Is Grain Free Good For Cats

Whats The Problem With Grain

There have been cases of adverse effects in pets that are given grain-free diets. They can develop a heart condition called cardiomyopathy that has been, at times, fatal. Though the occurrence is most often in dogs and more research needs to be done on the exact causes , it is more likely that high concentrations of pulses, peas, and other legumes in grain-free foods are to blame.

Lets Take A Look At Some Of The Worst Ingredients On A Cat Food Label

Well start out by identifying specific ingredients that tell you a lot about the quality of the food.

As a general rule of thumb, remember that the first three ingredients on the cat food label should be meat. If corn, peas, or rice are in the first, second, or third spot on the cat food label, pass up that product.

Remember that ingredients are ordered by weight.

Ingredient splitting is a common tactic used to create the illusion of a higher meat concentration. If a food contains multiple variations of corn, for example, its possible that, if all the corn ingredients were lumped together, they would be the first ingredient on the list.

• What is the healthiest thing to feed a cat?

Should Cats Have Grain Free Food? Iron, thiamine, calcium, riboflavin, folate, and niacin are all in grain. Grain free diets may result in a deficiency of these essential nutrients. Plus, these carbohydrate sources cost more. Depending on your cats health status and specific nutritional needs, a diet with grain may be better than one without.

Is Grain Free bad for cats? Are Grain-Free Diets Dangerous for Cats? For cats and their owners, grain-free diets do not pose a health risk. Although there is a suggested link between grain-free dog food and canine heart disease, no such link appears to exist in cats.

How To Switch Your Cat’s Diet To Grain

Cat owners should know that it is important to switch your cat’s food gradually to avoid digestive upset. If you’re keen to get started making the transition slowly by incorporating the new food into your cat’s old food. Start with 90% old food and 10% new food and slowly alter the proportions week by week. During this period, keep an eye on your cat’s toilet breaks as much as possible to make sure they are not suffering with anything out of the ordinary, such as constipation or diarrhoea.

As always, it is a good idea to consult your vet before making the transition to ensure it is the best decision for your cat.

If you decide a grain-free diet is the right choice for your pet then explore Canagan’s high quality cat grain-free food to find a recipe that they will love.

*The content is not intended to be a substitute for professionalmedical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek theadviceof your veterinarian or other qualified pet health provider with any questions you may have regarding your pet’s health*

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Whole Earth Farms Grain

• Looking for affordable grain-free dry cat food for all life stages, including both outdoor and indoor cats, then this food is for you because it contains all-natural ingredients.
• Moreover, This food is US-crafted, having real chicken as the number one ingredient with all added minerals and vitamins essential for your cat.
• Also, Whole earth farms kibbles contain fresh vegetables and fruits without any artificial preservatives, flavors, and colors.

What Kind Of Food Should A Cat Be Eating

In general, when shopping for cat food, Dr. Kornreich advises that you look for several things, like ensuring youâre buying food for the right life stage and a statement on the productâs label that says it meets the American Association of Feed Control Officials guidelines for a nutritionally complete and balanced diet.

The most important thing is to check in with your veterinarian if youâre switching foods or have other concerns related to your catâs diet. Changing a catâs diet could have adverse effects on the gastrointestinal system, so the recommendation is to slowly introduce a new food over several weeks.

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Is Grain Free Food Better For Cats

Cats are obligate or true carnivores. This makes them a bit different to other meat-eating animals as obligate means by necessity. Meat is biologically essential for cats to survive basically they must eat meat. This is because cats have a higher protein requirement than many other mammals.

Cats get certain key nutrients, vitamins and minerals from meat that they cant get from anything else. Without a steady supply of these key nutrients they can suffer from liver and heart problems, as well as skin irritation and hearing loss.

Their bodies are designed to convert meat protein rather than cereal, so for cats to thrive it is crucial that they have a high meat content diet. Feeding them supermarket cat foods containing very little meat and lots of grains and other bulking ingredients is simply bad for them.

Like dogs, cats also need the good fats that meat contains to maintain their energy levels and keep their coats healthy and shiny. The fats contain essential fatty acids that help to maintain a cats important organs and bodily functions this includes their kidneys and reproductive organs.

Our grain free cat food is biologically appropriate, wholesome, delicious and packed with nutritional benefits. It is highly digestible for cats because of the freshly prepared meats that it contains. In fact, it actually works in harmony with cats natural digestive, energy and dietary needs. Switch today and watch your cat thrive.

