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kalikshama -> RE: What the HELL is it with cats????? (7/21/2012 8:57:04 PM)
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quote:
And mind you we have tried feeding them nicer food, and they will not eat it.
When I switched to a brand of cat food that did not contain byproducts, potential carcinogens and other crap, I mixed in a teaspoon or so of baby food to encourage them to eat it, which worked.
What cat food ingredients should I avoid?
Pioneers such as Ann Martin, with her book, "Foods Pets Die For," have raised new consumer awareness about the ingredients in commercial pet foods, including cat food. Although much more information can be found about choosing quality cat food for your cats in my article, "Tips for Choosing Cat Food," I'll synopsize the ingredients you should avoid here:
- BHT, BHA, and ethoxyquin
These are chemical preservatives which are very effective at preserving dry cat food, but are suspected to be potentially cancer-causing agents. In recent years, many pet food manufacturers have moved toward using more "natural" preservatives, such as Vitamins C and E.
- Meat By-Products
The AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officers) defines meat by-products as " The non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low-temperature fatty tissue and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hooves." Besides the fact that you don't know what species of animal the "meat" comes from, by-products as a rule are considered an inferior form of the protein which cats need.
- Meat Meal, Meat By-Product Meal
"Meal" is generally produced by rendering, a process which raises a red flag to cat enthusiasts. I would definitely recommend avoiding cat foods containing these ingredients.
See also the FAQ on ingredients to look for in cat food. And for a more complete discussion of how to read cat food labels, check out Understanding Cat Food Labels.
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