Understanding the nutritional needs of the cat – do we confidently rely on pet food, on croquettes and various cans always more appetizing?
Nutrition in cats dry food and homemade food
Some personal considerations about feline nutrition!
Without doubt the best choice, if we know the guidelines to follow, is to prepare homemade food for our cat with fresh food integrated with amino acids, vitamins, minerals and a small amount of fiber.
It is a tough battle for pet food industries succeed at including vitamins, minerals and amino acids
Some vitamins and amino acids are thermosensitive, they are destroyed at high temperatures and with the process of refining
NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF THE CAT
PROTEINS
Proteins provide essential amino acids and are necessary for the production of antibodies, enzymes, in order to develop the immune system and to provide energy.
Proteins must be MANDATORY OF ANIMAL ORIGIN.
Vegetable proteins, legumes, soy, cereals do not provide any nutrients to the cat
Never feed the cat with vegan cans, you seriously risk to affect his/her health
FATS
Cats can properly metabolize ONLY fats of animal origin.
We talked about this in the article omega-3s, cats must eat meat to get arachidonic acid. Unlike dogs, cats do not convert efficiently fatty acids of vegetable origin.
MINERALS
Contribute to the formation of enzymes, improve the transport of oxygen and are present in bone and muscle tissue. The most important minerals are calcium, chloride, copper, fluorine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, silicon, sulfur, and zinc.
VITAMINS
Even vitamins are essential for cats
They are divided in fat-soluble and water-soluble
Fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, K
Water-soluble vitamins are the B-complex vitamins and vitamin C
Nutrition in cats dry food and homemade food
WATER
The water consumption is underestimated especially when the cat is feed dry food, this can lead to health problems such as calculi, dehydration, urinary infections, organic dysfunction
Cats in nature obtain at least 70% of water from the prey
Croquettes provide only 10% of moisture
Cats that are fed only dry food live in a state of almost chronic dehydration, in this state it is not difficult to develop internal organs diseases
NO CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates: corn, cereals, wheat, rice, soy are only source of inflammation and disease
Nutrition in cats dry food and homemade food
WHAT TO CHOOSE
Certainly for cat’s health is preferable to choose wet food integrated with vitamins and amino acids
1. Talk with your veterinarian about your cat’s nutrition and read always the ingredients written on the packaging
2. Verify if you are feeding your cat with COMPLETE OR COMPLEMENTARY food
3. If possible avoid wet food added with rice
4. Try to reduce significantly dry food (croquettes)
If you want to preserve the health of your cat you can prepare homemade food adding vitamins and supplements to prevent nutritional deficiency.
In fact it is not enough provide an undercooked chicken breast and vegetables, you risk to create problems for the health of your cat
Those who decide to prepare homemade food has to integrate with
- Taurine
- Vitamins
- Essential amino acids
- Omega-3s (of animal origin)
- Mineral salts
The matter is very different if you feed the cat providing real preys!
Nutrition in cats dry food and homemade food
THE BENEFITS OF HOMEMADE FOOD
- Full control of the ingredients
- Total elimination of additives and preservatives
- Possibility to choose the preferred source of protein, which is important if you need to give only one type of protein due to a food intolerance
- Add vegetables according to its nutritional properties
- Choice of integrations to be performed
- Saving
OUR CHOICE
Nutrition in cats dry food and homemade food
THE CONTENT ON THIS WEBSITE IS TO BE USED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE CONTENT IS IN NO CASE TO BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR ADVICE FROM VETERINARIANS, NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE RELIED UPON BY ANY PERSON OR ENTITY FOR PURPOSES OF MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT . IN NO CASE CAN BE USED AS A PRESCRIPTION OF A TREATMENT OR REPLACE A SPECIALIST EXAMINATION OR THE DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR VETERINARIAN/DOCTOR