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Are you raising a kitten? These feline friends seem to grow a lot faster these days. To make sure you raise a strong and healthy cat, you need to pay special attention to your pet’s nutritional needs in the early stages of its life. Basically, the first twelve months mark the kitten’s stage of your pet. You need to feed it accordingly.

Felix is a Purina cat formula brand known for its kitten dedicated formulas. One of the kitten formulas under the Felix brand is the Kitten Chunks in Jelly dry formula. According to the manufacturer, this formula is made of meat chinks that are blended in jelly. This formula is also said to contain all the ingredients required to help your kitten in its transition to an adult cat.

Does this formula live up to the hype or it is another case of all hype and no substance? Read on to find out.

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The ingredients in the formula

According to the manufacturer, the Felix Kitten Chunks in Jelly formula contains 20% more protein than the average cat formula. This is meant to promote healthy growth in kittens.

Each formula box contains:

• 3 x lamb
• 3 x plaice
• 3 x chicken
• 3 x cod

All the above ingredients make up 4% of the formula’s nutritional percentage.

Other ingredients in the pack include:

Meat and fish by-products, various sugars and minerals.

An overview of the ingredients

Lamb – Lamb is a very high quality source of meat protein. Generally, this ingredient is more nutritious in canned formulas than dry formulas, but in either case, it is nice to see this ingredient listed. Unfortunately, about 80% of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process. That means, there actually isn’t much of this ingredient left once it has all been processed.

Plaice – Plaice is a common name used for a group of flatfish. There are four species in the group, the European, American, Alaskan and scale-eye plaice. Fish can provide a healthy amount of protein and very beneficial fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6. Many cat owners worry about feeding fish to their cats because many times, fish products in pet foods are the result of fish that can’t be approved for human consumption. It is also likely the fish came from a fish farm instead of free water fish. All fish also contains some level of mercury and many cat owners are worried about the long-term effects of feeding fish containing mercury. However, plaice has been put on a list that is safe even for pregnant woman to eat.

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.

Cod – Cod is a well known type of fish generally found in colder and deeper waters in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In their natural habitat, cod (and other types of fish) are not part of a regular diet for cats. However, many cat food blends have begun including fish ingredients such as cod into their blends for the high protein percentage. This ingredient is also high in healthy fatty acids. Some debate suggests a diet high in fish ingredients could have longer term health implications when fed over time, but in general, cod is considered to be a healthy ingredient.

Meat and fish by-products – There’s really no way to put this nicely… Meat and fish by-products are basically waste products of the human food industry. All the animal and fish parts humans don’t want gets thrown into this ingredient. It’s such a low quality ingredient, the fish by-products don’t have to contain any meat at all (and probably don’t). It’s just the scales, bones, heads, and other waste products. In addition, all of the meat in this food could come from what is known as 4D meat products. That means, the animals were either already dead, dying, diseased, or deformed before the slaughtering process. 4D meat is very cheap for pet food companies to obtain because they are not approved for human consumption. Feeding this stuff to your cat is almost literally like feeding your cat garbage. We have no way to verify the quality and since it can legally include some very repulsive meat sources, this is an ingredient we recommend all cat owners shy away from.

Other ingredients to look at

Minerals – Only two vitamins (A and C) and two minerals (calcium and iron) are required on the food label. Cat food companies can voluntarily list other vitamins and minerals in the food. So, in this case, they have simply listed “minerals” but we’re not exactly sure what is included here. This ingredient is very unlikely to cause harm to your cat, but it would be nice if they would voluntarily list the minerals being used here.

Sugars – Cats do not require added sugars in their diet. When sugar is added to cat food, it will greatly enhance the overall taste of the food. This can even cause some “addiction” issues making it very difficult to switch from a sugar laced food to a non-sugar laced food. Sugar can have the same negative health effects on cats as we see in humans including weight gain and diabetes, which is very common in adult cats. There is no positive nutritional benefit to adding sugar into any cat food.

Can this formula cause allergies?

The Felix Kitten Chunks In Jelly formula contains corn, soy or wheat which are the three most common allergens in cat formulas. Therefore, this formula is ideal for all kittens.

Ingredients to avoid feeding your kitten on

Artificial coloring and flavoring – Both artificial and natural flavor ingredients are considered to be lower quality ingredients. 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. 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. Both of these ingredients have potential allergy risks and other possible health problems in cats.

We also find it quite irresponsible to include artificial coloring in pet food since the health concerns about these added colors are so controversial. Your cat does not care what color their food is and the only reason artificial coloring is added to this product is for marketing purposes. It makes the food look better to you YOU, the human consumer. Of course, many cat food brands are very defensive about their use of food coloring. Here is an example of how the Purina brand defends their use of fool coloring. Notice how even in their explanation, there is no perceived benefit to these ingredients other than changing the color. There is also a growing amount of evidence to suggest food coloring may be linked to cancer in not just dogs and cats, but also humans. Here is an article that explains a bit further. In short, since there is some controversy surrounding this ingredient, we find it a bit strange that cat food companies would spend money adding this ingredient into a product when at best, it has zero nutritional value for your cat and only has marketing value. At worse, it could pose health risks. It just doesn’t seem like the risk of including this ingredient is worth it.

BHT and BHA preservatives – Both BHA & BHT are preservatives that have been banned in human foods in many countries due to cancer risks. However, they remain approved for use in pet foods. A growing number of pet owners are becoming aware of the potential dangers these ingredients bring and are shunning all foods containing BHA and BHT. A quick internet search on these preservatives will show that the backlash is gaining steam with many cat food companies abandoning these ingredients. BHA and BHT are extremely controversial ingredients in all forms of pet food.

Added Sugars – Cats do not require added sugars in their diet. When sugar is added to cat food, it will greatly enhance the overall taste of the food. This can even cause some “addiction” issues making it very difficult to switch from a sugar laced food to a non-sugar laced food. Sugar can have the same negative health effects on cats as we see in humans including weight gain and diabetes, which is very common in adult cats. There is no positive nutritional benefit to adding sugar into any cat food.

