The cat food industry has seen rapid changes in the past few years. A few years back, the only option was feeding wet or dry cat food, but now cats are given so many choices that even humans envy them sometimes. You’ll see vegan, vegetarian, holistic, raw, human-grade, organic, limited ingredient, grain-free, and grain-inclusive in any pet store.
These food types have some pros and cons, but they exist to serve one single purpose: to provide complete and balanced nutrition to your feline buddy.
Out of these options, the grain-free vs. grain-inclusive cat food debate has peaked in recent times. Let’s check out what the difference is between these two cat foods.
Grain-Inclusive Cat Food
A food that contains grains like wheat, corn, oats, rice, millet, and barley is known as a grain-inclusive cat food. These grains are a rich source of complex carbohydrates. These carbohydrates, as the name indicates, are more complex than simple carbohydrates and require more time for digestion.
Carbohydrates are a rich source of energy and play a critical role in maintaining your cat’s health. Apart from carbohydrates, grains also include high proportions of fiber, minerals, vitamins, and protein. All of these are essential components of a cat’s diet.
Many cat parents and vets argue that since cats are obligate carnivores, they don’t need a high percentage of carbohydrates in their diet. On the contrary, almost all cat foods contain carbohydrates, and these foods are approved by the FDA and AAFCO. These certifications are enough to say that carbohydrates are not bad for a cat’s health unless suggested otherwise by your vet.
Grain-Free Cat Food
Before we explain what grain-free cat food is, let’s bust one myth. Grain-free cat foods are not carb-free or gluten-free. Moreover, grain-free doesn’t always mean reduced carbohydrates. Most grain-free cat foods have higher protein content than grain-inclusive options, but they also have carbohydrates because carbohydrates are a necessary nutrient for cats.
If a food doesn’t contain grains, it will have carbohydrates from non-grain sources such as potatoes, tapioca, peas, chickpeas, or lentils.
Which is Better for my Cat: Grain-Free or Grain-Inclusive?
It depends on what your cat likes, its food allergies, dietary needs, or health conditions. Some cats will stick to grain-inclusive food and not eat grain-free. Some may have allergies to particular grains, you have to put them on an elimination diet and assess which grain is troubling them. So, there is no right answer here.
Is Grain-Free Food Essential for Cats?
No. Grain-free food is not essential for cats, not all the time. People who support the grain-free food for cats side of the debate often say that cats in the wild don’t eat grains. This is based on the assumption that cats and lions in the wild eat a perfectly balanced diet; it is not always right.
Research has shown that domestic cats and dogs have adapted to digest starches and grains. They are perfectly all right with it and instead benefit from it.
Grain-free cat food is only essential in special circumstances when cats have allergies, IBD, or inflammatory conditions. For cats that seem to have good health, grain-free food is just a cat parent’s fancy desire.
