10/03/2026
On October 2, 2026, Clean Label Project released a report on contaminants in 100 cat food products across 62 brands. I’ll put the link in the first comment.
Lead was detected in 99% of the products, cadmium in 96%, and arsenic in 94%. Fish-based foods generally contained more mercury and cadmium. Detection alone does not prove that a food is unsafe or caused an illness, but these findings raise questions about what our cats consume every day, often for years.
People spend months searching for a healthy kitten and asking breeders about genetic testing. But what that kitten eats after coming home deserves just as much attention.
Once a kitten leaves the breeder, a new chapter of its health history begins. Its daily diet becomes the owner’s responsibility. Choosing a healthy kitten is only the beginning. The food in its bowl matters throughout its life.
If a cat becomes ill years later, we need to look at the whole picture before assuming the breeder sold an unhealthy kitten. What has the cat been eating? Is its diet complete and balanced? Does the manufacturer regularly test finished products for contaminants?
Some inherited conditions do appear later in life. But genetics should not automatically receive all the blame while years of feeding are left out of the conversation. Diet needs to be investigated too.
We expect breeders to make informed, responsible decisions. That same care needs to continue in the cat’s new home, including what goes into its bowl every day.
