What You Should Know About Fiber In Cat Food
What you need to ask yourself before feeding your cat a fiber-rich food is whether this food contains crude fiber or dietary fiber. Crude fiber is indigestible carbohydrates, the kind of thing you need to keep far away from Kitty. The kind of fiber your cat needs is the dietary fiber.
Some cheap cat foods have crude fiber from wheat, corn or even wood chips! Even a cat food that bills itself as being for weight loss might cut corners and use cheap fiber sources that do more harm than good. Read that label!
Before you feed your cat a fiber rich diet, you need to educate yourself. What exactly is fiber and does it need to play a role in your cat’s diet? What kind of fibers are there? What would happen if my cat got too much fiber?
Fiber is a kind of carbohydrate that the body cant digest.
That’s not to say it isn’t important! Fiber provides the bulk needed to move the food through your cat’s system. Ideally, the fiber is broken down by bacteria thus creating short-chain fatty acids that provide energy to the cells in the intestinal tract.
Keep in mind that plants are not the only source of dietary fiber. Cartilage, bones, fur, ligaments and tendons are all meat based sources of fiber.
What To Look Out For When Selecting Your Cats Food
When selecting, read ingredients labels and be aware of these critical factors when evaluating food for your kitty.
Allergens
Suppose your feline has intestinal issues such as a sensitive stomach connected to allergies and food intolerances. In that case, grains may be a problem and are often used as food additives.
Protein Content
Although you may be looking for increased fiber content, you should not accomplish this at the expense of protein content. Remember that cats are carnivores that require a significant amount of animal-based protein. Therefore, 70% to 80% of their diets should come from meat or fish protein.
Substituting animal protein with carbohydrates will not be beneficial and may lead to other health issues.
Protein-Carbohydrate Ratio
If you are looking at high-fiber foods to aid in weight management, always choose a food that has a high protein content and is low in carbohydrates.
Fiber Types
Ideally, your kitty should have both insoluble and soluble types of fiber included in their diet.
Fermentable fiber is an excellent choice because it contains both and accomplishes what the other two types do individually.
Nutrients
Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are essential components in any pets diet. These acids contribute to skin and fur coat health, aid in the amount of shedding present, and indirectly work on hairball reduction.
How To Look For Cat Food For Hairball Control
Every cat owner knows how gross hairballs can be its just the price you pay for having a cat. But does it have to be frequent and often? The answer is no. Too much grooming on the cats part and not enough grooming from you can cause hairballs . Make sure you brush your cat to help keep its fur from matting and get rid of excessive hair. Never force a grooming session your cat may not be too thrilled at first, so its best to start slow. As weve discussed, a high fiber cat food also helps with hairball control to keep the digestive tract moving.
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Identifying High Quality High Fiber Cat Food
There are ways to identify whether this kind of food is really good for your cat or not. Read that label! Look at what’s listed in the ingredients. Check out the crude fiber content. If your cat will eat it, you are strongly urged to opt for wet cat food. If you do use dry kibble, the guaranteed analysis should promise a moisture level of at least 10%.
- Avoid food that only contains non-fermentable fiber
Anything with corn or wheat products is next to useless and if the ingredient list includes powdered cellulose like in fiber response food , chuck it out immediately.
- Look for foods that have high quality fiber sources
Some of the high quality products will get the fiber from fresh vegetables like peas and potatoes, but even they can have too high of a crude fiber content. Peas, oats, potatoes and flaxseed are good, safe sources of fiber, but keep an eye on that percentage of fiber content.
- Avoid foods with way too much fiber content
If you feed your cat dry kibble, the crude fiber should not exceed 3%. Wet food is generally better for your pet but make sure the fiber sources come from where they should.
High Fiber And Weight Loss
While a high-fiber diet can be part of a weight-loss solution for humans, our research has found that its not as helpful as a weight-reduction option for cats.
High levels of poorly fermentable fiber in cat food dilute the calories and nutrients in a serving and may make your cat feel fuller. Unfortunately, high fiber content can also increase the rate at which food passes through your cats digestive tract, making it harder for them to digest other nutrients in their food. They may be going to the litter box more often, but that doesnt mean their digestive system is working more efficiently.
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Hills Science Diet Adult 7+ Hairball Control Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food
Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Chicken, 2. Whole Grain Wheat, 3. Chicken Fat, 4. Dried Beet Pulp, 5. Chicken Liver Flavor
This high-fiber Hills Science Diet Food is specifically made for adult cats with long coats that have a serious problem passing hairballs. It helps by increasing your cats fiber intake through wheat, rice, and beet pulp, which is a natural prebiotic. The extra fiber makes it easy for hairballs to pass through the intestines, while also improving your cats stool quality and digestive efficiency.
