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What’s Wrong With Byproducts in Cat Food – Most cat experts suggest using premium brands of cat food that do not include ingredients such as meat byproducts and chicken meal. However, feral cats consume entire rodents or birds, leaving only the feathers or head in certain cases. The cat basically eats the whole body of an animal.
What’s Wrong With Byproducts in Cat Food
Cheaper brands that do not contain too many carbohydrate fillers seem to be more in line with a natural diet than premium brands, so why isn’t this the case?
Byproducts in Cat Food
Meat byproducts can refer to clean and nutrient-rich organ meats such as lungs, spleen, liver, kidneys, stomach, and intestines that are cleaned of their contents. They are not allowed to contain hide, hooves, horn, or teeth. Meat meal is then cooked (rendered) to get rid of any bacterial contaminants and subsequently dried.
Although it is true that wild cats consume the whole body of their catch (including the head in some cases), “meat byproducts” has become a negative term for many cat food experts because of its misapplication by some members of the industry. As a result, many experts recommend avoiding all byproducts.
What’s Wrong With Byproducts in Cat Food
The creators of the Feline Future website studied the ingredients and nutritional properties of foods that cats eat in the wild over the course of a decade or more, and their findings led to the Feline Future raw food diet for cats.
This diet has set the standard for raw feeding to this day. The diet uses a larger percentage of meat to internal organs, and they add chicken hearts and livers (excellent taurine sources) only in limited amounts due to the risks of Vitamin A overdose.
In summary, a named byproduct (for example, “chicken byproduct meal”) may be okay, but it should not be the first ingredient listed on a cat food label. Unfortunately, the exact proportion of individual ingredients cannot be determined by weight.
Although the label may state that protein makes up 30% of the product’s weight, that protein would include meat, byproducts, eggs, certain grains, and other protein forms present in the can or bag of cat food. As a result, it is preferable to see named byproducts appearing farther down on the list.
Carbohydrate Fillers
Numerous less costly brands of dry cat food include high levels of carbohydrate fillers, frequently in the form of corn, which may be difficult for some cats to digest. In addition, some cats are allergic to corn.
What’s Wrong With Byproducts in Cat Food
However, many premium brands of dry food also contain high levels of carbohydrate fillers. These dry ingredients are necessary for shaping the food nuggets efficiently in the extrusion manufacturing process that uses heat. Some dry food brands do not use grain fillers, but some of these foods still contain carbohydrates.
Complete and Balanced Cat Food
The nutritional adequacy statement is the most critical element of any pet food label. Look for the statement “complete and balanced,” which signifies that the product contains all the nutrients that your cat requires in the appropriate ratios. If you see “complete and balanced” on the label, the product should not have an excess of carbohydrates.
What are byproducts in cat food?
Byproducts in cat food are the non-muscle animal parts such as organs, bones, and cartilage that are not typically consumed by humans.
Are byproducts in cat food safe for cats to eat?
Yes, byproducts in cat food can be safe for cats to eat as long as they come from a reputable source and are properly processed and cooked to remove any potential bacteria.
Do byproducts in cat food contain important nutrients for cats?
Yes, byproducts can be a good source of essential nutrients for cats such as protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Why do some people avoid feeding their cats byproducts in their food?
Some people avoid feeding their cats byproducts due to concerns about the quality and sourcing of the ingredients, as well as personal preferences for using whole meats in their cat’s diet.
Are there any byproducts that should be avoided in cat food?
Byproducts such as hair, hooves, and feathers should be avoided in cat food as they do not provide nutritional benefits and can be difficult for cats to digest. It’s important to choose cat food brands that use high-quality byproducts from reputable sources.
