Is Grain Free Cat Food Better

Cats are infamously finicky eaters.

Is grain free cat food better.

In general yes because grain free diets tend to be higher in protein content and cats love their meat based protein. Are there any medical reasons why a cat would do better with whole grains in the diet. Most cats don t require grain free food and cats with diagnosed grain allergies are unusual. Many people who buy grain cat food actually think they are purchasing a carbohydrate free product.

Of the 56 cats in the study with food allergies corn was responsible for four cases of allergy issues. Cats that are underweight or are highly active and need extra calories can benefit from grains in their diet. The grain free cat food diet started with the idea of high quality premium ingredients that will fulfill the nutritional needs of your cat. Let s look at what a grain free diet consists of and the benefits to your feline.

And many vets believe a diet of commercial cat food is best. All starch digestibilities were 93 percent indicating that cats can digest carbohydrates efficiently if they are extruded. But is a grain free cat food the right choice for your cat. Many scientists believe that a grain free diet is more appropriate for cats because they are carnivores and foods rich in proteins rather than grain based carbohydrates more closely resemble their natural diet.

In cats de oliveira et al. However it is important not to assume that a grain free diet is a low carbohydrate diet. Common grains found in cat food include wheat corn oats barley and rice. Grain free cat food is just what its name describes a cat food made free of grains.

In many grain free diets ingredients such as potatoes replace the grains in the food and often these ingredients have more carbohydrates than the common grains used in pet food. The gripe with grains. It s like buying can of food and the car is only eating half of it and the other half goes to waste. You have to do your own research but keep in mind where the research and the vets information come from.

In a study published in veterinary dermatology corn was found to be one of the least likely sources of food allergy in a cat. In fact some grain free pet foods contain carbohydrate levels similar to or even higher than diets containing grains. So if you re paying 89 for a can with grain and it got 1 09 for a grain free can the better bargain is the 1. Can feeding grain free cat food lead to better or more consistent eating.

2008 investigated the starch digestibility for both grain corn rice and sorghum milo and grain free lentil and pea carbohydrate sources. Simply put grain free cat food is a cat food that does not contain grains like wheat corn. Some pet food companies and other sources have suggested that grain free diets are good options for cats with allergies. There s nothing wrong with that line of reasoning but as always the devil is in the details.

The grains therefore do not hurt the cat they simply do not digest them. As a result grain free and low carbohydrate pet foods are not always synonymous with one another. Overall food allergies are much less common than many pet owners believe and when they do occur they are usually caused by animal sourced ingredients such as chicken milk fish and eggs.