{"id":129,"date":"2019-01-02T13:40:59","date_gmt":"2019-01-02T13:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myfelinebuddy.com\/?p=129"},"modified":"2024-03-16T10:46:09","modified_gmt":"2024-03-16T10:46:09","slug":"cat-food-ingredients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myfelinebuddy.com\/cat-food-ingredients\/","title":{"rendered":"Cat Food Ingredients – What You Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is in commercial cat<\/keyword> food?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you are a responsible cat<\/keyword> parent, and if you ended up here, it\u2019s quite likely that you are, you must have asked yourself whether there is something called \u2018the truth about pet food\u2019 that you should know. Eating the same thing day in and day out can seem a little strange to a human since we appreciate variety so much. The lack of variety wouldn\u2019t necessarily be a problem if you were to feed your cat<\/keyword> only healthy pet food.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at some things that you should consider before deciding on a brand or particular type of cat<\/keyword> food. <\/span><\/p>\n

Dangerous things that could exist in commercial cat<\/keyword> food<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The pet food industry has come up with a wide array of imaginative ways of adding various nasty ingredients to what would otherwise be healthy food for cats and dogs. Some of the ones that we have discovered range from food dye to the so-called \u2018meat by-product\u2019 that you\u2019re likely to find among the ingredients of most types of pet food. Then, we have corn and corn gluten meal, propylene glycol, and many other nasty additions. <\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s so wrong with pet food dye?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you are a cat<\/keyword> owner, you probably know by now that cats aren\u2019t meant to consume other types of food except for meat. Cats can eat some vegetables<\/a> from time to time, but they are not optional carnivores – they need meat to survive. <\/span><\/p>\n

Or, if you\u2019d like, they need mainly protein to survive. We\u2019re guessing that you have boiled or roasted a steak before in your life or at least you have witnessed the transition of meat color from red to grey or brown.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many pet food companies find that using marketing and advertising strategies for pet owners makes sense while they couldn\u2019t do that to the actual pets, right? Because the pets can\u2019t buy their own food. As humans, color diversity appeals to us. As such, we might think that the more colorful the dry cat<\/keyword> food is, the better. Actually, that\u2019s completely wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whiskas, KitKat, Friskies, and many other such food brands contain kibble that\u2019s shaped and colored as if it were carrots or peas. Have you ever seen a cat<\/keyword> that would willingly eat peas? I personally haven\u2019t, but I have seen cats that were famished and ate bread — however, in their natural state, cats shouldn\u2019t eat legumes. <\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, if cat<\/keyword> foods were to contain only meat, the color would be that of meat that has been cooked, right? But it\u2019s not. So, something fishy is going on, and it has nothing to do with fish.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cat food can contain dyes that range from Red 40 to Yellow 6 – and many of these artificial colors are known to cause cancer. Blue 2 is carcinogenic, so we urge you to check the ingredients on the bag before you choose a particular food for your pet. <\/span><\/p>\n

Corn and corn gluten meal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Corn, a common ingredient in pet foods, should not be part of a cat<\/keyword> or dog’s diet. It serves as a cost-effective filler that occupies significant space in your pet’s stomach, reducing the necessity for manufacturers to incorporate more protein-rich ingredients from meat and other sources. This is crucial because animals, especially carnivorous cats, require more protein to feel satiated compared to what they would get from vegetables and grains. In essence, grains are bad for cats,<\/a> underscoring why a diet heavy in corn is unsuitable for these strictly carnivorous pets.<\/p>\n

Corn can cause a myriad of medical problems such as bloating and gas and even ulcers and acid buildup. This is even more true in the case of cats because genetically, they can\u2019t digest corn. <\/span><\/p>\n

As for corn gluten meal, it\u2019s a cheap method of boosting the protein content of dry pet food. It can absorb possible toxins that can be found in sources that have been contaminated, but the truth is that most of the corn gluten meal available today is made in China, so that shouldn\u2019t give you any reassurance. <\/span><\/p>\n

Meat by-product<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Any type of \u2018by-product\u2019 on any label of any type of pet food isn\u2019t a good sign. You can\u2019t know for sure where that meat is coming from, and the truth is that some pet foods (especially the one that\u2019s made for dogs) can contain as little as 1% chicken – and by chicken, we mean chicken meat. The manufacturing brands will include plenty of other remains from internal organs to the fat, blood, heads and feet, and even unborn babies and feathers. <\/span><\/p>\n

Some companies might even use the carcasses of other dead pets to manufacturer pet food. Recently, the FDA has discovered traces of pentobarbital (a drug used for pet euthanasia) in some foods. The FDA is of the opinion that those products are still valuable to the pet food industry or capable of reducing strains on the environment. <\/span><\/p>\n

Antifreeze<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While this ingredient can\u2019t typically be found in cat<\/keyword> food because it is toxic to them and as such, it won\u2019t be willingly added to the list of ingredients, it can be found in dog food. Propylene glycol (antifreeze) has the ability to keep the kibble moist, and that\u2019s a property that renders it palatable. Simply put, your dog won\u2019t feel like he\u2019s eating dry corn, so he or she will consume the kibble.<\/span><\/p>\n

When ingested in large quantities, antifreeze causes renal failure, but its toxicity becomes obvious only over time if you feed your dog small amounts of food that contains it throughout the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is there something you could do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You can start by doing a little research on the healthiest cat<\/keyword> food brands out there. There are some that market themselves as being \u2018natural\u2019 or \u2018organic,\u2019 but you can\u2019t know for sure if the sources that they use are actually so. You can, however, choose to make your dog\u2019s food at home, or at least part of it. Many veterinarians agree that homemade pet food can be healthier than that which you can buy at a store.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can also make sure that you go through the ingredients before you opt for a new type of food brand. Steer clear of those that contain food dyes since it causes cancer. And usually, if you go on Amazon and notice that the food you\u2019re considering has around 40 lines of ingredients, don\u2019t buy it. If it\u2019s natural, it will have as little ingredients as possible. By the way, this works for human food, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another measure you can take is to become more educated on the topic. Look for a pet food documentary — we recommend \u2018A Dog\u2019s Breakfast.\u2019 <\/span><\/p>\n

Read more on the topic at the links below:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

FDA admits: Pentobarbital in Pet Food More Of A Problem Than Originally Thought<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Recalls & Withdrawals – U.S. Food & Drug Administration<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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