 | Understanding Cat Food
First of all,cats are strict carnivores. They have sharp jaws (just like lions,cheetahs,tigers,pumas,ect) to tear and rip meat,not to eat a bowl of rice and corn. Since cats were meant to eat meat,some cats are not as healthy eating a bowl of corn,then one who is eating grain-free or raw,some are allergic to grains. Honestly,have you ever seen a tiger or a cheetah get a little tiny peice of meat,bump some veggies on it,next some rice,then a whole lot of corn,and then eat it? No,right? It make no sense to feed that to a cat,does it? Cats need meat in order to survive. Most cats eating corn and veggies all his/her life will not live much long,or as long as a cat eating what it was meant to be eating.
Protein
Since cats are strict carnivores they need large amounts of meat based protein. It is very imprortant to remember that not all proteins are created equal.
The protein in kibble is plant based,is not equal to the protein in canned food is meat based. The protein in kibble is less bioavalible. Redaing the labels is not the way of comparing if kibble has more protein than canned. Most canned foods have more protein (meat) than kibble.
Feeding Cats Too Many Carbohydrates
In the wild, cats would eat 3-6 % of carbohydrates. Most kibbles contain 30-40 % of carbohydrates,A cheap kibble contains about 60-80 % carbohydrates. That is not what cats were meant to eat. A high quality canned food contains 3-4 % of carbohydrates. Cats have no need for carbohydrates,however,a bit won't do anything,but too many can be detrimental to their health. Feeding a meat flavored cereal to our cats is like feeding meat to a cow,sheep, or horse. Have you ever wondered why most cat foods have alot of carbohydrates? (grains) The answer is because grains are very cheap.
How To Read Cat Food Labels
The first ingredient has to be meat. Just becasue the food says its "natural or "premium" it does not mean the food is high quality. The food shouldn't have grains,by-products,"mystery animals",or any colorings. Grains,cats can't really digest very well,By-products are wastes from the animal it was from. Mystery animals are things like "animal fat","poulty liver",or "animal by'products. Stay away from those mysery animals because they can be other cats,dogs,or mice who knows? Colorings like Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 ect.. shouldn't be in cat food. Cats don't just eat the "cute kibbles" they eat all of it.
My Cat is fine with what it is eating which is not a high quality food,Do I still need to switch?
Well,your cat might look healthy outside with Friskies but inside it must have alot of problems. Even if your cats does good on Friskies it will do great on a better quality food because thats what your "baby tiger" was meant to eat.
Feeding Multiple Cats Different Ages
When you have a multiple cat household you don't have to feed different foods. You can feed all your cats an all life stages food instead of having all your cats on different foods and having one cats eat the other cat's food and the other cat eating the other cat's food when they can all be eating the same thing.
Chicken Meal
Chicken Meal is better than Chicken.
If chicken meal is listed as the first ingredient there is a probably good amount of meat in the food. Chicken meal is regular chicken that has already been cooked and its water has been taken out. So it has alot more meat than regular Chicken.
Its the same with all animals,I just used Chicken as an example.
Canned or Kibble?
Canned is better for a cat than kibble. Canned food is of water and don't get all the water they need from eating only kibble. Canned is also alot closer to a raw diet than kibble. Canned is very important to a cat mostly because it has alot of moisture in it,many cats don't drink alot of water. Kibble can make cats diabetic, or give them a UTI.
Swtiching from kibble to canned
This is very hard,since most cats,like children like the "junk" that don't make them healthy. The key is to do it slowly with patience. It will take some cats a week. It may take some cats monthes to get used to eating only canned. Don't let your cat go without food for more than 24 hours. If it dosn't eat give it half what it was eating so it eats but is still hungry and might eat the canned. If your cat is being free fed,stop imedietly. Start feeding it twice a day. Once kibble and once canned for a week. Then feed only canned twice a day,take the food away in 30 minutes so the cat is hungrier the next time you feed it. If your cat still dosn't want to eat try adding the juice from the tuna on the canned food,feed a smelly seafood canned food,or sprinkeling some crushed up kibble on top of the canned.
"Diet" Foods
Diet foods like reduced calories,light, or reduced fat are not recomended. If your cat is fat,simply just feed feed less and ake it active. Don't feed a diet food. Those diet foods like reduced calorie,light ect.. don't have much meatat all,they just have alot of veggies and fruits which have less calories and more fiber to make your cat full. Your cat will do much better eating less "regular" food than eating "light" cat food.
Prices
Feeding high quaility is as cheap as feeding grocery store food even if you didn't realize because when you feed grocery store food your cat gets sick very often and you have to pay alot of vet fees but when you feed a high quailty food you pay more for the food but you don't have to pay alot of vet fees.
