Pet food is different from human food because of the difference between digestions. What seems to be good for human health might be lethal for pets. Therefore, it is important that you consult a veterinarian before trying different foods on pets.
Likewise, fibrous foods are healthy for humans because they improve bowel movement. On the other hand, when talking about cats, too many fibers can be unhealthy for them. Although fibers are equally beneficial for cats too, but you should pay attention to the amount that you feed the animal. A normal amount of fiber is healthy however, too many fibers will upset their stomach.
Therefore, the suggested amount of fibers in cat food is 12 percent per every 100 percent. So when you hear the term fiber-rich or high fiber content cat food, the fiber ratio is perfectly balanced. You can find some fiber-rich foods from mainecoonhawaii.com they have a variety of cat foods.
All the foods that you will get from here are detailed. The right percentage of fibers, crude fat and all the necessary components is mentioned in the description. Even if you are buying the food from a store, you can check these details on the label. So do look for it.
Is it natural to feed fiber-rich food to your pets?
If pets are left to their own choices, they will eat a lot of things that are unhealthy for them. And they do love to eat different foods and treats. You can check out the list of foods that are unhealthy for cats and just avoid them and fiber is not one of those. Therefore, you can feed them fibers without any worry but make sure not to feed too much amount.
Cats can eat hairs, fish scales and feathers and similar things. All these things are indigestible and should be removed from the body. Because a high content of these things in the stomach will make them ill. Furthermore, the cat won’t be able to eat its food. Therefore, it is important to get these things out of their body. And fibers are perfect for this job. Fiber-rich foods will improve bowel movement and also take the indigestible out of the stomach.
The right amount of fibers
According to the research results, if you feed 3.5 percent of fiber to your cat in feed, it’s beneficial. This will break down the food particles at the maximum rate. Thus, the cat will have better digestion and metabolism. A regular feed must contain 1.4 to 3.5 percent fibers.
However, if the cat has a problem with bowel movement, you should feed fiber-rich food to it. For example, if there is a hairball issue with it or any similar digestion problem. High-fiber content will be helpful in improving its health.
Another thing about fibers is their ferment-ability. Fibers ferment in the intestines by the action of bacteria. Thus, short-chain fatty acids are produced as a result of this fibrous breakdown. These provide energy and your cat will remain active. However, fibers vary in their rate of fermentation.
Some of the fibers have poor fermentation because of cellulose. Cats are unable to digest cellulose and thus, it helps in improving bowel movement. Then there is another fiver that ferments moderately and this happens because of beet pulp. There is another fiber that has a high rate of fermentation. This is because of the presence of gums and pectin.
So now you might be thinking that which one is beneficial for your cat? The fiber that ferments moderately. It contains beet pulp and as it ferments, it provides energy to the animal. Furthermore, there won’t be any negative health effects in regular stool movement. So if your cat has gastric problems or is suffering from gas or stool movement, this will help.
Weight loss with fibrous foods
Just like humans, pets also face weight gain issues. Therefore, if you are worried about the weight of your cat, you can feed fiber-rich food to it. This will help to lose weight. Of course, you cannot just rely on food, you have to make the cat move and walk too.
As mentioned above, fibers that ferment moderately are healthy for cats. However, when it is facing weight gain problems, the best food is poorly fermented. Because it ferments poorly, it dilutes the calories and reduces the production of fatty acids. As a result, your cat will have better digestion and less fat in the body.
And you have to keep an eye on its bowel movement. Because while taking such a diet, the cat is likely to poo more. Furthermore, it is not just low fat production but also less nutrient absorption. The body absorbs nutrition during digestion.
So if the digestion process is slow, of course, there won’t be much nutrient absorption. This will make the cat’s body use already present fats. However, the animal might also feel dizzy and weak. Therefore, you have to ensure proper nutritional supply.
Importance of low-fiber cat food
Although there are several benefits of high-carbon foods, but what if the veteran recommends a low-fiber diet? Well, if the veteran recommends it, then it must be healthy. Because you cannot understand the stomach well. Even if you think that the cat should eat fibers, you should not feed them to them in excess amount.
If your cat is suffering from inflammatory bowel problems, then eating fibers is not the right thing to do. These diseases do not allow the intake of the least digestible. Therefore, you should feed highly digestible food to your cat. And fibers take time to digest and some of them even don’t.
Furthermore, you should listen to the vet and do not depend upon your understating. Because you might not understand the diseases and can harm your pet while treating them.
