Things to Consider Before Choosing Cat Food
Every cat owner wants to buy the best cat food for their beloved furry friend they can afford. After all, feline companions deserve nothing but the best. Choosing the right cat food cannot be overstated enough. It nourishes your cat and sets them up for long and healthy life. The right food also improves their well-being and behavior. It can be quite confusing to pick the right cat food with so much choice and contradictory advice. The following things will help you when choosing the right food for your cat.
Age
Cats have different nutritional needs at different ages. It is therefore important to consider your cat’s age and lifestyle when selecting food. Kittens need a diet that has higher protein than adults so that they have enough nutrients for growth. On the other hand, older cats need a diet that has lower protein than adults. However, the protein has to be of very high quality. The protein is essential for maintaining muscle mass.
Also, there are specialized diets meant for cats that are weaning, pregnant, and those that are at various stages of senior age. Neutered cats also have their special diet which has slightly fewer calories in each piece of kibble so as to reduce the chance of your cat becoming overweight after being neutered. It is vital to ensure that you choose a diet that is nutritionally balanced and complete for your cat’s life stage.
Quality and appropriateness of ingredients
Cat food must be produced in hygienic conditions, fully traceable, and should also be safe to the cat as well as people. This is a great start. However, safe is really the minimum you should expect when it comes to food. The food should also be healthy, nutritious, and beneficial to the health of your furry friend. What goes into your cat’s food not only affects their physical health but also has an impact on their behavior and trainability. The key ingredients to look out for when selecting good quality cat food are named animal protein, animal fats for a healthy brain, skin, and coat, vitamins and minerals, Omega 3 and 6 which are important for brain development, healthy skin and coat, and immune function and carbohydrates which are a source of energy.
Price
Every cat owner wants the best for their cat. There are cat foods that suit all budgets; from cheap supermarket brands to freshly prepared, organic free-range meals. Look out for the best quality food you can get at the most competitive price. Also, always keep in mind that expensive is not always better. Done correctly, you should be able to feed your four-legged friend healthy without breaking the bank.
Body condition of the cat
It may be necessary to buy special formulas for particular conditions. In case the cat is slim, it may be a sign of anemia or parasite infestation. If your cat eats but doesn’t gain weight or stops eating completely, you should take her to the vet so as to determine if she has a health issue. Moreover, if the cat is obese, consult your veterinarian so that you know how to put her on a healthy eating regimen. If your cat is diabetic, dry food is not recommended. You will need to ask your veterinarian about the proper diabetes diet. For a cat that has kidney disease, it is important that she gets an adequate amount of water intake hence feeding him dry food is not beneficial. A lower amount of proteins and phosphates are also important.
Supplements
These are the added minerals, vitamins, and amino acids in cat food. Cats need to be supplemented with dietary taurine which is an essential amino acid. Unlike other mammals, cats are sensitive to a taurine deficiency. Lack of taurine in a cat’s diet leads to a host of health problems such as blindness, decaying teeth, and in worst scenarios death. With that said, all cat foods are required to contain taurine. There are many other supplements that are common to cat foods that are manufactured. These include Vitamin A, E, D, B-complex, iron, zinc, cobalt among others. These nutrients are beneficial to cats and growing kittens.
Label
Just like human food, cat food is regulated by the government. The statements on the labels on cat food packages adhere to the requirements of the law. When buying cat food, look for the statement of intent on the label and ensure that you pick the food that is made specifically for cats. By law, the ingredients included in a package need to be declared in decreasing order of weight. Since meat has a considerable moisture content, it normally appears at the top of the list on any package containing moist cat food. A package of dry cat food with similar ingredients as a package of moist cat food would need to list the ingredients in a different order. When you compare two different brands, you need to put in mind whether they are both foods in a similar category.
Preservatives
Preservatives in cat food ensure that it doesn’t go bad. Generally, it is safer to pick cat food with preservatives listed on the label, rather than one that is preservative-free.
Ease of getting the food
Choose a food that you can easily get hold of. The last thing that you would want to do is choose a food that your feline companion loves, but that you cannot get hold of. It is best if you choose a food that is stocked by the local pet shop. Sudden changes in diet can make cats stop eating or have diarrhea. It is therefore important to put the ease of getting the food into consideration.
Compliance to WSAVA
There are a lot of cat foods out there that are not nutritionally balanced and could cause long term damage to cats. It is advisable that you look for a diet that meets the WSAVA guidelines. WSAVA is World Small Animal Veterinary Association.
Importance of Choosing the Right Cat Food
- Makes it worth the money. Nobody obviously wants to spend money on cat food that is not of the right quality as that would simply mean that your money is wasted.
- Provides the perfect balance of all the nutrients that cats need in order to thrive
- Palatable hence lure cats to eat it
- Leads to good health and general wellbeing of the cat
- Ensures healthy skin and shiny coat
- Ensures that the cat is fed with the right nutrients so as to avoid any diseases that may arise from poor nutrition
Conclusion
A cat is what it eats. Cat food is one of the most important expenses of feline guardianship. So, choosing the right cat food is everything. A proper diet leads to a nourished healthy and active cat. It also saves you from expensive veterinary care that arises due to serious medical conditions. On the other hand, the wrong food can cause real harm, both physically and behaviorally.