Cats & Carbs
By Tatyana Beaken on Nov 15, 2024
Did you know that cats aren’t able to digest carbohydrates? Yet why are so many brands of cat dry food so full of carbs? Easy it’s a cheap filler.
Ideally you want your cat’s dry food to be as low carbohydrate as possible - between 10-15% is considered a low carb diet. The carb content should be no more than 30%.
Ideally you want your cat’s dry food to be as low carbohydrate as possible - between 10-15% is considered a low carb diet. The carb content should be no more than 30%.
Labelling regulations for cat food doesn’t state that carbohydrate percentage is listed but it’s easy to calculate it yourself.
Add the percentage of Protein, Fat, Ash, Fibre and Moisture (most dry foods are between 7-10%). Then subtract the total from 100%. This will give you the approximate carbohydrate percentage of your dry food. This calculation also works on wet food!
For example for Orijen Original Cat Dry Food the calculation would look like this:
40% Protein + 20% Fat + 8% Ash + 3% Fibre + 10% Moisture = 81%
100% - 81% = 19% Carbohydrate
Compared to Arden Grange Chicken & Potato Dry Cat Food.
31% Protein + 19% Fat + 7% Ash + 2.2% Fibre + 7% Moisture (approx) = 66.2%
100% - 66.2% = 33.8%
Add the percentage of Protein, Fat, Ash, Fibre and Moisture (most dry foods are between 7-10%). Then subtract the total from 100%. This will give you the approximate carbohydrate percentage of your dry food. This calculation also works on wet food!
For example for Orijen Original Cat Dry Food the calculation would look like this:
40% Protein + 20% Fat + 8% Ash + 3% Fibre + 10% Moisture = 81%
100% - 81% = 19% Carbohydrate
Compared to Arden Grange Chicken & Potato Dry Cat Food.
31% Protein + 19% Fat + 7% Ash + 2.2% Fibre + 7% Moisture (approx) = 66.2%
100% - 66.2% = 33.8%
More Foods for your reference:
McAdams Dry Cat Food32.5 protein +16 fat + 2.5 fibre + 10 ash + 7 moisture = 68
100 - 68 = 32 carbs
32% carbohydrates
64% meat
Orijen Kitten Dry Food
40 protein + 20 fat + 9 ash + 3 fibre + 10 moisture = 82
100 - 82 = 18
18% carbohydrates
90% animal ingredients
Acana Wild Praire Dry Food
37 protein + 18 fat + 9 ash + 3 fibre + 10 moisture = 77
100 - 77 = 23
23% carbohydrates
75% animal ingredients
Acana Grasslands Dry Food
37 protein + 18 fat + 9 ash + 3 fibre + 10 moisture = 77
100 - 77 = 23
23% carbohydrates
75% animal ingredients
Acana Kitten Dry Food
38 protein + 19 fat + 3 fibre + 9 ash + 10 moisture = 79
100 - 79 = 21
21% carbohydrates
75% animal ingredients
“Time spent with cats is never wasted.”
Sigmund Freud
Orijen Kitten Dry Food
From £7.00
ORIJEN® Kitten diet is specially formulated to give your kitten the nutrients they need to grow healthy and strong. Packed with 90%* premium animal ingredients like chicken, turkey and salmon, it helps support muscle development in your growing kitten.
Acana Grasslands Dry Food
From £5.99
Rich with the highest level of animal protein, our Acana Highest Protein Grasslands Recipe will satisfy your cat completely with its rich duck and poultry ingredients and flavour. Crafted with 75% animal ingredients including duck, chicken, turkey, and eggs, this recipe provides your cat with a variety of nourishing animal protein.
McAdams Freeze Dried Salmon & Sole Cat Food
From £14.99
A complete cat food for adult cats. Our MSC Sustainably Sourced Salmon & Sole is gently steamed and freeze dried to preserve all the nutrients and create a food unrivalled in flavour and palatability. Enhanced with additional joint care support.
Rehydrate by adding one part warm water to two parts freeze dried & serve.
Rehydrate by adding one part warm water to two parts freeze dried & serve.