Corn, soy and wheat – All three of these ingredients are known allergens for many cats. In addition, many cats have problems digesting these grain based ingredients. Since cats are obligate carnivores, their digestive systems are designed to digest meat and not grains. All of these ingredients will help to boost the protein percentage in cat food, but not all protein is created equally. Cats do not digest plant based proteins in the same way as meat proteins and in fact, gain little to no nutritional value from these grains. Several “grocery store brand” cat foods include these products to keep the price down as it is a cheap filler to help make your cat feel full as well as a cheap way to add protein to the food.

Unfortunately, the Kitten Chunks in Jelly formula contains added sugar, which is one of the unfavorable ingredients in cat formulas. However, all the other harmful ingredients above are to present in the formula.

Conclusion

From the ingredients in the formula, the manufacturer has done a commendable job in trying to meet the 20% more protein content in this formula. However, judging from the information offered on the product’s website, it is worth noting that this formula lacks in other essential nutrients. Therefore, it may be better if you use this formula with another one to meet the nutritional needs of your growing kitten.

Cats cannot be sustained on protein and vitamins alone. There are some essential supplements required for healthy growth. Lack of these supplements can lead to health complications. Some of the required supplements include taurine and Choline chloride which help in various functions of the nervous and digestive system.

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Do you own a finicky feline companion? This means that you need to be choosy on what you feed your cat on. Finding your adult cat’s favorite formula can be tricky as there are numerous brands in the market. Many of these brands are manufactured with low quality ingredients, and this can greatly affect the health of your aging cat. This is why you need to take special care when making a choice. The ingredients of any formula will tell you all you need to know about the formula’s quality.

Felix adult sensations sauce surprise is one of the adult cat formulas in the market. According to the manufacturer of the Felix brand, this is a combination of different cat meals made with fish and meat pieces that are immersed in flavored sauces. The company claims that this formula is made to meet your cat’s needs at their adult life stage.

Does this formula live up to the claims?

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The varieties available

The sensations sauce surprise meat – this is available in meat types like turkey, beef, lamb as well as duck. You will find these meats in bacon, tomato, game and carrot sauces respectively.

The sensations sauce surprise fish – this is available with fish like salmon, Pollock, trout and sardine. These have been immersed in shrimp, tomato, herring and carrot sauces respectively.

An overview of the ingredients in the meat formula

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.

Beef – Beef is considered to be a higher quality ingredient. It is an excellent source of animal protein and contains many other nutrients that are very important for a cat to survive and thrive. Since this is not in “meal” form, that means this ingredient still contains all of its moisture content prior to cooking. Once fully cooked, most of this ingredient will have evaporated due to its high moisture content. That means, even when this ingredient is ranked highly, it will usually only provide a small percentage of the overall protein in the food. There is no dismissing this ingredient, though. It is high quality and we are pleased to see it listed.

Lamb – Lamb is a very high quality source of meat protein. Generally, this ingredient is more nutritious in canned formulas than dry formulas, but in either case, it is nice to see this ingredient listed. Unfortunately, about 80% of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process. That means, there actually isn’t much of this ingredient left once it has all been processed.

Duck – Duck is an excellent alternative meat source and provides very high quality meat proteins for your cat. As a whole meat product, much of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process, but it is less water heavy than other whole meat ingredients like chicken or beef. So, while much of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process, it is still a very high quality ingredient and we are quite pleased to see it listed here.

Other ingredients in the formula

Bacon sauce – Bacon sauce contains much of the left over fat and grease from cooking bacon, with added spices and other flavoring ingredients included. Here is an example of how to make your own bacon sauce. This ingredient is probably the by-product of bacon which has been cooked for use in human grade foods. Bacon sauce can provide a decent fat source and even provide some protein, but it should be used in moderation.

Tomato sauce – This ingredient may surprise some cat owners because we often hear that cats should never eat tomatoes. Tomatoes are members of the Solanaceae family of plants, which includes the Deadly Nightshade, and contain a bitter, poisonous alkaloid called Glycoalkaloid Solanine, which can cause violent lower gastrointestinal symptoms. The leaves and stems are particularly toxic. However, tomatoes in pet foods are ripe, and should cause no concern because they appear in relatively small amounts. This ingredient may add some vitamins and minerals to the food, but overall, it doesn’t provide a whole lot of nutrition for your cat.

Game sauce – The word “game” can indicate just about any animal and the word “sauce” can also mean several things. We have absolutely no idea what “game” is included or how they make the “sauce”. With such a generic ingredient label, it’s hard to imagine anything nutritious is included here, otherwise, they would label it in a different way. The “game” in this ingredient remains a mystery and we are not comfortable with that.

Carrot sauce – Carrot sauce is simply carrot juice with a few additives for flavoring. You can see an example of you how might make carrot sauce here. 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.

All these sauces make better alternatives to water which is used as a cheap source of broth in some cat formulas.

An overview of the ingredients in the fish formula

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.

Pollock – Pollack is a greenish-brown fish of the cod family. Like just about any other type of fish, cats gain quite a bit of protein value from this ingredient and can also make good use of the healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Since all fish contains trace levels of mercury, many cat owners like to shy away from fish based products. However, to date the FDA and EPA indicate mercury levels are still within safe limits.

Trout – Fish ingredients have become much more common in dog food over the years and now, this ingredient has found its way into cat food. While fish is not the typical prey for cats in the wild, they do supply a healthy amount of protein and extremely beneficial fatty acids as well as other nutrients cats can benefit from. Some cat owners worry about the mercury level that naturally occurs in fish, but the FDA continues to state that the mercury levels in fish are safe for both humans and pets. There is also some concern about where this ingredient might be sourced from. If the fish contains ethoxyquin, this is definitely something you would not want to feed to your cat, but we are unable to verify whether this ingredient contains ethoxyquin or not. Also, most of the time, fish used in pet food is the fish that has been deemed unfit for human consumption for whatever reason. Nonetheless, this ingredient does provide a fairly high amount of healthy nutritional benefit.

Sardine – A sardine is a young pilchard or other young or small herringlike fish. Some cat owners like to avoid fish in cat food because sea food is not usually a part of a cats natural diet. All fish products also contain a certain level of mercury and some cat owners fear that over time, the ingestion of mercury could be harmful (although there is very little evidence to suggest a significant risk). Overall, this ingredient does supply some extremely nutritious properties including protein and very healthy fatty acids.

