Best cat food for new cat: no by-products, soy, corn, or fillers?

Don't believe those sites. Typically they are written by people who have absolutely no training in animal nutrition. The best brands of cat food are Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. They meet AAFCO standards, run feeding trials, and (most important), have veterinary nutritionists on staff that ensure the food is healthy and balanced. They are the only brands to have this. I feed my cats Iams, and they love it (including my Persian).

Wellness, Weruva and Royal Canin are all good choices. When it comes to a canned food, look for one with a named protein source of animal (not plant) origin. Choose a food that comes from the can looking like a hockey puck. Avoid foods with gravies or sauces. These are typically higher in carbs which can predispose a cat to obesity. Avoid meat meals, by-products as well as store or discount brands. These latter two contain low quality ingredients and more fillers.

It is best to use an AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) food. AAFCO does not regulate, test, approve or certify pet foods in any way. AAFCO establishes the nutritional standards for complete and balanced pet foods, and it is the pet food company's responsibility to formulate their products according to the appropriate AAFCO standard. This may help you: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2244&aid=657 Blue Buffalo is not AAFCO and neither is Wellness. When you don't use a food that uses AAFCO standards then you don't know if the food is appropriately balanced. Pick a food that uses AAFCO standards. It will tell you on the bag. My recommendation for indoor cats is Royal Canin Indoor Adult Cat. https://www.royalcanin.com/products/royal-canin-feline-health-nutrition-indoor-adult-dry-cat-food/2529?bvstate=pg:2/ct:r Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Science diet and Purina have very good cat formulas for cats. I would find one that is appropriate for your cats age and health status. For example, they make a hairball formula if that is problem or an over weight formula if weight loss is needed there is no benefit of feeding dry over canned, so it is personal preference for that.

Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. The first three brands are a little pricier, but they are very high quality. Iams is also high quality, but it's at a more reasonable price. If you are looking at a supermarket brand of wet cat food, I recommend Purina. I hope this helps!

Cats have very specific dietary needs, and home diets are not recommended for kittens. Kofi need a kitten food. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, or Iams. I hope this helps!

As a general rule of thumb, I find Science Diet, Purina ProPlan and Royal Canin foods to be of a high quality. These companies thoroughly analyze their foods, run controlled clinical feeding studies and carefully source their ingredients. While there are plenty of other good food brands available, I find these three to be quite consistent. As a male cat, I typically recommend feeding a mix of both wet and dry foods. Neutered male cats have a risk of developing urethral obstructions, and increased water content in the wet food can help to slightly decrease this risk. Anytime you make a change in diet, be sure to do so gradually by mixing the old and new foods together over 5-7 days.