Does
Your Cat Have A Healthy Diet?
Author: Matthew
Homfray
They say we are what we eat. This applies to your pet as
much as it applies to yourself. A good diet means less health problems, less
trips to the vet and lower veterinary bills. But how much thought have you given
to what your cat should be eating to maintain optimum health? Ask yourself the
following questions.
1) How many times a day do you feed your
cat?
Since cats cannot be exercised like dogs can, the only way you can
influence your cats weight is by controlling the amount and type of food he or
she eats. If the cat is being fed individual meals several times daily, there is
often a tendency by the owner to offer the daily supply of food on several
occasions rather than divide up the daily feed into several meals. This can also
occur with cats fed dry food ad lib. Cats usually regulate their food intake,
but continual exposure to large quantities of food may lead to over-eating and
subsequent obesity if too many calories are consumed. In short, both several
individual meals a day and ad lib feeding are fine, it is the total amount
offered per 24 hour period which is the important figure.
Kittens should
be fed small meals at regular intervals due to their tiny stomachs. Four or five
meals are recommended at eight weeks of age, decreasing to two at six months of
age.
2) Is your cats diet manufactured specifically for cats or do you
give human food?
Some cat owners like to spoil their cat by feeding them
human food as the bulk of their diet. Others have tried feeding their cat
regular catfood, but find their fussy cat will not touch it, and prefers to wait
for the inevitable human food offering, which soon becomes the staple
diet.
Is it really unhealthy to feed cats human food though? Of course it
depends what food. Remember that cats are carnivores, and require a high
proportion of meat in their diet. They simply cannot adapt to a low protein
diet, and will lose bodyweight if deprived of it. In fact, as a species they are
relatively unique... a deficiency of the amino acid, arginine, in a single meal
can lead to symptoms of lethargy, hypersalivation and vocalisation. Arginine is
required by the cat to produce urea, a waste product resulting from the
breakdown of protein.
Another essential nutrient for the cat is the
amino acid, taurine, which the cat cannot manufacture sufficiently by itself to
meet its needs. The cat's diet must therefore contain taurine in sufficient
quantities. If a deficiency develops there is a high risk of serious and
irreversible damage to major organs such as the heart and the eye. Taurine is
found almost entirely in meat, confirming the fact that the cat is a compulsory
carnivore.
Another disease of nutritional origin is that caused by cats
eating raw liver regularly, who can suffer from a condition called
hypervitaminosis A. Cats suffering from this can present with signs of lethargy,
unthriftiness, a stiff neck and other skeletal problems. To play it safe, do not
feed your cat liver more than once a week.
Reputable cat foods are
formulated after extensive trials by pet food companies to provide the mixture
of protein, carbohydrate and fat that suits feline physiology best. It is
easier, cheaper and possibly more healthy for your cat to be fed a reputable cat
food diet, with occasional treats if desired (tuna, liver etc).
3) Which
is better out of dry cat food or wet cat food?
Most vets recommend
complete dry biscuit based cat food. This is because studies have shown that
cats on dry food diets are less likely to suffer from dental disease than those
on wet food from a tin or pouch. The physical motion of biting these biscuits
helps prevent tartar from adhering to the surface of the tooth. However, even
cats with no teeth can eat biscuit based food without a problem, as they just
scoop up the biscuits with their tongue and swallow them whole. Another
advantage of dry food is that it does not spoil as quickly which is useful for
cats that are fed ad lib.
There are occasionally reasons why a wet food
is preferable, as a method to increase the water consumption in a cat with a
urinary problem such as cystitis.
4) Which is the best cat food to
choose?
There are so many different brands of cat food on the market, the
best one is basically a matter of opinion. Certainly palatability is a factor,
there is no point in purchasing a particular food if your cat cannot stand it,
although this is occasionally a necessity in cats requiring prescription diets.
Rather than recommending you a specific brand, we suggest that you choose one
which adheres to the criteria below.
