Sandi,
     I can't answer your question about sunflower oil, but one thing I did notice was that the Blue Wilderness has several probiotics in it.  Perhaps there is enough of them that it protects her digestive system from bad bacteria that could cause diarrhea.  Just a theory.

Sandik: My take on these two "super-premium" brands and their ingredients:

Ingredients that I think are not very suitable for cats in CA Natural:

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Rice, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, Sunflower Oil, Flaxseed, Ascorbic Acid, Beta Carotene, Biotin, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Iodate, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Carbonate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Dicalcium Pantothenate, dl-Methionine, Folic Acid, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Niacin, Potassium Chloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin C Supplement (Sodium Ascorbate), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement (Alpha Tocopherol), Zinc Proteinate Vitamins, Potassium Chloride, Minerals, Taurine, DL-Methionine), Rosemary Extract

This food is relying on PLANT oils to supply the Omegas.  That;s fine for Dogs, but not cats because plat oils are not that bioavailable to cats.  Fish oil would be a better choice.

Beta Carotene (!!!???) Cats cannot convert beta carotene into usable Vit A - I cannot imagine why the nutritionist of Natura would put that into cat food.... well, they can use beta carotene in a limited way - but beta carotene from pumpkin!

I think that Sophers may have had diarrhea on this food because of the amount of fiber (3.5%) and ascorbic acid (Vit C) --- it is pretty high up in the ingredient list.  Not a nice place to see it, by the way, because too much Vit C can give rise to KIDNEY stones over time.  

Rosemary Extract is stronger than rosemary oil and these are basically used as a natural preservatives along with ascorbic acid.   Some cats also do not react well to rosemary.


Now for Blue Wilderness (I fed the canned version to Cato early this yer and he tolerated it):

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potato Starch, Whitefish Meal, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Oatmeal, Flaxseed (natural source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, Blueberries, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Alfalfa Meal, Kelp Meal, Taurine, L-Lysine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric, Salmon Oil (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Black Malted Barley, Oil of Rosemary, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin C, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Beta Carotene, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Salt, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Bifidobacterium longum, Enterococcus faecium.  

Too many "meals" in this formula. That means this food is overly processed.  

Too many herbs also:  Yucca provides no nutritional value - its there to make the cat's poopies less stinky (sorryto gross you out, but this is the only reason they add Yucca Schidigera to cat food.  

Now why would anyone give a cat Green Tea?

Parsely is a mild diuretic...

Alfalfa is toxic to cats although dose-dependent - but why risk it?

Also, I am mystfied as to why calcium carbonate is way at the bottom of the ingredient list since the first ingredient is DEBONED chicken... maybe I'm missing something...?

What I like about this food though is the the addition of probiotics... asto how viable they are after all tha processing is a question mark of course.

I'm sorry, Sandik... I guess I'm just too biased, so don't take my opinion (and my opinion only) as "gospel truth".  If Sophers can tolerate one or the other, I see no harm feeding her these types of kibble but in ROTATION with other foods - fresh foods I hope?  

Thank you all for the great information!  I will be searching for a new food.

bug, we didnt try the new Evo but did try it along time ago and she absolutely loved it but it gave her diahrrea.....we thought maybe it was the cottage cheese in it.  She also loved the Fromms grain-free Surf & Turf but it also gave her diahrrea and it has cheese in it....she is not an easy girl to feed. It seems all the ones she loves, give her diahrrea and the ones she can tolerate she wont eat.   

Wow Sandi sounds like your caught between a rock and a hard place in finding the right balance of a food that will agree with Sophers and that is safe at the same time. Wishing you the best in the search for another food.

Sandi been feeding Castor and Pollux Organix dry and wet to Foxy Lady with no problems. Hope that Sophers will do well on this food should you try it.

Is that their Ultramix kibble?  My cats liked that (and the banana chips).  We tried a couple bags before switching them to wet food.  The youngsters still get their organic kibble and don't have problems with it.