What If The Food Youre Currently Giving Your Cat Is Grain

Maybe? But maybe not? Itâs unclear for now. âThere are certainly grain-free diets that have the AAFCO label on them, and many, if not most of them, may turn out to be fine,â Dr. Kornreich says, âbut until more research is completed, this recommendation is made out of an abundance of caution.â As always, consult with your veterinarian if you have specific questions pertaining to your catâs nutritional health.

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Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain Free Indoor Cat Food

• Equipped with Blues exclusive life source bits
• Formulated especially for indoor cats
• No artificial flavors or preservatives
• Made up of all-natural ingredients
• Completely free from grains
• Contains real chicken

If you are looking for a product that provides your adult indoor cats with a healthy and nutrient-rich diet, this Blue Buffalo grain-free food will serve your purpose well. A little wilder side of pets loves to thrive on chicken food, which is what this one is made of. It contains real chicken full of protein that helps our pet to build stronger muscles. It is formulated with Blues exclusive Lifesource Bits that contains a perfect blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. This is the feature that made it our perfect choice to rely upon. No doubt we became delighted with its quality as it contains ingredients picked up by senior vets and animal nutritionists.

Grain Free Cat Food 101

The hype for grain-free diet plans for humans continues.

Initially adopted by those who have been diagnosed with celiac disease a disease characterized by difficulty in digesting food due to hypersensitivity to gluten- this diet plan, later on, became widespread and is now used as a means to improve ones health.

As for our pet food manufacturers, they cannot help but join the bandwagon.

If you are looking for grain-free cat foods, you are most probably someone who has tried this type of diet yourself. You might also be someone who firmly believes that your cat needs a high protein, low carb diet given that they are biological meat-eaters.

Or maybe, you are just one of the pet owners who just thinks this is a good choice for your hypersensitive cat. Regardless of your reasons, one thing is for sure.

We know for a fact that you, as a loving pet parent, value your cats health above all. However, as a pet parent who has great concern over his or felines well being, it is best that you understand what grain free cat food is all about.

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Tuna And Catnip Treats

Every good kitty deserves a treat or two especially if it contains catnips! Cats absolutely love catnips, a herb from the mint family Labiatae. It contains an active ingredient known as nepetalactone, which may cause a high in your cat to help your furry friend relax! However, be sure to moderate your cats intake of this homemade cat recipe as too much catnip may cause nauseousness.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Recipe Instructions:

Whats The Cause For Concern

Over the past couple of years, veterinary cardiologists noticed an increase in the number of dogs they saw who had dilated cardiomyopathy , a heart condition that decreases the hearts ability to pump blood. There are some dog breeds that are more likely to develop DCM, but the cardiologists were diagnosing the condition in breeds without a known genetic predisposition, so the Federal Drug Administration began an investigation.

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Grain Free Cat Food: What You Need To Know

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Visit any grocery store aisle and you are certain to find more and more shoppers scanning labels to make sure their food is “free” of one thing or another: gluten free, fat free, sugar free the list grows longer each day. Now, these preferences have extended beyond the dinner table and into the food bowl, as some pet parents strive to make similar food choices for their beloved four-legged family members.

Its no wonder that the pet food market has reacted in kind, with an array of grain-free cat food options appearing within the recent years. But is grain-free food for cats the right option for your favorite kitty? Contrary to what can be found on the internet , grains can actually be good for your cat. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about grain-free cat food and whether you should consider for your own pet.

What Kind Of Grain

As carnivores, cats need nutrients found only in animal products to sustain their daily activities. Their best diet contains plenty of protein, some fat and minimal carbohydrates as they eat mostly meat. By understanding what your feline friend needs in terms of nutrition, youll be able to make an informed decision when choosing a product that meets the needs of both you and your cat.

Grain-free cat food is divided into two main types dry food and wet food. Depending on preference, cats can be fed with exclusively dry food or wet food, or they can be fed a combination of both dry and wet food. As long as the amount of food meets your kittys and both cat and owner are happy, any proportion of cat food will do.

Besides the usual dry and wet food, grain-free cat food is also available in high protein and limited ingredient varieties, like Blue Buffalos high protein and grain-free Wilderness range and Natural Balances Limited Ingredient Diets grain-free range. High protein and limited ingredient grain-free cat food is great for cats with special dietary needs as there is more protein and less added ingredients for your kitty to digest.

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Why Does Cat & Dog Food Have Grains

The latest trend in pet foods is the introduction of grain-free dry kibble diets. The grain-free trend originated with raw diets as many proponents of raw food studied evolutionary dietary habits of our companions wild ancestors and decided that grains were unnecessary. While wolves and wild dogs may graze a bit on greens periodically, most of their nutrition comes from meat including organ meat and the stomach and intestines of their prey which contain small amounts of partially digested grasses and other vegetation. No processed grains. In the wild, cats eat only meat and the very tiny amount of grain or vegetable matter a mouse or bird stomach might contain. So why is grain in most pet foods? Basically, because it is a less expensive source of nutrients and energy than meat, and because something has to hold a dry food together.

