Green tripe is a powerhouse of nutrients. But what are the health benefits of green tripe for cats?
Do cats even like green tripe?
Green tripe has a powerful smell, but this smell may help your finicky cat eat again.
Never feed tripe from the grocery store. It’s cleaned, bleached, and scalded and offers no nutritional value.
Raw green tripe, however, is packed with nutrients, digestive enzymes, fatty acids, and probiotics that can help your cat’s immune system function.
Jericho loves green tripe!
Here’s what I’ll cover:
- What is green tripe?
- Do cats like green tripe?
- What are the benefits of green tripe for cats?
- Where to buy green tripe
- How often should you feed green tripe?
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What is green tripe?
Tripe is the stomach lining of ruminant animals.
Ruminant animals are four-legged hooved animals such as cow, goat, sheep, and deer.
Green does not necessarily refer to the color of the tripe. Although you may see it is slightly green.
Green tripe means the tripe has not been scalded or bleached.
Most tripe at the grocery store is bleached. It has very little nutritional value.
Never feed bleached tripe to your cat.
Raw green tripe, however, has a substantial amount of nutritional value.
Do cats like green tripe?
Some cats may not like green tripe at first because they don’t like change.
Most cats turn off new food simply because it’s new.
Offer small pieces of freeze-dried green tripe as treats. This can help your cat get used to the new food.
The nutritional benefits of green tripe are too large to ignore.
Start small and work your way up.
An important note. Green tripe is very stinky.
However, this aromatic smell may entice your cat to eat.
It might sound gross. But your cat will probably love it.
Some brands of freeze-dried green tripe treats don’t really smell.
What are the benefits of green tripe for cats?
There are many nutritional benefits of green tripe for cats.
Some say that green tripe is the perfect meal.
It offers a balance of nutrients, beneficial bacteria, and enzymes. It’s the perfect addition to a BARF and PMR diet.
Benefits include:
- High protein, moderate fat
- Calcium: phosphorus ratio of 1:1
- Acidic pH
- Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Digestive enzymes
High protein, moderate fat
The cat’s natural diet is a mouse.
One mouse is around 80% moisture. Plus 50-65% protein and 18-20% fat, on a dry matter basis.
Most raw green tripe is around 80% moisture. Plus 60% protein and 25% fat, on a dry matter basis.
Raw green tripe’s moisture, protein, and fat are a very close match to the mouse.
This is a perfect nutritional ratio of macronutrients.
Calcium: phosphorus ratio
Calcium and phosphorus are important for bones and teeth. The ratio of the two is equally as important.
Typically, the ideal ratio is 1.1:1. But calcium can vary between 0.9-1.5.
This ratio is important because it affects your cat’s health.
Too little calcium in the diet will result in calcium being pulled from bones. This can lead to weakness, seizures, and even death.
Too much calcium can lead to growth problems.
Green tripe offers a very close ratio of 1:1.
Acidic pH
The cat’s stomach is highly acidic. This high acidity helps with digestion.
It also helps fight bacteria and pathogens.
Green tripe has an acidic pH which can help digestion.
Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are crucial for healthy skin and coat.
Fatty acids also help regulate inflammation.
But these fatty acids require proper ratios as well.
Too much of these fatty acids can actually promote inflammation.
It can also negatively affect wound healing, immune function, and cause weight gain.
Raw green tripe has the correct proportions of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.
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Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus acidophilus is one of the intestinal bacteria that keep e-Coli, salmonella, and listeria from overpopulating.
So Lactobacillus acidophilus is a good bacteria.
Green tripe is essentially a probiotic!
These probiotics help the immune system function well. It can help those with digestive problems too.
Digestive enzymes
Green tripe naturally contains some pre-digested plant matter.
Ruminant animals are herbivores.
Green tripe also contains digestive enzymes that the ruminant animal would use to digest his food.
These same enzymes can help your cat digest his food.
Green tripe closely mimics the stomach content of prey.
Cats consume stomach contents to receive good bacteria, digestive enzymes, and fatty acids.
Overall, green tripe provides a lot of natural nutrients that are lacking in most commercial cat food.
Huge emphasis on natural.
Commercial cat foods are “complete and balanced” because they’re enriched with synthetic vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and preservatives.
Kibble is essentially meat-flavored cereal.
Where to buy green tripe
Again, most tripe at the grocery store is scalded and bleached.
Do not feed tripe from the grocery store. It offers no nutritional value.
You want to find a product that says “raw green tripe” and is from grass-fed animals. Avoid feedlots.
Best places to buy green tripe:
- Local farmer’s market (but probably unlikely since green tripe is not human-edible)
- Raw food co-op
- Raw pet food manufacturers
Make friends with the farmers at markets or search for a raw food co-op in your area.
Buy green tripe online:
Both options sell frozen ground green tripe and dehydrated treats.
Feline Natural sells freeze-dried green tripe treats and canned green tripe. They both stink!
Buy Feline Natural on:
New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. also sells freeze-dried green tripe treats. These do not stink. And they include green-lipped mussels.
Buy NZ Natural on:
How often should you feed green tripe?
Feed no more than 10% of your cat’s total food intake for the day when you feed tripe as treats. This can probably be fed daily since it is a small amount.
Green tripe is considered muscle meat as fed when you feed it as part of homemade cat food.
You can feed it as an entire meal, however, you may only do this a few times a week.
Green tripe is a powerhouse of nutrients, but balance and variety are important too.
Every cat is an individual.
You know your cat best so do what works for your cat.
I always recommend keeping a diary to see what’s working and what’s not working.
Knowing your cat intimately is the best tool you have for your cat’s health and happiness.
Final thoughts on green tripe for cats
Green tripe is a powerhouse of nutrients. It’s a great addition to naturally feeding your cat.
It provides the perfect amount of macronutrients, essential fatty acids, digestive enzymes, probiotics, and the correct calcium: phosphorus ratio.
Always buy green tripe from grass-fed animals. Never purchase bleached white tripe from the grocery store.
Some cats may turn off green tripe at first. But this is probably because it is new. Cats don’t like change.
However, the pungent aroma of green tripe may entice your cat to eat.
Raw ground green tripe can be fed as an entire meal a few times a week as part of your homemade diet.
Or feed freeze-dried green tripe as your cat’s daily allotment of treats.
Remember, start small with new foods, and work your way up gradually.
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