Hills food lines for cats: review and reviews

Manufacturer

The food manufacturer is Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. (USA), began operations in 1948.

The founder of the company is an American veterinary doctor, Mark Morris, known for his scientific research in the field of therapeutic nutrition. Dr. Morris, having successful experience in treating various diseases in domestic animals using dietary nutrition, organized, on the basis of his company, a laboratory with a large staff of qualified employees for research and development of medicinal food formulations.

Currently, Hill's dietary line of food enjoys well-deserved recognition from veterinary specialists and animal owners all over the world. Morris's son continued his father's work. Under his leadership, since 1968, the company, in addition to dietary feed, has been developing and producing a line of feed for healthy animals.

Hill's History

s Packing, a manufacturer and packer of agricultural feed, and veterinarian M. Morris. In 1948, Mr. Morris approached Hill's Packing with a proposal to mass produce canned dog food.

This doctor had his own recipe for a diet for dogs with kidney disease, developed for the guide dog of one of Mark Morris's acquaintances. Under the name Hills Prescription Diet k/d, this food was the first to appear on the market and became the predecessor of all other Hills products.

For several decades, the company produced canned and dry dog ​​diets based on the recipes of Dr. Morris, and later his son. In 1968, the first Hills cat food appeared.

According to representatives of Hill's Pet Nutrition, proper nutrition should become the basis of modern veterinary medicine. Therefore, many Hills canned and dry food for cats and dogs are positioned as therapeutic, dietary and preventive.

Hill's Pet Nutrition employs more than 200 veterinarians and nutritionists. The company's Pet Nutrition Center houses nearly 1,000 dogs and cats whose "job" is to test under the supervision of Hills Feed Center staff.

Hill's feed types

Today, Hill's Pet Nutrition produces a wide range of dry and wet canned food. Feed production factories are located in the USA and the Netherlands. All products are represented by 2 main lines:

1. Science Plan – feed rations for healthy animals. Recipes developed on the basis of scientific research, taking into account the age, size of the breed and the individual characteristics of the animal.
2. Prescription Diet – medicinal dietary foods. Clinically tested and intended for dietary therapy of various painful conditions of the animal.

In addition, these lines have recently been supplemented with two more special developments with an improved composition:

Nature's Best

Ideally balanced food made from the most healthy products. The food contains no potential allergens such as:

• Wheat flour;
• Soy;
• Dairy products;
• Flavoring additives;
• Dyes;
• Preservatives.

Ideal Balance (grain-free)

Balanced food made from natural ingredients. In this line, there is a grain-free diet for adult cats, and diets for all ages that use brown rice - the most suitable grain crop for cats; rice promotes better absorption of meat ingredients and is hypoallergenic.

In addition to dry foods, Hill's produces a variety of wet canned foods, in the form of cans and spiders.

Compound

As components of Hills feed rations. in different ratios and variations, the following ingredients are included:

• Chicken and turkey flour - different diets contain an average of 35%;
• Corn;
• Rice;
• Maize or corn gluten (vegetable protein);
• Soy;
• Animal fat;
• Vegetable oil;
• Tuna, rabbit, lamb flour;
• Protein hydrolysate;
• Fish oil;
• Dairy products;
• Dry beet pulp;
• Cellulose;
• Essential amino acids;
• Beta carotene;
• Minerals, trace elements, vitamins;
• Natural preservatives – citric acid, tocopherols, rosemary.

Nature's Best diet , as well as Ideal Balance , are made from natural products:

• Dried meat of chicken, tuna, turkey;
• Brown rice;
• Vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes);
• Eggs;
• Peas;
• Apple, cranberry;
• Flaxseed (source of omega fatty acids);
• Natural preservative, natural antioxidant.

In addition, Ideal Balance does not contain grain.

Line of medicinal food

Prescription Diet translated means a therapeutic diet.

The line consists of food intended for feeding animals with various diseases, or with deviations from the normal physiological state.

A doctor should choose a diet after examination and making an accurate diagnosis.

Dietary food packages have letter designations in accordance with the purpose of the food:

1. l/d – liver diseases;
2. c/d – prevention of idiopathic cystitis (IPC), prevents the formation of struvites;
3. s/d – urine acidification, struvite dissolution;
4. k/d – kidney diseases
5. z/d – food allergies;
6. g/d – heart disease and kidney failure;
7. w/d – prevention of obesity, maintaining optimal weight;
8. i/d – intestinal problems;
9. m/d – increased blood glucose, excess weight;
10. t/d – diseases of the oral cavity;
11. r/d – obesity;
12. j/d – joint diseases;
13. a/d – condition after surgery, recovery after a severe one; illnesses, injuries;
14. y/d – thyroid diseases, treatment and prevention;
15. u/d – renal failure, prevention of the formation of oxalates, cystines and urates;
16. Metabolic + Urinary – prevention of ICD and normalizes weight;
17. Metabolic – accelerates metabolism and corrects weight.

Food for every day

For daily feeding, Science Plan line feed is used. The line includes food with the flavors of chicken, turkey, rabbit, fish, lamb, and combinations thereof.

Depending on the age of the cat, food is divided into foods intended for:

• For kittens up to 1 year;
• For cats from 1 year to 7 years;
• For cats over 7 years old.

