Cat Food Recalls The Important Things To Know
Whats a cat food recall, and what does it mean for you? The US Food and Drug Administration regulates food and drug products including cat food by testing regularly for contamination and illness-causing ingredients. These could include unapproved pesticides, contaminants like salmonella, or excessive amounts of minerals such as calcium. When the FDA deems a product potentially dangerous, it issues alerts to let you know.
Special Kitty Quick History
There are many claims about Special Kitty cat food, and there are no reliable sources as Walmart continues to keep the information a big secret. As mentioned earlier, this brand is under The J.M. Smucker Company and Walmart had commissioned the Mars Corporation to also create Special Kitty that can meet the same standards with 9 Lives.
This is the main reason why many cat owners are comparing the two brands as they are virtually identical, except for the overall look and packaging of it. Special Kitty is just one of the several brands of cat food that are being sold exclusively in retail stores. It is a known budget food and often considered by average consumers.
At Special Kitty, they know that the cats rule and they are confident that the cat owners will only serve her the best food available. Thats why, they have formulated each of their high-quality varieties to uses wholesome ingredients that support the health of your cats, but will taste so delicious that will let your cat reward you with a smile.
You can always trust Special Kitty to provide nutritious premium products that your cat will crave. It is the promise of the brand to you and your cat.
Special Kitty Recall History
According to various reports, there have been a few recalls of Special Kitty Cat Foods in the past. These include one in 2008 when there was a concern that some of the products had possible salmonella contamination. And one year before that, in 2007, there was a recall on various products affected by melamine, although we couldnt find anything on the FDA website regarding this.
The most recent recall was in 2018, when the company, J.M. Sucker did a voluntary recall on products including Special Kitty, 9Lives and EverPet. The recall was done because of low levels of thiamine or vitamin B1 in the canned cat foods. The low levels were picked up by the companys Quality Assurance team, and while there have been no illnesses reported, they decided to do a recall as a precautionary measure.
An essential vitamin for cats for their overall health. If a cat does not get sufficient levels of thiamine over a period of time, it can lead to gastrointestinal and neurological issues. Initial symptoms include:
- Loss of appetite
- Tilting of the head
If thiamine deficiency is diagnosed early on and treated accordingly, it is reversible.
Although product recalls are never a good thing, its good to see a company taking responsibility and alerting the public to any potential problems. Its also important to point out that recalls have been done on a number of pet food products across all price ranges, including what a lot of people consider to be premium brands.
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Individual Recipe Review Special Kitty Mixed Grill Dinner
We randomly selected Special Kitty Mixed Grill Dinner to review. This food is listed as a classic pate and some of Special Kittys foods are pate/loaf-style foods. You should be aware that some customer reviews we read reported that foods that were listed as pate were actually sliced foods. My cats usually preferred sliced foods, but if you think are buying a pate, thats what you should be getting.
The first five ingredients in this food are: Meat By-Products, Water Sufficient Enough For Processing, Poultry By-Products, Liver, and Chicken. As you can see, four out of the first five ingredients are meat proteins. Its not unusual for canned cat food to have a lot of protein and cats may like this food. The customer comments are very positive. Many people seem to buy this food to feed multiple cats or stray cats, but the cats do seem to like it.
The second ingredient in the food is water sufficient for processing. This is not unusual in a wet cat food. One of the reasons people like to feed wet food is because of the high moisture content. Its usually preferable to the much lower moisture content found in dry cat foods.
The fifth ingredient in the food is chicken. Chicken is a good source of protein, Vitamin B6, Niacin, and Phosphorus. Many cats enjoy it.
We have no idea how many calories are in the food.
Guaranteed Analysis
Nutritional Statement
Special Kitty Cat Food Reviews
But what about the cat food itself? Looking at a couple of reviews, some customers swear by it and claim their cats thrive on Special Kitty Cat Food, while others reckon it is great to use if you are feeding feral cats, strays, or lots of cats, like in a shelter, because of its low price. And then there are a few that say you should steer clear of the product completely.
We thought we would check out a few Special Kitty Cat Food products for ourselves.
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Which Types Of Cats Is Special Kitty Best Suited For
Its difficult to honestly review budget foods like Special Kitty without sounding elitist. We understand that not everyone can afford to give their cat top-of-the-line foods, and we also believe that everyone should be able to experience the joys of pet ownership, regardless of their financial situation.
That said, the only reason to buy Special Kitty is if youre strapped for cash. It has a poor nutritional profile, and theres little reason to believe that the manufacturer is strict about quality control.
