Question About Purina Pro Plan

humpampa

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Hi everyone

I'm sorry if this question seem silly and a little bit funny, but as a muslim I'm completely forbidden to touch any pork products. So I wish you won't judge me based on this question, I just need some information and confirmation :)

So my question is about Purina Pro Plan ingredients

One of ingredient in Purina Pro Plan is "animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of vitamin E)", my question is what kind of "animal fat" they use on this product?

On one site (https://www.justrightpetfood.com/ingredients/fat/animal-fat-mixed-tocopherolsthere) there is explanation that "Animal Fat (naturally preserved with mixed-tocopherols) is beef fat that has been naturally preserved with a form of vitamin E.". Also in Purina's site (Dog and Cat Food Ingredients | Purina) they said "Animal fat is an energy source derived from cattle".

But, I become confused, if "Animal Fat" is just "beef/cattle fat" only, why they just don't call it "beef fat" on their ingredients?

I wish someone can explain this to me, because Purina Pro Plan is the only premium cat food that can be easily bought at my place :)

Thank you
 

Azazel

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It’s hard to know. The pet food industry gets away with listing general terms in ingredients lists that aren’t clearly defined. I would just abstain from feeding Purina in general since it’s not that good of a brand and use something where you know there is no pork in it. There are lots of better brands on the market such as Rawz, Feline Natural, Weruva, to name a few.
 

FeebysOwner

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Both Beef fat and Animal fat are listed separately, but yet in their descriptions they indicate 'beef/cattle', so I too am unclear. I would imagine you would have to contact Purina with a list of the specific ones you feed your cat and ask directly if any of them contain pork or pork by-products. Of all the proteins they do list, pork is not one of them, but I suppose that doesn't mean they don't use it in their Animal Fat.
 

Kieka

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The pet food industry can be tricky. If they are specifically saying cattle and beef it likely isnt pork. I would contact Purina directly and see if they can give you a direct answer to the question of if it could contain pork fat.

If you'd like to share what other brands you have access too and your country (since formulas sometimes vary by country) we could see if one of them would be a better choice. I know there are areas where Purina Pro Plan is the best choice but it could be that there is a better choice. Price doesn't always mean it is better when it comes to food.
 

Willowy

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In AAFCO terms, "animal" and "meat" refer to cows, pigs, sheep, and goats. So they probably can't guarantee that it's pork-free. "Meat by-product meal" often contains pork too.

I know that Purina has special foods they sell in India (beef-free) and I imagine there's probably something for Muslims too. You could ask them if they have any recommendations about that. If your country is majority-Muslim, they may already send the pork-free food there.
 
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humpampa

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Thank you very much everyone for your kindly reply :)

Based on your suggestion, I have contacted Proplan for more information, I will update soon when they have contacted me back

Meanwhile, Kieka Kieka I am from Indonesia, so yes the cats food products in my country is limited compared to US

As background story, I currently have 6 indoor only cats (which all I adopted from stray cats), I also feeding another 15-20 stray cats outside my home.

So I have 2 concerns: the quality of cat food product, and also the pricing of the cat food :)

For stray cats outside my home, as for now I only able to give them the cheapest cat food product I can afford (I need 2kg per day just for them). I wish some day I could afford the better cat food for them.

But for my adopted cats (my indoor only cats), I want to give them a much better option. In my country there are several international cat food brands (like Royal Canin, Purina, Whiskas) and also many local products. Here are several cat food variants that I can easily access (including their ingredients), may be you can give me suggestion which cat food product is the best?

Especially I also need to make sure they pork free product (some cat food brands in my country already been certified as halal (pork free) product, but unfortunately many of them are considered as low quality cat food product because most of their ingredients are made from corn). For this list I also including local products which claim as "holistic cat food".

1. Purina Proplan HouseCat (https://www.purina.com.au/Brands/Purina-Pro-Plan/cat-range/Adult-Housecat-with-Optirenal)
Chicken (dehydrated chicken, chicken); corn protein; whole grain wheat and bran; natural fibres (beet pulp, cellulose and rice fibre); dehydrated fish; animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of vitamin E); minerals, vitamins, amino acids, organic acids and natural flavours (including calcium, phosphorous, sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, iron, iodine, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, folic acid, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, choline, pyrophosphates, arginine, beta-carotene); chicory; barley; fish and/or vegetable oils; legume protein; natural antioxidants.

