The pet food industry can be confusing, with countless brands promising the best nutrition for your feline friend. However, many popular cat food brands are filled with low-quality ingredients, plant-based proteins, and chemical preservatives that can harm your cat’s health. These brands are often owned by the same companies that produce processed junk food for humans. If these companies prioritize profits over human health, can we truly trust them to provide healthy food for our cats?
Many cat owners have learned the hard way that not all cat food is created equal. Cats fed primarily dry food often develop health problems such as diabetes, liver disease, cancer, and obesity. Some cats even succumb to kidney failure at a young age.
This guide aims to help cat parents navigate the confusing world of cat food labels and identify brands that prioritize their cat’s well-being. By understanding the ingredients and manufacturing processes behind these foods, you can make informed decisions and choose healthier options for your furry companion. As a pet nutritionist, I often recommend a healthy raw diet for cats. Raw food is a more natural and species-appropriate option than the processed kibble offered by many of these brands.
Worst Cat Food Brands: An Overview
Before diving into specific brands, it’s important to understand the criteria used to evaluate cat food quality. This guide relies on four key factors:
- Cat Food Manufacturer: Identifying the parent company behind the brand is crucial, as many seemingly distinct brands are owned by the same large corporations.
- AAFCO Product Name Rules: The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) establishes rules for naming cat food products, which dictate the minimum and maximum amounts of named ingredients.
- AAFCO Ingredient Definitions: AAFCO also provides definitions for various ingredients, including meat by-products, which can include rendered meats from various sources.
- Guaranteed Analysis: This analysis provides information on the nutritional content of the food, including protein, fat, and fiber. However, it does not always include carbohydrates, which must be calculated separately.
Understanding these four factors is essential for interpreting cat food labels and identifying potentially harmful products.
Cat Food Brands to Avoid
This section will examine several cat food brands owned by major corporations, highlighting their ingredients, nutritional content, and potential health risks.
Mars Petcare Cat Food Brands
Mars is a massive conglomerate that owns numerous human and pet food brands, including M&Ms, Tasty Bites, Royal Canin, Sheba, Whiskas, Iams, Nutro, Temptations, and Greenies.
Royal Canin
Royal Canin’s oral care formula is about 46% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Chicken meal
- Corn
- Brewers rice
- Chicken fat
- Wheat gluten
This food, marketed for oral care, contains three of the first five ingredients that are carbohydrates. Cats lack amylase in their saliva, making it difficult to break down carbohydrates in their mouths.
A study has shown that inorganic phosphates, when given in excess, can cause renal issues in cats.
Greenies
Greenies dental treats are approximately 48% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Chicken meal
- Ground wheat
- Brewers rice
- Corn gluten meal
- Poultry fat
These treats have even more carbohydrates than Royal Canin’s oral care formula, with minimal meat content.
Temptations
Temptations cat treats are about 37% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Chicken by-product meal
- Ground corn
- Animal fat
- Brewers rice
- Wheat flour
The product name includes the words “chicken flavor”, meaning the product has no minimum requirement for chicken.
Nestle Cat Food Brands
Nestle owns almost half of the cat food brands on the market, including Friskies, Fancy Feast, Beyond, Deli Cat, Muse, Kit & Kaboodle, Kitten/Cat Chow, Purina ONE, Purina ProPlan, and Purina ProPlan Veterinary Diet.
Friskies (Wet)
Friskies wet cat food “with beef in gravy” is about 23% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Water
- Meat by-products
- Beef
- Wheat gluten
- Chicken
This food includes meat by-products. These are leftovers that aren’t good enough for human consumption.
Friskies (Dry)
Friskies dry cat food is about 47% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Ground yellow corn
- Corn gluten meal
- Chicken by-product meal
- Soybean meal
- Beef tallow
There’s no actual meat in this product! It also includes color additives yellow 5, yellow 6, and red 40. These color additives can damage DNA cells and contribute to cancer.
