It’s 5:30 on a Saturday Morning and you are enjoying some quality beauty rest when suddenly you are breathing in large balls of cat fur. You crack open your eyes and are greeted with a pair of wide, innocent yellow pools of hunger. Meal time again. But as you pry open that can of what should never double as an air freshener, are you sure that what Fluffy is feeding on is the right thing?
Balancing acts
For cats, a complete diet contains 43 nutrients and balanced refers to the amount of nutrients in the food. A diet high in fat (much more than is needed for dogs and humans) and protein, low in carbohydrates, and with a balance of minerals and vitamins is a balanced diet for a cat.
So many choices…
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has produced guidelines for what must appear on cat food labels. Most states have adopted these as law and, in order to be sold, cat food must be labeled accordingly. These guidelines require the cat food label to have an ingredients list that includes every ingredient used in decreasing order of content by weight – much like human food labels. The first few ingredients supply virtually all of the protein and energy present in the product. The rest are part of the vitamins and minerals required for a balanced diet.
Dry food
The first few ingredients in dry food are dry plant or animal products. The vegetable sources may include ground corn, ground wheat, soybean meal, and rice flour. These products are good sources of protein (amino acids) and energy for cats. It is true that any single grain may be short in the amount of essential amino acids needed, but when combined with another plant or animal source, they are appropriate. So, don’t be concerned when you find these at the top of the list as long as complimentary animal sources are there as well.
The meaty part
Dry foods also contain meat and bone meal, animal by-product meal, poultry meal, and animal digest. These are major sources of protein for cats and serve to compliment the grains mentioned above.
Cannibal kitties?
There has been concern regarding the use of dry animal products. Because of the rendering process used to make the foods, there is a notion that dog and cat carcasses are used. In the rendering process, whole carcasses or parts of animals are heated to very high temperatures – high enough to destroy any bacteria or viruses – and the fat is separated. Then the remaining parts are dried. It is true that dog and cat carcasses are frequently used. This is unavoidable due to the amount of cat and dog deaths and restrictions that municipalities place on the cremation or burial of animals.
However, there isn’t very much, if any of this matter is present in cat foods. Many of the food manufacturers only buy dried animal ingredients from rendering plants that only accept material of farm animal origin, like poultry, cattle or swine. Also, the proportion of cat and dog carcasses compared to the amount of farm animals is very small. This means that such materials would only be present in small amounts. And, dried animal products must be identified to the source. The use of the term “animal meal” is restricted to swine, poultry, cattle, and sheep.
Too much fat?
In many dry foods, a fat source will also appear at the top of the label. This must be added since the dry products added are mostly fat free. Most of the fats used are described as animal fat and vegetable oil. One must keep in mind that cats require a lot of fat in their diet.
Wet food
The major difference between wet and dry food is that the animal source products used are added on a wet, “as is” basis. This means that the meat products are listed first on canned labels in comparison to dry food labels. Again, if a species descriptor is used, it must come only from that species – swine, cattle, poultry, or sheep. You may also notice there is no fat listed on the labels of canned food. This is because the fat has not been stripped off of the meat during processing as it is in dry food. Since these foods are stored in airtight containers, preservatives are not needed either.
As in the dry foods, the bottom part of the label contains the vitamins and minerals added for a balanced diet. These include ferrous sulfate (iron source), zinc oxide, sodium selenate, D-activated animal sterol (vitamin D source), and calcium pantothenate. Taurine is another chemical commonly seen on the bottom of the labels. Cats cannot produce this chemical on their own like humans and dogs can. Therefore, it is a necessary part of their diet.
Premium brands
Although more expensive than average brands, premium cat foods are often better for your cat. They are low bulk, which means that cats will digest more of the food, thus eating and eliminating less. They contain little or no dyes, which can be important if your cat vomits regularly - easier to clean up. Examples of these kinds of brands include (but are not limited to) Hill's Science Diet, Iams, Nature's Recipe (Optimum Feline), and Purina (One). These foods are also beneficial for the cat’s coats and many readers have attested to their cat's silky fur and good health on these diets.
