Soybean Oil

Largely, yes. Fish oil supplies the omega-3 that soybean oil lacks. Chicken fat adds some arachidonic acid but no real omega-3, so on its own it does not fix the balance.

Soybean oil is a vegetable oil that adds energy and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fat. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that cats cannot readily convert linoleic acid to arachidonic acid, a fat cats require, and that arachidonic acid is absent in vegetable oils and found in animal fat. Cats therefore need an animal fat source as well. For a cat with a medical condition, ask your veterinarian.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Soybean oil is a low-cost fat that raises the energy content of a dry food and supplies omega-6 fatty acids, mainly linoleic acid. It is often preserved with mixed tocopherols to slow spoilage. Fat also makes kibble more appealing to cats, so some of it is sprayed on the outside of the pieces after cooking.

Yes. Cats need linoleic acid and arachidonic acid, which are both omega-6 fats. The Merck Veterinary Manual says cats cannot readily make arachidonic acid from linoleic acid and must get it from animal fat, since vegetable oils lack it. Soybean oil supplies linoleic acid only. It is also high in omega-6 and low in omega-3, so the other fat sources in the food matter.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Refined soybean oil contains very little protein. Food allergies in cats are reactions to proteins, so the oil is a different case from soybean meal or soy protein isolate. Refining removes most protein, though trace amounts can remain. A cat on an elimination diet trial should follow the veterinarian's guidance on every soy ingredient, and that covers the oil too.

Pettings gives soybean oil 2 out of 5 and lists it under soy. It appears on 13 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Foods with it average 54 out of 100 on our Ingredients score, compared with 58 for foods without it, though that average reflects the whole food. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.