Canned Cat Food- The Good, the Bad, and the Toxic

How do I know which food is best for my cat? Which are the healthiest cat foods? These are common questions most cat owners ask.

You need to know what the names of the ingredients mean, in order to assess what is good and what is not. It is easy to be fooled by a picture of a pretty cat on the can. It makes the food seem so benevolent and innocent, healthy and safe. All this is is clever marketing methods. Visit the website of one of the foods you normally purchase in a grocery store, or maybe the one your vet recommends. These companies have deceitful advertising campaigns and outright lies proclaiming how nutritious their food is. This sickens me, as I recognize the lies. I visited many cat food company websites when researching this article, and found that the more dangerous ingredients in their foods were lied about. Anyone who tells you that a known carcinogen is a safe and necessary ingredient ought to be run out of business. I'll tell you who it was later on.

The very top notch quality canned cat foods are always grain free. If you do not know about the health dangers of grains, please read my other cat food article, which you can find here on Hub Pages. The Hub is "Commercial Cat Food is Dangerous".

The first ingredient should be a named meat source, such as chicken, turkey or beef, for example. The next several ingredients should also be in that vein, fish or other meat proteins listed by type. Next is usually a starch, such as sweet potatoes, white potatoes, carrots, etc. Then other vegetables are usually listed, followed by a lot of vitamins. Sometimes you see fruits listed, which appear to make a food healthier, but really have no place in a cat's diet. It is not harmful, however.

The next best type of canned cat foods are premium foods that do have grains. You do need to make sure the grains are whole grains, and not flours of any sort. Also, corn and wheat are highly allergenic. Most premium foods don't use such garbage grains, but read labels to make sure.

Again, make sure the meats sources are named. The last thing you want is some ambiguous term like "meat". That literally can mean any type of flesh from any type of creature. If you don't know exactly what I mean by that, prepare to be repulsed when you read my "Commercial Cat Food is Dangerous" article.

Wow, there are practically too many poor quality ingredients to name, but I will give you some common ones that are in all inferior foods. These ingredients are harmful to your cat if fed over time, and will result in poor health and a shorter life span.

• The word by-product in any form, such as meat by-product, or chicken by-product. This is always very bad news.

• Wheat gluten. This is what was contaminated and killed thousands of pets in 2007, when Menu Foods allowed adulterated wheat gluten into its cat and dog foods. It is highly allergenic for cats and can cause irritable bowels, just like it does in humans. It is used as a very cheap filler and very poor source of protein. It is used to boost the protein content of the food, so that it appears to be healthier than it is.

• Any type of flour is not good. Wheat, rice, soy or corn flour. All bad.

• Ground rice or brewers rice.

• BHA, and BHT are both known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction

• Ethoxyquin, a known carcinogen. Most companies are not using this anymore, as far as I can see, but one MAJOR cat food company does. I'll tell you later.

Merrick's BG -

( Before Grain) a SUPERIOR food, but may not be nutritionally complete. Lacking in organ meats. Cats do need a bit more variety. The ingredients are just the protein source, and water. That's it! Best for supplemental feeding, along with other superior canned foods that include some vegetables.

100% Beef -Ingredients: Beef, Water for Processing

100% Tuna -Ingredients: Tuna, Water for Processing

100% Quail -Ingredients: Quail, Water for Processing

100% Chicken Ingredients: Chicken, Water for Processing

100% Turkey-Ingredients: Turkey, Water for Processing

100% Salmon- Ingredients: Salmon, Water for Processing

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Innova EVO -Canned Cat Food- Excellent cat food. One of my top choices for my cats - only one flavor.

Innova EVO has been specially designed to provide all the key nutritional benefits received from the feeding of raw food diets. EVO is based on ground chicken & turkey meat, bones, fat, cartilage and connective tissue. It includes whole, raw fruits and vegetables, which contain health promoting phytochemicals and micronutrients. Low Carb, Hi-Protein and Grain Free.

