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Fancy Feast is one of the most popular cat food brands on the market today. As such, it is readily available in many grocery stores, pet food stores, and is also available online.

Fancy Feast is owned by Nestle Purina PetCare. They introduced the Fancy Feast brand name in 1982 and only had 7 flavors of wet cat food initially. The brand name was introduced as their “gourmet line” of cat foods.

Nestle Purina PetCare has been the subject of several pet food recalls over the past several years. Be sure to frequently check the FDA pet food recalls website. You might want to sign up for their email alerts as well.

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Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here

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Ingredients In Fancy Feast Flaked Salmon and Ocean Whitefish Feast Cat Food

Fish broth, fish, salmon, chicken, liver, wheat gluten, ocean whitefish, meat by-products, soy flour, artificial and natural flavors, soy protein concentrate, added color (Red 3 and other color), xanthan gum, potassium chloride, taurine, carrageenan, choline chloride, salt, calcium phosphate, thiamine mononitrate, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, niacin, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), riboflavin supplement, biotin, Vitamin B-12 supplement, folic acid, potassium iodide, Vitamin D-3 supplement.

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Whenever you are reviewing a commercial cat food blend, it is good practice to pay special attention to the first 5 ingredients listed. These ingredients make up the vast majority of the nutritional content in the food. Let’s take a look at the top 5 ingredients in this cat food.

Fish broth

Fish broth is a mostly non-nutritious ingredient used to add moisture to the food. It is considered a better alternative to plain water and does provide an enhanced taste for cats. We do wish this broth came from a named fish source as the broth could have been made using almost any type of fish and almost any part of the fish. However, this is still considered a safe ingredient and we aren’t too concerned about the unnamed source this broth comes from.

Fish

The fish used in canned pet foods usually includes parts of the fish not typically used for human consumption. It is high in phosphorus and magnesium, which can be an issue in cats with a history of urinary tract disorders or kidney disease. Most fish used in pet food is that of very low quality, including farmed fish and discarded fish that is deemed unacceptable for human consumption. There is also a risk of mercury exposure as many types of fish contain a high mercury level. Over long periods of time, this can become hazardous. It is also important to try and find a cat food with ethoxyquin free fish. Most cat food brands do not disclose if their fish is ethoxyquin free and if it isn’t, that could pose some problems. Most cats love the taste of fish and will be happy to eat it, but it isn’t part of a regular diet for wild cats. Nonetheless, this is a high protein source with essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

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.

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.

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.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest In Fancy Feast Flaked Salmon And Ocean Whitefish Feast Cat Food

 

Soy flour – Many pet food companies seem pretty headstrong about defending their use of soy products, even calling health concerns associated with soy to be a myth. Wysong is one of those companies and to be fair, you can read their opinion about this ingredient here. However, we tend to agree with many of those outside the pet food industry that see major problems using any form of soy in cat food. There is no doubt this ingredient has been the subject of much controversy over the years and the benefits claimed by pet food companies is questionable at best. Why would pet food companies insist on using such a controversial ingredient? They claim it’s for health benefits, but we think it’s rather convenient that soy four is so cheaply made. It’s safe to say this is not considered a high quality ingredient by most experts and at best, it is a mediocre ingredient that we, in general, do not recommend for cats.

Ocean whitefish – Ocean whitefish is a species of tilefish native to the eastern Pacific Ocean. This ingredient is likely included for its protein content as well as very healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. While this ingredient probably isn’t something most cats would eat in a natural or wild environment, the ingredient does contain some very essential nutrient sources. Some cat owners worry about the mercury content in fish since all fish contains some level of mercury, but the health risk is considered to be pretty low.

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.

Added color – There is absolutely no reason to included added color into any cat food, ever. It’s extremely disappointing to see this ultra-low quality ingredient included. Added color is used for marketing purposes only. They want their product to stand out sitting on the shelf at the store, so they add coloring to their product. Essentially, the coloring is added to entice YOU (the human) to purchase the food over other brands. Your cat could care less what color the food is. Unfortunately, added color is quite controversial as there is growing evidence suggesting cancer in cats from too much food color exposure. At worse, this is a harmful ingredient and at best, it is a marketing ploy with no nutritional value or positive benefit to your cat. We usually have a tough time recommending any cat food that includes such a controversial ingredient.

Allergy Risk Associated With Fancy Feast Flaked Salmon And Ocean Whitefish Feast Cat Food

Unfortunately, this food contains a couple known allergens. Many cats are allergic to wheat and soy, both included in this food. We also see the inclusion of artificial flavors and food coloring, both of which can potentially cause problems long term. And finally, we see the inclusion of meat by-products. This ingredient can include some extremely low quality meat sources that cats could have a problem digesting. While the overall risk of allergic reaction to this food is relatively low, cats with known allergy issues or sensitive stomaches may want to avoid this food.

Conclusion

The Fancy Feast Flaked Salmon and Ocean Whitefish Cat Food formula is an average cat formula at best. This food contains known allergens and also has some very low quality meat sources as well as artificial flavors and food coloring. In addition, many of the fish ingredients are unnamed. Fish and fish broth, for example, can come from any type of fish. Since “fish” is the top ingredient, we are a bit apprehensive about this food. We’d much rather see a named fish source listed there. For these reasons, we think this food is below average in quality.

Do you agree with our rating? Or maybe you disagree? We want to hear from you! Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here

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Fancy Feast is one of the most popular cat food brands on the market today. As such, it is readily available in many grocery stores, pet food stores, and is also available online.

Fancy Feast is owned by Nestle Purina PetCare. They introduced the Fancy Feast brand name in 1982 and only had 7 flavors of wet cat food initially. The brand name was introduced as their “gourmet line” of cat foods.

Nestle Purina PetCare has been the subject of several pet food recalls over the past several years. Be sure to frequently check the FDA pet food recalls website. You might want to sign up for their email alerts as well.

---

Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here

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Ingredients In Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Whitefish And Cheddar Cheese Feast Wet Cat Food

Fish broth, whitefish, liver, wheat gluten, meat by-products, corn starch-modified, cheese (source of cheddar cheese), chicken, artificial and natural flavors, salt, calcium phosphate, sodium caseinate, soy protein concentrate, soybean oil, potassium chloride, dried whey, added color, Taurine, sodium Tripolyphosphate, Choline chloride, magnesium sulfate, thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, Sorbic acid (a preservative), ferrous sulfate, niacin, calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, Menadione sodium Bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, biotin, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, potassium iodide.

