Gluten Free Cats?

[Fire Fairy]

Two of my three cats might really benefit from the gluten free diet. The oldest has some sort of skin irritation that causes her to pluck out her fur. We have been to several vets with no solution. I'm hoping gluten free will be the cure. The youngest cat is severely overweight and I'm hoping gluten free will help get his weight under control. The middle cat (age 14) loves her Temptations (cat treat with wheat). When I say she loves them I mean they are her favorite thing. She is very picky and Temptations are the only treat she will eat. So if she is gluten free other than the temptations will her favorite thing make her sick?

[BethJ]

All cats will benefit from not only a gluten-free diet but a grain-free diet as well. Cats are obligate carnivores and although a small amount of grain can be ingested when eating wild prey, their normal diet does not include grains. Corn is a big allergen in cats, probably worse than wheat. Many "grocery store" cat foods are basically corn. The fur-pulling sounds like a corn allergy.

Here's a link to Open Original Shared Link. Any one of these things is problematic and cat owners should try to avoid them.

Try to find a source of grain-free food. Open Original Shared Link makes grain grain-free and minimum-grain foods for cats and dogs. There are others like Open Original Shared Link who makes quality grain-free foods. Even some varieties of Fancy Feast canned have little or no grain.

As far as treats, good luck getting them off of Temptations. I have four cats and all but one go wild over those things. I swear one would eat nothing but Temptations if I gave in to his wishes. Bonito flakes are supposed to be a great treat but unfortunately none of mine will eat them.

[Fire Fairy]

All cats will benefit from not only a gluten-free diet but a grain-free diet as well. Cats are obligate carnivores and although a small amount of grain can be ingested when eating wild prey, their normal diet does not include grains. Corn is a big allergen in cats, probably worse than wheat. Many "grocery store" cat foods are basically corn. The fur-pulling sounds like a corn allergy.

Here's a link to Open Original Shared Link. Any one of these things is problematic and cat owners should try to avoid them.

Try to find a source of grain-free food. Open Original Shared Link makes grain grain-free and minimum-grain foods for cats and dogs. There are others like Open Original Shared Link who makes quality grain-free foods. Even some varieties of Fancy Feast canned have little or no grain.

As far as treats, good luck getting them off of Temptations. I have four cats and all but one go wild over those things. I swear one would eat nothing but Temptations if I gave in to his wishes. Bonito flakes are supposed to be a great treat but unfortunately none of mine will eat them.

Thank you for the links. I bought them Wellness diet grain free formula in dry and some little cans to mix with it (unfortunately two of the cans have corn). So it shouldn't make her ill having her Temptations?

[ravenwoodglass]

Thank you for the links. I bought them Wellness diet grain free formula in dry and some little cans to mix with it (unfortunately two of the cans have corn). So it shouldn't make her ill having her Temptations?

While you are switching them over to keep them happy and from possibly getting upset tummys at first do a mix. Start with 3/4 old food 1/4 new for a few days then go to 1/2 and 1/2 for a few more then 3/4 new and 1/4 old and then finally to all the new. Cats can be finicky and doing the change gradually will help them adjust to the new food. Good luck with the one that needs to lose weight. I have to say it had no effect at all on my 25 lb kitty. He is still as big as ever but the new foundling that just came into our lives last week is getting him up and playing more so hopefully someday he might be under 20 lbs. Wishful thinking.

I don't think the treats will upset her tummy if they aren't now.

[BethJ]

I would try to get her off the Temptations. The second ingredient listed (after meat by-products) is corn. Perhaps you can wean her off slowly and see how it goes. I know, easier said than done. *sigh*

One time I had my cats thinking Wellness Core was a treat. I put it in a cat treat canister and shook it like I would their treats. Maybe you can find a way to trick her!

[mamaw]

Does anyone on the planet have a cat who is not finicky???? We feed our cats, strays as well grain free foods... Holistic Pets Catalog has many varieties plus any high end pet store will have grain free....Holistic vets as well.

Treats (junk food for cats)! I buy Cat-Man-Do dried bonito flakes, dried shrimp ,dried tuna.. They love it & I also buy Alaskan salmon at Costco's (human grade) in the freezer section which makes for nice skin & coat for dogs or cats. Pure salmon oil isexcellent for skin problems. At times the furry friends eat better than their human slaves......at least at our house...animal probioticsare very good ....

[Fire Fairy]

Thank you Beth, Ravenwood and MamaW. I feel better about putting them on the diet now.

[psawyer]

Here is a partial list of grain-free cat foods. They are in no particular order.

