{"id":13762,"date":"2023-03-30T02:39:45","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T01:39:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/?p=13762"},"modified":"2024-11-27T11:58:29","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T11:58:29","slug":"cat-food-ingredients-to-avoid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/cat-food-ingredients-to-avoid\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Cat Food Ingredients to Avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finding the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/cat-care\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">right food<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for cats should be a top priority. The commercial pet food industry has many options, yet some of these options tend to be questionable and often laced with unhealthy and deadly ingredients for cats.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Around <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2013\/03\/14\/millions-of-pets-risk-early-death-from-unhealthy-junk-food-diets-3542364\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">18 million cats die due to poor diets<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and other illnesses accompanying these diets; most of these are caused by preservatives and artificial ingredients.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diseases, premature death, and other problems can be avoided for cats if their owners know what to watch out for. If you want your cat to live a long, healthy, and happy life, you should avoid these 10 potentially harmful ingredients.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h2 id='%c2%a0butylated-hydroxyanisole-bha-butylated%c2%a0-%c2%a0-hydroxytoluene-bht-ethoxyquin-glyceryl-monostearate'><b>\u00a0Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), Butylated\u00a0 \u00a0 Hydroxytoluene (BHT), Ethoxyquin, Glyceryl Monostearate<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BTA is an artificial preservative, and BHT is a chemical added to oils or fats in pet foods and treats. They are labeled safe to ingest on low doses but can cause tumors; few doses of this are unlikely to harm cats.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ethoxyquin is a pesticide and a big no-no in human food, yet some states can still legally use this on pet foods. It is harmful when swallowed or when in contact with the skin. It may infiltrate pet food as a &#8220;fish meal&#8221; on the ingredients list.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Glyceryl Monostearate is an emulsifier for cat food to prevent it from breaking down water and oil. It&#8217;s best to avoid this ingredient as it may cause cancer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin, and Glyceryl Monostearate are chemical preservatives that should be highly avoided due to their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ntp.niehs.nih.gov\/ntp\/roc\/content\/profiles\/butylatedhydroxyanisole.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">carcinogenic factors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Natural preservatives include Vitamin E (Tocopherol) or Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid). It&#8217;s better to choose cat food with these instead.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h2 id='%c2%a0%c2%a0sugars-glucose-and-dextrose'><b>\u00a0\u00a0Sugars (Glucose and Dextrose)<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sugars are typically found and used as sweeteners in cat food. It also acts as a browning agent to make cat food look appealing. Generally, sugar is not toxic for cats, but it&#8217;s best to avoid it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats can&#8217;t properly digest sugar; they are obligate carnivores, and a sugar diet is unnatural. Ingesting sugar can cause various effects on a cat, such as:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vomiting<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diarrhea<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discomfort<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These symptoms range from mild to severe and will depend on how much your cat ate and how sensitive they are to the ingredient. Long-term effects of sugar intake in cats can cause weight gain or obesity, hyperactivity (sugar rush), diabetes, and dental problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h2 id='%c2%a04d-meat-meat-and-bone-meal-and-meat-by-products'><b>\u00a04D Meat, Meat and Bone Meal, and Meat By-products<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>4D Meat, Meat and Bone Meal, and Meat By-products are common in pet food, but most meat derivatives come from any part of mammals and may originate from questionable sources.<\/p>\n<p>AAFCO describes meat and bone meal as products derived from animal tissues and bones. They can include zoo animals, roadkill, expired meat, and even euthanized animals. The rendering process destroys natural enzymes and proteins, resulting in low-quality meat that can be detrimental to your cat\u2019s overall health.<\/p>\n<p>Meat by-products, on the other hand, are non-rendered, clean parts of animals other than meat, such as lungs, kidneys, spleen, brain, and other organs. These come from slaughtered animals and consist of what remains after butchers extract human-grade meat cuts.<\/p>\n<p>4D meat refers to meat products obtained from dead, diseased, dying, or disabled animals. Essentially, unlabeled meat ingredients in cat food (e.g., &#8220;meat meal&#8221; or &#8220;animal protein&#8221;) can be red flags, as they may contain the subpar materials mentioned above.<\/p>\n<p>Such low-quality ingredients not only lack the essential nutrients cats require but may also trigger severe health issues, including chronic oral conditions like stomatitis. Cats with food sensitivities or allergies to these low-grade ingredients are at risk of developing painful inflammation in their gums and mouth. Understanding the link between poor-quality food and oral health is crucial, especially if you&#8217;re exploring options for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zumalka.com\/blogs\/blog-pet-health\/treat-cat-stomatitis-naturally-at-home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stomatitis in cats treatment at home<\/a>. A natural, holistic approach to managing this condition can significantly improve your cat\u2019s quality of life.<\/p>\n<p>One way to ensure your cat is eating healthy meat is by reading labels and opting for high-quality, human-grade ingredients. Avoiding additives, fillers, and by-products is critical to safeguarding your cat\u2019s overall health and dental hygiene.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h2 id='%c2%a0iron-oxide'><b>\u00a0Iron Oxide<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iron oxide is used on cat food to give it a meaty red color. Despite having iron in its name, it&#8217;s usually a sign of cheaply manufactured cat food. They are safe in low and small doses, but it does little to no of the nutrient factor. They&#8217;re just making food appealing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cat foods don&#8217;t need to be appealing in nature. But due to consumer nature, most cat owners prefer cat food that &#8220;looks&#8221; good to them rather than what&#8217;s natural and healthy.