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Are you having a hard time picking out a cat formula that is ideal for your cat simply because your cat is too sensitive to foods? While it is hard to select an ideal cat formula for cats due to the many cat feeds brands available in the market, it can be even harder for you suffer food sensitivities.
Blue Buffalo Basics Fish and Potato (wet) is a cat formula that is manufactured by the Blue Buffalo Company. The company claims to produce only high quality feeds that cater for all the nutritional needs of your cat. Blue Buffalo Basics Fish and Potato (wet) is a cat feed that is formulated to help minimize food sensitivities that some cats might have. The cat feed also maximizes the nutritional value that your cat gets. Read on and find out how true the claims made on this cat formula are.
Ingredients contained in Blue Buffalo Basics Fish and Potato (wet)
Whitefish, Fish Broth, Potatoes, Sunflower Oil (source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Oatmeal, Peas, Carrots, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Cranberries, Blueberries, Carrageenan, Cassia Gum, Guar Gum, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide, Choline Chloride
A close look at the first five ingredients
White fish
White fish is classified as fish with pale flesh, such as plaice, halibut, cod, and haddock. Most cats do not eat fish in the wild, but this ingredient does supply an excellent source of both proteins and essential fatty acids. There is a small amount of mercury contained in all fish products, so many cat owners worry about feeding something like this to their cat every day. However, to date the FDA claims all mercury levels in fish are in safe limits.
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.
Potatoes
Potatoes provide a lot of carbs and unfortunately, cats do not digest carbs well and it can also lead to weight gain. This ingredient is becoming more popular in “grain-free” cat foods because while potatoes are not grains, they serve much the same purpose by acting as a non-nutritious filler. The good news is potatoes are complex carbs. These complex carbs are easier to digest than whole grains and also don’t spike blood sugar levels like the simple carbs do. But, anyway you cut it… carbs are carbs and cats don’t need them. This is a rather non-nutritious ingredient.
Sunflower oil
Tomato pomace is an inexpensive by-product of tomato manufacturing. Effectively, it is what is left over after processing tomatoes for juice, ketchup, soup, etc. In all likelihood, this is the leftovers of what is cleaned off of the floors and other areas of plants that process tomatoes for other purposes. As such, this is probably used more as a flavor enhancer than for nutritional purposes.
Oat meal
This ingredient will provide some fiber for your cat, but for the most part, it is simply used as a filler to help make your cat feel more full. Many cats seem to enjoy the taste of oatmeal and since there are no major health concerns associated with it, this ingredient makes for a great alternative filler ingredient instead of using corn and grains.
Other ingredients worth looking at
Natural flavor – The term “natural flavor” is extremely vague and can mean just about anything. In human foods, natural flavor is usually MSG or some similar flavor enhancer. When pet food companies are asked what is in their “natural flavor ingredients, they usually refuse to answer. There are a lot of things in the world considered “natural” and they almost all have a flavor. Such generic terms can be indicative of poor quality ingredients. While that’s not always the case, the fact is, we don’t really know what this ingredient consists of and that is worrying.
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.
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.
Can this cat feed trigger allergies in cats?
This cat formula does not contain harmful ingredients that can trigger allergies in cats. For this reason, it is very unlikely that your cat will suffer from allergies unless your cat is allergic to one of the ingredients.
Ingredients to be weary of
Wheat, corn and soy – 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.
Artificial additives – It should go without saying that cats in the wild do not require artificial additives in their diet and they don’t require artificial additives in their diet as our pets, either. These additives are normally included in order to preserve the food and increase its shelf life, but often times have negative side-effects.
Conclusion
Blue Buffalo Basics Fish and Potato (wet) cat formula is an excellent cat feed. This is because it does not contain any harmful ingredients. The ingredients that are contained in this cat formula are a source of high quality nutrition to cats.
