Pork

For some cats that are sensitive to chicken or beef, pork offers a less familiar protein option, and its taste helps cats accept the food.

Pork is meat from pigs, and it is one of the species AAFCO allows under the general term meat on a pet food label. In commercial cat food it is cooked during processing. Cats are obligate carnivores, and pork supplies animal protein and B vitamins such as thiamine. If your cat has a food allergy, pancreatitis or another medical condition, ask your veterinarian whether a pork recipe fits.

Source: aafco.org

Pork gives cat food a named animal protein that most cats have not eaten often, since chicken, beef and fish are far more common. It brings amino acids and a good amount of thiamine. Some manufacturers also use it for its flavor, which many picky cats accept. You may see it listed as pork, pork meal or as part of a general meat ingredient.

Raw meat of any kind carries infection risks. Cornell's Feline Health Center advises against feeding raw meat and calls it a potential vehicle for toxoplasmosis and other infectious diseases. Commercial cat foods that list pork cook it during processing, which is different from raw pork from the store. Talk with your veterinarian before adding any raw meat to your cat's diet.

Source: vet.cornell.edu

It can be. AAFCO rules say the general term meat can only be used for cattle, pigs, sheep or goats. So a food listing meat may contain pork, beef, lamb, goat or a mix, without saying which. When the label says pork, the species is named. Owners managing a food allergy can only rule pork in or out when it is named.

Source: aafco.org

Pettings gives pork 5 out of 5 and files it under its general cat food ingredient category. It appears on 7 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. It earns the top score as a named meat. Each food's page shows how the whole recipe scores overall.