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Do you spoil your dog or cat?

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Spoilt dog
Profile photo of Siobhan Chan Siobhan Chan Senior Food Researcher
Comments 67

Is it actually worth spending extra cash on premium pet food? Or is money no object when it comes to feeding your canine or feline pals?

Pets are supposed to be a part of the family – and god knows they can sometimes cost as much as having a child.

You watch them grow up, enjoying their boundless enthusiasm when they’re playful and keeping a worried eye on them when they’re unwell. You share their pictures on Facebook and they get a special mention in the Christmas round-robin.

But the costs of pet care can run into the thousands over their lifetime – insurance, vet checks, pet passports, grooming, and of course, food. And unlike children, there isn’t the prospect that they’ll be looking after you in your dotage.

All Which? members, I’m sure, are out exploring supermarkets for great deals on food, buying the great value Best Buys our taste tests have uncovered. But by the time we reach the pet food aisle, we’re tempted to throw in a tin of extra-premium, super meaty, specially-textured, well-it-must-be-good-for-them pet food (in jelly) – just so they know we love them.

So we set out to find out whether the fancy stuff is actually any better for your dog or cat.

Costly chow

If you have a small Labrador and feed him exclusively on standard Butcher’s dog food, you’ll be spending just under £640 a year. But buy Butcher’s Superior and you’ll be shelling out £850. So what does this extra £210 a year get you, exactly?

According to the animal nutritionist who worked with us on the pet food investigation in the June issue of Which? magazine – not an awful lot. She told us they provide almost exactly the same level of nutrition – and actually, the Butcher’s Superior tin will contain a little less meat and a little less protein than its cheaper counterpart.

We found a similar pattern with other dog and cat foods we looked at. In fact, top vets told us that any pet food labelled as ‘complete’ or ‘complete and balanced’ will provide all the nutrients they need in their diet.

Butcher’s told us that every dog is different and their range of products mean consumers have a selection of recipes to choose from. And it’s true that every so often, you might want to pick up something different for your dog (or cat) to try.

Featured Comment
Profile photo of duncan lucas
duncan lucas says:
25 May 2016
Our cat lived with us for 20 years until it died it was the most spoiled /loved pet in existence . My wife got it as a small kitten and it bonded with her , it was totally possessive/ protective to my wife , never left her --and I mean NEVER left her ! Didnt like me in the bed at night always tried to keep close to her , she would wake up covered in sweat because it lay right on top of her and you know cats have a higher temperature than human beings . It never thought it was a cat would turn down most cat food(unless it was expensive ) and only eat what my wife eat even if it was not what a cat eat normally .It was always on my wife,s lap . When somebody came in it didnt like it and made it obvious by getting down from my wife,s lap going to the visitor - look up at them and went YAhhooow and walked out the door . One visitor stayed a long while after the usual -YAoooW and walking out the door it walked back in went up to the visitor and vomited at her feet . Two other visitors got the "bad smell " treatment " when it thought they had overstayed he went up to them and farted in their direction . One time I got a Chinese chicken meal delivered because it was my wife,s birthday as the chicken was done inoriginal Chinese style of leaving the skin on my wife could not eat it so our cat got it , it looked at my wife then the food and she told him tom take it , it had rice /prawn crackers etc , he eat half and slowly moved a few feet away - sat licking for 5 minutes thought about it ,turned round and eat the lot , he could only drag himself a foot or two collapsed as his stomach was level with his paws and stayed that way for a day , it was the quietest we have ever seen him . He looked on me as competition and "played " with me like a dog claws /teeth into my hands luckily I have thick skin ,until my wife said ---LUCKY --- STOP !! then instantly the claws went back in and amazingly he licked my hand , he wasnt stupid , never laid a finger on my wife only a slight brushing if he wanted her attention unless she was reading then when he wasnt the centre of attention he burst right through the newspaper . Having said all that when we took him to the vet and he had to be "put down " we both cried and it took months to get over it.
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So – do you pick up premium pet food for your furry friends? And do you think it’s worth the extra expense – or does it not matter when you see them devouring it and licking the food bowl clean?

Do you think you spoil your pet?

I don't have a pet (39%, 216 Votes)

Yes - all the time (28%, 158 Votes)

Occasionally (26%, 144 Votes)

No (7%, 39 Votes)

Total Voters: 557

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Comments
67
duncan lucas says:
7 June 2016

Has anybody noticed that 2/3rds of responders to the survey whether you spoil your pet or not are pet owners ? only 1/3 say they dont own a pet so can we say generally Which posters are pet lovers ? Now that must be a good thing —right ?