Other ingredients in the fish variety

Shrimp sauce – Shrimp sauce is made from fermented ground shrimp mixed with salt and takes the form of a paste. Shrimp in general provides a high amount of vitamins, proteins, coper, zinc, and very healthy fatty acids. While shrimp is not a part of a normal diet for most cats in the wild, they do provide a decent amount of nutrition and shrimp is becoming more popular in modern day pet foods.

Tomato sauce – This ingredient may surprise some cat owners because we often hear that cats should never eat tomatoes. Tomatoes are members of the Solanaceae family of plants, which includes the Deadly Nightshade, and contain a bitter, poisonous alkaloid called Glycoalkaloid Solanine, which can cause violent lower gastrointestinal symptoms. The leaves and stems are particularly toxic. However, tomatoes in pet foods are ripe, and should cause no concern because they appear in relatively small amounts. This ingredient may add some vitamins and minerals to the food, but overall, it doesn’t provide a whole lot of nutrition for your cat.

Herring sauce – Herring is a silvery fish that is most abundant in coastal waters. Fish provides an excellent source of proteins as well as high amounts of 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 causes any problems. Most herring in cat food is likely farmed herring, but higher end cat food (especially those labeled “natural”) can often times be fished from natural environments. The biggest problem with fish ingredients, including herring, 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.

Carrot sauce – Carrot sauce is simply carrot juice with a few additives for flavoring. You can see an example of you how might make carrot sauce here. 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.

Can this formula cause allergies?

Though not much information is given on complete ingredients list in the formula’s website, the information made available does not show any traces of allergens in the formula. Therefore, this formula can be given to all cats.

Conclusion

The adult sensations sauce surprise formula is a very good source of protein. However, it does not seem to contain a lot of other beneficial nutrients like vitamins, mineral and supplements which are required for general growth in cats. The formula’s website gives very little information regarding the formula, and this can be a source of concern to cat owners. Therefore, it is best to feed your cat on this formula as a part of its daily meals alongside other formulas with all rounded nutrition.

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Do you often vary your cat’s diet? Cats can become picky at times especially when you feed them on one type of formula for a long time. To ensure your cat is always in the mood for its meals, you can try cat formulas that come in varieties in a pack.

The Felix brand is one of the many types of cat formula variety packs for your cat with sensations being one of their products. According to the company, the Sensations formula is made of deliciously blended meaty and fish flavors that look, smell and taste good.

Companies are known to make hyped claims on their products but fail to deliver on their promise. So, does the Sensations formula varieties live up to its billing?

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The sensations varieties available

The fish in jelly variety – this comes in several flavors:

• Salmon dipped in shrimp flavored jelly.
• Trout dipped in a jelly containing spinach.
• Pollack dipped in a jelly containing tomatoes.
• Sardine dipped in a jelly containing carrots.

The mixed steaklets in jelly – this features the following flavors:

• Beef dipped in a jelly containing tomato.
• Duck dipped in a jelly containing spinach.
• Ocean fish dipped in a jelly containing carrots.
• Salmon dipped in a jelly that is flavored with shrimp.

The meat in jelly – this comes in the following meat varieties:

• Beef with tomatoes.
• Duck dipped in jelly containing spinach.
• Chicken with carrots.
• Lamb that has been flavored with game.

The ocean selection in jelly – this offers the following flavors:

• Mackerel dipped in a jelly containing tomato.
• Herring dipped in shrimp flavored jelly.
• Ocean fish dipped in a jelly containing carrots.
• Trout in a jelly containing spinach.

An overview of the ingredients

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.

Trout – Fish ingredients have become much more common in dog food over the years and now, this ingredient has found its way into cat food. While fish is not the typical prey for cats in the wild, they do supply a healthy amount of protein and extremely beneficial fatty acids as well as other nutrients cats can benefit from. Some cat owners worry about the mercury level that naturally occurs in fish, but the FDA continues to state that the mercury levels in fish are safe for both humans and pets. There is also some concern about where this ingredient might be sourced from. If the fish contains ethoxyquin, this is definitely something you would not want to feed to your cat, but we are unable to verify whether this ingredient contains ethoxyquin or not. Also, most of the time, fish used in pet food is the fish that has been deemed unfit for human consumption for whatever reason. Nonetheless, this ingredient does provide a fairly high amount of healthy nutritional benefit.

Spinach – While it certainly sounds like a healthy ingredient, the truth is, spinach doesn’t add much nutritional value to the food. It does supply some various nutrients and vitamins, but the levels are quite low. Many companies like to include this ingredient as it looks great on the ingredients list, but in general, it is not all that nutritious for cats. On the flip side, there is very little to worry about and this ingredient is considered to be very safe for most cats.

Pollack – Pollack is a greenish-brown fish of the cod family. Like just about any other type of fish, cats gain quite a bit of protein value from this ingredient and can also make good use of the healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Since all fish contains trace levels of mercury, many cat owners like to shy away from fish based products. However, to date the FDA and EPA indicate mercury levels are still within safe limits.

Tomatoes – While raw tomatoes contain an alkaloid that is poisonous to cats, this cat food is processed and heated at high temperatures. That will destroy the offending alkaloid. Unfortunately, during this heating process, much of the nutrients are lost. Many pet food companies that use this ingredient will tell you it supplies vitamin C and antioxidants and that tomatoes help support a strong immune system and a healthy heart. However, most would consider this to be just an average ingredient. While no major health risks are posed when tomatoes are processed properly (don’t feed raw tomatoes to your cat as they are poisonous), the health benefits are a bit questionable.

Sardine – A sardine is a young pilchard or other young or small herringlike fish. Some cat owners like to avoid fish in cat food because sea food is not usually a part of a cats natural diet. All fish products also contain a certain level of mercury and some cat owners fear that over time, the ingestion of mercury could be harmful (although there is very little evidence to suggest a significant risk). Overall, this ingredient does supply some extremely nutritious properties including protein and very healthy fatty acids.

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.

Beef – Beef is considered to be a higher quality ingredient. It is an excellent source of animal protein and contains many other nutrients that are very important for a cat to survive and thrive. Since this is not in “meal” form, that means this ingredient still contains all of its moisture content prior to cooking. Once fully cooked, most of this ingredient will have evaporated due to its high moisture content. That means, even when this ingredient is ranked highly, it will usually only provide a small percentage of the overall protein in the food. There is no dismissing this ingredient, though. It is high quality and we are pleased to see it listed.

