Harmful Ingredients

Cats can't taste sweetness and have no use for sugar. It promotes obesity, diabetes and dental disease. Added purely to make low-quality food more palatable.

Cats are obligate carnivores with negligible amylase activity. High grain content delivers little nutritional value and chronically stresses blood glucose.

Vague "animal meal" without species specification can contain slaughter by-products unfit for human consumption. Quality is highly variable and untraceable.

Prohibited in cat food across the EU, UK, and Australia, and flagged as unsafe by the FDA. Still found in products from markets with looser regulations. Can trigger Heinz body anaemia and is acutely toxic to cats.

BHA and BHT are considered potentially carcinogenic and restricted in multiple jurisdictions. Ethoxyquin is banned in the EU and Japan yet may appear unlabelled as a carry-over preservative in fish meal from unregulated fisheries.

A thickening agent derived from red algae. Studies link it to intestinal inflammation and ulceration. Widespread in wet food, often listed under the innocuous name "algae extract".

Toxic to cats in any form and any amount. Contains N-propyl disulfide and thiosulphates, which damage red blood cells and cause haemolytic anaemia. Powdered or concentrated forms are especially dangerous.

A cheap plant-based protein filler. Cats digest it poorly and it inflates the protein percentage on the label without providing equivalent nutritional value. Also a common allergen linked to skin and digestive issues.

A dry-rendered by-product of corn processing. Used to inflate protein numbers cheaply on labels. Biologically incomplete — lacks essential amino acids cats require from animal sources. Offers no meaningful nutritional benefit.

Often sourced from wood pulp or peanut hulls. Added to increase volume and create a feeling of fullness. Cats have no nutritional need for it in large quantities. In excess it interferes with mineral absorption.

Cats have a low thirst drive and rely on food for most of their water intake. High sodium content strains the kidneys over time and is a known risk factor for hypertension and chronic kidney disease — already common in older cats.

Cats are dichromats — they cannot see the colors food coloring produces. These additives serve the buyer, not the cat. Some synthetic dyes are linked to hypersensitivity reactions and are banned in several countries.

Cats lack the enzymes to efficiently convert plant-based omega-3s (ALA) into EPA and DHA — the forms they actually need. Using sunflower or soybean oil as the main fat source creates an essential fatty acid deficiency over time.

Used as a palatability enhancer — essentially a flavour trick to mask low-quality ingredients. Contains glutamates that can trigger sensitivities in some cats. Not inherently toxic but signals poor underlying formulation.

An artificial sweetener increasingly used in human food that occasionally finds its way into pet products or treats. Causes severe hypoglycaemia and liver failure even in small doses. Any product containing xylitol is an immediate no.