7 Reasons Why Dry Pellet Food Or Kibble Is Bad For Your Cat

Last Updated August 7, 2020

All cat owners know the dread of having uneaten kibble in the bowl; why so? Here are seven reasons why your cat is probably dreading the same thing, and why you should care about it.

Reason #1: Dry Pellet Food/Kibble Causes Urinary Tract Infection or Feline Urologic Syndrome (FUS).

Cats rarely drink water. They rely on their food for water intake. Pellet food or kibble, on the other hand, is too dry and could not supply the daily liquid intake of household cats. In fact, according to a study of the Journal of Nutrition, cats who feed on kibble are more prone to urinary tract infection due to this lack in moisture or water in their diet.

Reason #2: It Contains More Carbohydrates than Normal Wet Food - And Cats Cannot Handle High-Carb Diets.

Too much carbohydrates turn into sugar. Too much sugar causes diabetes. Dry pellet food contains more carbohydrates since pellet food use corn, grain and rice to produce. Cats, by nature, are more carnivore than dogs. They are not prepared for high-carbohydrate diets, and this could cause obesity and diabetes. Instead, cats should be fed with more high-protein (and wet!) diets.

Reason #3: Simply Put - It's Junk Food For Pets.

Junk food is never good for anyone - neither for humans nor pets. Studies from the British Journal of Nutrition show that dry pellet food is made up of processed and synthetic ingredients to make it dry, flavorful and easy to package. The ingredients listed in these products usually lose their vitamins and minerals as they are processed under extreme heat that makes them into these small solids. This essentially leaves your pet eating something that is actually a whole lot of nothing - exactly like junk food.

Reason #4: It Does Not Help Cats’ Dental Health.

Contrary to popular belief, dry pellets does not help your cat’s dental hygiene. Since pellets are small in size, cats either simply just swallow the food immediately or does very few chewing before hatching it down. Moreover, high content of carbohydrates are released when kibbles are in contact with saliva which advances the formation of tartar and plaque in your cat’s mouth.

Reason #5: It's Filled with Chemicals. Lots Of It.

Not only are these pellets processed, these pet foods are also sprayed with insecticides and high amounts of preservatives to extend the shelf-life of these products. Additionally, most kibbles are coated in harmful artificial flavorings and synthetic colors to make it more tasty for cats and visually appealing for humans. Do not be fooled by this. Just because your cat loves to eat kibble, it does not mean that it is good for them.

Reason #6: It is Prone to Fungus and Mycotoxin.

Since kibble or dried pellet food are not made for human consumption, the quality of the ingredients used are of low quality. These ingredients are not treated or sanitized properly before being processed which increases the chances of fungus, mold and other mycotoxins (toxic compounds created by fungi) to grow and spread in pellet food. When consumed, these fungi, mold, and other mycotoxins can be harmful for your pet’s digestion and for their liver. Mycotoxins are even known to be carcinogenic!

Reason #7: Kibbles Are Not Made To Take Care Of Your Cat.

It’s made to make money for the manufacturers. Since pet food manufacturers try to minimize cost in producing their goods, low quality ingredients such as damaged grain, expired ingredients and infected animals are used, which drops the price of your average pellet food. These ingredients are also exposed to high amounts of heat to turn it into the pellets which removes the nutrients it claims to have which makes it ultimately harmful to your beloved cats.

Kibbles may be low in cost, but also in value: chowing down on dry pellets doesn’t bring in the nutrition that our cats need. It’s time for us to consider if we get the bang for our buck when we feed our pets, and why it’s important to put in that extra thought for our pets to get the proper sustenance they need to stay strong and healthy.

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