Fruit And Veg For Kittens

[Yvonne_]

I'm looking into purchasing Wellness kitten food and I've noticed that the main ingredients after chicken are veggies like carrots and sweet potato followed by fruits like cranberries. There is also added salt. The claim is "Whole fruits and vegetables like blueberries, cranberries and sweet potatoes provide vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to strengthen cells and protect against free radicals that cause disease." I'm wondering if this is true at all? To my knowledge cats are carnivores and do not need anything else in their diet.

 

[Neo_23]

I would tend to agree with you. I personally think those ingredients are added in to appeal to humans and are not necessary for cats at all. I also think they often serve as unnecessary fillers or cheap protein sources.

I've noticed that whenever I feed my kitten a food that is high in fruits and veggies (e.g., Wellness, Nature's Variety, Primal), he gets soft stools/diarrhea. I don't think his system is made to handle these foods.

 

[abyeb]

You're right; cats don't *need* fruits and veggies, because they're obligate carnivores. Starchy vegetables especially, like potatoes and carrots are more like empty calories for cats because of the higher carb content, so it's better if these are lower down on the ingredients list. That being said, for cats who struggle with constipation, vegetables (pumpkin especially) can help promote regularity.

 

[MissMolly08]

I have actually read that it's true, though I can't remember the source, I'd have to look it up again. Cats in the wild do not eat fruits/veggies but that is because they are getting all of their nutrition from fresh prey. Processed cat foods are not the same as whole prey, a lot of the vitamins/minerals are cooked out and then have to be added back in either with fruits/veggies or with synthetic vitamins.

 

[MissMolly08]

I have actually read that it's true, though I can't remember the source, I'd have to look it up again. Cats in the wild do not eat fruits/veggies but that is because they are getting all of their nutrition from fresh prey. Processed cat foods are not the same as whole prey, a lot of the vitamins/minerals are cooked out and then have to be added back in either with fruits/veggies or with synthetic vitamins.

Here is one article that talks a bit about it... Fruits and Vegetables in Pet Food | Petnet

 

[Gizmobius]

That being said, for cats who struggle with constipation, vegetables (pumpkin especially) can help promote regularity.

Diarrhea too! I can vouch that the added fiber in my cat's freeze-dried food and a supplement he gets has firmed up his stool considerably.

 

[Yanaka]

Diarrhea too! I can vouch that the added fiber in my cat's freeze-dried food and a supplement he gets has firmed up his stool considerably.

Hi! My human (and vegetarian) brain is actually having difficulties processing how cats can get enough fiber through meat meals. I'm looking into changing my cats' diet and I'm super interested in these freeze-dried options, but I'm worried about their fiber intake. Any more info to enlighten me? Thanks!

 

[Neo_23]

Hi! My human (and vegetarian) brain is actually having difficulties processing how cats can get enough fiber through meat meals. I'm looking into changing my cats' diet and I'm super interested in these freeze-dried options, but I'm worried about their fiber intake. Any more info to enlighten me? Thanks!

Cats are obligate carnivores and do not need fiber in the same way that humans do. They do still need some fiber and can benefit from it, but they do not need high amounts of plant-based fiber that are commonly found in commercial cat foods.
You may find this website helpful: Do Cats Need Dietary Fiber? - Feline Nutrition Foundation

 

[Willowy]

Cats can't absorb the vitamins in veggies and fruits. For instance, humans and some animals can convert beta-carotene to vitamin A. Cats can't. So any carrots (or other beta-carotene- rich veggie) in cat food are just for looks/coloring.

A cat's body is made to get everything they need from eating small rodents. Minimal amounts of non-meat matter are probably not harmful but also not beneficial. And since we don't feed our cats fur , which would be their natural source of roughage, some cats may benefit from a certain amount of vegetable fiber in their diets.

 

[Gizmobius]

Hi! My human (and vegetarian) brain is actually having difficulties processing how cats can get enough fiber through meat meals. I'm looking into changing my cats' diet and I'm super interested in these freeze-dried options, but I'm worried about their fiber intake. Any more info to enlighten me? Thanks!

