cat diets

there is nothing fresh about this source of food and it certainly does not come close to resembling a bird or a mouse. of course, in order to be on board with the preventative nutrition argument, a person has to understand the following facts: 3) cats inherently have a low thirst drive and need to consume water *with* their food. this is the kind of arrogance that has led to fatal errors in the past. at first glance, it might appear that the dry food has a higher amount of protein than the canned food—but this is not true on a dry matter basis which considers the food minus the water. for instance, most of the hill’s science diet (over-the-counter) and the hill’s ‘prescription’ diets are very high in carbohydrates and are not foods that i would ever choose to feed. couple this with the fact that cats do not have a very strong thirst drive when compared to other species, and you will understand why it is critical for them to ingest a water-rich diet. the fact that you are feeding canned food and not dry food is 90% of the battle so just do the best that you can – given the information below, the information on the commercial foods page, and also the cat food composition chart linked in the sidebar for future reference. this is why it is important to not just consider the list of ingredients but to also look at the cat food composition chart, or call the company for the information. maize is corn and since this company is well aware of the fact that consumers are becoming more savvy about pet food ingredients, they have decided to try to disguise the corn in their diets by calling it “maize”. these diets represent an area of the commercial cat food industry that is very misleading and, quite frankly, a source of embarrassment for this profession. this field of study is not emphasized in veterinary schools and the minimal course work that is required, is often taught by people who have strong ties to the pet food industry. the sale of these diets is restricted (by hill’s, not by law) to veterinarians only. given this fact, and given what we know about how the cat processes carbohydrates, it is not a stretch to say that high carbohydrate diets could very well be a significant factor in causing diabetes in some cats. this is an extremely illogical and unhealthy practice and every attempt should be made to get these cats on a diet that contains a higher moisture content. the first three ingredients are not even a source of meat and the fourth ingredient is a by-product meal which is not necessarily an unhealthy source of protein but it would be nice to see some muscle meat (“chicken”) in this product. crystals are often a normal finding in a cat’s urine and it is not necessarily appropriate to put the cat on a “special urinary tract” formula when these are found in the urine. it is also important to note – for those people still stuck on worrying about the urine ph – that there are many factors which determine the ph of urine and only one of them is diet. this is a very frustrating disease to deal with and one that the veterinary community does not have all the answers for.







this is not a painful procedure for the cat and this method is the only way to obtain a sample for accurate information in order to properly treat with antibiotics. there are many unanswered questions with respect to this disease process, but it is logical to start to “treat” a gastrointestinal problem in the cat with a species-appropriate diet considering that it is food that ‘bathes’ the problem area. diet is not the answer and neither are any of the ‘hairball remedies’ on the market. you will notice that many of the higher protein diets are fish-based but it is not a good idea to feed fish to cats. however, if you are contemplating the use of the grain-free, high protein/low carb dry foods, please understand that these diets are very calorie-dense and often lead to  weight gain, in addition to being detrimental to urinary tract health because of their water-depletion. this is a far cry from the consistency of dry or canned food. steroids can cause diabetes in cats and also render them vulnerable to infections from viruses, bacteria, and fungal agents so it is very important to make sure you have ruled out diet as a cause of the cat’s respiratory symptoms. cats are very resistant to such a drastic change in the texture of their food. some cats that have been on dry food for their entire life will be quite resistant to the diet change and may take several weeks or longer to make the transition to a healthier diet. they are not going to try anything new if their bowl of junk food is in front of them 24/7. for this reason it is important to understand that you need to have some idea of the calories from canned food combined with the calories from dry food that your cat is consuming on a daily basis while you are implementing the transition to canned food. resign yourself to the fact that you will be very frustrated at times and you will be wasting canned food as they turn up their nose at it. i trap a lot of feral cats for spaying/neutering purposes and this is one of the best baits that i can use. many people have a strong negative reaction to the idea of feeding their cat raw meat but this is what a carnivore is designed to eat. i add just a few supplements and water to complete the diet. my cats fell into this category which was not surprising since they had been on a 100 percent dry food diet their entire lives and ranged in age from 2 -10 years at the time of the transition to a healthier diet. the frozen portion will thaw within a few hours and will add some time to the freshness of the food. the goal of this paper is to arm you with knowledge regarding the special dietary needs of your cat so you can make an informed decision on how and what to feed while striking a balance that works for both of you.

cats in their natural setting would not consume the high levels of carbohydrates that are found in many of the commercially available dry and canned foods. a diet made to fit the unique nutritional needs of the cat is one higher in animal-based proteins, low in carbohydrates, and moderate in fat. in addition, the protein choice in dry food tends to be higher in plant and not animal-based protein. the protein in canned cat food is usually animal-based, which means that canned cat food has a nutritional profile that compliments a cat’s evolutionary profile and physiological needs. the cat has unique taste buds and receptors that are believed to actually taste the amino acids in their food contributing to the rejection of foods lower in good quality proteins.

a minimally processed cat food diet usually fulfills vitamin requirements naturally through the use of whole foods like chicken, meat, and fish. in addition to obesity being and leading to disease, an overweight cat will struggle to perform the species-specific behaviors that make cats a “happy cat.” some of these behaviors are climbing, hunting, exploring and playing. not all of the hunting attempts will be successful, and they will burn a substantial amount of energy in the active process. most dry cat’s food has on average 400 kilocalories in a cup of food and our housecats are not expending that much energy to eat this! with good environmental enrichment, nutritional and medical care you are on your way to providing for the unique needs of the cat!

“while there isn’t a single diet that is ideal for all cats, in general, most do best when they eat foods that are high in moisture and protein some weight loss diets, such as purina proplan om® and royal canin® calorie control, are high protein, low carbohydrate, others such as royal canin® satiety and in the wild, your cat would be eating a high protein, high-moisture, meat/organ-based diet, with a moderate level of fat and with only approximately 1-2 percent, cat natural diet, cat natural diet, homemade cat food, cat diet food, best diet for indoor cats.

cats are obligate carnivores, which means that they rely on nutrients found only in animal products. cats evolved as hunters that consume prey that contains high amounts of protein, moderate amounts of fat, and a minimal amount of carbohydrates, and their diet still requires these general proportions today. adult cats need a balanced diet for healthy tissues and body systems. a diet of 50-60% protein and 30-50% fat is usually a good balance. if your cat isn’t very active, your vet might suggest different amounts. one of the most important parts of a cat diet is access to plenty of fresh, clean water. cats are strictly carnivorous, meaning that they must eat meat to stay healthy. dry food does not meet their needs as wet food does. kibble meat-based diets provide animal fat and supply many essential nutrients specific to the nutritional and health needs of our feline friends. a diet made to fit, healthy diet for cats, cat diet calculator, wild cat diet, healthy cat diet recipes.

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