Entire branded line grain-free:

Nature's Variety Instinct

Now! Grain Free

Taste of the Wild

Merrick BG

Wellness CORE

Weruva

Wholesome Blend

Selected formulas grain-free:

Wellness canned

Go! Natural

Natural Balance

[Takala]

I have non finicky cats who didn't mind being switched over to a wheat free food, but they don't get food treats unless they're hunting for it themselves.

Watch out for the "Blue Buffalo" brand, always read the labels. Their regular line of Healthy Living dry cat food says "true blue promise, NO corn, wheat or soy" on the label, but it contains oatmeal AND barley.

They also tout this "Blue Basics" dry cat food as being low in common allergens but it has oatmeal in it and the mixed tocopherols natural source of vitamin E, again. The label says NO corn, wheat dairy soy eggs. I don't know how strict the oatmeal is with cross contamination problems. The "Longevity" also contains barley.

(note: the Blue Buffalo used to prominently say "gluten free" on the fronts of their bags while containing barley and oatmeal. I pointed this out to a company rep that this was a REAL problem with cross contamination for both humans and highly sensitive dogs. I am hoping they continue to progress with better labeling. )

(note 2: if you think our reactions are bad, it's worse when it's a dog that weighs over a hundred pounds and is very, very allergic to wheat and can't tell you what is going on, but is puking and scratching like mad. )

Blue Buffalo does make a Blue Wilderness formula for cats which is grain free, (has peas and potatoes for the carbohydrates) but the dried has mixed tocopherols so you may want to check to see if it's derived from grains or not.

As a side effect, two of our eldest cats look a lot better on a wheat free diet, altho we're just trying to make absolutely sure 2 of the dogs don't get into their food or drink out of the water dish where the stuff might lurk, or check out the litter pan a little too closely

[Fire Fairy]

Thank you Peter and Takala. I'm trying the Wellness brand. It's good to know all the options. I'm feeling really good about the cats going gluten free. I'm really hoping it well save my oldest from pulling out her own fur and save the youngest from developing diabetes. I will be over joyed if they actually look healthier. It will be the confirmation that this is the right way to go.

Takala I know exactly what your talking about with those litter pans.

[Jestgar]

My beasties did not like the Wellness. I ended up buying three different brands and filling three bowls to find out which bag disappeared the quickest.

[gleegan]

I agree with most everything that's been said, except I would add that cats should NEVER have dry food - not only should they not have wheat, but they should not have carbs in general. Cats are strict carnivores and only thrive on canned food (or raw food, of course). Dry food is so processed and is full of carbs that cats do not know how to process. The carbs are converted into fat and just stay in their bodies, creating all kinds of health problems. My older cat was 21 pounds and I was feeding him dry food and was terrified that he would get diabetes - nothing I tried would work. Finally, I did some research online (check out a vet by the name of Elizabeth Hodgkins (and other vets - she's not the only one) and a site called "thecatbible.com" or something like that, run by Tracie Hotchner) - I switched him to canned food (Weruva mostly - this food is actually fit for human consumption) and weighed his food using a food scale - 3 ounces in the morning and 3 at night. Within a year, he was down to 14 pounds and was playful again and happy. The vet was amazed. I personally don't think there's much use in cutting out gluten if you don't switch to canned food. Good luck!

[BethJ]

I agree with most everything that's been said, except I would add that cats should NEVER have dry food - not only should they not have wheat, but they should not have carbs in general. Cats are strict carnivores and only thrive on canned food (or raw food, of course). Dry food is so processed and is full of carbs that cats do not know how to process. The carbs are converted into fat and just stay in their bodies, creating all kinds of health problems. My older cat was 21 pounds and I was feeding him dry food and was terrified that he would get diabetes - nothing I tried would work. Finally, I did some research online (check out a vet by the name of Elizabeth Hodgkins (and other vets - she's not the only one) and a site called "thecatbible.com" or something like that, run by Tracie Hotchner) - I switched him to canned food (Weruva mostly - this food is actually fit for human consumption) and weighed his food using a food scale - 3 ounces in the morning and 3 at night. Within a year, he was down to 14 pounds and was playful again and happy. The vet was amazed. I personally don't think there's much use in cutting out gluten if you don't switch to canned food. Good luck!

This is true. Feeding dry food also increases the risk of dental disease. Although many vets still think the crunching effect will help keep their teeth clean, dry food sticks to their teeth. I have Siamese and OSHs - dental problems are very common in these breeds.

Unfortunately, the best diet is a raw diet including raw, organic chicken. Not all of us can handle this diet so canned is our best - and most easily obtained - option. A friend feeds her cats organic mice, quail and chicken, particularly the wings. Their teeth have never been better and all of their allergies have disappeared.

