Look at our beloved Sweet Pea, all dolled-up and “fancy” in this photo. She’s a good sport but I must admit, at that moment she was one miserable feline. Sweet Pea adores being frisky. Fancy? Not so much.
Sweet Pea and her daughter Daisy (our other cat) have been raised primarily on dry cat food, along with healthy table scraps such as lettuce and turkey. Because they’re getting older — 12 and 11, respectively — we’re supplementing their kibble diet with wet cat food. Served first thing in the morning, it’s become a daily ritual. Annoyingly, they’ve come to expect/demand their “breakfast”. (“Meow, meow, meeeo-o-o-o-owww!“)
Both cats love Purina products, for some reason. They also prefer the chunky-style canned food, so I started buying Purina Fancy Feast by the case, specifically the grilled variety 24-packs. It was cheaper this way (or at least I thought it was) until I stumbled onto an even more frugal option.
Friskies, another Purina product, went on sale recently at our favorite grocery store and I couldn’t resist grabbing a few cans. I noticed that the Prime Filets variety had a similar chopped texture to the Fancy Feast my cats craved. So I hoped for the best. And did they love it? You bet.
Since the cats devoured Friskies just as eagerly as Fancy Feast, I compared the two products in-depth. They’re made by the same company and it seemed likely that they’re basically the same. Guess what? They are.
OK, there are minor differences. For example, Friskies Prime Filets with Beef in Gravy contains turkey; Fancy Feast Grilled Beef Feast in Gravy doesn’t. But is that really a problem? In some cases, the Friskies product is nutritionally superior to the comparable Fancy Feast version. Certain Friskies foods contain less ash and less fat than their “fancy” counterparts. The real differences between these brands are aesthetics, presentation and marketing strategy. It’s simple: if you pamper your pet, then the image of Fancy Feast is appealing.
But let’s get down to brass tacks. WHY PAY MORE? Fancy Feast comes in tiny cans and it’s expensive, even in cases. Friskies gives you a 5.5 ounce can versus a Fancy Feast 3 ounce can. You’re getting almost twice the food for nearly half the price. “Good taste is easy to recognize” … yet so is good sense.
Here’s the math, rounded to the nearest cent, based on local sale prices:
- Fancy Feast, 3 oz. can = $0.17 per ounce (20 cans for $10 @ Petco)
- Friskies, 5.5 oz. can = $0.07 per ounce (5 cans for $2 @ Kmart)
I love my cats, but I’m not going to throw money away. As they advance in years, I’ll continue to re-evaluate their food options. For now, though, we’re a Friskies family. Fancy Feast, Schmancy Feast!
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