Cat Food: Go Natural or Horizon Legacy?

[dogmelissa]

So I decided to switch my girls to a different food because Aubrie had been having on and off squishy poos (she's long haired and they'd stick to her rear end, causing her to need a bath). So I got samples of Horizon Legacy & Go! Natural (Trout formula) on the recommendation of the employees at the pet food store I go to.

I've now emptied all of the samples I have and need to get more today - but I don't know which one. So far (after a couple days of each), Aubrie's poos are fine, but a couple days isn't usually enough to judge with her.

So, opinions? I only have a few hours to decide as I need to go get some today, so please don't hesitate.

Ingredients/analysis on each:
Horizon Legacy Ingredients:Fresh chicken meat, chicken meal, salmon meal, turkey meal, pea starch concentrate, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, rosemary, citric acid), green split peas, whole eggs, flaxseed, salmon oil, dried alfalfa, carrots, apples, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, cranberries, Saskatoon berries, dried kelp, dried pumpkin meal, colostrum, sea buckthorn, fenugreek protein meal, dried pomegranate, dried astragalus root, dried milk thistle, glucosamine HCl, chondroitin sulphate, garlic, enzymes (dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, dried aspergillus niger extract, pineapple, dried trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation product, rhizopus oryzae), probiotics (dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium bifidum fermentation product, and dried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product), taurine, yucca schidigera extract, mannan oligosaccharide (MOS), burdock root extract (FOS), vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin B12, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin C (ascorbyl phosphate), ferrous sulphate, iron proteinate*, zinc sulphate, zinc proteinate*, manganous oxide, manganese proteinate*, copper sulphate, copper proteinate*, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, seleno methionine, magnesium oxide.

Nutritional Information
Protein (min)41%
Fat (min) 20%
Fibre (max) 3%
Moisture (max)9%
Omega 3 1%
Omega 6 3%

Horizon foods are 100% sourced & made in Saskatchewan, so I have no concerns about contamination or "bad" ingredients with them.

Go! Natural Trout INGREDIENTS: Trout Meal, Freshwater Trout, natural fish flavor,herring meal, potato, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols (vit. E), salmon oil, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, taurine, choline chloride, prebiotics - (chicory root extract, mannanoligosaccharides), pumpkin, apples, carrots, bananas, blueberries, cranberries, lentil beans, broccoli, spinach, cottage cheese, alfalfa sprouts, garlic, probiotics ( Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei, Enterococcus Faecium, Bifido-bacterium Thermophilum), Vitamins (vit. E, vit. C, niacin, inositol, vit. A, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, vit. K, beta-carotene, vit. D3, folic acid, biotin, vit. B12), Minerals (zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), Ascorbyl-polyphosphate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Rosemary

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Crude Protein (min) 50%
Crude Fat (min) 21%
Crude Fiber (max) 2%
Moisture (max) 10%
Ash (max)10%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids 3%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 0.5%
Taurine 1800 mg/kg
Magnesium 0.1%

Go! Natural (by Petcurean) is also Canadian made & sourced (BC), so again, no worries about contamination or bad ingredients.

Ok, now to the opinions!
Thanks in advance!
Melissa

[Love4himies]

Have you tried Orijen? It also gets its ingredients locally:

http://www.championpetfoods.com/orij...gredients.aspx

[dogmelissa]

Originally Posted by Love4himies

Have you tried Orijen? It also gets its ingredients locally:
http://www.championpetfoods.com/orij...gredients.aspx

No I haven't, and I don't have time to try it right now. I will keep it in mind should neither of these work longer-term, though.

Melissa

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by dogmelissa

No I haven't, and I don't have time to try it right now. I will keep it in mind should neither of these work longer-term, though.

Melissa

You can purchase sample bags of orijen, made in Morinville you know

[sugarcatmom]

I don't like fish-based diets for cats, so I voted Horizon.

http://catnutrition.wordpress.com/20...ding-for-cats/
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.ph...ngerousforcats

[dogmelissa]

Originally Posted by sugarcatmom

I don't like fish-based diets for cats, so I voted Horizon.
http://catnutrition.wordpress.com/20...ding-for-cats/
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.ph...ngerousforcats

Thank you for the links! I don't know if the same info is true of dry kibble vs canned cat food or even just canned fish, though. I was unable to find any information on that. I will keep it in mind though!
Perhaps I could get the Go! Natural Chicken/Turkey/Duck instead of the Trout.... I'd be ok with that option, too. Except now it's given me 3 things to choose from. I'm not good with decisions!!

Melissa

[phoozles]

I'm with sugarcatmom - fishy food is a no no. Otherwise, both sound like decent foods, but I voted for Horizon because of the trout flavor.

Have you thought about rotating the flavors? Then you don't have to choose, and your kitties won't get bored.

[rainbow]

They both have excellent ingredients but....

Horizon is made at their own manufacturing plant.

Go Natural is outsourced to other Canadian manufacturing plants.

Unless Go Natural has their own dedicated lines and their own staff monitoring them then I would go with the Horizon. If you do decide on Go Natural then I would choose the chicken based one.

Also, Orijen is also made at their own manufacturing plant.

[dogmelissa]

I just got back from the store... I got the Horizon Legacy. Hope my kitties think that was also the right choice!

Thanks for the help,
Melissa