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Innova Cat Foods was once a private company owned by Natura Pet Products. It was founded in 1992 by John and Ann Rademakers and Peter Atkins as a way to provide higher quality ingredients in pet food. In 2010, it was acquired by Procter and Gamble who owns many other pet food brands. In 2014, Procter & Gamble sold off many of its pet food products to Mars, Inc., but it does not appear Innova Cat Food was part of this, so P&G will continue to sell Innova products. Unfortunately, Innova has had some recalls as recent as 2013 for Salmonella contamination. In their recent recalls, there were no reported deaths.
Innova carries several different cat food products that can appeal to a wide range of cat owners. They offer both wet and dry foods as well as grain-free options. They also offer treats for cats and have lines of food for dogs as well. All of the cat food products are made in a production plant located in Nebraska. Their target customer includes those who are seeking a more natural and ancestry diet for their cats, particularly those who want a high meat and low plant based or grain free diet.
Below is an ingredients analysis of their first 10 ingredients in the food. While the first 5 ingredients comprises of the vast majority of the food content, we decided to go a little deeper and analyze the top 10 ingredients. We also rely on YOUR feedback! If you see any ingredients of concern or wish to praise the below Innova cat food blend, please do so in our commenting section below and also consider rating this food above this article. You do not need to register to rate this food, simply click on whatever you rating you think this cat food deserves.
List Of Ingredients In This Cat Food
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Peas, Turkey, Flaxseed, Pea Fiber, Menhaden Oil(Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols a Source of Vitamin E), Natural Flavors, Dried Chicory Root Extract, Apples, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Carrots, Pumpkin, Vitamins(Betaine Hydrochloride, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Beta Carotene, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid), Cranberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Minerals (Zine Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate), DL Methionine, Cottage Cheese, Vitamin E Supplement, Direct Fed Microbials (Dried Enterococcus faecium, Dried Lactobacilius acidophilus, Dried Lactobacilus casel), Rosemary Extract
Top 5 Ingredients Analysis
Chicken
Chicken is a very popular ingredient for pet food and in this case, they are referring to whole chicken. This is a very high quality meat source and we are pleased to see it listed. However, whole chicken loses about 80% of its content during the cooking process since the majority of whole chicken is water. After the cooking process is complete, the amount of whole chicken remaining is substantially reduced. Therefor, while whole chicken is a great source of meat protein, this ingredient alone is not enough to provide sufficient levels of meat protein in a cats diet.
Chicken Meal
Chicken meal is ground up chicken meat that has been carefully dried to a moisture level of 10%. The protein content is 65% and the fat level is 12%. Many pet owners feel that chicken is a superior ingredient to chicken meal. It would seem logical that feeding a pet a whole, non-rendered chicken would be good. However, whole chicken still contains its moisture content prior to cooking and since whole chicken consists of about 80% moisture, after the cooking process is over there isn’t much left. With chicken meal, the moisture was removed prior to cooking. That means, chicken meal actually has a much higher protein percentage and provides far more beneficial nutrients to your cats than whole chicken. Meals consist of meat and skin, with or without the bones, but exclusive of feathers/hair, heads, feet, horns, entrails etc. and have the proper calcium/phosphorus ratio required for a balanced diet. It’s also important to note the quality difference between “chicken by-product meal” and “chicken meal.” While we do take exception to chicken by-products, chicken meal is actually a very high quality and nutritious ingredient. We are happy to see this listed.
Peas
Peas are becoming more and more common in pet foods today, especially those listed as grain-free, holistic, or natural pet foods. While peas are certainly not grains, they serve much the same purpose. It mostly acts as a filler and a cheap way to increase the protein percentage of the food. However, cats receive almost no nutritional value from peas. Since cats are obligate carnivores, they require proteins from meat based ingredients. There is very little research that has been performed on the long term effects of cats consuming peas. We do know that peas can cause runny poop or digestion issues in dogs, but the full effect on cats remains a bit of an unknown. At best, this ingredient will act as a filler and will not provide much nutritional value, if any, to your cat.
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.
Flaxseed
Flaxseeds (also called linseeds) are a rich source of micronutrients, dietary fiber, manganese, vitamin B1, and the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, also known as ALA or omega-3. The seeds come from flax, one of the the oldest fiber crops in the world. It is not only a source of healthy fat, antioxidants, and fiber; modern research has found evidence to suggest that flaxseed can also help lower the risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. The health risk associated with this ingredient is low and in general, flaxseed is considered to be a beneficial ingredient for cats.
Additional Ingredients Of Interest
Pea Fiber
Peas are becoming more and more common in pet foods today, especially those listed as grain-free, holistic, or natural pet foods. While peas are certainly not grains, they serve much the same purpose. It mostly acts as a filler and a cheap way to increase the protein percentage of the food. However, cats receive almost no nutritional value from peas. Since cats are obligate carnivores, they require proteins from meat based ingredients. There is very little research that has been performed on the long term effects of cats consuming peas. We do know that peas can cause runny poop or digestion issues in dogs, but the full effect on cats remains a bit of an unknown. At best, this ingredient will act as a filler and will not provide much nutritional value, if any, to your cat.
Menhaden Oil(Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols a Source of Vitamin E)
Menhaden is a forage fish that produces very healthy levels of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. These fatty acids are very healthy for cats. In this case, the oil is extracted from the fish and used in the cooking process as well as to add these beneficial fat sources to the food. While some cat owners shy away from fish products due to mercury levels naturally found in fish and the amount of farmed fish used in cat food, this ingredient is unlikely to cause any issues as it is simply the oil extract.
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.
Dried Chicory Root Extract
Commonly known as a soluble fiber, the inulin derived from the Chicory Root is a fructooligosaccharide added to help maintain digestive tract health and function in humans, although the full benefits in cats is not well known. Chicory root is a common coffee substitute in various cultures. It is used as a sweetener in the food industry with a sweetening power 1⁄10 that of sucrose. While the nutritional benefits of this ingredient might be a little questionable, there does not seem to be any reason for concern when feeding this ingredient to your cat.
Apples
Apples provide an excellent source of pectin, a water-soluble fiber. This is an ingredient normally found in higher end brands of cat food.
