| For many years I've been health conscious about my | | | | get moisture in their food. Many cats that are on an |
| own diet, but then I thought what about my cats? I | | | | all dry food diet don't get enough liquids which can |
| know what kinds of foods are healthy for me, but | | | | cause a problem with feline urinary tract infections. |
| what cat food is truly a healthy cat food? I tried | | | | It's good to give your cat at least some moist food, |
| looking at labels a few times, but I wasn't really sure | | | | whether it's canned or raw or frozen. As part of a |
| what I was looking for. Which ingredients are | | | | healthy feline diet it's also good to encourage your |
| essential and healthy and which ingredients are fillers? | | | | cat to drink by having clean, fresh water in a couple |
| I'm a firm believer that nutrition is the foundation of | | | | areas of your house. |
| health and I wanted good nutrition for my cats too. I | | | | A good deal of people food is processed and has a |
| want them to have a good quality of life, to be with | | | | lot of junk in it. The same thing is also true for cat |
| me for a long time, and none of us are fans of | | | | food. By using fillers cat food manufacturers can |
| unnecessary visits to the vet. Regular check ups are | | | | produce cat food at a much lower cost, |
| essential, of course, but by feeding them a healthy | | | | unfortunately cats don't always respond so well to |
| diet I hope to lower the risk of them contracting | | | | these fillers. Many cats develop allergies, sensitive |
| some of the common cat health problems that seem | | | | stomachs (meaning they may vomit too often for |
| to occur all too often. | | | | reasons other than trying to get rid of a hairball), or |
| So I started doing my research. First it's important to | | | | other cat health problems. |
| understand the biology of a cat. Cats are obligate | | | | A good general rule when looking for a healthy cat |
| carnivores so they need a high percentage of protein | | | | food is to make sure the first ingredient is a quality |
| in order for their bodies to function well. Without | | | | protein. Additionally look for whole foods and grains |
| proper levels of taurine, which is found in meats, cats | | | | like brown rice, carrots and even blueberries, and |
| can experience a range of health problems that can | | | | quality fats like flax oil or chicken fat. Avoid cat foods |
| include blindness. Needless to say a quality source of | | | | with artificial colors and preservatives. Cats can often |
| protein will be the first ingredient listed in a healthy | | | | be sensitive to these too. |
| cat food. | | | | In the long run I've saved money by spending a little |
| Although we've domesticated them, by nature they | | | | more on higher quality cat foods. Helping to keep the |
| hunt their food and eat it raw. As unpleasant as it | | | | immune system strong goes a long way towards |
| may sound to us it's natural for them. Because of this | | | | keeping my cats happy and healthy. One of my cats |
| they have a low thirst drive; they were meant to | | | | is 19+ and still going strong. |