Probiotics for Cats: What are they and what are the benefits?
Probiotics are hot right now with kombuchas and kefirs a plenty. Substantial studies have and are currently being conducted on the impact for humans. To date relatively little research has been conducted on the benefits of probiotics for cats (and dogs) but the recent surge in interest for humans should see this change to benefit our pets and our own health. From our own experience with our pets, we strongly believe that good health begins in the gut for cats, dogs and humans alike, and probiotics can be helpful tools to keep the gut in check.
Read on to understand the benefits of adding probiotics for cats.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics, not to be confused with prebiotics, are live bacteria and yeasts which maintain the balance of microflora in the gut. Prebiotics feed probiotics promoting their growth or activity.
Benefits of probiotics for cats
Daily use of probiotics helps to support a healthy gut microbiota which helps keep your kitty happy and healthy in a number of ways. Here are some of the benefits of probiotics for cats…
Better stools
Let’s face it in the pet world, sh*t matters! One of the most recent studies on the benefits of probiotics for cats and dogs shows changes in stool quality, with firmer and fewer stools for both cats and dogs.
Support immune systems
Our cat's need ingredients like probiotics to help them grow, develop and build a healthy immune system. These can be found in our Chicken Paté.
Aids digestion
It all happens in the gut, and through keeping your gut healthy, probiotics aid digestion, helping to breakdown food and absorb nutrients. Probiotics can help to settle sensitive stomachs and help with bowel movements, reducing transit time and improving stool consistency.
Weight management
The gut microbiota differs among obese kitties versus their healthier counterparts. While probiotics won’t reduce your kitty’s weight alone, they can work wonders in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise, to keep your cats gut healthy and ensure they absorb all essential nutrients from their food. Probiotics can also boost your kitty’s energy levels, encouraging them to get out and about more helping burn off some of those excessive calories.
Can I give my cat human probiotics?
We know human toothpaste is toxic for our pets and that cats cannot eat cheese, but a probiotic is a probiotic right? Not quite, not all probiotics are the same and will impact differently. Similarly, our digestive system is very different to a cat’s digestive system, which differs again to that of a dog. Most vets agree that giving your cat human probiotics is unlikely to cause any harm but it’s unlikely to do any good either, so stick to a probiotic that’s specifically designed for cats.
What are the best probiotics for cats?
Enteroccocus faecium is the probiotic strain that has been tested to demonstrate the above benefits in cats (and dogs). It’s important that probiotics are live so steer clear from any wet cat foods that claim to have probiotics as these will likely be killed during the cooking process (as normally they're cooking in the trays or pots they're served in).
How should I serve my cat probiotics?
We offer a range of high meat and natural probiotic cat food, packed with over a billion probiotics per kg, plus up to to 77% proper meat. Choose from tasty Chicken and Salmon, just Chicken or for the young'uns we offer a Probiotic Kitten Food recipe too.
The proof is in the poops
The proof is always in the poop, so check out some of these felines pawsome poop improvements after feeding Scrumbles:
"I'd been trying for a while to find food that suited my two kittens, as they both seemed to have loose poos with the big brands. I saw adverts for Scrumbles on social media and thought I'd give it a go. The kittens seem to really like it and the consistency of their poo has definitely improved. It's well worth spending the extra money for." Tanya Bulin, Scrumbles Customer
"I can’t believe the difference this has made to my fussy, sensitive cat. She loves the wet food, especially when I put some dry crunchies on top, and her poo is transformed! Such a relief! And very cost-effective as well. She was eating 3-4 packs of regular wet food per day but now is very satisfied with one tub of Scrumbles and some dry food. Thank you!" Anonymous, Scrumbles Customer
"My kitten has had stomach issues for a while but since I switched to scrumble he not only loves it but his poo is all good too!! The best part was the delivery only took 1 day and half and boum it was at my door!! Great food great service thanks!!" Farah, Scrumbles Customer
Any questions? If you want to learn more about what we put in our food (and what we don’t put in), don’t hesitate to contact us at hello@scrumbles.co.uk.
