Choosing the right form of food for your pet is a real challenge, it is the eternal problem of most pet owners. In this article, we will try to tell you what you should pay attention to when choosing cat food.
Cats are very different from dogs. It is important to pay attention to these differences, because they have a very large impact on the health of our beloved pets.
- Most cats do not drink water: Unlike dogs, cats do not drink water. Of course there are exceptions, but most of them don’t. Therefore, it is very important that the food we give our cat has the right amount of water.
- The cat’s body does not cope well with the metabolic processing of carbohydrates.
The liver enzymes that enable their metabolism are inactive in feline livers. The best option seems to be buying food without grains and added sugars. Look for foods labeled grain or gluten free. - Cats eat much more than dogs. Therefore, it is important to provide them with adequate amounts of food.
- Cats can’t handle plant foods. Cat saliva lacks amylase, which is essential for the digestion of plant foods.
So how do you feed your cat?
Cats eat much more often than dogs, so a mixed diet is a very good solution. When we are at home, it is worth giving wet food. Remember not to leave it in the bowl for the whole day as it can spoil and harm our cats.
We therefore recommend a so-called mixed diet. That is, combining wet food that will ensure adequate hydration and of course provide the necessary nutrients with dry food. A diet consisting of both wet and dry food is much more varied, less nutritious and prevents the cat from becoming bored of a stagnant diet.
Advantages of wet food for your pet
The advantage of wet food is its high moisture, which is very beneficial for animals that drink little. By feeding wet food, we can increase the hydration of the cat’s body, which contributes to increasing the dilution and volume of urine and reducing the risk of urinary stones.
Advantages of dry food for your pet
Dry food for cats is very popular due to the convenience of use and easy storage – it does not spoil as quickly as wet food. In addition, good quality dry food provides animals with all the nutrients. Unfortunately, eating only this type of food can result in dehydration and urinary tract diseases. This includes, for example, cats that drink little.
Dry food helps to maintain good condition of the cat’s teeth and mouth. Appropriately selected in terms of size, the food granules contribute to the mechanical abrasion of the bacterial plaque.
Well, what should you pay attention to when choosing food
- It is worth paying attention to whether the food we choose contains taurine. Taurine is one of the most important ingredients in a cat’s diet. It plays an important role in the proper development and general well-being of the pet. A deficiency of taurine in a cat’s diet can lead to weakness, health problems, and in extreme cases, even to the death of the animal.
- Cats, as absolute carnivores, require adequate amounts of meat and animal products in their food, because only they are the source of some essential nutrients for cats.
- When we talk about the quality of cat food, we mainly mean its composition. A good product should contain all the nutrients that the animal needs for proper development and a healthy life. The easiest way is to read the labels.
The shorter and easier to understand for us, the certainty that we choose a good product. It is no secret that manufacturers of dry food add various flavor enhancers to it. These are chemicals that a cat can become addicted to. It works exactly the same as with human chips. - Remember to match the food to the age and condition of your pet, a young kitten needs much more meat than, for example, sterilized cats. An increase in appetite may be observed in sterilized cats, although their energy requirements are lower than before the procedure. These foods are balanced for the right amount of energy and reduced fat content.
Some foods, have a reduced level of fat, which helps maintain a healthy weight, some also have L-carnitine, which helps to balance the energy provided in the food and stored in the body. L-carnitine combined with exercise accelerates the burning of fat in the tissues and strengthens the cat’s vitality. This is also especially important for cats with a tendency to gain weight.
It is also worth reducing the caloric content of meals. Research estimates that sterilized cats need about one-third fewer calories than unsterilized cats. A tendency to lower urinary tract diseases can be observed in sterilized cats. That is why it is worth choosing foods dedicated to sterilized cats, e.g. cranberries – are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. In addition, cranberries provides excellent prophylaxis of the urinary tract, protects against irritation, helps fight bacterial infections. If your cat has frequent bladder inflammation or litter box mishaps, be sure to enrich its diet with cranberries ‘enhanced food. - Cats are more likely than dogs to have their own taste preferences. If the cat eats only one type of food and has not had the opportunity to try a different taste, rather than an aversion to different foods. Such behavior should not be underestimated. The problem will get worse and eventually the cat will not want to eat anything other than a specific type of food. This will make it difficult to expand his diet, e.g. with aging or convalescence after surgery.
We hope you have found this article useful. TropiCat can provide the correct nutrition for your cat.