montmorillonite clay in nature's variety instinct chicken formula canned cat food.

remmiebrandt · Nov 5, 2014

There are some really decent canned foods out there -

Firstmate has none of the toxins or fruit/veggie fillers (cranberries contain benzoic acid - bad for animals) - available on Amazon. Also I ordered from Chewy.com some others that seem relatively healthy -

there is Dave's The Cat's Meow - alot of Dave's unfortunately do contain cranberries &/or Carrageenan but not the Cat's Meow & I think there is a 95% turkey formula they put out that is also ok. The Tuna formulas are ok too but Tuna isn't great for cats & mine hate it anyway. Artemis has canned chicken & turkey formula you might want to check into - but not their dry food - that contains bisulfate mendione (synthetic vitamin K3 - the worst of all the toxins). I also found some others that seem pretty good - depends on what your cat will eat -

Castor & Pollox (available at Fairway) has a turkey & salmon blend and a turkey with organic brown rice.

Natural Planet Organics (also available at chewy.com) has a chicken and a turkey flavor. Fromm Family puts out some nice chicken & turkey wet food too. I also looked into

Against the Grain and Feline Caviar which both looked ok but the Against the Grain is run by the Evangers siblings so that might be an issue & Feline Caviar wouldn't send samples so I'm not sure about that company either. Your own judgment but the ingredients seemed healthy. So does

Tiki chicken and Weruva Truluxe but they are made in Thailand and I am very concerned about the huge illegal dog meat trade there.

Pure Vita is another - a bit concerned with the betaine (added salt) but otherwise seems ok - haven't sampled it yet. So there are a few that seem to be trying to fight the toxic ingredients and fillers that the others don't care about but check each label yourself.

Most of these have to be ordered online though as stock pet food stores & supermarkets don't carry them.

Last resort is to cook your own chicken, turkey & beef and shred it with added pre-packaged vitamin & liver supplements from Altunin.

I would definitely stay away from anything containing kitty litter (clay), garlic powder, cranberries, sulfate mendione (look that up - they use a lot of names to hide this very toxic ingredient), alfalfa, sodium ascorbate (promotes tumors in animals) and fishmeal (contains really really toxic ethoxquin which is also contained in purina cat treats & pill pockets contains toxins too). Not crazy about carrageenan or gums either. And Rachel Ray's nutrish is anything but - contains carragenan, sunflower oil & sawdust instead of protein from meat). Also if you can find copper protenate instead of copper sulfate you're better off too. The foods I listed were the best of the bunch and I checked dozens and dozens of labels. Some of them I have to mix shredded chicken into to entice the cats to eat but little by little they are learning to like the better foods.

alielaur · Nov 6, 2014

RemmieBrandt said:
There are some really decent canned foods out there -

Firstmate has none of the toxins or fruit/veggie fillers (cranberries contain benzoic acid - bad for animals) - available on Amazon. Also I ordered from Chewy.com some others that seem relatively healthy -

there is Dave's The Cat's Meow - alot of Dave's unfortunately do contain cranberries &/or Carrageenan but not the Cat's Meow & I think there is a 95% turkey formula they put out that is also ok. The Tuna formulas are ok too but Tuna isn't great for cats & mine hate it anyway. Artemis has canned chicken & turkey formula you might want to check into - but not their dry food - that contains bisulfate mendione (synthetic vitamin K3 - the worst of all the toxins). I also found some others that seem pretty good - depends on what your cat will eat -

Castor & Pollox (available at Fairway) has a turkey & salmon blend and a turkey with organic brown rice.

Natural Planet Organics (also available at chewy.com) has a chicken and a turkey flavor. Fromm Family puts out some nice chicken & turkey wet food too. I also looked into

Against the Grain and Feline Caviar which both looked ok but the Against the Grain is run by the Evangers siblings so that might be an issue & Feline Caviar wouldn't send samples so I'm not sure about that company either. Your own judgment but the ingredients seemed healthy. So does

Tiki chicken and Weruva Truluxe but they are made in Thailand and I am very concerned about the huge illegal dog meat trade there.

Pure Vita is another - a bit concerned with the betaine (added salt) but otherwise seems ok - haven't sampled it yet. So there are a few that seem to be trying to fight the toxic ingredients and fillers that the others don't care about but check each label yourself.

