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Addiction Unagi & Seaweed Entree Wet Cat Food Review Rate This Cat Food
Pet formulas under the Addiction brand such as the Unagi & Seaweed Entrée (wet) cat food seem to command a large following. With rave reviews on their products littered all over the internet it is only natural for a pet owner who hasn’t tried this brand before to want to do so.
The Addiction brand is a product of the Addiction Foods Inc. This company was started by a leading veterinarian and pet nutritionist. The idea of starting a pet food brand came about after he realized that most of the common pet health issues he dealt with were as a result of malnutrition. He also examined the pet foods in the market and found that they lacked the required nutrition for pets to grow and thrive. Therefore, he embarked on a journey to not only produce pet formulas, but to ensure that all his foods were 100% natural and nutritious. The founder of Addiction Foods Inc strongly believes that in order for pets to thrive, they should be fed on what they are naturally born to feed on; protein.
The Unagi & Seaweed Entrée (wet) cat food from Addiction is made with unagi harvested from the lakes and streams of New Zealand. Actually, Addiction Foods Inc was the very first company to use unagi in pet formulas. This cat formula is a healthy alternative to lamb, beef and chicken.
Ingredients in the formula
Eel (unagi), Venison, Potatoes, Carrots, Peas, Dried Seaweed, Carrageenan, Taurine, Cassia Gums, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulphate, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Sulphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Sulphate, Copper Sulphate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate.
The unagi & seaweed entre cat formula contains no GMOs, grain, fillers, corn, by-products, artificial coloring, wheat or artificial flavoring and preservatives.
An overview of the first ingredients
Unagi – This is the primary source of protein in this cat formula. It is rich in the essential amino acids. This is a healthy protein alternative to lamb, chicken or beef.
Venison – While not a common meat source found in most cat food products, venison is a fantastic source of protein. In dry cat food products, most of this ingredient is lost during the cooking process. However, in wet cat foods, the content of this ingredient is mostly retained during the cooking process. We have absolutely no concern with this ingredient and consider it to be extremely high quality.
Potatoes – Potatoes provide a lot of carbs and unfortunately, cats do not digest carbs well and it can also lead to weight gain. This ingredient is becoming more popular in “grain-free” cat foods because while potatoes are not grains, they serve much the same purpose by acting as a non-nutritious filler. The good news is potatoes are complex carbs. These complex carbs are easier to digest than whole grains and also don’t spike blood sugar levels like the simple carbs do. But, anyway you cut it… carbs are carbs and cats don’t need them. This is a rather non-nutritious ingredient.
Carrots – A good source of carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, carrots are becoming more common in pet foods. This ingredient is also known to boost the immune system and help promote healthy eyes in cats as well as providing a good source of fiber.
Peas – Peas are becoming more and more common in pet foods today, especially those listed as grain-free, holistic, or natural pet foods. While peas are certainly not grains, they serve much the same purpose. It mostly acts as a filler and a cheap way to increase the protein percentage of the food. However, cats receive almost no nutritional value from peas. Since cats are obligate carnivores, they require proteins from meat based ingredients. There is very little research that has been performed on the long term effects of cats consuming peas. We do know that peas can cause runny poop or digestion issues in dogs, but the full effect on cats remains a bit of an unknown. At best, this ingredient will act as a filler and will not provide much nutritional value, if any, to your cat.
Other ingredients that may interest you
Carrageenan – This is an additive extracted from red and purple seaweeds, consisting of a mixture of polysaccharides. It is used as a thickening or emulsifying agent in food products. There is still much research being done on this additive and while it is generally considered safe, there is room for caution as carrageenan has produced intestinal damage and ulcers in some animal studies. If you would like more information about the ongoing research of this ingredient, you may reference this research study.
Cassia Gums – This is an ingredient that is mainly used to give the food its viscosity. It is 100% natural and found to have no side effects in cats.
Does the unagi & seaweed entrée wet cat formula cause allergies?
Most cat allergies are brought about by feeding the cat on soy, wheat or corn. This cat formula contains none of these products and can therefore be classified as non-allergenic. Unagi & seaweed entrée is a hypoallergenic cat formula making it ideal for cats with allergies. Always check the ingredient list on your cat formula to ensure it does not contain any allergens.
Ingredients you should watch out for
Corn, soy and wheat – All three of these ingredients are known allergens for many cats. In addition, many cats have problems digesting these grain based ingredients. Since cats are obligate carnivores, their digestive systems are designed to digest meat and not grains. All of these ingredients will help to boost the protein percentage in cat food, but not all protein is created equally. Cats do not digest plant based proteins in the same way as meat proteins and in fact, gain little to no nutritional value from these grains. Several “grocery store brand” cat foods include these products to keep the price down as it is a cheap filler to help make your cat feel full as well as a cheap way to add protein to the food.
Artificial Additives – It should go without saying that cats in the wild do not require artificial additives in their diet and they don’t require artificial additives in their diet as our pets, either. These additives are normally included in order to preserve the food and increase its shelf life, but often times have negative side-effects.
Also look out for chemical based preservatives as they too are toxic to cats and other pets.
These ingredients are not included in the unagi & seaweed entrée cat formula.
Conclusion
Since unagi & seaweed entrée canned cat formula is hypoallergenic product, it can be termed as safe for consumption by cats. It is also a healthy and protein rich alternative for cats that are allergic to chicken or lamb.