Ingredients:Turkey, Chicken, Turkey Broth, Chicken Broth, Chicken Meal, Herring, Carrots, Whole Eggs, Salmon Meal, Natural Flavors, Guar Gum, Seaweed Extract, Apples, Tomato Flakes, Cottage Cheese, Herring Oil, Potassium Chloride, Apple Fiber, Inulin, Vitamin C, Sea Salt, Choline Chloride, Sunflower Oil, Beta Carotene, Vitamins/Minerals

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Wellness Cat Food- My number one food for my 11 cats.

Some of Wellness's foods do have grains. The ones that do not have grains clearly state it on the front of the can.

These are grain free- Chicken, Beef & Chicken, Chicken & Herring, Turkey, Turkey & Salmon, Beef & Salmon.

These have brown rice and are not grain free- Chicken & Lobster, Salmon & Trout, Sardine Shrimp & Crab.

Chicken Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Turkey, Chicken Broth, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Natural Chicken Flavor, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Flaxseed, Squash, Cranberries, Blueberries, Zucchini, Potassium Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Taurine, Iron Proteinate (a source of Chelated Iron), Beta-Carotene, Zinc Proteinate (a source of Chelated Zinc), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Proteinate (a source of Chelated Cobalt), Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate (a source of Chelated Copper), Folic Acid, Manganese Proteinate (a source of Chelated Manganese), Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Biotin.

Nature's Logic Canned Cat Food -grain free

Available in chicken, rabbit, duck & salmon.

Natures Variety Instinct Cat Food: Comes in chicken, beef, lamb, rabbit, duck, venison.

Lamb Formula Ingredients: Lamb, Lamb Liver, Lamb Broth, Flaxseed, Eggs, Tricalcium Phosphate, Peas, Carrots, Lecithin, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Dried Kelp, Salt, Taurine, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide), Artichokes, Cranberries, Pumpkin, Tomato, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Parsley.

Merrick Cat Food-

Some flavors contain brown rice, others do not. Read the labels. This food is particularly yummy, and smells good to humans. No kidding!

Available flavors: California roll, Cowboy cookout, Grammies pot pie, New England boil, Southern delight, Surf & Turf, Thanksgiving day dinner, Turducken and Ocean breeze.

Cowboy Cookout Ingredients: Beef, Beef Broth, Beef Liver, Fresh Sweet Potato, Fresh Carrots, Fresh Snow Peas, Fresh Whole Granny Smith Apples, Potato Starch-modified, Dried Egg, Dried Blueberry, Dried Cranberry, Olive Oil, Flax Seed Oil (For Omega -3), Cassia Gum, Carrageenan, Potassium Chloride, Tricalcium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Natural Carmel color, Salt, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols, Vitamin E Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Lecithin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Cobalt Glucoheptanate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite

Weruva cat food

This food really looks edible for the human pallet. Some do have white rice and corn flour- not desirable for regular feeding, but a nice treat food. This food really looks edible for the human pallet. Some do have white rice and corn flour- not desirable for regular feeding, but a nice treat food.

Halo Spot's Stew for Cats- no grains, but a little vegetable heavy. Looks good though!

Original Recipe-Ingredients: Chicken, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Celery, Chicken Liver, Carrots, Green Beans, Water, Green Peas, Turkey, Calcium Lactate, Soy Sauce, Dried Kelp, Garlic Powder, Choline Chloride, Ascorbic acid, Zinc Gluconate, Taurine.

Wholesome Lamb: Ingredients: Lamb, Beef Liver, Broth, Yellow Squash, Celery, Zucchini, Carrots, Green Peas, Green Beans, Water (Sufficient For Processing), Mustard Greens, Okra, Dried Kelp, Calcium Citrate, Flax Seed Meal, Sweet Potato, Pumpkin, Dicalcium Phosphate, Ascorbic Acid.

