Thoughts on Cat food additives - hard to avoid everything

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Julie and Honey

Julie and Honey

Member Since 2018
Hello all,

I am sure some of this has been brought up in the past, but was hoping some people may have current info and cover it in one post.

Once you start doing research very hard to find something that is not only low carb, wet, but no “bad” ingredients. I found a couple that sounded good and then I see xanthan gum which can cause tummy upset in some cats or agar agar which is similar to carrageenan and that is not good from what I hear. Some others very healthy but then I see peas which adds carbs. Then there is menadione sodium bisulphite type of vitamin K, that is not supposed to be the best vs. other type of vitamin K. Then there’s are some cans that still have liners with BPA. Also need to add some fiber as I am having to give her Miralax at the moment since removing the dry. Losing my mind. I have probably spent a good 10 hours researching food.

I guess the most helpful to know since it seems almost impossible to find a food without something undesirable in it would be:

Which is worse, agar agar (similar to carrageenan?)

Or

menadione sodium bisulphite type of vitamin K ( I know AAFCO says this is okay, but there is research to the contrary)

I am happy with Fancy Feast chicken pate and meets all criteria except it has the undesirable type of vitamin K, menadione sodium bisulphite. Also feed Tiki chicken, which is great ingredients, but not as filling as pate, so I give her a little of each throughout the day.

Also thinking of adding a tiny bit of canned pumpkin mixed in to add some fiber. She is getting under 3% carbs with what she is eating now and pumpkin is not too high in carbs.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!!!
 
There's NO "perfect" food out there unless you make it yourself so you can control what's in it.

You'll drive yourself crazy trying to find one!

You can find negative information about just about everything these days, so all you can really do is the best you can.

I don't think one ingredient is a "make or break" in my decision on what I feed. I feed the best I can afford that's low carb and that China will eat.

Adding a little pumpkin is fine and may help if you're having problems with constipation. Lots of people here add pumpkin
 
Thanks, heading to pet store now, will stick with FF pate for now and try adding a little pumpkin too. Currently not working, so FF is reasonable for my budget and she likes it.
 
Oh, I feel your pain! When I was selecting foods, I selected a few I was interested in and put their ingredients side-by-side in a spreadsheet to see what ingredients they all had in common vs those that were different, and I started researching individual ingredients. Then, there is the testing to see what your cat actually likes. I landed on Weruva Chicken Frick A Zee for my girls, but there are a few little things I would tweak about even that recipe, if I could. You just have to find the best available option that your cat likes and you can afford and go with it. Nothing is perfect!
 
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