Cat Food Reviews & Comparisons From The Cat Food Insider

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Wysong Gourmet Chicken Cat Food Review

Wysong Cat Food


Wysong Pet Foods was established in 1979 to provide natural and holistic foods for dogs, cats, and other common household pets. Their website claims they have two main objectives…

First, they want to “arm pet owners with the knowledge needed to make sound nutritional and health decisions for their pets – pet health and nutrition information is our best product and it is free to you.” And secondly, they desire to “provide natural and holistic pet foods and cat & dog supplements scientifically formulated and painstakingly manufactured and packaged for health optimization.”

On a whole, Wysong does seem to provide higher grade ingredients and they avoid grain and other cheaper filler ingredients. The company sells foods to meet many different customers including dry foods, wet foods, and raw based diets. While Wysong has had some recalls in the past, the recalls are limited and do no appear to be major concerns.




Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here



List Of Ingredients In This Cat Food

Chicken, Fish, Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken Liver, Wheat Germ, Ground Extruded Whole Soybeans, Ground Brown Rice, Taurine, DL-Methionine, Yeast Culture, Ground Flax Seeds, Dried Kelp, Dried Wheat Grass Powder, Dried Barley Grass Powder, Garlic, Black Pepper, Sage Extract, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Chicken

Chicken is a very popular ingredient for pet food and in this case, they are referring to whole chicken. This is a very high quality meat source and we are pleased to see it listed. However, whole chicken loses about 80% of its content during the cooking process since the majority of whole chicken is water. After the cooking process is complete, the amount of whole chicken remaining is substantially reduced. Therefor, while whole chicken is a great source of meat protein, this ingredient alone is not enough to provide sufficient levels of meat protein in a cats diet.

Fish

The fish used in canned pet foods usually includes parts of the fish not typically used for human consumption. It is high in phosphorus and magnesium, which can be an issue in cats with a history of urinary tract disorders or kidney disease. Most fish used in pet food is that of very low quality, including farmed fish and discarded fish that is deemed unacceptable for human consumption. There is also a risk of mercury exposure as many types of fish contain a high mercury level. Over long periods of time, this can become hazardous. It is also important to try and find a cat food with ethoxyquin free fish. Most cat food brands do not disclose if their fish is ethoxyquin free and if it isn’t, that could pose some problems. Most cats love the taste of fish and will be happy to eat it, but it isn’t part of a regular diet for wild cats. Nonetheless, this is a high protein source with essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Water Sufficient for Processing

For canned foods, water being at the top of the ingredients list is normal. As you could probably guess, water doesn’t do anything in the way of providing nutritional value, but it does help to keep the food moist. Sometimes a broth will be used instead of water, but all canned foods will require a high amount of moisture content.

Chicken Liver

Here is another ingredient you probably wouldn’t want to see on your own dinner plate, but most cats seem to enjoy the taste of liver. Uncooked liver, or liver in very high quantities, can actually be toxic to cats. However, in this food, it is clearly provided well within safe limits. In fact, this ingredient is a pretty high quality ingredient overall. It provides a good source of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other nutrients your cat can benefit from.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest

Ground Brown Rice

Brown rice and white rice have similar amounts of calories and carbohydrates. The main differences between the two forms of rice lie in processing and nutritional content. When only the outermost layer of a grain of rice (the husk) is removed, brown rice is produced. To produce white rice, the next layers underneath the husk (the bran layer and the germ) are removed, leaving mostly the starchy endosperm. While many cat owners like to stay away from grain based ingredients, rice in general is easy for cats to digest and is not likely to cause allergic reactions. The rice will expand in your cats stomach helping him or her feel more full. So while this ingredient may not be especially nutritious, it does have value in the food and is unlikely to cause major problems. You should still avoid this ingredient if your cat has suffered from grain allergies in the past, but overall, this is a very low-risk ingredient even though it is a grain.

Taurine

Taurine is an essential amino acid that is critical for normal heart muscle function, vision, and reproduction in cats. Since cats are unable to create proper levels of taurine in their body naturally, it must be supplemented in their food. That’s why you’ll see this ingredient listed for so many different cat food blends. For cat foods that contain enough high quality animal based proteins, a taurine supplement may not be needed. However, most cat foods will need to add in additional taurine in the form of a supplement to the food. Even when included as a supplement instead, there is very low to almost zero health risk associated with this ingredient. In fact, a lack of taurine can cause a slew of issues, so it’s very important to make sure your cat is receiving enough taurine in his or her diet.

DL-Methionine

Methionine is one of the 10-plus essential amino acids that are required by both cats and dogs. For diets that contain minimal amounts of meat proteins and are heavily weighted to vegetable proteins like soy or are low calorie foods diluted with inert ingredients such as cereals and cellulose, there may be a need for supplemental methionine. Read more on this page.

