This post may contain affiliate links. We are compensated for referring customers to our affiliate partners.
By Nature cat food formulas have been in the market for many years. This pet food company is known for manufacturing grain free and natural pet formulas. This is a company under the Blue Seal Feeds Company. Initially, the Blue Seal Company was a horse feed manufacturing outfit. With time, the company expanded to produce foods for other animal types including dogs and cats.
Based on consumer reviews on the By Nature pet formulas, it is clear that this brand is a favorite among many pet owners. This is due to the fact that the formulas are grain free and made using natural (or in some cases, organic) ingredients. However, it is always best to look into a pet formula in detail before feeding it to your cat. All cat food companies make big promises, yet there are many poor quality foods out there.
One of the pet formulas under the By Nature brand is the Venison Stew Canned Cat Food formula. According to the By Nature Company, this cat formula is made with rich vitamins, proteins and antioxidants to support your cat’s health by strengthening the immune system. This pet formula has been formulated to enhance the natural defense of your cat. It is said that it can protect your cat from illnesses, aging, as well as physical and environmental stress.
With all the hype surrounding the By Nature Venison Stew Cat food, does it live up to the promise? Is this the best formula for your pet cat? Let’s take a look at the ingredients and find out.
Ingredients in By Nature Venison Stew Wet Cat Food
Venison, Turkey Broth, Vegetable Broth, Turkey Liver, Egg, Natural Flavor, Mushrooms, Pea Flour, Guar Gum, Carrots, Spinach, Alfalfa Meal, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Cranberries, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Magnesium, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Vitamin D2 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid (Vitamin B9).
Top 5 Ingredients Analysis
Always pay attention to the first 5 ingredients in any cat food. These top 5 ingredients make up the vast majority of the nutritional value in cat food.
Venison – While not a common meat source found in most cat food products, venison is a fantastic source of protein. In dry cat food products, most of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process. However, in wet cat foods, the content of this ingredient is mostly retained during the cooking process. We have absolutely no concern with this ingredient and consider it to be extremely high quality.
Turkey Broth – Any type of broth is mostly used as an alternative to simply using water. It adds moisture to the food and a broth helps to make the food more appetizing and tastier for your cat. This ingredient is rather void of much nutritional value, but there is no evidence to suggest there are any problems with this ingredient. It can be commonly found in many different brands of cat food.
Vegetable Broth – Broth is used to add flavor and moisture to the food, but in this case, the broth comes from an unnamed source. We usually like to see a named broth source like chicken broth or vegetable broth, but since this ingredient is unnamed, we are left guessing. While it is unlikely this ingredient is harmful to your cat, we would much rather see a named broth source here.
Turkey Liver – In the wild, cats almost always eat the liver of their prey. It is a rich source of vitamin A which cats must obtain from their food since they can’t make it in their bodies. This is also a good secondary source of protein. If cats consume too much liver, it could cause toxicity, but the amount needed for liver to become toxic to cats is very high. Liver is provided in safe quantities in this cat food blend.
Egg – While raw eggs can cause some skin problems in cats, cooked eggs are healthy for cats and supply quite a bit of protein. Some cat owners prefer only feeding egg whites because the yolks can add a fairly high amount of cholesterol. In addition to the protein content, eggs also supply potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, and iron. In moderation, this is considered a healthy ingredient for cats.
Additional Ingredients Of Interest In By Nature Venison Stew Cat Food
Pea flour – Peas are becoming more and more common in pet foods today, especially those listed as grain-free, holistic, or natural pet foods. While peas are certainly not grains, they serve much the same purpose. It mostly acts as a filler and a cheap way to increase the protein percentage of the food. However, cats receive almost no nutritional value from peas. Since cats are obligate carnivores, they require proteins from meat based ingredients. There is very little research that has been performed on the long term effects of cats consuming peas. We do know that peas can cause runny poop or digestion issues in dogs, but the full effect on cats remains a bit of an unknown. Since the peas in this case are added as a flour, the ingredient is probably added to help with the consistency of the food and the cooking process.
Alfalfa meal – Alfalfa is a rich mineral food that has trace minerals such as zinc, iron, and manganese. It also includes vitamin A, vitamin C, as well as other nutrients that are beneficial to cats such as chlorophyll.
Taurine – Taurine is an essential amino acid that is critical for normal heart muscle function, vision, and reproduction in cats. Since cats are unable to create proper levels of taurine in their body naturally, it must be supplemented in their food. That’s why you’ll see this ingredient listed for so many different cat food blends. For cat foods that contain enough high quality animal based proteins, a taurine supplement may not be needed. However, most cat foods will need to add in additional taurine in the form of a supplement to the food. Even when included as a supplement instead, there is very low to almost zero health risk associated with this ingredient. In fact, a lack of taurine can cause a slew of issues, so it’s very important to make sure your cat is receiving enough taurine in his or her diet.
Allergy Risks Associated With By Nature Venison Stew Cat Food
By Nature Venison Stew Cat Food does not contain any of the main allergy causing ingredients found in many other cat food blends. While all cats are unique and may suffer from their own specific food allergies, in general, we believe the allergy risk in this food is quite low.
Poor Quality Ingredients Commonly Found In Cat Food
Corn, soy and wheat – All three of these ingredients are known allergens for many cats. In addition, many cats have problems digesting these grain based ingredients. Since cats are obligate carnivores, their digestive systems are designed to digest meat and not grains. All of these ingredients will help to boost the protein percentage in cat food, but not all protein is created equally. Cats do not digest plant based proteins in the same way as meat proteins and in fact, gain little to no nutritional value from these grains. Several “grocery store brand” cat foods include these products to keep the price down as it is a cheap filler to help make your cat feel full as well as a cheap way to add protein to the food.
BHT and BHA preservatives – Both BHA & BHT are preservatives that have been banned in human foods in many countries due to cancer risks. However, they remain approved for use in pet foods. A growing number of pet owners are becoming aware of the potential dangers these ingredients bring and are shunning all foods containing BHA and BHT. A quick internet search on these preservatives will show that the backlash is gaining steam with many cat food companies abandoning these ingredients. BHA and BHT are extremely controversial ingredients in all forms of pet food.
Gluten – This ingredient is associated with causing allergies in cats. It is also known to raise sugar levels in cats. Over time, this can lead to diabetes. Gluten refers to the proteins found in wheat endosperm which is a type of tissue produced in seeds that’s ground to make flour. Many pet food manufactures will use this ingredient to help boost the protein percentage of the food.
Luckily, none of these ingredients are present in the Venison Stew Canned Cat Food formula.
Conclusion
The By Nature Venison Stew Cat Food formula is grain free and made from natural ingredients. It can, therefore, be said to be safe for consumption by most cats. Reviews found online and elsewhere show that this is a very popular blend among cat owners. The biggest disadvantage to this food is the price tag. However, we believe the high price is worth it as this cat food is above average in quality.