Feeding Raw and Kibble or Raw and Canned
You could do it. Even if kibble takes more time to digest than raw. (Kibble 14 hours and Raw 6 hours)
Some cats can handle eating both mixed together. It really depends on the cat. Obiously,If your cat has a sensitive stomach you shouldn't feed canned and raw or kibble and raw mixed together.
Nutritional Table For Kibble
Innova Cat & Kitten 32 % Protein, 45 % Fat, 23 Carbs, 0.6 g of Fiber, 268 mg of Phosph, 537 Calories Per Cup
Innova Reduced Fat 33 % Protein,25 % Fat, 42 Carbs, 0.6 g of Fiber, 281 mg of Phosph 398 Calories Per Cup
Innova Senior 39 % Protein, 30 % Fat, 31 Carbs, 2.3 g of Fiber, 345 mg of Phosph 396 Calories Per Cup
California Natural Chicken & Brown Rice 35 % Protein, 39 % Fat, 26 Carbs, 1 g of Fiber, 217 mg of Phosph, 393 Calories Per Cup
Healthwise Cat 27 % Protein, 43 % Fat, 31 Carbs, 0.8 g of Fiber, 229 mg of Phosph, 513 Calories Per Cup
Healthwise Kitten 29 % Protein, 46 % Fat, 25 Carbs, 0.7 g of Fiber, 234 mg of Phosph, 548 Calories Per Cup
Innova EVO Cat & Kitten 44 % Protein, 47 % Fat, 8 Carbs, 0.2 g of Fiber, 696 mg of Phosph, 612 Calories Per Cup
Eagle Pack Holistic Select 28 % Protein,45 % Fat, 26 Carbs, 0.6 g of Fiber, 217 mg of Phosph, 387 Calories Per Cup
Blue Buffalo Chicken & Brown Rice Adult 32 % Protein, 41 % Fat, 28 Carbs, 0.7 g of Fiber, 264 mg of Phosph, 542 Calories Per Cup
Blue Buffalo Chicken & Brown Rice Lite 28 % Protein,24 % Fat, 48 Carbs, 1.5 g of Fiber, 276 mg of Phosph,468 Calories Per Cup
Blue Buffalo Hairball 34 % Protein, 39 % Fat, 27 Carbs, 2.1 g of Fiber, 225 mg of Phosph, 502 Calories Per Cup
Blue Buffalo Adult Food 32 % Protein, 41% Fat, 27 Carbs, 0.7 g of Fiber, 266 mg of Phosph 457
Blue Buffalo Lite Food 29 % Prtoten, 23 % Fat, 48 Carbs, 1.5 g of Fiber, 278 mg of Phosph, 383 Calories Per Cup
Wellness Core 50% Protein, 42 % Fat, 11 Carbs, 0.6 g of Fiber, 338 mg of Phosph
Wellness Chicken 33 % Protein, 41 % Fat, 26 Carbs, 0.3 g of Fiber, 264 mg of Phosph
Welness Salmon 33 %Protein, 41 % Fat, 26 Carbs, 0.3 g of Fiber, 237 mg of Phosph
Wellness Healthly Weight 32 % Protein, 25 % Fat, 43 Carbs, 0.9 g of Fiber, 215 mg og Phosph
Wellness Kitten 33 % Protein, 41 % Fat, 26 Carbs, 0.3 g of Fiber, 308 mg of Phosph
Wellness Indoor 31% Protein, 31 % Fat, 38 Carbs 1.1 g of Fiber, 222 mg of Phosph
Felidae 31 % Protein, 46 % Fat, 23 Carbs, 543 Calories Per Cup
Bad Foods:
Friskies
Pro Plan
Cat Chow
Royal Canin
Science Diet
Eukanuba
Iams
Meow Mix
Nutro
The Good Life Recipe
Purina One
Sheba
Whiskas
Fancy Feast
9 Lives
Nature's Recipe
Truimph
High Quality Foods:
California Natual
EVO
Health Wise
Innova
Avoderm
Solid Gold
Pinnacle
Atremis
Fromm
Taste Of The Wild
Nature's Varitey
Wellness
Natural Balance
Evangers
Merrick
Ziwipeak
Eagle Pack
Felidae
Go! Natural
Halo's Spot Stew
Organix
Orijen
Evolve
Blue Buffalo
Timberwolf Organics
Premade Raw:
Nature's Varitey
Primal
Bravo!
Butch
Feline's Pride
Where To Get High Quality Cat Food Online:
Pet Food Direct
Only Natural Pet
K9 Cuisine
Petco
PetsmartEdited by author Wed Jul 9, '08 1:59pm PST
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