If this is the best food that you can afford, then by all means, buy it. Wed much rather you feed your cat Special Kitty than leave them languishing in a shelter. However, if you can afford anything else, you should probably buy that instead.
What Kinds Of Cat Food Does 9lives Offer
The 9Lives cat food lineup includes six varieties of dry cat food and an expansive selection of wet products. 9Lives wet food lines include Tender Morsels, Meaty Paté, Protein Plus®, and Hearty Cuts.
9Lives products have ingredient lists similar to most budget cat foods. Poultry and meat by-products outnumber named meats, plant proteins appear in all of the dry foods, and all of their recipes contain at least one artificial additive.
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Special Kitty Cat Food Recall
Special Kitty was one of the major pet food brands that was affected by the 2007 pet food recall, after it was discovered to be contaminated with melamine. Special Kitty has also been recalled several times due to contamination with salmonella. In order to make sure that your cats food is safe, its always highly recommended that you check the FDAs pet food recall website. This will help you to stay updated on the latest pet food recall information.
Jm Smuckers Special Kitty Cat Food Recalled Over Serious Health Concerns Including Death
UPDATE: December 10, 2019. After calling the JM Smuckers inquiring about the unnamed ingredient, they told me, we do not have that information at this time. Asked if I had a cat that was dying, would JM Smuckers be willing to give the information to my vet and the companys consumer representative said, not at this time. It is absolutely unforgivable and irresponsible to keep to consumers and the veterinary community in the dark, particularly as the ingredient has the capacity to cause death in cats.
JM Smuckers is recalling selected lots of its Special Kitty canned cat for an as yet unknown reason. All the company revealed was an oblique reference to ingredients believed to not meet the Companys quality and safety standards.
Whatever that means.
Even more troubling than the opaque reference to the unknown ingredients, but the ingredient have the capacity to cause death to cats. The company warns that the recalled cat food may cause nausea, with excessive salivation, diarrhea or vomiting to more severe symptoms including difficulty walking, seizures and, in extreme situations, death.
Additionally, the company urges pet parents to contact their cats veterinarian immediately if their cat is displaying any of these symptoms.
The impacted product appears to involve lots covering a period of over four months, which are listed below. They are:
| Product Name |
|---|
| 9/19/202110/7/2021 |
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The Were All About Cats Standardrating 9lives On What Matters
Weve analyzed 9Lives and graded it according to the Were All About Cats standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. Heres how it rates in each of those six key areas.
We give 9Lives cat food a 31 out of 60 rating or a D grade.
How To Feed Your Indoor Cat
In order to keep from overfeeding your cat, measure out a serving size at each meal. The label on the food container should tell you how much a serving size is. If you feed several, small meals throughout the day, your cat will quickly learn to adapt. This will keep her energy up but prevent weight gain.
Do remember to consult with a vet before making any drastic changes to your cat’s diet. You must also make sure she has access to plenty of clean water.
You can make up for some of the deficiencies in indoor cat food by supplementing your cat’s diet. A bit of fully cooked lean meat every now and then will give her a protein boost. Talk to your vet about vitamin supplements your cat may need.
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Buying Guide For Best Cat Food
Your cat is a family member albeit a furry one so why shouldn’t you be as careful in feeding her a healthy, well-balanced diet as you are with yourself and your human family? Finding the best cat food for your feline friend can involve some trial and error, as what one cat thrives on might not be good for another, and some cats want variety, but you can learn how to tell a quality food from a poor one.
It can be tough for the uninitiated, however with so many different types of cat food on the market from hundreds of manufacturers, how do you select the right one for your fur baby? Well, if you need some assistance, you’re in the right place. At BestReviews, it’s our primary aim to help you the consumer find the perfect products to suit your needs. We test items in our labs and/or out in the real world, gather feedback from customers, and consult experts all so we can bring you fair and thorough reviews that cut through the jargon. Read on for our full guide to cat food to learn all you need to know to keep kitty’s tummy happy and their health in top form.
Worst Cat Foods 2021 How To Choose A Quality Food
Worst cat foods, sounds really bad right? Whether you buy cat food at the grocery store or at a pet store, you may be buying something that’s actually bad for your pet. Even some of the healthy food options are complete garbage and end up doing more harm than good.
Ask yourself the following:
Would I feed my kids or myself candy and potato chips at every meal? If not, why do the same to your cat? Do I know why carrageenan is so bad? Why not pick a food with preservatives?
We’ve compiled a thorough guide to help you make wise decisions. Learn what you should feed your fur baby. Understand the key ingredients that ensure you’ve made the right choice.