Duck – Duck is an excellent alternative meat source and provides very high quality meat proteins for your cat. As a whole meat product, much of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process, but it is less water heavy than other whole meat ingredients like chicken or beef. So, while much of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process, it is still a very high quality ingredient and we are quite pleased to see it listed here.

Ocean fish – While some ocean fish may be naturally caught fish, generally this indicates farmed fish. When ocean fish are farmed, it includes the practice of growing finfish in huge, often over crowded cages out in open ocean waters. When fish are farmed, usually the higher quality fish goes to the human food industry while the fish unsuitable for human consumption is used in the pet food industry. There is some debate about how beneficial seafood is in a cats diet, including fish, but in general it is considered a safe ingredient with a high amount of protein and an excellent source of essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

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.

Lamb – Lamb is a very high quality source of meat protein. Generally, this ingredient is more nutritious in canned formulas than dry formulas, but in either case, it is nice to see this ingredient listed. Unfortunately, about 80% of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process. That means, there actually isn’t much of this ingredient left once it has all been processed.

Herring – Herring is a silvery fish that is most abundant in coastal waters. Fish provides an excellent source of proteins as well as high amounts of 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 causes any problems. Most herring in cat food is likely farmed herring, but higher end cat food (especially those labeled “natural”) can often times be fished from natural environments. The biggest problem with fish ingredients, including herring, 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.

Mackerel – Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment. Fish based ingredients provide an excellent source of fatty acids, proteins, and very high quality nutrients. Some cat owners are worried about the increasing level of mercury in fish, but so far the FDA says it is well within’ safe limits for both humans and pets. In addition, some pet owners worry about where the fish comes from, because a lot of fish used in pet foods is obtained from farmed fish that have not passed inspections to be used in human consumption. It could also contain fish waste products that can’t be used anywhere else. So while there is some concern about this and any other fish based ingredient in cat food, in general, it is considered a higher quality nutrient source.

Other ingredients worth mentioning

Shrimp flavor – While not exactly a low quality ingredient, we typically aren’t impressed with ingredients added solely for flavor. This ingredient is not going to provide much of any nutritional value for your cat and is only added to help make the food more palatable. If your cat enjoys the flavor of shrimp, it may make the food more enjoyable.

Game flavor – In general, when an ingredient includes the word “flavor” you should take some precautions. We have absolutely no idea what “game flavor” could possibly mean. Flavor from what animal? How is it derived? Is this a natural or artificial flavoring? With so many unanswered questions, we are unable to consider this a quality ingredient. It is more like a mystery ingredient.

Can the formulas cause allergies?

These formulas do not contain any allergens and can, therefore, not cause allergies. Some of the most common allergens are soy, corn, wheat, gluten, artificial coloring and artificial preservatives. You should avoid feeding your cat on these harmful ingredients. Some of them can be poisonous.

Conclusion

Depending on which Felix Adult Sensations flavor pack you choose, you are likely to feed your cat on most of the nutrients required for healthy growth. However, these Felix Sensations formulas lack some important nutrients and, therefore, cannot be used as the only meals for your cat. You can use them alongside other formulas with all the nutrition required by cats for healthy growth.

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Are you confused on what you should be feeding your cat on? There are so many cat food types in the market and choosing the most ideal one can be an uphill task. It is important to evaluate the suitability of cat formulas by examining the list of nutrients. This review will focus on the Felix adult marinades formula.

The Felix adult marinades formula is one of the many wet cat formulas in the market today. This cat formula type is available in different varieties made with meat flakes that are soaked in marinade. The company claims that this formula is tasty and highly nutritious.

Are these claims true or is this simply hype? Read on to find out.

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The varieties available

Fish selection in jelly – this is available in salmon, cod, tuna and trout flavors.

Mixed selection in jelly – this is available in chicken, duck, salmon and tuna flavors.

Meat selection in jelly – this is available in chicken, turkey, beef and duck flavors.

All these varieties are available in a multi-pack measuring 12 x 100 grams.

An overview of the ingredients in the formula varieties

Beef – Beef is considered to be a higher quality ingredient. It is an excellent source of animal protein and contains many other nutrients that are very important for a cat to survive and thrive. Since this is not in “meal” form, that means this ingredient still contains all of its moisture content prior to cooking. Once fully cooked, most of this ingredient will have evaporated due to its high moisture content. That means, even when this ingredient is ranked highly, it will usually only provide a small percentage of the overall protein in the food. There is no dismissing this ingredient, though. It is high quality and we are pleased to see it listed.

Cod – Cod is a well known type of fish generally found in colder and deeper waters in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In their natural habitat, cod (and other types of fish) are not part of a regular diet for cats. However, many cat food blends have begun including fish ingredients such as cod into their blends for the high protein percentage. This ingredient is also high in healthy fatty acids. Some debate suggests a diet high in fish ingredients could have longer term health implications when fed over time, but in general, cod is considered to be a healthy ingredient.

Tuna – This ingredient is a well known saltwater fish. There is some debate about whether fish products should be included in cat food at all, because cats by nature do not eat much sea food. A lot of cat owners would rather see meat from other animals such as beef, chicken, turkey, or other meat sources. However, tuna does supply a good amount of protein and also contains an excellent amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Trout – Fish ingredients have become much more common in dog food over the years and now, this ingredient has found its way into cat food. While fish is not the typical prey for cats in the wild, they do supply a healthy amount of protein and extremely beneficial fatty acids as well as other nutrients cats can benefit from. Some cat owners worry about the mercury level that naturally occurs in fish, but the FDA continues to state that the mercury levels in fish are safe for both humans and pets. There is also some concern about where this ingredient might be sourced from. If the fish contains ethoxyquin, this is definitely something you would not want to feed to your cat, but we are unable to verify whether this ingredient contains ethoxyquin or not. Also, most of the time, fish used in pet food is the fish that has been deemed unfit for human consumption for whatever reason. Nonetheless, this ingredient does provide a fairly high amount of healthy nutritional benefit.

