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Addiction cat food is a leading pet food brand manufactured by the Addiction Foods Inc. This company was started by a holistic clinical nutritionist and veterinarian surgeon. During his 20 years in the profession, he realized that most of the pet health conditions he treated were caused by poor nutrition. After researching on the pet food products in the market, he realized that most of the pet formulas did not provide the pets with the required nutrition to remain healthy, fit and active. Most of these pet formulas were a combination of fats, by-products, grains and harmful additives that led to allergy attacks and health complications.
He developed a new range of pet formulas which were inspired by the natural diets for dogs and cats. He also ensured that these formulas offered pets all the nutrition they required to stay healthy. Addiction pet foods are not only nutritious, but are also hypoallergenic and easily digestible.
One of the pet foods under the addiction brand is the hunter’s venison stew wet cat food. Made from pure game meat, this cat food has become a favorite amongst many cats. It is a grain free cat food blended with fruits and packed with nutrients.
Is this cat food formula right for your cat?
Ingredients in the cat food
The ingredients in this cat formula have been carefully formulated to meet the AAFCO nutritional standards for pet formulas.
Ingredients in Hunter’s Venison Stew (Wet) Cat Food
Venison, Broth, Liver, Cranberries, Guar Gum, Taurine, Dried Brewer’s Yeast, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Potassium Chloride, Niacin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D2 Supplement.
From the list of ingredients, it is worth noting that the hunter’s venison stew cat food contains no artificial preservatives, grain, fillers, corn, gluten or by-products. This is one of the reasons it is recommended for cats.
An overview of the first five ingredients
The first five ingredients of any cat food product will tell a lot about the quality of the cat food. This is because these ingredients make up most of the cat food’s nutritional value.
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.
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.
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.
Cranberries – Cranberries are high in vitamin C, vitamin E, and fiber. This ingredient may assist with urinary tract infections and help with dental hygiene by killing certain bacteria. While cats are obligate carnivores, wild cats do consume a small amount of fruits and vegetables. Ingredients like cranberries will not provide a large amount of nutrition, but do supply some vitamins, help make the food taste better, and act as an easily digestible filler.
Guar gum – This ingredient is also sometimes called guaran. It is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, off-white powder. This ingredient is mostly used to thicken the food and give it more texture. It is an FDA-approved, all natural GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) ingredient used by the food and cosmetic industries. It also is used to improve the shelf life of the food and helps lower the glycemic index of food. Many cat food companies claim this ingredient also aids in digestion and weight loss. There is some minor debate about the benefits of this ingredient with some claiming negative impacts, but in general, this is thought to be a relatively non-nutritious yet safe ingredient.
Other ingredients of interest
Dried brewer’s yeast – This is a good source of amino acids, minerals and vitamins. Addiction foods deactivate the yeast from its place of growth preventing it from causing possible allergies.
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.
Can hunter’s venison stew canned cat food cause allergies?
Owing to the fact that hunter’s venison stew canned cat food is made from natural ingredients and contains no allergens, it is safe to assume that this cat food does not cause allergies. There have been no allergy complains from the users so far. However, you should take precaution as your cat could also be allergic to any of the other ingredients.
Ingredients to watch out for in cat foods
Corn, gluten and wheat – These are allergy causing ingredients that are of no nutritional benefit to cats. They are mostly used as fillers.
Artificial coloring and preservatives – Artificial preservatives are a group of chemical substances added to food, sprayed on the outside of food, or added to certain medications to retard spoilage, discoloration, or contamination by bacteria and other disease organisms. These additives are man-made, though some do exist in some forms in nature. They are generally considered safe despite the fact that some are known to be carcinogenic and toxic. Many side effects and illnesses are related to their consumption. What’s even more unfortunate is that we are not given full information here. The label “artificial preservatives” could include any number of man-made chemical based preservatives. While it doesn’t necessarily mean this ingredient is harmful, it could be. We just don’t know which specific preservatives are being used here. Without adequate labeling and information for cat owners, we remain skeptical.
Artificial color is added to cat food for marketing purposes only. Unfortunately, there may be some evidence linking various food coloring to cancer in cats. Since this provides absolutely no nutritional benefit to your cat and can only harm your cat, we find it rather unfortunate they included it here.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a nutritious and non-grain high protein food then the hunter’s venison stew (wet) cat food is a great option. It is perfect for allergic cats as it is allergen free.
