Cats bring so much to our lives and expect very little in return.  I think this, rings true for most households whether life is just too busy or ‘Fifi’ doesn’t want to be pet when you’re available, our cats sometimes get ‘left out’.  I have dedicated the past 6 months struggling to find a diet routine that is right for our new puppy ‘Zack’ and I must say the poor old cat has been feeling like a bit of an outsider.  Love and affection given to most cats comes in the form of a bag of food or a can which they happily eat up and then go back to sleep… must be nice!  What I think we overlook is what is in that bag or can of ‘love’?  Well I can give a brief rundown:  Some meat, by-products, grains, corn, excess carbs and some VERY good flavors just to make it that much more, yummy!  I was browsing through some anatomy text and I stumbled across some interesting information that I think pet food companies should have access to.  Cats are carnivores.  At first I thought “No that can’t be because why would the people that tell us what is good for our pets say that grains and corn are perfectly ok for our cats”, in my mind it was thought to be impossible.  I decided to do some investigation work on my pal ‘King Luis’ and I opened up his mouth.  I remember being taught in high school that carnivores have teeth for tearing and ripping meat and omnivores and herbivores have teeth for grinding which means they can eat those greens and grains.  After a good struggle and very close inspection I found that all of Luis’s teeth were sharp and pointed, great for eating meat and defending himself against my inspection.  There were absolutely NO teeth in there that indicated to me that any vegetables, grains, corn etc. would be beneficial to him.  Am I missing something or am I being lied to about what’s healthy for my cat?  I think ‘King Luis’ deserves an explanation and I want to know why I am being coaxed into feeding something more suited for an animal that isn’t a strict carnivore.  Take a look for yourself, just watch out for those sharp teeth.

By: Tyler Philp, RVT