Can a Grain-free Diet Help Stop Cats from Bringing Home Dead Animals?

Does your cat like to bring you home ‘gifts’ from their hunt? For some cat parents, it can be quite unsettling when your cat brings home dead, or partially dead animals on a regular basis.

It is often questioned why domestic cats, particularly those who are well-fed, still hunt and kill other wildlife. Recently, a study published in the journal Current Biology, delved into the potential reasons why this still happens.

Over 300 domestic cats took part in the study, which saw scientists introduce variations in diet and activity to certain groups, then reviewed the impact on the cats hunting routines.

The Results

The study found that cats who were fed higher protein, grain-free cat food deposited 1/3 fewer mouse and bird corpses during the time of the study. Cats who were introduced to an extra 5-10 minutes of playtime with hunt-simulating toys (toys which allow them to pounce, stalk and chase) deposited ¼ less corpses.

What is a grain-free diet?

Grain-free cat food is food that doesn’t contain common grains such as rice, wheat and barley. Grain based carbohydrates are not part of a cat’s natural diet, so removing them gives a cat a more biologically appropriate nutritional balance.

Some grains are replaced with vegetable carbohydrates (such as peas or sweet potato) so your cat will still get their essential carbohydrates from more easily digestible sources.

Where can I find grain-free cat food?

Some branded grain-free food is available in supermarkets, however more specialist pet stores will be able to offer a wider range of grain-free recipes (particularly if your cat has favourites!) Our Pets & Friends nutritional experts are always on hand in store to help you make the best choice for your cat when it comes to grain-free options.

Taste of the Wild Cat Food features all grain-free recipes, for all life stages. In every recipe, the first ingredient is from real meat, fish or fowl offering higher protein content than some other brands.

Wellness CORE cat food also features a huge range of grain-free wet and dry cat food recipes featuring delicious sources of protein including human grade cuts of meat and fish.

You can shop our full range of grain-free cat food online, or head to your nearest store where you can also speak to our nutritional experts about Taste of the Wild PREY cat food.