Rocky Mountain Dry Cat Food

Full review of Rocky Mountain Dry Cat Food by Taste of the Wild

Nutritional Analysis

The ideal nutrition for a cat is a high amount of protein, a medium amount of fat. Cats do not require carbohydrates in their diet. However, they can safely consume small amounts of carbohydrates with minimal effect.

Carbohydrate Content

Cats use carbohydrates as a simple energy source. Cats do not require carbohydrates in their diet and they are commonly added to reduce cost and increase shelf life. As the chart above displays, a maximum of 21% of Taste of the Wild’s Rocky Mountain Dry Cat Food calories are derived from carbohydrates.

Please note that this is the maximum amount of carbohydrates as calculated by the guaranteed analysis. In reality, this value of carbohydrates is likely to be a lot lower. This is significantly below average for a Dry Cat Food.

While cats ideally should not consume any significant proportion of carbohydrates this proportion is far lower than the average dry cat food. Nevertheless, to better mimic a cat’s natural diet it could be lower still.

This carbohydrate content is sourced from a range of pea ingredients and sweet potatoes. While these are considered superior to carbohydrates such as grains, they are not considered high-quality for a cats diet.

Protein Content

Cats use Protein for growth, development, and maintenance. Excess protein can be burned as calories. As the chart above displays, a minimum of 40% of Taste of the Wild’s Rocky Mountain Dry Cat Food calories are derived from protein.

Please note that this is the minimum amount of protein as calculated by the guaranteed analysis. In reality, this value of protein is likely to be higher. This is significantly above average for a Dry Cat Food.

Dry cat food tends to lack protein but this is not the case for Rocky Mountain Dry Formula, the protein proportion present is very satisfactory and closely resembles the natural diet of cats.

The protein is sourced from the range of meats and fish including Venison, Chicken, and Salmon. These are all considered high-quality sources and contain a full range of amino acids.

Fat Content

Cats use fat as a concentrated energy source. In addition, fats also play a role in development and maintenance. As the chart above displays, a minimum of 39% of Taste of the Wild’s Rocky Mountain Dry Cat food calories are derived from Fat.

Please note that this is the minimum amount of fat as calculated by the guaranteed analysis. In reality, this value of fat is likely to be a lot higher. This is significantly above average for a Dry Cat Food.

This proportion of fat is certainly above average and far better than most dry cat foods. Despite this to fully reflect a cat’s natural diet this fat level should be higher.

Cats should use fat as their source of energy and not carbohydrates. On the flip side, the source of this fat is fantastic. Animal and fish fats such as Venison and Chicken are considered high-quality sources and are a cats natural source of fat.

Calorie Density

Overall Taste of the Wild’s Rocky Mountain Dry Cat Food contains an average of 3,745 kcal/kg or 390 kcal/cup.

Disclaimer

Once again please note that the values in this section are calculated using the products guaranteed analysis. The guaranteed analysis only lists the minimum and maximum values and as a consequence, these can sometimes be an inaccurate representation.

As a rule of thumb, most cat foods will contain slightly more protein and considerably more fat than their guaranteed analysis. This will have the knock-on effect of reducing the relative amount of carbohydrates present. However also note that every cat food is different and some will be considerably closer to the guaranteed analysis than others.

Guaranteed Analysis – Taste of the Wild – Rocky Mountain Dry Cat Food

Pet foods in the United States are legally required by the AAFCO to have a guaranteed analysis on their packaging. A guaranteed analysis must display certain nutritional information. This is similar to how nutritional values are now commonly displayed on food for human consumption.

The information that must be displayed includes Crude Protein, Crude Fat, Crude Fiber, and Moisture. Some guaranteed analysis will contain additional information. The guaranteed analysis for this product is listed below.

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients of a pet food are displayed as a list in descending order. Those listed at the start of the list make up the majority of a pet foods content.

Therefore the quality of these core ingredients is the most important factor in determining the quality of a pet food. However, later ingredients should not be ignored, especially if they are deemed potentially dangerous or harmful.

