|
For many cat lovers,
the primary source of information on the nutritional
benefits of the food they serve their pets will come
from the label on package. This makes it essential that
you know how to read and understand cat food labels.
Being familiar with the language of cat food labels will
help you provide your pet with the best food possible. A
good way to start selecting the cat food that’s best
suited for your pet is a point-by-point “walk through”
of the products at your local store.
An informed reading of cat food labels will give you answers to some important questions:
Portion Size – Different foods are made up of
different ingredients and have different caloric values.
As a result, the recommended portion size may vary from
one variety of food to another. You should check the
portion recommendation on the label before feeding your
cats. Remember though, that the portions listed on the
label are just recommendations intended to be used as a
starting point. Since different cats have different
metabolisms, they will burn up food at different rates.
You will have to use common sense to adjust portions up
or down to keep your pets at the most healthy weight
level. If you feed two different types of food such as
dry and canned, the portion sizes of each should be
“blended” to make sure your cat is being offered the
proper amount of food.
Cost and Value – You can calculate the value of
food based on three factors: the price of the food, the
size of the package and the recommended portion size.
Dry food almost always offers the best cost value, but
there are other factors that can influence a decision to
feed your pet canned or moist varieties, such as
palatability and moisture content. Food sold in larger
packages will almost always be cheaper per portion than
smaller- sized alternatives. Yet if a package of food is
not used before it goes rancid, it is better to purchase
smaller quantities.
Freshness – The expiration date on the food
should always be checked to determine if the food will
remain fresh before the entire package is consumed by
your pet. If you ever see out-of-date food on the shelf
of a store, inform a manager on duty.
Ingredients and Nutritional Benefits – Price is
important, but the most critical factor in choosing any
food is how well it delivers nutritional benefits to the
cat. Package labels can help you evaluate the relative
nutritional benefits of different foods. In order to
take advantage of the help labels offer, however, you
must know how to read them. If you want more information
on pet food labels, visit the website of the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), at www.fda.gov/cvm/petlabel.htm.
Food Maker - A
cat food label will tell you if the company
whose name is on the bag or can actually made the food
inside. If the label reads “manufactured by,” followed
by the name of the company, then that company actually
made the food that bears its name. On the other hand, if
the wording on the label is “manufactured for” or
“distributed by,” then the food was made by a third
party for the company. The label should also state the
country in which the food product was made. Many labels
will also include a toll-free number that you can call to reach the cat food company with questions.
Guaranteed Analysis - A critical
section of a cat food label is the guaranteed analysis.
This part of the label will provide you with
vital information on the nutritional content of the food
you purchase for your pets.
The guaranteed analysis section of all cat food labels
must include the minimum percentages of crude protein
and crude fat, and the maximum percentages of crude
fiber and moisture that are guaranteed to be in the
food.
In addition to the required listings, the analysis may
also include guarantees for other nutrients such as
taurine, as well as the maximum percentage of ash in the
food. These guarantees are based on "as fed" or "as is"
percentages. This means that the percentages are based
on the amounts of the nutrients present in the product
as it is found in the can or bag with all of the
moisture in the food present. All cat food contains some
moisture, but the amount in canned food is much greater
than it is in dry varieties. So, when the percentage of
a nutrient is counted on an “as is “basis, it’s going to
be lower in canned food because of all the moisture
present. (Other than water, few nutrients are found in
the moisture content.)
Ingredient List - Cat food labels must
list the ingredients in the food. The ingredients must
be listed in the order of how well represented they are
in the food. This representation is measured in terms of
how much weight each ingredient contributes to the food.
The ingredient that contributes the most weight is
listed first; the ingredient with the second greatest
weight contribution is listed second and so forth. So,
if chicken contributes the highest percentage of weight
to the food, it is the first ingredient listed. The
ingredient list is the quickest and most basic way for
you to learn what went into the cat food
they’re buying Ingredient lists are a convenient and
quick reference tool for evaluating cat foods, but you
should be cautious, because these guides are not as
simple as they may seem. Some manufacturers will divide
some ingredients (such as a grain) to make a more
desirable one (meat) appear further up on the list. For
example, a corn and corn gluten are both corn products,
but by dividing them into two separate categories, a
manufacturer can have them appear lower on the list,
elevating the relative position of a more desirable
ingredient like chicken or fish. Another point you should keep in mind is that the weights of
moisture content of ingredients is also considered when
determining the weight they contribute to the food. Some
ingredients, such as meat, have high moisture content,
but others such as meat meal have a relatively low
content. This means that meat will appear higher up on
the ingredient list, even though much of its weigh is
contributed by water.
