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November 9, 2022

Grain-Inclusive and Grain-Free Cat Food Pros and Cons

  • Feeding + Nutrition
  • Ingredients
Ragdoll cat sitting on table with tongue out in front of kibble bags

With so many premium cat food options available it can be hard to know how to choose the right one for your cat. One of the most common questions we hear from cat owners is "Is grain-free cat food better?" – which is best for your cat? Read on for our grain-inclusive and grain-free cat food pros and cons.

Cat Food with Grains

Let’s start off by going over some of the most commonly used grains in pet food.

These grains include:

  • Wheat
  • Corn
  • Rice
  • Oats
  • Barley
  • Rye
  • Millet

Grains are an important source of complex carbohydrates – more slowly digested compared to simple carbohydrates. Although carbohydrates are not considered essential, they play a critical role in your pet’s body. Carbohydrates are a highly digestible, readily available energy source.

Grains in particular are a good source of:

  • Fiber
  • Protein
  • Vitamins
  • Minerals
Go! Solutions Digestion + Gut Health kibble for cats

Recommended Solution

Grain-Inclusive Recipes to Support Your Cat’s Gut Health

A healthy tummy is key for a happy cat (and fresher litter boxes), so our expert nutritionists formulated these recipes with fibre-rich ingredients like whole grains and psyllium husk to support good digestion.

Grain-Free Cat Food

Now, what about grain-free cat food? Grain-free are not carb-free and not the same as gluten-free recipes. Many grain-free pet foods are higher in protein than their grain-inclusive counter parts.

Go! Solutions Carnivore dry food recipes for cats

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Protein-Packed, Premium Cat Food Recipes

Indulge your cat's carnivorous instincts with our Go! Carnivore meat-based cat food recipes. Specially designed for high-energy felines with an assortment of premium animal proteins for a healthful, hearty meal.

Grain-free doesn't always mean reduced carbohydrates - often, but not always. All foods contain a balance of carbohydrates, fat, and protein – decreasing the amount of carbohydrates in food will increase fat, protein, or both.

When a food doesn’t contain grains, it will use non-grain carbohydrate sources.

Non-grain carbohydrate sources:

  • Tapioca
  • Potatoes
  • Or pulse ingredients like lentils, peas, or chickpeas

Some pets with food sensitivities may be intolerant to one or more grains. For these cats, grain-free, limited ingredient formulas may be a good option.

Sensitivities cat food bags

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Expertly-Crafted Cat Food for Sensitive Stomachs

We understand how hard it is when your cat suffers from food allergies. These grain-free cat food recipes provide all the nutrition your cat needs, using as few key ingredients as possible.

In Conclusion

So, to grain or not to grain? Overall, there is no “right” choice – only the best choice for you and your cat. Both grain-free and grain-inclusive ingredients offer many health benefits and can be used to make a safe, healthy, balanced, and complete diet. The most important consideration in choosing a premium quality cat food is that it provides complete and balanced nutrition and is the best fit for your cat.


Authors

Natalie Williams

Natalie Williams

Nutrition Manager

Natalie received both her BSc in Honours Biological Science and MSc in Companion Animal Nutrition from the University of Guelph.

Theresa Lantz

Theresa Lantz

Companion Animal Nutritionist

Theresa received both her BSc in Companion Animal Health and MSc in Animal Science from the University of Alberta.

Michele Dixon

Michele Dixon

Health and Nutrition Specialist

Michele studied animal nutrition through Colorado State University and the Companion Animal Sciences Institute. Involved in animals and nutrition for over 25 years, Michele had the pleasure of receiving a High in Trial with her first Borzoi Yascha at an early age.