You love what you see? Purrfect! Rest assured that I put these products on the list specifically due to their genuine quality and not for other reasons. I would just like to be transparent with you and inform you that FelineLiving may obtain a share of sales or other monetary compensation from the links on this page. I hope your furry friends will love these reviewed products and that it will spark joy in each pair of feline eyes!
Mary Nielsen
Here at FelineLiving.Net we have a dedicated mission to provide cat owners like you with well-researched information so they can provide the best care and nutrition to their cat.
FelineLiving.Net is supported by our readers. If you make a purchase through one of our links, we may earn a referral fee. This helps cover the cost of operating our free blog. Thanks for your support!
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What Do Customers Think Of Special Kitty Cat Food
When shopping for a new brand of cat food, its a good idea to see what other cat owners are saying. Cats tend to be picky eaters, so theres always the possibility that your cat simply wont like the food but reading other customer reviews can help you make a smart choice.
We took a look at a number of reviews left on the Walmart website by Special Kitty customers.
Surprisingly, many products had high ratings with hundreds, even a thousand ratings, or more. Many of the positive reviews we read mentioned the affordable price and wide variety of product choices. Negative reviews were predictably often related to poor ingredient quality.
Lets take a look at a few customer reviews from some of the most popular recipes from Special Kitty.
What Did Our Test Cats Think
To test Special Kitty cat food, we ordered two variety packs of wet food and two recipes of dry food. Here are the products we ordered:
- Special Kitty Pate Wet Food Classic Variety Pack
- Special Kitty Favorites Variety Pack Cuts in Gravy
- Special Kitty Naturals Dry Cat Food
- Special Kitty Indoor Formula Dry Cat Food
The first thing we noticed about Special Kitty products was, of course, the price. Both variety packs were priced under $10 for twelve 13-ounce cans and 24 three-ounce pouches. The dry food was priced under $4 for a 3.5-pound or 3.15-pound bag.
When we opened the dry food bags, we werent surprised to find that the kibble looked pretty standard. The kibbles were average in size and had some color variation. Our test cats happily crunched away on the food, though we had to keep one cat out of the testing because shes allergic to chicken. Both of the Special Kitty dry food products we tested feature chicken as a primary ingredient, but in the form of chicken by-product meal. Only one of the two listed chicken as the main ingredient.
Unfortunately, we had to keep one of our cats out of the testing for the wet food products as well. Some of the recipes listed chicken as an ingredient but many used meat or poultry by-products, so we had no way of knowing exactly what was in the recipe.
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How Much Does Special Kitty Cat Food Cost
As a Walmart-exclusive brand, it should come as no surprise that Special Kitty is highly affordable. The recipes we reviewed above are all priced under $0.15/ounce for wet food and well under $1.00/pound for the dry food. Purchasing Special Kitty wet food in variety packs further drives down the price.
Special Kitty Gourmet Cat Food
Special Kitty Gourmet Cat Food is described as a premium food. According to the packaging, it contains crab, lobster, shrimp, tuna, and chicken flavors. This sounds delicious and definitely worth the gourmet label, but it is important to keep in mind that using flavors isnt quite the same as using real meat.
The recipe does contain taurine, which is essential ingredient cats need, but in the same breath, it also has artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Corn is listed as one of the ingredients too, so for cats with sensitive stomachs or that suffer from food allergies, this probably isnt the best choice.
Like with any dry cat food, its convenient to store, easy to serve up, and it lasts for a long time.
Special Kitty Gourmet Cat Food has over 400 reviews, with about 4.1 stars out of 5. While its fair to say theres room for improvement, it seems to be tasty, offers some nutritional value, and is very friendly on the budget.
Whats to like:
- It’s budget-friendly
- The lobster, shrimp, tuna, crab and chicken flavors make it a delicious choice for adult cats
- The recipe includes taurine, an essential nutrient for cats
Whats not to like:
- Because it contains artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives as well as corn products, it is not suitable for cats with sensitive stomachs or those that have food allergies
- It is almost impossible to find a list of ingredients, and there is no Guaranteed Analysis
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It Has A Limited Number Of Special Recipes
Special Kitty hits all the basic notes when it comes to special recipes, as it has both indoor and outdoor cat formulas, as well as foods designed for kittens. Beyond that, though, the pickings are slim.
It doesnt have a dedicated senior formula nor weight management or sensitive stomach options. It has a complete nutrition option and a naturals line, which is its high-end option. Its the best of the bunch, but it mainly just involves shuffling around cheap ingredients.
If your cat has any sort of special dietary needs, dont expect Special Kitty to be able to accommodate them.