Man and cat have been friends for more than 10 thousand years. However, a predator living next to people remains one of the most mysterious animals. There are many myths about this pet. Pet nutrition is one of the important issues around which there are many misconceptions. Often, the owners do not even think about what food is best for cats. Moreover, the health of our pets, their cheerful mood and life expectancy depend on the quality of food.
Do not forget that the cat is a predator
The most common misconception is that it is enough for the cat to pour milk, and she will be happy. The other extreme is when a predator eats exclusively meat. Both are terrible mistakes.
Indeed, a cat is a predator, but its physiology is very different from our idea. It just seems that with meat the animal gets everything it needs to sustain life. Predators no less than herbivorous mammals need many components of the plant world. But their body is not able to independently accept the gifts of nature. An intermediary in the food chain is required.
Killing a mouse or bird, the cat first of all pays attention to the contents of their stomach. Exactly there, in a half-digested form, is all that she needs. The rest is just a treat and recharge for energy. Without considering this feature, it is difficult to understand which cat food is better to choose.
Varieties of feed
What food is better to feed a cat? When choosing, it is always worth considering your financial capabilities, as well as your pet’s preferences. Like any highly organized animal, a cat has its own character and taste preferences. It’s hard enough to make you eat food you don’t like. It is worth considering that the animal has relatively rough taste buds, but a delicate sense of smell. Therefore, when choosing food, it primarily focuses on odors.
When deciding which cat food is the best, the main thing is to adhere to the principle of uniformity. The animal, accustomed to eating food cooked at home, should remain on the home menu. It is not worth translating the same from purchased specialized feeds to home-made food. When choosing a menu from a pet store, you should choose one of the options - dry food or wet canned food.
home kitchen
When choosing a home cooking option, you should be aware that eating cats from a common table is unacceptable. For the animal you need to cook special dishes.
Interestingly, cats living in the village can feed themselves well. For them, hunting for mice and other small animals will be completely natural. Not every bird can fly their cat's legs. When slaughtering animals, for your pet will get the contents of the entrails. The animal will find the missing vitamins or minerals in the forest or in the garden.
Another thing is urban animals. They will have to be courted. According to a well-established tradition, the components of cat's cuisine will be:
- Boiled meat. You can indulge in a raw product, but only after freezing. Fresh meat for a city dweller can be a dangerous product. Giving tubular bones to animals is prohibited. This can cause many problems with the health of the animal, and sometimes lead to its death.
- Offal. Sometimes it can be allowed to give raw.
- Fish. Only marine species are allowed.
- Porridge. It is good to cook cereal cereals in a light meat broth. Rice and buckwheat on the pet's menu will be desirable ingredients.
- The eggs. Once a week, you need to add an egg yolk. It does not matter much in raw or boiled form.
- Milk. It is recommended to give it only to kittens. Sour-milk products are intended for adults.
- Vegetables. Be sure to use vegetables and vegetable oil as an additive.
- Grass. It is useful to keep boxes with green grass in the public domain.
According to veterinarians, which cat food is best, the owner decides. If you do not want to cook dishes for your pet, you can go to the ready-made options.
Wet canned food
The industry produces a wide variety of specialized feeds. Cat food for the global industry plays an important role. Nutritionists, veterinarians, farmers, culinary masters work so that the pet is satisfied. Cat canned food with a moisture content of 10-15%, no doubt in the nutrition of many animals play a basic role. There are even special rating studies - which wet cat food is best.
The ideal food is canned holistic class. Unlike conventional premium feeds, their standard contains requirements:
- even a person can consume;
- lack of GMO products;
- dyes and flavor enhancers are not allowed;
- any dubious supplement by its effect on the body lowers the food to the category below.
The three leaders of such feeds can distinguish the following brands:
- Almo Nature. European quality guaranteed.
- Innova Evo. This American feed is slightly behind the leader.
- Grandorf. Again a product from Europe of excellent quality.
There is only one drawback of such nutrition - astronomical cost.
For supporters of canned food do not despair, until the holistic class there are three more gradations in quality and they are all highly rated.
