Cats are obligate (true) carnivores and require a large amount of meat-based protein in their diet. However, most dry cat foods in supermarkets are high in grains and vegetables (carbohydrates), which are not necessarily good for your pet.
The purpose of adding vegetables and grains to dry cat food is simple: price. The costs for meat processing are higher. Some pet food manufacturers have pointed out that the presence of carbohydrates aids digestion and gives cats extra energy. This is an argument that allows dry cat food to contain up to 30-70% carbohydrates. Some examples of carbohydrate foods packaged for cats are cornmeal, wheat gluten, and potatoes. These are foods that cats will not eat in the wild. Plants provide proteins, but they cannot provide proteins that are actually beneficial for cats.
However, for cats, some important points need to be considered in the overall health value of various dry goods. One of the areas studied is an organic acid called taurine.
Taurine is an organic acid required for feline health. Taurine is found in meat. It is very important for cats to maintain a stable diet of taurine as they do not produce taurine in the body. Taurine deficiency can cause retinal degeneration in cats. As a result, cats lose their vision due to a lack of taurine. Carbohydrates that are not directly used for energy are stored as fat in the cat’s body. The digestive system of cats is different from that of dogs or humans. A simple observation method is to consider comparing cat intestines to dog or human intestines. The longer the intestine, the easier it is for animals to digest grains and plants. Basically, food cannot be properly absorbed into the cat’s digestive system.
In order to keep animals healthy, the protein and fat content of the diet of carnivorous animals must be high. A carbohydrate-rich food is not a natural food for cats at all. Most meat does not contain carbohydrates from the start. Deviating from a high-carbohydrate carnivore diet can even lead to overweight in cats.
Cats are carnivores and do not naturally consume carbohydrates. Cat owners need to be aware of carbohydrates. Dry cat food is often high in carbohydrates. However, not all dry cat food is bad. Some dry cat foods actually focus on protein and taurine. Cat owners should be aware of this fact about their cat’s diet. The grains and vegetable matter packaged in dry cat food are technical fillers. This is one corner the company has cut to save money. However, the fact is that such fillers are not absorbed by your pet well and can cause more harm than good.
