When you think about your cat’s diet, do you think that all the food they will eat is good food?
While it’s true that cats often gobble up what we consider to be junk food, that doesn’t mean you should be feeding them leftovers or bargains. Feeding a good cat diet is vital to the health and well-being of your feline friend.
Often cheap cat food contains ingredients that are unsafe, full of toxic preservatives, salt and flavoring agents to entice the cat to eat them.
You might be saving money in the short term, but you’ll be setting yourself up for hefty vet bills in the long run, and also causing serious pain and discomfort. Comfort for your furry companion.
After all, they are an important member of your family. Cats are known to be healers, and they often have different ways of sharing their affection.
3 reasons to choose a healthy cat diet
Cats, like humans, will not thrive on a fast-food, high-carbohydrate, kibble diet.
Eating the wrong cat diet can make them prone to arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease and obesity, just like people.
The only difference between us and cats is that once in captivity, they have very little control over their diets. Cats rely on us to provide them with healthy food, especially when they stay indoors.
Cats are natural predators… their diet has to mimic this fact, so here are three reasons why choosing a good cat diet can extend your pet’s life.
1. Dental Health
Like humans, domestic cats with poor dental hygiene are exposed to a number of health complications.
Your cat may have bad breath — which is unpleasant — but the infection that can cause halitosis can be more serious to your immune system and overall health than you think.
Kittens lose their baby teeth between four and six months old. During that time there are gaps in their mouths which are bacteria magnets.
You probably visit the dentist regularly to make sure your teeth and gums are in good shape.
But how does your cat maintain its oral health? They need a good quality diet and treats that help remove plaque and stimulate their gums to maintain the strength of their teeth and the cleanliness of their mouths.
2. Cats are carnivores
Like it or not, your cat is a predator, a predator, a carnivore. They will never do well with a vegetarian or vegan diet.
So, while you may have chosen to eliminate meat from your diet and replace protein with beans, meat substitutes and supplements, your cat will need animal protein.
It is a source of an important amino acid – taurine – which aids in the development of strong muscles, including the heart.
Fish-based cat food can work well – it’s packed with omega fatty acids that fuel your cat’s body… and suit their digestive system. However, most fish are contaminated with heavy metals and other harmful toxins or parasites, and are very unhealthy. It should be fine for a healthy cat to offer fish occasionally, but be careful with a steady diet of this.
Avoid foods that are high in fillers, such as wheat and barley. They may fill your cat’s stomach, but they won’t provide the protein needed for healthy growth. And this can lead to obesity and diabetes, and many other problems.
Furthermore, cats are naturally designed to hunt and eat their prey raw, not baked in an oven or processed at high heat in a tin can. Prey animals have blood, moisture (water), and partially digested food in their intestines, bones, and organs, and much more.
When you decide what to feed your kitty, go with a wet high-quality food, not a dry cardboard style kibble. Some cats do quite well with a quality wet food, and some do better with raw food.
3. Cats need hydration
There’s nothing wrong with feeding your cat dry food Diet occasionally as a treat or meal topping. It’s easier to store, usually less expensive, and you have more options for ingredients to suit your cat’s tastes.
But remember, they also need ready access to water, and they can overload on carbs just like us… so follow the directions on the package and pay attention to your kitty’s needs.
On the other hand, the wrong wet food can rob your cat of the roughage needed to keep her digestive system running smoothly. You will often see outdoor cats and dogs eating grass… they are just trying to get their guts working again so they can clean themselves inside.
If you have a cat in your home, consider having cat grass (or add some other source of fiber to their food) which will help them keep their digestive systems on track.
Your Cat Can’t Go to the Grocery Store
Your cat has basic dietary needs… and then they develop their own tastes, like babies. In fact, there comes a stage when they grow up where they learn what is good to eat and what is not good to eat, and after that it can be quite difficult to change their mind about what is acceptable and what is not!
However, unlike your kids who will grow up to be able to shop on their own and satisfy their taste buds, and – hopefully – make wise dietary choices…
Your cat may not do the same thing. It is up to you to communicate with them, explain why different foods are good for them and why some are not, and then meet their dietary needs.
You may think that good quality food is too expensive, that researching options is too much trouble…
… But think of the pain you could inflict on your feline companion if they end up with kidney stones, ulcers, or colon cancer because you filled their bodies with toxic food.
Cats are designed to hunt during the day and eat little, but free grazing (eating whenever they want) with poor quality kibble is a bad idea. Smaller more nutritious wet food meals make for healthier, longer-lived kittens.
It helps if you can talk to your cat, and find out what suits their palate, and what gets in the way nutritional needsand what makes them feel sick or cause pain.
Remember, your cat goes through developmental stages, just like we do. The food that suits them at six months will not keep them fit when they are five years old or ten or twenty years old.
You can set your cat up for a long, healthy life without stressful trips to a veterinary clinic by feeding a quality cat food.
If you want to know more about cat health, contact us.
