10 Worst Cat Food Brands to Avoid in 2024

Over 300 cat foods scored 1.5 stars or lower in a database of over 2000 products. This shows how common bad cat food is¹. As a cat owner, knowing the worst cat food brands is key to keeping your cat healthy. These bad foods often have harmful ingredients like butylated hydroxyanisole and carrageenan¹.

Cats need a diet rich in protein and low in carbs. Yet, many bad cat foods don’t meet these needs. They use low-quality meat and too many carbs¹. Some even have ingredients that could cause cancer¹.

It’s important to avoid harmful cat food brands like those from Mars Petcare (Royal Canin, Whiskas, Iams) and Nestle (Friskies, Fancy Feast, Purina). These brands often use bad ingredients like unnamed meat and sugars². Even if they claim to help with health issues, their food quality is still poor.

Key Takeaways:

• Over 300 cat foods received 1.5 stars or lower in a database of more than 2000 rated products
• Low-quality cat foods often contain harmful ingredients like butylated hydroxyanisole, carrageenan, and meat by-products
• Cats require a diet with over 50% protein and only about 2% carbohydrates
• Avoid brands under Mars Petcare (Royal Canin, Whiskas, Iams) and Nestle (Friskies, Fancy Feast, Purina)
• Look for high-quality, meat-based ingredients and avoid excessive carbohydrates and artificial additives

Understanding AAFCO’s Label Guidelines and Ingredient Definitions

Reading cat food labels can be tough. But knowing the AAFCO label guidelines helps you choose better for your cat. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sets rules for pet food labels. This includes cat food ingredient definitions and what nutrients are needed³.

Deciphering Product Name Rules

AAFCO’s rules for product names show the minimum amount of named ingredients in cat food. For example, “Chicken Cat Food” must have at least 95% chicken³. Names like “Chicken n’ Rice Recipe” need 25% chicken and rice together³.

But, names like “Indoor Maintenance Sensitive Stomach with Chicken and Potatoes” only require 3% chicken and potatoes³.

Watch out for flavor names like “Metabolic Weight Management Chicken Flavor.” They don’t have a minimum for the named ingredient³. Pet foods list ingredients by weight, but cooking can change the weight of ingredients³.

Importance of Analyzing Guaranteed Analysis

The guaranteed analysis on labels is key for knowing the carb content. Cats don’t need carbs, says the National Research Council (NRC)³. Kibble has about 7% carbs, while wet food has 1.5%³. Wet food usually has more protein than kibble³.

“Pet food labels must include guarantees for minimum crude protein, minimum crude fat, maximum crude fiber, minimum Phosphorus, and minimum and maximum Calcium levels.”⁴

When picking, stay away from corn, rice, soybean, wheat, sugar, cellulose, colors, and certain preservatives and flavor enhancers³. Be careful of meat by-products, animal digest, poultry meal or by-products, and fish oil³. Shockingly, dead, diseased, dying, and disabled meats (4-D meats) are allowed in pet food if processed properly³.

AAFCO Nutritional Requirements	Adult Cats	Growing Kittens
Minimum Protein	26%	30%
Minimum Fat	9%	9%

Data Source: AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles⁵

To keep your cat healthy, think about a raw diet or balanced homemade cat. These diets include fresh meat, which cats need³. Learning about AAFCO’s guidelines helps you avoid cheap cat food. This way, you can give your cat the quality nutrition they need to thrive.

Mars Petcare Cat Food Brands to Avoid

Choosing the right cat food is key to your cat’s health. Mars Petcare has several brands with questionable ingredients. Brands like Royal Canin, Whiskas, and others use low-quality meat and too many carbs. Cats have trouble digesting these.

Royal Canin

Royal Canin’s oral care formula has nearly 50% carbs⁶. Cats can’t digest carbs well. Also, some recipes have 22 ingredients, which can upset a cat’s stomach⁶.

Whiskas

Whiskas uses vague terms like “meat and animal derivatives” in their ingredients. This makes it hard to know the quality of their protein. A study found 31% of cat food brands, including Whiskas, lack essential nutrients for adult cats⁷.

Iams

Iams, owned by Mars Petcare, has been criticized for its ingredients. Some recipes have too much plant-based protein, which cats can’t use well. Also, some Iams products have harmful additives and preservatives.

Brand	Concerning Ingredients	Potential Health Risks
Royal Canin	High carbohydrate content, excessive ingredients	Digestive issues, nutrient deficiencies
Whiskas	Vague meat sources, nutrient deficiencies	Poor nutrition, health complications
Iams	Plant-based proteins, harmful additives	Reduced nutrient absorption, toxin accumulation

It’s important to watch out for contaminated food, expired food, and toxins in cat food. Avoiding brands with bad ingredients and choosing high-quality, species-appropriate food is crucial. This helps keep your cat healthy and happy⁶⁷.