Innova EVO 95% Meat Canned Cat Food

- Beef, chicken & turkey, duck and venison. No grains

Ingredients: Beef, Beef Broth, Tricalcium Phosphate, Natural Flavors, , Carrageenan, Minearls, Potassium Chloride, Guar Gum, Vitamins, Choline Chloride, Herring Oil, Salt, Sodium Ascorbate, Sunflower Oil, Taurine, Sodium Phosphate, Beta Carotene

Evanger's Canned Cat Food

- Basically good ingredients, but the seafood flavor has ground corn and rice flour- HORRIBLE! I am shocked that this company would add these garbage grains to any of its foods.

AvoDerm Natural Select Cuts Canned Cat Food

- This food looks excellent. They don't list avocados on the ingredients list, but this is something that is supposed to be in it. Why aren't they listed?

Select Cuts Chicken Chunks

Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Xanthan, Potassium Chloride, Methionine, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Iron Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin B1 Supplement, Vitamin B2 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid.

And last but not least:

ZiwiPeak Daily Cat Cuisine Canned Food

- a new canned cat food. Grain Free! Odd and interesting ingredients. Comes in several flavors.

Ingredients: Venison - Meat (min. 40%), Liver, Tripe, Heart & Kidney (min. 18%); Green-lipped and Blue Mussel* (min. 4%); Carrageenan, Guar Gum, Flaxseed Oil, Taurine. Minerals - Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Magnesium Sulphate, Zinc Sulphate, Ferrous Sulphate, Manganese Sulphate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite. Vitamins - Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid

There are dozens of other high quality canned cat foods, but they do contain grains. If you have read my article on the dangers of commercial cat food, you will have read of the problems with feeding grains to cats. Whole grains are always preferable to grain flours. Corn and wheat are common allergens and should be avoided at all costs. Whole brown rice, and barley are better choices as far as grains go.

Here are some other better quality cat foods that do contain grains:

Natural Balance Ultra Premium Canned Cat Food

They use brown rice flour, which is not a good choice, but the rest of the ingredients look great.

Tiki Cat Premium Wild Caught Canned Cat Food

Way too fish heavy. All flavors are fish. Many have rice. Some do not. Good for occasional feeding. One of the most prevailing diseases afflicting "fish junkies" is Steatosis or Yellow Fat Disease, an inflammation of the fat tissue in the body due to a deficiency of vitamin E.

Newman's Own Organics Canned Cat Food

With both rice and oat bran in all flavors, this is a little grain heavy. At one point in the past they used SOY in their foods, but it may have been the dry cat food. Soy is very harmful to cats, as it suppresses the thyroid gland. I personally would NOT choose this food.

California Natural Canned Cat Food

Pretty good, minimal ingredients, does have rice and fish. Do not feed everyday.

Innova Canned Cat Food- Ground white rice? Ugh. Other than that, swell food.

Castor & Pollux Canned Organix Feline Formula - Has brown rice in it.

Pinnacle Holistic Canned Cat Food - has oat bran and quinoa, both grains.

Felidae Cat & Kitten Formula Canned Food - has brown rice and alfalfa meal.

Castor & Pollux Ultramix Feline Canned Formula - has brewers rice flour- this is bad stuff.

Mulligan Stew Canned Cat Food- I never heard of this one until now. It has some freaky weird ingredients that I cannot believe cats would eat, such as horseradish (!!!) and cabbage. This is how they explain these oddities: Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and horseradish, contain high amounts of glutathione peroxidase, powerful enzymes that play significant roles in scavenging the body for free radicals. These vegetables also provide the fiber required for a healthy digestive system. Also contains brown rice.

Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul - This food is so grain heavy, I would not recommend it at all. It has brown rice, white rice, barley, oatmeal and powdered cellulose (which usually means peanut shells or something else equally bad). This food is barely better than grocery store brands in respect to quantity of grains. Avoid this one.

