I initially purchased this cat food simply because it was recommended by the lady at the pet shelter where we adopted our kitty.  Actually, she recommended either Science Diet or Iams.  Since the Science Diet happened to be on sale that day, that's what we purchased. During the adoption process, we were strongly advised to keep the cat indoors for her safety and longevity.  However, a cat that can't explore outdoors is more likely to become overweight.  The first year of our guardianship, our kitty put on a little weight.  Not too bad, the vet said, but enough to recommend a light formula cat food.  We've been feeding our cat **Hill's Science Diet Light Formula Feline Maintenance** ever since. According to the manufacturer, veterinarians recommend and feed Science Diet more than any other pet food.  That sounds like a ringing endorsement to me.   The formula is designed for cats one to six years old (*our kitty is four-years-old*).  In addition, Science Diet Light is nutritionally balanced with an advanced Recommended Daily Allowance of nutrients.  My cat has had a clean bill of health since we adopted her two years ago.  Her fur is soft and healthy, her eyes are bright and clear, and she's had no digestive problems or any issues with hairballs.  Moreover, she loves the taste.  I once attempted to feed her Iams (it was on sale) and she would have none of it.   One small issue that is noteworthy is that recently, the product has been altered to make the chunks of food smaller.  While it is easier for her to eat the dry little nuggets because they're smaller, they tend to scatter all over the floor.  And I noticed she tends to eat more of it because it's easier to eat.  All in all, I prefer the original version of this cat food. Bottom line:  she loves the cat food and she's been happy and healthy since she's been with us.  Oh, and she did drop a little weight as well.  I'm as happy with Science Diet as my cat is.

LoveisJoy

Chicagoland, IL

My wife and I have only one cat, and his name is Simba. My wife has had him for almost 8 years and man is this a fat cat. I mean if you stuck a little teddy bear under him as he slept, and put a plate of lasagna under his nose and watch him eat it, You would honestly believe that Garfield was real. Finally convincing my wife that if she wanted Simba to be around a lot longer that we should take him to the vet and get a check-up. Of course what did the vet say after the check-up? "Simba is really overweight!" and she gave us a free sample bag of the Hill's Science Diet Light Cat Food and put this fat cat on a diet. Just a month later after being on the diet and eating what the vet gave us, Simba has lost weight and is more active. So, if you have a fat cat try this food.

JSGarrett

Louisville, KY

We have two cats -- an 8 year old, normal weight female, and a 2 year old, overweight male. When we took the male to the vet a month ago, she recommended that we start him on the Hill's Science Diet to try to get his weight down a couple of pounds. We had been feeding them Taste of the Wild food, which they were having no problems with. In order to integrate the new food, we mixed it with the old. While the cats were eating this mix, we didn't really notice any problems, but as soon as the old food was phased out of the mix and all they were eating was the Science Diet, my cats had issues! They would inhale the food, and almost immediatley beg for more. They were waking us up in the middle of the night, and just seemed to be starving all the time. The Science Diet says it provides enough protein and nutrients, but I really don't think it does. After doing some research online, I found many other owners had the same problem. We have since gone back to Taste of the Wild food, and the cats are back to normal -- they eat a little bit at a time and come back when they're hungry for more. No more starving, binge-eating cats.

katiekapow

Lenexa, KS

About 20 years ago my BFF's cat had kidney problems and the vet said they should use Science Diet because it was a healthier choice for cats, and was especially good for those with kidney problems...a common cat health issue. So, the next year when I got my first cat, the vet "quizzed" me at our fist visit about what I was going to feed her, and I said Science Diet. He gave me a big smile and said "great"! I told him why and he concurred that Science Diet is a really good choice, and was the food he always recommended. When my cat was a year old we switched her from the kitty food to the regular, but then the vet said, next time buy the Science Diet Light cat food because it offers all of the same nutrition as the regular, but with fewer calories and your cats won't get fat. And he was right. Once in awhile if I forgot to go to the pet store and just grabbed "something" else at the store, she let me know she wasn't happy! She wanted her Science Diet Light! She lived for 18 years, as did her sister that we got the following year, who also lived to be 18. Now, our two new cats are enjoying Science Diet Light too.