Yeast Culture

Yeast culture is a by-product of the alcohol production industry. This ingredient doesn’t provide any nutritional value for your cat and only assists in the manufacturing process. Some cats are allergic to yeast and some can begin having skin or coat issues, so you should not feed this to any cat suffering from food allergies.




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Wysong Gourmet Chicken Stew Cat Food Review

Wysong Cat Food


Wysong Pet Foods was established in 1979 to provide natural and holistic foods for dogs, cats, and other common household pets. Their website claims they have two main objectives…

First, they want to “arm pet owners with the knowledge needed to make sound nutritional and health decisions for their pets – pet health and nutrition information is our best product and it is free to you.” And secondly, they desire to “provide natural and holistic pet foods and cat & dog supplements scientifically formulated and painstakingly manufactured and packaged for health optimization.”

On a whole, Wysong does seem to provide higher grade ingredients and they avoid grain and other cheaper filler ingredients. The company sells foods to meet many different customers including dry foods, wet foods, and raw based diets. While Wysong has had some recalls in the past, the recalls are limited and do no appear to be major concerns.




Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here



List Of Ingredients In This Cat Food

Chicken Broth, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Carrots, Animal Plasma, Peas, Natural Flavor, Guar Gum, Sodium Phosphate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Barley Grass Powder, Wheat Grass Powder, Dried Kelp, Inulin, Sodium Carbonate, Iron Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Iron), Zinc Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Zinc), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Cobalt), Thiamin Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Copper), Folic Acid, Manganese Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Manganese), Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxidine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Biotin

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Chicken Broth

While chicken broth does not add much nutritional value to the food, it does add flavor and is considered to be a better alternative to water. The main reason for adding this ingredient is simply to add moisture.

Chicken

Chicken is a very popular ingredient for pet food and in this case, they are referring to whole chicken. This is a very high quality meat source and we are pleased to see it listed. However, whole chicken loses about 80% of its content during the cooking process since the majority of whole chicken is water. After the cooking process is complete, the amount of whole chicken remaining is substantially reduced. Therefor, while whole chicken is a great source of meat protein, this ingredient alone is not enough to provide sufficient levels of meat protein in a cats diet.

Chicken Liver

Here is another ingredient you probably wouldn’t want to see on your own dinner plate, but most cats seem to enjoy the taste of liver. Uncooked liver, or liver in very high quantities, can actually be toxic to cats. However, in this food, it is clearly provided well within safe limits. In fact, this ingredient is a pretty high quality ingredient overall. It provides a good source of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other nutrients your cat can benefit from.

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.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest

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.

Natural Flavor

The term “natural flavor” is extremely vague and can mean just about anything. In human foods, natural flavor is usually MSG or some similar flavor enhancer. When pet food companies are asked what is in their “natural flavor ingredients, they usually refuse to answer. There are a lot of things in the world considered “natural” and they almost all have a flavor. Such generic terms can be indicative of poor quality ingredients. While that’s not always the case, the fact is, we don’t really know what this ingredient consists of and that is worrying.

Guar Gum

This ingredient is also sometimes called guaran. It is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, off-white powder. This ingredient is mostly used to thicken the food and give it more texture. It is an FDA-approved, all natural GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) ingredient used by the food and cosmetic industries. It also is used to improve the shelf life of the food and helps lower the glycemic index of food. Many cat food companies claim this ingredient also aids in digestion and weight loss. There is some minor debate about the benefits of this ingredient with some claiming negative impacts, but in general, this is thought to be a relatively non-nutritious yet safe ingredient.

Sodium Phosphate

Sodium phosphate is a generic term for a variety of salts. Salt is necessary for a cats body to function properly, but too much salt can be dangerous and even deadly. Usually, salt is added to pet food in order to meet AAFCO nutritional requirements. Salt, or sodium chloride, is indeed necessary so cat food that doesn’t contain enough will have a bit of it included. Salt helps your cats cells move nutrients and waste products where they need to go, and it helps his or her tummy make the right amount of acid to digest food properly. According to the Journal of Nutrition, average-sized cats need about 21 milligrams of salt per day. Many cat foods have higher concentrations than that. The National Research Council recommends no more than 42 milligrams per day. Most of the time, salt in commercial cat food products poses no danger and does have some nutritional benefit.

Tricalcium Phosphate

Dicalcium phosphate is a compound that is present in bone. It is a calcium salt. Usually, when people break their bones, the need to enrich themselves with this compound in order to help bone regeneration. For cat food, it is mostly used as a part of the processing of the food. While this ingredient sounds scary and doesn’t provide any nutrition for cats, it is considered safe and is usually included in very low levels.