Chicken – Chicken is a very popular ingredient for pet food and in this case, they are referring to whole chicken. This is a very high quality meat source and we are pleased to see it listed. However, whole chicken loses about 80% of its content during the cooking process since the majority of whole chicken is water. After the cooking process is complete, the amount of whole chicken remaining is substantially reduced. Therefor, while whole chicken is a great source of meat protein, this ingredient alone is not enough to provide sufficient levels of meat protein in a cats diet.

Duck – Duck is an excellent alternative meat source and provides very high quality meat proteins for your cat. As a whole meat product, much of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process, but it is less water heavy than other whole meat ingredients like chicken or beef. So, while much of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process, it is still a very high quality ingredient and we are quite pleased to see it listed here.

Turkey – As a whole meat ingredient, turkey is a fantastic source of very healthy animal based proteins. We are extremely pleased to see this ingredient listed. Unfortunately, in dry kibbles, there is not as much of this ingredient included as you might initially think. Ingredients are listed by weight prior to the cooking process and since whole turkey is about 70% moisture, the vast majority is cooked off. So while we think this is an excellent and nutritional ingredient, it does need to be complimented by other high quality meat protein ingredients when used in dry kibbles. In wet cat foods, however, this is not nearly as much of a concern.

Salmon – Salmon is an excellent source of high quality proteins for cats and is extremely rich in healthy Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Some people worry about mercury levels in fish. It’s true that all fish contains some degree of mercury, the level in salmon is much lower than other types of fish and the FDA doesn’t believe it is cause for concern. Most salmon in cat food is farmed salmon, but higher end cat food (especially those labeled “natural”) can often times be fished from natural lakes and streams. The biggest problem with fish ingredients, including salmon, is if the fish includes an antioxidant called ethoxyquin (EMQ). It is believe that ethoxyquin could be very harmful to cats and other animals. Always make sure you are using “Ethoxyquin free” cat food blends when they include fish ingredients. When in doubt, call the customer service number and ask.

The other ingredient worth mentioning is:

The marinade – Marinade is a sauce, typically made of oil, vinegar, spices, and herbs, in which meat, fish, or other food is soaked before cooking in order to flavor or soften it. We have no idea what is included in this marinade and is therefor impossible for us to analyze. For this reason, we consider it a rather low quality ingredient, although it is not likely to contain anything too concerning.

Can these formula varieties cause allergies?

The adult marinades variety formulas contain no soy, wheat or corn. These are the three main allergens found in cat formulas. Therefore, it is very unlikely that these variety formulas can lead to allergies reactions in your cat. However, your cat could be allergic to any of the other ingredients. It is, therefore, important to read through the ingredients list before making a purchase.

Ingredients should you avoid feeding your cat on

Apart from the above mentioned allergens, you should also avoid:

• Artificial coloring and flavoring.
• Gluten.
• BHT and BHA preservatives

The artificial coloring and flavoring, as well as the preservatives are chemical based and can lead to poisoning in cats. The gluten is known to cause weight gain and glucose imbalance in cats.

Conclusion

The Felix adult marinades can be termed as an average formula. It contains meat content, which is a plus but is also lacks in other essential nutrients. Cats cannot be sustained by meat alone. Therefore, it is best to use these formulas as additions to other car formulas that contain all the essential nutrients.

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Because you love your adult feline friend, you always want to have something special for it to chew on in between meals. This is why there are cat treats in the market. These treats ensure your cat has something healthy to keep them full before actual meal times.

Felix goody bag treats for cats is one of the treat formulas for cats in the market. According to the manufacturer, these adult treats comprise of mixed treats flavored with meat and fish aromas to give the treats a delightful taste.

Are these treats all they’re cranked up to be?

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The varieties available

There are several varieties under the adult bad goody treats. They include:

Seaside mix – this is a treat containing salmon, trout and Pollock flavors.

Mixed grill – this is a cat treat that has been flavored with salmon, chicken and beef.

The picnic mix – this is made of treats flavored with rabbit, duck and turkey.

Original mix – this is a treat that contains chicken, liver and turkey flavored treats.

Cheesy mix – this is a treat that has been flavored with cheddar, Edam and Gouda.

Countryside mix – this is a flavor treat comprising of turkey, chicken and cheese flavoring.

Apart from these flavored ingredients, all these varieties contain vitamins to boost the health of your adult cat.

An overview of the ingredients present

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.

Trout – Fish ingredients have become much more common in dog food over the years and now, this ingredient has found its way into cat food. While fish is not the typical prey for cats in the wild, they do supply a healthy amount of protein and extremely beneficial fatty acids as well as other nutrients cats can benefit from. Some cat owners worry about the mercury level that naturally occurs in fish, but the FDA continues to state that the mercury levels in fish are safe for both humans and pets. There is also some concern about where this ingredient might be sourced from. If the fish contains ethoxyquin, this is definitely something you would not want to feed to your cat, but we are unable to verify whether this ingredient contains ethoxyquin or not. Also, most of the time, fish used in pet food is the fish that has been deemed unfit for human consumption for whatever reason. Nonetheless, this ingredient does provide a fairly high amount of healthy nutritional benefit.

Pollock – Pollack is a greenish-brown fish of the cod family. Like just about any other type of fish, cats gain quite a bit of protein value from this ingredient and can also make good use of the healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Since all fish contains trace levels of mercury, many cat owners like to shy away from fish based products. However, to date the FDA and EPA indicate mercury levels are still within safe limits.

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.

Beef – Beef is considered to be a higher quality ingredient. It is an excellent source of animal protein and contains many other nutrients that are very important for a cat to survive and thrive. Since this is not in “meal” form, that means this ingredient still contains all of its moisture content prior to cooking. Once fully cooked, most of this ingredient will have evaporated due to its high moisture content. That means, even when this ingredient is ranked highly, it will usually only provide a small percentage of the overall protein in the food. There is no dismissing this ingredient, though. It is high quality and we are pleased to see it listed.

Cheese – While cheese can supply a good amount of calcium, vitamins, and other nutrients, a very large number of adult cats are lactose intolerant. In addition, as cats age, their risk of developing an intolerance to lactose increases. So even if you cat is not lactose intolerant now, that might not always be the case. For this reason, we suggest you use some caution when feeding cheese to your cat, although cats probably do love the taste.

Duck – Duck is an excellent alternative meat source and provides very high quality meat proteins for your cat. As a whole meat product, much of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process, but it is less water heavy than other whole meat ingredients like chicken or beef. So, while much of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process, it is still a very high quality ingredient and we are quite pleased to see it listed here.

