One of the most controversial topics is the diet and nutritional habits of your beloved pets. Because the well-being, appearance and even mood of the pet depend on it. Many owners believe that the best solution is to choose ready-made, dry food. But experts consistently argue that natural food for cats is better. The main thing is to accustom your pet to this, and this can be difficult. Let's talk further about how to accustom a cat to homemade food and why it is better.
Why is homemade food better than dry food?
Advertising brochures, with the help of which cat food manufacturers encourage people to buy their product, describing its benefits, hide a lot of important nuances. Low-quality dry food can be dangerous because it can lead to dysbiosis, as a result of which beneficial bacteria in the animal’s intestines that help break down and digest food are destroyed. The consequence of this can be indigestion, impaired metabolism and all sorts of problems with hair and skin. Not every food contains the vitamins declared by the manufacturer, which can result in vitamin deficiency.
Some brands of cheap food use excessive amounts of salt as a preservative, which has a detrimental effect on the animal, destroying its kidneys (urolithiasis). The dyes that many manufacturers use are not always natural and safe. High-quality varieties of food cannot be multi-colored. The liver and kidneys are affected first, then the cardiovascular system. In most cases, cheap industrial feed is made from legumes. This can lead to allergies in the animal, hair loss, mouth ulcers, and flatulence.
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In most cases, when a cat is switched from artificial food to homemade food, she refuses such food. This happens because she is addicted to him, like a drug.
Benefits of switching to natural foods
Natural food for carnivores excludes steamed human food.
A cat's diet should be balanced and varied. This type of nutrition has its advantages:
- similarity to natural food;
- no harmful additives;
- confidence in the quality of products;
- the necessary load on the teeth;
- sufficient moisture content;
- positive changes in appearance and behavior.
There is not always time to cook natural food every day. But you can prepare several servings in advance and store in the refrigerator. With a balanced natural diet and good care, the cat will be healthy and well-groomed.
Homemade cat food
If you decide to switch your cat to normal homemade food, then you should not do it suddenly.
A change in diet can negatively affect the behavior of the animal itself, provoke problems with the gastrointestinal tract and other problems, ranging from teary eyes and dry mouth mucosa to hair loss. Feeding changes should be done in stages. Table of nutritional norms for an adult cat.
Meat products
Most veterinarians recommend transitioning a cat to homemade food through bait.
You can start by adding a small piece of meat to the food. For cats, it is preferable to buy beef. Pork should not be given under any circumstances, as there is a high risk of the meat being damaged by helminth eggs. Lamb is considered a heavy meat for cats; it can be given, but not immediately and a little at a time. How to distill moonshine a second time and why is it important to do this?
Before you start giving your cat meat, you need to put it in the freezer for a day. This is done to prevent unwanted worm infestations. The method is not 100% effective, but it still significantly reduces the risk of infection. Beef should be frozen as a whole piece, without chopping. This will help preserve meat juices and help preserve flavor.
The most preferable option for meat bait would be the so-called “skoblyanka” from frozen meat. You need to take a frozen piece of beef and peel off layer by layer with a sharp knife. This fraction will be as convenient as possible for your cat.
Poultry meat
From poultry meat, all types of poultry, without a flat beak, are most suitable for cats. Goose and duck meat are very fatty and therefore should not be used in a cat's diet. When choosing a part of a carcass, there are no clear preferences. But for overweight cats, it is better to take meat from the breast of the bird. Red meat, in turn, contains a special mineral that has a beneficial effect on the animal’s cardiac system and the composition of its blood.
Fish meat
It is unlikely that you will find a cat that does not like fish. Fish meat can and should be included in the diet, but certain conditions must be observed. First of all, this is heat treatment. Seafood such as shrimp or squid can simply be blanched in boiling water, while river fish need to be thoroughly boiled. Phosphorus is practically not destroyed during heat treatment. If your cat eats raw fish, there is a risk of infection with various viruses.
Rating of cat food manufacturers for urolithiasis
Specialized food for sick pets differs in composition, which provides a specific taste and smell that repels picky cats. The cost of such food also differs, forcing some owners to focus on price rather than the pet’s taste preferences.
Royal Canin
For urolithiasis, veterinarians recommend super-premium dry food of this brand for cats:
- Royal Canin Renal. The composition contains rice powder, animal and fish oils, sunflower seeds, soybean oil. Switching to this form of food is not recommended if you have kidney pathologies. The cost of packaging 0.5 kg is from 520 rubles.
- Royal Canin Urinary. It is made on the basis of rice, wheat and corn flour, and additionally contains processed by-products and poultry meat. The consumption of such food ensures the breakdown of oxalate formations and struvite, and also prevents the formation of new stones. This food can be given to animals constantly; disruptions in the functioning of the cardiovascular system are considered a contraindication. The cost of a 3.5 kg package starts from 2,700 rubles.
