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Scanned by Randall Saunders · April 12, 2026
9Lives 9Lives Meaty Paté with Real Chicken & Tuna
43/100
Grade F — Avoid at All Costs
📦 Product Overview
Brand9Lives
TypeCat Food - Wet/Soft
Life Stageadult
Size5.5 oz (156g)
AAFCO Compliant✅ Yes
Label states this food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance. Formulated — not feeding trial tested.
☠ Rendering / 4D Animal Warning

This food contains 'Meat By-Products' (unspecified species) and 'Poultry By-Products' (unspecified bird) as major protein sources. Under FDA and AAFCO regulations, unspecified meat by-products can legally originate from 4D animals — dead, dying, diseased, or disabled animals not fit for human consumption. The FDA has confirmed the presence of pentobarbital (euthanasia drug) in rendered pet food ingredients, which can only come from euthanized animals. Unspecified 'Fish' also provides zero transparency on species, mercury content, or sourcing. The manufacturer chose the cheapest, least transparent protein sources available.

🧪 Ingredient Breakdown
✅
Water Sufficient for Processing
Standard for wet/canned cat food. Adds moisture but counts as the first ingredient by weight.
❌
Meat By-Products
Completely unspecified. This could legally come from any mammal — including 4D animals (dead, dying, diseased, disabled). Pentobarbital contamination risk. No species named. This is the worst kind of protein source.
−3 pts
✅
Chicken
Named whole meat. Good. But it's third on the list behind water and unspecified meat by-products.
❌
Poultry By-Products
Unspecified poultry — could be any bird. Heads, feet, intestines, undeveloped eggs. No species transparency.
−3 pts
❌
Fish
Completely unspecified fish. Could be any species, any quality. Mercury and heavy metal risk unknown. No transparency.
−3 pts
✅
Tuna
Named fish protein. However, tuna carries higher mercury risk than smaller fish species.
❌
Brewers Rice
Rice dust fragments — a milling by-product. Zero nutritional value. Cheap filler in a cat food that should be almost entirely animal protein.
−3 pts
✅
Potassium Chloride
Standard mineral supplement.
✅
Salt
Flavor enhancer and mineral source. Acceptable in small amounts.
✅
Sodium Tripolyphosphate
Used as a preservative and emulsifier. Generally recognized as safe.
⚠
Carrageenan
Linked to intestinal inflammation in cats. Used as a thickener/binder. Multiple studies raise concern about GI damage, especially with chronic exposure.
−2 pts
✅
Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement)
Essential vitamin supplementation.
✅
Calcium Carbonate
Calcium supplement.
✅
Choline Chloride
Essential B-vitamin supplement.
☠️
Titanium Dioxide (Color)
CARCINOGEN. Banned from food in the EU since 2022 due to DNA damage concerns. Used here purely as a white pigment — zero nutritional purpose. This is in a cat's food to make it look more appealing to humans. Disgraceful.
−8 pts
✅
Guar Gum
Natural thickener. Generally safe.
✅
D-Calcium Pantothenate
Vitamin B5 supplement.
✅
Riboflavin Supplement
Vitamin B2 supplement.
✅
Vitamin D3 Supplement
Essential vitamin.
⚠
Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex
Synthetic Vitamin K3. Banned in human supplements in many countries due to toxicity concerns. Cheaper than natural Vitamin K. A quality brand would use phytonadione (K1) or menaquinone (K2).
−2 pts
✅
Folic Acid
Essential B-vitamin.
✅
Biotin
Essential vitamin for skin and coat.
✅
Vitamin B12 Supplement
Essential vitamin.
✅
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
Vitamin B6 supplement.
✅
Taurine
Essential amino acid for cats. Mandatory. Its presence is expected, not a bonus.
☠️
Sodium Nitrite (for color retention)
CARCINOGEN. Forms carcinogenic nitrosamines under heat — and this is a cooked, heat-processed food. Used purely for color retention. There is zero nutritional reason for this to be in cat food. This is one of the most dangerous preservatives in existence.
−8 pts
⚠
Sodium Selenite
Inorganic selenium source. Toxic in excess. Cheaper alternative to selenium yeast. Adequate but not ideal.
−2 pts
✅
Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganeous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate)
Standard mineral pack. Oxide forms are less bioavailable than chelated minerals, but they meet AAFCO requirements.
⚖ What's Good / What's Bad
Good
✅ Contains named chicken and tuna as protein sources
✅ Taurine is supplemented (mandatory for cats)
✅ Complete vitamin and mineral supplementation present
✅ Adequate moisture content for a wet food (~78%)
✅ AAFCO formulated for adult maintenance
Bad
❌ Unspecified 'Meat By-Products' as the primary protein — 4D animal and pentobarbital contamination risk
❌ Unspecified 'Poultry By-Products' — unknown bird species
❌ Unspecified 'Fish' — unknown species, unknown mercury/heavy metal levels
❌ Titanium Dioxide — CARCINOGEN banned in EU food, used here as a colorant
❌ Sodium Nitrite — CARCINOGEN used purely for color retention
❌ Brewers Rice — worthless filler in an obligate carnivore's food
❌ Carrageenan — linked to intestinal inflammation in cats
❌ Menadione Sodium Bisulfite — synthetic Vitamin K3, banned in human supplements
❌ Two confirmed carcinogens in a single can of cat food
🧬 Potential Cancer-Linked Ingredients
☠️
Titanium Dioxide −8 pts — DNA damage confirmed; banned from food in the EU since 2022. Used as a white colorant — zero nutritional purpose. Classified as possibly carcinogenic by IARC.
☠️
Sodium Nitrite −8 pts — Forms carcinogenic nitrosamines when heated. This food is heat-processed. Used purely for cosmetic color retention. No nutritional reason to include this in cat food.
📊 Score Breakdown
Start score100 pts
Ingredient penalties−34 pts
❌ No named whole-meat protein in top 3 ingredients (Water #1, Meat By-Products #2, Chicken #3 — Water and by-products don't count, Chicken is #3 but by-products precede it as #2 which is the primary protein)−0 pts
❌ Primary protein source is a by-product or unspecified — 'Meat By-Products' is the first protein-containing ingredient and it is unspecified−15 pts
❌ Artificial colors present — Titanium Dioxide and Sodium Nitrite (color retention) both serve cosmetic purposes−8 pts
Final score43/100
💬 The Verdict

Two confirmed carcinogens, unspecified rendering-grade by-products as the primary protein, and cheap fillers. This is a bottom-tier cat food dressed up with a friendly mascot.

🧨 Final Verdict

This is Randall™ calling it straight: 9Lives Meaty Paté with Real Chicken & Tuna contains TWO confirmed carcinogens — Titanium Dioxide (banned in EU food) and Sodium Nitrite (forms cancer-causing nitrosamines when heated). The primary protein is unspecified 'Meat By-Products' — the same rendering-grade slop that the FDA has confirmed can contain pentobarbital from euthanized animals. They threw in unspecified 'Poultry By-Products' and mystery 'Fish' for good measure. The word 'Real' on the front label is doing heavy lifting to distract from the fact that the two biggest protein sources have zero species transparency. Brewers Rice — literal rice dust — has no business in an obligate carnivore's food. Carrageenan is an intestinal irritant. Menadione is banned in human supplements. This food costs almost nothing because it IS almost nothing. The 43/100 score reflects a product where the manufacturer chose maximum profit over minimum safety. Cats deserve better than carcinogens and rendering plant mystery meat in a can.