Ready-made food or natural food? What to feed a cat and dog

4704Pavel

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Let's figure out what is better, dry food or natural. For cats, it is not so difficult to choose the right diet. The main thing is to decide what you plan to feed your pet. In any case, whatever its nutrition, the main thing is that the cat receives with it the minimum necessary set of vitamins and useful elements for good health: amino acids, phosphorus, calcium, protein and others.

When feeding, you should maintain the correct balance, i.e., make sure that the animal receives nutrients in the required quantity, since a lack of them in the body or an imbalance when the cat receives an excessive amount of useful elements can have a very negative impact on health.

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If earlier, many veterinarians recommended giving only natural food to cats, today, thanks to many studies, it has been proven that what is important for an animal is not what kind of food it receives, dry or natural, but how high-quality and healthy it is. After all, both natural food and dry food can cause harm.

Natural nutrition

Feeding cats with natural food has certain rules, compliance with which is mandatory for the health of your pet..

• Food should always be fresh. Cats are animals that are very picky eaters, unlike dogs or other animals. The smell and taste of food is very important to them. If they understand that the food is not fresh, then they may abstain from such food. You should always remove uneaten food from your cat and add fresh food before each feeding.
• The cat has its own diet and its own products. Often, many cat owners give them the same things they eat at the table: potatoes, soup, pies, etc. This is strictly forbidden. Human food is not suitable for cats and can only cause harm.
• Vitamins and minerals. No matter how healthy the food is, be sure to include vitamins and minerals in your cat’s diet.
• Food should be warmed up a little. When feeding a cat, it is recommended to serve any food except vegetables and dairy products warm.

Wet food - all the pros and cons

Wet food is packaged in portioned bags or jars and comes in the form of pate or pieces with gravy. The composition of wet and dry food (of the same brand and line) does not differ, so the recommendations for choosing a product class are similar to those given above.

Benefits of wet food:

• Portion packaging - you will be sure that the cat does not overeat.
• Attractive smell and consistency - cats are more willing to eat wet, soft food.
• Sufficient amount of water.

Disadvantages of wet food:

• Possible protein deficiency - due to the high water content, a standard portion contains less protein than the same portion of dry food. To calculate an adequate daily food intake, you must strictly monitor your pet’s weight.

• Loosening of the gums - when feeding exclusively soft foods, the gums do not experience stress and the tissues lose their elasticity.

Note! Almost all industrial products for kittens are wet food, since it is difficult for babies to chew the granules.

Useful and harmful products

If you decide to switch your cat from dry food to natural food, then you must include seven food groups in the feeding diet:

• fermented milk products (cottage cheese, milk, cheese, fermented baked milk);
• proteins (veal, beef, rabbit, turkey, fish);
• vegetables (zucchini, cucumbers, melon, beets, cabbage, pumpkin);
• greens (wheat sprouts, oats and other cereals);
• eggs.

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All of the above product groups can be combined. These products contain many beneficial components necessary for the health of the animal.

But, there are foods that it is undesirable to feed your pet, since such a diet can only cause harm due to the content of dyes, emulsifiers, flavor enhancers, salt, sugar and other substances that are far from beneficial even for the human body.

Foods that should be excluded from the animal's diet:

• sausages;
• canned food;
• salted or peppered foods;
• bones;
• flour;
• chocolate;
• cookie;
• fatty pork meat and raw fish.

Some of the above products are harmful due to the presence of artificial colors, flavor enhancers and other components. Salt, pepper and other spices are also harmful to the health of the animal and feeding cats with natural food should be done without adding any spices, because cats have their own taste preferences and the presence of seasonings in a dish, which makes it so attractive to humans, will only repel the cat. And it will cause harm to the kidneys, liver and stomach.

Eliminate raw fish or meat from the animal’s diet, as there is a high risk of contracting worms or other parasites.

Pros and cons of natural food for cats

How to choose quality dry food

Dry food has its own gradation. Conventionally, dry food can be divided into: economy class, premium class and holistic. All economy class food has the cheapest price and is made from ground bones with the addition of artificial preservatives that enhance taste and color. We can say that there is no meat in them at all. Such food is very harmful to the animal’s body, therefore, due attention should not be given to such food.