Most of these have to be ordered online though as stock pet food stores & supermarkets don't carry them.

Last resort is to cook your own chicken, turkey & beef and shred it with added pre-packaged vitamin & liver supplements from Altunin.

I would definitely stay away from anything containing kitty litter (clay), garlic powder, cranberries, sulfate mendione (look that up - they use a lot of names to hide this very toxic ingredient), alfalfa, sodium ascorbate (promotes tumors in animals) and fishmeal (contains really really toxic ethoxquin which is also contained in purina cat treats & pill pockets contains toxins too). Not crazy about carrageenan or gums either. And Rachel Ray's nutrish is anything but - contains carragenan, sunflower oil & sawdust instead of protein from meat). Also if you can find copper protenate instead of copper sulfate you're better off too. The foods I listed were the best of the bunch and I checked dozens and dozens of labels. Some of them I have to mix shredded chicken into to entice the cats to eat but little by little they are learning to like the better foods.

Feline Caviar has alfafa in it (on your list of 'don'ts') , and picky cats will NOT touch this. Not even my feral fosters would eat this, and they are far from picky.
"While no evidence points to cranberry toxicity, the nonprofit notes that the potential toxicity of another fruit, grapes, was wasn't known until the 21st century." - source: http://pets.thenest.com/cranberry-dogs-cats-6003.html. So while cranberries may prove minimal benifits, there is no evidence that it is toxic to pets. Many GREAT foods use it, and there is no way they would be rated so highly with no recalls if cranberries were toxic. Cats need a slighly acidic diet (dogs need neutral or sligtly alkaline).
Brown rice, really? Talk about a cheap filler. When do cats ever eat rice in the wild? At least their prey may be having some berries or veggies, but I haven't heard of a rabbit or mouse just eating rice. Rice or other grains can lead to impactions because a cats digestive system isn't used to digesting grain, specifically large amounts of grain.
As I've said earlier, animals have been observed willingly consuming this particular clay in NATURE. This is NOT the same clay as what kitty litter is made of. I am strongly against using clay litter, for nearly every single reason there is out there, but the clay in NV can be considered healthy. There are also trace amounts of diatomaceous earth, which is a natural way to rid your cat of internal parasites.

bonepicker · Nov 6, 2014

What about nutro natural choice chunky chicken loaf, my cat loves it

alielaur · Nov 6, 2014

bonepicker said:
What about nutro natural choice chunky chicken loaf, my cat loves it

Ingredients check out, other than the gum. So looks okay, but Nutro has had a few recalls in the past so always track them just to be safe

stephanie42 · Nov 13, 2014

re: weruva, i've had excellent luck feeding their foods in the past. do some research on their facility - weruva cat foods are made in a human-grade facility. it's a family owned company and i've been very comfortable feeding it.

re: montmorillonite clay in NVI, i've fed NVI regularly for at least 3 years and haven't had any issues. montromorillonite clay has been used in holistic and natural health remedies for humans for a long time. it's nothing like the cheap clay that litters are made of.

wannahelp · Nov 14, 2014

I saw someone mention Evanger's. What's wrong with that brand?

sundial · Jul 15, 2015

I am seeking information about cat foods with the ingredient montmorillonite clay (also known as bentonite) because of health benefits I experienced.

After 10 months of a serious health issue, and multitudes of antibiotics, all of which worked for a short time and then quit - the only thing which finally worked was a topical application (yes, topical to the numerous infected areas) - a formula of Sovereign Silver (which I had already been employing) and bentonite clay. It resolved the problem within one to two weeks, after 10 months of misery. For those many months, the infection weeped from the pores and was like fire on the skin. Prior to bentonite, the only relief came from making blankets, by taping together medical burn pads, and wrapping the infected areas. When someone suggested I try the silver and bentonite concoction - I thought they were off-base, but was desparate and willing to try anything. So I made the formula and sprayed the areas before wrapping with the burn pads. The results were remarkable. After two days, I found I could forego the expensive burn pads for reguar medical bandaging - the instant relief was amazing. (My doctor was also impressed - said he knew of bentonite clay, but never explained why he failed to suggest it himself). That experience was nothing short of a living hell, and ten years later about two-thirds of the burned skin effects remain, but are gradually fading.