As others have said, cats absolutely do need meat-based diets as they are obligate carnivores. My vet recommended a high fiber diet for my cat as he has suffered from diarrhea since he was a kitten. I feed him Primal freeze-dried food, which does have what seems like a lot of fruits and vegetables but they do not make up the majority of Primal’s recipe. They do, however, add a decent amount of fiber which has benefited my cat, along with a supplement called Perfect Form by the Honest Kitchen which is plant based fiber but it’s 16% of it.

Excuse me, I’m just babbling now! Most cats should not need that kind of fiber unless they suffer from some sort of digestion issue that includes diarrhea or constipation.

 

[Neo_23]

As others have said, cats absolutely do need meat-based diets as they are obligate carnivores. My vet recommended a high fiber diet for my cat as he has suffered from diarrhea since he was a kitten. I feed him Primal freeze-dried food, which does have what seems like a lot of fruits and vegetables but they do not make up the majority of Primal’s recipe. They do, however, add a decent amount of fiber which has benefited my cat, along with a supplement called Perfect Form by the Honest Kitchen which is plant based fiber but it’s 16% of it.

Excuse me, I’m just babbling now! Most cats should not need that kind of fiber unless they suffer from some sort of digestion issue that includes diarrhea or constipation.

That's a great example. Some cats with digestion issues might benefit from some extra fiber, but I don't think the average cat needs it. I actually feel like this may be a major reason for why cats need to be transitioned slowly on commercial foods. It's because they contain many fillers that cats wouldn't normally eat in the wild. You wouldn't expect a cat to slowly transition itself from one prey to the next in the wild. But, I think since we feed so many foods that cats are not built to handle, they need that cautious transitioning. This is especially true for kittens. For example, after some experimenting I figured out that my kitten gets soft stools/diarrhea whenever he eats commercial foods with lots of fruits and veggies. The foods I feed him now are over 96% meat-based and contain very little fruits/veggies. He no longer has these issues.

 

[Gizmobius]

That's a great example. Some cats with digestion issues might benefit from some extra fiber, but I don't think the average cat needs it. I actually feel like this may be a major reason for why cats need to be transitioned slowly on commercial foods. It's because they contain many fillers that cats wouldn't normally eat in the wild. You wouldn't expect a cat to slowly transition itself from one prey to the next in the wild. But, I think since we feed so many foods that cats are not built to handle, they need that cautious transitioning. This is especially true for kittens. For example, after some experimenting I figured out that my kitten gets soft stools/diarrhea whenever he eats commercial foods with lots of fruits and veggies. The foods I feed him now are over 96% meat-based and contain very little fruits/veggies. He no longer has these issues.

Exactly! I find a lot of cats (kind of like people, in a way) have such different digestive systems and while something may work for a couple cats, it won't work quite as well for plenty of others. I think it really comes down to figuring out the best diet for each individual cat and while something might seem like a magic cure for one, like my cat needing the extra fiber to firm up his stool, might not work so well for other kitties, like yours getting soft stool from the added veggies!

 

[Yanaka]

Interesting input. I spent an hour in PetSmart trying to find a least a few cans to try another kind of wet food on my kittens before trying the texture of the (rehydrated) freeze-dried, but there was always something fishy in there. I ended up with Nutro, but I'm not exactly convinced. These threads are helpful!

 

[Neo_23]

Interesting input. I spent an hour in PetSmart trying to find a least a few cans to try another kind of wet food on my kittens before trying the texture of the (rehydrated) freeze-dried, but there was always something fishy in there. I ended up with Nutro, but I'm not exactly convinced. These threads are helpful!

If you really want to find healthier options and move toward raw food then I would suggest looking into smaller independent pet stores too. Petsmart doesn’t carry a lot of the better brands.

 

[Yvonne_]

Thanks for all the replies!

 

[Yanaka]

If you really want to find healthier options and move toward raw food then I would suggest looking into smaller independent pet stores too. Petsmart doesn’t carry a lot of the better brands.

I was looking more for inspiration, and I found Nutro!