Thyme
Our ingredient score: 2 / 5 · Herb or plant extract · How We Score
Thyme is a herb added to cat food for flavor and aroma. It contains compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, such as thymol. However, concentrated thyme oil is irritating for cats; cats do not process this kind of essential oil well. The amount of dried herb in cat food is very small, so it does not cause a problem. Its nutritional contribution for the cat is limited.
Common Questions
Is thyme essential oil dangerous for cats?
Concentrated thyme oil is irritating for cats, because they do not process this kind of essential oil well.
Is thyme safe for cats?
Thyme is a cooking herb from the mint family, used dried and in small amounts in a couple of cat foods. FDA lists thyme in 21 CFR 582.10 among spices and natural seasonings with GRAS status for animal feed. That listing covers feed use in general rather than cats. If your cat has a medical condition, ask your veterinarian about herbs in its food.
Source: govinfo.gov
Why is thyme in cat food?
Thyme is added for flavor and aroma, and it gives the ingredient list a natural, kitchen-herb look. The leaf contains aromatic compounds such as thymol. The amount in dry cat food is small, and we found no study showing a health effect in cats at that level.
Is thyme the same as cat thyme?
No, cat thyme is a different plant. Garden thyme is Thymus vulgaris, the cooking herb used in some cat foods. Cat thyme is Teucrium marum, a separate plant that some cats react to much like catnip. Thyme on a cat food label means the culinary herb.
Can cats eat fresh thyme?
No source we checked studied cats eating fresh thyme, so we cannot say how a nibble affects a cat. The herb has little nutritional value for a carnivore. FDA includes thyme on its GRAS list of spices and natural seasonings for animal feed (21 CFR 582.10). Concentrated thyme oil is a different product, and the Merck Veterinary Manual notes that cats are very sensitive to phenolic compounds found in some essential oils.
Source: merckvetmanual.com
How does Pettings score thyme?
Pettings gives thyme 2 out of 5 and lists it as an herb or plant extract. It appears on 2 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. The page describes thyme as an herb added to cat food for flavor and aroma. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.
How Foods With Thyme Compare
Thyme is on the label of 2 of the 149 dry cat foods we list.