Unlike humans, felines have not evolved the sophisticated pancreas needed in order to handle the insulin demands of a carbohydrate-rich diet, and as a result, are strict obligate carnivores that should not be fed any type of carbohydrate. Having this intolerance to carbohydrates causes cats to be particularly prone to pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel disease, two diseases that prime the feline intestinal tract for lymphoma. The primary issue is that cats that eat kibbled food and carbohydrate-rich treats have frequent bouts of pancreatitis because their pancreas is working harder and more frequently than it has evolved to. Over time, the pancreas becomes overtaxed and inflamed, which is incredibly painful and can result in vomiting.
I have found that in over 30 years of experience in veterinary medicine, as well as owning my own practice, the disease that I see most often in my feline patients is pancreatitis. What most people believe to be episodes of their cats “coughing up hairballs” is actually bouts of pain from pancreatitis-induced nausea. Because cats are groomers and swallow their fur, whatever is in their stomach when they feel nauseous will end up coming out. Most pet owners will see these episodes and request products like Laxatone or Petromalt from their veterinarian in order to aid their cat in passing the hairballs, when in reality, the hairball is not the problem. Cats in the wild do not vomit hairballs because felines have developed a digestive mechanism that allows them to pass large amounts of fur and hair in their stool. Hairball “remedies” such as the two listed previously contain petroleum, which quickly passes anything in their stomach out through their intestines. These cats are still refluxing, however, because they have nothing in their stomachs, no hairball appears amongst their vomit. Often, these cats simply swallow the bile or the small amounts of liquid that come up in their refluxing, but particularly bad nausea can result in bile and fluid making an appearance in various places in your home. The chronic inflammation and leakage of stomach acid can lead to incredible pain, inflammatory bowel disease, and even cancer.
So, what is the best diet for your cat? As stated before, any diet that does not contain any added carbohydrates. If you are looking for canned food, Fancy Feast Classics Pate and Hound and Gatos are some of the best lines to try. Unfortunately, there are very few canned foods on the market that do not contain carbohydrates. Stay away from anything that is marketed as being in a “sauce” or “gravy”, as they will always have a high carbohydrate count.
Ironically, although cats are carbohydrate intolerant, they also become easily addicted to them and begin to crave carbohydrate-heavy foods. Cat food manufacturers have conducted decades of research and have found this to be true. As a result, they have found a perfect ratio of sweetness and saltiness in their food that keeps cats addicted. Carbohydrates impart a sweetness to food that triggers the addiction center in their brain and makes cats reliant. Most of the obese cats that I treat eat exclusively dry food or have dry food incorporated in their meals every day. In addition to dry food, cat treats like Temptations and Greenies are loaded with sugary carbs, which harm the pancreas and get stored as fat. The only treats that are suitable for cats are dehydrated organs and meat.
It is important to remember that fats and lipids do not make one fat; carbohydrates do, and when eating carbohydrate-rich foods, such as kibble, the brain takes longer to recognize satiety (fullness) than when eating a meal that is high in fat and protein. Carbs also cause one to feel hungry more frequently, which is why dry food eaters graze every one to two hours.
Kibbled foods and treats are the exact opposite of what cats should be eating. Instead of the fresh animals that cats have evolved to eat, we are feeding them highly processed, chemical-rich carbs. During a consultation with A House Call Vet, we will give you a list of appropriate foods for cats, including treats. A House Call Vet does not have any partnerships or financial stake in the brands we recommend, and we are not paid to promote these brands in any way. The prescription foods that we recommend are done so with the experience that these prescription foods are palatable enough for animals to help them to start eating again.