Mary Allen
Grain-free cat food is trending as it is often thought to be healthier for cats than traditional grain-based foods. Read here whether cereals make sense in cat food and what you have to consider when feeding.
Cats are naturally carnivores. This is already evident from the structure of their jaws because flat molars are missing there. However, many types of cat food still contain grain. In the last few years, feed manufacturers have increasingly removed grain from their list of ingredients.
Cats As Pure Carnivores
The wild ancestors of domestic cats were strict carnivores who met their nutritional needs by eating small prey. These provide all the nutrients through:
- a high protein content
- a moderate fat content
- a minimal content of carbohydrates
Against this evolutionary-biological background, the assumption was strengthened that domestic cats can also cover their nutritional needs exclusively through animal raw materials and that everything else must be regarded as “not species-appropriate”. However, this is not necessarily the case.
Why is Grain in Cat Food?
Cats don’t need grain in their food to survive. However, it can be a valuable supplier of energy that provides the cat with proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Even if the cat is a carnivore, this does not automatically mean that it only has to eat meat and that everything else is harmful to it. Wild cats also indirectly eat other foods. For example, they nibble on blades of grass or other plants, and tiny amounts of grain or other seeds end up in their stomach via the stomach contents of their prey.
Feeding cats only muscle meat would put a strain on their kidneys in the long run. Cat food must therefore always contain a certain amount of plant-based ingredients or roughage. Grains are often used in cat food, also for cost reasons. Dietary fiber is also found in vegetables, fruit, and potatoes.
Are Grains in Cat Food Harmful?
However, grain in food can actually cause problems for cats because:
- Cats have difficulty digesting carbohydrates in the form of starch.
- Cereals can quickly become fattening due to their high energy density and many carbohydrates.
- Cereal additives can affect blood sugar levels.
- Urinary crystals can form.
However, these potential problems do not mean that cat foods with a certain grain content are inferior in quality or harmful to cats per se. After all, cats can digest cereals properly and use their proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins. This is made possible by processing and cooking processes.
It’s also important to pay attention to the amount of grain in your cat’s food. It depends on what role the grain plays in the composition of the feed:
- If the feed is of high quality and the nutrient profile is supplemented in a useful way, grain is not a problem.
- However, if reading the label shows that a high proportion of grain is only intended to distract from an inferior proportion of meat, you should switch to different food.
Cat food should contain at least 70-80% meat. This does not mean “animal by-products”, but above all high-quality muscle meat and offal such as heart or lungs.
Cat Food: Gluten-Free or Grain-Free?
The words “gluten-free” and “grain-free” are often used interchangeably. In fact, while grain-free food is always gluten-free, gluten-free food is not automatically grain-free.
Gluten is a combination of different proteins found in many grains, but not all. For example, rice, corn, and millet are gluten-free.
Gluten Intolerance and Allergies in Cats
Since many people are gluten intolerant, cat owners often worry that their cats might also be gluten intolerant. Gluten intolerance and food allergies, for example to wheat, are rare in cats. If the vet discovers an intolerance or allergy, however, this should of course be reacted to when feeding.
Advice on Grain-Free Cat Food
Even if the feed contains no grain and is therefore gluten-free, other carbohydrates can still be contained in the feed. Most often, grains are replaced with other carbohydrate sources such as potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, or tapioca flour.
Caution: In special cases, it may be necessary to avoid grain in the feed. If the cat suffers from cancer, for example, a grain-free diet is recommended, since cancer cells obtain their energy from the breakdown of carbohydrates, among other things. However, be sure to consult your veterinarian!
Conclusion: Cat Food With or Without Grain?
As long as the cat is healthy and has no intolerance or allergies to certain grains or gluten, a diet with grains is usually not harmful, as long as the proportion is very small. The main part of cat food must always consist of high-quality animal sources.
A grain-free diet for cats is also possible without any problems. However, the designation “grain-free” alone is not a criterion for balanced and high-quality cat food.
In any case, it is advisable to read the food labels carefully and ensure that the food is balanced so that the cat absorbs all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are important to it. Sugar, flavor enhancers, and aromas should be avoided as a matter of urgency. If you are unsure, you can always ask your veterinarian for advice.