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Pet Medication Home -> Cat Health
Good Cat Health Starts With Good Cat Food
by Greg Podsakoff
As all cat owners know, a feline can
be a wonderful addition to any family. One of the most basic aspects
of cat ownership is proper health care for the cat. Health care
for a cat encompasses a wide array of vaccine shots, flea protection,
vet visits, medications, and even proper exercise.
However, the most important aspect of
cat health is also often overlooked. People spend hundereds of hours
and thousands of dollars over the lifetime of a cat to keep it healthy,
but most cat owners don’t pay nearly enough attention to the
proper cat food.
The right cat food is absolutely essential to a healthy, happy
cat.
But what is the best cat food for your cat? While each cat will
have slightly different nutritional needs, there are some general
rules that must be considered when looking for cat food.
First of all, cats (like their human owners) need a high quality
diet. This means the best types of protein, fats, carbs, and the
less preservatives and chemical additives, the better. Most of the
research available online does not compare specific brands of cat
food, as much as specific ingredients to feed your cat, and which
to stay away from!
Cats need a high protein diet. Wild cats are very carnivorous,
and cats derive a great deal of their nutritional needs from protein.
House cats, while not wild, still have many of the same nutritional
needs as their wild feline ancestors. So, the most important ingredient
in any cat food is protein.
Carbohydrates are also an important part of a cats diet, though
not as important as protein. Cats really should derive the majority
of their nutritional needs from protein, so cat foods that are high
in carbohydrates may not necessarily be the best for them.
Interestingly enough, many of the premium brands of cat food, such
as Eukanuba and Innova offer exactly what most cats need, and aren’t
necessarily more expensive in the long run. This is because high
end cat foods need a smaller serving amount than the low end cat
foods to give a cat all the nutrients they need to be satisfied
and healthy.
When comparing a premium brand such as Eukanuba, to a lower cost
brand such as Purina, the cost difference for the recommended serving
size is only a nickel a day. Furthermore, because a cat will eat
less of the high end cat food, their waste will be reduced. This
can cut down on the frequency of litter replacement and litter box
related chores.
Another aspect of cat food to be considered is the quality of the
protein in the food. Because of the way many pet food companies
describe the meat in the food, it can be difficult to figure out
exactly what the difference between “chicken flavored”,
and “chicken dinner” is.
Food that contains “chicken meal” can only be made from
the skin, flesh, and bones only. This is really the best type of
protein for a cat. Food that has “meat byproducts” can
contain nearly any animal parts, and are of lower quality than “chicken
meal”. Food that is “chicken flavored” only has to
taste like chicken, but may not contain any animal meat at all.
Also, chicken is generally better than beef for cats.
And it goes without saying, preservatives, as well as artificial
colors, should be avoided whenever possible. Although specific research
is lacking on this subject, we do know that preservatives and artificial
colors can have a negative impact on human health. It is only logical
that cats will also be negatively affected by artificial colors
and preservatives in their cat food.
For more information on Cat food and Cat Health, visit http://www.cat-care-cat-information.com
This article provided by the Family Content Archives at: http://www.Family-Content.com
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