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Whenever you are reviewing a commercial cat food blend, it is good practice to pay special attention to the first 5 ingredients listed. These ingredients make up the vast majority of the nutritional content in the food. Let’s take a look at the top 5 ingredients in this cat food.

Fish Broth: Fish broth is a mostly non-nutritious ingredient used to add moisture to the food. It is considered a better alternative to plain water and does provide an enhanced taste for cats. We do wish this broth came from a named fish source as the broth could have been made using almost any type of fish and almost any part of the fish. However, this is still considered a safe ingredient and we aren’t too concerned about the unnamed source this broth comes from.

Whitefish: Whitefish is a species of tilefish native to the eastern Pacific Ocean. This ingredient is likely included for its protein content as well as very healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. While this ingredient probably isn’t something most cats would eat in a natural or wild environment, the ingredient does contain some very essential nutrient sources. Some cat owners worry about the mercury content in fish since all fish contains some level of mercury, but the health risk is considered to be pretty low.

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.

Wheat Gluten: We don’t think any grain is “good” for your cat. It doesn’t mean wheat gluten is “bad” for your cat, either, but the fact it provides almost no nutritional value makes us question the quality of the ingredient. Wheat gluten can be a decent protein source for animals with digestive systems that can break it down, but as obligate carnivores, cats are not one of those animals. Their digestive systems produce only the enzymes necessary for processing animal-based proteins. There are also some allergy risks associated with wheat gluten. In addition, too much of this in a cats diet can potentially lead to weight gain and diabetes. Unfortunately, diabetes in cats is a very serious health problem, so it is important to keep a close eye on your cats weight and diabetic risk when feeding a cat food containing ingredients like wheat gluten.

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.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest In Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Whitefish and Cheddar Cheese Feast Cat Food

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.

Corn Starch-modified: This is a derivative of corn, chemically altered to dissolve quickly and serve as a thickener. People who have wheat and gluten allergies should avoid products with this ingredient. The ingredient is made by physically, enzymatically or chemically altering starch to change its inherent properties. In this instance, modified does not necessarily mean genetically modified, however some modified starches are likely made from genetically modified ingredients (most corn in the United States is genetically modified, for example). You probably won’t find very many people who claim this is a high quality ingredient.

Soybean Oil: Soybean oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the soybean (Glycine max) and is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils. Soy is a plant protein used by pet food companies to boost protein content and add bulk. Because plant proteins are less expensive than meat proteins, pet food manufacturers use them to increase profit margins. The majority of experts on pet nutrition agree soy isn’t good nutrition for cats or dogs. It is considered a low-quality, incomplete protein well known to create food allergies in pets. Many cat food companies take a hard stance against the “negative publicity” that soy products receive and defend the use of soy strongly, claiming that soy helps add nutrients and improves a cats coat and skin. However, we do not find soy products to be reminiscent of a high quality cat food.

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.

Added Color: There is absolutely no reason to included added color into any cat food, ever. It’s extremely disappointing to see this ultra-low quality ingredient included. Added color is used for marketing purposes only. They want their product to stand out sitting on the shelf at the store, so they add coloring to their product. Essentially, the coloring is added to entice YOU (the human) to purchase the food over other brands. Your cat could care less what color the food is. Unfortunately, added color is quite controversial as there is growing evidence suggesting cancer in cats from too much food color exposure. At worse, this is a harmful ingredient and at best, it is a marketing ploy with no nutritional value or positive benefit to your cat. We usually have a tough time recommending any cat food that includes such a controversial ingredient.

Allergy Risk Associated With Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Whitefish and Cheddar Cheese Feast Cat Food

This Fancy Feast blend includes wheat, corn, and soy. All 3 of these ingredients are known to cause allergy problems in some cats. While most cats are able to digest these ingredients with no problem, if your cat has any food allergies or digestion problems this is probably a cat food you want to stay away from.

Conclusion

If your cat is not susceptible to food allergy reactions, this formula might be a safe bet for you. However, we are not pleased with some of the ingredients in this food such as meat by-products and added color. We do see some high quality ingredients such as whitefish and chicken, but we don’t think enough high quality ingredients are included in high enough quantities. Therefore, we believe this is a lower than average quality cat food. Do you agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comment area below.

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Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here

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Fancy Feast is one of the most popular cat food brands on the market today. As such, it is readily available in many grocery stores, pet food stores, and is also available online.

Fancy Feast is owned by Nestle Purina PetCare. They introduced the Fancy Feast brand name in 1982 and only had 7 flavors of wet cat food initially. The brand name was introduced as their “gourmet line” of cat foods.

Nestle Purina PetCare has been the subject of several pet food recalls over the past several years. Be sure to frequently check the FDA pet food recalls website. You might want to sign up for their email alerts as well.

---

Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here

---

Ingredients In Fancy Feast Delights with Cheddar Grilled Turkey and Cheddar Cheese Feast Cat Food

Poultry Broth, Turkey, Liver, Wheat Gluten, Meat By-Products, Corn Starch-modified, Cheese (source of cheddar cheese), Artificial and Natural Flavors, Salt, Sodium Caseinate, Calcium Phosphate, Soy Protein Concentrate, Soybean Oil, Added Color, Potassium Chloride, Dried Whey, Taurine, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Magnesium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Niacin, Sorbic Acid (a preservative), Ferrous Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide.

Top 5 Ingredients Overview

Poultry Broth: The main purpose if this ingredient is to add moisture and taste to the food. It is not considered to be a nutritional ingredient, but it considered to be a better alternative to using plain water. Poultry broth is safe to use and cats usually love the taste of it.

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.

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.

Wheat Gluten: We don’t think any grain is “good” for your cat. It doesn’t mean wheat gluten is “bad” for your cat, either, but the fact it provides almost no nutritional value makes us question the quality of the ingredient. Wheat gluten can be a decent protein source for animals with digestive systems that can break it down, but as obligate carnivores, cats are not one of those animals. Their digestive systems produce only the enzymes necessary for processing animal-based proteins. There are also some allergy risks associated with wheat gluten. In addition, too much of this in a cats diet can potentially lead to weight gain and diabetes. Unfortunately, diabetes in cats is a very serious health problem, so it is important to keep a close eye on your cats weight and diabetic risk when feeding a cat food containing ingredients like wheat gluten.

