A Guide to Understanding Packaging

In today’s world of increased awareness of what we are eating, why should it be any different for our cats? And yet can you remember the last time you looked at the ingredients listed on your cat’s food? Throughout the next section we’ll use the Pets at Home Complete label as a reference point to highlight what you should be looking out for on your pet food label.

Remember: It is a legal requirement that the ingredients listed on pet food labels are always in quantity order, with the most first.

Click on the links belows to view each topic:

• Important Nutrients at a Glance
• Why is animal protein important to my cat's diet?
• Why is it important for cat food to contain animal fat?
• Why are carbohydrates so useful?
• Why are vitamins and minerals important to my cat's health?
• Why is water important?

Cats require much more protein in their diet than humans and animal proteins (meat, fish and eggs) are the best form of proteins available, not to mention the tastiest! Being the most digestible of proteins also means they are more ‘usable’ for your cat, promoting healthy muscle growth, as well as skin and coat condition. Consider it this way – the more your cat uses, the less it has to waste, meaning a much cleaner litter tray at the end of the day!

Animal protein can be split into the following label definitions:

• Fresh Meat or Fish: Fresh meat or fish is from sources deemed suitable for human food. There are a number of advantages of fresh meat, including higher digestibility, palatability and nutritional value.
• Rendered Meat or Fish: Rendered meats are commonly listed as ‘meat meal’ or ‘poultry meal’ on the ingredient label. They are the cooked and processed remains of the leftovers in meat, fish and poultry processing. This isn’t to say they are poor quality as in the EC the source animal must have been deemed suitable for human consumption. Every time you process meat you run the risk of destroying essential nutrients.
• Animal Derivatives: This is the broad category name which encompasses all animal ingredients. The broadness of the category means that these may be products left over after most of the meat has been used, such as feather, hoof, hair, bone, blood and fatty tissue.

To see what level of meat is contained in your pet’s food, look out for these on the label.

Animal proteins also naturally provide essential amino acids to keep your cat strong and active; one of the most important being Taurine which is necessary for a healthy heart and keen eyesight. You will only see the word Taurine on the ingredients list of a food to which it has been added as a separate addition. Foods with high levels of meat, fish or egg do not need to supplement the recipe as it occurs naturally in these proteins.

Found in meat, fish and plant oils, fats are packed with twice the energy as protein or carbohydrate and are what provide your cat with boundless energy. They supply all the important omega fatty acids to promote healthy skin, coat and immune system and not only that, they improve food’s palatability which make them an essential ingredient for any fussy eater.

To see what fats are contained in your cat’s food, look on the ingredients panel for animal fat, corn oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil and fish oils.

Carbohydrates are included in a pet’s diet as a source of quick energy (starch) and as a source of fibre. However, as carnivores cats may find foods with high cereal content less palatable and digestible.

Certain fibres promote a healthy digestive system by assisting movement through the intestine and this swift movement prevents the build up of hairballs. Look out for fibres such as beet pulp and cellulose as these help support optimum intestinal health.

Vitamins are required for converting food to energy and for growth and repair of cells. Vitamin A performs a vital function for any midnight prowler by promoting good night vision and vitamin D3, calcium and phosphorus team up to build strong bones.

All Complete diets contain the necessary balance of essential vitamins and minerals your cat needs, but occurring as natural parts of other ingredients they are not found separately on the ingredients panel.

Cats have a fairly low requirement for water yet it is vital, and a supply must be available at all times. Cats fed on tinned food aren’t often seen drinking but that is due to the water content in these foods fulfilling their needs. Cats fed on dry food must quench their thirst from elsewhere. If they choose to drink out of a pond, a muddy puddle or even the toilet rather than the fresh bowl you supply, this may just be due to a preference for ‘stale’ water rather than straight from the tap.