We are what we eat”: this well-known principle can also be applied to our cats. But how do you find the right food for our paw friend? What nutrients does it need and, more generally, is there a “perfect food”? Finding the right food for ourscats may seem complicated: this is the impression you get by surfing the net, reading the various forums on the subject or delving into specialized literature. Raw feeding, home cooking, wet food, kibble: which of these options guarantees my pet the right vitamins and all the minerals he needs to live long and in good health? Which diet best suits the nature of our beloved home felines? Surely these are questions that sound familiar to you: whether you have lived with a cat for years or are just starting out, it doesn’t change much. It is an ever-current issue. The good news is, you can relax – feeding your cat properly doesn’t have to be complicated.
Summary
- The nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates and fats
- Vitamins and minerals
- Food for cats: types
- Ready-made foods
- Change power
- Raw feeding
- Home cooking
- Which type of nutrition is best suited to my cat?
The nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates and fats
In order to grow and remain healthy once an adult, the cat’s body needs various nutrients. If the nutrients necessary for the formation of a robust bone structure, the regeneration of muscles and the creation of new nerve fibers are lacking, the entire organism of the animal loses its balance, with the consequent onset of pathologies and food sensitivities. But what does a cat actually need? We know that the typical prey of the wild cat, the mouse, is composed of about 65%. of water. The remainder, i.e. the dry one, is made up of 50-60% proteins, 20-30% fats, 3-8% carbohydrates and 6-8% minerals.This proportion should be the key benchmark when making a species-appropriate cat food. Incidentally, scientific tests have shown that our domestic cats prefer and spontaneously orient themselves towards foods that have the typical nutritional composition of the mouse. As if to say that cats know exactly what is “good” for them.
Proteins
It seems obvious that the high percentage of protein, in addition to fat, is the most important source of energy for the cat, which is a strict carnivore. The highly digestible proteins that our domestic feline feeds on consist mainly of animal proteins, whereas muscle meat contains more proteins than connective tissue.
Carbohydrates
Cats can only assimilate carbohydrates to a very limited extent! However, this does not mean that carbohydrates are completely superfluous: among them there are dietary fibers or crude fibers which are not digestible by the cat, but regulate the activity of his intestine. In any case, cat food should contain a very limited amount of carbohydrates, in order to avoid that these, in the long run, compromise the digestion and internal organs of the animal, such as the kidneys. In nature, the cat consumes only the carbohydrates that are contained in the stomach of its prey: these rarely exceed 3-5% of the total and are made up of cereals and other components of vegetable origin.
Fat
In recent decades we humans have focused on a low-fat diet, but for our cats, fats are an essential element for their very survival. In fact, fats are an important source of energy and provide unsaturated fatty acids including Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. These are essential fatty acids for cats, better assimilated by a carnivorous animal than vegetable fats. In fact, some fatty acids must necessarily come from animal sources for the cat to assimilate them.
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Vitamins and minerals
Of course, the body of a prey is not only made up of essential nutrients and water: it also contains many vitamins and minerals, which are involved in numerous vital processes in the cat.
Vitamins
Not all vitamins are the same! The cat needs some vitamins in certain quantities. Particularly important, in this regard, is the distinction between water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. The latter are mostly stored in the animal’s body, where an overdose can be dangerous. Water-soluble vitamins, on the other hand, can be excreted through the urine, if the body has stored them in excess. However, since vitamins directly affect all metabolic processes, it is important to pay special attention to them. It should also be borne in mind that vitamins are generally heat sensitive and are therefore largely destroyed during the cooking process.
Minerals
Minerals are equally important. Unlike vitamins, however, minerals are usually not sensitive to heat and therefore are not eliminated through the cooking process. It is customary to make a distinction between mineral salts and trace elements: the cat needs mineral salts such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium and chlorine, as well as trace elements such as iron, copper, zinc, manganese, iodine and selenium.