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.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest In Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Turkey and Cheddar Cheese Feast Cat Food

Salt: Salt is necessary for a cats body to function properly, but too much salt can be dangerous and even deadly. Usually, salt is added to pet food in order to meet AAFCO nutritional requirements. Salt, or sodium chloride, is indeed necessary so cat food that doesn’t contain enough will have a bit of it included. Salt helps your cats cells move nutrients and waste products where they need to go, and it helps his or her tummy make the right amount of acid to digest food properly. According to the Journal of Nutrition, average-sized cats need about 21 milligrams of salt per day. Many cat foods have higher concentrations than that. The National Research Council recommends no more than 42 milligrams per day. Most of the time, salt in commercial cat food products poses no danger and does have some nutritional benefit.

Soybean Oil: Soybean oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the soybean (Glycine max) and is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils. Soy is a plant protein used by pet food companies to boost protein content and add bulk. Because plant proteins are less expensive than meat proteins, pet food manufacturers use them to increase profit margins. The majority of experts on pet nutrition agree soy isn’t good nutrition for cats or dogs. It is considered a low-quality, incomplete protein well known to create food allergies in pets. Many cat food companies take a hard stance against the “negative publicity” that soy products receive and defend the use of soy strongly, claiming that soy helps add nutrients and improves a cats coat and skin. However, we do not find soy products to be reminiscent of a high quality cat food.

Choline Chloride: Like humans and many other species, cats require choline. Almost all commercial pet food blends will contain supplemental choline. This ingredient mostly helps with cell function.

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.

Artificial And Natural Flavors: Both artificial and natural flavor ingredients are considered to be lower quality ingredients. Since we are looking at two different ingredients here, let’s check out what natural flavor is first. The actual definition of natural flavor is very long and confusion, but basically states that the flavor of an item can be extracted, then sprayed onto other products. Natural and artificial flavors are produced in the same factories these days. Both are considered safe, but artificial and natural flavors alike can be dangerous depending on what they are. It is actually best to avoid flavoring altogether, both natural and artificial.

Artificial flavor is usually derived from petroleum. Most have not been studied for safety or toxicity. They are all synthesized chemicals that don’t even have common names. Most artificial flavors actually contain many chemical ingredients, not just one. Many of those chemicals are volatile. In short, both natural and artificial flavors are chemical based ingredients and we don’t get all that excited when we see either one of those ingredients listed, let alone both together. Both of these ingredients have potential allergy risks and other possible health problems in cats.

Added Color: There is absolutely no reason to included added color into any cat food, ever. It’s extremely disappointing to see this ultra-low quality ingredient included. Added color is used for marketing purposes only. They want their product to stand out sitting on the shelf at the store, so they add coloring to their product. Essentially, the coloring is added to entice YOU (the human) to purchase the food over other brands. Your cat could care less what color the food is. Unfortunately, added color is quite controversial as there is growing evidence suggesting cancer in cats from too much food color exposure. At worse, this is a harmful ingredient and at best, it is a marketing ploy with no nutritional value or positive benefit to your cat. We usually have a tough time recommending any cat food that includes such a controversial ingredient.

Allergy Risk Associated With Fancy Feast Delights with Cheddar Grilled Turkey And Cheddar Cheese Feast Cat Food

We do see several ingredients listed that could pose problems for cats with food allergies or digestion issues. This food includes corn and soy products along with artificial and natural flavors and even added coloring. Due to these ingredients, we do not think this is the best cat food to feed cats with food sensitivities, digestion issues, or allergies.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, the Fancy Feast Delights with Cheddar Grilled Turkey and Cheddar Cheese Wet Cat Food blend is a below average cat food. While we do recognize some high quality ingredients like turkey and liver, most of the meat protein is going to come from meat by-products. We are not a fan of meat by-products as this generic meat source can include animals that are dead, dying, diseased, or deformed before processing (known as 4D meat and not suitable for humans). While this ingredient doesn’t have to contain poor quality ingredients, legally it can. We also see things like added color (we find no excuse to include this ingredient) and also artificial and natural flavors. Do to many of these controversial ingredients, we think this is a below average cat food blend. What do you think? Let us know in the comment area.

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Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here

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Fancy Feast is one of the most popular cat food brands on the market today. As such, it is readily available in many grocery stores, pet food stores, and is also available online.

Fancy Feast is owned by Nestle Purina PetCare. They introduced the Fancy Feast brand name in 1982 and only had 7 flavors of wet cat food initially. The brand name was introduced as their “gourmet line” of cat foods.

Nestle Purina PetCare has been the subject of several pet food recalls over the past several years. Be sure to frequently check the FDA pet food recalls website. You might want to sign up for their email alerts as well.

---

Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here

---

Ingredients In Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Tuna And Cheddar Cheese Cat Food

Fish broth, tuna, wheat gluten, liver, meat by-products, corn starch-modified, chicken, cheese (source of cheddar cheese), artificial and natural flavors, salt, calcium phosphate, sodium caseinate, soy protein concentrate, soybean oil, added color (Red 3 and other color), potassium chloride, dried whey, taurine, sodium tripolyphosphate, choline chloride, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, sorbic acid (a preservative), niacin, calcium pantothenate, copper sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, manganese sulfate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, biotin, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, potassium iodide.

First 5 Ingredients Overview

Whenever you are reviewing a commercial cat food blend, it is good practice to pay special attention to the first 5 ingredients listed. These ingredients make up the vast majority of the nutritional content in the food. Let’s take a look at the top 5 ingredients in this cat food.

Fish broth

Fish broth is a mostly non-nutritious ingredient used to add moisture to the food. It is considered a better alternative to plain water and does provide an enhanced taste for cats. We do wish this broth came from a named fish source as the broth could have been made using almost any type of fish and almost any part of the fish. However, this is still considered a safe ingredient and we aren’t too concerned about the unnamed source this broth comes from.

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.

Wheat gluten

We don’t think any grain is “good” for your cat. It doesn’t mean wheat gluten is “bad” for your cat, either, but the fact it provides almost no nutritional value makes us question the quality of the ingredient. Wheat gluten can be a decent protein source for animals with digestive systems that can break it down, but as obligate carnivores, cats are not one of those animals. Their digestive systems produce only the enzymes necessary for processing animal-based proteins. There are also some allergy risks associated with wheat gluten. In addition, too much of this in a cats diet can potentially lead to weight gain and diabetes. Unfortunately, diabetes in cats is a very serious health problem, so it is important to keep a close eye on your cats weight and diabetic risk when feeding a cat food containing ingredients like wheat gluten.

