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Grain Free Canned Food - Liquid Fat?

post #1 of 12
5/20/11 at 5:28pm
Thread Starter 
Hi everyone,

Shortly after adopting a new kitten in January I transitioned her to a grain free diet, both canned and dry. I've tried a few different brands of canned (pate style), and have noticed that most of the time there is a significant amount of liquid fat in the can along with the solid food.

I suppose my question for the forum is whether or not I should stir the liquid fat into the solid food, or if I should leave it in the can and toss it. My assumption has been that the manufacturer bases their feeding suggestions and caloric analysis on the entire contents of the can, and that the fat seeps out of the pate after the canning process is completed; I have also assumed that without the fat the food wouldn't be as enticing to eat. However, if all I'm doing is feeding her excess fat and calories I'd like to correct that.

Anyway, I wonder what other canned food-feeding owners think. I look forward to your replies.
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post #2 of 12
5/20/11 at 6:06pm
Carnivores should be getting most of their calories from meat and fat, so no worries. The fat makes their coats shine, and is already measured out in a healthy amount per can so should be mixed in.
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post #3 of 12
5/20/11 at 6:08pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducman69 View Post
Carnivores should be getting most of their calories from meat and fat, so no worries. The fat makes their coats shine, and is already measured out in a healthy amount per can so should be mixed in.
Thanks Duc, that's what I figured, I just wanted to make sure. My previous cats ate only dry, so I'm a bit of a canned food noob.
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post #4 of 12
5/20/11 at 6:14pm
what he said.. fat is good
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post #5 of 12
5/20/11 at 6:44pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Draco View Post
what he said.. fat is good
You'll get no argument from me, I just wasn't sure how good it was for cats.
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post #6 of 12
5/20/11 at 6:59pm
What kind of canned foods are you feeding? I don't think what you are seeing is "liquid fat". It could be "gravy" or "aspic", but it is definitely part of what is supposed to be fed to the cat. Canned food is highly processed, it has to be, so the fat is not likely to separate.

Congratulations on putting your cat on a more healthy, canned, diet.
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post #7 of 12
5/20/11 at 7:02pm
That happens to the cans I have when it gets warm out - the cans are in the barn, so the temperature they are in changes.
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post #8 of 12
5/20/11 at 7:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
What kind of canned foods are you feeding? I don't think what you are seeing is "liquid fat". It could be "gravy" or "aspic", but it is definitely part of what is supposed to be fed to the cat. Canned food is highly processed, it has to be, so the fat is not likely to separate.

Congratulations on putting your cat on a more healthy, canned, diet.
I don't notice liquid fat on mine either...
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post #9 of 12
5/20/11 at 7:14pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
What kind of canned foods are you feeding? I don't think what you are seeing is "liquid fat". It could be "gravy" or "aspic", but it is definitely part of what is supposed to be fed to the cat. Canned food is highly processed, it has to be, so the fat is not likely to separate.

Congratulations on putting your cat on a more healthy, canned, diet.
Right now I'm feeding Blue Wilderness. It's definitely not gravy, it's almost the consistency of Jello when it's been left out at room temperature for a while; it looks like some of the water and fat have separated from the meat. Once I mash everything together the food looks and smells just fine, and Kensi eats an ounce and a half in about 10 or 15 minutes.

Every can I've bought has been the same way, but tonight I opened a can of turkey flavor from a new case and there seemed to be more liquid than normal. That's what made me think of posting here.
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post #10 of 12
5/20/11 at 7:22pm
The liquid is just part of the food, it's not separated fat. Canned food is 75-85 % water. Some of the foods are served "in aspic" (a jelly like substance) Some in some sort of gravy of varying thickness, or the liquid is just water.
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post #11 of 12
5/20/11 at 7:24pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
The liquid is just part of the food, it's not separated fat.
Thanks, good to know. I appreciate the replies.
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post #12 of 12
5/20/11 at 7:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CatMan74 View Post
You'll get no argument from me, I just wasn't sure how good it was for cats.
I like to call it Catkins!

Controversial due to its unknown longterm effect on human's livers, but if you read Dr Atkin's book he basically highlights how to intentionally switch the body over on a ketogenic diet, switching from using glucose as an energy source directly to fatty acids. In other words, Atkins diet forces your body to switch from one that uses carbs for fuel to fat for fuel, both from meals and stored in the body which potentially allows for easier weight loss even w/ a lot of fat in the diet. An obligate carnivore's liver is similarly designed to process fat for energy, and unlike omnivores does not have additional enzymes to ramp up glucose metabolism upon a high carb load spike causing the carbs to be stored as fat. Meat and fat is expensive, and starches/carbs are cheap, so generally you don't have to worry about excessive fat in a recipe, but rather carbs.

Cliffs Notes: high levels of carbs are much more likely to cause obesity in cats than high levels of fat. But of course, a proper amount of high value protein intake (quality meat, not by-products or plant) is required and total calories kept reasonable.
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