Incidentally, unfortunately during the preparation of ready-to-eat cat food the cooking process destroys much of the natural nutrients. To replace them, vitamin and mineral supplements are used.
Food for cats: types
You now have an idea of what your cat needs to stay healthy. But how is a synthesis of all this concretely achieved?Which cat food contains exactly the ingredients we have seen to be critical for your pet?
First of all, an important premise must be made: there is no “perfect” cat food. Regardless of whether you choosepre-packaged food , whether you decide to prepare meals for your pet yourself or opt for it insteadraw food , keep in mind that any method can be applied in an inappropriate or correct way.
Ready-made foods
Whether it’s canned wet or kibble, ready-to-eat cat food can be kept for a long time and is practical to portion, already dosed in trays or with the measuring cup for kibble. Arguably the most common form of cat feeding, ready-made food is practical and easy to handle for any owner. Packaged foods are available in both dry and wet form. Which of the two types is best for a cat seems to be above all a question of the owner’s personal beliefs, but one fundamental aspect is worth keeping in mind.
Wet or dry food?
The humidity present in Natural wet food for cats is only minimally contained in dry ones. Since cats tend not to drink and absorb the fluids they need almost exclusively through food, with dry foods there is a risk that the cat does not get enough fluids, which can contribute to the onset of diseases. loaded with kidneys and bladder. During the processing ofkibble for cats plant-based ingredients such as potatoes, peas or clover are often added. This means that the same grain-free dry cat foods often contain up to 50% carbohydrates, a food component that our home feline needs only minimally and that can hardly be used by the animal at a metabolic level. This can represent a stress on the cat’s draining organs. The wet food , on the other hand, following the natural diet of cat .
You can find other useful information on the topic “Wet food or croquettes ? “In the Cat section of the zooplus magazine.
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The differences in price
Beyond the differences between dry and wet, on the market there is a great variety of ready-to-eat foods diversified by quality levels, from natural nutrition toorganic foods to cheap ones from supermarkets. There are products for any budget and need! Unfortunately, however, this also explains the large differences in quality that exist in the cat food market. More and more high quality foods are appearing on supermarket shelves and natural products, which are inspired by the natural diet of the cat, can be found in any pet shop. Unfortunately, however, the market for poor food is also growing at the same time: this is why owners often only have to study the labels placed on the back of the various cans, trays or bags of dry food for cats very carefully.
How to decipher the label on the cat food package
The fundamental indication placed on the packaging of any cat food is that which identifies it as a complete or complementary food. By law, a complete food must provide everything a cat needs to stay healthy. A complementary food, on the other hand, is only suitable as a supplement, because it lacks several vitamins and some essential minerals.
In the composition of the food that you find printed on the label, the ingredients are shown in decreasing order of quantity. This means that the component mentioned first is the one that is present with the greatest content. For this reason, when it comes to high quality cat food, there can only be one ingredient, in the first place: meat. However, you must still be careful: if the meat content of a dry food is presented as a fresh product, it can be a mistake. The term “fresh meat” seems to offer a guarantee of healthier and more natural food, but it should be borne in mind that, once the water has been removed to turn it into dry food,
Another indication commonly found on cat food labels is “animal by-products”. The prey of the cat is not only made up of muscle meat: the tender meat alone would be insufficient and the animal would be deficient in several nutrients. On the other hand, not all offal and raw materials such as horns and animal hair are easily usable by the cat at the metabolic level. The cat food industry partially uses them anyway: these substances in fact, skyrocket the percentage of proteins present in food where production costs decrease. The same is true for “by-products of plant origin”, which the cat is normally unable to use.
The criteria to use to identify the ideal food for your cat:
- The meat must be at the top of the ingredients list, even better if the exact percentage is indicated and the variety of meat specified. Attention, “animal by-products” must be precisely detailed or verified by the manufacturer.
- Plant components such as cereals and vegetables must also be listed in detail. By-products of plant origin, on the other hand, must not be included in the ingredients or at least must be listed separately.
