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The Addiction Foods Inc is a pet food company that was started by a clinical nutritionist and holistic veterinarian who mostly treated cats suffering from gastrointestinal and skin conditions brought about by allergies from additives and artificial preservatives in cat formulas. The founder noted the lack of nutritious and wholesome pet meals. As a result, pets suffered from numerous health conditions. He, therefore, set out to make pet food formulas that would help cats remain fit, active and healthy. He realized that the presence of ingredients like grain, fats, additives and by-products was the leading cause of these health complications. He, therefore, sought to manufacture meals that were 100% natural and healthy.
One of the pet foods made under the Addiction foods brand is the Herbed Duck Confit & Sweet Potatoes Entréee cat formula. A lot of research went into the creation of this product. The company found that cats love sweet potatoes, duck meal, vitamins and herbs. These ingredients are exactly what this formula is based on. This meal is a good alternative for cats that do not like feeding on lamb or chicken.
Does the Herbed Duck Confit & Sweet Potatoes Entrée cat formula live up to its claims? Find out below;
The ingredients
Just like all other Addiction cat food formulas, the Herbed Duck Confit & Sweet Potatoes Entrée is made to meet the AFFCO nutrition requirements for cat foods.
The ingredients in this cat formula are
Duck, Broth, Liver, Sweet Potatoes, Thyme, Rosemary, Dried Brewers Yeast, Guar Gum, Taurine, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Potassium Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (a vitamin C source), Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate. Sodium Selenite, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D2 Supplement. Vitamin B12 Supplement.
A closer look at the ingredients list, will reveal that there are no artificial preservatives, fillers, allergens or by products. This is a grain free formula made from 100% natural ingredients.
An overview of the first five ingredients
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.
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.
Sweet potatoes – Sweet potatoes provide a great source of potassium, vitamin B, and beta-carotene. This ingredient also provides antioxidant agents that specifically help to fight against cancer causing agents. This is a higher quality ingredient with no known negative side-effects.
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.
Thyme – The actual benefits of this ingredient have been disputed, but there is not any evidence to suggest this is a harmful ingredient, either. Thyme is an herb and it is believed to help calm down hyperactive cats, but the real-world evidence to support this theory is rather weak. It is also believed that this ingredient may help with proper digestion. Again, the full benefits of this ingredient are still a bit unknown.
Rosemary – This ingredient is normally listed pretty low on the ingredients list, but is very common in pet foods, especially with higher end and “natural” pet foods. This ingredient has been mostly used as a taste enhancer and natural preservative. Recently, there have been some growing concerns that this ingredient may increase the risk of seizures in cats, but so far there is no conclusive evidence to substantiate these claims.
Other ingredients to take note of
Vitamin B 12 and biotin – Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin that cats need to live a healthy life. Many times you will see vitamin B12 added as a supplement in cat food. Biotin, also known as vitamin H or coenzyme R, is a water soluble B vitamin. It is usually found in egg yolk, liver, and yeast. In addition to converting food into energy, biotin also helps the body get rid of by-products from protein. As carnivores, a cat’s diet is high in protein, and they need sufficient biotin to process and excrete it. Biotin also helps the body use other B-complex vitamins and maintains healthy skin, coat and claws. When cats do not receive enough biotin in their diet, the most noticeable issue they have is unhealthy and often times itchy skin. If you want to learn more about biotin in cats, here is an excellent article with more detail.
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.
Allergies caused by the ingredients
Since the Herbed Duck Confit & Sweet Potatoes Entréee cat formula is a non-grain cat food, it is virtually free from any allergy causing ingredients. It also contains no soy, wheat, corn or by-products making it safe for cats. Corn, wheat and soy are the leading allergens in cats and should, therefore, be avoided. It is always best to read through the ingredients list to ensure your cat’s food does not contain any of these ingredients.
Ingredients to avoid in cat formulas
Additives – While there are some additives that can be beneficial, there are other additives which can be harmful long-term for cats. Additives are basically ingredients that are added, or sprayed onto the food, after the cooking process. From vitamins and minerals to unnatural chemical based preservatives, it’s always important to know exactly which additives have been included into the food.
Grain based carbohydrate sources – Grain based carbohydrate sources are starting to get a bad reputation. Since cats are obligate carnivores, their digestive system is not structured in a way to properly digest plant based carbohydrates. This means, grains are filler ingredients that do not add much of any nutritional value. Grains can help make your cat feel more full, but unfortunately, many grains have been shown to cause allergies in cats.
Meat by-products – This is about the lowest quality meat product that can be included in any cat food. We are very disappointed to see this ingredient listed. Meat By-Products are parts of slaughtered animals including the lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, blood, bone, partially defatted low-temperature fatty tissue, and stomach and intestines freed of their contents. In addition, meat by-products can also legally contain animals that were dead, dying, or diseased before slaughtering. Many times, animals with tumors are ground and processed, meaning, ground up cancerous tumors could legally be included in your pets food. While unlikely, it can even legally include road kill. Perhaps worst of all, this ingredient COULD include meat from euthanized cats, dogs, horses, or other animals. Meat by-product is an unnamed meat source and you never know for sure where it is coming from or what animals are being used. Also note that meat by-products are not approved for human consumption. It consists of unwanted parts only acceptable in the pet food or feed industries. This is one of the most controversial meat ingredients that could be included and there is much to be concerned about when purchasing any pet food that includes meat by-products.
Conclusion
Owing to the fact that the Herbed Duck Confit & Sweet Potatoes Entréee is a premium cat food product, most cat owners seem pleased with the product. The price of the product may be the only hindrance, but most clients believe it is worth every penny. Based on its ingredients, this formula makes for a wholesome meal for your cat.
