Pork Fat
Our ingredient score: 4 / 5 · Named animal fat · How We Score
Pork fat is an animal fat from a clearly named source, and it adds concentrated energy and flavor to the food. A large part of a cat's energy needs is met by fats. Animal fats also contain arachidonic acid, which cats cannot make from vegetable oils. It is also rich in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid that supports skin and coat health. Because it is preserved with mixed tocopherols, that is, natural vitamin E, it stays fresh without the need for chemical preservatives.
Common Questions
Why do cats need animal fat instead of only vegetable oil?
Animal fats contain arachidonic acid, which cats cannot make from vegetable oils.
Is pork fat safe for cats?
Pork fat is rendered fat from pigs. In cat food it supplies energy, flavor and fatty acids, including some arachidonic acid. Cornell's Feline Health Center describes cats as obligate carnivores that rely on nutrients found only in animal products, and animal fats are one of the ways a dry food meets those needs. For a cat with a medical condition, ask your veterinarian.
Source: vet.cornell.edu
Why is pork fat in cat food?
Pork fat is used for calories and taste. Fat packs more energy per gram than protein or carbohydrate, more than twice as much according to Tufts veterinary nutritionists, so it helps a dry food reach its calorie target. It also makes kibble more appealing to cats. As a named fat, it tells you exactly which animal the fat came from.
Source: sites.tufts.edu
Is pork fat the same as lard?
Yes, in practice. Lard is the traditional name for rendered pig fat, and pork fat on a cat food label describes the same kind of ingredient. Both names tell you the species, which a generic animal fat does not. You will often see the fat followed by its preservative, such as mixed tocopherols, in parentheses.
Are cats allergic to pork?
Pork is not named in the Merck Veterinary Manual's list of food allergen sources for cats, which gives beef, fish and chicken as common sources and wheat, corn, dairy products and lamb as less common ones. Any cat can still react to a protein it has eaten before. If you suspect a food allergy, your veterinarian can guide an elimination diet trial.
Source: merckvetmanual.com
How does Pettings score pork fat?
Pork fat gets 4 out of 5 from Pettings, which lists it as a named animal fat. It shows up on 4 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Each food's page shows how the whole recipe scores, so one ingredient score is only part of the picture.
How Foods With Pork Fat Compare
Pork Fat is on the label of 4 of the 149 dry cat foods we list.