Fancy Feast
Fancy Feast cat food is about 19% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Fish broth
- Salmon
- Wheat gluten
- Liver
- Meat by-products
Three out of the first five ingredients are mystery meats.
Purina ONE
Purina ONE wet cat food is about 11% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Chicken
- Liver
- Broth
- Pork lungs
- Fish
Again, there are some mystery ingredients.
Purina ProPlan
Purina ProPlan cat food is about 27% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Lamb
- Rice
- Corn gluten meal
- Dried egg product
- Soy protein isolate
Muscle meat is approximately 75% moisture. Moisture is removed during the three cooking (extrusion) processes in which kibble is made. Carbohydrates, however, are already dried when they’re added to kibble.
JM Smucker Cat Food Brands
JM Smucker owns brands like Rachel Ray Nutrish, 9Lives, MeowMix, and Natural Balance.
Rachel Ray Nutrish
Rachel Ray Nutrish cat food is about 39% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Chicken
- Chicken meal
- Dried peas
- Pea flour
- Turkey meal
Grain-free does not mean carb-free. There are also several class-action lawsuits against Rachel Ray pet food.
9Lives (Wet)
9Lives wet cat food is about 18% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Meat by-products
- Water
- Poultry by-products
- Chicken
- Fish
What type of meat? What type of by-products? Which kind of poultry? What type of fish?
9Lives (Dry)
9Lives dry cat food is about 47% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Whole ground corn
- Chicken by-product meal
- Corn gluten meal
- Soybean meal
- Whole wheat
Almost 50% carbohydrates.
MeowMix
MeowMix cat food is about 27% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Fish broth
- Chicken
- Fish
- Wheat gluten
- Ocean fish
The first ingredient in all of them is mystery meat. A few other questionable ingredients include sugar, guar gum, carrageenan, and modified food starch.
Colgate-Palmolive Cat Food Brands
Colgate-Palmolive owns Hill’s Pet food.
Hill’s Prescription Diet
Hill’s Prescription Diet cat food is about 31% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Chicken by-product meal
- Brewer’s rice
- Corn gluten meal
- Powdered cellulose
- Dried tomato pumice
There is no actual meat in this food.
Hill’s Wet
Hill’s wet cat food is about 43% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Water
- Chicken
- Turkey giblets
- Pork by-products
- Pork liver
We see more by-products. The rest of the ingredients aren’t good for digestion.
General Mills Cat Food Brands
General Mills, a cereal company, owns all Blue Buffalo products, including Blue Freedom, Blue Wilderness, Blue Basics, Blue Carnivora, Blue True Solutions, Blue Freedom, Blue Natural Veterinary Diet.
Blue Freedom
Blue Freedom cat food is about 41% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Deboned chicken
- Chicken meal
- Tapioca starch
- Peas
- Pea protein
Free of grains and gluten. But, again, grain-free does not mean carb-free.
Blue Basics
Blue Basics cat food is about 29% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Turkey
- Turkey broth
- Turkey liver
- Potatoes
- Natural flavor
It says limited ingredients, but still contains questionable ingredients like carrageenan, cassia gum, guar gum, and mystery fish oil.
Blue Wilderness
Blue Wilderness cat food is about 40% carbohydrates on a dry matter basis. The first five ingredients are:
- Deboned chicken
- Chicken meal
- Tapioca starch
- Pea protein
- Peas
It says high-protein and grain-free. But, 40% carbohydrates.
Switching to a Healthier Diet
If you’re concerned about the quality of your cat’s current food, it’s essential to transition to a healthier option. A species-appropriate raw diet is a natural option.
Conclusion: Empowering Cat Owners to Make Informed Choices
Choosing the right cat food can be daunting, but understanding the ingredients and manufacturing processes behind these products is essential for your cat’s health. By avoiding the brands listed above and opting for higher-quality, species-appropriate diets, you can empower yourself to make informed choices and provide your feline companion with the nutrition they need to thrive.
