The Perils of Dry Cat Food
Cats are obligate (true) carnivores and need a diet that is heavy in meat-based protein.
However, the majority of dry cat foods available at the supermarket contain a high level of grains and vegetable matter (carbohydrates) that aren't necessarily good for your pet.
The purpose of adding vegetables and grains in dry cat food is simple: price.
Meat simply costs more to process.
The argument that some pet food producers present is that the presence of carbohydrates aids in digestion and supplies a cat with extra energy.
This is an argument that has helped make it possible for dried cat food to have as much a 30-70% carbohydrate count.
Some examples of the types of carbohydrate foods that are packaged for cats in are corn meal, wheat gluten and potatoes.
These are all foods that a feline wouldn't consume in the wild.
Plants do provide protein, but not the kind of protein that truly benefits a cat.
There are some key points that need to be considered in the overall health value of various dry goods for cats however.
One area of consideration is that of the organic acid known as taurine.
Taurine is an organic acid that felines need in order to be healthy.
Taurine is found in meat.
It is extremely important for cats to have a steady diet that features taurine, because they don't create it within themselves.
A taurine deficiency causes the cat's retina to degenerate.
As a result, cats can go blind from a lack of taurine in their system.
Carbohydrates that are not used immediately for energy are stored as fat within a cat.
Cats aren't designed to digest carbohydrates in the same way that dogs or humans are.
A simple way of looking at this is by considering how short cat intestines are compared to those of a dog or a human.
The longer the intestine, the more apt the animal is to digest grains and plant matter.
In short, the food can't be assimilated properly within the cat's digestive system.
The diet of an obligate carnivore needs to be high in both protein and fat for the animal to remain healthy.
A carbohydrate-heavy diet simply isn't what is natural for cats.
Most meats don't contain carbohydrates to begin with.
A deviation from an obligate carnivore diet with high servings of carbohydrates can actually cause cat obesity.
Cats are meat eaters with no natural use for carbohydrates.
Carbohydrate consciousness is something that cat owners need to have.
Dry cat foods tend to contain a high serving of carbohydrates.
Not all dry cat food is bad, however.
Some dry cat foods actually concentrate on protein servings and taurine.
A cat owner should be aware of this truth concerning their cat's diet.
The grains and plant matter packaged in dry cat food is technically filler.
It is a corner that has been cut by a company in order to save money.
However, the truth is that such fillers won't be properly assimilated by your pet, and probably cause more harm than good.
However, the majority of dry cat foods available at the supermarket contain a high level of grains and vegetable matter (carbohydrates) that aren't necessarily good for your pet.
The purpose of adding vegetables and grains in dry cat food is simple: price.
Meat simply costs more to process.
The argument that some pet food producers present is that the presence of carbohydrates aids in digestion and supplies a cat with extra energy.
This is an argument that has helped make it possible for dried cat food to have as much a 30-70% carbohydrate count.
Some examples of the types of carbohydrate foods that are packaged for cats in are corn meal, wheat gluten and potatoes.
These are all foods that a feline wouldn't consume in the wild.
Plants do provide protein, but not the kind of protein that truly benefits a cat.
There are some key points that need to be considered in the overall health value of various dry goods for cats however.
One area of consideration is that of the organic acid known as taurine.
Taurine is an organic acid that felines need in order to be healthy.
Taurine is found in meat.
It is extremely important for cats to have a steady diet that features taurine, because they don't create it within themselves.
A taurine deficiency causes the cat's retina to degenerate.
As a result, cats can go blind from a lack of taurine in their system.
Carbohydrates that are not used immediately for energy are stored as fat within a cat.
Cats aren't designed to digest carbohydrates in the same way that dogs or humans are.
A simple way of looking at this is by considering how short cat intestines are compared to those of a dog or a human.
The longer the intestine, the more apt the animal is to digest grains and plant matter.
In short, the food can't be assimilated properly within the cat's digestive system.
The diet of an obligate carnivore needs to be high in both protein and fat for the animal to remain healthy.
A carbohydrate-heavy diet simply isn't what is natural for cats.
Most meats don't contain carbohydrates to begin with.
A deviation from an obligate carnivore diet with high servings of carbohydrates can actually cause cat obesity.
Cats are meat eaters with no natural use for carbohydrates.
Carbohydrate consciousness is something that cat owners need to have.
Dry cat foods tend to contain a high serving of carbohydrates.
Not all dry cat food is bad, however.
Some dry cat foods actually concentrate on protein servings and taurine.
A cat owner should be aware of this truth concerning their cat's diet.
The grains and plant matter packaged in dry cat food is technically filler.
It is a corner that has been cut by a company in order to save money.
However, the truth is that such fillers won't be properly assimilated by your pet, and probably cause more harm than good.
Source...