Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that they need certain nutrients from animal sources to live.
The main protein source in this diet is meat.
It is not as simple as just switching the grains out with vegetables and making it safe for them.
Cats need meat protein to keep their body functioning properly and healthy.
The proteins found in vegetables don’t provide the amino acids needed for cats to build muscle and stay healthy. Cats need meat protein because they lack enzymes needed to digest other types of protein sources like vegetables.
So, is grain free bad for cats?
This blog post will go over everything you need to know about grain-free food and your kitty.
Keep reading to learn more.
Understanding Your Cat’s Digestive System
If your cat has been eating grain-free cat food for a long time, it’s not bad for them to continue doing so.
Cats, similar to humans, have sensitive digestive tracts and eating grain-free cat food may not be the best option for our feline friends.
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that they need meat in their diet. The problem with grains is that they lack the nutrients that cats need in order to stay healthy.
Cats are unable to digest grains and it can lead to health problems such as obesity and diabetes.
Some vets also think it’s not a good idea for cats to eat grain-free cat food since it lacks crucial nutrients.
Grain free foods may even increase risks of heart disease or other illnesses like diabetes because cats can’t digest the fat or sugar in these diets properly.
Cats evolved to extractThe most common grains in cat food are wheat, barley, rice, maize and oats. Grain-free dry food for cats should contain protein-rich vegetables and fruits, ingredients that are ideal for the health and well-being of your cats.
The ingredients cats need for their diet are meat and grains, so adding fillers like meat can be expensive. the protein and amino acids needed for their diet from meat.
A designer diet is aimed at cat owners who must prefer a certain quality of cat food. If a food allergy is present, it is usually caused by an animal protein such as beef, chicken or cereals
Is Grain Free Bad for Cats? Here’s What Science Has to Say!
Recently, the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery published a study that compared ingredients, nutrients, calories and carbohydrates in a range of popular grain-free and grain-rich dried foods for cats.
Grain-free diets contain some unusual ingredients in cat food, such as lettuce, watercress, celery, blackberries, apricots, artichokes, chia, papaya and courgettes.
According to a veterinary nutritionist at Tufts University, it’s not just grains-free foods linked to heart disease, but foods that contain exotic ingredients for dogs, such as Alligator, game and ostrich.
Whether grains or vegetable proteins are used as cereal substitutes, both are not good for cats.
In addition to cereals and vegetable proteins, plant starches such as potatoes, tapioca, sweet potatoes and carrots are other common ingredients in cat food.
There is a lot of confusion about the benefits of grain-free foods despite the obvious benefits of a high-protein diet and whether they are “grain-free” or “low carbohydrate” is not the same when deciding whether to avoid grains or switch to a cat diet.
Gluten-free diets are popular, but cats should be aware of a few facts.
A Food and Drug Administration investigation into grain-free dog and cat food shows that it is up to pet owners to determine if they buy the healthiest products for their beloved pets.
Here’s What Grain-Free Cat Food Actually Means
When pet food manufacturers see the public demand to remove grains from cat diets, they replace them with plant proteins such as peas and soy.
When you remove cereals from the commercial cat food, the carbohydrate content consists of ingredients such as potatoes, tapioca, lentils, peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, beans and cranberries.
Grain-free pet food contains carbohydrates similar or higher to cat food with grains, but the carbohydrates are not made from dog or cat fat.
The most common grains in cat food are wheat, barley, rice, maize and oats.
Grain-free dry food for cats should contain protein-rich vegetables and fruits, ingredients that are ideal for the health and well-being of your cats.
The ingredients cats need for their diet are meat and grains, so adding fillers like meat can be expensive.
Although all diets have their advantages and disadvantages, grain-free pet food and grain-free cat food have proven to be some of the most popular and polarizing developments in the last 20 years in pet nutrition.
Only recently have owners learned that cereal grains are not necessarily bad for dogs and cats, that so-called by-products are not bad for pets and that raw food and bones have potential dangers.
In Summary: Is Grain Free Bad For Cats?
Although all diets have their advantages and disadvantages, grain-free pet foods aren’t as safe for your kitty as they’re advertised to be.
Only recently have owners learned that cereal grains are not necessarily bad for dogs and cats, that so-called by-products are not bad for pets and that raw food and bones have potential dangers.
But today’s story tells us much more about why they’re important than we know at present.
There is an inherent nutritional necessity on plant foods (and cereals) but also a multitude of other factors – including availability, affordability, quality or safety.