Cats are fluffy happiness. Many love these pets. It is important to properly maintain them, so that cats please us as long as possible, not knowing any worries. The key to the health of the cat is the right food. Let's find out how to feed the cat and how to do it right. There are nuances that every cat lover should know.
Proper feeding of domestic cats
Regardless of whether you feed your pet with special feeds or food from the table (we will discuss this issue a bit later), you should understand that cats should also have a diet.
If you are thinking about how to properly feed the cat, then the answer will be - compliance with the regime. Feed an adult cat twice a day. Morning and evening, strictly at the same time. Do not overfeed your pet and overeat. This is easy to understand by evaluating its shape. He should not be skinny and should not be fat. Diet and balanced food are the key to a healthy cat lifestyle and the absence of health problems.
Sterilized cats
In city apartments it is very important and even very correct to keep sterilized (neutered) animals. When a cat is deprived of the opportunity to freely move along the street and find a mate for her love needs, the cat (cat) instinctively begins to splash out her feelings in the apartment.
Your pet’s night shouts and cries are just the least of troubles. Here you can add torn wallpapers, spoiled furniture and “tags” of the territory. For many, castration is one of the solutions in this situation.
But you need to know how to feed a castrated cat, because its nutrition in its piquant position will differ from the diet of an ordinary cat. He will need low protein foods. After castration, it is desirable to feed the cat with special food marked "For sterilized cats" from trusted manufacturers.
Many brands offer a special series of food in order to feed a castrated cat. How is this food different from usual? Composition, such feed is specially developed with the participation of leading world experts in the field of veterinary medicine.
Feed or regular food
So what to feed the cat? Special feeds, food from the table or special foods bought at the store? In general, it is not recommended to feed cats with food from our table. This is wrong, this is an unbalanced diet, in which case your cat will not receive the necessary trace elements and vitamins.
Does the cat have dry food? The issue of buying special products for the cat is relevant. Many practice this option. If you have the necessary knowledge in veterinary medicine and you have successful long experience in feeding cats in this way, then you can try. It is worth agreeing that not all owners can do this. Some people, even themselves, do not always have time to cook food, and then a special menu for the cat is added.
A little bit about ready-made feed store. Many people wonder if it is possible to feed a cat with food from a store. Why not? Only safe products fall into the store on the shelf, this applies to both people and animals. You only need to consider the fact that cheap feeds may sometimes not be suitable for your cat. It will require either specialist advice or the purchase of premium feed.
Raw meat or heat treatment
Many owners sometimes like to pamper their pets with fresh meat, fish, meat offal. The question arises as to whether it is possible to feed a cat with all of the above in raw form or whether obligatory heat treatment is required (cook, fry, stew).
Honestly, no veterinarian will advise you to feed your cat raw meat, liver or fish, bought, for example, at a market or in a store. And that makes sense. After all, no one knows exactly about storage, production dates and other things about these products. In this case, heat treatment will protect against potential troubles.
Another question: if you have your own subsidiary farm or you buy delicacies on a proven private farm, then you can treat them to your pet raw, because some cats simply do not become their own when they see raw meat or fish. In any case, as a prophylaxis of possible troubles, anthelmintic agents should be given periodically to your pet.
Dry cat food
This type of food traditionally raises many questions among cat lovers. Can I feed a cat dry food? Yes, you can, but only with the caveat that it will be high-quality food that you purchased on the advice of your veterinarian.
It is also worthwhile to understand that if you feed your pet with natural food, then you can’t feed him with dry food. You need to choose either specialized feed or natural food. There can be only one combination: the first feeding in the morning is dry food, the second feeding in the evening is natural food or vice versa.
But this combination option can only be practiced if approved by your veterinarian. And this is only possible if your cat is absolutely healthy and has a good digestive system.
Purebred cats
It's no secret that thoroughbred animals are more susceptible to many diseases than their counterparts without a noble birth. Therefore, if you choose, for example, how to feed a British cat, then, in principle, you should give him the best. No experiments with raw materials are worth doing. Buy premium food (or super premium) for your pet, as well as special vitamins, then it will be healthy and joyful always!
And what to feed the Scottish cat? Use all the same recommendations given above. The breed of the animal in this case does not matter. All thoroughbred representatives of the cat family have a delicate digestive system. Your task is to always remember this and make the life of your pet as comfortable as possible, choosing the best food for him.
Consult your veterinarian if you have questions or if you have cat digestive problems.
If we talk about feed manufacturers, then for the purebred cats, the Royal Canin brand would be the best choice. More information about it is later in the article.
Cat disease from feed
As already mentioned, good food does not cause cat health problems. Should I feed him dry food from the budget segment? Many people ask this question, wanting to save, because quality food can not be cheap. According to veterinarians, it’s cheaper to give the cat expensive food than to cure all the sores that cause low-quality cheap ones.
Oddly enough, there is truth in this. It is especially important to understand that problems are often inherent in pets. They lead a sedentary lifestyle, more lazy than their colleagues, who are on a free walk. Because they are more susceptible to various diseases. And the quality of the feed is one of the reasons. Therefore, weigh everything and make the right choice. Of course, no one will be able to indicate how to feed the cat in your home. You are his master. But you need to be not only the owner, but also a friend, because only the best is given to a friend!
Kitekat
A popular brand of cat food. She is always well-known thanks to the active advertising of the brand on television. The brand is cheap, perhaps this is the cheapest that you can buy for your pet. But reviews of the company's products, to put it mildly, are not very flattering. Dry feeds of this brand are especially blamed for the fact that it leads to serious problems with the liver and kidneys of the cat. How to feed a cat? Obviously not this feed. By the way, reviews of many owners about this brand coincide with the opinion of leading veterinarians.
