Help!! So Confused about commercial catfood

[sondra]

Have tried my best to understand the information in Cat Info by Lisa Pierson, DVM, but am still confused. It seems we should have more protein than fat, but I know carbs are very important. I seem unable to figure out whether carbs are more than 10% of the total content of the food.

I am looking at the nutritional value of the canned food on the protein, fat and carbs chart on the website. For example, one of the cans we have been feeding is Friskees mixed grill: Protein 40, fat 49, carbs 11, calories 171. Our diabetic cat is overweight and we want to help him with weight loss. We are considering, for example, Friskees Gourmet grill: Protein 53, fat 24, carbs 18, calories 148.

If we switch to Gourmet Grill, we get a greatly improved ratio between protein and fat, but carbs go up by 7. The calories go down by 23. Which thing is the most important?

I wish Dr. Pierson would state which food would be good, but that doesnt seem to be happening. We are definitely discarding the Hills catfood, metabolic for weight loss. Can you help me decide what to buy?

Sondra and Ceasar

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Cat diets are high in fat and that is what is needed for cats. Just go for carbs less that 10% calories from carbs.

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

I seem unable to figure out whether carbs are more than 10% of the total content of the food.

Hi Sondra,

What we are looking for, for diabetic kitties, is foods that have less than 10% calories from carbohydrates. The 'percentage of calories from carbs' column is the third column from the left in the chart.

You may also be interested to see this 'shortcut' list of foods compiled by Rhiannon here:
Shortcut Shopping List - all 8% or less Updated

Edited to add: Some cats do lose weight with the switch to low carb wet food. Here is a recent thread you may like to see:
Civie weight loss after switching to all wet?

Eliz

 

[BJM]

Cats can make carbohydrate from fat and protein; therefore, eating them is not necessary for cats.

 

[sondra]

Thank you so much for the explanations. I understand and we have ordered the correct food. Please accept the heartfelt thanks from both Caesar and Sondra!

 

[jane and stewey]

I have my cat on wet food only. Friskies and Fancy Feast seem to do well in helping to maintain a stable blood sugar. Sheba made her sugars skyrocket. Also, I use primarily the pate rather than sliced or shredded. Her blood sugar tends to run a little higher when it is not pate. She seems to be okay with those choices. Good luck from jane and stewey

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

Sheba made her sugars skyrocket.

@jane and stewey , was the Sheba a low carb food? And did it raise Stewey's numbers in spite of that? (Just wondering if there is a food intolerance there...)