The food for cats should be controlled strictly. Compared to dogs, cats have little capability of producing nutrition through their body. As a result, they rely on food or nutritional supplements to stay healthy. Cats should eat wet food instead of dry food since it contains more nutrition and water. If cats cannot derive enough nutrition from food, they are more likely to get sick. Careful owners should pay more attention to cat food.
Reference: Pet Space
Required nutrition in cat food
All cat food should contain animal protein, fat and other nutrition. Cats are carnivorous animals and sufficient nutrition should be provided in their diet. Taurine (lack of which may lead to retina degeneration) and arachidonate (lack of which may lead to dry fur) are the most important. Human beings and dogs can produce nutrition through their body, but cats cannot! Cat food should contain the above nutrition to keep them fit.
Some owners prepare grain free food for dogs, but cats do not need such food. Unless they are sensitive to grain food as determined by the veterinarian, cats should have enough food to keep them healthy.
Cat food｜Dried Food benefits
If you prepare dried food for cats, they will take more time to chew and drink water with a stable appetite. Here are the following benefits for dry food:
- Convenient
- Easy to test and use
- Easy to store
- Longer preservation period after open compared to wet food
- Clearing the bacteria in cat’s teeth when chewing
Cat food｜ Wet food, cats’ favorite
nce cats are older and weaned off milk, wet food is much more suitable for them. Some cat food is designed to become softer after soaking. Some cats only like the smell and taste of wet food. If owners do not want to make it by themselves, they can choose instant cat food. It is convenient, fresh, and prepared for cats. Cats drinking less water should eat wet food.
Cats who are susceptible to constipation or calculus, should drink water to alleviate the symptoms. If they have diabetes or kidney diseases, having wet food can also alleviate the symptoms. If your cats have calculus or urinary blocks, you’d better prepare wet food for them right now. Otherwise, they may contract the same illness again.
Common mistakes in feeding cats
The most common mistake in feeding cats is overfeeding. Most cats just need 250 to 300 calories each day with a maximum of two cans of dried food each day. Maintaining balanced nutrition on the whole is enough. Owners usually think that cats like tuna and dairy food. As a matter of fact, dairy food is not a good choice because cats cannot digest lactose. Dairy food may lead to diarrhea. Canned tuna is neither a good choice as its nutrition is not balanced. It can serve as a snack but not as a staple in your cat’s diet.
If you arrange a meat-free diet for cats, please consult the veterinarian in advance to ensure that your cat can derive sufficient nutrition from food or nutritional supplements. Vegetarian cat food in the market may lack the required nutrition so proceed with caution.
Related Reading: 5 characteristics of pains bearing by cats | Identify abnormal conditions of cats as early as possible
