Cats commonly have sensitive stomachs, which can lead to lots of problems in the litter box (and even around your home). Therefore, you may want to consider purchasing a formula specifically for sensitive stomachs.
Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Cat Food is specifically formulated for cats with sensitive stomachs. It features a very digestible ingredient list with few ingredients. That’s why it works so well for cats with sensitive stomachs.
Let’s take a closer look at this product to decide if it may work well for your cat.
Summary
As you’d expect from a Blue Buffalo formula, the Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Cat Food includes high amounts of chicken and chicken meal. There is a lot of meat content inside this cat food, which means that it contains tons of amino acids. These nutrients are vital for our felines.
There are also several sources of whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, and barley.
This recipe does include tons of prebiotics to promote healthy digestion and nutrient absorption. Omega fatty acids are included in high amounts, which can promote a healthy coat and skin.
With that said, peas and pea protein are both included, as well. These raise the protein content of this food, though plant-based protein isn’t as absorbable as meat-based protein. Therefore, this protein is usually considered to be of lower quality. Plus, while pea protein can cause problems for dogs, we don’t know it could potentially cause problems for cats, as well.
Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Cat Food Benefits and Features
- Chicken as the first ingredient
- Whole grains, veggies, and fruits included
- Prebiotics included
- Omega fatty acids included
- No corn, wheat, or soy
Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Cat Food: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- High in protein and amino acids
- Contains plenty of nutrients
- Extras like fatty acids and prebiotics added
- Made with natural ingredients
Cons:
- Expensive
- Contains a high amounts of peas
Where is Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Cat Food Made?
Currently, Blue Buffalo crafts their food mostly in the United States. Some of their treats are made in other countries, such as Ireland. However, none of their cat food is made out of the U.S.
With that said, Blue Buffalo does source some of its ingredients from other countries. Therefore, while their food is made in the U.S.A., the ingredients are sourced from elsewhere. For this reason, you cannot consider this food to be made completely in the United States.
What Types of Cat Is Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Best Suited For?
As the name suggests, we highly recommend this food for cats with sensitive stomachs – at least for the most part. This food is designed to be very light on a cat’s stomach. The inclusion of chicken and a variety of whole grains makes this formula digestible and can help improve digestion. Plus, there are prebiotics included, as well.
However, this formula does include a lot of peas and pea protein. This protein isn’t as high-quality as other protein sources. We don’t know how well cats absorb protein from plant sources, but it is likely worse than from animal sources.
Plus, this formula is also a bit expensive. We don’t recommend it for those on a strict budget. There are some cheaper formulas that might be just as suitable for your dog.
Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Cat Food Recalls
While this particular formula has never been recalled, Blue Buffalo has an above-average number of recalls. This company doesn’t make a huge amount of food, and they haven’t been around as long as other brands. Still, they’ve had quite a few recalls.
Like many cat food companies, Blue Buffalo was involved in the melamine recall of 2007. In 2007, many foods were reviewed after a supplier of rice had their supply contaminated with melamine, which is toxic. Many animals got sick and died before the problems were eventually linked to the supplier.
At the time, Blue Buffalo claimed they were completely unaware of the situation. The CEO even said that they didn’t know the rice even came from China. Therefore, the company clearly wasn’t keeping a very good track of their suppliers and where their products were coming from.
In 2010, Blue Buffalo had another recall because of an error in their sequencing. This led to a nutritional problem that led to increased vitamin D. The issue was caused by a supplier.
After some years, the company had another recall in 2015. Actually, they had two recalls in the same month. One recall involved a set of dog bones that had potentially been contaminated by salmonella. The other involved several cat treats that contained propylene glycol. The FDA does not allow this ingredient to be used in cat food
Two more recalls occurred in 2017 – one in March and one in February. The march recall involved high levels of beef thyroid hormone in several types of dog food. In February, several cans of dog food were recalled because of potential aluminum contamination.
Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Cat Food: Where to Buy
- Made from high-quality ingredients
- Reduces vomiting and sensitivity issues
- Formulated with chicken, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits
- Also includes prebiotics and omega fatty acids for digestive and skin health
- Includes Blue Buffalo's proprietary LifeBits, featuring vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that promote overall health
Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Cat Food Specs
Nutritional Value
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that they are required to consume high amounts of meat. In fact, they must have meat to remain healthy. This food contains high amounts of taurine and other amino acids, which cats need to thrive.
On top of this, this formula also includes high amounts of fatty acids, like omega fatty acids. All of this helps ensure that your cat has healthy skin and fur. Omega fatty acids are vital for many different formulas.
Of course, cats also need carbohydrates as a source of fast energy. Luckily, this formula includes great carbohydrates, including mostly whole grains. These grains also include fiber and other nutrients.
Moisture Content
As a dry food, this recipe doesn’t include high amounts of moisture. Cats evolved to get much of their moisture from their prey. Therefore, they may become dehydrated if their food doesn’t include enough moisture. Because this food hardly includes any, you may want to mix it with wet food.
However, not all cats become dehydrated when eating dry food. Therefore, you can simply keep an eye on them to ensure that they don’t become dehydrated.
Grain-Inclusion
This formula does include a lot of grains. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Grains provide fiber and carbohydrates, which are vital for our cat’s health. The first few ingredients are a meat product, with grains not appearing until later.
While some cats are sensitive to grains, this is rare. Allergies linked to meat are far more common than those linked to gluten.
Added Nutrients
There are nutrients that cats absolutely need that are required to appear in cat food by the AAFCO. However, there are also ingredients that cats may benefit from that aren’t necessarily required.
This food contains many of these added nutrients. For instance, they include omega fatty acids, which can help with your cat’s eyes, coat, and skin. This food also contains a lot of prebiotics and fiber, which can help with digestion, as well.
Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Cat Food vs. Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach
For cats that may do better on wet cat food, we recommend Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach. This wet food includes prebiotics, just like the blue Buffalo formula. However, it utilizes different meats, such as duck and fish. Therefore, if your cat doesn’t do well on chicken, you could switch to one of these other formulas.
Beyond that, these formulas are quite similar. Purina is usually cheaper, but it does vary more in cost. Therefore, it works best to check before making an order.
Bottom Line
Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Cat Food works best for cats that have an overly sensitive stomach. It is made with mostly chicken and grains, which are easy on most cats’ stomachs. Therefore, if your cat tends to get sick on other formulas, this one is a great option.
However, it does contain a lot of pea protein. Blue Buffalo is also a little bit expensive compared to other formulas. However, the price doesn’t seem to vary all that much.
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