Chinamomma

Edmonds, WA

We got this for our cat because the vet said he needed to lose weight.  So my cat just ate more food.  He ate 3 scoops instead of 2 scoops with every meal.  So we ended up spending more money and having a cat that really did not lose a lot of weight.  Now we just feed him less of the regular food and run him around a bit more.  He whines for food but actually the diet food did not change things in that department as we had hoped it would.  By giving him diet food, we also had to sacrifice the oral care aspect of the food he was eating.  On the positive side, our cat seemed to enjoy this food just as much as the oral care (but he's not picky, he just likes to eat anything) and he seemed to be pretty healthy and maintained a very healthy coat during the time he was on this food.  Science diet is definitely more expensive than other cat food, but he seems healthier.  I wouldn't pay extra for a diet cat food though.  Just feed your cat less and put up with the begging.

gracefamilydoc

Columbus, IN

We have been feeding our cats Science Diet since we got them because the it is vet recommended. Many people have said that the food is too expensive but it's actually pretty cheap if you stick to the allotted amount for each day. Many people feed their cats way too much food. I think in the beginning, we were a little guilty of this so our first cat, George, put on some weight. We decided to put him on the Light food to try and get him back to a healthy weight. The Light food is supposed to have a high protein to fat ratio, which is optimal for losing weight. Since starting George on the Light food, he has lost 2-3 pounds! He has less of a gut which is great. I do not want to seem like I want my cat to be thin and that this is vanity. I simply want our cat to be a healthy weight so that he can live a long and healthy life. Science Diet Light has helped us keep that.  There are a few downsides to the food. There are a lot of fillers and by-products in this food. We feed our other cat the natural version of Science Diet but it is not available in a light formula. Also, George doesn't seem to like the taste of his food. He'll eat it out of hunger but he'll pick at it with his paw while doing so which is much different than on other foods.

godawgs428

Athens, GA

My cat Kula is a bit overweight at 15.5 lbs and I wanted him to be healthier and lose some weight.  This is what he has been eating for dry food, along with canned food, for the past few months and I do see he has lost some weight.  I have not used this food before, but my vet recommended it to me and I trust him so I trust that this food is good.

HappyGirl100

Makawao, HI

We tried Hill's Science Diet Light on our overweight cat many years ago.  She definitely did need to lose weight.  While we fed her the same amount as our other cat, she was round, and when she would lie down, she looked like a barrel with sticks sticking out.  Not good!  We felt really good about buying it.  It was recommended by the vet, and we were sure we were doing the right thing for her. Not so!  She became lethargic, the arthritis in her hindlegs got worse, her coat developed dandruff, and, worst of all, she didn't lose any weight.  I did some research and learned a lot.  Cats don't need grains.  Grains supply empty calories which predispose them to develop diabetes.  Cats do need essential fatty acids, which Science Diet does not contain.  Last but not least, canned food is better for their overall health.  If you want to see your cat lose weight and regain his youthful vigor, feed him Wellness, California Naturals, or some other high quality, low or no grain canned food with an equally high quality grain free food as an accompaniment.

supremeless

Denver, CO

Science diet light formula is a wonderful cat food, but it is pretty exspencive. It does work though. My cat use to be very small, but then I moved, and my cat became an inside cat and she got very big. She weighed 19 lbs. I was conserned. So, tried the Science diet cat formula, and she did loose one pound, but the price of the food was catching up to me. I had to change her food to a cheaper brand, and boy was that a mistake. She had  bad bm's and the house stunk like, you know what. Then I went back to Science diet cat formula. And that made a big difference. It is a bit on the exspencive side, but overall it is so worth every penny. My cat is more active and she looks better and if I were her I would say she is feeling much better about herself. She did loose more weight and her potty time is not so messy any more. Science diet is a great cat food to use if your cat is over wight and there is nothing helping your cat to loose weight.  

vivian322

Great Meadows, NJ

**Hill's Science Diet Light Formula Feline Maintenance Cat Food**   I adopted a severely overweight Cat. His owner had been starving him in an attempt to force him to lose wight !   This food , if fed** EXACTLY** as directed not only keeps the cat well fed but after a years time on the food he regained his youthful figure and energy!   Feed you overweight , elderly cat this product an see the results! p.s. (HE LOVES THE TASTE!)

Celestialbodi

Norcross, GA