Cat foods labeled as complete and
balanced must meet standards established by the Association of American Feed
Control Officials (AAFCO), either by meeting a nutrient profile or by passing a
feeding trial. There are now two separate nutrient profiles for cats - one for
growth (kittens) and one for maintenance (adults). Maximum levels of intake of
some nutrients have been established for the first time because of the concern
that overnutrition, rather than undernutrition, is a bigger problem with many
pet foods today. The standards include recommendations on protein, fat, fat
soluble vitamins, water soluble vitamins, and mineral content of foods. If you
are prepared to get technical, you should choose a food that comes closest to
AAFCO recommendations.
In summary, consider the following
points:
Choose a food that suits your cats age. Most big pet food
companies will have different foods for kittens vs adults. Cats with medical
conditions may be recommended special prescription diets.
Choose a food
that come closest to AAFCO recommendations.
The ingredients contains the
truth about a particular food. Everything else is there only for marketing
purposes.
There are no legal and scientific definitions for the terms
"premium," "super premium," "quality," or "natural."
Use dry matter
numbers to evaluate and compare foods.
The source of ingredients (e.g.
animal vs vegetable) does not matter, except in the case of food
allergies.
Avoid supplementation. All commercial cat foods have more than
enough protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Feeding your cat a good food
incorrectly can lead to significant problems.
5) My cat is overweight,
but no matter how hard I try I cannot get him to lose weight. What can I
do?
Your cat is almost certainly being fed too much. Below some common
mistakes are listed. Have a good look at these and make sure none of them could
apply to your cat.
Not following the guidelines on the packet when
measuring a portion. Most cat foods will have a table on the packaging
suggesting daily portions for cats of different weights. The weight of food
suggested is per 24 hrs, not per portion! Use your kitchen weighing scales to
measure out the portion until you are sure of the correct amount.
Using a
complete dry diet as a replacement for regular biscuits, and mixing it with wet
cat food. If it says complete, you should not mix it with anything or you will
overfeed.
Offering inappropriate food that is high in fat, or cream/full
fat milk to drink.
Several members of the household feeding the cat at
different times, whenever the cat is meows for food.
Giving the cat
regular treats in addition to its main meal.
The cat is getting fed by
neighbors, who think they are being kind by feeding it and enjoy the attention
it gives them.
The cat is scavenging food from outside sources, such as
other peoples bins.
The cat is part of a multi-cat household and is
stealing food from the other cat(s), or even the dog.
Keep an open mind. If
there is a possibility that any of the above scenarios might be the case with
your cat, investigate it. If you are still at a loss, consider starting a
prescription diet (see below).
6) I have heard you can get special light
diets, or prescription diets for fat cats. Do they really work?
Yes they
do, if used properly. These types of cat food are available in complete wet
(tinned or pouches) form or dry (biscuit) form, and are growing in popularity
amongst conscientious pet owners. They are low in calories and high in fibre,
and often contain high levels of L-carnitine. L-carnitine has been used to help
with fat metabolism in other species and recent scientific work indicates that
it helps reduce weight in overweight dogs and cats. The real benefit of these
low calorie diets though is that because of its low calories, cats can still eat
reasonable sized portions and therefore feel full. This means they are more
content and less likely to beg and look for extra food.
These diets are
perfectly healthy for normal sized cats to eat too, so if you have a multi cat
household and it is unfeasible to separate the cats during feeding time, you can
safely feed all of the cats the prescription diet together.
7) Where can
I buy this low calorie food from?
Many of the big pet food companies are
waking up to the problem of pet obesity, and adding light versions to their
range. However, they are unlikely to be as effective as the traditional
prescription diets that are on the market.
They are known as prescription
diets, because they are a specialist food normally prescribed by a veterinarian.
However, you do not need a prescription to buy the food as it is a general sales
list product. These foods are rarely available in supermarkets as many
supermarkets are keen to sell their own brand, or have deals with the big pet
food manufacturers. Many owners but their prescription diet from their
veterinary clinic for convenience, whilst others prefer to shop around to get
the best price. Many online pharmacies and pet stores are now offering these
prescription foods, but whilst they may appear cheaper online, watch out for
delivery charges added on top.
About the Author:
Dr
Matthew Homfray is one of the veterinary pet experts at www.WhyDoesMyPet.com.
Our dedicated community of
caring pet experts are waiting to offer you advice, second opinions and
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Your Cat Have A Healthy Diet?