GREEN BAY, WIS. — Vital Essentials, a raw, freeze-dried and frozen pet food brand owned by Carnivore Meat Company, announced April 6 the addition of pork-inclusive formulas to its Vital Cat portfolio.

Vital Cat will now include Pork Dinner Patties and Pork Mini Nibs. The new protein joins Vital Cat’s other single-source protein varieties for raw freeze-dried cat food, which include chicken, duck, rabbit and turkey.

The brand’s new Freeze-Dried Pork Cat Food options include fresh, whole-animal pork protein as the No. 1 ingredient in each product. The diets are formulated without wheat, corn, soy or artificial ingredients. The limited-ingredient formulas are low in carbohydrates and fortified with vitamins and minerals to support overall health and wellness.

“All muscle meat is a good source of taurine, which cats require in their diet, because they’re not efficient at making their own,” noted Dr. Richard Patton, companion animal nutritionist. “Pork is healthy for cats because it is a quality protein, high in essential amino acids needed by carnivores like the cat.”

Carnivore Meat Company pointed out that pork is a common food ingredient for cats with food sensitivities.

“We’ve heard from many pet parents that there isn’t enough variety in the marketplace for cats and we wanted to change that landscape for the better,” said Melissa Olson, vice president of sales and marketing at Carnivore Meat Company. “It can be tough to find something that suits a cat’s particular tastes and that’s why we want to provide more protein sources so they can find the perfect diet for their pet.”

Vital Cat’s Freeze-Dried Pork Cat Food formulas are available online and through leading pet specialty retailers across the United States.

Read more about new pet food and treat products.