Despite that, the food is still nutritionally complete and features an irresistible meaty flavor. It contains a decent amount of protein and fat, both of which are sourced from chicken. Antioxidants, vitamins, and other essential micronutrients are also present in the food for immunity boosting. The recipe is also 100% free from artificial additives that might cause stomach upset in sensitive cats.
Merrick Lid Canned Cat Food
While there are complaints about changes in the recent formula, owners of cats with sensitivities still love the limited ingredients options that Merrick creates. Like this cat owner says, I have been ordering this food since last year after a search for limited ingredient canned turkey cat food. I like it.
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The 6 Sources Of Fiber For Your Cat
Cats are indeed obligate carnivores, which means that pretty much all their dietary needs should be met by eating meat and meat-based foods. However, even in the wild, they would eat the whole animal. This includes elements like the fur and hair of the animal, as well as its stomach contents: all of which contain fiber. Unless you feed whole animals to your cat, you will need to find other, beneficial sources of fiber.
Always ensure that a food type is non-toxic and safe for cats before feeding and do remember that your cat is a carnivore so needs to have a lot of meat in its diet. However, if you do need to feed more fiber, here are 6 ingredients that you can add to their daily food intake.
When Should You Feed Your Cat Low
Unlike the foods with high quantities of fiber, low-fiber cat foods are less talked about because they are very rarely used. Vets only recommend less-fibrous foods if the stomach of your cat is extremely delicate which is unable to handle eating anything else, or the chance that your cat might have inflammatory bowel disease. The intestines of the cats who have this disease become very prone to inflammation due to which cats can stop eating altogether.
In such cases, less-fibrous cat foods help your feline friends out a lot by providing very soft food thats easy on the stomach too. Regardless, like its extra fibrous counterpart, we dont recommend you diagnose your cats health condition yourself and bring low fiber cat food to feed him/her. Always go to a vet first no matter what if your cat is sick or having eating problems.
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The 8 Best High Fiber Foods For Your Cat In 2022
Cats have vastly different dietary needs than us, or our canine friends. Or armadillos. Everyone is different. Still, we might not put much thought into what we put into their bowlbut we should. Our Garfields dont have the same nutritional needs as their free-roaming relatives. Indoor cats need a balanced diet, optimal for their particular metabolism.
While high fiber diets are not necessary for most cats, in many cases, this is the ideal solution to keep them healthy. If your cat is obese, has a regular issue with hairballs, or suffers from diarrhea or constipation, its worth asking your vet is a high fiber diet is right for them.
Luckily, you dont need to begin a quest for the best high-fiber cat foods available today, though: weve already located them for you. Read on to find more about them and why they might be the top choice for your four-legged companion.
Hills Science Dry Cat Food
This hairball control food is rich in fiber. Indoors cats are normally susceptible to this hairball problem as they are frequently groomed. The blend of natural fibers comfortably removes these hairs from your cats digestive tract. It does this by increasing the water content of the system, hence better flow of digested stuff.
This food provides your cat with a balanced and complete nutrition consisting of real chicken as the lead ingredient. There are also omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E for a luxurious cat coat, a blend of antioxidants provides a healthy immune system in your cat. For those who love varieties, options are available depending on what your cat baby feels comfortable with.
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Purina One Premium Cat Food
This cat food provides a needed specific nutritional purpose for your cats whole-body health. This line of cat foods also has something for your outdoor cat. You simply have to go through the available options and decide on which could be well suited for your cat.
This cat food contains a natural blend of fibers to ease your cats digestive issues. It contains Brewers rice which is a good fiber source. Fiber is scientifically proven to relieve constipation problems by increasing the moisture content of the stool. This, therefore, makes it easier for the cat to pass poop.
In the case of diarrhea, fiber behaves in contrast to how it does during constipation. Fiber responds by absorbing moisture in the cats body and then forms a gel. This slows down food digestion and also adds more bulk to the excreta.
This cat food also delivers good amounts of proteins from its top ingredients of Salmon, Turkey, and Tuna. Real animal proteins are the best nutrient your cat needs for strong muscles. A strong cat is a joy to have around. All the running, jumping and climbing is really fun.
Reasons To Feed Your Cat A High Fiber Food
- Constipation and Diarrhea
A high fiber diet for constipation and diarrhea can be useful in preventing these common stomach issues in cats. Fiber has a regulating effect, as well as ensuring that the stools arent too runny or hard. So for cats who are suffering from constipation, water is drawn from the large intestine to soften the stool, while for diarrhea-suffering felines, more water can be absorbed away from the poop. Check out our guide on cat food for constipation for more info.
