Friday, March 29, 2024

By Products In Cat Food

Don't Miss

Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Beef & Cheese Entree In Gravy Canned Cat Food

Pet Food Ingredients: By-Products and Grains from Purina

First Five Ingredients: Water Sufficient for Processing, Beef, Liver, Wheat Gluten, Meat By-Products

If your cat likes beef and cheese, we like Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Beef & Cheese Entree in Gravy Canned Cat Food. Purina employs veterinary nutritionists and has excellent quality control at their facilities. We respect the nutritional research they do on their pet food formulas. This food has no chicken and it uses real beef and cheese chunks in gravy.

Calculating The Protein Fat Carbohydrate Percentages

You will see conflicting carbohydrate values listed for the same food depending on how the value is calculated. There are three basic methods used to calculate the value of an individual nutrient:

  • As a percentage of food weight
  • As a percentage of dry matter
  • As a percentage of calories
  • When determining the carbohydrate content of a food, method 2 and 3 will yield roughly the same number.

    Even though it is preferable to discuss nutrition in terms of the percentage of calories that a nutrient provides, most pet food manufacturers list their products nutrients in the form of percentage of weight.

    Nutrient information may be listed in two different formats on the manufacturers websites. One is the guaranteed analysis figures . However, as discussed above, GA values are only minimums and maximums and can be very misleading.

    The other format is the actual measurement of the ingredients in one sample of the food. These values more accurately reflect what is in the product.

    Even though the GA values are not terribly accurate, they can provide a roughguesstimation of the contained nutrients.

    To calculate the approximate weight of the carbohydrate in a food, add up the values for moisture, protein, fat, fiber, and ash and subtract this value from 100%. Here is an example from the PetGuard website for their Organic Chicken and Vegetable Entree:

    GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:Moisture 78.0% MaxAsh 2.3% Max

    GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:Moisture 78.0% MaxAsh 2.3% Max

    Protein: 31.5 divided by 101.5 = 31%

    Organix Cat Food Review

    This page contains affiliate links. We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post through our independently chosen links, which earn us a commission. Learn More

    As a cat owner, providing your cat with a healthy diet is part of your responsibility. Castor & Pollux offers what they call purposeful pet food. They know how much you care about your cat and they make it their mission to create wholesome, nutritious products that provide for your cats needs.

    The Organix line of products from Castor & Pollux is the only complete line of USDA organically certified pet food on the market. These products feature nutrient-packed superfoods and premium animal proteins to deliver unbeatable flavor and compromised nutrition for your cat.

    Read on to see what we think of the brand and to see our reviews for their top products.

    Also Check: Do You Need A Catalytic Converter To Pass Emissions

    What About Boneless Chicken

    I have seen some foods, which are marketed as premium dog foods, that contain ingredients such as “fresh boneless chicken”. Again, it makes you think that the food was made from this:

    But really, “fresh boneless chicken” can be used as a marketing ploy. Once again, “chicken” can mean any type of flesh , skin and bone. “Boneless” does not always mean “better”. A good quality food producer doesn’t mind a small amount of bone in the chicken as this can be important for maintaining calcium and phosphorus levels. Also, “fresh” simply means that it came to the factory direct and was made into dry form at the factory so it could be made into kibble. Fresh doesn’t mean that it contains any more nutrients than frozen or than chicken meal.

    The 10 Best Cat Foods Without Chicken

    Kit Cat Chicken Cuisine Dry Cat Food  Kohepets

    Just because a cat food recipe doesnt have chicken in the name doesnt mean there arent any chicken ingredients. In fact, many limited ingredient diets which are often marketed toward cats with allergies still contain chicken in addition to whatever novel protein source they are featuring. Its not impossible to find a good chicken free cat food, but it can be challenging, so we understand if you need a little help.

    Here are our top picks for the best food without chicken:

    Recommended Reading: Senior Cat Losing Whiskers

    How Much Does Organix Cat Food Cost

    When it comes to cat food, price is often equated to quality. While its true that good cat food tends to cost more, a high price tag isnt always a guarantee of quality.

