Why is the cecum reduced or absent in many carnivores?

In the order Carnivora, the cecum—a blind pouch attached to the intestine—is typically reduced or absent because of the nature of the carnivore diet.1

Animal tissues are generally simpler to digest than plant tissues, which contain complex cellulose that requires specialized fermentation. Because carnivores rely on a diet with a high proportion of meat, they do not require the extensive intestinal folding or the large, fermentation-heavy cecum found in many herbivores that utilize hindgut fermentation to break down plant matter. Consequently, the carnivore digestive tract is characterized by less-complex stomach compartmentalization and a decrease in the overall length and surface area of the intestine.12