HI! I'm new to the board. I was reading a lot about different cat foods and is it better to have a grain free food? My two cats are eating blue buffalo grain free food now, but, I'm thinking of switching. What do you think?
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Grain Free or Not to Grain free
- Thread starter allie267
- Start Date
Hi and welcome! I also found this site looking for better food for my cat.
Cats are obligate carnivores that have no dietary need for carbohydrates and indeed cannot process carbohydrates efficiently. So, grain free is good, but even better would be low carb (no grains or starches or vegetable/fruits). Here's a great article on this. http://catcentric.org/nutrition-and-food/cats-carbs-and-calories-an-obligate-carnivores-perspective/
Also, here's some great info on why wet food is better than dry. http://www.catinfo.org/ There's a great chart on this site that compares the protein/fat/carb content of most commercial cat foods.
Cats are obligate carnivores that have no dietary need for carbohydrates and indeed cannot process carbohydrates efficiently. So, grain free is good, but even better would be low carb (no grains or starches or vegetable/fruits). Here's a great article on this. http://catcentric.org/nutrition-and-food/cats-carbs-and-calories-an-obligate-carnivores-perspective/
Also, here's some great info on why wet food is better than dry. http://www.catinfo.org/ There's a great chart on this site that compares the protein/fat/carb content of most commercial cat foods.
Welcome aboard this Board/forum!
The reason feeding a grain-free food is a good idea is because grain is a carbohydrate, and cats don't need/can't process carbs. They don't have the stomach for carbs, so to speak. Carbs can also cause weight gain.
Still, even if the label says "grain free" you need to be aware of what else is in the food. Potatoes, peas, carrots, and sweet potatoes are not grains (wheat, bran, oatmeal) but contain a large amount of carbohydrates.
Finally, be aware of additives; for example, some cats are sensitive to Carrageenan, a thickener added to wet food.
Buffalo Blue is a pretty good food, Taste of the Wild dry food is also decent. Do you feed dry or wet? Wet is better than dry for several reasons; wet generally has better quality ingredients than dry and because cats don't tend to drink water, they need to get some from the foods they eat.
The reason feeding a grain-free food is a good idea is because grain is a carbohydrate, and cats don't need/can't process carbs. They don't have the stomach for carbs, so to speak. Carbs can also cause weight gain.
Still, even if the label says "grain free" you need to be aware of what else is in the food. Potatoes, peas, carrots, and sweet potatoes are not grains (wheat, bran, oatmeal) but contain a large amount of carbohydrates.
Finally, be aware of additives; for example, some cats are sensitive to Carrageenan, a thickener added to wet food.
Buffalo Blue is a pretty good food, Taste of the Wild dry food is also decent. Do you feed dry or wet? Wet is better than dry for several reasons; wet generally has better quality ingredients than dry and because cats don't tend to drink water, they need to get some from the foods they eat.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
