Is Your Cat Food Healthy?
You love your cat, buy the best toys, take him to the best vet you can find. You even make sure
that he has a nice comfy bed to snuggle in for his nap. Even after all that, you still wonder if
the food you are feeding your wonderful pet is the best you can get.
A trip to any pet store, grocery store or big chain store will reveal a selection of cat foods that
is almost mind boggling. They range in price from a few pennies to over $2.00 per pound.
They have different flavors, shapes and colors. Some of them are so commercialized that
they have their own theme song or mascot, you can’t help but consider them when making
your choice. But what choice should you make? What are the most important ingredients?
The additives that you cat really needs or can live without? Does your cat need a certain food
for its age, weight, medical condition? See, almost mind boggling!
Cat food is like anything else, you basically get what you pay for. There are certain
minimums that the government has put into place for pet foods. However, while the
minimums will keep your cat alive, it may not be as healthy or as active as it could be. When
you are considering foods, the best place to start is by looking at the ingredients list. Any
animal matter (chicken, fish, beef, lamb) should be listed first, this means that there is more,
percentage wise, than the other ingredients. Cats are carnivores, they need meat to survive.
Wheat and corn may play a roll in good nutrition, but should not and can not be the
cornerstone of a good cat food.
Cats need a high level of protein in their diet. This is because protein is made up of amino
acids. Cats need 22 different amino acids in their diet to be healthy, the body can produce 11
of these, but the rest must be ingested through their food.
One of these important acids is taurine, this is just one of the important amino acids that is
found in animal based proteins. Most animals produce this amino acid on their own, but
cats can not. They must receive it through the foods they eat. A deficiency of taurine can lead
to reproduction, heart and eyesight problems. A good quality cat food will have the taurine
that the cat needs, even though it may not be listed, if animal meat is a main ingredient there
will be enough for proper production.
If the selection is too large and you need more help than what the labels and commercials
give you, speak with your veterinarian. Generally, vets don’t sell food and have no stake in
which brand you choose. They can give you the best answer based on your cats’ age,
gender, weight and any medical issues.
Once you have settled on a type of food, you can concentrate on the fun stuff - flavor and
shapes. Finally, your most important decision becomes the chicken-flavored leg shaped
food or the salmon-flavored fish shaped morsels.
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