Brands to Steer Clear Of

Choosing the right feline food is key. It’s important to know which brands might not be good for your cat. Nestle has several feline food brands that you should be careful about. These brands often have low-quality ingredients and fillers that can harm your cat’s health.

Nestle Purina Petcare Company was sued for misleading marketing. They claimed their pet foods were natural but had synthetic ingredients⁸. The lawsuit was filed on October 12 in New York. It says Nestle lied about their pet food being natural, even though it had synthetic stuff like copper sulfate and pyridoxine hydrochloride⁸.

Friskies

Friskies is one of Nestle’s cheapest cat food brands. It has a lot of fillers and unnamed meat by-products. The dry food has no real meat and lots of carbs, which is bad for cats. Also, Purina, Friskies’ parent company, had three recalls in just 4 months⁹.

Fancy Feast

Fancy Feast uses mystery liver and fish in their recipes. Their Gourmet Naturals Grain-Free Pate Kitten Canned Cat Food is convenient, but it has unnamed animal parts and artificial colors. This makes it a less healthy choice for your cat.

Purina Cat Chow

Purina Cat Chow has corn and soy as main ingredients. Cats need a diet high in animal protein, not plant-based fillers. Ziwi Peak Air-Dried Mackerel, Lamb Recipe Cat Food is better, with less than 10% carbs⁹.

Brand	Main Concerns
Friskies	Fillers, unnamed meat by-products, high carbohydrate content
Fancy Feast	Mystery liver and fish, artificial colors
Purina Cat Chow	Corn and soy as main ingredients, lack of animal protein

When picking cat food, read labels carefully. Choose brands with high-quality, animal-based ingredients. Avoid low-quality cat food brands like those from Nestle. This way, you can ensure your cat gets the nutrition they need for good health.

Other Brands with Low-Quality Ingredients

Many cat food brands use bad ingredients that can harm cats. Perfect Fit Advanced Nutrition, Harringtons, and Pets at Home are examples. They have too much cereal, sugar, and unknown animal parts¹⁰.

Other bad options include Joy Combo, Kit & Kaboodle, Meow Mix, and 9Lives. They have low-quality protein and fillers.

Over 200  brands were reviewed. Ratings went from F to A+ based on quality and safety¹¹. Bad brands often have low-quality ingredients and recall issues¹¹.

Twenty bad canned  brands to avoid include Fancy Feast and Friskies. Also, Purina Pro Plan, Royal Canin, and Sheba are on the list¹². These foods have chemicals, synthetic vitamins, and unhealthy fillers¹².

“Consumers must carefully read labels when selecting cat food products, as even well-known brands may use subpar ingredients.”

Premium cat food is more expensive but better for cats¹⁰. It’s more nutritious and tastes better¹⁰. Choosing the right food depends on your cat’s needs and your budget¹⁰.

Investing in quality food is worth it for your cat’s health¹⁰. Opt for a diet that’s meat-based and grain-free¹². Avoiding bad brands and ingredients helps your cat stay healthy¹².

Conclusion

Choosing the right food for your cat is key. Look for high-quality protein, low carbs, and clear labels. Cat food should have at least 26% to 30% protein by dry matter for growth and reproduction¹³. It should also have less than 10% carbs and 3-5% fiber¹³.

Avoid foods with animal by-products, grains, and artificial additives. These can harm your cat’s health¹³.

Dry food is cheaper but wet food offers more hydration¹⁴. Raw diets are closer to a cat’s natural diet¹⁴. But, some wet foods have too many fillers, leading to weight gain and health problems¹⁵.

Low-quality foods may have harmful additives. They can cause allergies or sensitivities in cats¹⁵.

Choose food with named meats and few fillers. Good brands are open about their ingredients and practices¹⁵. Talk to your vet to find the best food for your cat. Always introduce new foods slowly to avoid stomach upset.

By avoiding bad cat food and choosing quality options, your cat will stay healthy and happy. Learn more about cat care to make the best choices for your pet.

FAQ

Source Links

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      12. Worst Canned Cat Food List | Purrrfectly Holistic…a Boutique for Cats! – https://www.purrrfectlyholistic.com/worst-canned-cat-food-list/
      13. Cat Food Ingredients to Look For & Ones to Avoid | BetterVet – https://bettervet.com/resources/pet-nutrition/cat-food-ingredients
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      15. From Nutrition to Taste: Understanding What Makes a Wet Cat Food the Worst – https://www.ask.com/culture/nutrition-taste-understanding-makes-wet-cat-food-worst