What Everyone Should Know About Cat Food and Nutrition

It’s a bad idea to feed your cat human food scraps unless you know what they can and cannot eat, as certain human foods are poisonous to cats. It is also not advisable to feed dog food to you cat and vice versa. Pets have different dietary requirements and feeding them correctly will help them fit and healthy.

Animal Protein

To understand your cat, it is important to remember her wild relatives such as lions, cheetahs and leopards. What is most distinct about her larger cousins is that they often run after live prey for food. It is wrong to imagine that a domesticated cat will fare better with a diet different from her cousins. All breeds of cats, large or small need animal protein in their diet. Animal meat contains higher protein content as compared to plant protein. Cats also cannot fully use the protein content contained in plant food. Feeding your cat foods that have lesser amounts of protein as compared to animal meat may lead to sickness and malnutrition. Poor quality cat food is often associated with dry, plant-based food. Cats should be fed canned food that is high in moisture and protein and is meat-based.

Carbohydrates

Dry foods like cereal and grains have recently found their way in cat food. Aside from the fact that they generally have a lower protein content compared to canned food, they may also be harmful to cats because of their carbohydrate content. Cats should only be allowed to ingest 3-5% of carbohydrates in a meal. This is because cats do not have the natural biological enzymes and enzyme pathways to process carbohydrates. Feeding your cat exclusively on foods high in carbohydrates may lead to obesity, diabetes and gastrointestinal problems.

Water
All living things need water to survive. Even if your cat drinks milk, water should still be a regular part of her diet. Also make sure that your cat's diet includes food with high water content. As mentioned, canned food that is meat based is a good option as it is high in water content.

Raw Food

Cats can get salmonella or e-coli from raw food if it is not fresh. We have also been told that raw fish could cause thiamine deficiency. Studies show however that giving your cat a variety of raw meats in their diet is a great way to keep your pet healthy. Dry plant based food is not good for your cat if given exclusively.

These subjects and more in discussed in greater detail in the ebook Toxic to Cats!