Meat and meat derivatives

[WhoLetTheCatsOutMeowMeow]

What does it actually mean? I’ve been searching but all the explanations differ.

Recently my cat is turning her nose up at Lily’s kitchen. She refuses to eat and will scream and shout. When I first got her, the rescue used to feed her Felix which I weaned her off as I wanted to feed her healthy food.

I have now thought about Sheba as it seems a good medium between Lily’s and Felix. It’s cheap but seemed to have a higher meat content of 55% but then I noticed it saying only 4% is named meat.

What does that mean? Out of the 55% chicken flavour 4 is chicken meat and the rest are what? Other types of animals? Offal, feathers, beak, tail?

It just means all the bits that aren't fully used for human consumption e.g. offal. I found the definition below (on a veterinary site, not a food manufacturers).
Link to aricle is HERE if you want it.

Raw ingredients which are classified as “meat and animal derivatives” include the cuts from veterinary-inspected animals that are not commonly consumed by people. Organs such as kidneys, liver, heart, and lungs rarely find their way onto British tables because of the cultural preference for skeletal muscle meats. However, they contain a great mix of nutrients which make them perfect for our less-picky, four-legged friends.

*Other animal derivatives that fit into this category come from the dairy and egg industries. Milk and egg products that are used in pet food will only ever come from healthy animals under veterinary care. Some examples of these include the by-products from milk separation and cracked eggs. Again, these are highly nutritious ingredients which can make up a valuable part of our pet’s food.^

"Out of the 55% chicken flavour 4 is chicken meat and the rest are what? Other types of animals? Offal, feathers, beak, tail?"

Yes. Whatever was left over and cheap from the abattoir that day. Does not necessarily mean poor quality-offal is fine, tail is fine. Even a small quantity of feathers as filler isn't necessarily a bad thing (some sooper dooper anallergenic foods are made from hydrolysed feathers). But the difficulty comes if the pet is allergic to certain proteins. If it is known or suspected to be allergic then I tell the owner to read the back of the packet not the front and stick to one main protein source.

Thank you. There are so many contradictory videos and articles out there. People shouting how cruel to make your cats eat feet...but surely outdoor cats who kill rodents etc will usually eat almost all of it?

I’ve been slowly introducing the Sheba terrine and perfect portion loafs. For the first time in weeks her bowl has been licked clean.

I think texture can have a lot to do with how well they eat up. Mine have recently, after over 5 years of liking "chunky in jelly", decided they only like pate/terrine type textures or the Sheba Fine Flakes.