5 Cat Food Red Flags

Welcome to Tuesday’s Cats.com Newsletter.

In today’s newsletter, we’ll talk about how to quickly narrow down your cat food options at the pet store. You’ll also learn some red flags that mean you should put a product back on the shelf.
 
We’re approaching the finish line! You’ve helped us get closer to our $2,000 goal, but more is needed with just five days left in our fundraiser!

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The Options Really Are Endless.

When I adopted my first two cats, Bagel and Munchkin, I knew nothing about cat food. I bought what the rescue coordinator recommended but soon came to find it wasn’t a good fit for my budget. So I started shopping around. 
 
I don’t know how long I spent wandering the cat food aisle at my local Petco, but eventually all the product labels started to look the same. I had no idea what differentiated one product from another, let alone which ones would be appropriate for my cats. 
 
I ended up choosing a brand that was familiar—Friskies. It’s probably not the product I’d choose today, knowing what I do now, but I recognized the name from the commercials, and the price was right. 
 
Whether you’re a new cat owner or not, shopping for cat food can be overwhelming. Let’s talk about some simple ways to narrow down the options.

5 Cat Food Red Flags.

If you’re reading this mailer, the odds are good that you already know a little something about cat food. Maybe you’ve read a few in-depth reviews or a product round-up or two. You might be familiar with buzz words like “human-grade” and have some sense of what AAFCO is.

Regardless of your degree of knowledge, however, the overwhelming array of options can make choosing a cat food a long and frustrating process. If you’re not exactly sure what you’re looking for, an alternative strategy to start narrowing things down is to know what you want to avoid.

• It’s not formulated for your cat’s life stage (for example, an adult cat food when you have a growing kitten).
• There’s no statement of nutritional adequacy (“Cat Food X is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO cat food nutrient profiles for all life stages”).
• It’s intended for supplemental feeding only (and you’re looking for a nutritionally complete staple diet).
• The first ingredient isn’t animal-based (like rice or corn instead of chicken meal or turkey).
• It contains artificial additives like food dyes, synthetic flavors, and preservatives.

Keeping an eye out for these red flags can help you hone in on a high-quality product. And don’t feel like you have to evaluate every recipe a brand has to offer. If one or two recipes have red flags, it’s likely others within the product line will, too.

There’s No Perfect Cat Food.

Your cat relies on you to provide for their nutritional needs. But don’t stress out about it. The truth is there is no “best” cat food…there’s just food that’s best for your individual cat. 
 
I’m not just talking about ingredient quality or nutrient values, either. It’s completely valid to shop within your budget. And if your cat loves the crunch of their kibble but turns up their nose at a certain wet food, that’s OK, too. Every cat is different!
 
What matters most is that you’re giving your cat a diet that meets their needs for calories and essential nutrients. (And they should enjoy the flavor and texture, too.) 
 
Want to learn more about some of our favorite cat food brands? Check out the Cat Food Reviews section on the Cats.com YouTube channel. 

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A Sneak Peek At Friday's Newsletter.

You’ve heard of emotional support animals, but are they really a thing? In Friday’s mailer, we’ll talk about whether your cat truly can sense how you’re feeling.