Scanned by Randall Saunders · April 13, 2026
Purina Cat Chow Cat Chow Naturals Original
83/100
Grade B+ — Solid
📦 Product Overview
BrandPurina Cat Chow
TypeCat Food - Dry/Kibble
Life StageAll life stages
SizeUnknown (barcode: 017800162579)
AAFCO Compliant✅ Yes
Label states: 'Cat Chow Naturals Original is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.' This is a formulation claim, not a feeding trial claim. Taurine at 0.15% meets AAFCO dry food minimum of 0.1%. Arachidonic acid at 0.03% meets the 0.02% minimum. Ca:P ratio is 1.1:1.0 which is acceptable.
☠ Rendering / 4D Animal Warning
This food contains 'Animal Fat' — an unspecified rendered fat source. Under FDA regulations, 'animal fat' can legally be sourced from any rendered animal material, including 4D animals (dead, dying, diseased, disabled), restaurant grease trap waste, and potentially euthanized shelter animals. The FDA confirmed pentobarbital (euthanasia drug) in pet foods containing unspecified rendered ingredients in 2002 and 2018. While Purina is a major manufacturer with quality controls, the ingredient definition itself permits these sources, and there is no way to verify the supply chain from the label alone.
🧪 Ingredient Breakdown
✅Chicken
Named whole meat as #1 ingredient. Good. However, chicken is ~70% water — once cooked, it drops significantly in the ingredient order. The real protein workhorses here are the meals below it.
🟡Corn Protein Meal
Corn gluten meal by another name. A cheap plant protein concentrate used to inflate the crude protein number on the guaranteed analysis. This is NOT equivalent to animal protein for obligate carnivores.
−1 pts
🟡Chicken By-Product Meal
Named by-product meal — rendered chicken parts including necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, intestines. Named source is better than unnamed, but these are the lowest-value parts of the chicken.
−1 pts
❌Rice
Unspecified 'rice' — likely white rice, a refined carbohydrate stripped of most nutrients. Cats are obligate carnivores and have no nutritional requirement for refined grains.
−3 pts
🟡Soybean Meal
Soy-based protein filler. Common allergen for cats. Estrogenic compounds (isoflavones). Used to cheaply boost protein numbers. Cats do not need soy.
−1 pts
🟡Ground Yellow Corn
Whole corn — common allergen, high glycemic, GMO risk, and carries aflatoxin contamination risk. Cats have limited ability to digest corn efficiently.
−1 pts
🟡Ground Whole Wheat
Common allergen. Contains gluten. Cats are obligate carnivores — wheat is a cheap filler providing calories, not species-appropriate nutrition.
−1 pts
❌Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols)
UNSPECIFIED animal fat. 'Animal fat' is a rendering industry term — this can legally come from any animal, including 4D animals (dead, dying, diseased, disabled), restaurant grease, or mixed rendering sources. The mixed tocopherols preservation is good, but doesn't redeem the unknown source.
−3 pts
✅Salmon
Named whole fish. Good protein and omega-3 source. Listed far down the ingredient list, so the actual amount is minimal.
⚠Natural Flavor
Source never disclosed. 'Natural flavor' in pet food is often animal digest by another name — chemically hydrolyzed animal tissue sprayed on for palatability. No transparency.
−2 pts
✅Phosphoric Acid
pH adjuster and phosphorus source. Standard additive.
✅Salt
Sodium source. Normal in small amounts. Position this far down the list means it's a minor addition.
✅Calcium Carbonate
Calcium supplement. Standard.
✅Dried Spinach
Trace amount of spinach for marketing appeal. Contains oxalates which can contribute to urinary crystals in cats if fed in large amounts, but the quantity here is negligible.
✅Choline Chloride
Essential B vitamin. Required nutrient.
✅Zinc Sulfate
Zinc mineral supplement. Standard.
✅Ferrous Sulfate
Iron supplement. Standard.
✅Manganese Sulfate
Manganese mineral supplement. Standard.
✅Copper Sulfate
Copper mineral supplement. Standard.
✅Calcium Iodate
Iodine source. Standard.
⚠Sodium Selenite
Inorganic selenium. Narrow margin of safety — toxic in excess. Organic selenium yeast is the safer, more bioavailable form. This is the cheapest option.
−2 pts
✅Taurine
Essential amino acid for cats. Deficiency causes blindness and fatal heart disease. The fact that it must be supplemented tells you the base ingredients don't provide enough naturally — a sign of heavy plant protein reliance.
