Why I Don’t Recommend Feeding Fancy Feast Cat Food

Image credit: Purina.com

Probably the most popular grocery store brand cat food, Fancy Feast is by far one of the most common foods cat parents feed their cats.  Certainly you can’t beat the price.  However, you’ve probably heard the expression, “You get what you pay for.”  Purina prides itself on their slogan “Every ingredient has a purpose,” but in my book, along with many pet nutrition experts, they fall far short of providing the best nutrition for cats.  Let’s take a closer look at why Fancy Feast cat food should not be on your cat’s menu.

Fancy Feast cat food labels are all about marketing

Marketing is all about finding ways to appeal to consumers, and pet food manufacturers are VERY good at this.  The beautiful images, creative language and descriptions of  their cat food products, are meant to appeal to pet parents.  Cats could truly care less–they can’t read nor do they comprehend the images on labels.  

Purina has developed 18 different lines of wet food for cats; however, when you read the labels the ingredients don’t really vary all that much. Using descriptive language like grilled, marinated, minced, roasted, shredded, sliced, savory centers, flaked, medleys, gourmet, gravy lovers, creamy delights, chunky, classic, Senior 7+, and with cheddar makes each seem special.  Unfortunately, in order to create such recipes many of the ingredients Purina uses are not species appropriate or healthy for cats.

Image credit: Purina.com

Fancy Feast ingredients your cat should not be eating

Many of the ingredients in Fancy Feast cat food are toxic and genetically modified.  Despite how “healthy” Purina touts these, they are from it.

• Sodium nitrite–a known carcinogen
• Meat by products–animal parts other than meat, often sourced from rancid, dead, dying, diseased, & disabled animals, lower quality protein sources
• Soy protein concentrate & soy flour–genetically modified (GMO), common allergen; plant protein is not biologically appropriate for cats to build muscle & lean body mass
• Wheat gluten–used as a cheap source of protein, likely contaminated with glyphosate, linked to food intolerance & allergies, linked to kidney failure in death
• Artificial flavors–synthetic chemical additives derived from petroleum
• Red 3 & added colors–made from synthetic chemicals with links to cancer and other health problems
• Corn starch, corn oil–used as a filler and likely genetically modified (GMO)
• Vegetable oil–unnamed source of omega 6 oils than may be genetically modified with unknown fatty acid make up, can offset the correct balance of omega 3 to 6 ratio 

When reading the ingredients keep in mind that these are listed in order by weight.  Even if it appears that the amounts are small you must remember that the accumulated load over time adds up. In other words, you may not see the negative affects on your cat right away but they can lead and contribute to negative and unwanted health conditions eventually. Are you willing to take that chance?  

Beware of what you CAN’T see on the label

Another disturbing reality that I’ve seen come up energetically in recent months concerns ingredients you CAN’T see.  Preservatives are used to extend shelf life and to keep the fats from going rancid after the manufacturing process.  In several of my clients’ cats who routinely eat Fancy Feast cat food I find toxic preservatives like ethoxyquin and propyl gallate resonating.  If something is resonating there is an energetic element showing up.  This is very disturbing to me and should concern every pet parent who is feeding Fancy Feast.  Goodness Pet Food shares a great article highlighting toxic preservatives commonly found in pet/dog food.

“Ethoxyquin is banned in Australia and the EU. We can often find this in pesticide but is also used as a preservative to avoid contamination. Ethoxyquin is linked to kidney and bladder failure, digestive issues, and stomach and colon tumors.” (Goodness Pet Food)

Susan Thixton with Truth About Pet Food shares some ugly, inconvenient truths about ethoxyquin that every pet parent needs to be informed about: “It’s actually quite rare to find ethoxyquin mentioned on any pet food label at this point, but that doesn’t mean it’s not found in the finished product. In other words, just because you don’t see ethoxyquin on the label, it doesn’t mean it isn’t present in the finished product.”

The damaging effect of propyl gallate are also very concerning. “Propyl gallate is so harmful that it is banned in the U.K.; it is largely used to stabilize fats. Studies have shown that Propyl Gallate can cause allergies, skin irritation and cancer.” (Goodness Pet Food)

There are better options to feed your cat

Instead of feeding a low quality cat food that uses so many undesirable ingredients, feed your cat a species appropriate diet.  This can include fresh, raw, freeze-dried, or a canned food that doesn’t contain any of the negative ingredients listed above.  This will provide better nutrition and ultimately better health for your cat.  The bottom line is you simply have to read the labels and do your own research into the products and companies who make them.  

Updated October 24, 2021