[Fire Fairy]

I have a few problems with wet food only. My fat boy is completely deaf and he likes water which makes him very difficult to train. When his bowl is empty he starts knocking things down. He knows the humans come running when things hit the ground. Especially if those things shatter when they hit the ground. I can't keep wet cat food out as the dogs would eat it. Yes I know it's nearly impossible to put a free feeder on a diet but unless someone has a good training suggestion I have to try. I read online that is a believed gluten is one of the factors in cats developing diabetes so hopefully going grain free will improve my boys odds against getting the disease.

As far as their teeth go the only cat I've ever had lose teeth (to my knowledge) was of Siamese decent. When she passed at age 21 she only had about half a dozen teeth. She never ate dry only Fancy Feast. I suspect her loss of teeth was probably due to her breed and great age.

[gleegan]

I have a few problems with wet food only. My fat boy is completely deaf and he likes water which makes him very difficult to train. When his bowl is empty he starts knocking things down. He knows the humans come running when things hit the ground. Especially if those things shatter when they hit the ground. I can't keep wet cat food out as the dogs would eat it. Yes I know it's nearly impossible to put a free feeder on a diet but unless someone has a good training suggestion I have to try. I read online that is a believed gluten is one of the factors in cats developing diabetes so hopefully going grain free will improve my boys odds against getting the disease.

As far as their teeth go the only cat I've ever had lose teeth (to my knowledge) was of Siamese decent. When she passed at age 21 she only had about half a dozen teeth. She never ate dry only Fancy Feast. I suspect her loss of teeth was probably due to her breed and great age.

I know that switching to canned can be difficult for some cats, but I think it would be worth all of the effort. Cats that don't eat dry food do not get diabetes - it is only the result of a dry food diet, so if that's what you're worried about, he will not get the disease if you make the switch.

The normal diet for a cat is a mouse, which is made up of over 50% water (I wish I had the exact percentage at the top of my head, but it's a lot). Cats that don't eat dry food usually don't need water. I had heard this, but saw it in action when I switched my cats over. I put the bowl out, but they never drank. Since drinking a lot of water is a sign of (impending) diabetes, I interpret the lack of drinking water as a very good thing.

If you put the food high up where your dogs can't get it, would that be a possibility? or putting him in a separate room while he finishes it? I am not sure I understood the whole dynamic with the deafness and knocking the water bowl over, but maybe him not needing the water and getting the moisture (needed for digestion) from his food would keep him from knocking it over??? If you're not sure that he'd eat it, you could try sprinkling some freeze dried treats, like Halo's "live a littles" or something on top of it.

Cats who eat wet food still can have serious dental problems - it's just that it is better than the dry food. Their teeth can still have tartar problems, though.

Anyway, that's my two cents. I hope it all works out with your kitty.

[gleegan]

Sorry, one final thing. I know that it's hard to be strict with them, but I have a cat that often doesn't "feel like eating" when I put her food out and obviously you can't leave wet food out for more than 15 minutes. So if she refuses to eat it, i put it back in the fridge, covered, and she has to wait until it's next convenient for me. Believe me, they get the gist before long. It's always a struggle with cats to see who can train whom...

[psawyer]

I have a few comments.

Cats are indeed obligate carnivores. In this, they are different from dogs and humans. Dogs and humans (and many other creatures) are omnivores. They eat animals when available, but can survive on vegetable matter alone. Herbivores eat no meat at all, dining exclusively on vegetable matter.

Obligate carnivore means the cat must eat animal protein to obtain essential nutrients. The most significant one is taurine. Taurine is found in meat. Cats cannot synthesize taurine from vegetable protein sources--they must eat it. Other animals, including dogs and humans, are able to synthesize taurine and other essential proteins from plant sources.

Obligate carnivore does not mean that the animal can only eat meat. Cats will naturally eat grass--they seek it out. When a carnivorous animal kills, it eats the whole prey, not just the muscles that we know as meat. The internal organs and digestive tract are also eaten. Since their prey is almost invariably a herbivorous animal, the digestive tract contains plant matter--carbohydrates, often including grain.

By the way, with the exception of liver, any organ meat (kidney, pancreas, heart, spleen, etc) can only be labeled in pet foods as "byproducts." Pet food is animal feed and is covered by the same rules as those for feed used in agriculture. The rules are set by Open Original Shared Link, and are more restrictive in many ways than those of the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) or CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency). The latter two agencies do enforce that the label not be "misleading."

A cat fed a vegitarian diet will die of malnutrition. A cat fed exclusively animal muscle ("meat") will also die of malnutrituion. Organ meats and plant matter are essential parts of a healthy balanced diet.

[psawyer]

...obviously you can't leave wet food out for more than 15 minutes. So if she refuses to eat it, i put it back in the fridge, covered, and she has to wait until it's next convenient for me.

