Vitamins

The word "vitamins" on a cat food label is a heading for a group of added vitamins, usually listed in brackets after it. Cornell Feline Health Center says cats need more than a dozen nutrients including vitamins, and that supplements are usually unnecessary when a cat eats a balanced and complete diet. Cornell also says supplements should never be given without a veterinarian's approval, which matters most for a cat with a medical condition.

Source: vet.cornell.edu

On a cat food label, "Vitamins" usually introduces a bracketed list of the individual vitamins added to the food, such as vitamin E supplement or thiamine mononitrate. Each one is still named, and the order follows weight. AAFCO says each ingredient must be listed by its appropriate name in order of predominance by weight.

Source: aafco.org

Cat food has many added vitamins because heat and long storage reduce the vitamins that come from meat and other ingredients. Manufacturers add a vitamin premix so the food still meets the levels set for cats at the end of its shelf life. Cornell Feline Health Center notes that cats need more than a dozen nutrients from their diet.

Source: vet.cornell.edu

Usually not. Cornell Feline Health Center says supplements are usually unnecessary when a cat eats a balanced and complete diet, and that supplements should never be given without a veterinarian's approval. A veterinarian may suggest a specific vitamin for a cat with a diagnosed condition.

Source: vet.cornell.edu

Pettings scores the "Vitamins" heading from 0 to 4 out of 5 and lists it as a vitamin. The exact score depends on the forms named in the brackets. It appears on 115 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. A food using menadione, for example, scores lower than one without it. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.