Purina Pro Plan Cat - Kitten, Dry Food, Chicken, 6 LB

Name: Purina Pro Plan Cat - Kitten, Dry Food, Chicken, 6 LB
Brand: Purina Pro Plan

by Purina Pro Plan

Overall Score: 64/100

Ingredients

Chicken (protein)
Corn Gluten Meal (carbohydrate)
Rice (carbohydrate)
Beef Fat Preserved With Mixed-tocopherols (protein)
Soybean Meal (carbohydrate)
Chicken By-product Meal (protein)
Poultry By-product Meal (protein)
Soy Protein Isolate (other)
Dried Egg Product (protein)
Cassava Root Flour (other)
Pea Protein (protein)
Soy Protein Concentrate (other)
Sodium Caseinate (other)
Natural Flavor (additive)
Glycerin (other)
L-lysine Monohydrochloride (other)
Fish Meal (protein)
Calcium Carbonate (mineral)
Dl-methionine (other)
Fish Oil (protein)
Salt (mineral)
Caramel Color (additive)
Phosphoric Acid (other)
Soybean Oil (fat)
Potassium Chloride (mineral)
Taurine (additive)
Choline Chloride (vitamin)
VITAMINS [Vitamin E Supplement (other)
Niacin (Vitamin B-3) (other)
Vitamin A Supplement (vitamin)
Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5) (other)
Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1) (other)
Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2) (other)
Vitamin B-12 Supplement (other)
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6) (other)
Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9) (other)
Vitamin D-3 Supplement (other)
Biotin (Vitamin B-7) (other)
Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K)] (other)
MINERALS [Zinc Sulfate (other)
Ferrous Sulfate (mineral)
Manganese Sulfate (other)
Copper Sulfate (other)
Calcium Iodate (mineral)
Sodium Selenite] (other)
Powdered Cellulose (fiber)
L-cysteine (other)
Sodium Bisulfate (additive)
Crude Fat (Min) 19.0% (other)
Crude Fiber (Max) 2.50% (other)
Moisture (Max) 12.0% (other)
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) (Min) 0.02% (other)
Linoleic Acid (Min) 1.90% (other)
Calcium (Ca) (Min) 1.0% (other)
Phosphorus (P) (Min) 0.80% (other)
Vitamin A (Min) 10 (other)
000 IU/kg (other)
Vitamin E (Min) 400 IU/kg (other)
Taurine (Min) 0.18% (other)
Omega-6 Fatty Acids* (Min) 2.0% (other)
at 6 - 8 weeks of age (other)
kittens will normally eat dry or moistened food at will. If water is added (other)
use no more than one part warm (not hot) liquid to three parts Pro Plan (other)
changing frequently to ensure freshness. As kittens near adulthood (other)

Ingredient concerns

Corn Gluten Meal (medium concern): Primarily used as an inexpensive plant-based protein booster that can inflate the protein percentage on guaranteed analysis without providing the complete amino acid profile of animal proteins. Its presence in large quantities may indicate the manufacturer is supplementing with cheap protein instead of using more meat.
Soy (medium concern): Soy is a common allergen in dogs and cats. It contains phytoestrogens that may affect hormonal balance, though the clinical significance in pets is not fully established. Often used as an inexpensive protein and carbohydrate filler. Most soy in pet food is genetically modified.
Chicken By-Product Meal (medium concern): While nutritionally adequate, by-product meals can vary widely in quality and digestibility. They include parts like necks, feet, and intestines, which some consumers find objectionable. Quality control is less consistent than named muscle meat sources.
Pea Protein (medium concern): Plant-based protein concentrates like pea protein can artificially inflate the total protein percentage on guaranteed analysis without providing the same amino acid profile as animal proteins. Associated with the FDA investigation into grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, though a causal link has not been definitively established.
Caramel Color (high concern): Certain classes of caramel color (Class III and IV, produced with ammonia or ammonia-sulfite processes) contain 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), which has been classified as 'possibly carcinogenic to humans' (Group 2B) by IARC. California's Proposition 65 lists 4-MEI as a carcinogen. Like other color additives, it provides no nutritional benefit to pets.

Guaranteed analysis (dry-matter basis)

On a dry-matter basis (water removed for a fair wet-vs-dry comparison): protein 47.7%, fat 21.6%, fiber 2.8%, ash 7.5%, carbohydrate 20.3%. By calories: 39.6% from protein, 43.5% from fat, 16.9% from carbohydrate.

AAFCO compliance

This food meets the AAFCO growth cat nutrient minimums we can verify — protein 47.7% vs 30% minimum, fat 21.6% vs 9% minimum.

Dry food, with grains, for the kitten life stage.

Cost to feed

About $0.67 per day to feed (budget price tier); $2.69 per 1,000 kcal (calorie estimate).