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Wysong Gourmet Beef Stew in Gravy Cat Food Review

Wysong Cat Food


Wysong Pet Foods was established in 1979 to provide natural and holistic foods for dogs, cats, and other common household pets. Their website claims they have two main objectives…

First, they want to “arm pet owners with the knowledge needed to make sound nutritional and health decisions for their pets – pet health and nutrition information is our best product and it is free to you.” And secondly, they desire to “provide natural and holistic pet foods and cat & dog supplements scientifically formulated and painstakingly manufactured and packaged for health optimization.”

On a whole, Wysong does seem to provide higher grade ingredients and they avoid grain and other cheaper filler ingredients. The company sells foods to meet many different customers including dry foods, wet foods, and raw based diets. While Wysong has had some recalls in the past, the recalls are limited and do no appear to be major concerns.




Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here



List Of Ingredients In This Cat Food

Beef Broth, Beef, Beef Liver, Carrots, Animal Plasma, Natural Flavor, Peas, Tricalcium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Barley Grass Powder, Wheat Grass Powder, Dried Kelp, Inulin, Sodium Carbonate, Iron Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Iron), Zinc Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Zinc), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Cobalt), Thiamin Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Copper), Folic Acid, Manganese Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Manganese), Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Biotin

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Beef Broth

Like other types of broth in cat food, beef broth is used as a flavor enhancer and source of moisture. It is considered to be a better ingredient to use than plain water. While not especially nutritious, your cat will probably appreciate the enhanced flavor and there are no known health risks associated with this ingredient.

Beef

Beef is considered to be a higher quality ingredient. It is an excellent source of animal protein and contains many other nutrients that are very important for a cat to survive and thrive. Since this is not in “meal” form, that means this ingredient still contains all of its moisture content prior to cooking. Once fully cooked, most of this ingredient will have evaporated due to its high moisture content. That means, even when this ingredient is ranked highly, it will usually only provide a small percentage of the overall protein in the food. There is no dismissing this ingredient, though. It is high quality and we are pleased to see it listed.

Beef Liver

Some cat owners think they should avoid any type of liver because in high quantities, liver can be toxic to cats. However, in proper quantities this is actually a very safe and nutritious ingredient for most cats. Beef liver is not something most people would find appetizing, but in the wild, cats eat almost every organ of their prey, including livers. It contains a high amount of protein, iron, vitamins, minerals, and many essential nutrients that an obligate carnivore like a cat needs to thrive.

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.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest

Natural Flavor

The term “natural flavor” is extremely vague and can mean just about anything. In human foods, natural flavor is usually MSG or some similar flavor enhancer. When pet food companies are asked what is in their “natural flavor ingredients, they usually refuse to answer. There are a lot of things in the world considered “natural” and they almost all have a flavor. Such generic terms can be indicative of poor quality ingredients. While that’s not always the case, the fact is, we don’t really know what this ingredient consists of and that is worrying.

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.

Tricalcium Phosphate

Dicalcium phosphate is a compound that is present in bone. It is a calcium salt. Usually, when people break their bones, the need to enrich themselves with this compound in order to help bone regeneration. For cat food, it is mostly used as a part of the processing of the food. While this ingredient sounds scary and doesn’t provide any nutrition for cats, it is considered safe and is usually included in very low levels.

Guar Gum

This ingredient is also sometimes called guaran. It is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, off-white powder. This ingredient is mostly used to thicken the food and give it more texture. It is an FDA-approved, all natural GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) ingredient used by the food and cosmetic industries. It also is used to improve the shelf life of the food and helps lower the glycemic index of food. Many cat food companies claim this ingredient also aids in digestion and weight loss. There is some minor debate about the benefits of this ingredient with some claiming negative impacts, but in general, this is thought to be a relatively non-nutritious yet safe ingredient.

Sodium Phosphate

Sodium phosphate is a generic term for a variety of salts. Salt is necessary for a cats body to function properly, but too much salt can be dangerous and even deadly. Usually, salt is added to pet food in order to meet AAFCO nutritional requirements. Salt, or sodium chloride, is indeed necessary so cat food that doesn’t contain enough will have a bit of it included. Salt helps your cats cells move nutrients and waste products where they need to go, and it helps his or her tummy make the right amount of acid to digest food properly. According to the Journal of Nutrition, average-sized cats need about 21 milligrams of salt per day. Many cat foods have higher concentrations than that. The National Research Council recommends no more than 42 milligrams per day. Most of the time, salt in commercial cat food products poses no danger and does have some nutritional benefit.




Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here



Wysong Geriatrx Canned Cat Food Review

Wysong Cat Food


Wysong Pet Foods was established in 1979 to provide natural and holistic foods for dogs, cats, and other common household pets. Their website claims they have two main objectives…

First, they want to “arm pet owners with the knowledge needed to make sound nutritional and health decisions for their pets – pet health and nutrition information is our best product and it is free to you.” And secondly, they desire to “provide natural and holistic pet foods and cat & dog supplements scientifically formulated and painstakingly manufactured and packaged for health optimization.”

