Thread: Fiber Question
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Old May 12th, 2008, 05:27 PM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by onster View Post
what was wrong with traditional kibble that had grains that added to the bulk of the stool? I just dont think that cats in the wild would eat pumpkin/squash either, u know?

One of the problems with grains in kibble form is that they are basically sugar, and cats, having no evolutionary need for carbohydrates, can become overwhelmed by the relentless glucose load created by these starchy dry foods. Cats have very minimal ability to store all this extra glucose as glycogen in the liver (like dogs and people do) and instead it gets converted into fat. Then we end with an obese or diabetic cat.

Another big problem with grains, again because they're not a natural part of the feline diet, is their tendency to be hyperallergenic. These plant proteins are treated as a foreign substance and an inflammatory response is mounted. So then you end up with an itchy cat or one with constant diarrhea or vomiting. It probably won't happen the first or second or third time the grains are consumed, but continued long-term exposure in the amounts typcially found in kibble could eventually send the cat's immune system into hyper-drive.

The "fiber" cat's would eat naturally consist of small amounts of plant foliage like grass, the teensy amount of vegetation in the stomach contents of their prey, and fibrous material like feathers and fur. A normal fiber range is 0.1 to 0.2g per 100 calories, about what you'd find in decent canned food. It's possible that your Onnie needs more than that because his digestive tract has already adapted to higher fiber amounts, or perhaps he's just quirky like that, or maybe it's another issue entirely (maybe his intestinal flora is out of whack?) Adding low-glycemic soluble fiber like pumpkin or squash or zucchini or green beans or lettuce is way preferable to getting his fiber needs met with grains. Does he have any pots of grass around that he can munch on as needed? That might be another good option.
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