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.

Meat byproducts

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.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest In Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Tuna And Cheddar Cheese Feast Cat Food

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.

Salt – Salt is necessary for a cats body to function properly, but too much salt can be dangerous and even deadly. Usually, salt is added to pet food in order to meet AAFCO nutritional requirements. Salt, or sodium chloride, is indeed necessary so cat food that doesn’t contain enough will have a bit of it included. Salt helps your cats cells move nutrients and waste products where they need to go, and it helps his or her tummy make the right amount of acid to digest food properly. According to the Journal of Nutrition, average-sized cats need about 21 milligrams of salt per day. Many cat foods have higher concentrations than that. The National Research Council recommends no more than 42 milligrams per day. Most of the time, salt in commercial cat food products poses no danger and does have some nutritional benefit.

Added color – There is absolutely no reason to included added color into any cat food, ever. It’s extremely disappointing to see this ultra-low quality ingredient included. Added color is used for marketing purposes only. They want their product to stand out sitting on the shelf at the store, so they add coloring to their product. Essentially, the coloring is added to entice YOU (the human) to purchase the food over other brands. Your cat could care less what color the food is. Unfortunately, added color is quite controversial as there is growing evidence suggesting cancer in cats from too much food color exposure. At worse, this is a harmful ingredient and at best, it is a marketing ploy with no nutritional value or positive benefit to your cat. We usually have a tough time recommending any cat food that includes such a controversial ingredient.

Dried whey – is manufactured by removing a substantial portion of water from fresh sweet whey (which is whey separated from the production of cheeses, e.g., cheddar and swiss). The whey is pasteurized and no preservatives have been added. Since this is a dairy based ingredient, you should not feed this cat food to any cats who are lactose intolerant (a widespread issue with adult cats). Whey proteins contain a high concentration of branch-chained amino acids and immunoglobulins in addition to key enzymes, hormones, growth factors, nutrient transporters and disease resistance factors. If your cat is not lactose intolerant, this ingredient might be ok, but we do advise some caution when feeding dairy ingredients over the long-term as many adult cats form an intolerance to lactose as they age.

Allergy Risks Associated With Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Grilled Tuna And Cheddar Cheese Feast Cat Food Review

Unfortunately, this Fancy Feast Cat Food blend does include some ingredients that may cause allergic reactions in cats with pre-existing allergies. This food includes corn, soy, and whey which are all ingredients that are common allergens in cats. We also see added color and meat by-products as well as natural and artificial flavoring. All of these ingredients could pose some allergy risks.

Conclusion

Fancy Feast Delights with Cheddar Grilled Tuna and Cheddar Cheese Feast Cat Food is not a good choice for cats with food allergies or sensitive stomaches. We also don’t like some of the ingredients they included such as meat by-products or added color. While we recognize some higher quality ingredients, overall this is not a food we would typically recommend. Due to some of the lower quality ingredients, we have rated this as a below average cat food. What do you think? Is this a fair rating? We’d love to hear from you!

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Fancy Feast is one of the most popular cat food brands on the market today. As such, it is readily available in many grocery stores, pet food stores, and is also available online.

Fancy Feast is owned by Nestle Purina PetCare. They introduced the Fancy Feast brand name in 1982 and only had 7 flavors of wet cat food initially. The brand name was introduced as their “gourmet line” of cat foods.

Nestle Purina PetCare has been the subject of several pet food recalls over the past several years. Be sure to frequently check the FDA pet food recalls website. You might want to sign up for their email alerts as well.

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Ingredient that are used to make the cat formula

Poultry broth, chicken, liver, wheat gluten, meat by-products, corn starch-modified, cheese (source of cheddar cheese), artificial and natural flavors, salt, calcium phosphate, sodium caseinate, soy protein concentrate, soybean oil, added color, potassium chloride, dried whey, taurine, sodium tripolyphosphate, choline chloride, magnesium sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, niacin, sorbic acid (a preservative), ferrous sulfate, calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), pyridoxine hydrochloride, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, biotin, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, potassium iodide

Top 5 Ingredients Breakdown

Poultry broth

The main purpose if this ingredient is to add moisture and taste to the food. It is not considered to be a nutritional ingredient, but it considered to be a better alternative to using plain water. Poultry broth is safe to use and cats usually love the taste of it.

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.

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.

Wheat gluten

We don’t think any grain is “good” for your cat. It doesn’t mean wheat gluten is “bad” for your cat, either, but the fact it provides almost no nutritional value makes us question the quality of the ingredient. Wheat gluten can be a decent protein source for animals with digestive systems that can break it down, but as obligate carnivores, cats are not one of those animals. Their digestive systems produce only the enzymes necessary for processing animal-based proteins. There are also some allergy risks associated with wheat gluten. In addition, too much of this in a cats diet can potentially lead to weight gain and diabetes. Unfortunately, diabetes in cats is a very serious health problem, so it is important to keep a close eye on your cats weight and diabetic risk when feeding a cat food containing ingredients like wheat gluten.

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.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest In Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Chicken & Cheddar Cheese

Artificial and natural flavors – Both artificial and natural flavor ingredients are considered to be lower quality ingredients. Since we are looking at two different ingredients here, let’s check out what natural flavor is first. The actual definition of natural flavor is very long and confusion, but basically states that the flavor of an item can be extracted, then sprayed onto other products. Natural and artificial flavors are produced in the same factories these days. Both are considered safe, but artificial and natural flavors alike can be dangerous depending on what they are. It is actually best to avoid flavoring altogether, both natural and artificial.

Artificial flavor is usually derived from petroleum. Most have not been studied for safety or toxicity. They are all synthesized chemicals that don’t even have common names. Most artificial flavors actually contain many chemical ingredients, not just one. Many of those chemicals are volatile. In short, both natural and artificial flavors are chemical based ingredients and we don’t get all that excited when we see either one of those ingredients listed, let alone both together. Both of these ingredients have potential allergy risks and other possible health problems in cats.

