If you are a cat owner, you may have heard the term “fillers” used to describe some ingredients in cat food.
But what are fillers, and are they bad for your cat?
In this article, we will explain what fillers are, why they are controversial, and how to choose high-quality cat food without fillers.
What are Fillers in Cat Food?
Fillers lack nutritional value for cats but are included in cat food to enhance volume, decrease expenses, or enhance texture. Common fillers are starchy and carbohydrate-rich, like corn, wheat, rice, soy, or potatoes. Animal by-products, including blood, bone, or organs, may also be used as fillers.
Common Types of Fillers
Some of the most common fillers found in cat foods are:
- Animal byproducts: Blood, bone, brain, kidney, lungs, spleen, and partly de-fatted low-temperature fatty tissues are all meat byproducts, according to AAFCO. These portions are beneficial for cats but less digestible and appealing than muscle meat. Diseased or dead animal byproducts may potentially harm cats.
- Corn: Many low-quality cat feeds include corn. It is inexpensive and plentiful, but cats get little nutrients from it. Corn’s high carbohydrate and low protein content may cause feline obesity and diabetes. Cats can have skin and stomach concerns from maize allergies.
- Wheat: Wheat is less common in cat food than maize but no better. Wheat, like maize, is abundant in carbs and poor in protein, causing comparable health issues. Cats also have wheat allergies.
- Soy: Soy is another plant-based filler that has no place in a cat’s diet. Soy is high in phytoestrogens, which can interfere with a cat’s hormonal balance and reproductive health. Soy can also cause allergies and digestive problems in cats.
- Potatoes: Potatoes are grain-free fillers. Potatoes are heavy in carbs and poor in protein, causing weight gain and blood sugar increases in cats. Solanine in potatoes may induce sickness, diarrhea, and neurological issues in cats.
The Controversy Surrounding Fillers
Cats require nutrients, thus fillers are problematic. Obligate carnivores like cats require animal protein for energy and nourishment.
Plant-based fillers do not supply adequate protein or critical amino acids for cats and may dilute protein sources in cat food.
Fillers may harm cats. Fillers may cause obesity, diabetes, renal disease, urinary tract infections, allergies, inflammation, and digestive issues in cats.
Fillers decrease cat food’s palatability and digestibility, making cats consume more or less than they should.
Every cat is different and may have different nutritional needs and preferences. You should always consult with your veterinarian before changing your cat’s diet or feeding them any new food. Your veterinarian can help you choose the best cat food for your cat based on their individual needs and health condition.
Note: Every cat is different and may have different nutritional needs and preferences. You should always consult with your veterinarian before changing your cat’s diet or feeding them any new food. Your veterinarian can help you choose the best cat food for your cat based on their individual needs and health condition.
The Pros and Cons of Fillers in Cat Food
While fillers are generally considered bad for cats, they may have some benefits as well. Here are some of the pros and cons of fillers in cat food:
Benefits of Fillers in Cat Food
- Cost: Fillers are cheaper than animal protein sources, which can lower the price of cat food. This can be beneficial for owners who have a tight budget or multiple cats to feed.
- Texture: Fillers can improve the texture of cat food by making it more crunchy or moist. This can appeal to some cats who prefer a certain type of food over another.
- Fiber: Some fillers may provide fiber for cats, which can help with digestion and hairball prevention. However, too much fiber can also cause diarrhea or constipation in cats.
Potential Disadvantages of Fillers in Cat Food
- Nutrition: Fillers do not provide enough nutrition for cats, especially protein and amino acids. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies and health problems in cats.
- Health: Fillers can cause health problems for cats such as obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, urinary tract infections, allergies, inflammation, and digestive disorders.
- Quality: Fillers can reduce the quality of cat food by diluting the protein sources or adding artificial additives and preservatives. This can affect the taste and safety of cat food.
The Risks of Fillers for Cats
Cats might be in danger if they eat a lot of fillers. Fillers may harm cats:
Nutritional Value of Fillers in Cat Food
Fillers have little nutritional benefit for cats, affecting their health. Taurine, arginine, and methionine are necessary amino acids for cats. Cats don’t get enough protein or amino acids from fillers, which may also impede nutritional absorption.
Cats may also get nutritional imbalances from fillers. These minerals help cats maintain fluid and electrolyte balance, bone, muscle, neuron, and heart function. In cats, excess or deficiency of these minerals may induce urinary stones, renal failure, convulsions, or cardiac arrest.
Potential Health Risks
Fillers may also harm cats:
- Obesity: Cats might acquire weight from fillers’ high carbohydrate and low protein content. Obesity may cause diabetes, arthritis, liver disease, and cancer in cats.
- Diabetes in cats: Fillers may promote blood sugar increases and insulin resistance. Diabetes needs lifelong therapy. Cats with diabetes may develop neuropathy, cataracts, infections, and ketoacidosis.