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h2 id='%c2%a0artificial-food-dyes-red-yellow-blue-caramel-and-carageenan'><b>\u00a0Artificial Food Dyes (Red, Yellow, Blue, Caramel, and Carageenan)<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Artificial food dyes and coloring are used to make food appealing, but it&#8217;s generally not necessary. Cats are color-blind like dogs, so bright colors or specific food colors do not affect how cats see colors in food.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23026007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">food coloring<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, such as Red 40, Red 3, and Blue 1, can cause hyperactivity issues and may contain carcinogens. Yellow 5 and 6 may have benzidine and also contain carcinogens. Caramel contains 4-methylimidazole, a known animal carcinogen (brown coloring); carrageenan (red pigment) is also known to cause animal cancer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No food coloring is proven safe for cats. So it&#8217;s better to avoid cat food with artificial coloring.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h2 id='sodium-nitrite%c2%a0'><b>Sodium Nitrite\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sodium nitrite is used as both a color and flavor enhancer for meat. It&#8217;s common to find this on commercial cat food and treats. Some companies in the United States use sodium nitrite as botulinum control against bacterial growth, but most countries do not use this due to its carcinogenic effects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When cats ingest food with sodium nitrite, it may cause their bodies&#8217; cells to produce carcinogens. It&#8217;s best to read labels and avoid sodium nitrites.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h2 id='sodium-tripolyphosphate-stpp'><b>Sodium Tripolyphosphate (STPP)<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">STPP is used in pet food as a preservative to make food look smoother and give texture, make meat appear moist and fresher, and as a dental additive to reduce calcium build-up in pets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is generally considered safe but has been listed as a <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theshoredinnerhall.com\/About-Seafood.html#:~:text=STPP%2C%20is%20a%20suspected%20neurotoxin,with%20skin%20should%20be%20avoided.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">possible neurotoxin and a mild skin irritant<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Other uses of this preservative are insecticide, fungicide, and rat killer.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h2 id='cellulose'><b>Cellulose<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cellulose contains a high amount of fiber &#8211; but the fiber it has is more of a filler ingredient in cat food. This increased amount of insoluble fiber can harshly affect your cat&#8217;s digestion and prohibit nutrient intake. Making cats poop more, but none of the nutrients are absorbed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having cellulose on the ingredients list may mean the cat food is of lower quality. Most cellulose ingredients are made of wood pulp (sawdust) from pine trees and sometimes include cardboard.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h2 id='titanium-dioxide-tio2-or-e171'><b>Titanium Dioxide (TiO2 or E171)<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TiO2 is used on pet food as a food coloring or whitener. Its bright pigments give bone-shaped pet treats their white color. Its also used in human food like chewing gum and toothpaste for its color.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Until recently, TiO2 and E171 weren\u2019t banned for human use until they were linked to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.propharmagroup.com\/thought-leadership\/titanium-dioxide-e171-ban#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20the%20European%20Food,around%20possible%20inflammation%20and%20neurotoxicity.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">health problems<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> such as inflammation and neurotoxicity. On November 25, 2021, EFSA announced its initiative to ban titanium oxide, its counterpart E171 due to its toxicity, DNA damage, lack of animal nutrition, genetic disorders, and potential carcinogenic factor.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h2 id='inorganic-phosphorus%c2%a0'><b>Inorganic Phosphorus\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organic phosphorus is known to be protein-rich and has minerals found in bone and teeth. It can also help with muscle formation, protein metabolism, energy production, and carbohydrates; its <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/dietary-phosphorus-how-much-too-cats-darren-logan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">inorganic counterparts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can cause severe renal damage to cats and harm cats with existing renal disease.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It affects a cat&#8217;s kidneys physiologically and may lead to kidney failure. Their phosphate levels grow, and parathyroid hormones&#8217; secretions increase, causing cats&#8217; kidneys to do more work removing the extra phosphate levels in their bodies, thus reducing kidney functions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember, phosphorus is healthy if you limit your cat&#8217;s calcium intake, and phosphate is good. You can ensure your cat is healthy by choosing low-phosphorus cat food and reading the labels correctly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id='bottom-line-read-labels-and-consult-your-local-vet'><b>Bottom line: Read Labels and Consult Your Local Vet<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may have already fed your cat some of the ingredients on this list, but don\u2019t fret. Little doses of these ingredients won\u2019t have much effect if you stop and switch to a much healthier quality cat food.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One way to ensure your cat is healthy and getting their appropriate nutrients is always to read the labels of cat foods and ask your local vet what dietary needs or specific ingredients your cat\u2019s food should have. Always know that changing your cat\u2019s food will never be too late.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Finding the right food for cats should be a top priority. The commercial pet food industry has many options, yet some of these options tend to be questionable and often laced with unhealthy and deadly ingredients for cats. Around 18 million cats die due to poor diets and other illnesses accompanying these diets; most of [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/cat-food-ingredients-to-avoid\/\">Read More&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> from Top 10 Cat Food Ingredients to Avoid<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":13766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cats","category-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13762"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13762\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}