Added color – There is absolutely no reason to included added color into any cat food, ever. It’s extremely disappointing to see this ultra-low quality ingredient included. Added color is used for marketing purposes only. They want their product to stand out sitting on the shelf at the store, so they add coloring to their product. Essentially, the coloring is added to entice YOU (the human) to purchase the food over other brands. Your cat could care less what color the food is. Unfortunately, added color is quite controversial as there is growing evidence suggesting cancer in cats from too much food color exposure. At worse, this is a harmful ingredient and at best, it is a marketing ploy with no nutritional value or positive benefit to your cat. We usually have a tough time recommending any cat food that includes such a controversial ingredient.

Soy protein – Soy protein is a protein that is isolated from soybean. It is made from soybean meal that has been dehulled and defatted. Some cat food producers will say that their research continues to show that soy products are a superb source of bodybuilding protein, coat-nourishing vegetable oil, and healthful fiber for cats. Unfortunately, soy in cat food is becoming even more controversial as time goes on due to soy being a known and common allergen for many cats. While soy protein does boost the protein percentage in the food, it is much more important for cats to receive meat based proteins. Despite what cat food companies claim, there is no question soy protein is a controversial ingredient with some possible negative health effects.

Soybean oil – Soybean oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the soybean (Glycine max) and is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils. Soy is a plant protein used by pet food companies to boost protein content and add bulk. Because plant proteins are less expensive than meat proteins, pet food manufacturers use them to increase profit margins. The majority of experts on pet nutrition agree soy isn’t good nutrition for cats or dogs. It is considered a low-quality, incomplete protein well known to create food allergies in pets. Many cat food companies take a hard stance against the “negative publicity” that soy products receive and defend the use of soy strongly, claiming that soy helps add nutrients and improves a cats coat and skin. However, we do not find soy products to be reminiscent of a high quality cat food.

Allergy Risk Associated With Fancy Feast Cheddar Grilled Chicken and Cheddar Cheese Feast Cat Food

Unfortunately we do see some allergy risks with the Fancy Feast Cheddar Grilled Chicken and Cheese Cat Food formula. This food includes wheat gluten, corn starch (modified), artificial and natural flavors, soy products, and even added coloring. While most cats should not experience problems with these ingredients, all of these ingredient are known to cause allergies and other health problems in cats.

Conclusion

Fancy Feast Delights With Cheddar Chicken & Cheddar Cheese Feast Cat Food leaves a bit to be desired. While we are delighted to see high quality ingredients such as chicken and liver, there are a whole lot of poor quality ingredients we aren’t all that excited to see listed. Allergy causing ingredients like corn, wheat, and soy would make this food unsuitable for cats with food allergies or digestion issues. Meat by-products are about the lowest quality meat a cat food company can include. In fact, we don’t even know what animal that meat is coming from and the ingredient can include some really nasty sources of meat. We also see artificial and natural colors which are both controversial ingredients and they even use added color, an extremely controversial ingredient that is only used for marketing purposes. So, even though we do think there are some good ingredients in this food and we do see a pretty decent amount of meat protein, the poor quality ingredient included in this Fancy Feast blend makes it a below average cat food.

What do you think about this Fancy Feast cat food blend? Do you think it should have a higher rating? A lower one? Speak your mind in the comment section below. We love hearing from other cat owners!

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Fancy Feast is one of the most popular cat food brands on the market today. As such, it is readily available in many grocery stores, pet food stores, and is also available online.

Fancy Feast is owned by Nestle Purina PetCare. They introduced the Fancy Feast brand name in 1982 and only had 7 flavors of wet cat food initially. The brand name was introduced as their “gourmet line” of cat foods.

Nestle Purina PetCare has been the subject of several pet food recalls over the past several years. Be sure to frequently check the FDA pet food recalls website. You might want to sign up for their email alerts as well.

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Ingredients in Fancy Feast Chunky Chicken Cat Food

Chicken broth, chicken, meat by-products, liver, fish,wheat gluten, turkey, poultry by-products, soy flour, artificial and natural flavors, soy protein concentrate, sodium tripolyphosphate, calcium phosphate, guar gum, added color, potassium chloride, salt, carrageenan, taurine, locust bean gum, zinc sulfate, choline chloride, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, niacin, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 supplement, folic acid, biotin, potassium iodide, Vitamin D-3 supplement.

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Whenever you are reviewing a commercial cat food blend, it is good practice to pay special attention to the first 5 ingredients listed. These ingredients make up the vast majority of the nutritional content in the food. Let’s take a look at the top 5 ingredients in this cat food.

Chicken broth

While chicken broth does not add much nutritional value to the food, it does add flavor and is considered to be a better alternative to water. The main reason for adding this ingredient is simply to add moisture.

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.

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.

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.

Fish

The fish used in canned pet foods usually includes parts of the fish not typically used for human consumption. It is high in phosphorus and magnesium, which can be an issue in cats with a history of urinary tract disorders or kidney disease. Most fish used in pet food is that of very low quality, including farmed fish and discarded fish that is deemed unacceptable for human consumption. There is also a risk of mercury exposure as many types of fish contain a high mercury level. Over long periods of time, this can become hazardous. It is also important to try and find a cat food with ethoxyquin free fish. Most cat food brands do not disclose if their fish is ethoxyquin free and if it isn’t, that could pose some problems. Most cats love the taste of fish and will be happy to eat it, but it isn’t part of a regular diet for wild cats. Nonetheless, this is a high protein source with essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest In Fancy Feast Chunky Chicken Wet Cat Food

Wheat

Most cat food brands that use wheat in their products will tell you that wheat is a grain used as a high-quality carbohydrate source in dry dog and cat foods and biscuits. They will tell you that it provides energy for daily activity, as well as processing characteristics for the food. And finally, they will tell you that the allergy risk associated with wheat is low. However, many experts not associated with the pet food industry will seemingly say the opposite. From them, you’ll hear that wheat and wheat by-product is a very common allergy for dogs and cats. You’ll even find sources that claim wheat has also been linked to epileptic seizures and celiac diseases. Cats are not able to digest grains nearly as well as humans or dogs, so many cats may also experience digestion issues if given too much wheat. In general, wheat is considered to be a very low priced filler ingredient with essentially no nutritional value for cats. As the debate rages on, you be the judge.

Soy

Soy is another common food allergen for cats and is also known to cause gastric upset. This ingredient is considered a very low priced filler ingredient. While it will certainly help make your cat food more full, the full nutritional benefit in this ingredient is questionable at best. Many cat food brands will tell you the allergy risk is very low with soy, but it is one of the most well known food allergens that cats deal with in commercial pet food. Overall, this is a pretty low quality ingredient.