Dry feed
Dry feeds for animal feed were widely used . The debate about which cat food is better - dry or wet, most likely does not make sense. It all depends on the specific situation. For the urban rhythm of life, naturally, dry food is very convenient.
Their storage does not cause difficulties, pets like them, they are absolutely suitable for a balanced diet. The range offered for consumption is so wide that it will satisfy any needs.
Economy Feed
It is difficult to expect that cheap feed can fully satisfy all the requirements of nutritionists. Unfortunately, often life dictates its own conditions. When choosing the "price-quality", many have to make a choice in favor of value. At low prices, you don’t have to navigate which dry cat food is better. From several options choose the most acceptable. Almost everyone is familiar with the three most famous brands:
- Kitekat. The most popular feed of the Russian manufacturer. For an adult healthy cat is quite suitable.
- Friskis. A brand well-known not only in Russia but also in Hungary. As for “Doshirak” the statement is true - it will not let you die of hunger.
- Purina One. Another famous brand. Better to use only for healthy animals.
Premium feed
Quality premium feeds are widely represented in specialized stores. But what are the best dry cat foods? According to reviews, we can distinguish the three leaders:
- Hills Science Plan. You can’t call it ideal, but it contains everything for a healthy diet.
- Royal Canin. The most common premium food in Russia. Relatively inexpensive in cost, it is also well balanced in composition.
- Purina ProPlan. Unlike the first two options, there are ingredients in the composition that can cause allergies.
Feed kittens
Fans of purebred cats who want to get high-quality offspring should worry about fodder from holistic class. In this case, it is not a question of which food is the best for cats, but what to feed in order to establish good health from childhood.
Obviously, from the first days of life, kittens feed only on breast milk. In exceptional cases, it can be replaced by artificial feeding, high-quality milk mixture. Up to 2 months, kittens gradually begin to accustom themselves to an independent diet. At this time, all food should contain a large amount of liquid.
Only starting from the third month can you transfer to dry feed, and then a premium made specifically for babies.
Pregnant cats
Preparing for new offspring, do not forget about the woman in labor. A pregnant cat eats a special diet. If your baby was on a dry diet before mating, then you must adhere to it further. You can seek the advice of professionals to find out which cat food is better. According to reviews, we can conclude that food for a pregnant cat must meet the requirements:
- The maximum content of meat products.
- No fillers to lower prices.
- The proportions of proteins, fats and carbohydrates that are appropriate for pregnant cats.
- Only from a well-established manufacturer.
Among the popular brands include Bozita, Cat Chow, Perfect Fit.
Elderly pets
Time is moving inexorably forward. At some point, you notice that your pet is old. In his memories, he is still a fluffy kitten. It is worth paying tribute to the pet and transfer it to a specialized feed. Requirements for such a diet:
- The optimal calorie content.
- Over time, the stomach works worse and, therefore, feed should contain easily digestible components.
- More fiber.
- Less phosphorus and protein.
- Taste buds and snuff reflexes become dull over time. Feed should become more attractive, with enhanced aroma and taste.
- More vitamins and minerals.
Features of castrates
Castrated cats and sterilized cats tend to be overweight. Their diet should contain foods with reduced calorie content. Another side effect of castration is a tendency to cryastallurgy. When choosing food, this must be taken into account.
Among the specialized brands can be identified:
- Eukanuba Sterilized Weight Kontrol. Specialized low-calorie feed. It contains everything you need so that your pet does not get sick. The presence of fermented beetroot contributes to better digestion. It is enriched with vitamins and minerals.
- Royal Canin Neutered Young Male. A common brand. By its qualities, it differs little from the leader. Plant extracts have been added to improve digestion.
- Purina Pro Plan After Care. In addition to the high content of natural meat products, the product is enriched with vitamins and minerals. It is specially balanced to prevent struvite crystals.
The format of becoming does not allow a detailed analysis of the specifics of feeding cats. There is a large group of diet foods for sick pets. A number of manufacturers take into account the nutritional characteristics of individual breeds. In this variety, it is difficult to understand which food is best for cats. In each case, you can seek advice from specialists. Only then can you choose the best for your favorite.