Acadian Redfish

Acadian redfish is a white ocean fish that some dry cat foods use as a named protein. Cornell Feline Health Center describes cats as obligate carnivores that rely on nutrients found only in animal products, and fish is one way a recipe supplies that animal protein. Like any fish, it can trigger a food allergy in some cats. If your cat has a medical condition or a known food allergy, ask your veterinarian before choosing a food with it.

Source: vet.cornell.edu

Acadian redfish is there as a source of animal protein. Pettings groups it with cod, haddock, pollock and sole as a lean white fish whose protein cats digest easily. The fish also carries trace minerals such as iodine and selenium. Because the label names the species, you know exactly which fish went into the food, which is not true of ingredients listed only as fish.

Acadian redfish is a rockfish from the cold waters of the North Atlantic. Its skin is red, but the flesh is white, mild and low in fat, so Pettings treats it like other lean white fish. In cat food it usually appears in fish-based recipes next to species such as cod or haddock. Freeze-dried versions keep most of the nutrition of the fresh fish.

Yes, cats can be allergic to fish. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists fish among the common sources of food allergens in cats, in the same group as beef and chicken. An allergy is a reaction to a protein, so any fish species could be involved, including Acadian redfish. Itchy skin and digestive upset are the usual signs, and a veterinarian confirms a food allergy with a strict elimination diet.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Pettings gives Acadian redfish 5 out of 5 and lists it as a named animal protein. It appears on 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list, so it is a rare ingredient in dry food. The score rates the ingredient by itself. Each food's page shows how the whole recipe scores overall.