Customer Reviews

Petite Cuisine Red Snapper Entree for Cats, 3-Ounce Cans (Pack of 24)

5 star:		(123)
4 star:		(59)
3 star:		(40)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

While several reviewers have alluded to the healthfulness of this product, I think that we owe it to our beloved pets to pay closer attention and educate ourselves about the actual ingredients.

The overall appearance gives an allure of wholesomeness to this product, but an item listed in the ingredients is actually controversial with regards to our pets' health. (And if you're considering this food good enough for your own consumption, please note that the ingredient is also potentially toxic to human organs).

Here's the list of ingredients, from the manufacturer's website:

Fish broth
Tuna fillets
Yellow fin whole loin tuna/red snapper/shrimp/sole
Soy bean oil
Trialcium phosphate
Guar gum
Calcium sulfate
Carrageenan
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamin E supplement
Vitamin A supplement
Vitamin D3 supplement
Zinc Sulfate
Thiamine Mononitrate
Manganese sulfate
Menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity)
Riboflavin supplement
Folic acid
Pyridoxine hydrochloride
Copper amino acid complex
Iron amino acid complex

First of all, it's great that the manufacturer has whole seafood as the major ingredients (as opposed to the by-products, meal, grains, etc). But there is one item which I would not have expected to find in something of this quality: Menadione sodium bisuifite complex.

Menadione is a synthetic precursor for the K vitamins and has been reported, at high doses, to have toxic effects. Moreover, I had actually never seen menadione listed as an ingredient in other cat foods (though there seem to be others out there).

A little bit of Internet sleuthing yielded some disturbing information, which I feel obliged to list here.

*Menadione is banned by the Food & Drug Administration in over-the-counter supplements due to its potential for organ toxicity. It's also banned in Europe for human consumption.

*There are safer alternatives to menadione for proper K vitamin-related functions (e.g. blood clotting). The use of menadione over the alternatives (leafy greens, kelp) is only for cost-saving reasons, hence usually only found in cheaper and lower quality animal food.

*A study in rats showed that exposure to menadione "produced lesions in the kidney, heart, liver and lung." Chiou et al. Toxicology 1997.

*Menadione's toxicity seems to be due to its ability to induce oxidative stress in cells.

There seems to be a pet food watchdog trying to stop the inclusion of menadione in pet food: [...]

Does this information mean that this food is bad for our cats, when normal doses are given? I don't know for sure, but I wish that I'd been more aware about this ingredient before feeding it to my cats. Admittedly, more research needs to be done regarding this subject. In light of recent episodes of toxic pet food and the questionable behaviors of manufacturers and our regulatory agencies, I'm erring on the side of caution on this one.

I'm a serious label-reader, even more so for my cat than for myself, so before I ordered Petite Cuisine, I went to their website to see what they had to say for themselves. I was pleased to read that they use no wheat gluten in their food, nor meat by-products; neither belongs in pet food. They also make a point of saying that they use no products from China. It's a reassurance I appreciate in the light of the recent spate of pet deaths linked to product coming out of China.

What they do use was also reassuring. White meat chicken, veggies, olive or soybean oils, vitamins and minerals. The sesame chicken does contain rice which isn't something that should necessarily be fed often, but it's a minor consideration. While it's never said that the ingredients are "human grade" they are listed as safe for humans to eat. I don't know about anyone else but I wouldn't want to feed my pets anything that wasn't safe for me to eat.

The carton arrived and was marked as "Product of Thailand" which was a bit of a surprise since no mention of Thailand appears on their site. They are, however, quick to point out that no child labor is used in production of any of the food. (It's also listed as "dolphin safe." This is a pretty politically correct company.)

Of course the proof of the pudding, or in this case, the cat food, is the eating. My response as I opened the cans was the the sesame chicken looked and smelled very tempting. The chicken pot pie, not so much. It smells wonderful, but is very watery. Again, this is a minor consideration. If my cat likes it, that's the important thing. He's a picky boy, in part because he can't eat beef or lamb, so he's limited to poultry and certain types of fish. He doesn't tend to like the souped-up, holistic foods that add things like rosemary and acai and all those things which humans so cheerfully add to their own foods. But this stuff is pretty basic, and, well let's just say, he doesn't hate it. I can probably add it to the rotation without causing much consternation, and know that he's getting a quality meal.

Your mileage -- or your cat's -- may vary, of course. Cats are perverse little beasts, and you just never know what they're going to take violent dislike to. I can't tell you if your cat will like this food or not, but I can tell you that it looks like quality product made by people who have high standards. Yes, it's pricey, but if you feel, as I do, that your cat deserves the consideration you'd give to any member of the family, you probably won't balk at the cost.

The rest is up to your cat.

According to the manufacturer's website, this (and many of their other products) contains menadione sodium bisulfite complex.

Menadione is a synthetic precursor for Vitamin K and has been reported to have toxic effects. The use of menadione over the natural alternatives (such as leafy greens and kelp) is only for cost-saving reasons, hence usually only found in cheaper and lower quality animal food. It's surprising that pet food at this high of a price actually contains this substance.

Menadione is banned by the Food & Drug Administration in over-the-counter supplements due to its potential for organ toxicity. It's also banned in Europe for human consumption.

A study in rats showed that exposure to menadione "produced lesions in the kidney, heart, liver and lung." Chiou et al. Toxicology 1997.

Menadione's toxicity seems to be due to its ability to induce oxidative stress in cells.

Do an online search for menadione and you'll find more info from a pet food watchdog trying to stop the inclusion of this substance.

In light of recent episodes of toxic pet food and the questionable behaviors of manufacturers and our regulatory agencies, I would advise you to avoid feeding this to your cats.

