Low Carb for Cats

Cats are hunters. Their original environment had little vegetation and lots of small animals. Thus, cats are almost solely dependent on meat, and its main components, protein and fat, for what their body needs. Feeding the cat their environmentally proper diet is also known as “Catkins.”

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When I became aware of how cats must have eaten in the wild, I started reading the labels for the food I’d been feeding my cats. I was truly astonished at how many ingredients were grain based, and how low down the list I had to go before the meat products appeared. It’s not like the label makes it easy. Pet food regulations do not allow the word carbohydrate on the label. What the hey!

To get the carb content, pet parents have to take a calculator to that information on the label: 100- (protein+fat+moisture+ash+fiber) = carb content. Those bags I was buying at the supermarket were not much more than enriched, meat frosted, breakfast cereal.

In fact, that’s exactly what it is.

Just as the food industry wanted us humans to eat more convenient, processed foods, the growing number of dogs and cats in urban areas created the same potential market. Thus the pet food industry sprang into action to lecture us about not feeding people food to our pets, and instead buying their product.

Just like with people, the cheapest source of food is grains. Cats, in particular, do not see the appeal of grains. A pioneer father never came back in the cabin to exclaim, “That mountain lion’s gotten into the wheat field again!”

We might get sticker shock comparing the prices of the better food to what we get at the grocery store. But with the high quality food from specialty pet stores or feed stores, we are getting what we pay for. It’s not as expensive as it might seem. My cats ate less of the nutrient dense, better food. I wasn’t going out and having to get it as often.

So when we go searching for better foods, don’t go by reputation or marketing. Go by what the calculator tells us. The less carbohydrates in the food, the more protein and fat we are actually buying. That’s what we should be paying for, since cats need the protein and fat.

The rest will only make them sick.

Find out what’s in the cat food with the Cat Food Calculator.

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There’s more ways to care for our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on CAT CARE.