2. Equilibrio Dry Adult Cats (EquilÃbrio Adult Cats | Equilíbrio Excellence in Nutrition)
Deboned chicken, Brewers rice, Fish meal, Poultry by product meal, Ground yellow corn**, Corn gluten meal**, Powdered Cellulose, Brewers dried yeast, Poultry liver, Ground flaxseed, Poultry fat (preserved with natural mixed tocopherols and rosemary oil), Hydrolyzed deboned chicken, Fish oil, Beet pulp, Inulin, Dicalcium phosphate, Choline chloride, DL-methionine, Taurine, Salt, Mannan-oligosacharides, Probiotic, Sodium bisulfate, Mineral oil, Psyllium, Potassium chloride, Yucca schidigera extract, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Vitamin premix, Mineral Premix Chelate.
**Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Bacillus thuringiensis, Streptomyces viridochromogenes, Zea mays.

3. Im Organic Dry Cat Food (this is local brand Growth and Adult)
Chicken, Salmon, Tuna, Shrimp, Brewer Rice, Wheat Flour, Folic Acid, Fish Oil, Dried Plant Beet Pulp, Flaxseed, DL-methionine, Potatoes, Powdered Cellulose, Salmon Oil, Salt, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Dried Kelp, Carrots, Peas, Apples, Tomatoes, Blueberries, Spinach, Cranberries, Rosemary Extract, Parsley Flake, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Fermentation Products of Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacilus Acidophilius, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamins

4. Caesar Dry Cat Food (this is local brand Cat Food - Caesar Jac’O Kennel & Shop)
Salmon, Goat Meat, Apples, Carrots, Tomatoes, Brown Rice, Salmon Oil, Chickpeas

Other products like Whiskas, Purina Friskies also available, but from references I read they are not considered as "good" cat food?

Wish you can give me suggestion which cat food product is better for my cats (and also pork free :) ), if you have another suggestion I'm completely open

Thank you so much
 

Kieka

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The purina worries me with the corn protein as the second ingredient, that means the protein percentage has a fairly heavy amount of plant protein which cats can't use well. The 2nd and 4th options have fairly high fat content that would concern me if any of the cats have a weight problem but 3 is a little lower then I would like.

Based on the nutrition profile and ingredient order, I would probably feed the fourth. I am not a fan of the fillers but the first two ingredients are named meats. The 3rd and 2nd aren't bad as a whole but powdered cellulose is one of those ewww ingredients for me (it's the stuff they put on shredded cheese to keep it from sticking to itself but in pet food it's usually lower quality and similar to fine sawdust, fiber plant filler).

If there are any wet food options, even just doing one wet meal a day or mixing some in with the dry would be good too.
 
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humpampa

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Thank you Kieka Kieka for your kindle advice :)

Based on your advice (and availability of the product in my place) I think I will choose number 3rd and 4th for now.

For wet food I use Whiskas for Southeast Asia version (because I see the ingredients are different with another country), here are the list of ingredients I saw on the can:

Tuna, Sardine, Mackerel, Gelling agents, Soy bean oil, Vitamins and minerals, Taurine

I think this is good enough as food complementer?
 
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humpampa

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How about these cat food? Are these better than another variants I have mentioned before? :)

5. Happy Cat Sensitive Poultry (Happy Cat – Sensitive Poultry | Dry cat food)
Poultry protein (23%)**, rice flour (22%), rice protein (19.5%), poultry fat, potato flakes (5%), hydrolysed liver, cellulose, sunflower oil, beet pulp* (desugared), sodium chloride, apple pomace* (0.5%), yeast*, rapeseed oil, sodium chloride, seaweed* (0.2%), linseed (0.2%), yucca schidigera* (0.04%), chicory root* (0.04%), yeast* (extract), milk thistle, artichoke, dandelion, ginger, birch leaves, nettle, camomile, coriander, rosemary, sage, meadowsweet, thyme (total dried herbs: 0.18%); (** partially hydrolysed , * dried). Metabolisable energy: 1645 KJ/100g; 3930 Kcal/kg

6. Sheba Wet Food Tuna & Salmon
Tuna, Whitefish, Salmon, Thickening Agents, Water
 

Kieka

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Sheba is the better of those two.

Happy Cat has way too much rice and plant protein to be good for a cat.
 
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humpampa

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Thank you Kieka Kieka for your advice :)

I just received the confirmation from Purina, they said: "Please note our animal fat source may also contain, that is derived from beef, pork and/or poultry. It provides both energy and essential fatty acids."

So my conclusion I think I will go with Im Organic and Caesar plus wet food :)

Thank you everyone
 

MoonstoneWolf

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BTW: Purina changed the recipes to all their pet food in April and they should have been hitting the stores this past week so if your cat once loved Purina and now won't touch it that's why. Some people have been reporting sickness, like vomiting and diarrhea. Not all cats are affected but my cousin's son works at Purina and told me this. Not to scare but just to keep an eye out
 

kittenmittens84

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BTW: Purina changed the recipes to all their pet food in April and they should have been hitting the stores this past week so if your cat once loved Purina and now won't touch it that's why. Some people have been reporting sickness, like vomiting and diarrhea. Not all cats are affected but my cousin's son works at Purina and told me this. Not to scare but just to keep an eye out
Source? Or any more info?
 

