Needless to say, if you want your fluffy friend to stay healthy, you must give it nutritious meals every day. Don't have the time to whip up something for the pet on your own? Then all you have to do is to get commercial cat foods, there are multiple options on the market that fit a variety of budgets. Among the products for pet owners with somewhat tight wallets, Sheba is quite popular nowadays. However, while talking about the brand from Mars, Inc, a couple of people may exclaim: "Sheba cat food? Stay away!!!"
Like the values Sheba offers but wonder why it receives negative responses from cat parents? If that is what you have in mind, then you've come to the right place.
Brief Overviews Of The Brand
Before we get to know more about why certain people reject Sheba cat food, it's wise to take a close look at its background.
As mentioned above, Sheba comes from Mars, Inc which is one of the largest manufacturers of confectioneries, pet foods and food products in the world. In addition to Sheba, the American company also owns other brands like Whiskas, Royal Canin, Iams, Crave and so on. In January 2011, Mars Petcare US released a webpage statement that says Sheba would no longer be available in the United States because of economic factors. Fortunately, Sheba returned to the shelves in 2012 and now, you could still get your hands on some without much difficulty.
Initially, Sheba cat food employed plastic trays but after the short disruption in 2011, the brand switches to pull-tab can. Around mid-2014, the Perfect Portions line of Sheba went back to the original plastic packaging. The idea is that a can of Sheba cat food contains 2 servings but the pet owners must separate the contents by themselves into separate portions. By putting the foods into plastic trays, Sheba eliminates the need for manual splitting which earns a lot of praise.
Regarding its history of recall, the Sheba possesses a clean record so far with zero incident in the FDA database. That being said, Mars, Inc has indeed issued multiple product recalls of other brands of cat food that it owns.
Check us out for further detailed cat's health guide!
Thorough Analyses Of The Composition
Similar to other brands of cat food, Sheba utilizes various ingredients: chicken, beef, turkey, tuna, salmon,... Most of the time, Sheba cat food proves capable of fulfilling the nutrient requirement of most domesticated felines. On unbiased sites for cat parents, it's fairly common to see favorable reviews for the brand from Mars, Inc. But then why some people still afraid to give Sheba cat food to the pets? The saying that "if it's Sheba cat food, stay away from it" shall never get popular without proper reasons.
Well, there are 2 suspects here: by-products and added colors
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By-products
(spleen, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, stomach...)
As many manufacturers of pet food have already misused the term, pet owners really don't want to see "by-products" on the ingredient list. That being said, the use of by-products offer considerable nutrient to the pet without making the price too expensive. That is why it's safe to say that you have nothing to worry about when you give your pet cat foods that contain by-products. As long as the by-products stay relatively far down the ingredient list, it's highly likely that your furball would just chomp everything down.
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Added Colors
Sure, humans may find foods with attractive colors more appealing but what about our pets? Well, cats rarely bother with the appearance of foods so it's rather odd that manufacturers of cat food routinely add colors to their products. Nonetheless, added colors in general, which consist of FDA-approved color additives, should be fine for the felines to consume. While they do seem optional at best, such additives have no negative effects on the health of your fluffy friend.
Conclusion: While people that could afford high-quality cat food might perceive the warning "Sheba cat food? Stay away!!!" to be partially correct, other pet owners still adore the brand. Compared to its competitors on the market, Sheba offers a lot of affordable choices for your furball without sacrificing quality. Hence, the brand from Mars, Inc is among the standard choices these kinds of days for budget-minded cat parents.
Some Notable Products From Sheba
Now you know the truth behind "if it's Sheba cat food, stay away from it", let's get to know some popular meal options from Shemal most well-known line of products: Perfect Portions.
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Perfect Portions Tender Whitefish & Tuna Entree
High in protein and low carbohydrate content, Perfect Portions Tender Whitefish & Tuna Entree is a superb choice for the pets. Packing cod, haddock, Pollock and other bottom-feeding fishes, the recipe is capable of giving your cat a hearty meal. However, it's essential that people refrain from giving the felines this particular Perfect Portions flavor on a daily basis. Fishes naturally have high concentrations of heavy metals as well as other contaminants which make it wise to only give the pets fish-based cat food every now and then.
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Perfect Portions Tender Beef Entree
As the name suggests, Perfect Portions Tender Beef Entree contains mostly paté made from beef. For obligate carnivores such as cats, beef would always work. In addition to that, the recipe includes synthetic vitamins, amino acids, Omega-3 and so on. Hence, this Perfect Portions flavor performs admirably in keeping the pets healthy and well-fed. Still, practice cautions if your fluffy friend happens to have a history of food allergies.
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Perfect Portions Grain-Free Roasted Chicken Cuts In Gravy Entree
So your cat really likes to take on chunky foods? If that is so, Perfect Portions Grain-Free Roasted Chicken Cuts In Gravy Entree is what you have to get. Being made of cuts of chicken in gravy, the recipe delivers great amounts of proteins to cats in each serving. Fatty acids in the fish oils that accompany the chick further increase the nutrient value of the meals as well.
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