This post may contain affiliate links. We are compensated for referring customers to our affiliate partners.
Are you looking for the most ideal grain free formula for your sensitive feline friend? If so, it is advisable that you get her a grain free formula. There are numerous grain free formulas in the market that you can pick from. To pick a healthy and nutritious formula, you need to learn about foods specifically meant for allergic cats.
The Natural Balance venison and green pea is one of the many grain free cat foods in the market today. According to the manufacturer, this formula meets all your cat’s nutritional needs. Better yet, it is made in such a way that allows your cat to lead a long and healthy life.
So, is venison and green pea (wet) the most suitable grain free formula for your feline friend? Read on and be the judge.
All the ingredients used in the formula
Venison, Venison Broth, Venison Liver, Pea Flour, Venison Meal, Salmon Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Kelp, Flaxseed, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Methionine, Taurine, Parsley, Dried Cranberries, Yucca Schidigera, Sodium Chloride, Carrageenan, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Calcium Iodate,Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement.
A closer look at the first five ingredients
Venison
While not a common meat source found in most cat food products, venison is a fantastic source of protein. In dry cat food products, most of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process. However, in wet cat foods, the content of this ingredient is mostly retained during the cooking process. We have absolutely no concern with this ingredient and consider it to be extremely high quality.
Venison Broth
Like other types of broth in cat food, venison broth is used as a flavor enhancer and source of moisture. It is considered to be a better ingredient to use than plain water. While not especially nutritious, your cat will probably appreciate the enhanced flavor and there are no known health risks associated with this ingredient.
Venison 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. It’s also nice to see the addition of their sourcing of this liver. Instead of leaving us guessing, we know the animal this liver comes from is duck.
Pea Flour
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. Since the peas in this case are added as a flour, the ingredient is probably added to help with the consistency of the food and the cooking process.
Venison Meal
Since venison in this case is listed as venison meal, we know that it has had almost all of the moisture content removed prior to the cooking process. This enables the ingredient to retain a much higher protein percentage and provides many more nutrients than its whole meat counterpart. This is an extremely high quality ingredient that your cat should love.
Other ingredients worth mentioning
Parsley
This ingredient is an abundant source of natural vitamins. It also provides iron, copper, potassium, calcium, fiber, and several other nutrients. While it isn’t going to make up a large portion of the nutritional content in this food, it is a much better ingredient than many other “fillers” that pet food companies use like corn and other grains. The allergy risk associated with this ingredient is very low and even though this is a plant based ingredient, cats seem to digest it easily.
Dried Cranberries
While cranberries are pretty acidic for cats, in lower quantities, it is unlikely to cause any harm. This ingredient helps to add some vitamins and minerals to the food, but cats really aren’t able to digest or process cranberries well. Even though this isn’t a lower quality ingredient, the nutritional benefit of this ingredient is highly questionable.
Yucca Schidigera
Yucca schidigera, also known as the Mojave yucca or Spanish Dagger, is a flowering plant that is native to North American deserts. While this plant is on the list of toxic plants for dogs and cats, in lower quantities, it is not known to cause health issues. The main reason this ingredient is added to both cat and dog food products is to reduce the odor of their feces. The long term health effects of consuming this ingredient is a bit unknown, but to date, there does not appear to be any widespread health problems.
Carrageenan
This is an additive extracted from red and purple seaweeds, consisting of a mixture of polysaccharides. It is used as a thickening or emulsifying agent in food products. There is still much research being done on this additive and while it is generally considered safe, there is room for caution as carrageenan has produced intestinal damage and ulcers in some animal studies. If you would like more information about the ongoing research of this ingredient, you may reference this research study.
Is this an allergy causing formula?
Looking at the list of ingredients used in making the natural balanced venison and green pea (wet), it is clear that it has no allergy causing ingredients. Therefore, it will cause no allergic reactions in your cat.
Examples of harmful ingredients used in cat formulas
Soy, wheat and corn
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.
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.
Fortunately, none of the above harmful ingredients is present in venison and green pea (wet) cat food.
Conclusion
Venison and green pea (wet) cat food by Natural Balance is a good formula for any cat. This is because it is made using natural ingredients that support the overall health of your cat. It is protein rich and well balance. The fact that it has no allergens is among the reasons why many cat owners like it. You can feed it to cats that are prone to allergic reactions. Nevertheless, you should take time to go over the ingredients in order to determine whether your cat is allergic to any of the ingredients.
