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> "This may be why cats are getting diabetes," Brand offers. "Cat food today has around 20 percent carbohydrates. The cats are not used to that, they can't hand
by BearOso 7y ago
> "This may be why cats are getting diabetes," Brand offers. "Cat food today has around 20 percent carbohydrates. The cats are not used to that, they can't handle it."
It's worse than that, usually 35-50% carbohydrates. The good (expensive) dry stuff is usually 10-20%. Wet food is often lower, depending on the type, as low as 7% as-fed with pates.
The weight-control labelled food is terrible both for weight and diabetes risk. It trades protein for carbohydrates under the assumption that cats don't absorb the carbohydrates as easily because the cat's liver has to process them. But this means the liver processes them to body fat, and the lack of protein leaves the cat less satiated, so it eats more food.
- phonebanshee 7y agoOur vet did point out that cats eat carbohydrates; they tend to love the innards of their prey, and those often contain the undigested things mice etc eat. No idea what percentage of their diet that makes up though. (It wasn't a conversation about carb percentages in cat food)
- BearOso 7y agoThat’s also an interesting point. People have an aversion to those innards, or “by-products,” being included in food, but our disgust isn’t rational, and cats don’t share it. Just because a cat food includes meat by-products doesn’t make it any worse than just muscle meat, and it can be cheaper because of that. Cats like the flavor and it’s good for them.
- trhway 7y ago> innards, or “by-products,” the tasty innards you're talking about and the “by-products” that are in the industrial cat food are 2 very different things. The “by-products” is hide, horns, hooves, etc. with very heavy dose of strong preservatives, desinfectants and other chemicals.