Premium food is necessarily characterized by the presence of natural meat and the absence of harmful, artificial preservatives. They are manufactured in such a way as to maximally balance the composition of the feed for the needs of the animal. Since there are dozens of types of food on the market, we will list a few that are widely known for their high quality: Royal Canin, Proplan, Purina, Nutra and others.

Holistic - such foods have a completely natural, well-balanced composition. They do not contain components that can cause allergies or other problems. Such feeds must contain: vitamins, minerals, proteins, and grains. Feeding an animal only with such food will be much more expensive than feeding it with natural products.

Ready-made cat food

Option two is feeding with ready-made food . Ready-made feeds are divided into: 1. economy class feeds 2. middle class feeds 3. premium class feeds or professional feeds, as they are sometimes called. So, let's find out: which food is better.

1. Economy class food. These are Kitekat, Darling, Whiskas, Katinka, Friskies and other inexpensive (50-100 rubles per kilogram) foods that are well known to us from television advertising and are sold in any supermarket.

Only, contrary to advertising promises, economy class food does not contain all the vitamins and microelements a cat needs, and they are not made from meat at all, but from offal (entrails, cartilage, skin, etc.). Any cheap cat food contains large quantities of flavoring and aromatic additives, in particular, catnip (an analogue of valerian), which is addictive in cats. This is why cats that are accustomed to eating economy class food are usually difficult to train to eat something else, especially premium class food that does not contain such additives. Animals that eat only such food do not receive a large amount of minerals and vitamins and often have problems with the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. In general, the only advantage of economy class feed is its low cost. But for a small price, unfortunately, you get corresponding quality.

2. Middle class food. These are foods such as PerfectFit, CatChow and others, which usually cost no more than 200 rubles per kilogram and are sold in grocery and veterinary stores. Such food is also made from offal, although of higher quality. They, like economy class food, contain flavoring and aromatic additives, however, in small quantities. Unlike cheap food, middle-class food differs not only in taste, but also in purpose. There are, for example, food for the prevention of urolithiasis, for removing swallowed hairballs, etc. Nutrition based on middle-class feed must be supplemented with vitamins.

3. Premium or professional food. These are Royal Canin, Purina Pro Plan, Hill's, Innova, Chicken Soup, Nutro Choice, Iams and others. These foods are sold only in veterinary stores and veterinary pharmacies. They cost from 200 rubles per kilogram and more.

Premium food is made from natural meat and cereals and contains vitamin and mineral supplements, so giving your cat additional vitamins is not only unnecessary, but also harmful. These foods do not contain flavor enhancers, odor enhancers or dyes. The line of any professional food includes many types - for different breeds, for spayed/neutered cats and female cats, for those who go outside (or not), for different ages, for those prone to certain diseases, etc. There are also medicinal foods sold in veterinary pharmacies. You can switch your animal to medicated food only after consulting a veterinarian.

All ready-made food, regardless of class, is divided into dry and wet (canned). Is it possible to mix dry and wet food? Yes, if they are food from the same manufacturer and both suit your cat. And one more important point: if an animal eats dry food, it should drink a lot (absorb about 3 times more liquid than food). Therefore, fresh drinking water should always be freely available.

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Comments

cattown

• 2018.11.15

Vera, we do not recommend doing this. A young healthy body can adapt to many things. But for the time being. Still, you need to decide: either natural food or food.

Faith

• 2018.11.14

So if she is fed with mixed food, the enzymes will be produced exactly those enzymes that are needed. If the stomach gets used to the mixed food, it will be able to digest it without any problems, right?

cattown

• 2018.11.14

Vera, hello. You should not feed your cat both ready-made food and natural food at the same time. The cat's stomach gets used to a certain type of food and begins to produce specific enzymes necessary to digest this particular type of food. Therefore, they always feed either natural food or food, and not both at the same time. If you feed good premium food, then it is quite enough - the food is balanced. Or read the first part of the article about feeding natural food.

Faith

• 2018.11.13

From the time of purchase, we feed the cat by mixing ready-made premium soft food and porridge, such as rice or buckwheat, the cat is healthy and active. Tell me, did I make a mistake?

