Low protein food for cats with kidney disease is a typical recommendation by vets across the board. However, this is not based on science, common sense or logic. It is also very dangerous advice.
Cats Have Evolved On A Diet High In Protein
Cats are successful and adaptable beings. In the wild, where they have free choice in what they consume. That’s a really important factor to consider.
As obligate carnivores, cats hunt prey up to about their own size. They generally consume the whole prey such as a mouse. With larger prey, they may leave some, such as a rabbit’s head, too many feathers, the stomach and contents.
Cats only ever eat what they have just killed. They are not scavengers as dogs are.
This gives you an idea of what cats need in the way of healthy food:
- raw meat and bones, ie the whole prey
- very fresh food
This is high protein food. It’s natural and ideal for obligate carnivores. Wild cats are very healthy on this diet.
Check The Ingredients On Commercial Cat Food
Now check the ingredients on several commercial cat foods. You’ll normally find a long list, with the first ingredient (the main one) an isolated plant protein, such as soy or any other legume.
Not only are cats unable to digest and utilise plant based proteins, being carnivores, these can cause harm. Cats don’t have the complex livers that are needed to process the alkaloids, etc in plants, that omnivores and herbivores have.
In addition, the action of isolating the plant protein adds an additional problem. Processed foods are de-natured and can cause harm.
You’ll find more plant based ingredients in the list of ingredients, all with the potential to cause your cat harm.
Somewhere in the list, you’ll see some animal based products. But these are normally the waste from the more lucrative human market or from rendering plants. These are poor quality protein and very stale with no thought for hygiene.
It is this very low quality cat food that is the main causation of cats with kidney disease in the first place. Further reducing the protein compounds the problem.
You need to do the complete opposite.
Instead of giving low protein food for cats with kidney disease, you have to feed your cat a high protein diet, similar to the one their wild cousins consume.
It sounds topsy turvey when you focus on the poor advice from vets. But when you focus on the natural diet of cats in the wild, it starts to make sense.
When you take into consideration that cats are obligate carnivores, who don’t have the complex livers necessary to digest and utilise the alkaloids, etc in plants, feeding low protein, plant based food makes no sense at all.
Commercial cat food is not made to keep your cat healthy. Like so much today, it’s made for the profit of the manufacturer and retailer. It’s marketed as being convenient for you.
However, feeding good quality raw food may be just as convenient. And the added bonus is a healthy cat.
Don’t be fooled by low protein food for cats with kidney disease. It makes a bad situation worse.