On a whole, Wysong does seem to provide higher grade ingredients and they avoid grain and other cheaper filler ingredients. The company sells foods to meet many different customers including dry foods, wet foods, and raw based diets. While Wysong has had some recalls in the past, the recalls are limited and do no appear to be major concerns.




Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here



List Of Ingredients In This Cat Food

Chicken, Chicken Liver, Water Sufficient For Processing, Ground Extruded Whole Soybeans, Carrots, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Corn, Barley, Whole Egg, Bone Meal, Dicalcium Phosphate, Taurine, DL-Methionine, Yeast Culture, Ground Flax Seeds, Dried Kelp, Dried Wheat Grass Powder, Dried Barley Grass Powder, Natural Extractives of Sage and Rosemary, Garlic, Black Pepper, Artichoke, Ascorbic Acid, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement.

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Chicken

Chicken is a very popular ingredient for pet food and in this case, they are referring to whole chicken. This is a very high quality meat source and we are pleased to see it listed. However, whole chicken loses about 80% of its content during the cooking process since the majority of whole chicken is water. After the cooking process is complete, the amount of whole chicken remaining is substantially reduced. Therefor, while whole chicken is a great source of meat protein, this ingredient alone is not enough to provide sufficient levels of meat protein in a cats diet.

Chicken Liver

Here is another ingredient you probably wouldn’t want to see on your own dinner plate, but most cats seem to enjoy the taste of liver. Uncooked liver, or liver in very high quantities, can actually be toxic to cats. However, in this food, it is clearly provided well within safe limits. In fact, this ingredient is a pretty high quality ingredient overall. It provides a good source of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other nutrients your cat can benefit from.

Water Sufficient for Processing

For canned foods, water being at the top of the ingredients list is normal. As you could probably guess, water doesn’t do anything in the way of providing nutritional value, but it does help to keep the food moist. Sometimes a broth will be used instead of water, but all canned foods will require a high amount of moisture content.

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.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest

Ground Brown Rice

Brown rice and white rice have similar amounts of calories and carbohydrates. The main differences between the two forms of rice lie in processing and nutritional content. When only the outermost layer of a grain of rice (the husk) is removed, brown rice is produced. To produce white rice, the next layers underneath the husk (the bran layer and the germ) are removed, leaving mostly the starchy endosperm. While many cat owners like to stay away from grain based ingredients, rice in general is easy for cats to digest and is not likely to cause allergic reactions. The rice will expand in your cats stomach helping him or her feel more full. So while this ingredient may not be especially nutritious, it does have value in the food and is unlikely to cause major problems. You should still avoid this ingredient if your cat has suffered from grain allergies in the past, but overall, this is a very low-risk ingredient even though it is a grain.

Barley

With barley being a starchy carbohydrate, it supplies healthy nutrients such as fiber to the cat. Barley also gives your cat sugar level stability. Ground or pearled barley is produced from whole barley seeds that have been scoured to remove the seed hull and bran. This is a common ingredient in weight control pet foods due to its slow digestibility, starch, and soluble fibers.

Bone Meal

Bone meal is a mixture of finely and coarsely ground animal bones and slaughter-house waste products. It is used as an organic fertilizer for plants and as a nutritional supplement for animals. This is not an ingredient humans would want to see on their dinner plate, but cats do gain quite a bit of nutritional value from bones. While we’d like more information about the animals these bones are sourced from, this ingredient isn’t likely to cause any short-term or long-term health issues and is probably quite beneficial in your cats diet.




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Wysong Fundamentals Cat Food Review

Wysong Cat Food


Wysong Pet Foods was established in 1979 to provide natural and holistic foods for dogs, cats, and other common household pets. Their website claims they have two main objectives…

First, they want to “arm pet owners with the knowledge needed to make sound nutritional and health decisions for their pets – pet health and nutrition information is our best product and it is free to you.” And secondly, they desire to “provide natural and holistic pet foods and cat & dog supplements scientifically formulated and painstakingly manufactured and packaged for health optimization.”

On a whole, Wysong does seem to provide higher grade ingredients and they avoid grain and other cheaper filler ingredients. The company sells foods to meet many different customers including dry foods, wet foods, and raw based diets. While Wysong has had some recalls in the past, the recalls are limited and do no appear to be major concerns.




Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here



List Of Ingredients In This Cat Food

Organic Chicken, Brown Rice, Peas, Potato, Chicken Meal, Beet Pulp, Natural Chicken and Fish Flavor, Montmorillonite Clay, Flaxseeds, Cheese, Whey, Salt, Molasses, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Propionate, Citric Acid, Apple Pectin, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Chicory Root, Hemicellulose Extract, Yeast Extract, Fish Oil, Carrots, Celery, Beets, Parsley, Lettuce, Watercress, Spinach, Minerals (Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid [source of Vitamin C], Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Brown Rice

Brown rice and white rice have similar amounts of calories and carbohydrates. The main differences between the two forms of rice lie in processing and nutritional content. When only the outermost layer of a grain of rice (the husk) is removed, brown rice is produced. To produce white rice, the next layers underneath the husk (the bran layer and the germ) are removed, leaving mostly the starchy endosperm. While many cat owners like to stay away from grain based ingredients, rice in general is easy for cats to digest and is not likely to cause allergic reactions. The rice will expand in your cats stomach helping him or her feel more full. So while this ingredient may not be especially nutritious, it does have value in the food and is unlikely to cause major problems. You should still avoid this ingredient if your cat has suffered from grain allergies in the past, but overall, this is a very low-risk ingredient even though it is a grain.

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.

Chicken Meal

Chicken meal is ground up chicken meat that has been carefully dried to a moisture level of 10%. The protein content is 65% and the fat level is 12%. Many pet owners feel that chicken is a superior ingredient to chicken meal. It would seem logical that feeding a pet a whole, non-rendered chicken would be good. However, whole chicken still contains its moisture content prior to cooking and since whole chicken consists of about 80% moisture, after the cooking process is over there isn’t much left. With chicken meal, the moisture was removed prior to cooking. That means, chicken meal actually has a much higher protein percentage and provides far more beneficial nutrients to your cats than whole chicken. Meals consist of meat and skin, with or without the bones, but exclusive of feathers/hair, heads, feet, horns, entrails etc. and have the proper calcium/phosphorus ratio required for a balanced diet. It’s also important to note the quality difference between “chicken by-product meal” and “chicken meal.” While we do take exception to chicken by-products, chicken meal is actually a very high quality and nutritious ingredient. We are happy to see this listed.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest

Montmorillonite Clay

Montmorillonite clay is used in some natural pet foods as a natural anti-caking agent. The clay has also been proven to strengthen bones and joints as well as boost the immune system in some cats. While this is not an especially nutritious ingredient for cats, there has not been a large number of adverse effects reported from this ingredient. In fact, a growing number of veterinarians are recommending to include this ingredient in a cats diet.

Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds (also called linseeds) are a rich source of micronutrients, dietary fiber, manganese, vitamin B1, and the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, also known as ALA or omega-3. The seeds come from flax, one of the the oldest fiber crops in the world. It is not only a source of healthy fat, antioxidants, and fiber; modern research has found evidence to suggest that flaxseed can also help lower the risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. The health risk associated with this ingredient is low and in general, flaxseed is considered to be a beneficial ingredient for cats.

Cheese

While cheese can supply a good amount of calcium, vitamins, and other nutrients, a very large number of adult cats are lactose intolerant. In addition, as cats age, their risk of developing an intolerance to lactose increases. So even if you cat is not lactose intolerant now, that might not always be the case. For this reason, we suggest you use some caution when feeding cheese to your cat, although cats probably do love the taste.




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Wysong Chicken Stew In Gravy Review

Wysong Cat Food


Wysong Pet Foods was established in 1979 to provide natural and holistic foods for dogs, cats, and other common household pets. Their website claims they have two main objectives…

First, they want to “arm pet owners with the knowledge needed to make sound nutritional and health decisions for their pets – pet health and nutrition information is our best product and it is free to you.” And secondly, they desire to “provide natural and holistic pet foods and cat & dog supplements scientifically formulated and painstakingly manufactured and packaged for health optimization.”

On a whole, Wysong does seem to provide higher grade ingredients and they avoid grain and other cheaper filler ingredients. The company sells foods to meet many different customers including dry foods, wet foods, and raw based diets. While Wysong has had some recalls in the past, the recalls are limited and do no appear to be major concerns.




Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here



List Of Ingredients In This Cat Food

Chicken Broth, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Carrots, Animal Plasma, Peas, Natural Flavor, Guar Gum, Sodium Phosphate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Barley Grass Powder, Wheat Grass Powder, Dried Kelp, Inulin, Sodium Carbonate, Iron Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Iron), Zinc Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Zinc), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Cobalt), Thiamin Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Copper), Folic Acid, Manganese Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Manganese), Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxidine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Biotin

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Chicken Broth

While chicken broth does not add much nutritional value to the food, it does add flavor and is considered to be a better alternative to water. The main reason for adding this ingredient is simply to add moisture.

Chicken

Chicken is a very popular ingredient for pet food and in this case, they are referring to whole chicken. This is a very high quality meat source and we are pleased to see it listed. However, whole chicken loses about 80% of its content during the cooking process since the majority of whole chicken is water. After the cooking process is complete, the amount of whole chicken remaining is substantially reduced. Therefor, while whole chicken is a great source of meat protein, this ingredient alone is not enough to provide sufficient levels of meat protein in a cats diet.

