This is a specific conversation about Cat food — getting it right — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Cats are obligate carnivores with specific nutritional requirements many commercial foods simply don't meet — and wet food in particular matters a lot, because cats have a low thirst drive and rely on moisture in their food to protect their kidneys over time. I know you're looking to cut costs right now, and the good news is that's genuinely possible without dropping to foods that will cost you more at the vet later. To point you in the right direction: what type and age is your cat, do they have any health issues or dietary sensitivities, and what are you currently feeding them?
She's a 3-year-old Abyssinian, no health issues thankfully. I've been feeding her Applaws wet food which she loves, but it's getting expensive. I recently lost my job so I need to spend less but I really don't want to feed her rubbish.
inparticular.ai
That makes complete sense, and honestly Applaws is a great benchmark — high meat content, minimal filler, which is exactly what you want for a young active cat like an Abyssinian. The challenge is finding something that doesn't quietly swap in cereals and derivatives the moment the price drops. Before I suggest a specific switch, does she have any texture preferences — does she go for pâté, chunks in jelly, chunks in gravy? And roughly how much are you currently spending per month on food?
She prefers chunks in jelly or gravy, not really a pâté fan. I'm probably spending around £40 a month at the moment which is just too much for where I am right now. Even getting it to £20-25 would help massively.
inparticular.ai
Right, that's a clear target and totally achievable without going anywhere near the low-quality end. My recommendation is Purina ONE Adult wet food pouches — specifically the chicken and turkey varieties. Each pouch is around 85g, the first ingredient is real meat, and there's no added sugar or artificial additives. It's not quite as stripped-back as Applaws, but the protein quality is genuinely solid for the price point, and it comes in chunks in sauce which should suit her. Buying a multipack of 72 pouches on Amazon UK typically comes in around £22-24, which is almost exactly your target. Abyssinians are active and lean-muscled, so the decent protein level matters — and this one delivers it without the premium markup. I'd transition her over about a week, mixing with the Applaws, so her digestion adjusts smoothly.
That sounds really promising actually. Is Purina ONE much lower quality than Applaws though? I always assumed cheaper automatically meant worse.
inparticular.ai
It's a fair concern but the gap is smaller than the price suggests. Applaws is genuinely excellent — very high meat percentage, almost no plant content — so yes, Purina ONE has a slightly lower meat percentage and uses some additional ingredients like minerals and thickeners. But it clears the important bars: named meat first, no cereals, no meat by-products listed vaguely, and it's a complete food so you don't need to supplement. For a healthy 3-year-old with no special needs, it's a very reasonable middle ground. Where cheap foods really fall down is when they lead with cereals or vague 'meat and animal derivatives' — Purina ONE doesn't do that. You're not compromising on her health here, you're just adjusting the premium.
That's really reassuring. I'll give it a try. Thanks so much — I was worried I'd have to just pick something off the shelf and hope for the best.
inparticular.ai
You've clearly got her best interests at heart, which already puts you ahead of most. Go for the 72-pouch multipack for the best per-pouch price, do the slow transition, and keep an eye on her coat and energy levels over the first few weeks — Abyssinians are expressive cats and they'll usually tell you pretty quickly if something doesn't suit them. She should be absolutely fine on this.