Wet food can be left out in the dish for much more than 15 minutes. Several hours will see it drying out, but it is still safe to consume.

If you want to use 15 minutes as a domination technique it may work. But there is not a problem with leaving canned food in a dish for a few hours. Leftovers in a can with an air-tight cover will keep for at least 12 hours unrefrigerated. Your cat will appreciate that the food is not cold. She likes it at room temperature.

[Luddie]

Unfortunately, the best diet is a raw diet including raw, organic chicken. Not all of us can handle this diet so canned is our best - and most easily obtained - option. A friend feeds her cats organic mice, quail and chicken, particularly the wings. Their teeth have never been better and all of their allergies have disappeared.

Are you saying that she feeds these things raw, with the bones intact?! I would really worry about doing that.

[possiblyglutensensitive]

I think all gluten should be eliminated. cats are obligate carnivores, they shouldn't have any grains.

I feed my cat Acana (from Champion pet foods, they also have Orijen) and canned Wellness. I have also fed Taste of the Wild. I'd like to switch him to raw, but cats are hard to switch.

My dog had skin issues, very limited, only irritation and infection between her toes on her back paws especially the left one), only in the winter. She would lick, lick, lick... she was on different kibble over the years... grain inclusive, then Orijen (grain free)... Still she would get the paw licking problem which led to infections. Once it migrated into her leg and she had to go on antibiotics. After that (that was the first winter), I watched it more closely, I had to soak her paws, etc....

the vet said that "No, it cannot be a food allergy, it's the salt on the street and the licking". FOUR winters of that.

She has been on raw and home cooked for several months. This winter? her paws are PERFECT. Haven't had to soak them in an antibacterial solution. She hasn't been licking. The skin is neither red or inflamed or moist or infected.

And diet had nothing to do with it? Righ!

For treats, my cat likes cooked meat or liver pieces, and cheese.... have you tried those?

[possiblyglutensensitive]

Are you saying that she feeds these things raw, with the bones intact?! I would really worry about doing that.

An appropriate raw diet is safe and healthy. the kibble companies have really convinced us that kibble (or canned pet food) is the best and only appropriate foods for our pets.

They are wrong IMO. Kibble is highly processed and it is far from the best foods for our pets. Even high quality kibble like Orijen or whatever, is still kibble...

Bones are necessary as they provide calcium and phosphorus. My dog gets all her bone (which should be 10% of the overall diet) from chicken. Raw, meaty chicken which means the bone is covered in meat. A chicken wing, or drumstick, or thigh, or leg, or breast, or a half chicken or a whole chicken (all depending if it is a cat or on your dog's size). Raw (meaty) chicken bones are safe, pliable and digestible.

Open Original Shared Link

Do watch out for hard, weight bearing bones (pork hock, beef leg shouler,...).... some dogs clean them up of their meat and gnaw gently at them, some dogs (like mine), try to chew down on the bone and may break teeth. this is why my dog never gets weight bearing bone. she chews too strongly.

[BethJ]

Are you saying that she feeds these things raw, with the bones intact?! I would really worry about doing that.

Raw bones won't hurt a cat. In Nature, nobody removed the bones for them. Cooked bones are a worry. They shatter and splinter and aren't safe. Raw organic chicken wings are excellent for teeth cleaning. All that gnawing cleans the teeth and exercises the gums, just like they did before humans started feeding them.

[possiblyglutensensitive]

Raw bones won't hurt a cat. In Nature, nobody removed the bones for them. Cooked bones are a worry. They shatter and splinter and aren't safe. Raw organic chicken wings are excellent for teeth cleaning. All that gnawing cleans the teeth and exercises the gums, just like they did before humans started feeding them.

I'm still hoping my cat will be able to transition to raw fully. he will not chew bones

I should have switched him as a kitten when he came home from the shelter.

[Fire Fairy]

Mine are indoor only cats so they don't hunt. I can't afford to feed them only meat. In fact in order to go grain free I'm forced to reduce their canned food by half. The grain free canned food cost more than three times the cost of their old cans. I am only working part time as a cashier so I'm afraid money matters. Surely they will be healthier on the grain free diet even if it's not all canned. If I can someday afford it I'd love to give them just canned food. And I'm sure they would be pleased.

Thanks everyone for your insight.

[tarnalberry]

Yes, wet food can be left out for a while. (My dog likes to graze. His food may be left out as long as 12 hours.)

Feeding raw (even part time) doesn't have to be expensive - talk to the butcher at your local store for things thay have extra of that you can buy in bulk.

At the least, bones are great, though it's wise to not generally leave pets alone with bones for extended periods of time.