Last Updated on April 14, 2020
Finding a healthier cat food that is not only affordable but one your cat will actually eat can prove to be rather difficult. A lot of brands out there claim to be “natural” but are filled with things that cats have trouble digesting. Here are the main 3 ingredients you should avoid!
Corn
Most cats react the same way we humans do to corn these days. It makes them fat! I am not kidding you. If your cat is overweight even when you are not overfeeding, take a look at the food you are feeding them and if corn is in the mix, that is more than likely the reason. A lot of cats have minor or major allergies to corn, many only showing slight symptoms until one day their health takes a turn for the worse. Corn is one thing you want to avoid.
Grains
Some grains are fine but you can’t have them be in every single meal. They cause constipation, weight gain, digestive issues, and this can lead to more serious health problems down the road. Grains are even said to become an allergy issue over time if you continue your feed your cat the same food over and over again. This can lead to things like hair loss, puking, and even asthma.
Soy
Soy is a tricky topic for a lot of people. Many believe it to be healthy, many believe it to be bad. Which is it and why should you care? The cheap soy that is found in most pet and human food is low grade. It is not properly fermented because that takes time and costs more money. What makes soy bad? You can read more about that in-depth here, but I’ll quote Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD:
The soybean contains large quantities of natural toxins or “antinutrients.” First among them are potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion. These inhibitors are large, tightly folded proteins that are not completely deactivated during ordinary cooking. They can produce serious gastric distress, reduced protein digestion and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, including cancer. Soybeans also contain haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. Trypsin inhibitors and haemagglutinin are growth inhibitors.
If you were going to avoid any 3 ingredients in your cat’s diet, these should be it. Corn, grains, and soy can all lead to not only weight gain but serious health issues down the road. There are other things you can look into removing but the more you remove, the more expensive it becomes. Not everyone can afford to feed their cat top brands every day! I have found that not only does the food get more expensive but it’s also less likely my cats will enjoy it! I have tried many corn, grain, and soy-free brands and the only one my cats seem to enjoy is Sheba.
Why Try Sheba?
Sheba does not contain corn, grains, or soy. That is their main selling point. This is definitely a healthier option but that is not to say it is free from all the bad. It still does contain “meat by-products” which can put people off but under the right company name, that is nothing to worry about. They offer pate’, sliced, and gravy options depending on your cat’s texture preference. They also have enough flavor options to keep even the pickiest cats interested.
Considering trying Sheba for yourself?
Here are some pros and cons:
You can check out what Sheba has to offer at Amazon and get some of the best deals!