- There are no incorrectly defined ingredients.
A ready-to-eat food that meets these criteria usually represents a healthy diet for your cat that offers everything he needs to lead a species-appropriate existence. It is therefore a simple and practical solution for every cat owner!
Change power
You may have already found the perfect species-appropriate ready-to-eat food for your cat, but your kitty isn’t so convinced and prefers the lower quality food that they are used to? To gradually make your pet accept a new food, mix it in small quantities with the usual food your cat knows! Cats are true masters in recognizing and carefully excluding food they do not know. Wet, in this sense, makes it easier to carefully mix new and old types. And if your kitten doesn’t want to accept the new food, consistency is key!
In the Cats section of the zooplus magazine you will find many useful tips to understand how to proceed if you decide to change your cat’s diet .
Raw feeding
The method of raw pet food is often referred to as “BARF”, an American acronym for “Bones and Raw Food” or “biologically appropriate raw food “. This nutritional choice is suitable for the species for one particular reason: cats are carnivores by nature. With raw food you get just that, that the cat feeds essentially on fresh meat. Contrary to what happens. When choosing home cooking for your pet, the BARF bowl contains a raw meal. This preserves all the natural nutrients contained in the meat. However, for the cat to get everything it needs to stay healthy, all the nutritional elements of his diet must be well proportioned, as muscle meat alone is not enough: cats need different nutrients.
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Offal such as the heart, liver, kidneys and lungs, as well as part of the animal’s bones and fur, which provide calcium and fiber: cat ownerswho wish to feed their pet with the BARF must prepare in advance, accurately calculate their cat’s needs for nutrients, vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates and adapt the recipes to the actual needs of the animal. Depending on the age, breed, sex and any pre-existing diseases of the individual cat, the BARF diet meal can vary significantly. This is an element that makes this diet extremely customizable: those who choose the raw diet for their cat know exactly what is in their bowl and what is not! Those who choose the BARF assume the responsibility of properly feeding their cat. It is therefore advisable that you take the time to inform yourself on the subject, to ask emphasis on the quality of raw materials and to personally prepare your pet’s meals with care. In addition, another aspect to consider is that of hygiene when handling raw meat. However, if the owner takes on this responsibility and prepares BARF meals for his pet himself carefully and with love, it can certainly be said that raw feeding is a suitable nutrition choice for the species indicated for almost any cats!
Home cooking
Even if you choose home cooking, you are personally responsible for preparing meals for your cat. In this case, however, unlike what happens with raw feeding, the food is heated before being offered to the animal. This makes digestion easier for many sensitive cats and dogsolder cats , such as cats who have never eaten raw food. It must also be said that cooking destroys the germs contained in the meat.
Home cooking is a good option for those who want to know exactly what ends up in their pet’s bowl, but raw feeding is not suitable for various reasons. However, owners who opt for this solution should be aware of the fact that, when meat is heated, many of its nutrients are destroyed and what remains of the “plus” of the BARF is lost. Just as said for raw feeding, also in this case the owners should select the meat and prepare the meals for their cats with care and love: collecting information in a careful and thorough way is therefore essential.
Which type of nutrition is best suited to my cat?
We have given you a brief overview of the various feeding methods, from which you can choose the one that best suits your kitty. Which one to opt for isn’t just a matter of personal preference – it also depends on your pet’s needs. Maybe already while you were reading it became clear to you what your favorite type is. Instead, perhaps you’re choosing the perfect ready-to-eat food for your cat, research and read the labels. Or maybe you are simply still undecided.
Keep one thing in mind: the perfect feeding method for your cat should be as compatible with your lifestyle as it does with your pet’s dietary restrictions for health reasons. It is essential to put the cat first! Be aware of any intolerances and take into consideration how your cat has been feeding so far. There are domestic cats who end up playing with a piece of stew meat without even realizing that meat is the staple of their diet. And on the other hand, many former strays hate ready-made cat food.