Turkey – As a whole meat ingredient, turkey is a fantastic source of very healthy animal based proteins. We are extremely pleased to see this ingredient listed. Unfortunately, in dry kibbles, there is not as much of this ingredient included as you might initially think. Ingredients are listed by weight prior to the cooking process and since whole turkey is about 70% moisture, the vast majority is cooked off. So while we think this is an excellent and nutritional ingredient, it does need to be complimented by other high quality meat protein ingredients when used in dry kibbles. In wet cat foods, however, this is not nearly as much of a concern.

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.

Cheddar, Edam and Gouda – All of these ingredients are different types of cheese. While cheese can supply a good amount of calcium, vitamins, and other nutrients, a very large number of adult cats are lactose intolerant. In addition, as cats age, their risk of developing an intolerance to lactose increases. So even if you cat is not lactose intolerant now, that might not always be the case. For this reason, we suggest you use some caution when feeding cheese to your cat, although cats probably do love the taste.

Rabbit – This is a great alternative meat source that provides excellent meat protein. When listed as “rabbit” that means this is whole rabbit. It contains the flesh, meat, and skin of the rabbit without the fur, bones, or intestines. While this is considered a very high quality meat source, it loses about 80% of its volume during the cooking process in dry cat foods. That means, in reality, this ingredient would be listed lower on the ingredients list if the ingredients were weighed after the cooking process. In wet cat foods, however, this is not as big of an issue since the cooking process is much different. In either case, this is a very high quality meat source and we are pleased to see it listed here.

Can these treats cause allergies in cats?

There seems to be no traces of allergens in these treats. These treats are, therefore, non-allergy causing cat treats. They are ideal for adult cats. Always read through the ingredients list to ensure you do not purchase foods that can cause allergies in your cat.

Ingredients to avoid feeding your cat on

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.

Gluten – This ingredient is associated with causing allergies in cats. It is also known to raise sugar levels in cats. Over time, this can lead to diabetes. Gluten refers to the proteins found in wheat endosperm which is a type of tissue produced in seeds that’s ground to make flour. Many pet food manufactures will use this ingredient to help boost the protein percentage of the food.

Artificial coloring – We find it quite irresponsible to include artificial coloring in pet food since the health concerns about these added colors are so controversial. Your cat does not care what color their food is and the only reason artificial coloring is added to this product is for marketing purposes. It makes the food look better to you YOU, the human consumer. Of course, many cat food brands are very defensive about their use of food coloring. Here is an example of how the Purina brand defends their use of fool coloring. Notice how even in their explanation, there is no perceived benefit to these ingredients other than changing the color. There is also a growing amount of evidence to suggest food coloring may be linked to cancer in not just dogs and cats, but also humans. Here is an article that explains a bit further. In short, since there is some controversy surrounding this ingredient, we find it a bit strange that cat food companies would spend money adding this ingredient into a product when at best, it has zero nutritional value for your cat and only has marketing value. At worse, it could pose health risks. It just doesn’t seem like the risk of including this ingredient is worth it.

Fortunately, these treats do to contain any of the above harmful ingredients.

Conclusion

The Felix adult goody bag treats are rich in meat and fish protein making them ideal for any adult cat. These treats are good for feeding cats in between meals. Avoid making these treats your cat’s only meal as they lack some important nutritional ingredients for your cat’s healthy development.

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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 White Meat Chicken Tuscany With Long Grain Rice & Garden Greens Cat Food

Poultry broth, chicken, wheat gluten, long grain rice, liver, meat by-products, spinach, corn starch-modified, artificial and natural flavors, turkey, salt, calcium phosphate, added color, soy protein concentrate, potassium chloride, taurine, choline chloride, magnesium sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, 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.

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.

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.

Long grain rice

Long grain rice is usually described as rice that is about four or five times as long as it is wide. While rice is one of the easier grains for cats to digest, they do not require rice in their diet and in fact, obtain no nutritional benefit from rice. This is a popular ingredient in pet foods because rice expands in your pets stomach (or your stomach when you eat it), thus helping to make dogs and cats feel more full. Fortunately, even though rice is a grain, there is very little allergic risk to rice. The biggest concern is the amount of arsenic that is naturally found in rice. The arsenic level in rice is increasing all the time and there isn’t much pet food (or human food) companies can do about that. The FDA still claims the arsenic level is so low that there are no health concerns, but you should periodically check this special FDA resource about arsenic levels in rice.

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 White Meat Chicken Tuscany With Long Grain Rice & Garden Greens Cat Food

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.

Spinach

While it certainly sounds like a healthy ingredient, the truth is, spinach doesn’t add much nutritional value to the food. It does supply some various nutrients and vitamins, but the levels are quite low. Many companies like to include this ingredient as it looks great on the ingredients list, but in general, it is not all that nutritious for cats. On the flip side, there is very little to worry about and this ingredient is considered to be very safe for most cats.

Corn starch-modified

This ingredient is the starch derived from the corn grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the corn kernel. While not harmful in small quantities, cats obtain virtually no nutritional value from corn. This ingredient is usually used as a cheaper filler by lower priced cat foods. Unfortunately, there is a bit of an allergy risk with this ingredient. And finally, many cats will have a tough time properly digesting corn and that could lead to diarrhea, constipation, or other stomach and digestion issues. Most cats will not have any negative reaction to this ingredient, but it’s not an ingredient we are all that excited to see listed.

Artificial flavors

While it might seem obvious, we have some concerns about the use of artificial flavoring in cat food. This ingredient is usually derived petroleum and there have not been many studies done on the effects it has on cats. Unfortunately, artificial flavor can come from a very long list of sources and there is no way we can verify how safe this ingredient is. We generally recommend not feeding your cat any “flavors” even if it is natural flavor. In the case of artificial flavor, we don’t see any benefit to having this included.

Natural flavors

While this ingredient may appear to be healthy and safe because it is “natural”, we believe this is a pretty poor quality ingredient. While it might be a harmless flavoring sprayed onto the food, natural flavors can be obtained from almost anything deemed “natural”. Not all things natural are good and some “natural flavor” sources can be downright harmful. Without being able to verify what chemicals are included into this ingredient, we feel a bit apprehensive about it.

