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Cat Food Ingredient

Chicken

Our ingredient score: 5 / 5 · Named animal protein · How We Score

Fresh, deboned, dehydrated or freeze-dried chicken is one of the most easily digested protein sources for cats. Its muscle tissue naturally contains taurine, which cats need for heart and eye health. Chicken also supplies B vitamins and arachidonic acid, a fatty acid cats can make only in very small amounts. The words "dehydrated" or "freeze dried" on the label mean the water has been removed; in this form it provides much more meat protein for the same weight. Its taste makes it easier for even picky cats to accept the food.

Chicken also appears on labels as De-Boned Chicken, Deboned Chicken, Dehydrated Chicken, Freeze Dried Chicken, Freeze-Dried Chicken.

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Common Questions

What does freeze dried chicken mean on a cat food label?

It means the water has been removed from the chicken. In this form it provides much more meat protein for the same weight.

Is chicken safe for cats?

Chicken is the most common named animal protein in dry cat food. Tufts veterinary nutritionists list chicken among the food allergies most often reported in dogs and cats, and they say most pets with food allergies react to animal proteins rather than grains. Most cats eat chicken without a problem. If your cat has a medical condition or a suspected food allergy, ask your veterinarian.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Why is chicken in cat food?

Chicken supplies digestible animal protein, and cats need it. Cornell Feline Health Center explains that cats are obligate carnivores that rely on nutrients found only in animal products. Chicken muscle also contains taurine and arachidonic acid, two nutrients cats must get from food. Its taste helps picky cats accept a recipe, and it is widely available, which is why so many foods use it.

Source: vet.cornell.edu

Is chicken meal better than chicken?

Neither one is simply better, because they measure differently on the label. AAFCO explains that rendering removes most of the water and fat, so chicken meal is mostly protein and minerals. Fresh chicken is mostly water, which pushes it up the ingredient list by weight. Pettings scores both chicken and chicken meal 5 out of 5. The full recipe and its guaranteed analysis tell you more than either word alone.

Source: aafco.org

What does chicken in a cat food name mean?

The wording of the name tells you the minimum amount. Under AAFCO rules, a name like Chicken Cat Food means chicken is at least 95 percent of the product, not counting added water. Chicken Dinner or Chicken Entree means at least 25 percent. With Chicken means at least 3 percent, and Chicken Flavor only needs a listed ingredient that gives the chicken taste.

Source: aafco.org

How does Pettings score chicken?

Pettings gives chicken 5 out of 5 and lists it as a named animal protein. It appears on 75 of the 149 dry cat foods we list, more than half of them. The same score covers label forms such as deboned, dehydrated and freeze-dried chicken. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.

How Foods With Chicken Compare

Chicken is on the label of 75 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Their average Ingredients score is 60 out of 100. The 74 foods without it average 54.

An average describes the foods, not this ingredient alone: one ingredient is only a small part of a food's score.

Foods With Chicken (75)