Do indoor cats need more fiber

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated November 18, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Best High Fiber Cat Food

Kate Barrington / Cats.com

After studying how much fiber cats need, identifying appropriate fiber sources for cats, and researching the high-fiber cat food market, we recommend Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Funk in the Trunk Chicken in Pumpkin Consomme as the best high-fiber cat food on the market.

Most high-fiber foodsthink those marketed for indoor cats and hairball controlare bulked up with fiber and other plant ingredients your cat doesnt need. Too much fiber and too much plant matter can give your cat a smelly litter box and a troubled tummy. Thats the opposite of what you want.

The best high-fiber cat food supports your cats need for a carnivorous diet and provides just enough fiber to keep their gut healthy without weighing them down.

At a Glance: Best High-Fiber Cat Food to Buy in 2024

Want a quick look at the products reviewed in this article? In the comparison table below, weve highlighted some of the most important features of each product. Youll find more detailed information about each product later in the article.

Overall Best

10.0

Picked by 31 people today!

Popular among cats with digestive issues
Higher fiber content than most wet foods
Low carbohydrate content

Runner Up

9.8

Picked by 31 people today!

Primarily made from animal protein
Contains a mix of insoluble and soluble fiber, including prebiotic fiber
Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives

Budget Pick

9.5

Picked by 25 people today!

Rich in animal-sourced protein
Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
A relatively economical buy

Premium Pick

9.4

Picked by 21 people today!

Made with a single source of animal protein
Pumpkin provides supplemental fiber
Very low in carbohydrates

Best Dry Food

9.3

Picked by 18 people today!

Formulated to support digestive health
Multiple animal sources of protein and fat
Supplemented with probiotics

Best Prescription

9.2

Picked by 18 people today!

Primarily made from animal protein sources
Contains prebiotic fiber to support digestive health
Made with fish oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids

Why Trust Cats.com

Before selecting products to test, I performed in-depth research and consulted veterinary experts to determine what role fiber plays in feline digestion. Using that information, I selected products and tested them at home with my two cats, Wessie and Forest.

In addition to considering fiber content, I selected cat foods with essential qualities like plenty of species-appropriate animal protein, high moisture content, and minimal carbohydrate matter. Theyre made with safe, high-quality ingredients and are created by reputable companies. Some are formulated with digestive health in mind, offering additional support for a smooth move through the digestive system.

On top of testing these products, I read customer reviews to assess their overall customer satisfaction. I also researched the brands to determine their trustworthiness and history of safe, quality manufacturing.

Top 6 High-Fiber Cat Foods

The best high-fiber cat food acknowledges your cats carnivorous biology and provides just enough fiber to keep their gut healthy without weighing them down. Weve chosen Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Funk in the Trunk for its meat-centric formula and easy digestibility. But its not the ideal choice for every cat.

If your cat requires high-fiber cat food for therapeutic reasons, follow your veterinarians dietary advice. Otherwise, one of the recommendations below might be a good fit. Weve categorized them by food type, price, and other key considerations to help you narrow down the options.

Things to Consider When Buying High-Fiber Cat Food

Cats are carnivores who live on flesh, fat, and bones. The natural feline diet doesnt involve cellulose powder, dried tomato pomace, or flaxseed. In contrast to the fiber fermentation machines that are herbivores, cats have short digestive tracts and their bodies dont spend much time fermenting what they eat.

But they do need a little fiber. When cats consume prey in the wild, they ingest all sorts of indigestible matterhair, claws, teeth, and connective tissue. Though its not fiber in the traditional sense, this indigestible stuff ferments in a cats colon and aids digestion. Since most people are unable or unwilling to add back this indigestible animal matter, plant fiber works instead.

Here are some things to consider when shopping for high-fiber cat food.

There Are Two Types of Fiber

Both soluble and insoluble fiber help to promote healthy digestion. Soluble fiberderived from plant pectin and gumscan help regulate blood sugar, which may be a benefit for diabetic cats. Insoluble fiber or cellulose draws water into the stool, making it easier to pass.

Both types of fiber feed good bacteria in the gut, working together to promote regular digestion. A little bit of fiber is essential to keep your cats gut happy and healthy. But while a pinch of fiber is a friend for your cats GI tract, theres no need to fill your cat up with piles of fiber.

Dont Assume More Fiber is the Solution

On top of the fact that most cat food has more fiber than cats need, cat food companies market fiber as a solution to problems that it either isnt the best solution to or simply cant solve. For example, although fiber helps promote fullness, your overweight cat may not need a high-fiber diet to stay satisfied and lose weight.

Neither does your hairball-prone cat need more fiber to sweep hair through their digestive tract. Fiber is not a broom and your cat doesnt need to be swept like a kitchen floor. Its normal for cats to eat hair, whether its their preys hair or their own. That hair moves through the GI tract and comes out in the stool. Frequent hairball hacking is indicative of deeper digestive problems, not a fiber deficiency.

Excessive Fiber Intake Could Cause Problems

Too much fiber could inhibit the secretion of pancreatic enzymes that digest protein, decreasing nutrient absorption and, ultimately, making your cat less healthy. Elisa Katz, DVM says that shes seen this problem in many cats fed a commercial prescription diet known to be high in fiber. Their coats become dry and flaky and their stools become huge.

If, after switching your cat to one of the above foods or something similar, your cat is still having digestive issues, more fiber isnt the answer. There are likely deeper issues at play.

Speak with your veterinarian if youre thinking about switching your cat to a high-fiber food. Your vet will consider your cats overall health and current diet to determine whether a high-fiber food might be a good fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much fiber do cats need?