Preservatives
There has also been controversy over artificial preservatives such as BHA, and BHT, and natural preservatives such as tocopherols (vitamin E) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) that have been used in pet foods. When used in appropriate concentrations to protect the fat in cat foods, are perfectly safe.
Moist foods
These are "soft kibble". The benefits are difficult to ascertain. They are more appealing to humans than anything else. There is no anti-tartar benefit and not much difference from canned food. They are fairly expensive. A lot of dye is typically used, which makes vomit very stain prone. Some are actually bad for your cat. Propylene glycol, found in these products as a preservative, can damage red blood cells and sensitize the cats to other things as well.
Snack foods
Many snack products are out there for cats. Most are fine as supplemental feeding, but they should never take place of regular food. Try to use treats that are nutritionally balanced so as to minimize any disruption in your cat's overall diet. Treats like dried liver, which are not balanced food, should be used sparingly. In addition, these products can be useful in training.
Milk
Did you know that most adult cats are lactose intolerant? For them, drinking milk will give them diarrhea. Otherwise, milk is a nutritious snack. Cream is even better than milk -- most cats can handle the butterfat just fine and it's good for them. A small serving of cream will satisfy the cat more than a saucer of milk and will contain less lactose.
People Food
It is a poor idea to feed kitty table scraps or food from your own meals. First, table scraps do not meet your cat's nutritional needs and only add unneeded calories or indigestible to its diet. Second, you risk having your cat become a major nuisance when you are eating. Stick with prepared cat treats. Any food you give it should be placed in its food dish, or you can give it treats as long as you are not eating or preparing your own food.
Eat your veggies
Have you ever had your cat outside and witnessed him munching on grass? Or does he seem to enjoy devouring your indoor plants? Don’t worry – he isn’t some kind of goat hybrid! Cats benefit from some vegetable matter in their diet. It helps them to digest hair among other things. Many owners grow some grass for their cats to munch on, both for a healthy diet, and to distract them from other household plants!
Dog food
Just because they get along doesn’t mean they can eat each other’s food! Dog food is not suitable for cats since it does not have the correct balance of nutrients. Cats need much more fat and protein than dogs do and will become seriously ill if fed dog food for an extended period of time.
Special Diets
You may need to change your cat's diet for any number of reasons. Often, you will find that your cat refuses the new food. Don't worry. Leave food out and keep it fresh until your cat is hungry enough to eat it. Your cat will not be harmed by several days of low food intake. As a carnivore, it is biologically adapted to going without food for several days between kills. If you give in to its refusal to eat the provided food, your cat has just trained you to feed it what it wants.
If you have a cat that bolts its food down (and throws it back up), you can slow its eating down by placing several one to two inch diameter clean rocks in its food bowl. Picking the food out will slow it down. Be sure the rocks aren't so small it could eat them by accident.
If you have multiple cats, and one of them requires special food (from medical to weight-loss diets), then you must go to a fixed feeding schedule to ensure that that cat not only gets the food, but also doesn't get any other food.
Kitty’s Golden Years
Many veterinary nutritionists agree that healthy, active older cats in good physical condition don’t need to change their adult diet. But if you notice a significant change in activity, weight loss or gain, then it may be time to shop around. Most senior cats are more prone to obesity during their senior years since they are generally less active. Protein intake is key to helping maintain kitty’s lean body mass. A protein concentration of at least 30% is advised.
Read the labels
The only way to really know if your cat is getting a good diet is by reading the labels and following your veterinarian’s guidelines. The life stage claim on the package will tell you if the food is complete and balanced depending on the stages of a cat’s life. It will also tell you if the food has been tested by and Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) feeding trial, which is the most rigorous test applied industry-wide to pet foods. If the food has passed, the word “feeding” will be in the life stage claim.