Important! When switching to food from this manufacturer, it is necessary to take into account that its constant use in some animals provokes a pronounced decrease in the concentration of potassium in the blood, so it is recommended to regularly donate blood for analysis in order to monitor the pet’s condition
Hills
Depending on the severity of the patient’s condition, this therapeutic nutrition is recommended for him for 1-13 months. The food is selected taking into account the nature of the disease and the type of stones:
- Hill's Prescription Diet c\d. It is based on starch and corn flour, rice in crushed form. Additionally, the composition includes a complex of vitamins and microelements, meat and chicken oil. This food is prescribed after removal of struvite stones for 1.5-3.5 months in order to prevent relapse. The diet is contraindicated for pregnant cats and kittens under 1 year of age. The cost of a package weighing 400 g is from 350 rubles.
- Hill's Prescription Diet s\d. This food based on fish meal, a complex of vitamins, antioxidants and taurine is recommended for dissolving struvite stones over 3-4 months. Chicken and turkey are included as meat components. If oxalate stones are detected, such nutrition is contraindicated. A 1.5 kg package has a price starting from 1350 rubles.
- Hill's Prescription Diet k/d. Contains plant proteins, grains and processed meats. The food is recommended to alleviate the condition of kidney pathologies, but is contraindicated in animals with impaired liver function. Suitable for permanent use. Cost 1.5 kg from 1300 rubles.
- Hill's Prescription Diet Metabolic + Urinary Feline. It has a rich composition, is effective for the treatment and disease of pathologies of the urinary system, normalizes metabolism, has no contraindications, and is suitable for continuous use. A 1.5 kg package costs from 1,300 rubles. Recommended for cats that have had to be neutered.
- Hills Prescription Diet Feline. The composition is selected in such a way as to ensure the dissolution of oxalates. The feed is used for 3-7 months. A contraindication is the detection of struvites. The cost of packaging 1.5 kg is from 1450 rubles.
Important! The listed foods are produced in dry form and belong to the super-premium class.
And others
Purina Veterinary Diets UR Urinary Feline has good reviews, but when switching to this food, you must take into account that the animal may require parallel intake of probiotics to normalize the functioning of the digestive system. A 1.5 kg package costing from 1,100 rubles is sufficient for a course of treatment. Contains rice and corn flour, a complex of vitamins, and yeast.
Farmina Vet Life Cat Struvite can be used to treat struvite. A special feature of this food is the inclusion of potassium, which reduces the risk of developing concomitant diseases. Medical nutrition is used for 2-6 months, the cost of a 2 kg package is from 1450 rubles.
For the prevention of pathologies of the urinary system and recovery after illness, the use of Cat Chow Urinary Tract Health is allowed. The composition contains vegetables, yeast, grains, processed fish, poultry and meat. Suitable for regular use, the advantage is the cost: a 2 kg package has a price of 600 rubles.
Cereals for cats
When choosing cereals to feed an animal, it is preferable to purchase oats or pearl barley. As practice shows, pets do not really like buckwheat, except as an exception. Rice can be included in the diet, but in very limited quantities, as problems with stool may occur. Semolina can cause intestinal problems, and in addition to this, it contains a large amount of carbohydrates, which contribute to the development of diabetes. If you choose oats, it is better to give preference to whole grain cereals. Oatmeal has no hull, which is the most nutritious element of the grain.
The most ideal option for your pet would be oat bran. They contain a huge amount of B vitamins. But the most nutritious and valuable are wheat and oat bran. It is not necessary to cook them; you can simply steam them with boiling water, then cool and mix with fish or meat.
Many people purchase sprouted grains to feed their animals. It has a positive effect on the activity of the gastrointestinal tract. You can also germinate any grains yourself: wheat, clover, alfalfa, oats. Legumes produce very good sprouts, they are rich in vitamins, but only the green part should be given to your pet. Peas, soy and beans are not suitable for cats because the cat's enzymes cannot break them down and therefore the cat will not get any of these foods.
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Ragdoll
The cat grew little by little, delighting the family with her calmness - she didn’t rush around the curtains, didn’t climb on the table, she quickly got used to the toilet, she only scratched her claws on the “claw picker” - an almost perfect domestic cat. Time passed and, as expected, the cat looked more and more like its owner - not an ounce of excess weight, half a day in front of the mirror, but the neighbor cats were simply going crazy. And they were a little afraid. I'm talking about Emma now.
The cat happily accompanied us on trips into nature, devouring local wildlife in the form of jerboas and guarding the camp.