Catherine

• 2018.04.03

Our cat does not like ready-made food. Eats in kind: offal + vegetables + cereals. The cat is satisfied.

cattown

• 2016.11.23

Katerina, this is wonderful. How nice it is to see advanced cat owners)

Katerina

• 2016.11.17

Our cat eats super-premium dry food Bilanx. The food has an ideal composition, so I am calm about the cat’s health. I want to take another little cat)

cattown

• 2016.08.23

Vika, hello, the cat needs to be fed one thing: either food or natural food. If you have chosen good food for her, then don’t worry - you don’t need to supplement it with anything, it’s already balanced. You can read about choosing food here: ​​​​​​​

Vika

• 2016.08.15

Good article! Tell me, is it possible for a cat to eat only dry food? Is it possible to give, say, cottage cheese or an egg, raw meat from time to time?

cattown

• 2016.07.05

Anastasia, hello. Wet food is still canned food, not ground meat and vegetables, so it’s still either food or natural food.

Anastasia

• 2016.07.02

“Is it possible to mix dry and wet food? Yes, if they are food from the same manufacturer and both suit your cat.” Prepared wet food, for example: meat, rice, pumpkin, chicken broth. Those. Everything is only natural, only packaged. And at the same time, you write that it is impossible to mix natural food and ready-made food....so how do you feed a cat correctly?

cattown

• 2015.09.24

Tanya, Hills is a good choice.

Tanya

• 2015.09.20

Our kitten has been suffering from stomach problems since childhood; we spent a long time selecting food for him. By the way, the straight girl didn’t go at all. As a result, we fed Hills food, now we feed the same line, but for sterilized cats, since it is necessary to monitor the weight.

Olga

• 2015.08.02

From the first days the kitten appeared, they fed him sanabel. First kitten, for kittens, then we switched to sanabel adult, he has been living with us for five years now and has never changed food. We also buy treats for her from Bosch, she loves to chew on them.

Catherine

• 2015.05.24

And I simply had no desire to prepare food specifically for the cat - my husband and children are more than enough. And we chose Royal Canin simply on the advice of the seller. And by the way, I don’t regret it, the cat eats well, there are no health problems and the price is reasonable for us.

Vasilina

• 2015.05.04

Very useful article. As a nursery owner, I fully support the author. The main thing to remember is that cats are not human and their diet is different from ours.

Lyudmila

• 2015.05.02

We also have problems with urolithiasis and were prescribed Royal Canin Urinary at the veterinary clinic. We were on it somewhere for 6-7 weeks, and then we were transferred to dry land. We are very pleased with the results - the cat really feels much better and most importantly there are no relapses

cattown

• 2015.03.31

Vasilina, thank you for your feedback. We sincerely hope that our articles will help someone care for their pet correctly.

Vasilina

• 2015.03.29

Very informative article. Thanks to the author for his work. I breed cats myself. You can't save money on feed!!!

Petunia

• 2015.03.10

Royal Canin is absolutely not more expensive if you calculate the cost per day. After all, we see the price only when buying a package, but if we look at how long it lasts? Mathematics is a simple thing really. You will also save on the veterinarian initially.

cattown

• 2015.02.19

Lena, we wish your cat to continue in the same spirit - not to get sick and to continue to be playful) It’s great that you noticed the problem in time.

Lena

• 2015.02.18

Unfortunately, we also ruined the cat’s stomach with regular food. The cat was severely poisoned. During the recovery period, I also bought him Royal Canin, and we still feed him to this day. TTT there were no problems for 3 years. The cat is playful, you can’t tell he’s 9 years old)

cattown

• 2015.01.14

Victoria, your example is very illustrative. Health to your cat and you!

Video “What to feed cats?”

From the video you will learn how to feed an animal correctly and hear some tips on choosing food for your pet.

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What should you not give?

Why not share delicious food with a kitten who is so touchingly begging for it? How can a few grams of cookies or a cherry harm you? Regular consumption of prohibited foods will negatively affect the body of the purr. An adult will not feed a child some kind of spicy food, but cats are just as gentle and require care. Therefore, every furry owner should know what not to feed cats.