- Controlling of Hairballs
One of the most common digestive blockages that cats can suffer from occur from the hair that builds up due to grooming. This is particularly common in long-haired breeds of feline. While most of the fur passes through the digestive system, some of it can sit in the stomach and congeal together. Your cat will eventually have to vomit these up in a process that both sounds and looks pretty gross! Even worse is that some cats can get hairballs lodged in their intestines, leading to symptoms such as repeated gagging, lethargy, a loss of appetite, diarrhea, and constipation. In more serious cases, you may even need to take your cat to the vet to successfully dislodge the hairball. Take a look at our article on cat food for hairballs.
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Wholehearted Weight Control Cat Food
Grain-Free
This is your best grain-free option.
WholeHearted Weight Control Chicken and Pea Recipe Dry Cat Food contains two times the fiber and 50% less fat than their similar formulas.
This formula uses both higher levels of fiber, along with L-Carnitine, to help metabolize fat, and boost weight loss in your cat.
High-quality lamb protein and chicken protect your cats muscle mass and fills them up without eating too much food. And the added vitamins and minerals help to keep your cat healthy and happy.
And this recipe doesnt contain any grains or corn so it may be a better choice for some cats who have allergies and sensitivities.
Pros.
- Contains a higher amount of fiber and a lower amount of fat compared to their other recipes.
- High-quality protein fills your cat up
- Its grain and corn free so its good for cats with sensitivities and allergies
Cons.
- Some cat parents say it doesnt help with weight loss as much as other similar formulas
IAMS Proactive Health Kitten Dry Food is formulated especially for kittens up to age one.
Since kittens often havent gotten used to food yet, their stomachs can be quite sensitive so you want to invest in their digestive health.
This food contains a great blend of protein and fiber to aid in digestion. The main digestive ingredient is beet pulp, which is moderately fermentable so it will regulate their digestive system nicely.
And kittens just love the yummy chicken flavor.
All this, and its a very inexpensive choice as well!
Pros.
High Fiber For Weight Loss
If you think your cat needs to lose weight, consult a veterinarian on the proper way to get your cat to a healthy weight. While fiber helps dogs and people lose weight by making them feel full, it does not seem to work very well on cats.
Cats tend to store carbs from fiber and may just gain even more weight. Generally, the best way to help a cat lose weight is to increase their protein intake and decrease their carbohydrate intake. Some low calorie cat foods have very low nutritional value at all. It bears repeating consult your veterinarian.
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Different Types Of Fiber In Cat Food
There are a few different types of fiber that are worth knowing about before selecting the right type of food for your four-legged friend.
First up, we have soluble fiber, which has the effect of drawing water from the intestines, moving it into the digested food. This type of dietary fiber has the overall effect of softening stools, making them easier to pass. For this reason, soluble fiber is the type to look for if your cat suffers from constipation. Common sources include grains like oats and barley, as well as peas, beans, carrots and apples.
- Insoluble Fiber
Next, we have insoluble fiber, which works to make digested food bulkier as it moves through the digestive system. This can help to slow down digestion and alleviate any issues of diarrhea. So, this type of fiber is great for both preventing diarrhea and controlling blood sugar as a nice bonus, it’s good for increasing the feeling of satiety. Insoluble fiber can be found in foods like brown rice, potatoes, green beans and wheat bran.
- Moderately Fermentable Fiber
Lastly, there is a type of fiber that has both soluble and insoluble properties, making it a good addition to any feline’s diet. Sources of moderately fermentable fiber include beet pulp and bran.
Warnings Before Feeding A High Fiber Food To Your Cat
It is worth bearing in mind that a high fiber diet can also have some drawbacks. Before switching your cat onto a diet such as this one, you should consult with your vet to make sure that it is the most appropriate choice. Your vet may find that there are some other dietary sensitivities that are causing your cats digestive issues.
In some situations, the additional fiber can end up being stored as fat, perpetuating weight problems. Some of this type of commercial food can also have a high carb content, which can result in less protein being absorbed. And, as you probably know, protein is essential to the healthy functioning of your kitty.
So, when you are shopping for a high fiber food for your cat, you should choose one that also has a high protein content as cats are natural carnivores. You should also look for both soluble and insoluble fiber sources. Carbohydrate quantities should be lower as these are not as necessary for the healthy functioning of cats. You should also look for other nutrients that are beneficial such as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.
In any case, whenever switching your cat from one type of diet to another, it’s important to do it slowly by mixing their old kibble with the new one, gradually increasing the amount of new food as days go by. This way, digestive problems are much less likely to occur.
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