Recently, I again came across bentonite clay. What I have read, the bentonite clay is also an excellent internal detoxifier, and has another name - montmorillonite clay. This sparked a memory of seeing this ingredient on some cat food labels. Before learning this, I avoided cat foods which contained this clay, as I could not imagine why this ingredient would be a positive one. Now I am wondering if it is really mastery at work?

(Another aside - recent calls to several local health food stores - none of which stocked the bentonite clay, all of which have a 32 oz liquid formula for human internal detoxification.)

Sorry it took me so long to get to my point, but has anyone used any cat foods with the montmorillonite clay? Does anyone have any results to share? I laud the external use of the clay, but have no personal experience with internalizing it - and am always cautious where the pets are concerned.

I shared my personal story after reading someone thought the clay might be a filler, which is possible, but I would like more input, if anyone has any?

Any shared insights will be greatly appreciated...thank you!

bonepicker · Jul 15, 2015

Oh my what was the nature of your skin condition which healed

sundial · Jul 15, 2015

It was venous stasis, which is something diabetics are prone to, but I was not diabetic and had several bouts with it - the one I described was the worst. Often, people lose toes, feet, etc., or so I was told by the professionals. The first bout was treated at a wound clinic - and was told they had never seen a worse case. Should have given them the opportunity to see worse the last go-around, but had already learned how they treated the condition, and did not want to spend the time with their repeated appointments. The earlier episodes did not require the burn pads, but they were a life saver with the last one, My bouts were from the knees downward, feet included, on both legs, and very painful. In hindsight, I am wondering if the internal bentonite clay formula may have also helped, when the antibiotics did not - but I had never heard of it. Hindsight also tells me this problem was due to a prescriptive medication, as it began after I started taking the medication, and the recurring issue gradually disappeared after the medication was changed. Yet, try to get a doctor to acknowledge this, especially the prescribing physician.

My point is how amazing the clay can be - and others may want to look into it as well, as they may be disregarding the clay in cat foods, as I did.

I see where I posted under a specific food, but know there are others which contain the montmorillonite clay. Hope some will offer some experiences with use of the cat foods containing the clay. Looking for a new cat food, and curious to see if there is any information to be gleaned.

Thanks for asking...hope all is well with you and yours. We have rescued 8 cats, and feed another 16 ferals at this posting - finding them in homes when possible.

The favorite foods at this time are Blue Wilderness and Nulo Freestyle Cat and Kitten formula. I see the Wilderness formulas have added white potatoes, which is disappointing. Disappointing - as Wilderness was originally touted to only contain ingredients animals would eat in the wild, and I carefully reviewed the ingredients. White potatoes were not there and are a filler. Not sure, but my guess is they were purchased by a large pet food company.

Nulo has excellent ingredients, and is a quality food - I suppose I should review the ingredients there, as well. If they have not been purchased by a larger pet food company, the ingredients probably remain top quality.

The ferals mostly get Natural Balalnce Ultra, as it is considered a decent food, and less expensive, but not cheap. We cannot afford to be picky about white potatoes, etc, for them, but they receive both the Natural Balance and the Nulo. We like Orijen for the indoor felines, but they are not as fond of it.

Enough, I want to see what is to be learned!

jewelsky0 · Oct 5, 2015

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/posts/add/threadId/249405

This article pretty much answered my questions on this clay.

jewelsky0 · Oct 5, 2015

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/posts/add/threadId/249405

ginny · Oct 17, 2015

LDG said:
When I was feeding Nature's Variety, my cats did really well on it and liked it.

When I used the canned, I just picked out the peas and carrots - there's not many of them and they're whole, so easy to remove.

It's a high protein, low carb food, and of the choices out there.... I liked it for my kitties.

There's been a lot of discussion about that montmorillonite clay on here. Here's the most recent - the discussion started a while back, and started up again: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/239950/questions-about-commercial-raw/90#post_3176937

Personally, the ingredient does not cause me concern. It's one of the few high protein, low carb canned foods without carrageenan, and that's an ingredient causes me more concern than the montmorillonite clay - but that's me.

I too was a bit scared of that ingredient which I had never heard of before. Thanks for the link. I will go read it after this post. By the way, I leave in the peas and carrots and the kitties eat them. Is it bad for them?

simba27 · Feb 20, 2016

TIKKI HAS CARRAGEAN AND GUAR GUM...BOTH ARE CANCEROUS CAUSING AGENTS., HORRIBLE INGREDIENTS!!! BUYER BE WARE!

red dog · Feb 20, 2016

Ginny said:
By the way, I leave in the peas and carrots and the kitties eat them. Is it bad for them?