In-Depth Meat/Fish Ingredient Review

The meat ingredients of a cat food are probably the most important ingredients. Taste of the Wild’s Rocky Mountain Dry Cat Food contains five sources of meat or fish.

The primary meat source present is Chicken Meal. Chicken Meal is considered a high-quality source of protein. Meat Meal is a concentrated form of meat that has already had the majority of its moisture removed. This means that gram for gram it is much richer in protein and other nutrients.

Chicken Meal will contain the same vitamins and minerals as Chicken but in higher concentrations. This includes the high levels of Niacin and Vitamin B6.

Chicken Fat is considered an average quality source of meat. While Chicken Fat does not contain protein it has its uses. Cats are designed to use fat as their primary energy source so fat from animals such as chicken is an ideal source.

Roasted Venison is considered a high-quality source of meat. Unfortunately, Venison contains a large amount of water. This moisture will be evaporated during the cooking process leaving a smaller amount of Venison.

Another fish source present is Salmon. Salmon is considered a high-quality source of protein. Salmons most abundant minerals are Vitamin B12 and Selenium. Just like other fish, Salmon contains a large quantity of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Unfortunately just as with meat, Salmon contains a high concentration of water.

Much of this water is evaporated during the cooking process leaving a lesser proportion of Salmon. Given that Salmon is not one of the primary ingredients, its quantity after cooking is likely to be relatively low.

Ocean Fish Meal is considered an average quality source of fish. It is a concentrated form of fish that has already had most of its moisture removed. Ocean Fish Meal is likely to have a relatively high protein content which is ideal for a dog’s diet. Unfortunately Ocean Fish is a vague description.

For this reason, it’s difficult to gauge exactly what fish the meal is made of. In addition, this makes it difficult to gauge the quantities of fish oils such as Omega 3 and Omega 6.

In-Depth None-Meat Ingredient Review

Peas are a member of the legume family of vegetables. Legumes are famous for having a relatively high amount of protein for a vegetable. Legumes also contain a high amount of fiber, which is important for healthy digestion. Pet foods often use legumes as a replacement for grains in grain-free pet food.

Protein from vegetables such as legumes should not be a replacement for protein from meat. Instead, ad it should act as an additional protein source. While they may be great food for humans and dogs, peas are not an amazing addition to cat food.

Sweet Potatoes are a starchy vegetable and a source of complex carbohydrates.  Sweet Potatoes are considered superior to traditional Potatoes as they contain more fiber and a more extensive range of vitamins and minerals. Some examples of vitamins and minerals that are abundant in Sweet Potatoes are Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Calcium.

While Sweet Potatoes may be a high-quality ingredient for humans and dogs, Sweet Potatoes are not a suitable addition to cat food due to their carbohydrate content.

Pea Protein is a by-product of Peas. Pea Protein is considered a low-quality ingredient. It is often used as a cheap way to increase the overall level of protein in a cat food without including additional meat or fish content.

While the protein in Pea Protein is not harmful, plant-based proteins such as this are considered inferior to meat and fish-based proteins as they do not contain the full range of needed amino acids. Pea Protein is one of the most common ingredients used in a technique called Ingredient Splitting.

Dried Chicory Root or Chicory Root Extract is an additive or supplement to cat food. It can provide a range of health benefits including soluble fiber to enable regular passage of stool, probiotics to aid and promote digestion, as well as potentially eliminate or prevent intestinal worms.

While these benefits are not fully proven, there is strong evidence behind them. The proportion of Chicory Root used in most cat food recipes is tiny and does not contribute meaningful nutrition. Find out more in Dried Chicory Root In Dog Food.

Full Ingredient List  – Taste of the Wild – Rocky Mountain Dry Cat Food

Chicken meal, peas, sweet potatoes, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), pea protein, potato protein, roasted venison, smoked salmon, natural flavor, ocean fish meal, DL-methionine, potassium chloride, taurine, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, niacin, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A supplement, biotin, potassium iodide, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

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