    Castor & Pollux Organix cat food is on the higher end of the pricing spectrum, but it isnt the most expensive brand out there. Their grain-free dry food recipes are a little more expensive around $4.80/pound but their grain-inclusive dry food is priced around $2.00/pound.

    All of the Organix wet food recipes are fairly affordable, averaging under $0.50/ounce.

    To give you a better idea how Organix stacks up against other cat food brands, here is a quick chart to show you some average prices:

    Brand/Recipe
    X

    We Gave Preference To Moisture

    Our cats ancestors were desert dwellers. They lived in arid environments where fresh prey was often the best source of moisture. A mouse is about 70% water and a fine source of hydration for a desert cat hours away from the nearest watering hole.

    Because fresh water was scarce, early wild cats evolved to have low thirst drives and a natural inclination to get their water from the moisture-rich bodies of their prey. This means that they typically dont drink enough water to compensate for moisture-depleted dry food.

    Also Check: Is Blue Wilderness Good For Cats

    Definition Of The Association Of American Feed Control Officials

    Meat by-products is the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially de-fatted low temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. Does not include hair, horns, teeth and hoofs. Shall be suitable for use in animal feed. If it bears a name descriptive of its kind, it must correspond thereto.

    Poultry By-Products must consist of non-rendered clean parts of carcasses of slaughtered poultry such as heads, feet, viscera, free from fecal content and foreign matter except in such trace amounts as might occur unavoidably in good factory practice. If the product bears a name descriptive of its kind, it must correspond thereto.

    On the other hand, the term meal often added to those meat or poultry by-products simply signifies that it is the same thing but in rendered form = elimination of water and fat to obtain a concentrated mix of protein and minerals .

    Definition provided by the AAFCO, association of local, state and federal agencies charged by law to regulate the sale and distribution of animal feeds and animal drug remedies.

    We Looked For Foods That Kept Plant Protein To A Minimum

    Nature’s Logic Beef Canned Cat Food Product Review by Tuxedo Cat Boots

    While its unclear exactly where each source of plant protein lies on the digestibility spectrum, we do know that protein from peas, potatoes, and other plants is less efficient than that from animal ingredients. While a single prey animal offers all the amino acids a cat needs, plant ingredients need to be combined with animal protein and synthetic additives to recreate that mix of amino acids.

    Furthermore, many cat guardians report that their cats have less waste when theyre eating a diet composed primarily of animal-sourced protein.

    Read Also: How Much Should A Cat Eat

    The Best Cat Food On The Market: Our Top Picks

    At the top of the list is Smalls Cat Food. Its hard to beat this wet foods combination of outstanding protein content, emphasis on animal-sourced ingredients, and exclusion of additives that might harm your cat over time.

    Though it satisfies our requirements for the best wet cat food, this product isnt perfect for everyone. Our product roundup includes options for cats and people of all kinds.

    Youll find raw foods, products well-suited to cats with sensitive stomachs, and options that will help your cat lose weight.

    What Is Chicken By

    Nutrition labels on animal food can be intimidating, but this guide can help you understand what they mean. On any food label, youll find a long list of items food ingredients, vitamins/minerals, and probiotics. Something you may see within the food ingredients are animal by-products, which are one of the most controversial ingredients in pet food. By-products are whats leftover after the parts intended for human consumption have been removed. Chicken by-products are a common ingredient in pet food and can include chicken feet, livers, lungs, brains, etc.

    Don’t Miss: Is Zebra Plant Toxic To Cats

    Taste Of The Wild Canyon River Grain

    Most Popular Cat Food without Chicken: It can be tough to pick a cat food with so many options out there, even if you limit yourself to chicken free options. If you want to go with a brand you can trust, try a popular choice like Taste of the Wild. This Canyon River Grain-Free Dry Food is completely free from chicken ingredients including fresh chicken, chicken meal, chicken by-products, and even eggs. It features fresh trout as the main ingredient with ocean fish meal and smoked salmon for supplemental protein. Canola oil provides omega-6 fatty acids to balance out the natural omega-3s from the fish and fresh fruits and vegetables offer nutrient-rich sources of digestible carbohydrate.

