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Cat Food Ingredient

Ferrous Sulfate

Our ingredient score: 3 / 5 · Mineral · How We Score

Iron is the main component of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in red blood cells. A cat that does not get enough iron may show anemia, weakness and loss of appetite. Ferrous sulfate is a source of iron commonly used in pet foods. It is one of the better absorbed iron salts and meets daily needs. Too much can upset the stomach; food levels are set to meet the cat's iron requirement.

Common Questions

What are signs of iron deficiency in cats?

A cat that does not get enough iron may show anemia, weakness and loss of appetite.

Is ferrous sulfate safe for cats?

Ferrous sulfate is an iron salt used to add iron to food. FDA lists iron sulfate among the iron source compounds in 21 CFR 582.80, its GRAS list of trace minerals added to animal feeds. Cats need iron to make hemoglobin, and complete cat foods add a measured amount. A cat with anemia or another medical condition should be evaluated by a veterinarian.

Source: ecfr.gov

Why is ferrous sulfate in cat food?

Ferrous sulfate is added to supply iron, which cats need to make hemoglobin and carry oxygen in the blood. Meat contains iron, but levels vary between ingredients, so manufacturers include a set amount in the mineral premix to reach the target.

Is ferrous sulfate the same as iron sulfate?

Yes, in practice. Ferrous sulfate is iron(II) sulfate, and iron sulfate is the shorter name used in FDA's 21 CFR 582.80 list. Some labels print one name and some print the other. Pettings keeps a page for each name, and they describe the same mineral.

Source: ecfr.gov

Can cats get too much iron from food?

Iron in complete cat foods is added at levels meant to meet nutrient targets, not at supplement doses. Iron pills and multivitamins made for people are far more concentrated. If a cat gets into human vitamins or iron pills, contact a veterinarian or animal poison control right away.

How does Pettings score ferrous sulfate?

Pettings gives ferrous sulfate 3 out of 5 and lists it as a mineral. It appears on 112 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Our How We Score page explains how ingredient scores are set. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.

How Foods With Ferrous Sulfate Compare

Ferrous Sulfate is on the label of 112 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Their average Ingredients score is 52 out of 100. The 37 foods without it average 73.

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

Top-Ranked Foods Without Ferrous Sulfate

  1. Orijen Guardian 8 (91)
  2. Orijen Kitten (91)
  3. Orijen Original Cat (91)
  4. Acana Highest Protein Wild Atlantic (90)
  5. Instinct Raw Boost Kibble Real Chicken Recipe (88)

Ranked the same way as our best lists: nothing on the Avoid List and a Nutrition score of at least 6/10 first, then by Ingredients score.

Foods With Ferrous Sulfate (112)