I had been told that finally the day would come when my own package from amazon would come and today it finally came. What was in the box was basically the winnings from some cat lottery. A case of seafood dinners-Yellowfin, Snapper, Tuna & Sole, & Tuna & Shrimp. I was sleeping when my person stood with my treat dish poised above my nose. "Don't bug me" I thought as I sleepily eyed what she had in hand....A TREAT!

I quickly followed into the kitchen to partake of a delicious entree of Red Snapper. This totally looks like peoplefood! I scarfed down a half a can immediately and if there was a pattern at the bottom of my bowl I would have licked that off as well. That was one clean dish. I've been told that tomorrow we'll try maybe Yellowfin, which sounds equally good.

Likes: looks like peoplefood, smells good, not overly fishy, and they add vitamins and no wheat gluten....hm, not sure about that one, but apparently wheat gluten isn't good. Anyway....it is delicious and it is much like my other favorite, "Sheba".
Dislikes: My people wouldn't just leave me the whole can because they don't think I'll stop eating, but that's really more of a personal issue.

Four paws up on this one!

According to the manufacturer's website, this (and many of their other products) contains menadione sodium bisulfite complex.

Menadione is a synthetic precursor for Vitamin K and has been reported to have toxic effects. The use of menadione over the natural alternatives (such as leafy greens and kelp) is only for cost-saving reasons, hence usually only found in cheaper and lower quality animal food. It's surprising that pet food at this high of a price actually contains this substance.

Menadione is banned by the Food & Drug Administration in over-the-counter supplements due to its potential for organ toxicity. It's also banned in Europe for human consumption.

A study in rats showed that exposure to menadione "produced lesions in the kidney, heart, liver and lung." Chiou et al. Toxicology 1997.

Menadione's toxicity seems to be due to its ability to induce oxidative stress in cells.

Do an online search for menadione and you'll find more info from a pet food watchdog trying to stop the inclusion of this substance.

In light of recent episodes of toxic pet food and the questionable behaviors of manufacturers and our regulatory agencies, I would advise you to avoid feeding this to your cats.

The crab meat layer on top is about a 1/4" (I'm being generous in my measurement)w/ the rest being tuna and a substantial share of broth. Of course my cats loved it and each devoured a whole can. I felt it was quite overpriced for tuna and will not purchase again. I think it's much more cost-effective to buy a can of Phillip's crab meat from the grocery store so my cats and I can both enjoy it.

I called upon a panel of two expert feline food testers assist me with this review. The first, Apollo, is quite enthusiastic about food related assignments and is usually most concerned about quantity. The second, LJ, is more discerning about food, occasionally refusing to participate.

When I opened the first selection, Chicken Pot Pie I noticed a quantity of liquid around the solid portion of the meal and was concerned that it was perhaps spoiled. I detected no bad odor so I offered it to my panel, who were incidentally becoming quite impatient. Apollo immediately began to consume his portion, pausing only when the dish was empty. LJ took her usual cautious sniff of the food and then began to eagerly lap up the liquid, pausing to take a bite of the solids from time to time. She too did not stop eating until the entire portion was consumed.

At the next testing session I offered the Chinese Chicken selection. This one looked much more like other canned cat food but had a more pronounced odor. Both testers arrived at their stations without being summoned. Again both testers were enthusiastic about their assignments and did not stop until the entire portion was consumed. In fact when the testers were disturbed by two members of the canine food testing team they expressed great displeasure.

As I was preparing the food samples a member of the human food testing panel remarked that the feline samples, particularly the Chinese Chicken, looked better than much of the food she had been eating at college.

Obviously the feline panel was quite taken with the product. Our chief accountant had some issues with it however since this product costs about four times as much per ounce as our usual offering. (Note: usual offering has kept six cats quite healthy for more than thirty years). With this price factor in mind I divided each single serving (3 oz) can between the two testers and supplemented with dry food.

Due to the enthusiastic endorsements by the feline food testers and based on my prior experience with aging felines' diminished appetites, I will purchase this product in the future as a supplement to the usual feline menu offerings, much as the human menu is supplemented by holiday meals or upscale restaurant outings.

According to the manufacturer's website, this (and many of their other products) contains menadione sodium bisulfite complex.

Menadione is a synthetic precursor for Vitamin K and has been reported to have toxic effects. The use of menadione over the natural alternatives (such as leafy greens and kelp) is only for cost-saving reasons, hence usually only found in cheaper and lower quality animal food. It's surprising that pet food at this high of a price actually contains this substance.

Menadione is banned by the Food & Drug Administration in over-the-counter supplements due to its potential for organ toxicity. It's also banned in Europe for human consumption.

A study in rats showed that exposure to menadione "produced lesions in the kidney, heart, liver and lung." Chiou et al. Toxicology 1997.

Menadione's toxicity seems to be due to its ability to induce oxidative stress in cells.

Do an online search for menadione and you'll find more info from a pet food watchdog trying to stop the inclusion of this substance.

In light of recent episodes of toxic pet food and the questionable behaviors of manufacturers and our regulatory agencies, I would advise you to avoid feeding this to your cats.

The cat went right for this food, no hesitation. I rate 4 out of 5 stars because the canned food is too low in protein and fats to use the main pet diet. I recommend this product with the caveat that you supplement it with additional protein and fats (a dry food would be good).

The first test for a new canned cat food is the ingredient list. The ingredients in Petite Cuisine Variety Pack (chicken flavors) passed this test with flying colors: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Carrots are listed first and there is no wheat gluten. Unfortntately, the 2nd test is whether my cat will eat the food and this ended up with a big thumbs down. Not sure if it was the significant amount of broth in a serving or the fact that it is chicken (he usually has fish-based canned food), but after a 1st bite, he just walked away.

If a cat is accustomed to eating chicken canned food, I would still recommend giving this a try because of the quality ingredients.