Sunflower Seeds
Our ingredient score: 3 / 5 · Fruit or vegetable · How We Score
Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid. This fatty acid is needed for skin and coat health. They also contain some fiber and plant protein. However, their high fat content adds calories, and their plant protein is not as valuable for cats as meat protein. The small amounts in cat food do not cause a problem for a healthy cat.
Sunflower Seeds also appears on labels as Organic Sunflower Seeds.
Common Questions
Is the protein in sunflower seeds good for cats?
Sunflower seeds contain some plant protein, but it is not as valuable for cats as meat protein.
Are sunflower seeds safe for cats?
Sunflower seeds are the oily seeds of the sunflower plant. In cat food they appear hulled and ground, often labeled organic, and in small amounts. They are a source of vitamin E and linoleic acid. We found no FDA or Merck warning specific to sunflower seeds in cat food. If your cat has a medical condition, ask your veterinarian about its diet.
Why are sunflower seeds in cat food?
Sunflower seeds are added for fat, vitamin E and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid. Linoleic acid is a required fatty acid for cats. The Merck Veterinary Manual adds that cats cannot readily make arachidonic acid from linoleic acid, so they need arachidonic acid from animal fats as well.
Source: merckvetmanual.com
Can cats eat sunflower seeds in the shell?
Whole seeds in the shell are a different matter from the ground seed used in cat food. Shells are hard and fibrous, and they can be a choking or blockage concern for a small animal. Salted snack seeds also add sodium. In commercial cat food, sunflower seeds are processed and blended into the kibble.
Does organic on an ingredient mean anything in cat food?
Organic on a pet food ingredient refers to how the crop was grown, under USDA organic rules, not to its nutrient content. Organic sunflower seeds and conventional sunflower seeds have similar nutrition. The word speaks to farming methods, and Pettings scores the ingredient on what it adds to a cat's diet.
How does Pettings score sunflower seeds?
Pettings gives sunflower seeds 3 out of 5 and lists it as a fruit or vegetable ingredient. It appears on 2 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. The page describes them as a source of vitamin E and linoleic acid. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.
How Foods With Sunflower Seeds Compare
Sunflower Seeds is on the label of 2 of the 149 dry cat foods we list.