On this page, cat food prepared with TCfeline Original premix and cat food prepared with TCfeline Special Formula premix is compared nutritionally to the nutrient profile of mice, the recommended nutrient allowance for cats published by the National Research Council, and the minimum nutrient profiles for cat food set by the American Association of Feed Control Officials.

The comparison is on a per 100g basis of food as is or as it is fed. It is not on a dry matter basis. 100 g of mice and 100 g of cat food prepared using either TCfeline premix variety contain 140 kcal of energy. For the most logical and direct comparison, the nutrient values given by the NRC and AAFCO where converted to be displayed as units per 140 kcal metabolizable energy (ME) from the original units per 1000 kcal ME.

To quote the AAFCO: “[…] formulating a product according to the [AAFCO Nutrient] Profiles is only one part of a nutritionally sound, scientific development that must consider all other aspects of the product. The fact that a dog or cat food is formulated to meet a specific AAFCO Profile should not deter or discourage the manufacturer from conducting appropriate feeding trials to further confirm and ensure the diet is nutritionally adequate for its intended use.”

Both TCfeline Original premix and TCfeline Special Formula premix are prepared with fresh meat, according to instructions, and fed in an ongoing feed trial every day to a group of cats of all ages under my direct supervision. This ongoing feed trial using the premix started in 1998 and serves to proof nutritional adequacy as well as quality control. Some cats enter this group at birth or as 8 week old kittens and leave the group when they some, some at an age of 20 years old. TCfeline premix is formulated with AAFCO Profiles in mind, and where nutritional values vary from AAFCO Profiles, they meet Recommended Allowance published by the National Research Council for good reasons. Nutrients supplied by TCfeline premix or by fresh meat are often highly bioavailable, and the cat food is proven through long term feed trials to keep cats healthy, even when some nutrients are not present in the recommended amounts set by the NRC or AAFCO – as is the case for dietary iron.

Notes:

Wild mice are slightly higher in protein due to being lower in moisture and fat. Wild mice are higher in carbohydrates, because they were analyzed with stomach content intact. We know from observations that most cats avoid eating prey stomachs, however. If ingested, it can be considered as accidentally ingested and not play a role in completing the diet.

(a) Calcium and Phosphorus are both double as high in wild mice then in food prepared with TCfeline Original Formula. This is because of bone content in mice. TCfeline Original Formula uses Calcium Carbonate to balance Phosphorus in meat, and includes Dicalcium Phosphate to boost total Calcium and Phosphorus in the diet for growing kittens. Dicalcium Phosphate is highly bioavailable. Inclusion was therefore limited to meeting recommended allowance of growing kittens and not to match levels of Calcium and Phosphorus in wild mice.

(b) Magnesium is double in wild mice because of bone content. Magnesium inclusion is limited in TCfeline, because it remains industry standard to limit dietary Magnesium supplementation to help prevent urinary struvite crystals. Magnesium in food prepared with TCfeline meet recommended allowance.

(c ) Wild mice are lower in Potassium and higher in Sodium then food made with TCfeline. That is of no concern. It would be of concern if it were the other way around.

(d) Iron content of mice is that of domestic mice.

(e) TCfeline Original Formula is fortified with Vitamin A to assure the food meets nutritional requirements of Vitamin A even when users leave out fresh liver despite being instructed that inclusion of fresh liver is essential. The resulting total Vitamin A content remains well within completely safe levels.

(f) Vitamin E levels in both TCfeline Original Formula and TCfeline Special Formula are higher than wild mice, because Vitamin E is added to the premix also as a natural antioxidant preservative for the product itself.

(g) wild mice and food prepared using TCfeline Original Formula or TCfeline Special Formula meet and exceed the recommended allowances for adult cats published by the National Research Council, except for Iron (discussion below).

(h) food prepared with either TCfeline Original Formula or TCfeline Special Formula does not meet printed recommended or minimum allowance for Iron, although the food is 80% lean beef. Iron from meat and liver is in Heme form and highly bioavailable. Iron deficiency or anemia was never observed or diagnosed in 30 years when cats are full-fed the food prepared with TCfeline. The data published by NRC is based on extremely limited research and only two studies with kittens, using a purified diet. Iron was added in supplement form to the purified diet used. Data for adult cats is not available at all. The requirements for adults are those for kittens for lack of data. Because Iron deficiency has never been diagnosed in the study cats of Feline Future Cat Food Company, we question the data or can theorize that Iron from meat is more bioavailable and less is required to meet nutritional needs.

(i) Food prepared using TCfeline Special Formula does not meet the Recommended Allowance of Calcium and Phosphorus for Growth of Kittens, nor is it intended to do so. TCfeline Special Formula was purposefully designed to be reduced in Phosphorus and overall macro minerals (Ca, P, Mg) for adult cats experiencing problems with urinary crystals, CKD, and to help prevent or delay CKD in healthy cats 12 years and older. The food does, however, meet the Minimum Requirement of kittens for 182 mg Calcium per 140 kcal ME, but not quite the 168 mg Phosphorus per 140 kcal ME. The food meets all the Recommended Allowances of adult cats (except Iron, which is discussed above).