- Renal Disease: Fillers enhance renal strain by creating waste and poisons. This causes renal disease in cats. Kidney disease is gradual and irreversible. In cats, kidney dysfunction may induce thirst, urine, appetite loss, weight loss, vomiting, and anemia.
- UTIs: Fillers may alter cats’ urine pH and concentration, increasing the risk of UTIs. Cats with UTIs may strain to pee, lick their genitalia, or urinate beyond the litter box. Cat UTIs may cause bladder stones or urethral obstruction.
- Cat allergies: Fillers may cause skin issues, itching, scratching, hair loss, and ear infections. Allergic cats may sneeze, cough, wheeze, or have asthma. Allergic cats may need elimination diets, medicines, or supplements.
- Inflammation: Fillers may promote inflammation and oxidative stress in cats, which can impair their immune system and raise their risk of chronic illnesses including arthritis, cancer, and IBD. In cats, inflammation may cause discomfort, edema, stiffness, and diarrhea.
Tips for Choosing High-Quality Cat Food Without Fillers
To avoid the risks of fillers for your cat, you should choose high-quality cat food without fillers. Here are some tips for choosing high-quality cat food without fillers:
Reading Ingredient Labels Carefully
To avoid the risks of fillers for your cat, you should choose high-quality cat food without fillers. Read the ingredient label carefully to find:
- Animal proteins: Animal protein should be the primary element. Instead of “meat” or “poultry,” mention the animal protein source. Instead of “chicken by-product meal” or “poultry by-product meal,” the animal protein source should be entire.
- Grain-Free or Low-Carb: Avoid fillers like corn, wheat, rice, and soy by feeding your cat grain-free or low-carb food. Potatoes, peas, and tapioca should also be avoided in cat food. Cat food should include fewer than 10% carbs on a dry matter basis (compute this by deducting protein, fat, moisture, and ash from 100%).
- Natural Ingredients: Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, and omega-3 fatty acids should be in your cat’s diet. Colors, flavors, preservatives, and fillers should not be in cat food.
Choosing High-Quality Protein Sources
The quality of the protein sources in your cat’s food is very important for their health and well-being. High-quality protein sources include:
- High in Protein: Adult cats should have at least 30% protein on a dry matter basis, while kittens and geriatric cats need 35%. Your cat requires taurine, arginine, and methionine from protein sources.
- High in Digestibility: The protein sources should be easy for your cat to digest and absorb. The digestibility of the protein sources can be measured by the percentage of crude protein that is retained by your cat after digestion. The higher the percentage, the better the digestibility. You can find the digestibility of the protein sources on the guaranteed analysis label of the cat food, or ask the manufacturer for more information.
- High in Palatability: Cats like delicious protein. Freshness, processing, flavoring, and moisture affect protein source palatability. Your cat’s appetite, preference, and happiness with cat food might indicate protein source palatability.
Avoiding Artificial Additives and Fillers
The cat food should not contain any artificial additives or fillers that are harmful or unnecessary for your cat. You should avoid cat food that contains:
- Artificial Colors: Avoid cat food with artificial colors, which people use to make it seem enticing but have no nutritional benefit for cats. Artificial colors can also cause allergies, hyperactivity, or behavioral problems in cats. Some artificial colors are also carcinogenic or toxic for cats, such as Red 40, Yellow 5, or Blue 2.
- Artificial Flavors: Cats get little nutrients from artificial flavors added to cat food to cover the taste and smell of low-quality components. Cats might develop allergies, digestive issues, and liver damage from artificial tastes. Hydrolyzed chicken feathers and hog liver are used to make certain artificial flavors, which may be polluted.
- Artificial Preservatives: Cats get little nourishment from artificial preservatives added to cat food to prolong shelf life. Cats may get allergies, cancer, and organ failure from artificial preservatives. BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, and propyl gallate are also prohibited in other nations because of health dangers.
- Fillers: Fillers are components added to cat food to bulk it out, lower the price, or enhance its texture. Starchy fillers include maize, wheat, rice, soy, and potatoes. Some fillers include blood, bone, or organs from animals. Fillers may induce obesity, diabetes, renal disease, urinary tract infections, allergies, inflammation, and digestive difficulties in cats.
Consulting with a Veterinarian
Consult a feline nutritionist veterinarian to get high-quality cat food without fillers.
- Cat Nutrition: A vet may assess your cat’s age, weight, activity level, health, and nutritional preferences to propose the finest cat food. A vet can check your cat’s bodily condition score and change its nutrition.
- Recommend High-Quality Cat Food Brands: A veterinarian can recommend high-quality cat food brands that meet your cat’s nutritional needs and preferences. A veterinarian can also help you compare different brands and formulas of cat food based on their ingredients, guaranteed analysis, digestibility, palatability, and price.
- Address Any Dietary Concerns or Issues: A vet can help with cat food nutritional difficulties. A vet can discover cat food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities. Obesity, diabetes, renal illness, urinary tract infections, allergies, inflammation, and digestive issues may be managed by a vet.
