The Science Behind why ECVC Recommends Feeding your Cat a Canned (soft food) Diet

More carbohydrates = obesity

Cats are true carnivores, this means they get their energy and nutritional requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue. Interestingly, cats actually lack the metabolic pathway that humans and dogs use for processing carbohydrates. Dry cat kibble typically contains 30-40% carbohydrate content whereas, canned cat food is more around 8-10%. So not only do extra carbs contribute to obesity but cats also have a really difficult time processing them!

Cats don’t drink enough water, feeding a canned diet increases water intake

Unfortunately, most cats are LIKE CAMELS! Lets face it, cats are not the big water drinkers dogs are, and a cat’s natural diet (prey animals like rodents, rabbits, and birds) is relatively high in water content, like 65-75%!! Dry diets contain only 7-10% water so it’s a no brainer that canned diets provide more water content (~78%) for our cat’s diets, mimicking a more natural diet composition.

PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN

Can you believe that adult cats need 2-3 times more protein than dogs do?! When cats don’t get enough protein in their diet they’ll break down their own muscles to get it (and that’s a big deal, because muscle mass is very hard to get back). Unfortunately, the processing of dry kibble denatures proteins (because proteins are very sensitive to heat and drying), canned cat foods are less processed and therefore always higher in protein content. At ECVC we teach our pet parents how to monitor their own pet’s muscle mass condition because early detection is key!

Now you should know that our kitty cats:

• Have a hard time digesting carbs
• That dry cat kibble = too many carbohydrates
• That carbs for cats = obesity
• That cats need MORE WATER from their diets
• That cats need 2-3 times more protein than dogs
• That canned cat food contains more water, more protein and less carbs than dry cat foods do

In conclusion, canned diets are a better, more natural fit for our feline family members, so whenever possible feed a canned pate diet over a dry one.