Wheat gluten

We don’t think any grain is “good” for your cat. It doesn’t mean wheat gluten is “bad” for your cat, either, but the fact it provides almost no nutritional value makes us question the quality of the ingredient. Wheat gluten can be a decent protein source for animals with digestive systems that can break it down, but as obligate carnivores, cats are not one of those animals. Their digestive systems produce only the enzymes necessary for processing animal-based proteins. There are also some allergy risks associated with wheat gluten. In addition, too much of this in a cats diet can potentially lead to weight gain and diabetes. Unfortunately, diabetes in cats is a very serious health problem, so it is important to keep a close eye on your cats weight and diabetic risk when feeding a cat food containing ingredients like wheat gluten.

Added color

There is absolutely no reason to included added color into any cat food, ever. It’s extremely disappointing to see this ultra-low quality ingredient included. Added color is used for marketing purposes only. They want their product to stand out sitting on the shelf at the store, so they add coloring to their product. Essentially, the coloring is added to entice YOU (the human) to purchase the food over other brands. Your cat could care less what color the food is. Unfortunately, added color is quite controversial as there is growing evidence suggesting cancer in cats from too much food color exposure. At worse, this is a harmful ingredient and at best, it is a marketing ploy with no nutritional value or positive benefit to your cat. We usually have a tough time recommending any cat food that includes such a controversial ingredient.

Allergy Risk Associated With Fancy Feast Chunky Chicken Cat Food

This Fancy Feast Cat Food blend does contain soy, which is a known allergen for many cats. It also contains meat by-products and added color. Those ingredients can also have a negative impact on some cats.

Conclusion

This Fancy Feast Cat Food blend is below average compared to most other commercial cat food blends. While we like to see chicken ranked so highly in the ingredients list, we are not all that excited to see meat by-products. It is an extremely controversial ingredient. The use of artificial flavors, added color, and soy do not help. In all, we think this is a below average cat food.

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Does your feline friend frequently develop hairballs? You can reduce hairballs drastically by choosing cat formulas that help to alleviate this issue. Eukanuba is a popular pet food company that manufactures pet formulas for cats and they have a few different hairball specific foods. This Eukanuba Weight Control & Hairball Relief Dry Cat Food review will help you determine if this is the blend you’d like to try.

Eukanuba is owned by Procter & Gamble and manufactured in their Leipsic, Ohio plant which makes both dog and cat food. In 1969, Paul Iams wanted to find a name to differentiate the new formula from other Iams pet food products. Iams chose to name this new formula “Eukanuba”, a term originated by jazz era personality Hoagy Carmichael, meaning “the tops” or “something supreme” (read more on Wikipedia).

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Ingredients in Eukanuba Weight Control and Hairball Relief Dry Cat Food Formula

Chicken By-Product Meal, Chicken, Corn Grits, Corn Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Powdered Cellulose, Dried Egg Product, Sodium Bisulfate, Natural Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Fructooligosaccharides, DL-Methionine, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Animal Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Choline Chloride, Brewers Dried Yeast, Vitamins (Niacin, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Inositol, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Calcium Carbonate, Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), L-Carnitine, Taurine, Rosemary Extract.

Whenever you are reviewing a commercial cat food blend, it is good practice to pay special attention to the first 5 ingredients listed. These ingredients make up the vast majority of the nutritional content in the food. Let’s take a look at the top 5 ingredients in this cat food.

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Chicken By-Product Meal

While this ingredient does provide a high amount of meat protein, this meat source is considered to be of lower quality than many other meat sources. Chicken By-Product Meal is produced through a process of cooking, drying and separation of fats and proteins from animal carcasses. It contains a dehydrated combination of meat (or cuts or parts) including lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, necks, undeveloped eggs and intestines. Usually, by-products are the “left overs” that can’t be used for human food consumption. The greatest fault of this ingredient is the same trait that makes it so affordable and so commonly found in pet foods. The unpredictability of what might (or might not) be included.

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.

Corn Grits

Many forms of corn are found in pet foods including corn grits. About 85% of all corn grown in the United States is genetically modified (GMO). Since cats by nature are carnivores, this ingredient does not provide much nutritional value if any, although it does add calories to the food. Corn grits can be considered a very low quality ingredient.

Corn Meal

Considered a low quality ingredient, corn meal is usually used as a “filler ingredient” but provides almost no nutritional value to cats. This ingredient is also a known allergy causing ingredient for many cats. We aren’t all that thrilled to see this ingredient listed.

Dried Beet Pulp

Beet pulp is a by-product from the processing of sugar beet and is a source of fiber and energy. It is popular among many pet food companies due to its high availability and low price. The most common complaint about this ingredient is that it causes digestion problems, most commonly a very hard stool or diarrhea. It has also been known to cause bloat in some dogs and cats which can be very serious if left unchecked.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest In Eukanuba Weight Control & Hairball Relief Cat Food

Powdered Cellulose

Powdered cellulose is a cheap filler ingredient. It is obtain as a pulp from fibrous plant material and highly refined. Once processed, it looks and feels very similar to sawdust. Cellulose is used in a wide number of ways. In addition to being added to pet food, it is used quite a bit in human foods, but can also be used for things like insulation, rope making, and textiles. Just like in humans, this ingredient is indigestible for cats. There is no hard evidence to suggest this ingredient is unhealthy, but it wouldn’t be considered a higher quality ingredient, either.

Ground Whole Grain Sorghum

Ground whole grain sorghum is considered to be lower quality ingredient. It is typically used in as a feed for livestock, but has found its way into the pet food industry as well. Sorghum is a grain which primarily is used as a source of carbohydrates. It contains more fiber and less fat than most other grains. It is not as digestible as rice, and as such is sometimes used to help control blood sugar. It is also referred to as milo.

Choline Chloride

Like humans and many other species, cats require choline. Almost all commercial pet food blends will contain supplemental choline. This ingredient mostly helps with cell function.

L-Carnitine

This ingredient is very common in pet foods. It is an important nutrient that acts as a transport for fatty acids and assists in the cellular production of energy. A deficiency of L-Carnitine can lead to a large magnitude of health problems. This ingredient is especially used in dog and cat formulas designed for overweight pets as there is strong evidence to suggest it helps with weight loss.