But her breed puzzled all cat owners. We definitely knew my mother - an ordinary village lady, my father was unknown, but there was no need to talk about any kind of royal blood. Nevertheless, the cat’s appearance was incomprehensible until we accidentally stumbled upon a similar photograph in one of the catalogs. Almost our Emma was looking at us, and under her signature was a ragdoll.
Therefore, in order to once and for all solve the problem with Emkina’s identification, we began to tell everyone that this is a type of ragdoll, although most likely it is just a cross between a purebred Siamese and an ordinary cat.
Emka’s appearance still misleads everyone, and even such a large site as Zoovet (Encyclopedia of Pets) posted her photo (and without my consent) in the ragdoll section.
Emmanuelle misled professionals
Vegetables in a cat's diet
Almost everything is suitable for complete nutrition, excluding cruciferous vegetables, which can cause gas formation and intestinal colic. The most useful product is carrots, which are rich in carotene. It can be given fresh, grated, or fried in a dry frying pan and used as an additive to main food. Pumpkin also contains many vitamins. It may seem strange, but many cats love boiled or baked onions, which are very rich in potassium. Potatoes should be avoided as they have a high glycemic index. If a cat needs to gain weight, then in this case it can be used for feeding.
How to feed a newborn kitten?
If a cat for some reason cannot feed its offspring, the owner must switch the babies to artificial feeding. Goat's milk and infant formula suitable for a human child are suitable. You will have to drink the kittens from a pipette. But it is better to purchase special feeding kits, which include a bottle, several nipples and a brush for cleaning the vessel. These are offered by “Hartz”, “Beafar”, “Kamon”. Popular mixtures include:
- "Jimpet Cat Milk";
- Nature's Protection Katie Milk;
- "Dolphos Dolmilk Cat";
- "Hartz"
- "Canina Katzenmilk";
- "Nutri-Vet";
- Royal Canin Babycat Milk;
- "Beafar."
The number of feedings per day with mixtures for animals up to six weeks should be seven, after - four.
To prepare, dilute 1 measuring spoon in 20 ml of warm water and shake the bottle. The food temperature should not exceed 36 degrees. It is recommended to give the finished mixture to the kitten within 1 hour. The number of feedings depends on age: at 1 week there should be 7, at 6 weeks. is reduced up to 4 times.
Diet change technique
In the process of switching to homemade food, you need to offer the cat food gradually. In this case, you need to monitor the animal’s reaction. You should always remember that a cat may have individual taste preferences. For some cats, a mandatory attribute when eating their main food is a treat in the form of a piece of raw beef liver. Take a closer look at the animal and try to figure out its favorite food.
The most important thing when switching a cat from dry food to natural food is the owner’s patience and morale. In any case, any animal obeys sooner or later. The beginning of translation lies in the preparatory stage. Buy 2 types of food, dry and canned. Mix in equal proportions. The purpose of this diet is to accustom your pet to wet food and treat it leniently. Then you need to gradually reduce the amount of dry food, replacing it with meat, cereals, boiled vegetables or fish. The most important thing at this stage is not to delay the entire process. Within 5 days you need to reduce the proportion of dry food by half. At the next stage, you need to reduce the portion of dry food, but leave only the gravy from the canned food. This is the most difficult stage and difficulties may arise here. The patient may persist and refuse food altogether. This is explained by the fact that when feeding exclusively dry food, the animal’s peristalsis (tone) of the stomach and intestines decreases. These functions are restored when switched to homemade food, but not immediately, but gradually. Therefore, the cat may eat less food and this is quite normal.
At this stage, it is desirable to use probiotics, which help renew the cat’s intestinal microflora. When replacing dry food with natural products, gradually reduce the amount of gravy to just a few drops for flavor. After some time, you need to give the cat regular food, the one you will feed your pet every day. If she ignores the offered food for 20 minutes, the bowl must be removed. By evening, repeat the experiment. Eventually, even if not immediately, your pet will switch to normal, high-quality homemade food.
But remember, homemade food should not contain spices, sugar and salt. The animal does not need these ingredients.
Results
A cat has been accustomed to certain foods since childhood, so it is extremely difficult to change its habits. Therefore, it is better to instill in her a love of homemade, ordinary food right away. If you decide to switch your pet to a natural diet in adulthood, you will have to be patient and persevering. During the training process, you cannot follow the cat’s lead, react to its refusal to eat and give out the usual dry canned food. A smooth transition with gradual replacement of products will not affect the cat’s health and will accustom him to the new menu within a week. The main thing is to create a menu of healthy foods, follow the cooking rules and calculate the serving size to avoid overeating.