Solid Gold Poultry and Fish canned cat food- two grains, but far back after a long list of meat sources. Not too bad!

Evolve- has brown rice. I used to feed this to my cats before I went 100% grain free.

Eagle Pack- has oats

Blue Buffalo Spa Select- has brown rice and barley (NOTE* Blue Buffalo was one of the tainted cat foods in the mass poisonings of pet food in 2007)

Nutro- Has rice bran and rice gluten. I would avoid glutens of any kind.

Drs. Foster and Smith Canned Cat Food-contains brown rice

Harmful ingredients passed off as healthy.

The manufacturers of these foods lie about them being premium. They are complete crap.

Want to know the REAL reason vets recommend Iams, Science Diet and Eukanuba? The manufacturers of these foods supply veterinary colleges with study aids, reading material and make grants to the schools so that the future doctors will recommend and push their poisons onto an unsuspecting public. They dupe the doctors and the doctors dupe you.

Max Cat- This is awful cat food. Here are the first few ingredients: Chicken Meal, Ground Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat Flour, Rice Flour, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Ground Whole Wheat. ABSOLUTE GARBAGE. This is no better than Friskies or any other store brand.

Hill's Science Diet- This food is a gross violation of what a cat should eat. The first ingredient is WATER, followed by meat by products. Remember, if it doesn't name the animal the meat came from, you may be serving the remains of euthanized house pets. (cats and dogs) Please read my other article on COMMERCIAL CAT FOOD to learn the alarming source of "meat" in foods like this.

Water, Liver, Meat by-products, Chicken, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Wheat Flour, Corn Starch, Powdered Cellulose, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor, Rice Flour.

IAMS- Toxic garbage that killed thousands of cats in the 2007 cat food poisonings by Menu Foods. Here are the first several ingredients- Chicken Broth, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken By-Products, Wheat gluten, Meat By-Products.

Eukanuba- In my opionion, and that of any educated consumer, this is TOXIC CAT FOOD- It uses the very carcinogenic preservative Ethoxyquin. Then, on their website, they try to say it is safe, when it has been PROVEN to cause cancer! STOP FEEDING THIS FOOD Immediately!

Some of the ingredients: Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Corn Grits, Chicken, Fish Meal, and of course Ethoxyquin.

Now for the grocery store brands we all grew up feeding; Friskies, Nine-Lives, Fancy Feast, and Whiskas. Sadly, these familiar and comforting cans of cat food are bottom of the barrel in nutrition.

Friskies- first couple ingredients: Water sufficient for processing, beef, liver, wheat gluten, meat by-products, turkey, corn starch-modified, soy flour, artificial and natural flavors.

Oh God, there is that wheat gluten again. No wonder so many cats get IBS!

I am not even going to bother listing Nine-Lives, Whiskas and Fancy Feast. They are on the same sub-par level as Friskies.

So now you have a very good idea of what canned foods are best for your cat. I hope you will make the appropriate choices to ensure your cat a long and healthy life.

Here is a summary of my findings:

BEST CANNED FOODS- GRAIN FREE :

Wellness

Innova EVO

Merrick

Merrick BG ( Before Grain)

Natures Variety Instinct

Natures Logic

Innova 95% Meat

Weruva

Halo Spot's Stew

Avoderm

ZiwiPeak

Evangers

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BETTER FOODS with grain

Natural Balance

Tiki Cat

California Natural

Innova

Castor & Pollux

Felidae

Pinacle

Mulligan's Stew

Solid Gold

Evolve

Eagle Pack

Blue Buffalo (Blue Spa Select)

Dr's. Foster and Smith

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Not as good:

Newman's Own (although I really don't recommend this one)

Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul (I don't recommend)

Nutro (I don't recommend)

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Very bad:

Hills Science Diet

Eukanuba

Iams

Max Cat

Friskies

9-Lives

Whiskas

Fancy Feast

ANY Store brand

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