Cat Food

Nutritional Requirements

Cats have special nutritional requirements, which are very different from the needs of dogs and people. Domestication has changed the behavior and appearance of cats, but not their digestive systems. They still have exactly the same nutritional needs that they have in the wild, and their food must precisely meet these needs or disease and organ failure will quickly take over.

Obligate Carnivores

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that they must eat meat in order to survive. They are pure predators, and their diet in the home must mimic what they eat in the wild in order for them to be healthy. Good cat food must have the same nutrients in the same proportions as whole prey. Natural prey animals for cats are rodents, birds, insects, and sometimes amphibians. It's actually a myth that fish are standard fare for cats.

Carbohydrates and Vegetables

As cats evolved, their digestive systems adapted to accommodate the available food, therefore all food must be high in protein from good meat sources, not by-products. Their systems have very little use for plant matter and carbohydrates. Premium cat food does not contain grains and contains very little vegetable matter.

Vitamins, Minerals, and Amino Acids

Because the nutrients that cats need are already present in whole prey, their systems do not convert and produce necessary nutrients from their foods, but rely on the prey’s digestive system to do this for them. Many amino acids, vitamins and minerals necessary for life must be readily available in a commercial feline diet. Taurine, Arginine, Vitamin A, and magnesium are some examples of necessary additives, but there are many more.

Water

Natural prey is sixty-five to seventy-five percent water. Domesticated cats evolved from desert cats where little water is available, so their bodies are adapted to extracting water from prey as their primary source of hydration.

Dry food contains very little water, so cats who eat dry food must increase their water intake in order to avoid dehydration, although many cats will not drink enough water to compensate. Their systems were not designed for the need to drink large amounts of water and it does not come naturally to them. Canned food has a significantly higher moisture content, so a diet that consists primarily of canned food will help prevent dehydration.

Choosing The Best Cat Food

Choosing the best food can be challenging. It is ultimately a balancing act between the best nutrition available and what you can afford.

Canned and Dry Food

When selecting a commercial cat food, there are some basic rules to keep in mind.

• Always buy food with real, named meat sources such as chicken or beef, not “meat” or "meat by-products".
• Avoid foods with the preservatives ethoxyquin, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), which are highly toxic. Tocopherol (vitamin E) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) are safe preservatives.
• Cat food should have little or no grains and only a small amount of vegetables.
• Change brands and varieties of food from time to time to avoid a chronic nutritional deficiency, and to prevent the development of food allergies.

Raw Food

A raw diet made from human grade foods and supplements is much healthier than commercial cat food, but only those who truly understand the nutritional needs of cats should attempt a homemade diet for their cat. It is very easy to get the nutrients out of balance and seriously compromise your cat’s health. Prepared raw diets can be purchased for cats online.

Whole Prey

The best diet for cats consists of exactly what they would eat in the wild – whole prey. Some people purchase live mice for their cats to kill and eat, or buy frozen mice to feed to their cats. Other prey animals, such as birds and insects, should occasionally be included in a whole prey diet. This is by far the most nutritionally appropriate diet, but not realistic for most cat owners.

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