Mexico has cat food and litter, but I have no idea of the details, beyond the fact that cats are rather rare, compared to dogs. Lots of fresh fish are available, and sardines are always an option. I once sailed with my cat, halfway around the world on my old wooden schooner. The cat ate the same thing we did, although he tended to aggressively hoard any flying fish that landed on deck. He also had a bucket of sand in the cockpit. They adapt, even if we don‘t.

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We get our clumping cat litter from Costco. Not sure if SM has a Costco. I put no stock whatsoever in any cat foot in Mexico. Whether it's called premium or not, I consider it low quality. We've had to switch to soft canned cat food as our large male was not getting enough nutrition. We have made cat food for him and he likes it a lot. It looks like we'll keep making him home made cat food.

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8 out of 10 cats in Mexico eat Whiskas. It says so on large billboards. :)

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Oooooh, my biggest grumble! I travel with my two cats and must say. Costco Mexico has the good clumping litter in a purple bag. 9 Lives maybe? Can't remember the name, but it's a decent name brand. Cat food on the other hand is crap in Mexico. No decent food, and I'm an IAMS or Science Diet user. I go to the local corner market and get their bulk food and supplement it with tuna a few times a week. I have also traveled with two 20# bags of my favorite, and then mix it with the local stuff to stretch it out. There are no real good options in Mexico.

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Having had petd not healthy I decided to cook. Now it is easy because I have a small scottish.
She eats fruits, salad, meat, fish, pasta rice.
All cooked gourmet. If I had a cat .i would do the same. I believe that pets commercial food is poison like fast food.

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I cooked food for my cats for about a year, using a recipe given to me by a vet so it would be nutritionally balanced by them. It was a good bit of work and required specialized ingredients such as food grade bone meal (can you get this in Mexico?) and clam juice.

And the cats turned their noses up at it. Despite the clam juice and I think canned mackerel, it didn't smell like what they were used to. Little wretches!

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I do not have cat anymore but for my little dogs, Imoften give her sardines in cans.. the good quality. Also I purchase at Sams Frozen tuna. May be for the cat it needs to be mashed.
I think it is your common sense about the ingredients. Sometimes I find vets a little narrow Minded. Even eggs are good, raw, or cooked...
clam juice can be added with artificial stuff.
I am not an expert but if I had another cat it would eat the same way the dogs does.
I am vegetarian so when I cook meat, I cook the best, otherwise .i get discusted.
Like for us, I believe simple food is the best.

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Hi again Leslie,

Great news! Just chatting with a friend who lives in Ajijic. She's been buying quality kitty kibble from her vet for years. I guessing SMD's local vets are a likely source. Hope that's a help! ~Ashley

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There is purina, most labels of it including some of their better food, which is just ok and royal canin, for both normal diet and vet controlled diets which is far superior.

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Also cat litter, there is clay litters in most markets, but if you buy it at soriana or leys, its 130 peso per bag, for 6lbs, and at Mega its 20 pesos for the same type and size.

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In walmarts and coscos you can get 9 kg bags of dry cat food (whiskers and Purina )Superama also do higher quality cat foods

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Decent cat food has been our biggest challenge since moving here a year ago. There is a Petco in SMdA. We have ended up at Petco https://www.petco.com.mx/, a local shelter that has a retail element, and bringing from the U.S.
The brands of wet food we use are Pride (made in US and sold at Petco) and Advancers (the best Mexico made food we have found). Dry food is easier but we still bring our kitty's favorite back from the U.S.

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Advangers not Advancers. (stupid auto correct)

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Bas&$rdos! I wish I couldn't relate. I thought I'd get a head start making homemade here in the us, and naively bought organic meat at Whole Foods. Guess who gave it the paws down? :(. But now l I hear there's a Petco in SMDA so there's gotta be something healthy and edible there...,right?

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In Mexico. Vets clinics have the best quality food. ......... it would be a good idea you ask ablut vets on your message, and then contact them.

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We brought 3 cats with us to Mexico several years ago, & were unhappy with the quality & the cost of commercial cat food here. It took a while, but we finally got it together to make our own, with excellent guidance from Dr. Lisa Pierson, DVM's website. She keeps it as simple as possible, and explains WHY each ingredient is necessary for optimal cat health (they are obligate carnivores by Nature's design - they don't need/can't use carbs, fiber, fresh veggies). Best decision we ever made for our cats (5 now). Fat ones lost down to ideal weight, no kidney, diabetes, etc., common because of poor quality of food. All our bunch took to it fast (they still like a bit of dry kibble for a treat). 18-year old has a bit of arthritis, but is healthy. 14-year old has never been sick, acts & moves like a kitten. 3 youngsters (rescues) are thriving. Volume & smell of litter box is way down. Plan their nutrition in whatever way works for you, but keep homemade in mind if possible. Our costs are actually less than commercial wet food, and save us on vet bills because they're all healthy & happy.

