Additives in pet food can serve many purposes, ranging from nutritional benefits to preventing spoiling. While some additives are necessary and beneficial, sadly, not all additives are made equal. Some are simply palatability ingredients, designed to make junk food taste good. So, focusing on added flavours, let’s take a look at additives in pet foods- which ones to look out for, and which ones to avoid.

Omega 3, 6 and 9 are types of polyunsaturated fatty acids, PUFAs for short. They are absorbed through the gastrointestinal system and act at a cellular level to alter chemical pathways in the body to many advantageous effects. Omega 3s are concentrated in animal or marine sources such as fish, and omega 6 and 9 tend to be found in the plant, seed and nut products.  

Research by the University of Exeter has shown that feeding cats a high protein diet can reduce their hunting behaviour in the wild. The study found that feeding a high quality protein diet, where the protein came from meat sources, reduced the amount of prey brought home by a whopping 36%!