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selina innes says:
9 June 2016

I am fascinated to learn that after hundreds, if not thousands of years eating what they could get hold of either in the wild or in the household (remember the Jungle Book, how the woman tamed the first dog…)
Dogs and Cats actually need the services of a veterinary- trained nutritionist. This in spite of having stomach acids that can dissolve virtually anything, including as we all know – carrion, sheeps’ poo, take away curry…..
Who’d have thought it.

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duncan lucas says:
9 June 2016

selina -but those 1000,s of years of eating other animals did not include in their DNA the ability to eat and survive modern man made chemicals that are added for taste/colour and bulked up with pure rubbish. At least you could say in the past what they eat was either organic or natural ,there is nothing “natural ” in those evil modern day , cheap adulterations that are labeled -“cat/dog food ” .

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Nicola Wilkinson says:
12 June 2016

Canagan cat food – highly recommended; We have two cats, aged 13 and 7, and after sticking to a strict vet prescribed Science Diet for our previous two cats which lived for around 17 years, we started feeding Hills’ Science Diet to our two new cats. Then I started to appreciate how vital the meat content was to cat health and now take my calculator along with me to the local pet store when buying cat food. I buy the highest meat content for the money and to avoid dramatic dietary changes, mix half the new bag with half the old bag if the brand is different. Whenever possible I aim to buy Canagan cat food as I think their approach to feeding cats is closest to current understanding and our cats thrive on it. I also expect the very large cat that comes into our house from one of our neighbours particularly likes this one too as it seems to go down very quickly!

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Aidan Craig says:
15 June 2016

It would have been interesting to see what Colin fed his dog. We have been using Hills which is not cheap because we were advised by the breeder that it was good. Since reading the which report which was much too thin and almost misleading I have spent time reviewing different foods on the website advised by Lorraine above. I’ve just bought some Eden which comes at the top of the recommended brands – I was also disappointed with the Hill’s score

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Emma says:
30 June 2016

Butchers is such a bad food I don’t think it can be used as an example, you’re comparing two bad foods of the same brand which isn’t the same as comparing a bad food with a good premium diet! The difference between butchers and a food such as wainwrights for example (while not the best on the market but still very good and affordable) is huge! Wainwrights for example use glucosamine in their mature range to help with joints, butchers probably just add more cereal😂 and in this case (comparing a bad food with a GOOD food) it shows spending more on your animals food is worth it, and so, I have to disagree!

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duncan lucas says:
30 June 2016

Now thats a good point Emma , I look with interest at the replies .

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malcolm r says:
30 June 2016

I’ve no axe to grind re pets – had a lovely pair of Labradors and a black cat years ago and they are (were) great company. But just to put another thought in, particularly for those who use phrase “the choice between heating and eating” in other Convos. I’ve had a quick count up and we have in the UK 8.5m dogs and 7.4m cats who consume a lot of food and even more money. Would we, as a caring society, be better off putting that food and money to better use – helping and feeding the poor here and in countries where poverty and starvation is endemic?

I know the answer, but just point out the personal double standards we all (nearly) live with.

My Labradors lived on Wilsons dog meal – cereal with fish and meat additives mixed with water and wolfed down. Recommended by the breeder. It was convenient for me, seemingly loved by the dogs, and they did not need the pampering food and treats that we lavish on them today (probably more for our benefit than the animals).

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duncan lucas says:
30 June 2016

malcolm-Its down to freedom of choice like when people go the polls and vote Brexit . To many people they get total love from their pets something thats rare in human relationship , they are a constant companion ,friend and in most cases a joy to have . Humans cheat,steal, torture and kill , make wars etc . Pet lovers will gladly do all they can for their pets because they know their pets are there for them , even our cat wouldnt go to anybody else because it loved us. because we gave it affection and loved it back. Many people in life are hurt by other intelligent beings either emotionally or physically , the people doing it know exactly what they are doing and cause many people to take their own lives or live a life of mental hell reliving their past . A pet is a comfort against that a bulwark against society and life itself it is a rare human who can achieve that. Humans are cruel.

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malcolm r says:
30 June 2016

duncan, as I said I (think I) know the answer, just as you describe. I was just pointing to the way we seem to adopt different standards depending upon how it affects us.

I see that a mountain biker was killed in the USA by a grizzly bear. The authorities are trying to find the animal. I assume they want to kill it. Why? It is a wild animal, with every right to live on the planet. We may be seeming to want to treat it as we would a human murderer. But the Americans rarely kill those any more,, do they? More double standards?

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John Ward says:
30 June 2016

Given those statistics Malcolm it worries me that, on the basis of what goes in comes out, our public authorities are having to dispose of up to 15m pet outputs worth per day at a charge to the Council Tax, some of which is paid by people without pets including many of the poorer folk. An extra 10% VAT on pet food could be used to provide suitable support to those who have to choose between eating and heating.