I've seen them too but figure they're in for a reason besides being a filler. NVI are complete meals so I leave as is and Rhett and Rayna gobble it up. I transitioned them to almost entirely a wet food diet, both seem less hungry, more relaxed, healthy, and happy. I've been very impressed with NVI canned food in comparison to other brands, and typically favor the LID variety. Tasting some, the LID turkey has a very nice dark meat turkey flavor, lol. I've been mixing some new brands and flavors to keep them from being bored, Merrick, Hound & Gatos, etc, and will be trying more.

red dog · Feb 20, 2016

Recently moved from 2nd place to 1st place tier because the Montmorillonite Clay is tested to be toxin-free. According Nature’s Variety rep: “Our vendor tests the Montmorillonite Clay used in our diets for toxins and it is guaranteed toxin-free.”

http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2010/12/the-7-best-natural-commercial-cat-foods-so-far/

ginny · Feb 20, 2016

Red Dog said:
I've seen them too but figure they're in for a reason besides being a filler. NVI are complete meals so I leave as is and Rhett and Rayna gobble it up. I transitioned them to almost entirely a wet food diet, both seem less hungry, more relaxed, healthy, and happy. I've been very impressed with NVI canned food in comparison to other brands, and typically favor the LID variety. Tasting some, the LID turkey has a very nice dark meat turkey flavor, lol. I've been mixing some new brands and flavors to keep them from being bored, Merrick, Hound & Gatos, etc, and will be trying more.

I've had to take out the peas because they bother Honey's tummy. I suppose that's it because before I picked them out, I could hear audible tummy noises from her and now I don't.

But apparently I haven't been perfect at locating the odd pea. Twice now, a few days ago, I noticed a single pea in the water bowl! Isn't that weird? It's like one of them found the pea and carefully took it and dumped it in to the water bowl for me. it hasn't happened since. Sometimes those peas are hard.

ghiblithecat · Feb 20, 2016

simba27 said:
TIKKI HAS CARRAGEAN AND GUAR GUM...BOTH ARE CANCEROUS CAUSING AGENTS., HORRIBLE INGREDIENTS!!! BUYER BE WARE!

Actually, Tiki Cat does't have any guar gum or carrageenan. I feed it to my cat all the time specifically BECAUSE it doesn't contain any of those things

Tiki Cat Succulent Chicken:

Chicken 62%, Chicken Consommé 34%, Sunflower Seed Oil 2%, Contains less than 1% of the following: Tricalcium phosphate, Tuna Fish Oil, Choline chloride, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc sulfate heptahydrate, Ferrous sulfate monohydrate, Nicotinic acid (Vitamin B3), Calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, Potassium iodide, Manganese sulfate monohydrate, Copper sulfate pentahydrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement

ftmba · Feb 24, 2016

GhibliTheCat said:
Actually, Tiki Cat does't have any guar gum or carrageenan. I feed it to my cat all the time specifically BECAUSE it doesn't contain any of those things

Tiki Cat Succulent Chicken:

Chicken 62%, Chicken Consommé 34%, Sunflower Seed Oil 2%, Contains less than 1% of the following: Tricalcium phosphate, Tuna Fish Oil, Choline chloride, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc sulfate heptahydrate, Ferrous sulfate monohydrate, Nicotinic acid (Vitamin B3), Calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, Potassium iodide, Manganese sulfate monohydrate, Copper sulfate pentahydrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement

Slight correction, some of the fish varieties (think it's the sardine formulas) have guar gum and other gums, and I believe in the past had carrageenan.

If rotating without checking labels, there may be some undesired ingredients. The two chicken flavors, and the majority of tiki products are gum/car free though.

ftmba · Feb 24, 2016

Another thing worth noting for Primal feeders/fans. Mont Clay seems to be in all NVI canned and raw formulas, and in all Primal raw feline formulas. IMO, I don't believe NVI would knowingly put anything harmful in their foods and I really don't believe Primal would either.

nadia repich · Aug 10, 2016

OMG! thanks for the interesting conversation! lots to learn. Really scary stuff you guys put out.

montmorillonite clay in nature's variety instinct chicken formula canned cat food.

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