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Food for cats
- nutritional needs
Research has shown
that domestic cats, which depend on humans
for feeding, require basic nutritional needs.
Food for cats should therefore contain protein
from a meat, fish, or poultry source, Taurine,
an essential amino acid, certain other vitamins,
minerals, enzymes, and fatty acids as well
as water. It goes hand in hand that food for
cats in the form of a proper diet can take
away or delay vet visits and subsequent high
vet bills.
It is suggested that
cats do not need carbohydrates, although in
certain canned and dry foods you may find
"filler" foods such as corn, wheat,
and/or rice. Food for cats may also contain
flavouring, binders and colourings for aesthetic
purposes. Food for cats should be allowed
to remain fresh and should never be allowed
to sit out for lengthy periods.
It is agreed upon by
many nutritionists, that food for cats should
be offered in both dry and canned forms. For
convenience purposes, dry food can be left
out to sit, to allow the cat to eat when it
is wanting to. For canned foods, the contents
of this food for cats contains water and,
to many cat owners who will know, cats do
not drink water on regular intervals. It is
recommended that in finding the right food
for cats a good variety of high-quality canned
foods, supplemented with dry food, is the
best choice.
Food for cats
- food labels
Just like with humans,
"you are what you eat" applies to
cats. You need to ensure that when buying
food for cats you are giving your pet all
the nutritional requirements it needs. As
a general rule, there are certain recommendations
that you should look out for on food for cats
labels, such as the wording "Complete
and Balanced" which means that the product
complies with AAFCO's requirements, check
that specific protein sources are named, like
"chicken, lamb, or beef," rather
than "meat", ensure that you check
that food for cats in cans lists the protein
source as the first ingredient on the label
and lastly, as you would do when purchasing
food for yourself, check the expiry date to
ensure the freshness of the food for cats.
Food for cats
- what to avoid
When purchasing food
for cats, it is recommended that the consumer
watches out for the following words on labels,
such as "by-products," "meat
and/or bone meal," and "animal digest".
It is also suggested to avoid food for cats
which contain added sugars, as well as chemical
preservatives, like BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin,
and propyl gallate. Food for cats should avoid
having high amounts of carbohydrates which
could be used as fillers, as well as corn
meal.
Understanding
Cat Food
FAQ
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