In addition, the line contains diets:

1. For long-haired cats - the diet improves the quality of the coat and removes hair from the gastrointestinal tract;
2. Food for cats after sterilization and neutered cats;
3. For cats that are constantly indoors;
4. To maintain optimal physical fitness;
5. For oral care;
6. For sensitive skin;
7. For sensitive digestion;
8. To enhance immunity.

For daily feeding, food with an improved composition made from natural products Nature's Best and grain-free is also intended.

Advantages and disadvantages

The company's products have earned the trust of customers and positive recommendations from veterinarians, thanks to a number of undeniable advantages:

1. The diets are balanced and consist of good quality raw materials. Contains vital vitamins, amino acids and minerals. There are no artificial preservatives, flavors or dyes.
2. A wide range allows you to select food for any age and health status of the animal, taking into account the cat’s lifestyle, breed characteristics, tendency to certain diseases, and taste preferences.
3. The line of medicinal food, with its effectiveness proven in therapeutic practice, has earned high praise from veterinary specialists and many positive reviews from owners.
4. There are diets with a high content of meat and natural products (Ideal Balance).
5. The packaging contains a detailed description of the composition of the feed, which allows the consumer to make a preliminary assessment of the quality when choosing a product.
6. The product price is relatively low.

There are also disadvantages:

1. The diets contain vegetable protein, with the exception of the Ideal Balance line,
2. Large amount of carbohydrates.
3. Hills wet food is lower in quality than dry food.

Price

In terms of cost, among competitive products, Hills products occupy an average position.

The price for a package weighing 400g of dry food ranges from 250-350 rubles. A package weighing 2 kg costs from 1150 to 1350 rubles and a package of 5 kg will cost about 3 thousand rubles.

In addition to the above, Hills dry food is packaged in 250g, 300g, 1.5kg, 3kg, 8kg, 10kg, 15kg.

A jar of canned food for feeding healthy animals costs 115 rubles, canned food with medical nutrition, on average, 120 rubles.

Price of spiders: 65 rubles for spiders for healthy animals; 70 rubles for pouches with therapeutic nutrition.

What complaints will there be?

Let's say right away that Hill's Prescription Diet occupies an average position in the rating, and reviews about the product are very diverse, since the components of these diets are not suitable for all animals.

The composition of Hill's Prescription Diet dog and cat food is vague from the manufacturer; many products contain ground corn, as well as pork, which can cause acute allergies in cats and dogs. Instead of meat, the feed uses poultry meal (i.e. offal, skin, bones), and its amount is not too large - no more than 50%.

Hill's Prescription Diet diets do not have enough nutrients, and most of their ingredients are harmful to the health of dogs and cats. After consulting with your doctor, it is better to choose a holistic specialist that is suitable for your pet.

Feedback from cat owners

You can leave your reviews about Hill's cat food, other users will be interested in: The opinions of cat owners regarding the quality of Hill's food are varied and ambiguous.

Most people agree that Hills food is not suitable for all cats; in some, it causes allergic reactions and digestive problems, while others, having eaten it for many years, feel good and have no health problems.

Cat owners often point out in reviews the good quality of dry diets intended for kittens and dietary food lines, and the lower quality of canned food and dry food for the daily feeding of adult cats.

Here are some excerpts from owner reviews of Hills food:

Oksana, Moscow.

Our cat started having some digestive problems. A veterinarian I know recommended Hill's medicinal food. After two weeks, digestion returned to normal. We really liked the food, and after finishing the course, we decided to stay on the food from this manufacturer. Now our beauty is eating food for sterilized dogs and feels great, I judge because her fur has noticeably improved and shinier.

Sergey, Orel.

As soon as we bought the kitten, we immediately introduced it to Hills food. Our Masyanya ate with pleasure, there were no problems, a whole horse grew up. When the time came to change food, we decided to give Hills too, for the older ones. The cat is active, nimble, but for some reason the fur began to fall out.

Features of Hills food

Such popularity of Hill's premium food is easily explained. Based on reviews of Hills dog food from experienced breeders and dog breeders, it can be determined that the most important thing in the growing popularity of the brand is its wide range. This is the division of feed by breed and age. Each line has a huge selection of possible flavors and diets.

To ensure that every dog ​​feels comfortable and receives everything it needs at a certain age and physical condition, Hills food has a specialized nutrition department.

There are foods for adult dogs of a certain age, and for aging dogs that require a certain amount of attention.

In addition, they are famous for their food divisions for puppies, pregnant and lactating dogs. The range of nutrition for therapeutic and preventive measures is also extensive.

Hills brand food is of high quality. This has been confirmed by numerous veterinary studies.

Each food has mandatory quality certificates and has been thoroughly tested before being distributed.

This food option for dogs is available in many countries around the world, and the official country of manufacture and developer is the Netherlands.

Reviews from veterinarians

Veterinarians are inclined to believe that Hills food is valuable because there is a wide range of different diets and recipes, and this allows you to select food for “all occasions” without changing the brand.

They do not contain any frankly harmful substances. The diets use natural meat and no by-products.

However, the content of soy in most diets, a large amount of carbohydrates and at the same time highly allergenic components (wheat, corn), do not allow Hills food to claim a high position among super-premium food (with the exception of the Nature's Best and Ideal Balance lines).