Many pets get easily addicted to their food and treats. This is not necessarily because they taste good, but also because they have ingredients in them that are indirectly addictive. Things such as flavour enhancers, and mysterious additives or poultry fat, can all lend a hand to this behaviour.
Carbohydrates are one of the main culprits. It is similar to the effect we humans have when we eat sweet foods like doughnuts, cakes or cookies. We tend to want more and more and before you know it, the packet is empty. Carbs have an uncanny ability to mess with a cat’s system.
Cats do not need carbs, it’s plain and simple. This is because, if for example, you compare their canines, which have a more active pancreatic amylase and intestinal system, they cannot break it down easily, and it gets stored as fat in their bodies. Read this article which elaborates on this concept further.
These types of useless additives turn into sugar once digested and are added to the cooking process of most cat food and treats. This enhances their hunger, so they eat more and end up becoming obese or overweight causing all kinds of negative health problems.
There are also other items that you should be looking out for when buying their treats or foods. We list a few of the harmful ones below.
Things to Avoid on the List of Cat Food or Treats Ingredients
Certain Types of Meats
The AAFCO labels some meats as ‘meat by-products’ or ‘4-D’ meats. What this means is that it can come from anywhere between a diseased and dying animal to a disabled and dead one: https://talkspetfood.aafco.org/byproducts
The uncanny thing about this is, they are allowed in many pet foods and pet owners unknowingly feed it to their dogs and cats. The reason that it is allowed, is that the bacteria formed on these ‘so-called meats’, are heated to very high temperatures which kills it. However, this goes into a much deeper issue and the consideration of the drugs that the animals were on before they died and even those that were euthanized is also one to note.
All these are extremely harmful to cats, and there have been instances where their food has been recalled for traces of unknown or harmful drugs present in their treats. To avoid this, read the labels on their food.
Plant-based protein
As cats are carnivorous animals, it makes no sense to give them vegetarian or plant-based edibles, whether it is their food or treats. They need meat to survive and to get a much-needed nutritional value.
When you buy their wet or dry edibles, make sure it has fat, protein, amino acids and trace minerals or vitamins in them to maintain a well-balanced diet. Plants are nowhere close to giving them this and you would be depriving them of essential components that they need for various aspects of their health, such as their heart health, eye health, brain health and nervous system functionality.
Some of the other more common ingredients to avoid also include the list below:
- Rice
- Soy
- Sugar
- Wheat
- Animal digest
- Yeast
- Salt
- Fish oils
- BHA/BHT
- Cellulose
- Chemical preservatives
- Artificial or any type of colourings
Effects of Giving Cats cheap Treats
The list above mentions some of the ingredients to avoid, and the majority of the cheaper brands tend to have these on their labels or hidden in their pet foods. If you are not careful, they can lead to some unfavourable health and mental issues in our felines. The negative effects of cheap fillers include:
- They can encourage and lead to diabetes in pets
- They are toxic for their kidneys and liver
- The deadly mould they contain can make kittens sick
- They can cause digestive issues as well as bowel distress
- Lead to allergies
- Cause arthritis of bones and joints
What You Should be Giving Them Instead
You do not need to spend copious amounts of money on buying the best options for your kitty. Some of the best and most reputable, not to mention, ethical brands online and in stores have the safest, healthiest and cost-effective best cat treats solutions for those looking for some goodies for their cats.
These contain only raw and safe additions, and ones that also contain highly beneficial oils such as CBD (cannabidiol) which is an excellent addition to any pet’s diet. There are countless known benefits of giving them a CBD-infused treat; either one that already contains it, or one that you can add a few drops of the oil onto.
It can help them with many aspects such as pain, anxiety, seizures, urinary tract disorders, arthritis, and overall wellness for their mind and body. Alongside a well-balanced diet, the treats you give them should also be useful, as well as something you should never replace their proper mealtimes with.
Staying as close to nature as possible, when it comes to choosing the right edibles for them, is the best thing you can do. As we have noted above, there are some harmful ingredients inside of their foods and treats that we may easily overlook and think that because they are enjoying them, that they should be good for them too.
This is a huge misconception and something the pet industries revere in, but as pet owners, it is our responsibility to make sure what we feed our furry companions is as safe and healthy as what we feed ourselves.