Chicken Liver

Here is another ingredient you probably wouldn’t want to see on your own dinner plate, but most cats seem to enjoy the taste of liver. Uncooked liver, or liver in very high quantities, can actually be toxic to cats. However, in this food, it is clearly provided well within safe limits. In fact, this ingredient is a pretty high quality ingredient overall. It provides a good source of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other nutrients your cat can benefit from.

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.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest

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.

Natural Flavor

The term “natural flavor” is extremely vague and can mean just about anything. In human foods, natural flavor is usually MSG or some similar flavor enhancer. When pet food companies are asked what is in their “natural flavor ingredients, they usually refuse to answer. There are a lot of things in the world considered “natural” and they almost all have a flavor. Such generic terms can be indicative of poor quality ingredients. While that’s not always the case, the fact is, we don’t really know what this ingredient consists of and that is worrying.

Guar Gum

This ingredient is also sometimes called guaran. It is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, off-white powder. This ingredient is mostly used to thicken the food and give it more texture. It is an FDA-approved, all natural GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) ingredient used by the food and cosmetic industries. It also is used to improve the shelf life of the food and helps lower the glycemic index of food. Many cat food companies claim this ingredient also aids in digestion and weight loss. There is some minor debate about the benefits of this ingredient with some claiming negative impacts, but in general, this is thought to be a relatively non-nutritious yet safe ingredient.

Sodium Phosphate

Sodium phosphate is a generic term for a variety of salts. Salt is necessary for a cats body to function properly, but too much salt can be dangerous and even deadly. Usually, salt is added to pet food in order to meet AAFCO nutritional requirements. Salt, or sodium chloride, is indeed necessary so cat food that doesn’t contain enough will have a bit of it included. Salt helps your cats cells move nutrients and waste products where they need to go, and it helps his or her tummy make the right amount of acid to digest food properly. According to the Journal of Nutrition, average-sized cats need about 21 milligrams of salt per day. Many cat foods have higher concentrations than that. The National Research Council recommends no more than 42 milligrams per day. Most of the time, salt in commercial cat food products poses no danger and does have some nutritional benefit.

Tricalcium Phosphate

Dicalcium phosphate is a compound that is present in bone. It is a calcium salt. Usually, when people break their bones, the need to enrich themselves with this compound in order to help bone regeneration. For cat food, it is mostly used as a part of the processing of the food. While this ingredient sounds scary and doesn’t provide any nutrition for cats, it is considered safe and is usually included in very low levels.




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Wysong Beef Stew in Gravy Cat Food Review

Wysong Cat Food


Wysong Pet Foods was established in 1979 to provide natural and holistic foods for dogs, cats, and other common household pets. Their website claims they have two main objectives…

First, they want to “arm pet owners with the knowledge needed to make sound nutritional and health decisions for their pets – pet health and nutrition information is our best product and it is free to you.” And secondly, they desire to “provide natural and holistic pet foods and cat & dog supplements scientifically formulated and painstakingly manufactured and packaged for health optimization.”

On a whole, Wysong does seem to provide higher grade ingredients and they avoid grain and other cheaper filler ingredients. The company sells foods to meet many different customers including dry foods, wet foods, and raw based diets. While Wysong has had some recalls in the past, the recalls are limited and do no appear to be major concerns.




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List Of Ingredients In This Cat Food

Beef Broth, Beef, Beef Liver, Carrots, Animal Plasma, Natural Flavor, Peas, Tricalcium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Barley Grass Powder, Wheat Grass Powder, Dried Kelp, Inulin, Sodium Carbonate, Iron Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Iron), Zinc Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Zinc), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Cobalt), Thiamin Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Copper), Folic Acid, Manganese Proteinate (A Source of Chelated Manganese), Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Biotin

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Beef Broth

Like other types of broth in cat food, beef broth is used as a flavor enhancer and source of moisture. It is considered to be a better ingredient to use than plain water. While not especially nutritious, your cat will probably appreciate the enhanced flavor and there are no known health risks associated with this ingredient.

Beef

Beef is considered to be a higher quality ingredient. It is an excellent source of animal protein and contains many other nutrients that are very important for a cat to survive and thrive. Since this is not in “meal” form, that means this ingredient still contains all of its moisture content prior to cooking. Once fully cooked, most of this ingredient will have evaporated due to its high moisture content. That means, even when this ingredient is ranked highly, it will usually only provide a small percentage of the overall protein in the food. There is no dismissing this ingredient, though. It is high quality and we are pleased to see it listed.

