It's the Sensible choice for puking moggies! (Royal Canin Feline Health Sensible)

Member Name: dee778

Product:	Royal Canin Feline Health Sensible
Date:	30/06/09 (120 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stops my cat from vomiting

Disadvantages: A bit more expensive than other brands

One of my cats is a puker! I love her to bits, but she stretches my love to the limits as she wolfs her food down, and sicks it straight back up onto the beds, the sofas, the carpets........

After about a year of feline regurgitation I decided that something must be seriously wrong with her. I had already wormed her, so I knew it wasn't worms. I took her to the vet, who told me that she had developed an allergy to something in the cat food, and that her stomach had become over-sensithised. He prescribed a very expensive cat food called 'Hill's Prescription Diet Feline Z/D '. This is only available from your vet, and really made no difference whatsoever to the puking problem.

Having been told about the sensitive stomach issue, I then went and had a chat with my very helpful sales assistant at the local pet supermarket. She told me that her cat had the same problem, and recommended Royal Canin Sensible 33. I owe this lady a very big thank you! As soon as I started feeding my cats the Sensible 33, all vomiting ceased, and I have been using it ever since.

~~Health Info~~

Royal Canin is only available from vets or specialised pet retail stores - you will not find Royal Canin products on supermarket shelves. The company manufactures targeted pet food which provide precise nutritional solutions to various problems. Some of their other products are 'Digestive Discomfort' - for cats with regurgitation and digestive problems. This was my backup purchase if Sensible 33 did not work, but I have never had to try it. Royal Canin also make specialised food for obese cats, cats with hairballs, and cats with dental problems.

Sensible 33 is endorsed by vets, and recommended by a large number of onlline pet health websites. It claims to strengthen digestive systems by using LIP proteins and having a high rice content. It also says that intestinal flora are balanced, using beet pulp and fructo-oligo-saccharides which, much like a very famous probiotic drink for humans, stimulates the growth of beneficial digestive flora!

Sensible 33 is suitable for cats from 1-10 years old.

I have continued to feed my cat Sensible 33 throughout 2 pregnancies - and it has kept her healthy and well able to feed her litter without supplements.

~~Ingredients~~

The Ingredients are listed as: Dehydrated poultry meat, rice, animal fats, maize, maize gluten, dehydrated pork proteins L.I.P, hydrolysed animal proteins, vegetable protein isolate L.I.P, yeasts, beet pulp, minerals, fish oil, soya oil, vegetable fibres, fructo-oligo-saccharides, sodium phosphate, DL-methionine, taurine, L-lysine, egg powder.

I have found the following average analysis on the web:

Protein 33.0 %
Fat 22.0 %
Ash 7.0 %
Fibre 2.0 %
Dietary fibre 5.7 %
Phosphorus 1.0 %
Magnesium 0.08 %
Metabolisable Energy 4550 kcal/kg

Urinary pH: 6.0-6.5

~~Appearance, smell, and general tastiness~~

Don't worry, I have not gone so far as to taste these myself!

My cats are used to dried cat food, having been brought up on Iams. Despite this, they were initially a bit wary of Sensible 33, and to be honest, if I had relented and given them a bowl of Iams, they would have danced a little jig.

However, the vomiting made me persevere, and a year later they eat it all up with enthusiasm - often begging for seconds.

The pellets are on the small side in size - they have a distinct smell of chicken, and are a star shape. They keep their freshness very well, and still appear moist and tasty after two weeks in the storgage box.

~~Price~~

I buy my Sensible 33 from Partners Pets. Their prices are:
400g £2.89
2 Kilo £14.89
4 kilo £23.89
10 kilo £48.49

This is slightly more than you will pay for other complete cat foods, but it is well worth it if you have a puking cat! Because Royal Canin is not available in supermarkets, you also cannot benefit from promotions, loyalty points or special offers.

I buy the 4 kilo pack for my 2 cats, as Partners Pets told me that after 2-3 months the vitamins and minerals in the food will be oxydised, and so I should try to use it all up by then. I find this size is eaten up well before the 2 month deadline

Summary: Well worth the extra money