Venison

Most cats have not encountered venison protein before, so it is a preferred choice in the elimination diets veterinarians use to investigate food allergies.

Venison is deer meat, a red meat that supplies protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12. Few cats eat it regularly, which is why it appears in some diets used for food allergy trials. The Merck Veterinary Manual says such trials rely on proteins the cat has not eaten before. If your cat has a food allergy or another medical condition, ask your veterinarian before you switch.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Roasted venison is deer meat that was cooked by roasting before it went into the food. The word roasted describes how the meat was prepared, and the ingredient is still venison. Pettings groups both names on one page. Manufacturers often use the term for flavor and marketing, but nutritionally it is the same animal protein.

Venison comes from deer. Much of the venison used in pet food comes from farmed deer. The label should name the meat, and venison on its own means deer. It is a red meat, so it is closer to beef or lamb than to poultry in flavor and color.

Probably not as a novel protein. The Merck Veterinary Manual says an elimination diet should avoid ingredients the cat has already eaten, and a trial often lasts many weeks. If venison has been in the cat's food or treats, it no longer counts as new. Your veterinarian can suggest another protein or a hydrolyzed diet instead.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Pettings gives venison 5 out of 5 and lists it as a named animal protein. It appears on 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. It earns the top score as a named animal protein. Each food's page shows how the whole recipe scores overall.