The different types of cat food
The feeding of a cat can be based on three main types wet food dry food and homemade food to best ensure proper nutrition.
it's ideal if we can provide a mixture of wet and dry food you can alternate both options keeping in mind that they must be of quality before buying the product remember to read the label and make sure the main ingredient is animal protein homemade food has many benefits compared to commercial food.
The most important being
that we can best control quality and ensure the cat is receiving the right
nutrients if you do choose to make your cat homemade food speak to your
veterinarian they can assess the cat's needs and advise in what diet is
suitable for each individual cat.
The nutritional needs of cats
Now that you know what food you can offer your cat we
should know the nutritional needs so we can ensure we offer them the correct
diet cats are strict carnivores and have high protein needs they also need the
nutrients taurineargoninearachidonic acid and vitamin A we can say cats have
seven necessary nutrients starting with :
1. protein
this is the most important nutrient in terms of dry feed it is essential that it contains at least 25 percent protein but ideally around 40 in a natural diet the percentage of protein should range from 90 to 95 the remaining 10 or 5 percent can be from fruits and vegetables although these are optional discover.
2. essential amino acids
the two most essential amino acids are arginine and
taurine both are found in meat and their deficiency can seriously harm the
health of our feline .
3. fat
At least nine percent of the calories of an
adult cat must come from fat derived from meat the ideal percentage of fat in
their diet is between 15 and 20 percent especially in homemade diets.
4. fatty acids
Cats need a supply of fatty acids such as omega 3 and
6 vital for their skin and coke quality as well as cognitive cardiovascular and
immune systems.
5. carbohydrates
It has been confirmed that cats can maintain themselves with a diet very low in carbohydrates since through the catabolism of proteins they can cover their glucose needs the one that appears frequently in commercial feed is cornstarch.
Since they digest it best likewise cereals
should not be added to homemade diets as carbohydrates are not part of their
essential nutrients.
6. vitamins
These are important for many vital functions of cats
vitamins C E and beta carotene kill free radicals that cause cell damage and
are involved in aging vitamin A is very important for their eyesight cell
membranes teeth and bones.
7. minerals
Suitable diets for cats are supplemented with necessary minerals such as calcium phosphorus magnesium or trace elements of copper manganese iron zinc and selenium in homemade diets.
The food should already provide their necessary vitamins and minerals as long as they are well formulated and balanced.
The energy needs of cats
These vary according to the cat and its characteristics a house cat with little activity should have enough with 60 calories per kilogram per day.
If they are neutered especially cam or a senior cat the amount can drop to 45 calories per kilogram per day, if they are an active cat 70 or 90 calories per kilogram per day is likely it should also be taken into account that the youngest tend to use more energy, and their needs are higher than in older cats, pregnant cats need around 100 kilocalories per kilogram per day at the end of pregnancy in addition it's important that they consume more fat to accumulate reserves that they will need during the last weeks of gestation.
Since the weight gain will go to the kittens for this reason during pregnancy and lactation it's a good option to feed our cat with a feed formulated for kittens due to the high amount of energy it provides.
finally when cats become old it is common for them to suffer from diseases and need a suitable diet to reduce their impact a feed that is rich in vitamin C and E.
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