So – you’re on the hunt for a probiotic for cats and everything you see says “for dogs and cats”. Makes you wonder if both species have the same digestive system – right? Dog… cat – same, same? Nope. No, they’re not. Now, I understand that many natural products are good for all mammals, but has anyone actually specifically researched how probiotics work in cats?
Almost unbelievably – Yes! They sure have!
Research on cats is almost impossible to find – but we’re lucky enough to know a pet research junkie who always keeps an eye out for our kitties too! Pet influencer and social media celebrity, Rodney Habib, sent me this study that was performed on age-related changes in intestinal microbiota of cats – showing that certain strains of bacteria are significantly more beneficial to cats.
We’re are big advocates of using probiotics on your cats regularly – to help support a healthy microbiome in their gut. After all, the health of the gut often determines the health of the immune system. But learning there are specific strains of bacteria in probiotics, just for our kitties? This is exciting new news!
Since I’m a bit of a geek, I love reading this stuff. Equally, I love learning about how cats can differ from other species. I also love that this study helps all of us in the pet health world better differentiate between the natural needs of cats and dogs – and specific products for each!
The study was done on 50 healthy cats – 10 cats each in 5 different age ranges.
What did the study show?
“The results suggested that the composition of the feline intestinal microbiota changes with age, while the changes were different from those of humans and dogs. Bifidobacteria which are predominant in human intestine or lactobacilli which are predominant in dog intestine, did not appear to be important in cat intestines. Enterococci, instead, seem to be major lactic acid producing bacteria in cats.“
So – this study teaches us that our kitties really are extra special and – believe it or not – different than dogs! Now we only give our kitties a probiotic supplement if it includes the ‘entercocooi’ strain of bacteria in its list of ingredient. Sure – it takes a little time to read thought the long list of probiotic bacterium – but a healthy gut and strong immune system for our babies is so worth it!
Best Probiotics for Your Cat
Recent Comments