| My girlfriend Lynn and I share a chubby 9 year old | | | | brand totally with your pet's health. Even within the |
| female cat named Raja. We became worried about | | | | above mentioned brands, there were flavors of |
| her weight after her last vet visit. In one year she | | | | canned cat food that were too high in carbohydrates |
| gained over 2 pounds! Wow! That's like a 120 lb. | | | | or that had low quality ingredients. |
| person gaining 24 pounds! | | | | How To Read A Cat Food Label |
| When Science Fails... | | | | The key to reading labels is to make sure the food |
| We promised the vet we would put her on a diet, | | | | has decent ingredients and low carbs. |
| which consisted of senior and weight-loss formulas | | | | Here are some ingredient criteria that you should look |
| from a "scientific" brand of cat food. We continued to | | | | for: |
| feed her dry cat food because she liked it fine and it | | | | - 1st 2 ingredients must be some form of meat, and |
| was convenient for us. One small bowl a day and she | | | | NOT meat or fish by-products. (by-products are poor |
| and we were satisfied. We also started measuring her | | | | sources of protein and should not be the main |
| food to prevent overeating, according to the vet's | | | | ingredients in any quality cat food.) |
| instructions. | | | | - No corn or corn meal in the list of ingredients. Corn |
| After a couple of months, we and guests to the house | | | | has a high-glycemic index which means it is too readily |
| noticed that she seemed even fatter and more | | | | converted to sugar in the body... VERY high in |
| lethargic. We became very concerned, but still trusted | | | | unnecessary and dangerous carbohydrates. |
| in our "science" dry food. | | | | - No rice, or other grains in the first 5 ingredients. |
| Then, I just happened to come across a book at the | | | | (Same problem... too easily converted to sugar & |
| local library while browsing the new book section. It | | | | too high in carbohydrates.) |
| was called: "Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a | | | | - No bone meal or bone phosphorous in list of |
| Longer, Stronger Life." I decided to look up "obesity" in | | | | ingredients. (Bone meal and bone phosphorous may |
| the index and found some very shocking information. | | | | contain harmful and poisonous chemicals.) |
| According to the author, Elizabeth M. Hodgkins, D.V.M., | | | | - Actual carbohydrates 10% or less. |
| the dry food we were feeding Raja was not only the | | | | - Limit feeding of canned food with fish ingredients to |
| cause of her weight gain and laziness, but it had the | | | | no more than 3 days per week. (Fish has mercury |
| potential to cause more severe problems, like feline | | | | which is poisonous to your cat.) NOTE: Be vigilant |
| diabetes! I was surprised to learn that cats are not like | | | | when reading cat food labels. I was surprised to find |
| us or even like dogs... they are "obligate carnivores", | | | | that some non-fish flavors of canned food contained |
| which means they get their entire nutrition from meat. | | | | fish somewhere in the ingredient list. This is ok, but just |
| Unlike us and dogs, who are omnivores, cats can't | | | | be sure to limit feeding of fish-containing foods to 3 |
| process grains and other carbohydrates very well. | | | | times per week to be safe. |
| Their bodies just aren't built that way. | | | | How To Determine The Carbohydrates In Canned Cat |
| Guess what the main ingredients of those "scientific" | | | | Food |
| diet foods we were feeding Raja? Corn, wheat and | | | | By law, each can of cat food must list the |
| other grains! She need to go on a "Catkins" diet and | | | | "Guaranteed Analysis" percents for protein, fat, fiber, |
| fast! | | | | moisture and ash. There is no requirement to list |
| The Ideal Cat Diet | | | | carbohydrates, so those must be computed from the |
| The ideal diet for any cat is protein, fat, moisture and | | | | other guaranteed analysis percentages. |
| low carbohydrates... just like the makeup of their | | | | Yikes, math! No sweat, the math is simple enough. Just |
| natural prey: small animals and birds. If left outside, cat's | | | | add up the percentages for protein, fat, fiber, moisture |
| eat what they catch and they don't chase after corn | | | | and ash. If the total is 98% or higher, then |
| on the cob! They prey on mice, chipmunks, birds, etc. | | | | carbohydrates will be 10% or less, which is what we |
| The only cure for feline obesity according to Dr. | | | | are looking for. (This assumes the usual moisture |
| Hodgkins, is low carbohydrate, high protein wet cat | | | | content of 75-80%). The carbs will vary somewhat if |
| food. She insists that all cat owners drop dry cat food | | | | the moisture % is not in the 75-80% range so you'll |
| altogether. So, armed with this new information, I went | | | | have to re-compute. |
| on a quest to find readily available canned cat food | | | | For More Information... |
| that consisted of decent meat ingredients and that had | | | | Please see my blog: for complete formula details and |
| carbohydrates at the recommended amount: 10% or | | | | a list of healthy cat food brands and flavors that I |
| less. | | | | found. |
| My Search For Healthy, Low Carbohydrate Cat Food | | | | We were relieved that we had found a way to |
| It took a while, but I found quite a few flavors of Fancy | | | | prevent feline obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related |
| Feast, Petsmart's Sophisticat Supreme, Walmart's | | | | maladies that our cat might have contracted if we had |
| Special Kitty, Trader Joe's Tuna Cat Food, and Innova | | | | remained with her inappropriate dry food regimen. So if |
| Evo's Cat and Kitten that met the low-carb, high | | | | your feline friend is getting lazy and fat in his/her old |
| protein, healthy ingredients criteria. | | | | age, try switching to healthier wet food and put your |
| I discovered that it's important to read the labels of the | | | | pet on a "Catkins" diet for the rest of his/her happy life! |
| canned foods you feed your pet and not trust any | | | | |