Friskes
Another relatively cheap brand. Compared to the above, Friskes is preferable. The composition of the feed, to be honest, is not impressive. They contain too low content of natural meat components and a lot of artificial colors. There are no particularly negative reviews about this brand, but there are also no bright, positive ones that praise the brand. How to feed a domestic cat? This feed or something else? If it is possible to buy food more expensive, then it is better to do it immediately!
Whiskas
Objectively, this is the best thing you can get from a budget feed. But this is not premium. How to feed a cat at home? If there is no way to buy food more expensive, you can choose "Whiskas". But if you started to feed them, do not mix it with any other food, as well as with natural food. And after a couple of months, see the vet. He will tell you whether you have correctly decided on the brand or whether you should replace it.
Felix
Food from the top of the budget feed. In Europe, this food is promoted under the name Latz. Vegetables are added to it. Many pet owners try to take this feed for stocks in order to save. An inexplicable fact, but for this feed stocks go almost always.
There are interesting reviews of liquid food in bags from this brand that claim that cats love it because it is specially excessively over-saturated. As you know, animals unconsciously love salt, because in the wild, salt is absent. This is a special marketing move, no more. But! It works.
Gourmet
Many people believe that the price of this food is slightly overpriced. The composition is close to brands that are cheaper in price. But it is worth noting that there are no negative reviews about the feed. Almost all cats like him.
Perfect fit
This one is a bit pricey. But its composition is a sufficient amount of meat. There is a special series for feeding castrated cats. There is a series for kittens. There is also a line of feeds for adults and elderly cats. In reviews of it, many indicate that there are preservatives in the composition. True, now they are added almost everywhere. They are used for long-term storage of the product. Well, as for quality, then if it is possible to buy such food for your cat, your pet will be immensely grateful to you for taking care of him.
The price of spiders (liquid food in bags) is acceptable, but dry food already significantly affects the family budget.
Purina one
Food from the same price category as Perfect Fit is between budget and premium. Several lines can be distinguished. There is food for kittens, for sterilized cats, etc. If you can’t decide what to feed the cat from this price category, then you can focus on this particular brand. Although, of course, prices bite a little.
Purina proplan
Another representative of premium cat food. Moreover, it can be called cheap among the expensive. If your cat is healthy, then none of the vets will say anything bad about this diet. Your cat will also like this food. The only negative is the price. In principle, this disadvantage is inherent in all feeds of the highest segment.
N&D Natural and Delicious
You can not ignore the fairly qualitatively balanced composition of the feed of this company. The composition contains a maximum of meat ingredients, nutrients and vitamins. Unfortunately, the brand is still poorly represented in the pet stores of our country. It is worth noting that if you start giving this food to your pet, then it may not eat it well at first, because N&D Natural and Delicious does not contain various flavor enhancers and flavorings.
Acana
This food consists of 80% natural meat ingredients. It also contains lactobacilli and probiotics. Cereals are not included. In Russia, it is still difficult to find. The feed line is divided by age. But there is no separate group for cats with certain problems.
Innova Cat And Kitten
We can say that this food is almost perfectly balanced and includes all the necessary substances. The protein in the composition is exclusively of animal origin. To saturate the cat will need a small portion. Food is very expensive and poorly presented in pet stores. Innova Can And Kitten contains a large amount of protein, which means that it does not fit neutered cats.
Royal canin
Expensive and high quality. If you can afford such costs for the sake of your pet, then feel free to take it. You will not regret, your cat will always be healthy and will not know any problems in the future. This brand offers food for cats of different breeds. It is very comfortable. The development of feed is carried out by highly specialized veterinarians who take into account all the features of digestion, depending on the breed.
Try to buy food made in Europe. This brand of feed corresponds to a super premium class. Any veterinarian will be happy to advise such a feed for your pet.
Hills
One of the most expensive premium foods. The composition does not raise questions, it is very carefully selected and balanced. You can choose the food for your pet yourself, depending on the amount of incoming protein. So, for animals suffering from kidney disease, you can find food with a low protein content. A whole team of specialists is working on the creation of feeds, which take care to make your pet's life as comfortable as possible.
1ST Choice
The food is made in Canada, where very high quality standards for animal products apply. The feed is balanced. There is a separate line - hypoallergenic food. Although with classical problems not fixed. Many reviews indicate that the number of feed series is limited, given the high quality, there could have been more.
Eukanuba
The brand offers a standard line of feed, as well as special treatment for certain categories of animals. The entire range corresponds to a super premium class. The composition is perfectly balanced, it has a high meat content. This is definitely worth considering, because the pet will need a small amount of food to get enough.
Unfortunately, like many other high-quality, but expensive brands, Eukanuba is poorly represented in pet stores in Russia, finding this brand is a great success.
To summarize all of the above
Of course, not all of us are willing to allocate serious amounts from the family budget to properly feed our pets. Perhaps for someone it is too expensive. Someone is trying to save, trying to find a cheaper replacement.
Should not be doing that. Think about the health of your pet, remember what sad consequences this can lead to.
In any case, show your cat at least once a year to the veterinarian and draw conclusions based on the results of specialist observations. Do not neglect his advice. Your cat did not deserve torment, try to give him healthy and safe food, for this your pet will be very grateful to you! It is the quality of food that directly determines the duration and quality of its life. But many people want their pets to live as long as possible.