How to feed your cats: expert advice

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Veterinarians told Lifehacker what and how to feed the pets to keep them healthy and active.

What are cat food

You can feed your cat with food purchased in the store or prepared yourself. The first option is simpler: in this case, you only need to choose the appropriate option for the pet. The main difficulty of the second is to develop a balanced diet from natural products. It is very difficult to do this without the appropriate knowledge or the help of a professional.

Don't be fooled by the word "natural" in self-feeding: in fact, ready-made foods are also made from natural ingredients, but at the same time, taking into account the specific needs of the cat.

Alexander Tkachev Candidate of Veterinary Sciences, Vice President of the Association of Practicing Veterinarians of the Russian Federation

It is very difficult to achieve complete nutrition at home. Something your animal will miss, something, on the contrary, will be in excess. Finished feeds are designed to avoid this.

If you have made a choice in favor of store food, then you should not pamper your cat with food from the table. This can lead to nutrient imbalances and obesity.

But alternating dry and wet ready-made feed is quite acceptable, especially if they are created by the same manufacturer.

Dry food promotes mechanical cleaning of teeth and supports digestion (it contains about 4% fiber). Wet food has about five times less calories than dry food, so it provides a balanced diet and prevents your pet from gaining excess weight.

Alexander Tkachev Candidate of Veterinary Sciences, Vice President of the Association of Practicing Veterinarians of the Russian Federation

How to choose food in the store

Ready food is divided not only into types (dry and wet), but also into classes: economy, premium, super premium and holistic. When choosing, this is worth paying attention to.

Sergey Lozhkov, therapist of the "Center" network of veterinary clinics

The difference between feeds is in the raw materials used and in the packaging itself. For example, an economy class feed may contain offal. This reduces the cost of the feed.

However, this does not mean that you cannot feed your cat with cheaper food. It is much more important that it is complete.

The package must indicate that the feed is complete. This means that it contains the required amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, trace elements and vitamins. They provide the pet with health and activity.

Alexander Tkachev Candidate of Veterinary Sciences, Vice President of the Association of Practicing Veterinarians of the Russian Federation

Of course, the breed and age of the animal should be taken into account. For all these cases, special feeds are being developed.

In addition, you need to know if your pet has any medical conditions. For example, if you have chronic renal failure, you should feed your cat a medicated food with alkalizing substances and a low content of protein and phosphorus.

Sergey Lozhkov, therapist of the "Center" network of veterinary clinics

How to feed your cat natural food

Prohibited products

• Chocolate … May cause irregular heartbeats, excessive thirst, and increased urination.
• Onion and garlic … They contain a substance that destroys red blood cells, which can lead to hemolytic anemia.
• Milk … May disrupt the gastrointestinal tract and cause diarrhea.
• Alcohol … Makes the animal excitable, causes tachycardia, impaired coordination of movements and difficulty breathing.
• Yeast dough … Causes increased gas formation.
• Fruit pits … They emit hydrocyanic acid and can cause poisoning.
• Grapes and raisins … Contains toxins that can lead to kidney failure.
• Avocado … May cause breathing problems, stomach and intestinal problems.
• Macadamia nuts … They provoke lethargy, vomiting, fever and movement disorders.
• Xylitol sweetener … Increases insulin secretion, which can lead to vomiting, seizures, poor coordination and even loss of consciousness.

Acceptable Products

The foods below can be included in the diet of an animal. But, of course, they cannot be given haphazardly.

• Meat and offal: chicken, turkey, rabbit, beef. It is better to freeze or boil meat in order to destroy harmful microorganisms that may be in it.
• Lean boiled fish without bones, it is better to choose the sea.
• Egg yolks - better cooked.
• Cheese, cottage cheese and fermented milk products of medium fat content: kefir, sour cream, fermented baked milk, yogurt, cream.
• Cereals: steamed oatmeal, boiled cereals - rice, buckwheat, wheat groats.
• Raw or cooked pureed vegetables: carrots, cauliflower, green beans.
• Greens: salad, spinach.
• Dry brewer's yeast.
• Vegetable oil.
• Mineral and vitamin supplements.

Natural food recipe from Sergey Lozhkov

This food can be fed to a healthy cat weighing about 2.5 kg. If the animal has a chronic illness, the prescription must be corrected with a doctor.

Ingredients

• 1 kg of chicken thighs;
• 100 g raw chicken liver;
• 200 g raw chicken hearts;
• 125 ml of water;
• 2 egg yolks;
• 1 g taurine;
• 2 g fish oil;
• 100 mg of vitamin B;
• 100 IU (67 mg) vitamin E
• 4 g iodized salt or iodine supplement;
• 10 g psyllium powder.

Preparation

Remove 25% of the bones from the chicken thighs and peel off half of the skin (if the cat is obese, remove all of the skin). Grind the meat together with the bones until minced.

If you are using boneless meat, be sure to add 1 g of calcium per 30 g of meat.

Mix the minced meat with the remaining ingredients. Store prepared food in the refrigerator or freezer. The daily allowance for a cat is 2–4% of its weight. If the pet is overweight, the daily allowance is calculated from the ideal weight.

Do not forget that natural feeding requires knowledge of many nuances. If you decide to practice it, it is better to consult a doctor so as not to harm your beloved cat.