Editing Kitten (section)

==== Carbohydrates ====
Felines are natural carnivores and do not intentionally consume large quantities of carbohydrates. The domestic cat's liver has adapted to the lack of carbohydrates in the diet by using amino acids to produce glucose to fuel the brain and other tissues.<ref>Schermerhorn, T. (2013). Normal glucose metabolism in carnivores overlaps with [[diabetes]] pathology in non-carnivores. ''Frontiers in endocrinology'', ''4''.</ref>   Studies have shown that carbohydrate digestion in young kittens is much less effective than that of a mature feline with a developed gastrointestinal tract.<ref>Harper, E. J., & Turner, C. L. (2000). Age-related changes in apparent digestibility in growing kittens. ''Reproduction, Nutrition, Development'', ''40''(3), 249-260</ref> Highly digestible carbohydrates can be found in commercial kitten food as a source of additional energy as well as a source of fiber to stimulate the immature gut tissue. Soluble fibre such as beet pulp is a common ingredient used as a fibrous stool hardener and has been proven to strengthen intestinal muscles and to thicken the gut mucosal layer to prevent diarrhea.<ref>Fukunaga, T., Sasaki, M., Araki, Y., Okamoto, T., Yasuoka, T., Tsujikawa, T., ... & Bamba, T. (2003). Effects of the soluble fibre pectin on intestinal cell proliferation, fecal short chain fatty acid production and microbial population. ''Digestion'', ''67''(1-2), 42-49.</ref>