Well noticed, sometimes there are white hard pieces in our wet food. That's cartilage! Did you know that this is actually very healthy for your fluff ball? 😋  

What is cartilage?  

Cartilage is a smooth layer of tissue found on the ends of bones in joints. Cartilage allows the bone ends in our joints to slide over each other when we move. When we say cartilage is smooth, we really mean very smooth – like a layer of ice, but even smoother.  

Why is cartilage healthy?  

First and foremost, cartilage contains collagen. Collagen is a protein that occurs in connective tissue, skin, tendons, bones and therefore also in cartilage. This protein is very good for healthy and flexible joints: something our little tigers can use when they have to jump high!  

In addition, you will also find chondroitin in cartilage - a substance that many brands add extra to their diet for extra support of joints. By using cartilage, chondroitin is already supplied naturally. So super handy !  Chondroitin is the most abundant of those glycosaminoglycans in our cartilage. It ensures that water is retained in the tissue and therefore maintains its osmotic pressure, elasticity and suppleness.  

Why should your cat eat some cartilage now and then and can she digest those bits?  

Unlike dogs, cats are pure carnivores or meat eaters. For millions of years they have eaten nothing but the prey they could catch themselves.  
As tools for their hunting, cats have 30 teeth: 12 incisors, 4 canines, 10 premolars and 4 molars. Together with a set of sharp claws, they help the cat to catch and tear up prey.  

Even in the house, our cats are still little creeping tigers, right? Our little playful robbers enjoy chasing their cuddly toy or feather. Or maybe you even see them making the garden unsafe for birds or mice, which they proudly present to their owner once caught.  

We mentioned earlier that unlike dogs, cats are not omnivores. That's because despite the prepared bits of meat and treats they got from their human friends, cats have always remained very close to their wild nature. As a result, they have not evolved to live (and eat) with humans as much as dogs.  
For centuries they have survived on prey such as mice, rabbits and birds, but not on dry, low-fat, sugary and highly heated kibble.  
Have you ever seen your cat eat some blades of grass? That doesn't make him an omnivore 😉 he doesn't fill his belly with that though. 

Due to this limited adaptation to living with humans, a cat's teeth, intestines and digestive system are still designed to process meat.  
Sharp fangs are there for catching prey. The shape of their molars makes them excellent at crushing meat and bones. They have a large stomach, short intestines and a very small cecum. All this indicates that cats can eat a large amount of protein in a short time, which they can digest quickly and absorb easily.  

After all, the wild cat eats uncooked prey. Have you ever seen a lion roasting his antelope?!  

Of course, this does not mean that we have to go on a mouse hunt ourselves to provide our cats with good food. Good thing, too. However, we must be careful not to be tempted to feed our purring friend to human standards, such as food without chunks of meat, bone, or gristle.  

Well-composed food therefore mimics the natural prey of the cat and can therefore contain some harder pieces of cartilage now and then!  This not only makes your cat happy because it mimics their nature, but it is an important source of nutrition for their flexible joints.  

A cat is 100% carnivorous, which means that a cat lives on meat, bone (cartilage) and organs of prey animals. That's where your tiger thrives best, because prey animals provide everything a cat needs. So don't panic if you find a piece of cartilage in our diet.