Cat Food Brands With a Low Ash Content

You consider yourself the ultimate cat lover, and Princess, your beloved feline is more than just a friend. You spend more time with Princess than you do with most humans, and you want to be certain she remains healthy through to her teenage years. Diet is the most important ingredient in good health, and ash content is a consideration when choosing the best food for your little Princess.

  1. The Truth About Ash

    • Ash is defined as what remains after dinner burns to a crisp, sending the smoke alarm into a frenzy. The same holds true for cat food. A sample amount of the food is incinerated, and what remains is measured as ash. Ash is comprised of inorganic materials, such as minerals, which are essential to a cat's diet. Equally as important to your cat's good health are proteins, which are necessary to keep Princess healthy. Cat food brands and contents, including ash, vary tremendously and finding the right food to please your feline can be a trying task. Regardless of the ingredients, your cat's food should be approved by the American Association of Feed Control Officials, meaning the food meets the minimum nutritional needs all cats have.

    Misconceptions About Ash

    • According to Jean Hovfe, DVM, concerns over ash content are one of the biggest myths in feline care. In the 1970s and 1980s, ash content in food was linked to feline lower urinary tract disease. It was believed that a high concentration of ash was linked to the formation of struvite crystals in a cat's urine. Further research concluded that it wasn't ash content that caused the struvite crystals, but rather the content of most commercial cat foods, which resulted in a higher alkaline in the cat's urine.

    Ash Benefits

    • There are benefits to ash, as it contains vital minerals Princess needs for a healthy diet, so feeding a diet very low in ash may deprive Princess of these minerals. Ideally, dry food brands should contain less than 8 percent ash, but many commercial foods may not list ash content. If ash isn't listed in the ingredients, contact the manufacturer. Moist food normally contains only about 2 percent ash, because canned cat food has a higher water content.

    Feeding the Individual

    • Ultimately, Princess will determine what type of food she needs. As a kitten, she will benefit from a kitten food, and a senior Princess will benefit from a food designed for the aging diva. It is always best to consult a veterinarian, especially if Princess has a particular health issue, which may improve or worsen because of the content of her diet, or if she seems to be developing an intolerance to what you're feeding her. A healthy diet isn't a question of brand, it's feeding your little Princess a well-balanced diet to keep her healthy throughout a long and pampered life.