Cat Food and Nutrition
The nutritional needs of a cat change throughout its lifetime. It is very important therefore that you select a food that is appropriate for your cat’s age. For example, kittens should be eating specially formulated kitten food as they need almost twice as many nutrients per pound of body weight than adult cats do.
There are three types of cat food. Dry food, also known as kibble, semi-wet food and wet food. There can be no denying that wet food is the most appropriate and nutritionally sound food for your cat. It is palatable and not to mention packed with the right nutrients. Semi-wet food is not recommended as the processes and additives involved in production make it poor quality. Dry food is often used by owners as a “filler” and maybe a small bowl will be left out during the day for grazing. There is little harm in doing this as your cat is unlikely to gorge itself on dry food, however the same cannot be said for wet food which your cat will overeat if given half the chance.
When selecting a cat food, be aware of clever labeling used by manufacturers designed to trip up the unsuspecting consumer. For example, if the label reads “Tuna Cat Food”, you can be confident the product is at least 95% tuna and is therefore of good quality. Phrases such as “Tuna Dinner” or “Tuna Platter” mean the product is 25% tuna, and “Cat Food with Tuna” means that only 3% of the product is tuna. When it comes to cat food, it is vital not to judge the book by it’s cover. For added peace of mind, check the ingredients list on the back of the label. Any product that lists “meat by-products” or “corn” as the first ingredient is likely to be of poor quality. If a product is tuna based, tuna should be listed first in the ingredients list to indicate a good quality food.
Cats thrive when they receive a good quality diet. They need to get their protein from animal based sources only which is not true of dogs nor humans who can both survive on vegetarian diets. Taurine in particular is vital to a cat’s health which is an amino acid found only in animal based proteins. Although the cost of good quality food is a little higher in the short term, heath problems and high vet’s bills are much less likely to occur in the long run, and your cat will thank you for it too.