While grains are not necessarily bad for companion animals, they can cause problems for some. Allergies are becoming more widespread among dogs and cats, and grains seem to play a fairly significant role in aggravating allergies. Animals with some chronic or acute diseases such as diabetes and cancer often do better on a grain-free or low-carbohydrate diet. Grains and carbohydrates can also contribute to weight problems in our companion animals.

Comparisons To Normal Food

We looked at a recently published study that compared the carbohydrate content of several grain-free foods versus normal foods. These were some of the conclusions:

• The average calories across both categories were similar
• The average amount of carbohydrates was significantly lower in grain-free food
• The most common plant-sourced ingredients in grain-free foods were peas, cranberries, potato and carrot.
• Grain-free food products were more likely to contain exotic meats such as rabbit and bison meat.

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Some Benefits Cats Can Get From Grains

While cats don’t need a lot of grains in their diet, they can benefit from having some. Grains provide several good essential nutrients, including:

• Fiber
• Vitamins
• Minerals

Some whole grains can also be a good source of protein. The protein in whole grains is more easily digested than that found in meats and can provide balance to an all-meat diet. If your cat needs to gain weight or is lacking in any of these nutrients, some healthy grains in the diet could help.

Dilated cardiomyopathy , a serious condition that weakens the heart muscles, also comes up in discussions about grain free diets for dogs and cats. In 2018, the FDA investigated whether eating grain free food with legumes in it was linked to DCM, but the study didnt find a concrete connection.

What To Look For In Grain

If youre looking for good quality, nutritious grain-free food, you should examine their content labels very carefully to check for these:

• Fiber: Is there enough fiber to make up for the missing grains? There should be between 3-5% fiber in your cats food on a dry matter basis.
• Carbohydrates: If you are switching to grain-free because you want lower carbs in your cats food, then make sure that the food you choose is in fact low-carb. Opt for options that have no more than 30% carbohydrate on a dry matter basis.
• Protein: Grain-free or not, always check the protein amount and source. Dont go for less than 35% protein on a dry matter basis. Also, besides animal-sourced protein, are there any plant-based sources of digestible protein?
• Replacements: Which foods have been used to replace grains and are these good for your cat? Do these replacements make up for the fiber, protein, and minerals that would otherwise have come from grains?

Fortunately, Ive considered all these points mentioned above and gathered some top-quality grain-free cat food options for you to choose from.

Ive done the math* and compared the contents of a variety of top-rated grain-free dry foods on a dry matter basis. Ive compared their amounts of protein, fat, fiber, and carbs and taken into account the other ingredients that are listed on their labels.

So, here are the top 5 grain-free dry cat foods that are actually high-protein, low-carb, and have a nutritious, well-balanced content.

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Try Single Ingredient Foods

If you notice that your cat has several health problems and you want to make certain you are avoiding any filler ingredients, experts recommend you choose single-ingredient foods.

When food is advertised as being a single ingredient, AAFCO states that it must contain 95% of that ingredient, and the remaining five percent will be comprised of water, vitamins, and supplements.

For example, if a manufacturer is selling salmon as a single-ingredient food, then 95% of the food must consist of salmon, and the rest will consist of water, vitamins, and other supplements.

Wellness Complete Health Grain Free Canned Beef & Chicken Recipe

• Provides hydration to cat
• Chicken and beef pate

Wellness complete health natural grain free cat food is a perfect treat to feed your cat well. This wet canned food consisting of chicken and beef pate is a healthy source of protein diet. It also contains all the essential fatty acids that are important to deliver a balanced diet for your pet. Scanning the Wellness cat food quite closely, we inferred that it is made up of all the superior quality ingredients. The recipe contains lean meats, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables. We did not find any grains, added preservatives, or flavors, thus making it completely safe to use. This best grain free canned cat food is an ideal product for pets overall wellbeing.

Providing healthy hydration, this best grain free cat food wet is quite suitable to increase our kittens body moisture, which is good for their urinary tract. This complete nutrition package helps achieve healthy, shiny skin and coat, improves digestion, and builds greater immunity. Also, it aids in providing stronger teeth and healthy eyes to your feline partner. Since all its recipes are well-crafted, choosing high-quality, nutritious ingredients helps to nourish your pet well. Being created by experienced vets and animal nutritionists, grain free urinary tract cat food works well for both kittens and adults.

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