    Controversy And Misconceptions Surrounding Grain

    BRIT PREMIUM CAT ADULT CHICKEN DRY CAT FOOD

    Though theres theoretically nothing wrong with grain-free cat food as long as it provides for your cats nutritional needs, theres still a great deal of controversy and misinformation surrounding the issue.

    Until recently, grain-free diets were primarily found in veterinary offices and marketed as specialty diets for cats with food allergies and certain health problems. During the early 2000s, low-carb and gluten-free diet fads became popular and, along with them, a rise in the popularity of grain-free diets for pets.

    The million-dollar question is this: do cats need grain-free food? No.

    It may be true that you wont find a lion munching on grains in the wild, but grains can be used as a natural source of vitamins, minerals, and energy in a nutritionally balanced commercial cat food recipe. As long as the recipe meets your cats needs for protein and doesnt go overboard on carbohydrates, theres nothing terribly wrong with it.

    Read Also: How Cold Can Cats Be Outside

    Homemade Chicken Soup For Cat

    Cat owners, we all know how hard it is to encourage your furry pal to drink up. Hydration is especially important for cats and even more so for those who depend on dry cat kibbles as their main source of nutrients. Dehydrated cats run a higher risk of getting urinary tract, kidney disease or other health issues. If regular water doesnt seem to appeal to your fussy feline, soups for cats can be a great solution. However, we recommend feeding soups to adults or senior cats only and ensure the soup contains little to no sodium. This chicken soup for cats is a tasty and easy-to-make alternative. Itll be sure to help your kitty hit their daily fluid intake!

    Prep time: 5 minutes

  • Chop up the celery and carrot finely
  • Fill a pot with water and add the vegetables, followed by the chicken legs
  • Bring the pot to a boil and let it simmer for 90 minutes
  • Once done, pack the soup into separate containers or freeze it in ice cube trays for easy storage. This soup for cats can last up to seven days in the fridge and up to six months in the freezer.
  • When youre ready to serve, heat the soup up to about 35 degree celsius before giving it to your cat. Heating the food up will help improve its flavour and make it more appetising to your feline.
  • Why Are Some Dog Foods Made Without Animal By

    You may be wondering, If animal by-products are good for my dog, why do so many dog food manufacturers make food without them? Unfortunately, this isnt an easy question to answer.

    Some brands may market their dog food without animal by-products because they dont contain what consumers think of as by-products . Others may formulate their dog food without these nutrient-dense co-products.

    If you decide to choose a cat or dog food containing animal by-products, ensure it follows AAFCO and USDA guidelines. All of Purinas dog food products meet or exceed these guidelines.

    We never utilize diseased or disabled animals and we only source high quality by-products for our pet foods.

    If youd prefer to steer clear of by-products altogether, ensure the pet food you select still meets AAFCOs standards for complete and balanced nutrition.

    Read Also: What Age Can Cats Have Catnip

    We Chose Foods That Were Rich In High

    Cats need a lot of protein. But its more complicated than just looking for high-protein food. Instead, we also have to think about the quality of that protein. When choosing the best cat food, we paid attention to the difference between crude protein and digestible protein.

    Protein exists on a digestibility spectrum rated by biological value.

    For example, 36g of crude protein from feathers is not equivalent to 36g of crude protein from an egg they have vastly different biological values. An egg has a biological value of 100 , while the feather is virtually indigestible.

    Yet both the feather protein and the egg protein look lovely on the guaranteed analysis and lend the impression of a high-quality food capable of nourishing your cat.

    Digestibility values, not percentages in the guaranteed analysis, are key to measuring nutritional value.

    To make things a little more interesting, we dont know everything about protein digestibility in cats. No one has figured out exactly which protein sources are the most bioavailable or the least. Instead, were left to put together a picture based on what scarce information is available.