✅Vitamin E Supplement
Essential vitamin. Standard.
✅Niacin (Vitamin B-3)
Essential B vitamin. Standard.
✅Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1)
Essential — thiamine deficiency in cats is fatal. Standard supplement.
✅Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5)
Essential B vitamin. Standard.
✅Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2)
Essential B vitamin. Standard.
✅Vitamin A Supplement
Essential — cats cannot convert beta-carotene to Vitamin A. Must come preformed. Standard.
✅Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6)
Essential B vitamin. Standard.
✅Vitamin B-12 Supplement
Essential. Standard.
✅Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9)
Essential B vitamin. Standard.
✅Biotin (Vitamin B-7)
Essential for skin and coat. Standard.
✅Vitamin D-3 Supplement
Essential. Standard.
⚠Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K)
Synthetic Vitamin K3. Banned in human supplements in many countries due to toxicity concerns. Linked to liver damage and allergic reactions. Natural Vitamin K1 or K2 would be safer. The cheapest, most controversial vitamin choice on this label.
−2 pts
✅Potassium Chloride
Potassium supplement. Standard.
⚖ What's Good / What's Bad
Good
✅ Named whole chicken as #1 ingredient
✅ Contains real salmon (though in small quantity)
✅ Taurine supplemented at 0.15% — above AAFCO minimum for dry cat food
✅ Arachidonic acid at 0.03% — meets AAFCO requirement
✅ No artificial colors, flavors, or synthetic chemical preservatives (BHA/BHT/ethoxyquin)
✅ Complete vitamin and mineral package
✅ Ca:P ratio of 1.1:1 is appropriate
✅ Mixed tocopherols used as preservative on animal fat — natural preservation method
✅ Manufactured by Nestlé Purina — full-time veterinary nutritionists on staff, WSAVA-compliant company
Bad
❌ Corn protein meal is the #2 ingredient — a cheap plant protein inflating crude protein numbers for an obligate carnivore
❌ Unspecified 'animal fat' — rendering tank ingredient with 4D animal contamination risk
❌ Rice (likely white) is a refined carb filler with no nutritional necessity for cats
❌ Soybean meal — allergen, estrogenic, cheap protein inflator
❌ Three grains in the top 7 (rice, corn, wheat) — heavy carb load for an obligate carnivore
❌ Natural flavor — undisclosed source, likely animal digest
❌ Menadione sodium bisulfite — synthetic Vitamin K3 banned in human supplements
❌ Sodium selenite — cheapest, least safe form of selenium
❌ Heavy reliance on plant proteins means the 34% crude protein is significantly inflated — real animal protein contribution is much lower than it appears
🧬 Potential Cancer-Linked Ingredients
✅ None found.
📊 Score Breakdown
Start score100 pts
Ingredient penalties−17 pts
❌ CONTAINS UNSPECIFIED 'ANIMAL FAT' — rendering risk ingredient present−0 pts
Final score83/100
💬 The Verdict
A budget cat food from a WSAVA-compliant company that technically meets all AAFCO nutritional standards, but relies heavily on cheap plant proteins (corn protein meal, soybean meal) to inflate its protein numbers. The 34% crude protein sounds impressive until you realize a huge portion comes from corn and soy — not ideal for obligate carnivores. The unspecified 'animal fat' is a red flag, and the inclusion of menadione (synthetic Vitamin K3) is a corner-cutting move. It will keep a cat alive and technically nourished, but it's far from optimal nutrition for a species that evolved to eat meat.
🧨 Final Verdict
Purina Cat Chow Naturals Original is a budget-tier cat food wearing a 'natural' marketing costume. The word 'Naturals' on the bag is doing heavy lifting — this is still a corn-soy-wheat formula with unspecified animal fat and synthetic Vitamin K3. The 34% protein number is misleading because corn protein meal is the SECOND ingredient, artificially inflating the number with plant protein that cats process poorly compared to animal protein. Credit where it's due: Purina employs board-certified veterinary nutritionists, this food is AAFCO compliant for all life stages, taurine levels are adequate, and there are no artificial colors or chemical preservatives. It's a massive step above the truly dangerous bottom-shelf brands. But calling this 'natural' is a stretch when the formula is built on corn fractions, soybean meal, unspecified animal fat, and synthetic vitamin K. For cats, this is a C+ formula in an A- wrapper. It will meet minimum nutritional requirements, but cats deserve better than minimum. If budget is a constraint, this is not the worst option — but there are better foods at similar price points that don't lean so heavily on plant proteins for an obligate carnivore.