Beef Liver

Some cat owners think they should avoid any type of liver because in high quantities, liver can be toxic to cats. However, in proper quantities this is actually a very safe and nutritious ingredient for most cats. Beef liver is not something most people would find appetizing, but in the wild, cats eat almost every organ of their prey, including livers. It contains a high amount of protein, iron, vitamins, minerals, and many essential nutrients that an obligate carnivore like a cat needs to thrive.

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.

Additional Ingredients Of Interest

Natural Flavor

The term “natural flavor” is extremely vague and can mean just about anything. In human foods, natural flavor is usually MSG or some similar flavor enhancer. When pet food companies are asked what is in their “natural flavor ingredients, they usually refuse to answer. There are a lot of things in the world considered “natural” and they almost all have a flavor. Such generic terms can be indicative of poor quality ingredients. While that’s not always the case, the fact is, we don’t really know what this ingredient consists of and that is worrying.

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.

Tricalcium Phosphate

Dicalcium phosphate is a compound that is present in bone. It is a calcium salt. Usually, when people break their bones, the need to enrich themselves with this compound in order to help bone regeneration. For cat food, it is mostly used as a part of the processing of the food. While this ingredient sounds scary and doesn’t provide any nutrition for cats, it is considered safe and is usually included in very low levels.

Guar Gum

This ingredient is also sometimes called guaran. It is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, off-white powder. This ingredient is mostly used to thicken the food and give it more texture. It is an FDA-approved, all natural GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) ingredient used by the food and cosmetic industries. It also is used to improve the shelf life of the food and helps lower the glycemic index of food. Many cat food companies claim this ingredient also aids in digestion and weight loss. There is some minor debate about the benefits of this ingredient with some claiming negative impacts, but in general, this is thought to be a relatively non-nutritious yet safe ingredient.

Sodium Phosphate

Sodium phosphate is a generic term for a variety of salts. Salt is necessary for a cats body to function properly, but too much salt can be dangerous and even deadly. Usually, salt is added to pet food in order to meet AAFCO nutritional requirements. Salt, or sodium chloride, is indeed necessary so cat food that doesn’t contain enough will have a bit of it included. Salt helps your cats cells move nutrients and waste products where they need to go, and it helps his or her tummy make the right amount of acid to digest food properly. According to the Journal of Nutrition, average-sized cats need about 21 milligrams of salt per day. Many cat foods have higher concentrations than that. The National Research Council recommends no more than 42 milligrams per day. Most of the time, salt in commercial cat food products poses no danger and does have some nutritional benefit.




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Wysong Au Jus Venison Review

Wysong Cat Food


Wysong Pet Foods was established in 1979 to provide natural and holistic foods for dogs, cats, and other common household pets. Their website claims they have two main objectives…

First, they want to “arm pet owners with the knowledge needed to make sound nutritional and health decisions for their pets – pet health and nutrition information is our best product and it is free to you.” And secondly, they desire to “provide natural and holistic pet foods and cat & dog supplements scientifically formulated and painstakingly manufactured and packaged for health optimization.”

On a whole, Wysong does seem to provide higher grade ingredients and they avoid grain and other cheaper filler ingredients. The company sells foods to meet many different customers including dry foods, wet foods, and raw based diets. While Wysong has had some recalls in the past, the recalls are limited and do no appear to be major concerns.




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List Of Ingredients In This Cat Food

Venison, Water Sufficient for Processing, Venison Liver, Animal Plasma, Guar Gum

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

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.

Water Sufficient for Processing

For canned foods, water being at the top of the ingredients list is normal. As you could probably guess, water doesn’t do anything in the way of providing nutritional value, but it does help to keep the food moist. Sometimes a broth will be used instead of water, but all canned foods will require a high amount of moisture content.

Venison Liver

In the wild, cats almost always eat the liver of their prey. It is a rich source of vitamin A which cats must obtain from their food since they can’t make it in their bodies. This is also a good secondary source of protein. If cats consume too much liver, it could cause toxicity, but the amount needed for liver to become toxic to cats is very high. Liver is provided in safe quantities in this cat food blend. It’s also nice to see the addition of their sourcing of this liver. Instead of leaving us guessing, we know the animal this liver comes from is duck.

Guar Gum

This ingredient is also sometimes called guaran. It is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, off-white powder. This ingredient is mostly used to thicken the food and give it more texture. It is an FDA-approved, all natural GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) ingredient used by the food and cosmetic industries. It also is used to improve the shelf life of the food and helps lower the glycemic index of food. Many cat food companies claim this ingredient also aids in digestion and weight loss. There is some minor debate about the benefits of this ingredient with some claiming negative impacts, but in general, this is thought to be a relatively non-nutritious yet safe ingredient.




