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Are you confused on what you should be feeding your cat on? There are so many cat food types in the market and choosing the most ideal one can be an uphill task. It is important to evaluate the suitability of cat formulas by examining the list of nutrients. This review will focus on the Felix adult marinades formula.
The Felix adult marinades formula is one of the many wet cat formulas in the market today. This cat formula type is available in different varieties made with meat flakes that are soaked in marinade. The company claims that this formula is tasty and highly nutritious.
Are these claims true or is this simply hype? Read on to find out.
The varieties available
Fish selection in jelly – this is available in salmon, cod, tuna and trout flavors.
Mixed selection in jelly – this is available in chicken, duck, salmon and tuna flavors.
Meat selection in jelly – this is available in chicken, turkey, beef and duck flavors.
All these varieties are available in a multi-pack measuring 12 x 100 grams.
An overview of the ingredients in the formula varieties
Beef – Beef is considered to be a higher quality ingredient. It is an excellent source of animal protein and contains many other nutrients that are very important for a cat to survive and thrive. Since this is not in “meal” form, that means this ingredient still contains all of its moisture content prior to cooking. Once fully cooked, most of this ingredient will have evaporated due to its high moisture content. That means, even when this ingredient is ranked highly, it will usually only provide a small percentage of the overall protein in the food. There is no dismissing this ingredient, though. It is high quality and we are pleased to see it listed.
Cod – Cod is a well known type of fish generally found in colder and deeper waters in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In their natural habitat, cod (and other types of fish) are not part of a regular diet for cats. However, many cat food blends have begun including fish ingredients such as cod into their blends for the high protein percentage. This ingredient is also high in healthy fatty acids. Some debate suggests a diet high in fish ingredients could have longer term health implications when fed over time, but in general, cod is considered to be a healthy ingredient.
Tuna – This ingredient is a well known saltwater fish. There is some debate about whether fish products should be included in cat food at all, because cats by nature do not eat much sea food. A lot of cat owners would rather see meat from other animals such as beef, chicken, turkey, or other meat sources. However, tuna does supply a good amount of protein and also contains an excellent amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Trout – Fish ingredients have become much more common in dog food over the years and now, this ingredient has found its way into cat food. While fish is not the typical prey for cats in the wild, they do supply a healthy amount of protein and extremely beneficial fatty acids as well as other nutrients cats can benefit from. Some cat owners worry about the mercury level that naturally occurs in fish, but the FDA continues to state that the mercury levels in fish are safe for both humans and pets. There is also some concern about where this ingredient might be sourced from. If the fish contains ethoxyquin, this is definitely something you would not want to feed to your cat, but we are unable to verify whether this ingredient contains ethoxyquin or not. Also, most of the time, fish used in pet food is the fish that has been deemed unfit for human consumption for whatever reason. Nonetheless, this ingredient does provide a fairly high amount of healthy nutritional benefit.
Chicken – Chicken is a very popular ingredient for pet food and in this case, they are referring to whole chicken. This is a very high quality meat source and we are pleased to see it listed. However, whole chicken loses about 80% of its content during the cooking process since the majority of whole chicken is water. After the cooking process is complete, the amount of whole chicken remaining is substantially reduced. Therefor, while whole chicken is a great source of meat protein, this ingredient alone is not enough to provide sufficient levels of meat protein in a cats diet.
Duck – Duck is an excellent alternative meat source and provides very high quality meat proteins for your cat. As a whole meat product, much of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process, but it is less water heavy than other whole meat ingredients like chicken or beef. So, while much of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process, it is still a very high quality ingredient and we are quite pleased to see it listed here.
Turkey – As a whole meat ingredient, turkey is a fantastic source of very healthy animal based proteins. We are extremely pleased to see this ingredient listed. Unfortunately, in dry kibbles, there is not as much of this ingredient included as you might initially think. Ingredients are listed by weight prior to the cooking process and since whole turkey is about 70% moisture, the vast majority is cooked off. So while we think this is an excellent and nutritional ingredient, it does need to be complimented by other high quality meat protein ingredients when used in dry kibbles. In wet cat foods, however, this is not nearly as much of a concern.
Salmon – Salmon is an excellent source of high quality proteins for cats and is extremely rich in healthy Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Some people worry about mercury levels in fish. It’s true that all fish contains some degree of mercury, the level in salmon is much lower than other types of fish and the FDA doesn’t believe it is cause for concern. Most salmon in cat food is farmed salmon, but higher end cat food (especially those labeled “natural”) can often times be fished from natural lakes and streams. The biggest problem with fish ingredients, including salmon, is if the fish includes an antioxidant called ethoxyquin (EMQ). It is believe that ethoxyquin could be very harmful to cats and other animals. Always make sure you are using “Ethoxyquin free” cat food blends when they include fish ingredients. When in doubt, call the customer service number and ask.
The other ingredient worth mentioning is:
The marinade – Marinade is a sauce, typically made of oil, vinegar, spices, and herbs, in which meat, fish, or other food is soaked before cooking in order to flavor or soften it. We have no idea what is included in this marinade and is therefor impossible for us to analyze. For this reason, we consider it a rather low quality ingredient, although it is not likely to contain anything too concerning.
Can these formula varieties cause allergies?
The adult marinades variety formulas contain no soy, wheat or corn. These are the three main allergens found in cat formulas. Therefore, it is very unlikely that these variety formulas can lead to allergies reactions in your cat. However, your cat could be allergic to any of the other ingredients. It is, therefore, important to read through the ingredients list before making a purchase.
Ingredients should you avoid feeding your cat on
Apart from the above mentioned allergens, you should also avoid:
- Artificial coloring and flavoring.
- Gluten.
- BHT and BHA preservatives
The artificial coloring and flavoring, as well as the preservatives are chemical based and can lead to poisoning in cats. The gluten is known to cause weight gain and glucose imbalance in cats.
Conclusion
The Felix adult marinades can be termed as an average formula. It contains meat content, which is a plus but is also lacks in other essential nutrients. Cats cannot be sustained by meat alone. Therefore, it is best to use these formulas as additions to other car formulas that contain all the essential nutrients.
