In a study conducted by Tufts, grain-free diets were compared to diets with grain. While 73 percent of manufacturers producing dry cat food in the United States now have at least one grain-free product, there’s little evidence of differential benefits or a reduction in allergies.
. . . food allergies are relatively rare in pets, particularly from grains. Rather, the source of food allergies that actually do occur tend to be from animal-sourced ingredients such as beef, dairy and chicken, found in both grain-containing and grain-free pet foods. And there have been no studies documenting gluten intolerance in cats.
Source: Tufts Catnip, December 2017. Link.
Ingredients do matter, but not within the sole context of whether a cat’s food is grain-free or grain-containing. Rather, it’s about what is in the mix in terms of calories, protein, carbohydrates, serving size and ingredients.
Also see: Cats are obligate carnivores, Animal Health Digest, June 11, 2019. Link.
INSIGHTS: These are good references to help cat owners understand that cat food is about serving their cats’ nutritional needs.