Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is a winter squash with soluble fiber and beta-carotene. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that cats cannot convert beta-carotene into vitamin A and need a preformed source of vitamin A in the diet, so the squash's beta-carotene does not cover that need. In cat food it appears in small amounts as a fiber source. For a cat with a medical condition, ask your veterinarian.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Manufacturers add butternut squash mainly for fiber. It is low in calories, so it suits weight-control recipes, and its soluble fiber can help with stool quality. It also brings some vitamin C. Labels may call it butternut squash, organic butternut squash or whole butternut squash, and it usually sits in the middle or lower part of the ingredient list.

They are close relatives in the squash family and play the same role in cat food. Both add fiber with few calories, and Pettings scores both 4 out of 5 as fiber sources. Some recipes use one and some use both. Tufts veterinary nutritionists point out that pumpkin provides only a small amount of fiber, a mix of soluble and insoluble types, so neither works as a strong fiber source on its own.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Squash alone does not cause weight loss. It is used in weight-control foods because it adds bulk and fiber with few calories, which can make a portion more filling. Weight loss depends on total calories eaten. Tufts veterinary nutritionists note that fiber can help with weight loss in pets, and a veterinarian can set a calorie target for a cat that needs to lose weight.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Pettings gives butternut squash 4 out of 5 and lists it as a fiber source. It appears on 6 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. It adds soluble fiber with few calories, which is why the score sits near the top of our range. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.