies;
• everyday food for adult dogs;
• veterinary, therapeutic diets.

Everyday food for puppies

Puppies grow quickly, gain strength and need special diets, with an emphasis on vitamins, minerals and plenty of protein. According to veterinarians, it makes sense to separate food for puppies of small and large breeds, since during the growth period small dogs rapidly gain weight (fat), while large ones develop a skeleton.

In the following table we will look at what menus are available for different breeds and needs in this brand line.

Daily diets for adult dogs

Adult dogs, as a rule, choose suitable food that they will eat for the rest of their lives. Therefore, it is important to choose a product that is natural, fortified, and even suitable for the character of the animal. For example, an active animal requires a different diet composition from the diet of a couch potato.

In the table we look at the Royal Canin line for adult dogs.

Veterinary diets

Dogs, like people, can get sick: they can have congenital and acquired defects. Diseases of the heart, liver and genitourinary system can overtake an animal not only in old age. Special medicinal foods and diets can maintain the health of a pet by giving it all the necessary vitamins and excluding harmful foods that are excluded by a special diet for a dog. The most accessible example is hepatic food, which has good reviews and is used by veterinarians to support liver function during treatment. However, medicinal feeds should not be consumed for a long time; there are preventive feeds for long-term use.

Feedback from cat owners

Marina,
owner of a Persian cat:

“I have been feeding my cat Royal for 5 years. I started with kitten food, then switched to adult diets. Digestion is fine, the coat is shiny, appetite and activity are always normal. My cat is long-haired, so sometimes I buy spiders from the line for a beautiful coat as treats. I’ve also heard from friends about the good effects of the brand’s veterinary diets, but fortunately I haven’t used it for my pet yet.”

Victoria, the British owner:

“For a long time we fed the cat Royal Canin, but over time we noticed a deterioration in quality, especially after the opening of Russian production. The composition leaves much to be desired, a large amount of vegetable protein, cereals and the percentage of at least the main components is unknown. After the cat began to have an upset stomach from just purchasing a package of food, we decided to abandon this manufacturer altogether.”