So, I have had cats all of my life, close to 40 years. I have never actually lived in a place without a cat. In my adult life, I have always tried to take the responsibility to feed my cats properly, and healthfully. Various brands over the years. I had done research on nutritional values and content, amount of protein and fat, yada yada.
So almost a year ago, one of out male cats came down with a urinary infection. Vet trip, antibiotics, etc... So, the way I think, I went full boar into WHY this happened in the first place. Keeping reptiles, and being a very healthy long time type I diabetic, I am of the firm belief that 90%+ of all health problems are caused by something in the way that animal is cared for and fed. So, on to the cat UTI riddle.
Without going into everything, it's corn. It is a little more complicated than that, but I am now almost religiously convinced that corn as an ingredient in cat food is beyond bad news. Just evil. Think about it. I'll apologize for being a bit vulgar, but think of all the kid jokes about "corn in your poop", lol. If we have a hard time digesting it, omnivorous animals that can digest extremely complex grains and carbohydrates, how can a cat with a much shorter digestive tract, not designed to digest any carbs, get anything good out of that?
Since I have alleviated all foods with any corn in them, the differences are amazing. My 14-15 year old maine coon, is acting younger than she has since we took her in 6-7 years ago. All 3 cats are shedding less, more active, eating less, defecating less and more easily, and jut all around, "happier", if that makes sense.
The rest of the grains aren't as natural either, but the corn is awful. I use a combination of a low grain/carb corn free food and a completely grain free food. Note, allot of the "grain free" diets are loaded with potato, a cheap simple carb. That can't be all that great either. Easier to digest, but still wrong. Cats endocrine systems don't function like ours, they don't release insulin the same way, in response to carbohydrates, it's more moderate, in response to protein. That's why diabetes in cat's is becoming more and more common.