Prohibited foods for mustaches and why they are harmful:

• chocolate - the presence of caffeine and theobromine, which stimulate the nervous system and cardiovascular system;
• alcohol - causes disorientation, loss of coordination, vomiting and severe poisoning;
• coffee - causes hyperactivity, rapid breathing and heart rate, and ultimately hypertension;
• avocado - the presence of a toxin that causes vomiting, poisoning, and in rare cases, death;
• onions and garlic - contain harmful substances that cause anemia in cats;
• legumes - are not digested normally in the animal’s stomach, often leading to bloating;
• tomatoes - provoke severe pain in the intestines and stomach, fatal cases are known.

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Basic rules for feeding kittens

The kitten still has a poorly developed sense of proportion, so he can eat not only when he is hungry, but also if he is bored. Therefore, the frequency of feeding should be controlled by pet owners. To do this, you need to be guided by the principle - feed twice as often as an adult cat. On average, the frequency may be as follows:

• up to 2 months - 5-6 meals, and portions should not be large (20-30 g);
• from 2 to 4 months - 4 times a day;
• from 4 to 6 months - 3 times a day;
• From 7 months you can gradually switch to two meals a day.

About mixed feeding

Many owners feed their pets dry food and meat until they are faced with the opinions of experts. Indeed, veterinarians and breeders do not recommend mixing food types , as this can lead to dysbiosis. The main reason is that the cat's digestive system gets used to working in a certain way and it is difficult for it to adapt.

Dry food begins to be digested within 1-2 hours after swallowing. The fact is that the granules are saturated with water and only after that moves into the intestines. Natural food is quickly processed by acids in the stomach and begins to be digested in the intestines. Dry food remains in the intestines for 4–6 hours, since the granules quickly disintegrate into a homogeneous pulp. Natural food, digests up to 8 hours. Judge for yourself how quickly the body will have to adapt if feeding is mixed.

Quite often, owners mix the granules with broth to soften them a little. There is nothing wrong with this approach, but it is worth remembering that eating only soft food leads to rapid tooth decay. It is not recommended to mix dry food granules with natural products in one meal, since such a treat will not be digested and will cause a fermentation process in the intestines.

How to make a choice?

When choosing between natural and dry food, you need to think not about your own convenience, but about the needs of the cat. Your pet is a carnivore and cannot thrive if it does not get enough protein.

Wild cats eat meat and natural products; it is advisable that the domestic cat receives a similar diet. Industrial feed can and should be considered as an alternative for a number of reasons. Not all owners have the time to cook for their cat every day. One of the options for natural feeding is preparing canned meat and vegetables. Dry food is definitely better than table scraps or stale food...as long as the food is of good quality.

Many owners are faced with illnesses of their pets and the need to keep them on a diet for life. If you have diabetes, cats should not eat carbohydrates, if they have urolithiasis, they should not eat salt, or if they have allergies, there is quite a wide range of unsafe foods. In this case, medicinal or hypoallergenic food is a worthy, and sometimes the only, alternative.

Some breeds are prone to urolithiasis and owners are afraid to sterilize them. In this case, veterinarians suggest switching the cat to special food for castrated and sterilized animals. This type of food belongs to the holistic or super-premium class, not medicinal.

The connection between urolithiasis and castration or sterilization has not been officially confirmed.

Natural nutrition is definitely healthier if the quality of the products is not in doubt. Think for yourself, how natural are the products you buy in the store? Meat from animals raised on hormonal drugs, milk from powder, cottage cheese from starch? If you do not have the opportunity or desire to purchase high-quality food, then industrial, balanced food would be a safer option for your cat.

Balanced feeding of a cat includes meat, offal, coarse fibers, oils, vitamins and microelements. You will notice that there are no cereals or cereals on the list, and this is correct, since a healthy cat does not need additional carbohydrates. Quite often, owners of cats and dogs feed their pets the same porridge... and in this case, it is better for the cat to buy high-quality industrial food (without carbohydrates).

Taboo products

When you bought a kitten, it is important to monitor its nutrition and remember about prohibited foods:

• alcohol;
• sweets;
• fried, fatty, salted, baked;
• excess spices, as well as various marinades.

Regular feeding of these products will gradually worsen the pet's health, and in particular problems with the heart, liver and gastrointestinal tract. Feeding an animal food from the table is not a good idea; the liver, kidneys and stomach can suffer from this.