Cats dont have specific nutritional requirements for fiber. A wild whole-prey diet consists of indigestible matter which, in a commercial cat food diet, is generally replaced by plant-based fibers. Dietary fiber requirements may vary depending on your cats diet health status.

Do indoor cats need more fiber?

No. In fact, most normal dry cat foodsnot even those marketed as high-fiber or indoor foodshave more fiber than a cats natural diet would ever include. A cats natural diet of fresh, whole rodents would be about 0.55% fiber. Compare that to the 4% fiber content of a standard dry food or the 9-10% fiber content of the typical indoor cat food.

How do I add fiber to my cats food?

Cats with certain health conditions may benefit from a temporary increase in fiber intake. If your veterinarian recommends it, one of the simplest methods is to add small amounts of unsweetened canned pumpkin puree to your cats normal food.

Do Cats Need Fiber In Their Diet?

Yes and no. Cats need fiber in their diet, but not the kind of fiber that we know. You see, cats are very strict carnivores. This is despite claims that thousands of years of evolutionary development has brought changes to the way cats eat. Their digestive tract remains that of a carnivore. Feeding it plant-based fibers will bring no measurable benefits. But feeding your cat animal-based fibers can lead to better fatty acid profile and a reduction in toxins.

A Carnivores Digestive Anatomy

A cats digestive tract is short. It is shorter than the digestive tract of a dog or any other omnivore. The entire length of the feline digestive tract can be 2.5 to 3 times its body length. As such, if you have a cat that is 16 inches long, you can expect its digestive tract to be anywhere from 40 inches to 48 inches. By contrast, a dog that is 20 inches long will have a digestive tract that can extend from 60 to 70 inches. When we say the digestive tract, this is from the mouth where digestion begins and terminates in the anus where feces passes through.

This is not everything, though. Since digestion begins in the mouth, cats do not have salivary amylase which can digest carbohydrates. Carbs are the main components of plant foods. This alone is enough reason why carnivores like cats dont eat plants.

As the food moves into the cats stomach, powerful gastric acids break up everything including bones. At the level of the small intestines, further digestion takes place. It is also this section where nutrient absorption occurs.

The colon draws water from the remaining food material. Depending on how fast the food slurry moves through the gut, the feces can be super-hard, soft but firm, or watery.

Related Post: High Fiber Cat Food

The Carnivores Diet

When wild cats and other carnivores feed in the wild, they feast on the flesh and bones of prey animals first. The skin of these prey animals also contain fiber in the form of body hair. As carnivores devour the carcass, the last item on their menu is the carcass gut. This contains plant fibers.

This is the reason why many folks think that it is okay to give cats plant-based fibers. What they fail to understand is that the plant fibers present in the gut of prey animals are already digested by the animal. Cats and other carnivores no longer need to digest these plant fibers because they are readily available.

Most prey animals are either herbivores or omnivores. Their digestive system is well-built to process plant food including fiber. So, when carnivores eat these prey animals, the plant fibers present in the gut already comes in a processed form.

In most cases, however, the cat will leave the stomach and intestinal contents of the prey animal. It is as if they already know that they dont need it.

Animal Versus Plant Fibers

Animal-based fibers come in the form of ligaments, cartilage, tendons, bones, and fur of prey animals. These are items that undergo partial or incomplete digestion. Because they do not undergo complete digestion, they act as intestinal fibers. Fastidious cats that groom themselves all the time also tend to lick off loose hair and ingest it. These turn into the hairball that many pat parents are wary of. This can also be an example of an animal fiber.

There is an interesting study in 2012 where captive cheetahs were fed a special diet that consists of whole-prey rabbits and raw beef. These animals were able to produce healthier fatty acid profiles after a month on the special diet. The animals also have lower concentrations of toxic metabolites. The feces are also less odorous and come in smaller sizes.

There is now a debate among pet lovers that is the consequence of the study. People are asking whether or not plant-based fibers can replicate the benefits of animal fibers.

Plant fibers come in different types. There are those that are soluble and very easy to ferment. These plant-based fibers act like a massive gel that attracts water. They add moisture into the cats feces to make it move through the gut faster. As such, these types of fiber are good for cats that have constipation. This type of fiber is also good for the production of short-chain fatty acids. Intestinal bacteria ferment the plant-based fibers to produce these fatty acids. For more options head over to our guide on cat food for constipation.

There are also plant-based fibers that are very slow to ferment and are insoluble. What these plant fibers do is that they slow down the movement of stool through the gut. They also increase the bulk of the fecal matter to help in its evacuation. This type of plant-based fibers is good for cats with diarrhea.

Should You Include Plant Fibers in Your Cats Diet?

Because of their role in the management of either diarrhea or constipation in cats, we may think that our cats need plant fibers. This is not always the case.

Cats feeding on exclusive raw, whole-prey diets tend to have smaller yet more-formed stools. The odor of their stool is also not as strong as the stool of cats that consume commercial cat food. This can help minimize attracting other cats into the home. Whole prey cat diets also provide better fatty acid profiles.

Whole prey animals contain about 0.55% plant fibers. This is already in its fully-digested form. By contrast, the average fiber content in dry cat food is about 5 percent. This is almost 10 times higher than what cats need. Wet cat foods, on the other hand, come with an average of 0.5 to 0.6 percent fiber. The reason why dry cat food contains more fiber than wet varieties is pure economics. It is a lot cheaper to use more fibers to increase the bulk of the kibble.

If you cannot give your cat raw, whole-prey animal as its diet, then you should give it wet cat food. This provides the right amount of dietary fiber that your cat may need. As such, if youre feeding your cat the right food, then there is no need to add fiber in its diet.