Natural Beauty
- The term “natural” evokes a wonderful, healthy
image that appeals to every cat owner, but AAFCO has
established a very definite standard for the way this
term can be used on pet food labels. If a cat food is to
be called “natural,” AAFCO standards dictate that all of
its ingredients be natural, except for any vitamins or
minerals that are added. A natural ingredient by AAFCO’s
definition is one that has not been chemically
synthesized or subjected to any chemical treatment. You
should know that this definition of the term “natural"
is not the same as "organic." An organic food is one
that describes the way in which the ingredients used
were raised. In other words, the plant matter in the
food was grown, or animals used in its preparation, were
raised under organic conditions.
According to AAFCO the term “organic” has been defined
as “a formula feed or a specific ingredient within a
formula feed that has been produced or handled in
compliance with the requirements of the USDA National
Organic Program (Title 7, Part 205 of the Code of
Federal Regulations)” (AAFCO 2010).
Under these guidelines a food may carry the following
organic designations:
-
100 Percent
Organic – A food with this designation on its label
must have 100% organic ingredients and additives,
including processing aids.
-
Organic – A food
with this designation on its label must have at
least 95% of its content organic by weigh
-
Made with Organic
– For a food with this designation, at least 70% of
the content must be organic. The front panel on this
food product’s label may display the phrase “Made
with Organic” followed by up to three specific
ingredients.
-
A food with less
than 70% of its content organic may list only those
ingredients that are organic on the ingredient panel
with no mention of organic on the main panel.
Only the first two categories listed above (“100
Percent Organic” and “Organic”) are entitled to use
the USDA Seal on their packaging.
Vitamins
Like people, cats need vitamins to maintain healthy
metabolism and trigger the chemical reactions that the
body uses to produce energy. Vitamins are organic
compounds found in plants and animal tissue. In nature,
cats obtained the vitamins they needed from the prey
animals they ate. However, a cat that is given an
exclusive diet of table scraps may very well not receive
all the vitamins needed. Deficiencies in any one vitamin
can negatively affect a cat’s health in a variety of
ways, including muscle control, kidney function,
hearing, vision, coat and skin condition, blood
clotting, growth, central nervous system function and
more. Fortunately, commercial cat foods are formulated
to include all of the essential vitamins required by a
cat. However, in some cases, such as with kittens,
seniors, pregnant queens and nursing mothers, vitamin
supplements may need to be added to the diet.
(Typically, vitamin supplements will not be needed if
the cat in question if being fed a food designed and
tested for growth and reproduction.) Cat owners should
always consult with their veterinarian before giving their
cats any vitamin supplement. Taking in too much of some
vitamins can be as harmful to the health of a cat as a
vitamin deficiency. There are two kinds of vitamins:
water soluble, which are not stored in any appreciable
quantities in the body; and fat soluble, which are
stored in fatty tissue and the liver. Water soluble
vitamins include the B complex group and vitamin C,
while fat soluble include A, D, E, and K.
Antioxidants -
Antioxidants are nutrients that keep a cat healthy by
protecting the body’s cells from the damaging effects of
free radicals. Antioxidants are enzymes and nutrients
that fight off free radicals, which basically are very
unstable oxygen molecules. Free radicals are unstable
because they are missing electrons. They attempt to
stabilize themselves by “invading” other body cells and
picking up electrons. These invasions can cause serious
damage to the body’s cells. It is thought that the
cellular damage caused by free radicals plays a
significant role in the aging process and compromising
the immune system. A cat’s body, like a person’s, will
produce its own antioxidants to protect its cells.
However, as the body ages it needs more help in
combating free radicals, which is why many cat food
manufacturers now add antioxidants to their
formulations.
Minerals -
Quality commercial cat foods such as those sold at Pet
Supplies “Plus” have the correct balance of all of the
essential minerals that a cat needs. There are 12
minerals that are critical to feline health. The two
required in the greatest amounts are calcium, which is
essential to the formation of strong bones and teeth,
and phosphorous, which plays a vital role in maintaining
healthy metabolism and locomotive functions in cats.
Rapidly growing kittens, pregnant queens and nursing
cats will need calcium and phosphorus in greater
quantities than normal adult cats, so they may require
supplements. However, if these cats are being fed a
complete and balanced diet formulated for gestation and
lactation or growth, they should not need mineral
supplements. Also, since providing minerals in the right
balance to one another is so important to an animal’s
overall health, a veterinarian should be consulted
before these supplements are given to the cat. Although
minerals are essential, they are often needed only in
very small quantities in the diet. Providing a cat with
too much of a given mineral can result in serious
medical issues. For example, too much or too little
calcium can result in bone abnormalities in kittens and
adults. Since quality foods have minerals in the right
balance to one another, a cat that is fed them will
rarely need supplements. If you want to give a
supplement to a healthy adult cat please consult a
veterinarian.
MORE IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER - It is
important to understand that vitamins are very
beneficial to health in the correct amount. More is not
always better as far as vitamins are concerned. Giving a
cat too much of a vitamin in the form of a supplement
can have a bad effect on the animal’s health. This is
why veterinary advice should be sought before giving a
cat a vitamin or mineral supplement.
 |
