Isn’t it so frustrating that cat food labels don’t list the carbohydrate amount? We shouldn’t have to use a carb calculator to figure this out.
After all, carbs are not necessary in our cat’s diet. Carbohydrates are even harmful to our cats!
Unfortunately, most cat foods average 30% carbs on a dry matter basis. This is way too high for cats and can cause overeating and obesity.
Obesity alone puts your cat at a much higher risk for serious health issues like:
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Fatty liver disease
- Arthritis
- Shortened lives!
I’ve learned this the hard way with many of my cats eating high-carbohydrate dry food. Our last cat that we put down was only 3.5 years old – kidney failure.
That’s why I created this carb calculator for cat food. So you can cut through the BS on the cat food label and find cat food that’s actually healthy for your cat.
Healthy, fresh cat food has so many amazing benefits!
Instead of being overweight and lazy, your cat has more energy and is more playful. No more worrying about potential diabetes because your cat is at an ideal, healthy weight.
How to use the carb calculator for cat food
Use the guaranteed analysis numbers on the cat food label and the carb calculator below. Plug in the numbers you see on your cat’s food label.
The carb amount including moisture and dry matter basis will calculate automatically.
These numbers are approximate
This gives you the approximate carb amount. It is an approximate amount because GA values are listed as minimums and maximums.
For example, the GA is not guaranteeing the product is 8% protein. It guarantees that the minimum amount of protein is 8%. It could be higher.
That’s why you may see negative values at the end.
How much carbohydrates should cat food have?
The cat’s natural diet would consist of approximately 4-10% carbs on a dry matter basis. This comes from the stomach contents of prey since cats eat mainly herbivores.
Anything above 10% would be too high for cats. So that completely rules out all dry food. Feeding dry food only is not recommended for cats because of its high carbohydrate amount and low moisture content.
Why are carbs bad for cats?
Carbs are bad for cats because they are not essential to the cat’s diet. Isn’t it interesting that the organizations AAFCO, NRC, and FEDIAF do not list a minimum requirement for carbohydrates? That proves cats do not need them!
Cats must get their nutrition from animal protein and fat.
Carbs break down into sugar. And sugar promotes hunger, weight gain, and obesity-related health issues. Obese cats are at higher risk for very serious health-related issues including shortened lives.
But what if my cat is too picky to eat healthy food?
I prefer to say cats are cautious (not picky!) about food changes because this is a survival instinct that all cats have.
I’m sure you’ve noticed your cat meows for food at the same time every day. Or your cat uses the bathroom at the same time every day.
That’s because cats prefer routine and don’t like sudden changes.
On top of that, processed cat food is very addicting! Just like how we get addicted to sugary foods. I had a huge sugar addiction – bread, cookies, ice cream. Even when I gave up bread and sweets I became addicted to pistachios!
What’s the common theme here? High carbohydrates (aka sugar).
Cat food (especially dry) is high in carbohydrates.
Since cats are carnivores and don’t eat carbs… Pet food companies have to add flavor enhancers to the food so cats actually eat it.
Unfortunately, cats get addicted to these flavor enhancers. So then you try to put down fresh, healthy food (that doesn’t have flavor enhancers) your cat is like, “Gimme my junk food!”
We can still work with this though. Cats just require a gradual, slow upgrade to better and better quality ingredients.
So what’s the best low-carb cat food?
The best, healthiest, low-carb cat food is raw! A raw diet matches our cat’s natural whole prey diet the most. This is why I recommend raw food for cats as a pet nutritionist.
Raw diets are high in moisture, high in meat-based protein, low carb, and made with fresh, real ingredients that nourish our cats from the inside out.
Will a raw diet work for my picky cats?
Sandra had two kibble-addicted cats. Dirk is older and started to gain weight. Avery was young and healthy, but she had very picky eating habits.
Dirk had trouble jumping to his favorite spots, and Sandra started to worry that he would develop diabetes. And she didn’t want Avery to be a picky cat her whole life!
So Sandra started researching about cat food.
Sandra thought wet food would help because it is healthier than dry food.
But then she discovered raw feeding, and “it all started to make sense! This is what they eat in the wild, and would make them feel their best!!!”
She was excited to try raw, but she knew so little about how to transition them to this diet. And she didn’t know what to give them in the quantities they needed to be healthy.
Then Sandra found me and my course. She became a course member, and she followed my signature PURR blueprint.
My signature PURR blueprint works with your cat’s natural instincts. So you can focus on having fun with your cat instead of feeling stressed and overwhelmed dealing with a picky cat.
Sandra said, “This was such an indispensable tool. It eliminated any fears, or questions I had about the transition, making everything feasible, easy to understand and convenient.”
And now Dirk and Avery (previously two kibble-addicted cats) enjoy a healthy homemade diet! Sandra doesn’t worry about them not getting the nutrients they need. She’s confident that what she’s feeding is the best.
On top of that, Dirk lost weight naturally (no starving) and he’s more energetic and playful.
Sandra felt close to her cats before starting this journey. But her connection and bond with her cats is much stronger now than it was before.
Sandra and her cats (and so many others who work with me) have shown us that our cats need more real, fresh food. Processed foods are too high in carbs and cause more problems than it’s worth.
But healthy homemade raw cat food gives us complete control. We control the ingredients, the quality, and how it’s made.
And it’s amazing to see the results of a healthy homemade diet!
Sandra and so many other cat parents feel more empowered to know what’s good and what should be avoided for their cats.
And their cats are healthier because of it!
Ready to switch to healthy food for a happier cat?
Grab my Raw Feeding Cats Blueprint (video course or ebook) and get the same plan that Sandra and 337+ other cat parents used to switch their cats from processed food to a healthy homemade diet.