Can my cats eat this?

June 26, 2018 8:11 AM

I bought a 24-can pallet of Fancy Feast grilled chicken flavor a week ago, and promptly left it in the trunk of the car. The weather hasn't been awful as far as Chicago summers go, (I think we had a high in the 80s in the past few days), but I know the trunk stays warmer. Is it safe for the cats to eat it, or do I need to suck it up and buy a new pallet? (Cat tax inside)

They've eaten one can between them every morning for the past five years, so I know the food isn't a problem. They also have dry kibble and plenty of water. I'm just concerned about the condition of the wet food after spending a week in a space that gets hot.

Cat tax. Also: How I Got My Cats From MetaFilter.

posted by tzikeh to Pets & Animals (9 answers total)

I accidentally left a dozen cans of various Friskies paté flavors in a friend’s car for about a week, in sometimes 90-degree heat, and my cats ate it with no ill effects. I figured it was no different than it sitting in a non-refrigerated delivery truck when I order it online.
posted by elphaba at 8:21 AM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]

Canning is designed to preserve food irrespective of outside temperature and to do so for years. As long as there is an airtight seal the ambient temperature is irrelevant to a large degree.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:28 AM on June 26, 2018 [23 favorites]

When the cat food was canned, the cans were then sterilized with high heat. You can't match that in your trunk. Feed those kitties.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 8:34 AM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]

those cans probably sat in the back of truck that was not air conditioned for however long it took to get from the factory to the store's warehouse and then to the store itself. they likely didn't see even air conditioning until they hit the shelf where you picked them up. a few more hours in a trunk is of no consequence.
posted by mrg at 8:48 AM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]

I did this once.
I called the 800 number on the can and asked. They confirmed yes it was fine. YMMV but if you call manufacturer, they will advise.
posted by pointystick at 8:57 AM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]

Nthing the above, it's fine. I'd inspect all the cans for signs of damage, dents, puckering and whatnot.
posted by thenormshow at 9:15 AM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]

Open one of the cans and present to Cat. It’s been my firm belief for ages that a cat will rather starve than eat something that might make it sick. (a belief that might have been strengthened by my father’s anecdote about trying to feed a very hungry cat he met while backpacking with a pate from a can, the cat turning its nose, the father eating the pate and getting food poisoning that lasted longer and longer with every retelling of the story.)
posted by Dotty at 9:27 AM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]

Cats have very robust digestive systems, but also the canned food is sterilized. Throw out any that are bulging.
posted by aubilenon at 11:34 AM on June 26, 2018

My cats eat dead things. If the cans are intact, they got as hot as that in the truck on the way to store. I think it's fine. Also, your cats are very cute!
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 11:58 AM on June 26, 2018