Shrimp

Shrimp is a shellfish that cat food makers use as a low-fat animal protein and a seafood flavor. FDA and EPA mercury advice written for people places shrimp on its Best Choices list. In commercial cat food, shrimp is cooked and usually paired with fish. If your cat has a food allergy or another medical condition, ask your veterinarian before trying a shrimp recipe.

Source: fda.gov

Shrimp is used mainly for flavor, and it also adds some protein and minerals such as selenium and iodine. Cats tend to like seafood tastes, so manufacturers mix shrimp into fish-based recipes. It rarely makes up a large share of a food. On Pettings, only 1 of the 149 dry cat foods lists shrimp.

Shrimp gets its pink color from astaxanthin, a natural pigment the animal takes in from its diet of algae and tiny marine organisms. The pigment is bound to proteins in raw shrimp and turns visibly pink or red once cooked. In cat food, any color from shrimp is incidental, since cats choose food mainly by smell and taste.

Raw shellfish, like other raw animal foods, can carry germs. Cornell's Feline Health Center advises against raw meat for cats and calls it a potential vehicle for toxoplasmosis and other infectious diseases. Shrimp in commercial cat food is cooked during processing. Ask your veterinarian before giving raw shrimp, especially if your cat has a medical condition.

Source: vet.cornell.edu

Pettings gives shrimp 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.