Cat food flavors

[woodsygirl]

Jili, I understand what you are saying and have had the same problems. But in reguards to the sodium nitrate... it's an artifical coloring and preservative that is toxic to cats and is very different than feeding your kids hot dogs. It's like giving chocolate to your cats because you feel it's safe to give chocolate to your kids. Different bodies can handle different things. If you are looking for a good canned food at Petsmart try Authority, it's Petsmarts generic brand. I think it's .49 for a small can and the ingredients are really good. If you haven't seen it, check around for it. I think your cat would like it, mine did

 

[jili]

Thanks for that info, Woodsygirl. I will look more into that ingredient on Fancy Feast labels, and I plan to check out the Authority brand. I have to say that is the only brand at Petsmart I haven't investigated, snobbily, I admit because it is the store brand and I made the assumption that it probably wasn't worth looking into. thanks!

 

[nern]

Originally posted by octoberdana
One of the speciality pet stores here in my town has a pet nutrionist. She said that by-products are not the beaks and feathers, but the heart, liver, etc. They cut the feet and the beaks and feathers off the chicken before they send it to the plant that makes the pet food. I thought that was interesting.

Im sure it depends on the supplier of the individual pet food company but according to the AAFCO feet and heads can be included but not feathers.

Here is the AAFCO definition for Poultry By-Products:
Poultry By-Products are non-rendered fresh, clean parts of carcasses of slaughtered poultry such as heads, feet, and visera . Exclusive of feces, feathers or foreign matter, except in unavoidable trace amounts.

Here is the AAFCO definition for Poultry Meal:
Poultry Meal is the dry rendered product form a combination of clean flesh and skin with or without accompying bone, derived from the parts of whole carcasses of poultry or a combination of them,with no feathers, heads, feet, or entrails.


(These definitions were taken out of "The Dog Food Book" by Weitzman and Becker)

 

[octoberdana]

This is so confusing because the AAFCO definition of meat by-products is:

Meat By-products -"Meat by-products is 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 hoofs. It shall be suitable for use in animal food. If it bears name descriptive of its kind, it must correspond thereto."

 

[abby7625]

Anyone make their own cat food? After reading this it almost seems easier to make it than to buy it. At least then you would know exactly what is in the food.

 

[woodsygirl]

Quite honestly, the meat part of by-products do not bother me... meaning the hooves (I mean, they are in gelatin and we eat that!) etc. What concerns me about by-products are... the possiblity that they include blood soaked wood shavings and other non-edible parts from the production of meat, but those are just my feelings

Abby- I've considered making my own cat food, but to be honest, at this point I'm just not ready for that. I think it takes a lot more skill than I have right now, I mean, I have a hard time figuring out what to cook for my own dinner... LOL.

 

[jcat]

Originally posted by nern
Im sure it depends on the supplier of the individual pet food company but according to the AAFCO feet and heads can be included but not feathers.

Here is the AAFCO definition for Poultry By-Products:
Poultry By-Products are non-rendered fresh, clean parts of carcasses of slaughtered poultry such as heads, feet, and visera . Exclusive of feces, feathers or foreign matter, except in unavoidable trace amounts.

Here is the AAFCO definition for Poultry Meal:
Poultry Meal is the dry rendered product form a combination of clean flesh and skin with or without accompying bone, derived from the parts of whole carcasses of poultry or a combination of them,with no feathers, heads, feet, or entrails.


(These definitions were taken out of "The Dog Food Book" by Weitzman and Becker)

That's why I only buy imported food observing the AAFCO standards. Unfortunately, because of all the import license hassles, there aren't too many premium brands from North America available here, though the situation is improving.