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Mrgnwilson:
I'm still here in the States (taking many trips to find my Mexican home) but I agree with you. I stopped feeding my 11 year old cat all canned cat food (& I was buying very expensive brands) and now just give her Royal Canin dry food for sensitive digestion and a little bit of "people" canned tuna every night with fresh water everyday. Her almost-daily vomiting stopped (just an occasional normal hair ball maybe twice a month now) and the litter box smell DISAPPEARED!! Since I live in a small city condo, that was a blessing in itself!! :). But she's doing so much better now that we've eliminated the wet canned cat food. I don't care what "quality" they claim. It's crap for our cats.

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I'm glad to hear your cat is doing much better! It is frustrating that getting accurate information about cat nutrition is so complicated. I'm a big fan of Dr. Lisa Pierson's site at www.catinfo.org. And sad to say, I think many well-intentioned vets are NOT smart about feline nutrition, having been as deluded by the pet food industry as cat owners: it's about PROFIT, not about CAT HEALTH. It took us a LONG time to make the switch. I was concerned about finding a grinder that would effectively handle the small bones in raw food, making them small enough to be readily digested, as a needed source of calcium. So we started shopping for a grinder, and nearly gave up on the project: the only ones we could find in our town in Michoacån were cheap plastic ones for $100 USD (that looked like they would break in a week) or these industrial stainless steel ultra-deluxe models going for over $1000 USD. We really lucked out: in the midst of our discouragement, a friend introduced us to his friend, a butcher, who listened carefully to what we wanted, and assured us he could provide it: ground chicken and rabbit, including organs and small bones that must be kitty-digestion safe. So all the hard work is already done for us. And man, are we spoiled! With 24-notice, he will prepare 5 kilos of meat, and DELIVER it the next day. We split it into 2 batches (5 kilos is a LOT of meat!), add fish oil, egg, vitamins b & e, water, mix thoroughly, spoon into containers, and freeze. Thaw as needed. With our herd of 5, that will usually last us about 3 weeks. We used to keep a container or two in the fridge after preparation, but after a parasite scare, our vet advised us to freeze the fresh food overnight to eliminate that concern. All our bunch love it, and never seem to get bored with it. I laugh at Dr. Pierson's recommendation that it be served at "mouse temperature," but ours don't seem to mind it cold from the fridge. One of the big things I really like about homemade raw food is the smell -- or LACK of it. I hated dealing with commercial canned cat food -- it reeks the moment you open the can, and in the fridge, and in the trash if you don't wash the cans. No more! It is such a good feeling to see & know the cats like it and it is good for them... but not to have to smell that stink, from the cans OR from the litter box. The two older cats had gotten very heavy - 17 lbs? - but they slimmed down to about 12 lbs within 3 months, and have been at good weight for years. We get encouragement from our vet, which is appreciated, as I hear some vets have bought into the industry hype and discourage their patients' owners from feeding raw food. It just makes sense -- all our bunch are indoors only now (they have a sunny roof to play on), but what cat owner has NOT had the dubious joy of Fluffy bringing home a partially disemboweled mouse or frog, never an ear of corn or a carrot they've dug up? They may graze a bit in grass, but they are carnivores, and I cringe when I hear people adding onions or grains to their cat's diet. Dogs have quite a bit of leeway in their diets; cats not so much. There is research available online, and a book, about the common elements in the lives of cats living to be 20+ years old, with nutrition being paramount. It is sad that cats are considered to be "senior" at 10 or 12; we're watching ours sail through their teen years in excellent health, and without all the pain and expense of diet-related illness. Yeah, I do go on; I'm an enthusiast because of the results I've seen at home. We keep rescuing abandoned kittens, and it is great to see them thriving and to realize they will likely outlive us, and I hope their new owners will care for them with a raw food diet.

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I left out taurine from the list of ingredients for raw cat food. It is vital for cat neural health. It is available at GNC, health food stores, etc. Amazon will sell you a bag for a few dollars that will last for many years.

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Thanks mrgnwilson! I wrote a reply earlier but it failed to send. Are you in SMA? It's on the top of my short list of places to move to. What vet do you recommend there -- or wherever you're living? Thanks again for all the fantastic info!! I'm learning a lot! :) -- Barb

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Hi Barb - we're in Zamora, Michoacán -- about 250 km from SMA. Our local vet is Victor Guerrero Ruiz, and we like/trust him a lot, but that recommendation is not likely to be useful for you. Good luck on your move!

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