Allergy Risks Associated With Fancy Feast White Meat Chicken Tuscany with Long Grain Rice and Garden Greens

This formula does contain an allergen in the first five ingredients. Even so, wheat gluten on its own is not strong enough to trigger allergic reactions. Unless your cat suffers from severe allergies, this cat food is safe for use.

Conclusion

The Fancy Feast White Meat Chicken Tuscany with Long Grain Rice and Garden Greens is good cat formula. It contains healthy ingredients that support general healthy development in cats. The only disadvantage is the inclusion of an allergy causing ingredients and low quality sources of nutrition. Otherwise, this is a perfectly healthy formula for your cat.

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Are you in search of the ideal cat appetizer? Since the introduction of cat appetizers to the market, meal times have become fun times for most felines. Your cat no longer has to wait until meal times to eat. These appetizers ensure that your cat’s tummy is always full. In turn, this ensures it remains active throughout the day. There are so many appetizers in the market and picking one can be a headache. Your best bet is to go for appetizers that supply the cat with healthy ingredients.

The Fancy Feast White Meat Chicken Appetizer in a Delicate Broth is a wet formula that is readily available in the market. According to the manufacturers, this appetizer contains no byproducts or fillers. It is claimed to have real chicken chunks is a delectable gravy.

Is this appetizer the most ideal one for your cat? Read on to find out.

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The ingredients in the appetizer

Water, chicken, guar gum, xanthan gum, sodium nitrite (to maintain color)

An overview of the ingredients

Water

As you might expect, water is mostly added for moisture and cooking purposes. It does not add any nutritional value to the 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.

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.

Xanthan gum

This is a substance produced by bacterial fermentation or created synthetically and is used in cat foods as a gelling agent and thickener. It is composed of glucose, mannose, and glucuronic acid. It is what causes the black rot on veggies that have been in the fridge too long. Once the bacteria has fermented, it is pasteurized (killed) and filtered. The resulting xanthan gum is then treated with isopropyl alcohol, dried, ground, and diluted to desired consistency. The finished product is a loose, whitish-colored powder. The behavior of xanthan gum makes it ideal for food processing purposes and is used in human food frequently. Nutritionally speaking, it is a carbohydrate with about seven grams of fiber per tablespoon. Xanthan gum is made using carbohydrates from corn, wheat, dairy, or soy which are all common food allergens for many cats.

Sodium nitrite

Nitrates are used in curing, which is a broad category of techniques for preserving foods, mainly meat and fish, that involves the use of salt, sugar, or some form of dehydration. In each case, the goal is to make the food unattractive to the bacteria that cause food spoilage. This works because bacteria are tiny organisms that require, among other things, moisture, oxygen and food. Take away one of these things and they die. So basically, that’s a fancy way of saying this ingredient is used as a preservative. In addition, it also gives cat food that red, meaty look. While unsubstantiated, there are claims that sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate can cause chemically induced cancer in cats. In rare circumstances, pets have died due to to receiving too much of this ingredient in their food.

Conclusion

The Fancy Feast White Meat Chicken Appetizer Cat food is a pretty good quality appetizer. You shouldn’t use this cat food as a part of your cats regular diet as it does not contain all of the nutrients your cat needs to live a healthy life. However, as a treat or mixed in with your cats regular diet it should be ok for most cats.

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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 White Meat Chicken and Flaked Tuna Appetizer Cat Food

Water, chicken, tuna, guar gum, xanthan gum, sodium nitrite.

These ingredients are put in a plastic tray that is foil sealed. The chicken and tuna are sliced in chunks unlike the ordinary ground or minced meat. They are placed inside a broth-like substance. The other ingredients are perfectly blended into the meat to create a complete formula.

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.

Water

As you might expect, water is mostly added for moisture and cooking purposes. It does not add any nutritional value to the 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.

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.

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.

Xanthan gum

This is a substance produced by bacterial fermentation or created synthetically and is used in cat foods as a gelling agent and thickener. It is composed of glucose, mannose, and glucuronic acid. It is what causes the black rot on veggies that have been in the fridge too long. Once the bacteria has fermented, it is pasteurized (killed) and filtered. The resulting xanthan gum is then treated with isopropyl alcohol, dried, ground, and diluted to desired consistency. The finished product is a loose, whitish-colored powder. The behavior of xanthan gum makes it ideal for food processing purposes and is used in human food frequently. Nutritionally speaking, it is a carbohydrate with about seven grams of fiber per tablespoon. Xanthan gum is made using carbohydrates from corn, wheat, dairy, or soy which are all common food allergens for many cats.

Sodium nitrite

Nitrates are used in curing, which is a broad category of techniques for preserving foods, mainly meat and fish, that involves the use of salt, sugar, or some form of dehydration. In each case, the goal is to make the food unattractive to the bacteria that cause food spoilage. This works because bacteria are tiny organisms that require, among other things, moisture, oxygen and food. Take away one of these things and they die. So basically, that’s a fancy way of saying this ingredient is used as a preservative. In addition, it also gives cat food that red, meaty look. While unsubstantiated, there are claims that sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate can cause chemically induced cancer in cats. In rare circumstances, pets have died due to to receiving too much of this ingredient in their food.

Allergy Risk Associated With Fancy Feast White Meat Chicken and Flaked Tuna Appetizer Cat Food

While the formula contains no allergy causing ingredients, it does contain Xanthan gum which is a corn extract. Corn is an allergy causing ingredients. Therefore, it is important to avoid feeding your allergic cat on this appetizer.

Ingredients to avoid feeding cats on

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 – 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.

Animal by-products – One of the worst meat ingredients found in pet food today is animal by product. It’s true that this ingredient provides a very high amount of meat protein that cats need to thrive. However, animal by products are considered to be the lowest form of meat and it isn’t even approved for human consumption. Animal by-products are carcasses and parts of carcasses from slaughterhouses, animal shelters, zoos and veterinarians, and products of animal origin not intended for human consumption, including catering waste. Legally, this ingredient can even contain roadkill or euthanized animals. This ingredient may also contain what is called “4D meat” which is what the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) calls cattle that is dead, dying, disabled or diseased. This meat is considered unfit for human consumption, but is typically found in many pet food products. This is not something we recommend you feed your cat or any other pet.

