Are food intolerances in cats real? I don't mean they may not exist, more that are they natural? Do wild cats have food intolerances?

That's highly unlikely. Why? Wild cats will eat what is available and what they can catch. Hunts are not always successful, by any means. The prey want to live as much as the cat wants a meal. So cats adapt to what is available and what is relatively easy to catch.

This also depends on the size of the cat. A small wild cat, similar to our domestic cats, will be able to catch prey up to about their own size. So mice, rabbits, small birds, small lizards. A brave cat could catch a rat, a duck, a quail.

A lion or tiger can catch a large deer. 

Logically, this means that the best food for our domestic cats, that we can easily purchase, should be limited to poultry - chicken, duck, quail - and rabbit. These foods are so similar, even identical to their natural food.

Anything bigger, such as cow, sheep, pig or deer may not be so well tolerated as it's not been part of their evolution.

Fish is the same. The only fish that a wild cat could catch is the small ones in fresh water pools. They certainly wouldn't be able to catch the deep sea water fish such as tuna.

That's not to say they can't adapt. There is an island off the coast of Kenya, called Lamu. The cats supplement their diet with the waste from the local fishermen, who eagerly await the boats return.

Food intolerances in cats look like allergies and is the considered to be the third most common type of allergy in cats according to Cornell University. 

Allergies are normally shown by excess scratching especially around the head and neck, 

It is incomprehensible to think a cat could be allergic to a natural food.

On the other hand, it is very easy to understand that a cat could indeed be allergic to the unnatural food that abounds in the commercial pet food sector.

Commercial cat food contain substandard ingredients whatever the label and manufacturer tells you. The good food goes to the more lucrative human market.

To top up on the lack of meat, carbohydrates are added, especially the protein that has been isolated from pea or soy,  Carbohydrates are a perfect food for herbivores. They are an alien food for our carnivore cats. Cats are unable to digest or assimilate carbohydrates.

To top up on the known nutrient deficiencies, supplements are added. These are not the natural supplements made from good food. They are the much cheaper, synthetic supplements that have no bearing on nutrition and can be toxic.

Cats are extremely sensitive beings. They do not tolerate poor nutrition and/or toxic chemicals for long. The 'food' may keep them alive, but it doesn't keep them healthy. This is why cats now live much shorter lives than they used to just a few decades ago, when they were free to roam and catch their own dinner.

There can be an additional factor.

Cat vaccines deregulate the natural way their bodies function. This is particularly important for ongoing good health. 

A well functioning immune system acts constantly, preventing entry of harmful pathogens. When this is disturbed, more health problems occur, not less.

Humans like to make things complicated. Maybe it makes them feel more important.

Most people prefer life to be simple. It's a lot easier to manage, bearing in mind all the natural complexities of running a house, managing a family, coping with work.

And the solution to food intolerances in cats IS simple. 

Domestic cats may seem to bear little resemblance to their fierce wild cousins, but their digestive tract is absolutely identical.

When you feed a cat a good quality raw meat and bone diet, their health improves, often quickly and dramatically. Their fur softens and glows. Their eyes shine. Their energy improves with happy playfulness and zoomies. They connect with their humans.

You can cut your cat's health bills by a substantial amount. 80% is not unusual.

With the natural diet protecting against disease, you reduce their toxic load automatically. 

When you have a problem, any problem, always, always, always try to understand why it's happening. Don't be fobbed off with solutions until you have explored all possible causes. Become a detective. Think outside the box. Look at the bigger picture.

You may be surprised at how much you empower yourself by doing this.

Get the recipes, balanced diets for cats and how to help cats converting to the new diet in the link below. A small investment now for a big win later.