Allergy Risk Associated With Eukanuba Weight Control & Hairball Relief Cat Food

Eukanube Weight Control and Hairball Relief Cat foood contains some of the ingredients associated with allergic reactions in cats. It is, therefore, best to avoid feeding your cat on this formula if it is allergic to corn or grain. While most cats will not experience allergic reactions with this food, in general, the allergy risk is fairly high with this food.

Conclusion

Most cat owners seem pleased with this product. There are good indications that this cat food can indeed help with weight loss and reducing hairballs. Many cat owners report good results with this cat food. If you have experience with this food, please let us know what you think about it in the comment box below. After analyzing each ingredient, we believe this is a cat food that is slightly below average quality.

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The Indoor Hairball Relief dry cat food from Eukanuba is specially formulated to meet needs of indoor adult cats. Cats have been known to groom themselves frequently, and this can cause hairball buildup. This cat food formula has been made with different fiber sources that help your cat control the formation and elimination of hairballs. This cat formula also has minerals, antioxidant nutrients, and vitamins that help control your cats immune system. It has also been made with special oils and fats for balanced fatty acids ratio (Omega-3 and Omega-6).

Eukanuba is owned by Procter & Gamble and uses a manufacturing plant in Leipsic, Ohio. In 1969, Paul Iams wanted to find a name to differentiate the new formula from other Iams pet food products. Iams chose to name this new formula “Eukanuba”, a term originated by jazz era personality Hoagy Carmichael, meaning “the tops” or “something supreme” (read more on Wikipedia).

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Ingredients in Eukanuba Indoor Hairball Relief Cat Food

Chicken, Corn Grits, Chicken By-Product Meal, Powdered Cellulose, Dried Beet Pulp, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Corn Meal, Dried Egg Product, Sodium Bisulfate, Natural Flavor, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Fish Oil (preserved using mixed Tocopherols, a Vitamin E source), Fructooligosaccharides, Choline Chloride, Brewers Dried Yeast, Vitamins (Niacin, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Inositol, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Potassium Iodide), Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Rosemary Extract.

Overview of the first five ingredients

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.

Corn Grits: Many forms of corn are found in pet foods including corn grits. About 85% of all corn grown in the United States is genetically modified (GMO). Since cats by nature are carnivores, this ingredient does not provide much nutritional value if any, although it does add calories to the food. Corn grits can be considered a very low quality ingredient.

Chicken by-product meal: While this ingredient does provide a high amount of meat protein, this meat source is considered to be of lower quality than many other meat sources. Chicken By-Product Meal is produced through a process of cooking, drying and separation of fats and proteins from animal carcasses. It contains a dehydrated combination of meat (or cuts or parts) including lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, necks, undeveloped eggs and intestines. Usually, by-products are the “left overs” that can’t be used for human food consumption. The greatest fault of this ingredient is the same trait that makes it so affordable and so commonly found in pet foods. The unpredictability of what might (or might not) be included.

Powdered Cellulose: Powdered cellulose is a cheap filler ingredient. It is obtain as a pulp from fibrous plant material and highly refined. Once processed, it looks and feels very similar to sawdust. Cellulose is used in a wide number of ways. In addition to being added to pet food, it is used quite a bit in human foods, but can also be used for things like insulation, rope making, and textiles. Just like in humans, this ingredient is indigestible for cats. There is no hard evidence to suggest this ingredient is unhealthy, but it wouldn’t be considered a higher quality ingredient, either.

Dried Beet Pulp: Beet pulp is a by-product from the processing of sugar beet and is a source of fiber and energy. It is popular among many pet food companies due to its high availability and low price. The most common complaint about this ingredient is that it causes digestion problems, most commonly a very hard stool or diarrhea. It has also been known to cause bloat in some dogs and cats which can be very serious if left unchecked.

Allergy Risk Associated With Eukanuba Indoor Hairball Relief Cat Food

Unfortunately the Eukanuba Indoor Hairball Relief Cat Food blend contains corn and corn by-products. Corn has been found to be an allergen for many cats. Therefore, if your cat has a history with allergic reactions, or if it is allergic to corn, do not feed it on this formula. Many cats may also have problems properly digesting some of the ingredients in this food.

Conclusion

While we aren’t all that impressed with many of the ingredients used in Eukanuba Indoor Hairball Relief Cat Food, it is a decent option for adult cats that suffer from hairball discomfort. The fiber science system used in this hairball relief formula will help your adult cat by avoiding hair buildup. Nevertheless, this formula gets a low score based on the quality of its ingredients. When looking at the ingredients alone, we believe this cat food is a bit below average in quality.

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Do you own a kitten? The first twelve months are the most challenging when it comes to nurturing kittens. This is because they need to eat balanced meals to ensure they grow to be healthy adult cats. There are numerous kitten formulas in the market, but not all of them are ideal for nurturing kittens.

Eukanuba is owned by Procter & Gamble and manufactured in their Leipsic, Ohio plant which makes both dog and cat food. In 1969, Paul Iams wanted to find a name to differentiate the new formula from other Iams pet food products. Iams chose to name this new formula “Eukanuba”, a term originated by jazz era personality Hoagy Carmichael, meaning “the tops” or “something supreme” (read more on Wikipedia).

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Ingredients in Eukanuba Entree With Gourmet Chicken

Chicken Broth, Chicken, Meat By-Products, Liver, Chicken By-Products, Flax Meal, Natural Flavor, Brewers Rice, Carrots, Broccoli, Dried Beet Pulp, Titanium Dioxide, Sweet Potatoes, Potassium Chloride, Monosodium Phosphate, Salt, Guar Gum, Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Suncured Alfalfa, Minerals (Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Copper Sulfate), DL-Methionine, Vitamins (Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2)), Folic Acid, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of vitamin K3), Choline Chloride, Carrageenan, Fructooligosaccharides, Taurine, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Magnesium Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement.

An overview of the first five ingredients

Chicken Broth

While chicken broth does not add much nutritional value to the food, it does add flavor and is considered to be a better alternative to water. The main reason for adding this ingredient is simply to add moisture.

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.

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.

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.

Chicken By-Products

While this ingredient does provide a high amount of meat protein, this meat source is considered to be of lower quality than many other meat sources. Chicken By-Product is produced through a process of cooking, drying and separation of fats and proteins from animal carcasses. It contains a combination of meat (or cuts or parts) including lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, necks, undeveloped eggs and intestines. Usually, by-products are the “left overs” that can’t be used for human food consumption. The greatest fault of this ingredient is the same trait that makes it so affordable and so commonly found in pet foods. The unpredictability of what might (or might not) be included.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest In Eukanuba Entree With Gourmet Chicken Cat Food

Flax Meal

Extracted from flax seeds, this is used as a source of omega fatty acids and digestible fiber.