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Wysong Au Jus Turkey Cat Food Review

Wysong Cat Food


Wysong Pet Foods was established in 1979 to provide natural and holistic foods for dogs, cats, and other common household pets. Their website claims they have two main objectives…

First, they want to “arm pet owners with the knowledge needed to make sound nutritional and health decisions for their pets – pet health and nutrition information is our best product and it is free to you.” And secondly, they desire to “provide natural and holistic pet foods and cat & dog supplements scientifically formulated and painstakingly manufactured and packaged for health optimization.”

On a whole, Wysong does seem to provide higher grade ingredients and they avoid grain and other cheaper filler ingredients. The company sells foods to meet many different customers including dry foods, wet foods, and raw based diets. While Wysong has had some recalls in the past, the recalls are limited and do no appear to be major concerns.

List Of Ingredients In This Cat Food

Turkey, Water Sufficient for Processing, Turkey Liver, Animal Plasma, Guar Gum

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Turkeyt Name

As a whole meat ingredient, turkey is a fantastic source of very healthy animal based proteins. We are extremely pleased to see this ingredient listed. Unfortunately, in dry kibbles, there is not as much of this ingredient included as you might initially think. Ingredients are listed by weight prior to the cooking process and since whole turkey is about 70% moisture, the vast majority is cooked off. So while we think this is an excellent and nutritional ingredient, it does need to be complimented by other high quality meat protein ingredients when used in dry kibbles. In wet cat foods, however, this is not nearly as much of a concern.

Water Sufficient for Processing

For canned foods, water being at the top of the ingredients list is normal. As you could probably guess, water doesn’t do anything in the way of providing nutritional value, but it does help to keep the food moist. Sometimes a broth will be used instead of water, but all canned foods will require a high amount of moisture content.

Turkey Liver

In the wild, cats almost always eat the liver of their prey. It is a rich source of vitamin A which cats must obtain from their food since they can’t make it in their bodies. This is also a good secondary source of protein. If cats consume too much liver, it could cause toxicity, but the amount needed for liver to become toxic to cats is very high. Liver is provided in safe quantities in this cat food blend.

Guar Gum

This ingredient is also sometimes called guaran. It is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, off-white powder. This ingredient is mostly used to thicken the food and give it more texture. It is an FDA-approved, all natural GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) ingredient used by the food and cosmetic industries. It also is used to improve the shelf life of the food and helps lower the glycemic index of food. Many cat food companies claim this ingredient also aids in digestion and weight loss. There is some minor debate about the benefits of this ingredient with some claiming negative impacts, but in general, this is thought to be a relatively non-nutritious yet safe ingredient.




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Wysong Au Jus Rabbit Cat Food Review

Wysong Cat Food


Wysong Pet Foods was established in 1979 to provide natural and holistic foods for dogs, cats, and other common household pets. Their website claims they have two main objectives…

First, they want to “arm pet owners with the knowledge needed to make sound nutritional and health decisions for their pets – pet health and nutrition information is our best product and it is free to you.” And secondly, they desire to “provide natural and holistic pet foods and cat & dog supplements scientifically formulated and painstakingly manufactured and packaged for health optimization.”

On a whole, Wysong does seem to provide higher grade ingredients and they avoid grain and other cheaper filler ingredients. The company sells foods to meet many different customers including dry foods, wet foods, and raw based diets. While Wysong has had some recalls in the past, the recalls are limited and do no appear to be major concerns.




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List Of Ingredients In This Cat Food

Rabbit, Meat Broth, Guar Gum

Top 5 Ingredients Analysis

Rabbit

This is a great alternative meat source that provides excellent meat protein. When listed as “rabbit” that means this is whole rabbit. It contains the flesh, meat, and skin of the rabbit without the fur, bones, or intestines. While this is considered a very high quality meat source, it loses about 80% of its volume during the cooking process in dry cat foods. That means, in reality, this ingredient would be listed lower on the ingredients list if the ingredients were weighed after the cooking process. In wet cat foods, however, this is not as big of an issue since the cooking process is much different. In either case, this is a very high quality meat source and we are pleased to see it listed here.

Meat Broth

Used as a source of moisture and flavor, meat broth is normally considered a higher alternative to plain water, even though it doesn’t provide much nutritional value. It’s unfortunately this broth is from an unnamed meat source. Normally, we like to see named meat sources for the broth such as chicken broth or turkey broth. In this case, we are left guessing what meat source is used to create the broth. I can literally be from almost any animal and that is a bit concerning.

Guar Gum

This ingredient is also sometimes called guaran. It is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, off-white powder. This ingredient is mostly used to thicken the food and give it more texture. It is an FDA-approved, all natural GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) ingredient used by the food and cosmetic industries. It also is used to improve the shelf life of the food and helps lower the glycemic index of food. Many cat food companies claim this ingredient also aids in digestion and weight loss. There is some minor debate about the benefits of this ingredient with some claiming negative impacts, but in general, this is thought to be a relatively non-nutritious yet safe ingredient.




Compare Pricing And Read Customer Reviews Here