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dieseltaylor says:
11 August 2016

Dog semen production falling drastically – is it the food as large amount of contaminants found.
newatlas.com/male-dog-fertility-food/44846/

for the science and can it relate to the drop in humans
nature.com/articles/srep31281

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dieseltaylor says:
11 August 2016

Oh for Pete’s sake seamen spelt correctly is a proper word!!

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Lauren Deitz says:
11 August 2016

Hello @dieseltaylor, we have an automatic profanity filter which caught your comment out here, I’ve changed the settings for the filter now

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Ian says:
11 August 2016

It may be ‘automatic’ but these filters have to be programmed manually. Next time I’d suggest someone other than a ninety year-old nun do it…

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dieseltaylor says:
11 August 2016

Profanity filter! Profanity You cannot be serious!!!
: )

Perhaps you should share the list with the forum and we can give it back to you tomorrow. President ***** might be a problem though.

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duncan lucas says:
11 August 2016

I got censored for the same item- human semen , I cant figure out why that should be censored as plenty of female “sensitive issues ” are splashed all over the adverts on TV . And what about “men,s issues ” dont they count ? I dont have a problem with President Putin just Obommer and the future presi- KIllery.

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John Ward says:
11 August 2016

Hi Duncan – It’s not personal. I have had a few expletives deleted including a well-known farmyard alarm clock [oops! . . . nearly!]. Which? has this enormous list of naughty words but it doesn’t seem to stop the offensive language that appears on this site everyday from some of the more splenetic contributors.

By the way . . . If you keep rubbishing Hilary we might end up with The Donald and we shall all hold you responsible! You know this site is read all over America and they take what we say seriously. No — they do!

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malcolm r says:
11 August 2016

The list will probably be censored. Perhaps it could turn into a competition to guess the words?

I haven’t tried adding an extra symbol or letter to a word but that might get round the problem if you wanted to. However with the regular use of “profane” words in print, on tv, and seemingly in everyday conversation the need for such a filter seems pointless. I have asked in vain if any new profane words have arrived that trump (or T****) all the ones I know.

Back to dogs’ semen. I wonder what prompted this study at the University of Nottingham and what the real concern is? I could understand investigating humans, but why dogs?

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duncan lucas says:
11 August 2016

John – I understand where you are coming from but I know her history and i am telling the truth , millions of Americans know too . I also realise that in this country most people look up to the US and that she will probably get the presidents job but I have zero respect for her . There are many posters on Which slagging off TM I dont to the same extent as she is not as bad as HC . So If I dont put down our own PM of who,s country I am a citizen of why should I respect a leader of a foreign country. ? You say you lived in the US have you seen or heard the comments ordinary Americans come out with when referring to this country , ? I hear them every day on American websites ans I couldn’t repeat some as it would greatly offend . The US isnt God , it doesnt rule me I have respect for the truth . I dont like Donald either but he is trying to stop WW3 and that to me means saving the lives of 100,s of millions of World citizens including Americans,

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dieseltaylor says:
11 August 2016

“As ‘man’s best friend’ and closest animal companion, the dog shares the same environment, exhibits the same range of diseases, many with the same frequency, and responds in a similar way to therapeutic treatments. There is evidence that over the last 40 years, the incidence rate of canine testicular cancer has increased in parallel with changes seen in humans17,18. In addition, histological signs which characterise human TDS have recently been described in the dog19. These include seminiferous tubule abnormalities and testicular germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS) cells which are known precursors of seminomas in the human20. Since human TDS includes a reduction in sperm count21 and an increased incidence of cryptorchidism, we hypothesised that the dog may exhibit similar manifestations of TDS and that this may be associated with exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals. We therefore (1) monitored canine semen quality over a period of 26 years using standard and consistent techniques and (2) interrogated an extensive database of electronic health records for evidence of a temporal change in the incidence of cryptorchidism reported in male puppies.”

I think that explains all. : ) Actually it is quite an elegant idea for mammals sharing the same space.

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malcolm r says:
11 August 2016

I thought pigs were nearer to humans. I wonder if they have similar problems?

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duncan lucas says:
11 August 2016

In humans this has a tie up with the plastic used for liquid containment as I go on about , there are so much female hormones in the London sewers that workers need to be protected , streams have fish with both sets of organs or male fish with unformed organs . I have seen the pictures this gets back into the water system again . and malcolm is right pigs have skin and organs that can be used for human repair and have been . When the US were testing nukes in the desert in the 50,s they tied up pigs to see what damage was done to them as our skin and theirs is alike.

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