Broccoli

This is a very rich source of vitamin C, soluble fiber, calcium as well as other nutrients. While not dangerous to your cat, it has been associated with an increase in flatulence in many cats.

Carrots

A good source of carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, carrots are becoming more common in pet foods. This ingredient is also known to boost the immune system and help promote healthy eyes in cats as well as providing a good source of fiber.

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.

Allergy Risk Associated With Eukanuba Entree With Gourmet Chicken Cat Food

Fortunately, this cat food is free from the main allergy causing ingredients. Every cat is unique in their own way and your cat may suffer from a rare food allergy, but in general, we believe the allergy risk associated with this food is quite low.

Conclusion

The Eukanuba Entree with Gormet Chicken Cat Food blend does provide a decent amount of meat protein, but we are not all that thrilled with the quality of meat products chosen for this blend. We are especially discouraged to see that this cat food includes an unnamed meat by-product. This could be almost anything and we don’t see any advantage to this ingredient other than keeping the price down. Judging by the ingredients alone, we believe this is a below average cat food.

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Do you have an adult feline companion? This stage of their life can be the most difficult to maintain. This is where most cats are prone to developing medical issues since they are aging. Those medical issues can be difficult to determine and if your cat suffers from a food allergy, you may need to try a few different types of cat food before you get it “just right.”

Eukanuba is owned by Procter & Gamble and manufactured in their Leipsic, Ohio plant which makes both dog and cat food. In 1969, Paul Iams wanted to find a name to differentiate the new formula from other Iams pet food products. Iams chose to name this new formula “Eukanuba”, a term originated by jazz era personality Hoagy Carmichael, meaning “the tops” or “something supreme” (read more on Wikipedia).

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Ingredients in Eukanuba Adult Salmon And Rice Dry Cat Food

Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Salmon, Brewers Rice, Corn Grits, Dried Egg Product, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Dried Beet Pulp, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Potassium Chloride, Sodium Bisulfate, Fructooligosaccharides, Brewers Dried Yeast, DL-Methionine, Dried Apple Pomace, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Carrots, Dried Peas, Dried Spinach, Choline Chloride, Dried Tomatoes, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid, Niacin, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Inositol, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Minerals (Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Potassium Iodide), Vitamin A Acetate, Rosemary Extract.

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Whenever you are reviewing a commercial cat food blend, it is good practice to pay special attention to the first 5 ingredients listed. These ingredients make up the vast majority of the nutritional content in the food. Let’s take a look at the top 5 ingredients in this cat food.

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.

Chicken By-Product Meal

While this ingredient does provide a high amount of meat protein, this meat source is considered to be of lower quality than many other meat sources. Chicken By-Product Meal is produced through a process of cooking, drying and separation of fats and proteins from animal carcasses. It contains a dehydrated combination of meat (or cuts or parts) including lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, necks, undeveloped eggs and intestines. Usually, by-products are the “left overs” that can’t be used for human food consumption. The greatest fault of this ingredient is the same trait that makes it so affordable and so commonly found in pet foods. The unpredictability of what might (or might not) be included.

Corn Meal

Considered a low quality ingredient, corn meal is usually used as a “filler ingredient” but provides almost no nutritional value to cats. This ingredient is also a known allergy causing ingredient for many cats. We aren’t all that thrilled to see this ingredient listed.

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.

Brewer’s Rice

Brewers rice is the small milled fragments of rice kernels that have been separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. It is a processed rice product that is missing many of its nutrients, but does provide a source of carbohydrates. It is a by-product of rice milling and considered a lower quality filler ingredient usually used in lower priced cat food blends. Usually, brewers rice is used to make rice flour, but if the quality is too poor for rice flour, it will then be sold to pet food or dairy feed companies. For many cats, this ingredient can cause allergies or digestion issues. Most cats will not have any problems processing this food, but it’s not one of the better ingredients, either.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest In Eukanuba Adult Salmon And Rice Cat Food

Ground Whole Grain Barley

With barley being a starchy carbohydrate, it supplies healthy nutrients such as fiber to the cat. Barley also gives your cat sugar level stability. Ground or pearled barley is produced from whole barley seeds that have been scoured to remove the seed hull and bran. This is a common ingredient in weight control pet foods due to its slow digestibility, starch, and soluble fibers.

Dried Beet Pulp

Beet pulp is a by-product from the processing of sugar beet and is a source of fiber and energy. It is popular among many pet food companies due to its high availability and low price. The most common complaint about this ingredient is that it causes digestion problems, most commonly a very hard stool or diarrhea. It has also been known to cause bloat in some dogs and cats which can be very serious if left unchecked.

Brewers Dried Yeast

Brewers dried yeast is made from a single-celled fungus, called Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is a very rich source of B vitamins and supplies minerals and amino acids. It is known to support a normal healthy coat. This is also an old remedy for flea and tick protection. This ingredient is generally a by-product of alcohol production and there are no major health risks associated with this ingredient.

Dried Apple Pomace

Dried apple pomace is included for its large carbohydrate value (sugars, pectins and fruity acids). It also helps to make the food taste better. While not of real nutritional importance, there is generally nothing wrong with this ingredient.

Allergy Risk Associated With Eukanuba Adult Salmon And Rice Cat Food

Unfortunately, Eukanuba Adult Salmon and Rice Cat Food contains some known allergy causing ingredients including corn, corn meal, and brewers rice. While most cats will not experience allergies with this food, it’s a bit disappointing to see so many potential allergens listed. If your cat has food allergies or digestion problems, this probably isn’t the best choice of cat food. Overall, this cat food does have some potential to bring about food allergies in cats that are sensitive to corn and grains.

Conclusion

Many cat owners report very good results with this cat food, however, we have some concerns. This food contains some potential allergy causing ingredients and we’re not all that thrilled with the inclusion of brewers rice, either. While chicken by-product isn’t necessarily unhealthy for your cat, we consider this to be a lower quality meat source. The inclusion of salmon and whole chicken, however, does give this food some points. Overall, we think this food is slightly below average in quality. What do you think? Have you had good or bad success with this cat food? Do you think our review was fair and accurate? Let us know in the comments box below. We’d love to hear from you!

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