Watercress
Our ingredient score: 3 / 5 · Fruit or vegetable · How We Score
Watercress is a leafy green plant from the cabbage family, rich in vitamins K and C and in beta-carotene, which cats cannot convert into vitamin A. Vitamin K is needed for blood to clot. Like most plants in the cabbage family, it contains substances that can affect the thyroid when eaten in very large amounts. It is not used in cat food in amounts where this effect would appear. No harm is known at small amounts, and its contribution for the cat is limited.
Common Questions
Can watercress affect a cat's thyroid?
Only in very large amounts. Cat food does not use watercress in amounts where this effect would appear.
Is watercress safe for cats?
Watercress is a leafy green from the cabbage family that grows in shallow water. It shows up dried, in small amounts, in very few cat foods. We found no FDA or Merck guidance on watercress in cat food, and studies in cats are lacking. If your cat has a thyroid or other medical condition, ask your veterinarian about leafy greens in its food.
Why is watercress in cat food?
Watercress is added as a leafy green with a peppery taste. It brings vitamin K and plant compounds in small amounts. It is one of the less common vegetables in pet food and usually appears in recipes with a long list of greens. The Pettings page describes it as a leafy plant from the cabbage family.
Is watercress the same as garden cress?
No, they are different plants. Watercress is Nasturtium officinale, which grows in water. Garden cress is Lepidium sativum, a fast-growing salad sprout. Both are peppery members of the cabbage family. Watercress on a cat food label means the water-grown plant.
Can cats eat fresh watercress?
A cat that nibbles a little plain watercress is not known to have problems from it, but the plant offers little for an obligate carnivore, as Cornell's Feline Health Center describes cats. Wash any greens first and keep the portion tiny.
Source: vet.cornell.edu
How does Pettings score watercress?
Pettings gives watercress 3 out of 5 and lists it as a fruit or vegetable ingredient. It appears on 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. The page describes it as a leafy green plant from the cabbage family. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.
How Foods With Watercress Compare
Watercress is on the label of 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list.