I keep returning to this subject, but only because it is so important. If you do not feed you cat correctly you run the risk of doing serious damage to its health. I realise that to regular reader it must appear that I’m on some sort of campaign here, but only because the need of a cat for meat is so fundamental to its nature – and not merely a “psychology” but its physical and metabolic makeup.

Today I came across the following article, and as it expresses the facts so clearly decided to put up a link here.

Difference Between Dog and Cat Food | Difference Between

Dog vs Cat Food Most pet owners think that a dog and a cat’s food is the same. People believe that they can feed their dogs with cat food and vice versa. … dogs are omnivores and cats are carnivores. …

Tags: Add new tag, Cat, cat food

There are many kinds of cat food. Nutrition experts have a great deal to offer in helping us to consider the respective merits of cat food food ingredients and to determine which will be the best canned food for our pets.  We have dealt with this subject before in earlier blog posts but it is so important, especially in connection with cat diet foods, that when I came across a valuable article on another pet care blog this morning I felt that I should give my readers here a link to it.

Nutritional Qualities of Typical Cat Food Ingredients

Danger of Diet Cat Food and Fillers. Weight control cat food ingredients make a cat feel fuller. The problem is these high-carbohydrate ingredients reduce the amount of protein a cat ingests. …

The article’s insistence on the importance of animal protein and vitamins, and the dangers of so-called special diet cat foods stuffed with carbohydrate, should be noted and acted on by all cat carers.

Is there such a thing as a vegetarian cat?  Well certainly there are cats which are fed by their owners with non-meat foods, but this is to go against the basic nature of the animal.

It must be remembered that a cat is by nature a hunter.  Its most ‘natural’ food is a small mammal or bird that it has caught itself.  Outdoor cats will at least to some extent provide for themselves in this way.  Indoor cats, though, do need to be fed meat.

It might, of course, seem possible to provide vegetable protein in a cat’s food just as can be done for a dog.  This simply does not work.  A cat’s digestive system does not handle vegetable protein well.  It must have meat.  Also, it is only in meat that the essential protein material, taurine, can be provided.  A    cat is an “obligate carnivore” and to force it to be anything else is an act of considerable unkindness.

In the home environment even meat is not enough, however.  The hunter catches its prey and devours not only flesh but also fur, feathers and bone.  In what is to the cat an artificial environment these must be replaced.  Well-formulated dry foods provide the combination of fibre and other material including trace elements that is missing from meat-only food

So in summary, the message is, do not attempt to make your cat a vegetarian, and provide it with a balanced mix of wet meaty and dry fibrous foods which between them approximate to what ideally they would get from hunting in the wild.

Tags: cat diet, cat food, obligate carnivore

Choosing food for a pet can be difficult, and whether or not he or she will like the flavour can be fairly well unpredictable.  From the point of view of flavour, when selecting a brand of cat food you’ll simply have to try it and see.  This, of course, assumes that you’re going to feed your cat canned food rather than provide it fresh and homemade made from left-over scraps such as chicken.

There are many factors to consider, and in our links below we give some suggestions for other sources of information to allow you to think about the subject more broadly than is possible here.

Commercially available cat foods come either in dry or wet form.  The dry foods usually contain components of both animal and vegetable origin.  In addition to flavour many owners will need to take careful account of cost.  Some makes can be very expensive.  The most important factor, however, is nutritional value.

It has to be remembered that cats are carnivores.  In cat food protein content is key.  Their digestive system is not designed to process vegetable matter efficiently, so that even though protein can be obtained from vegetable sources a cat will not digest it to the same extent as the animal proteins in meat to which it is adapted.

If you are looking at cat foods which are pre-prepared then you should examine the ingredients list on the package and ensure that not only is there a substantial proportion of protein from meat but also important components such as Vitamins A and B.  Be aware of the labelling standards in your particular legal jurisdiction. There can for example be precise rules about the meaning of words like food, formula and flavour which control the minimum amounts of an ingredient that must by law be present in a pet food.

Do not overfeed with carbohydrates.  These do not suit their metabolism and could result in obesity, which is said to be a problem with anything up to 35% of domestic pet cats.  You might also be well advised to avoid feeding your cat canned food containing a lot of preservatives.

If your animal is seriously under or over the normal weight for its age and breed, before you feed your cat diet food you should consult a properly qualified vet.  The cause may simply be one of diet, but there could also be an underlying health problem which you might make worse without professional advice.

Some Useful Links:
http://cats.about.com/od/whyfoodisimportant/a/foodfitforacat.htm
http://www.consumersearch.com/cat-food/review

Tags: cat canned food, cat diet food, cat food, cat food protein, feeding cats, food for cat, homemade cat food

Quantity, quality and frequency are all subjects talked about often in connection with pet care, including the care of cats.  There are many factors to consider.

The proper amount of nutrition has to be judged taking into account the age, health and size of the individual cat.  The proper amount of serving per meal may also need to be adjusted to take care of his digestion

If you have a young kitten you will need to make allowance for the fact that it needs food to support a high rate of growth.  Feeding a kitten four times a day with medium servings is a common practice.  Your vet may also have suggestions to make.  But as the kitten grows older you can gradually incorporate more adult cat food, and maybe a little of leftovers from the table, eventually reaching a hundred per cent adult cat food three times a day.

Your cat’s state of health can also affect his eating habits. A cat that has diabetes, for example, may need regular insulin and special care over diet. Some conditions may lead to a need to more, or more frequent, food – or less!  It is very important in case of long-term ill health to ensure that you take properly qualified veterinary advice to establish whether your cat has a special dietary need as inappropriate feeding of your pet could make matters much worse.

Finally we must not forget the question of weight.  Many pet cats become overweight, yes and even severely obese.  In the case of an overweight cat you will need to balance carefully the amounts of protein and carbohydrate in the food, and find a cat food mixture designed to keep your pet healthy while slimming.  Similarly, underweight or exhausted cats such as those obtained from a rescue centre may need specially balanced diets to help their healthy growth and build their energy levels.

Tags: cat nutrition, feeding a kitten, feeding cats, overweight cat