Whole Pears

Pears are a fruit with fiber and pectin, and a few dry cat foods add them in small amounts. We found no FDA or Merck guidance specific to pears in cat food. Fresh pear seeds and stems are a separate matter from the processed fruit used in pet food. If your cat has diabetes or another medical condition, ask your veterinarian about fruit in its diet.

Pears are added for fiber and pectin, and for a whole-food look on the label. Pectin is a soluble fiber. The Merck Veterinary Manual says cats have no dietary requirement for fiber, though fiber can have health benefits. Pears are present in small amounts.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Whole pears means the maker used the entire fruit, often including skin and core, rather than only the flesh or a by-product like pear pomace. The word whole describes the form of the ingredient, not its quality. Pettings lists whole pears as its own entry because that is how labels name it.

Pears contain natural sugars, but the small amount in dry cat food adds very little to the total. Cat foods with fruit near the end of the ingredient list get most of their calories from other ingredients. The guaranteed analysis and calorie statement on the label give a better picture than a single fruit.

Pettings gives whole pears 3 out of 5 and lists it as a fruit or vegetable ingredient. It appears on 4 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. The page groups pears with apples as fruits with fiber and pectin. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.