Artificial coloring and flavoring – Both artificial and natural flavor ingredients are considered to be lower quality ingredients. 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. 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. Both of these ingredients have potential allergy risks and other possible health problems in cats.

We also find it quite irresponsible to include artificial coloring in pet food since the health concerns about these added colors are so controversial. Your cat does not care what color their food is and the only reason artificial coloring is added to this product is for marketing purposes. It makes the food look better to you YOU, the human consumer. Of course, many cat food brands are very defensive about their use of food coloring. Here is an example of how the Purina brand defends their use of fool coloring. Notice how even in their explanation, there is no perceived benefit to these ingredients other than changing the color. There is also a growing amount of evidence to suggest food coloring may be linked to cancer in not just dogs and cats, but also humans. Here is an article that explains a bit further. In short, since there is some controversy surrounding this ingredient, we find it a bit strange that cat food companies would spend money adding this ingredient into a product when at best, it has zero nutritional value for your cat and only has marketing value. At worse, it could pose health risks. It just doesn’t seem like the risk of including this ingredient is worth it.

Apart from the color preservative, the formula does not contain any of the other harmful ingredients.

Conclusion

Apart from its unique serving of chicken and fish as great protein and fatty acids sources, this appetizer contains no other beneficial ingredients. For this reason, it is important to avoid making this appetizer the only meal for your cat. It lacks in supplementation and other nutrients required for overall healthy growth of the cat. Therefore, it should be given as a part of the daily meal guideline for your cat.

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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.

Ingredients In Fancy Feast Turkey And White Meat Chicken Recipe With Spinach Wet Cat Food

Poultry broth, turkey, wheat gluten, liver, meat by-products, spinach, corn starch-modified, chicken, artificial and natural flavors, salt, calcium phosphate, soy protein concentrate, added color, potassium chloride, taurine, magnesium sulfate, choline chloride, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, 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.

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.

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 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 Turkey And White Meat Chicken Recipe With Spinach Cat Food

Spinach

While it certainly sounds like a healthy ingredient, the truth is, spinach doesn’t add much nutritional value to the food. It does supply some various nutrients and vitamins, but the levels are quite low. Many companies like to include this ingredient as it looks great on the ingredients list, but in general, it is not all that nutritious for cats. On the flip side, there is very little to worry about and this ingredient is considered to be very safe for most cats.

Corn starch-modified

This ingredient is the starch derived from the corn grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the corn kernel. While not harmful in small quantities, cats obtain virtually no nutritional value from corn. This ingredient is usually used as a cheaper filler by lower priced cat foods. Unfortunately, there is a bit of an allergy risk with this ingredient. And finally, many cats will have a tough time properly digesting corn and that could lead to diarrhea, constipation, or other stomach and digestion issues. Most cats will not have any negative reaction to this ingredient, but it’s not an ingredient we are all that excited to see listed.

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.

Artificial and natural flavors

These are used to enhance the taste of this cat food. Artificial flavoring is seen as a negative ingredient asit is madefrom chemical compositions which can cause toxicity in cats.

Is this an allergy causing cat food?

Judging from the ingredients sued in this cat food, this cat food contains traces of allergens. While these are not enough to trigger an allergic reaction, it is advisable to avoid feeding your cat on this cat food if it suffers from a serious allergy condition.

Conclusion

From the list of ingredient, the fancy feast turkey and white meat chicken recipe with spinach (wet) is just another average cat food. It contains healthy ingredients but it also contains a few controversial ingredients that may not rub well with strict cat owners. Otherwise, this cat food is ok for cats with no food sensitivities.

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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 Tender Tongol Tuna Appetizer Wet Cat Food

Tongol tuna, water, xanthan gum, guar gum, sodium nitrite.

From the list above, there are only five ingredients in this formula. Do they offer your cat what it needs for healthy and sustainable growth?

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Tongol tuna

Tongol is simply a type of tuna fish which is a well known saltwater fish. There is some debate about whether fish products should be included in cat food at all, because cats in 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.

Water

As you might expect, water is mostly added for moisture and cooking purposes. It does not add any nutritional value to the food.

Xanthan gum

This is a substance produced by bacterial fermentation or created synthetically and is used in cat foods as a gelling agent and thickener. It is composed of glucose, mannose, and glucuronic acid. It is what causes the black rot on veggies that have been in the fridge too long. Once the bacteria has fermented, it is pasteurized (killed) and filtered. The resulting xanthan gum is then treated with isopropyl alcohol, dried, ground, and diluted to desired consistency. The finished product is a loose, whitish-colored powder. The behavior of xanthan gum makes it ideal for food processing purposes and is used in human food frequently. Nutritionally speaking, it is a carbohydrate with about seven grams of fiber per tablespoon. Xanthan gum is made using carbohydrates from corn, wheat, dairy, or soy which are all common food allergens for many cats.

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.

Sodium nitrite

Nitrates are used in curing, which is a broad category of techniques for preserving foods, mainly meat and fish, that involves the use of salt, sugar, or some form of dehydration. In each case, the goal is to make the food unattractive to the bacteria that cause food spoilage. This works because bacteria are tiny organisms that require, among other things, moisture, oxygen and food. Take away one of these things and they die. So basically, that’s a fancy way of saying this ingredient is used as a preservative. In addition, it also gives cat food that red, meaty look. While unsubstantiated, there are claims that sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate can cause chemically induced cancer in cats. In rare circumstances, pets have died due to to receiving too much of this ingredient in their food.

Allergy Risk Associated With Fancy Feast Tender Tongol Tuna Appetizer Cat Food

The fancy feast tender tongol tuna appetizer wet appetizer can be termed as a potential allergy-causing formula. While it does not directly contain allergy causing ingredients like corn, wheat or soy, it contains corn extracts which can lead to allergies too. Therefore, it is highly advisable to avoid feeding your cat on this Fancy Feast cat food if your cat is allergic to corn or corn based substances.

Conclusion

Apart from the available slices of tongol tuna, every other ingredient in this formula can be rated as average. The company has kept its promise of offering 100% fish protein. However, the other ingredients do little in helping the cat nutritionally. We do like the limited number of ingredients in this food and many cat owners seem to like it as well. Overall, we think this cat food is probably an average quality cat food. Let us know what you think in the commenting area below.

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