What’s in the food we are feeding our cats?

We can get some better clues with my Cat Food Calculator.

I’ve already entered certain brands for comparison purposes.

Try out the food you are feeding your cats with this Cat Food Calculator.

Enter the information from the food label into the correct boxes on the spreadsheet. Use the blue boxes if you want to compare to what is already there. Or save it down to your own computer to compare many different possibilities.

Then click on the Compare Tab to see how this particular food stacks up.

Here’s how to interpret the results:

Carbohydrates in Blue: We don’t want much. Cats don’t have the enzymes to digest it. When we are paying for a lot of carbohydrate in the cat food, we are paying for what is going to make the cat fat and prone to diabetes.

Why so much carbohydrate? It’s cheap and it keeps well. But we don’t stock our pantries with cardboard, and we shouldn’t feed our cats with grains. Remember, cats are obligate carnivores. Every time a cat food commercial talks about the whole grains in their food… they are ripping us off.

Protein in Red: This is the nutrient building block cats use more than any other. They even process the glucose their body needs… from protein! So this is what we want in the cat food; and what we should be willing to pay for.

All protein isn’t created equal. Look out for such sources as soy or corn gluten meal; this is a form of protein, but it’s not as good as real meat protein, which has trace nutrients vegetable sources cannot match.

Fat in Gold: This is another precious nutrient that cats handle well. Fat is needed to keep their fur in good shape and their highly tuned nervous system operating as it should, along with vital cell building processes.

Don’t be afraid of fat in the cat food! Cats like the taste, and it won’t make them fat. If we are curing a starving cat or kitten, they need even more fat than usual. This is a quick source of body energy, and will help calm their overactive appetites.

Moisture in Green: This might look like a waste of our pet food money, when we can just put a bowl down for them. But remember that this is all water that is getting into their system. Along with making the food easier to eat, and to digest.

Water should be considered a vital nutrient, and whatever gets it into the cat, especially if they are fussy about their water sources, is what I consider to be hydration insurance.

Ash & Fiber in Gray: Ash doesn’t sound good, does it? But all it means is that the meat in cat food is cooked at a high temperature for hygiene and canning purposes. This leaves ash, which also contains calcium, magnesium, potassium and other trace minerals the cat actually needs. But we still don’t want too much of it, especially since higher quality meat will cook with less ash.

Ash is basically a balancing act, and has a role in the cat’s health, especially their urinary tract health. It turns out small, frequent, meals and plenty of water are the best ways to safeguard a cat’s urinary tract. Read more in this comprehensive article from a veterinarian.

Fiber is being added to many cat foods, such as hairball or obesity formulations. What does it do?

A certain amount of fiber is good for the cat; that’s why they like to munch on grass, after all. Since I grow kitty grass for my cats, I don’t want to pay for extra in my cat food. Too much can lead to a windy kitty.

Some fiber does balance their digestive tract, and helps move hairballs along. This is insoluble carbohydrate, so it doesn’t affect the cat’s blood sugar. But fats also do the same job, and has other benefits, too.

Adding fiber to the cat’s food in an effort to control their weight isn’t as much help as we might think. They get a full belly, but only protein and fat “turns off” their hungry switch. A cat who is not getting enough of these nutrient elements will just eat more.

In cats, recent studies have shown that diets high in protein and fat aid in the dietary management of diabetes mellitus more than diets high in fiber. Article link.

The best way to slim down a fat cat is reducing their carb load, and giving them more protein and fat.

No discussion of cat nutrition would be complete without bringing up taurine. This vital organic acid supports their sensitive retinas and promotes heart and muscle health. This is a vital nutrient not present in vegetable foods, so getting a cat food high in protein and fat means there is more natural taurine going along for the ride. Wet foods are required to have more taurine in them; yet another reason to make canned a cat food staple.

I hope this roundup helps when looking beyond the fancy pictures and big banners saying what’s in the food. Skip all that and go to the ingredients list and the nutrient breakdown.

Then we’ll know what we, and our cats, are really getting.

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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.