How Much Crude Fiber Should Be in Dry Cat Food?

Dry cat food contains only a small percentage of crude fiber because cats are obligate carnivores who don't require fiber in their diet. The actual percentage of fiber that dry cat food contains varies. Some formulas have more fiber than others, depending on the feline life stage and body type they're designed for. Weight-loss or hairball-control formulas contain higher amounts of fiber than others, while food designed for kittens contains much less.

  1. Crude Fiber

    • Crude fiber consists of insoluble plant materials such as cellulose, according to the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology. These are indigestible materials that help move stool through your cat's system and improve your cat's colon health. Crude fiber in cat food comes from sources like rice hulls, corn and corn byproducts, beet pulp, bran, peanut hulls and pectin, according to the Doctors Foster and Smith website. Because fiber is not considered essential to your cat's carnivorous diet, there are no minimum recommended amounts listed in the feeding profiles established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials. The AAFCO created these profiles through feeding trials to determine the amounts of essential nutrients your cat requires in his daily diet to stay healthy.

    Recommended Amounts

    • According to the National Research Council, the average cat food should contain no more than 10 percent fiber. While a little fiber is good, too much can actually decrease the digestibility of some necessary nutrients in a cat's diet because a cat doesn't digest fiber the same way a human does. Cats have a short digestive tract, small colon and non-functional cecum, all of which impede the way their bodies utilize fiber. For these reasons, the optimum levels for a crude fiber in the average cat's diet are only between 1.4 and 3.5 percent, Eukanuba recommends.

    Dietary Variations

    • Some high-fiber diets may contain anywhere from 7 to 13 percent crude fiber to help eliminate hairballs in kitties prone to them. High-fiber foods also keep an obese cat feeling full for a longer period of time after he eats. These types of dry food are still safe for your kitty to eat and may help him maintain a healthy weight more than lower-fiber foods with a higher calorie count. Kittens, on the other hand, need less than 5 percent crude fiber in their diet, with a larger percentage of fats and proteins to provide them with the extra calories they need to support their growing bodies, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. The same is true for nursing mothers and show cats who have high energy levels.

    Considerations

    • Check the label for the amount of crude fiber contained in your cat's dry food, which must be listed correctly as mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Generally, dry cat food is higher in crude fiber than canned cat food because it contains more fiber-rich grains. Keep in mind that the type of crude fiber listed in the ingredients is just as important as its percentage in the food and may affect how healthy it is for your kitty. Moderately fermentable fibers like beet pulp and pectin are better for your cat and don't cause symptoms like gas or tummy upset, says the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.