    What Do Customers Think Of Organix Cat Food

    What Are “Meat” By Products? Are You Feeding Cats To Your Cats?

    Castor and Pollux is a popular pet food company and the Organix line is well received. Of the products on Chewy, all but two carry a 4-star average and most products have at least 30 customer ratings.

    Customers seem to like the quality of the products, though some cats simply didnt like it. Some who didnt like it seemed to have an issue with the pate texture, but Organix offers a few shredded options for cats who dont like pate.

    Recommended Reading: Blue Buffalo Healthy Gourmet Cat Food Reviews

    Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Grain

    Wet food is a great option for many cats because it tends to be higher in protein and moisture than dry food while also being lower in carbohydrates. We like this Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Real Duck Pate Recipe as a chicken-free option because it features fresh duck as a single source of novel animal protein with limited carbohydrate ingredients. It is complete and balanced with the help of nutritional supplements and is easily digestible as well.

    Complete And Balanced Cat Food

    The most important part of the label on any pet food is the nutritional adequacy statement. Look for the statement that it is “complete and balanced,” which means that it has all of the nutrients your cat needs and they are present in the correct ratios. If you see “complete and balanced,” the product will not have an excess of carbohydrates.

    Don’t Miss: Why Do Cats Lose Whiskers

    I And Love And You Lovingly Simple Lid Salmon & Sweet Potato Dry Cat Food

    Another healthy choice in limited ingredient cat foods is this I and Love and You Lovingly Simple LID Salmon & Sweet Potato recipe. It contains 36% crude protein from animal sources like salmon, menhaden fish meal, and salmon meal with absolutely no poultry ingredients. It contains ground peas and sweet potatoes as nutrient-rich carbohydrates that are also highly digestible. Overall, it is complete and balanced and easy to digest thanks to the addition of probiotics.

    A Cooked Diet: The Risks And The Rewards

    By

    The main risk of a cooked cat diet is that you can choose the wrong quantity and proportion of ingredients when making homemade food for your small favorite. But you can remedy that! Just be very careful because a cooked diet can be so beneficial for your pet. It can help you eliminate harmful commercial food from your cats diet. Homemade food also contains more vitamins, minerals and useful nutrients and that positively affects your cats well-being.

    Read Also: 18 Year-old Cat In Human Years

    Bff Omg Tuna & Beef Baby Cakes With Tuna & Beef In Gravy Wet Cat Food Pouches

    First Five Ingredients: Tuna Broth, Tuna, Beef, Tapioca Starch, Sunflower Oil

    If your cat likes tuna and beef, we think she will like BFF OMG Tuna & Beef Baby Cakes. This is a tuna and beef wet cat food in a pouch. BFF is made by Weruva which makes lots of very good cat foods. This food is made with wild-caught tuna and has a gravy made from broth to help your cat stay hydrated. Its grain and gluten-free with no corn, wheat, or soy and its GMO-free. This is also a low carb cat food.

    How Do We Make Cat Food Recommendations

    We would never recommend something to you if we werent completely confident in it. We would gladly feed our own cats any of the products we recommend. But what makes a product worthy of our approval? First and foremost, it must adhere to AAFCO food nutrient profiles which ensure that the product meets your cats minimum nutritional requirements. From there, we look at the ingredients list to ensure that those nutrients come from high-quality, digestible natural sources.

    Here are some general requirements for a cat food recipe to receive our stamp of approval:

    • A source of high-quality animal protein as the first ingredient
    • At least 30% crude protein for kittens and at least 26% for adults
    • A minimum of 9% crude fat for kittens and adults
    • A balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, primarily from animal sources
    • A rich blend of nutrients from natural sources and supplements, as needed
    • Limited carbohydrate content from digestible sources
    • No low-quality fillers, by-products, or artificial additives

    Recommended Reading: Tuxedo Cat Adult

    More articles

    Popular Articles

    Brands Of Wet Cat Food

    40 Lb Bag Of Cat Food