Product Review: Science Diet® Ideal Balance™ Grain Free

So all you pet owners out there more than likely feel the same way we do about your pets. I'm sure you too treat them as if they were part of the family and even spoil them like the were your kids. So you look after them and make sure they eat right.
We have been feeding our girls Purina Cat Chow Indoor Formula dry food and our cats are extremely picky about what they eat so there is no straying away from what we feed them. Trust me we've tried and they sniff the impostor food and look up at us as if to say "you thought we'd like this? Then you eat it!" Then as if in protest turn and leave the kitchen. So when the opportunity came up for us to review a new cat food I thought to myself "well I know how this is going to end". We received the new bag of food and decided right off the bat to try something. I got two bowls that were exactly the same and placed them side by side. In one I placed their old dry food that they have always ate. In the second bowl I placed the new Science Diet® dry food and left them to see who ate what and how much. My first observation was kind of surprising in that Sarah our younger cat went right over to the Science Diet® bowl and started eating. She went back a few more times and chose the Science Diet® over the Purina food. Now Hannah our older cat is much more picky on what she eats and she has gone to the old reliable food. I did remove the Purina food and she ate the Science Diet® food. So it seems as though she will eat it but if given the choice between the two she would choose the food she's used to.
Now in doing some research I did come across some things that should have been obvious from the start. First of all looking at the ingredients the Purina Cat Chow contains corn meal, corn gluten and soy. Whereas the Science Diet® food does not contain any grain at all. What's the big deal? Well cats are carnivores, and as funny as I think it would be you don't see them sitting in a corn field chowing down on an ear of corn. So should their diet really contain things they typically wouldn't eat if they were out on their own? The grain and corn meal can cause health issues such as urinary tract problems and weight issues. Now not all grains are bad for cats though. Grains such as oats, barley and brown rice, contain beneficial nutrients and they are useful to the production of kibble. These healthy grains help “hold” dry food together and supply nutrients.
So with everything I'm going to give you the positives I find as well as the downsides. So I told you above what I liked about the product and the reasons why I am seriously considering switching to the Science Diet® food but what may hold me back? Well there are two things that may and they are cost and availability. The cost is higher than what we're paying now. Now we get a 3.5lb bag for $4.50, and for a 2lb bag of the Science Diet® food your looking at $12.49. Kind of a big difference. As I look for a place to purchase this food I am limited to some veterinarian offices and Pet Smart. I wouldn't mind going to Pet Smart but a lot of times it's out of the way. It would be nice to purchase this at a grocery or retail store like a Walmart or Target. The more I look into a grain free diet the more I'm sold as we would do whatever to keep them healthy. They seem to like it though so so far they are sold.

Disclaimer: All products were provided to me free of charge for review.  I am not affiliated with the company nor was I paid for my review.  All opinions are my own personal opinions. I am a bzzagent!