SOME cat food pouches have been withdrawn as they may cause diarrhoea and vomiting.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition says it is recalling certain packs of cat food pouches because there are high levels of iron present as a result of an error by an ingredient supplier.

Cats should not be fed the affected product, which can be returned for a full refund.

The Food Standards Agency has issued the product recall notice as it is responsible for animal feed regulations and the enforcement of pet food labelling.

A spokesperson said: "Hill's Pet Nutrition is voluntarily recalling specific manufacturing batches of the single serving cat food pouches.

"Due to an error by an ingredient supplier, the products contain high levels of iron.

"Iron is an essential nutrient in a cat's diet but too much iron may cause digestive upset, including diarrhoea and vomiting, and have more serious health effects.

"The issue in the United Kingdom is limited to the products and date codes listed below.  No other date codes of these product or other Hill's products in the United Kingdom are affected by the recall. 

"If you have purchased the recalled product, do not feed it to your cat, and consult your veterinarian in case of concern. 

"Also, if you have purchased any of the below listed products with the specified date codes, please return it to the place of purchase for a full refund under Hill's 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. 

"The recalled products should have been removed from store shelves so that what is currently available on shelf is safe to feed as intended. 

"If your product of choice is not available, store personnel can suggest a suitable alternative product or you can contact Hill's at 0800 282 438 or email HillsUKCustomerservices@hillspet.com for advice. 

"At Hill's we take great pride in the quality and safety of our pet food products. 

"We deeply regret this situation occurred and can assure you that we are working with our suppliers to further improve product safety procedures and prevent a similar mistake from happening again." 

Pet owners with any concerns should speak to their vet.

The products recalled are:

The Science Plan Feline Adult Light Ocean Fish has the SKU code 2109PA and expiry date code July 2017. 

The Science Plan Feline Mature Ocean Fish has the SKU code 2110PA and expiry date code October 2017. 

The Science Plan Feline Adult Light Favourite Selection Multipack 4 has the SKU code 2119V and expiry date code April 2017 and July 2017. 

The Science Plan Feline Mature Adult Favourite Selection Multipack 4 has the SKU code 2120V and expiry date code August 2017. 

The Science Plan Feline Young Adult Sterilised Cat Multipack 4 has the SKU code 3766V and expiry date codes June 2017 and October 2017. 

Also affected are pouches of Prescription Diet Feline c/d Stress Reduced Calorie Chicken 4 and has the SKU code 2742U with an expiry date code September 2017.

Gazette Series:

Where to find the SKU and expiry date codes