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H humpampa Do you have access to any foods for allergies or other special diets, by any company? They often have limited ingredients and ingredients lists that are more specific, that actually list protein sources by animal.

A Azazel Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Rice Formula saved my cat’s life. I’d refrain from blanket statements.
 

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A Azazel Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Rice Formula saved my cat’s life. I’d refrain from blanket statements.
I'm glad that it appears that the food saved your cat's life. Here are its ingredients:

Lamb, Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Dried Egg Product, Soy Protein Isolate, Chicken Meal, Fish Meal, Soybean Meal, Wheat Flour, Animal Fat Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols, Animal Liver Flavor, Oat Meal, Soybean Oil, Inulin, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, Calcium Carbonate, Phosphoric Acid, Salt, Zinc Proteinate, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Manganese Proteinate, DL-Methionine, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Copper Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Biotin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K), Sodium Selenite. J-4617.

Given that we know that cats are obligate carnivores, these ingredients, including corn gluten meal, rice, soy protein isolate, soybean meal, and wheat flour, among others, are completely inappropriate for cats. This, plus the multiple cases of animal deaths and lawsuits against Purina in the past make me feel that my statement that Purina is "not that good of a brand" is warranted. You can definitely disagree, but I probably won't change my mind.
 

Sugar Plum

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A Azazel It doesn’t “appear” that it saved her life - her vets agree, it did.

She couldn’t tolerate any protein & had stopped tolerating hydrolyzed protein. She was almost put down, because she weighed less than half what she should.

Tests, scans, x-rays, etc. revealed nothing. Euthanasia was recommended, rather than slow starvation. They had the needle ready; she was nearly PTS April 24, 2017.

Then a receptionist suggested we try something unconventional, since the alternative was certain death. Cue Purina Pro Plan.

As someone else here said when my kitten would only eat junk, the best food in the world is useless inside of a can (or, in this case, vomited up).

Since the OP doesn’t seem to have many options, ruling out one right away seems extreme.
 

Azazel

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A Azazel It doesn’t “appear” that it saved her life - her vets agree, it did.

She couldn’t tolerate any protein & had stopped tolerating hydrolyzed protein. She was almost put down, because she weighed less than half what she should.

Tests, scans, x-rays, etc. revealed nothing. Euthanasia was recommended, rather than slow starvation. They had the needle ready; she was nearly PTS April 24, 2017.

Then a receptionist suggested we try something unconventional, since the alternative was certain death. Cue Purina Pro Plan.

As someone else here said when my kitten would only eat junk, the best food in the world is useless inside of a can (or, in this case, vomited up).

Since the OP doesn’t seem to have many options, ruling out one right away seems extreme.
Again, I am glad that it worked out for you. I do not take back my statement that Purina is not a good brand. It is completely possible that the branding company is not a “good” brand when considering all possible brands on the market and at the same time eating the Purina food was a good change for your cat. There are many reasons why the change in food may have coincided with your cat feeling better. It doesn’t necessarily imply that Purina is a good brand. These are not mutually exclusive. My suggestion came before we knew that the OP is limited in their choices. In that case it is understandable if they have to feed Purina. I’m not quite sure why you’re getting so offended over my opinion of Purina. I don’t think being emotionally invested in any brand is a good idea.
 
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Sugar Plum

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A Azazel No one asked you to take a statement back nor to endorse Purina Pro Plan, merely to let others express their different experiences than yours.

My cat's former problems would take much to much time to detail; they span half a decade. This food is the only thing that fixed her. I presented it as an anecdotal, single cat case, not some peer reviewed longitudinal study, simply to encourage the OP not to dismiss any brand out of hand.

I acknowledge that your suggestions came before we knew of the limited choices; I should pay more attention to timelines.

Do me the courtesy of not presuming to know my feelings. I'm not emotionally invested in this or any other brand, though I am profoundly grateful to them for saving Holly.

I'm bowing out of this discussion and feel badly for the OP. Their thread has been hijacked. :(
 

Azazel

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A Azazel No one asked you to take a statement back nor to endorse Purina Pro Plan, merely to let others express their different experiences than yours.

My cat's former problems would take much to much time to detail; they span half a decade. This food is the only thing that fixed her. I presented it as an anecdotal, single cat case, not some peer reviewed longitudinal study, simply to encourage the OP not to dismiss any brand out of hand.

I acknowledge that your suggestions came before we knew of the limited choices; I should pay more attention to timelines.

Do me the courtesy of not presuming to know my feelings. I'm not emotionally invested in this or any other brand, though I am profoundly grateful to them for saving Holly.

I'm bowing out of this discussion and feel badly for the OP. Their thread has been hijacked. :(
You specifically called me out in a post and I responded to you. Sorry you didn’t like what I had to say.
 
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