How to raise a cat to grow up healthy, shiny hair and bright eyes? Cat food plays the most important role. In this article, we will learn about the issues related to cat food.
Choose cat food with good ingredients
Cats are carnivores, so they need animal proteins, fats, and other vitamins and minerals. And they can get these nutrients from a variety of sources.
Protein in cat food can come from chicken, poultry, beef, lamb, fish, liver or skin, bones. It is referred to as By – Products Meat/ Chicken or Meat meal / Chicken meal in the English ingredient list.
For a healthy cat with no digestive problems and no allergies, any of the above ingredients, wet or dry, are good choices.
If you're concerned about specific ingredients, look for a certified nutritional supplement that is certified by the American Feed Association (AAFCO) to provide complete and balanced nutrition. . Or state it is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrition Profile. These foods should only be chosen as the main meal for cats.
In terms of taste, foods can taste very different, with highly nutritious foods often having a significantly more fishy taste, and foods using artificial flavorings and flavors will smell. The taste is more pleasant and less fishy.
Be careful when feeding your cat, because if you feed your cat a high-protein and high-nutrient diet for a long time, it can make them weaker, obese, and develop diseases.
Side-by-product 'By-Product' isn't bad
A good brand of cat food will have no animal by-products such as liver, lungs, bones, skin. Animal or poultry by-products are parts of animal origin, and may include necks, feet, intestines and bones.
However, there are also some by-products that offer a higher percentage of nutrients at a lower cost. With the chicken-by-product ingredient, for example, there's more vitamin A, vitamin D, zinc and copper - instead of just the high protein in chicken breast.
Carbohydrates are good too
Many people think that cereal is just a filler for cats, with no real nutrients. However, wheat or rice provides a lot of essential nutrients that both dogs and cats do.
Carbohydrates are not harmful to cats. Low-carb foods often mean high fat, which puts cats at increased risk of obesity and diabetes, but not entirely good.
If you are worried that your cat has a grain allergy, it is not too dangerous, some cats may be allergic but this is not much.
Cats at each stage will need different food
Cats of different ages will need different nutrients. Kittens need adequate amounts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This is a healthy fat that is important for brain and eye development. If a product's packaging says it contains omega-3 fatty acids, take a closer look to find out which ingredients contain plant-based DHA. For example, substances in flaxseed are a good source of DHA.
As for adult cats, preference should be given to foods with fish oil – providing them with DHA and reducing inflammation. With probiotics, food for healthy gut bacteria. Older cats also need different nutrients, like more fat, as they age.
Higher price is not necessarily better
Price is not the most accurate criterion for you to decide on a cat food product. Currently, there are many imported cat foods originating from Europe and America, and their prices are much higher than products of the same quality and ingredients.
Cat food quality should not be judged by the selling price. The most reliable selection criteria is their ingredient list compared to the actual needs of cats.
So when buying cat food, check the product packaging for the certifications of pet food companies. Choose brands that have their own factories and invest in their own dietary research to support the nutritional claims and formulas they make.
The FDA regulates all pet food standards and requires brands to meet certain standards. However, you also need to stay away from cheap food, because its ingredients can always vary in quality and are not shown on the product packaging.
Amount of cat food per meal
Cats are more prone to obesity than dogs, partly because they usually don't exercise as much as dogs, and partly because they eat less but eat more often. So to avoid the cat being too obese, you need to look at the product packaging to know how much you can feed your cat per day. Remember to only trust packaging that has an AAFCO-compliant and AAFCO-related label. Don't trust cat foods where you can't find AAFCO, and don't feed your cat foods that don't meet these standards.
Here is some information about cat food that we want to share with you. Wish you have healthy and lovely cats. If you need to know more about other ways to take care of cats, contact http://vanchuyenchomeo.com/ for advice.
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