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rice

Can Cats Eat Rice?

Most of the cat owners are very concerned about feeding their cats. Of course, they need to know about the feline nutrition. Generally, cats are completely carnivores, and they may not prefer grains.  Just a little amount of green vegetables and some other foodstuffs may be necessary. Cats depend on those diets, which comprise everything, related to the meat or the bones. And just like with humans, cats should not be fed with ice cream always, too.

Traditional-minded veterinarians sometimes state that commercial-grade diets may be better than home-made meals, as the commercial ones have balanced nutrition, whereas home cooked ones can lead to nutritional diseases and deficiencies. The truth is completely the opposite that is seen in many cases. First of all, it is actually not difficult to supply a good, nourishing fresh food, which you make. Some people purchase pet food on the basis of how the food name suggests them.

Again, though it is said that the grains are usually not necessary for the cats, many cat owners think of giving rice to their cats. However, there are some controversies on whether the rice is beneficial to the cats. Some say that uncooked rice is not well for cats, while other state that the rice in reasonable proportions may assist the digestion of your cat and provide it with the energy that is necessary to chase anything or to jump on the countertops.

Uncooked Rice and its Effects

Just as in case of humans, the rice that is uncooked is not any good idea, the same thing can be said for your kitty as well. Firstly, it is not extremely tasty. Besides, this is not very simple to digest unlike the cooked rice. Thus, it may lead to bloating as well as pain in stomach.

More significantly, the rice that is not cooked may consist of the lectin (natural pesticide), which may bring about food-poisoning-kind of syndromes, for example, vomiting and diarrhea, while consumed in huge quantities. It is best to feed the cat only some amount of rice. However, ensure that it is first completely cooked. There is a legend, which states that rice may puff up to such an extent that the stomach of your pet may explode. However, you do not need to be concerned, while the cat by mistake consumes uncooked rice. But, try to keep the cat away from any yeast bread that may swell in the stomach and lead to serious aching.

Is Rice Bran Safe for your Cats?

Some foods for cat include brown rice. Unfortunately, a research observed that brown rice reduces taurine (amino acid of cats and available in meat) while fed to pets. As brown rice comprises the bran, scientists considered that it can cause issues. Often, cat food makers add artificial taurine to the foods, as a deficiency of taurine can lead to blindness.

There are many cat food manufacturers that apply brown rice as a component. Some of them are used as weight control foods; while many of these are also dry foods. Obviously, dry type of food may be bad for your pet. However, the issue of brown rice is, in fact, worth noting. Some study denotes that foods, which consist of brown rice, involve extra taurine. While you feed your pet dry food, you can consider either canned or home-made food.

Rice Can Give Some Benefits to Cats

Rice, in fact, seems to be one of the grains that can be easy to digest, thus it may help to provide the pet with a few calories, while it is experiencing the upset stomach. Cook the rice in soup of and then cut up small bits of cooked meat to nourish the pet. Rice may also provide fiber to the meal, allowing the feline animal to be regular in the excretion process. The carbohydrates, present in rice, may also supply energy to the cat to help it in staying lively and playful all the time. Also read: Can cats have strokes?

Problems

Rice, however, has also some negative character as the filler item in any processed food of cat. Your kitty is carnivorous animal and it needs or craves for meat. Providing the cat with excessive rice may fill up its stomach before it obtains adequate protein for the body to work well. With moderation amount, rice may be useful to the digestion of a cat. However, when most part of the diet includes rice, the cat may turn out to be malnourished rapidly.

How Much Rice to be Given?

If you are preparing the cat’s food on your own, then make certain that there are almost fifty percent of the components that come from products like meat. Add almost twenty five percent of rice. Besides, sprinkle some vegetables. While you are buying cat’s food, verify the elements with care. Even when the foremost component is some meat product, still there may be more amounts of grains than animal protein. Thus, look at the remaining parts of the ingredients carefully.