Are cats well adapted to a high grain or carbohydrate diet?
To a certain degree. Cats do have the ability to utilize grains and carbohydrates in foods. However, as obligate carnivores their digestion and metabolism are more suited to high meat diets rather than carbohydrates. For example, cats lack a sweet taste receptor, lack salivary amylase (enzyme to break down simple sugars), and have lower activity of carbohydrate specific digestive and metabolic enzymes (Zoran, 2002).
