Choosing The Best Dry Cat Food: Knowing Your Cats Basic Needs
Generally, dry cat food works best when its mixed with wet food as part of your kittys regular menu.
Using dry food alongside wet food should help to avoid any potential downsides from feeding your furry pal too much of one product or another.
However, youll need to ensure that the right combination of foods is addressing your cats basic nutritional needs.
The most important things your cat will always need include:
- Protein: From a meat, fish, or poultry source
- Taurine: Essential amino acid for cats
- Water:Moisture content
- Vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids
Cats dont need carbohydrates in their diet, but you may find many grains like wheat, rice, and corn as fillers throughout dry and wet cat foods.
Other ingredients like binders, coloring, and flavoring are added through cat food manufacturers to satisfy the needs of the customer.
Always look for the best high-protein, low-carb dry cat food.
Your cat is an obligate carnivore, which means it will thrive best with minimal carbohydrates making up its diet, and all recipes need to be high in animal proteins.
Your cat doesnt need a high-carb diet, and its important to ensure youre not filling them with too many carbs.
The best dry cat foods will have a carb content of around 10% or less and it should contain plenty of protein.
How Many Times A Day Should I Feed My Cat Wet Food
According to most vets, it is suggested that cats be fed wet food twice a day. Take a look at the recommended portion size for your cat and divide it into two meals.
These two meals should be given to your pet 8-12 hours apart. However, depending on your cats requirements and your vets suggestion, you can alter the daily amount for best results.
Look Closely At The Ingredient Label
While all cat foods will feature different ingredients and offerings, pay attention to what is listed and the order. A high-quality protein source should be within the first few ingredients listed. The list of ingredients is always presented in order of those that are present in greatest to least greatest quantity, says Machell.
But Dr. Elswick warns that cat parents should beware of false advertising on cat food labels. Pet parents should be aware of pet food marketing ploys and avoid pet foods that hop on the bandwagon of human food trends, which can falsely anthropomorphize pets and cause pet parents to believe a certain trend is healthier than other more traditional commercial diets, she says.
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First We Looked For Foods With Low Carbohydrate Content
Cats use a process called gluconeogenesis to convert protein into glucose. Unlike in people, it is protein, not carbohydrate matter, which is the main type of fuel used to maintain a cats blood glucose concentrations.
Cats can metabolize carbohydrates instead of protein, but its not ideal. Cats are mildly insulin resistant, similar to a person with diabetes. And sustained carbohydrate intake could make your cat more likely to develop diabetes over time.
Purina Cat Chow Grain Free Real Chicken
Purinas Cat Chow Naturals is one of the best selling dry cat food around. It contains natural fiber, made with real chicken and turkey. This gives your kitty the energy she needs. It is mixed with natural fiber blend helps to control hairball.
This US made dry cat food contain no artificial flavors or preservatives. So, you can feel completely safe while serving your cat. It has a complete and balanced formulation which makes it best for the adult cat and for their health.
Purina Cat Chow comes in different variety of flavors and formulas. Cat Chow also has a healthy formula for Indoor Cats.
It helps to promote a healthy weight for a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, it becomes a healthy weight control food for your cat.
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Protein And Fat Sources
Look for quality first ingredients such as real chicken, lamb, turkey, salmon and tuna, which are all rich in protein. Chicken liver and heart are both rich in taurine, an amino acid that humans produce but cats cannot. Generally, focus on foods that contain calcium, fats and essential vitamins. And try to avoid those with artificial fillers designed to make your cat feel full, and lack any nutritional value.
Risk Of Feeding Too Little
There are many issues that your pet could face if they do not eat enough food. These are two of the most common issues veterinarians see if cats do not eat enough:
Abnormal Bone Growth
Feeding too little an amount of food, especially in the case of a growing kitten, can be exceedingly dangerous and life-threatening. When a kitten does not receive the proper number of calories, it simply will not have to energy to move around or the appropriate amount of calcium needed for its bones to grow. Sometimes, even if the diet is changed to the appropriate amount, bones damage can be permanent, resulting in the kitten never reaching full size. They will usually remain underdeveloped and be stunted in both organ and bone growth. This sometimes results in life-long health issues.
Fatty Liver Disease or Hepatic Lipidosis
If your cat does go without the proper number of calories for too long, then things like fatty liver disease can result in extreme illness and death if not given veterinary treatment immediately. Fatty liver disease is when the body is forced to convert fat into energy because there are not enough calories present for the cat to function. The problem with this is cats rely on a high protein diet to function, so fat doesnt convert well in the liver and starts to build up greatly, reducing the livers ability to function, resulting in severe illness and death if untreated. Hepatic lipidosis can occur very quickly, usually within just 2 to 3 days without food.
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Buyers Guide: How To Select The Best Dry Cat Food
With all the available options on the market, choosing the right dry food for your cat can be confusing, to say the least. Luckily, we are here to help! When looking for the right dry food to give your feline, there are a few important things to consider. Read this guide to find out exactly how to find the right food to suit your needs. However, its important to note that there is no perfect dry cat food, and all available foods have their unique pros and cons that may be ideal for other cats but not yours or vice versa.
What Kind Of Cat Food Does Lovebug Offer
Unfortunately, flavour choices are non-existent when it comes to buying from Lovebug. There is only one variety available, their original Insect-Based Dry Cat Food. The only choice you really have is the weight of the bag.
The food is made primarily from natural ingredients, although it has been artificially fortified with additional vitamins and minerals. LoveBug are transparent about this, and a full list of ingredients including additives can be found on their website.
To get a better understanding of what Lovebug cat food looks like, lets take a closer look at their insect-based dry food.
Lovebugs primary source of protein comes from dried insect meal. The recipe isnt grain-free as it contains maize, wheat, and dried cereal protein, which also makes Lovebug high in carbohydrates.
Lovebugs main source of omega-3 comes from vegetable oil. Animal fat would have been preferred here, but its understandable why its not included due to the sustainable nature of the brand.
Lovebug has a relatively high fibre content compared to some other brands, which it gets primarily from beet pulp. This natural ingredient aids in gut health and feline digestion, so if your cat has stomach sensitivities, this is a reassuring ingredient to see on the list.
Additives such as taurine and zinc complete the recipe to make it nutritionally balanced, resulting in a dry food thats rich in protein, fat, and vitamins.
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Your Complete Guide To The Best High
We all want our cats to be happy and healthythats a given. Providing them with a nutritious, high-quality cat food is one way to ensure just that. But with so many varieties of high-quality cat food on the market, knowing which one is the right choice for your fur baby can be confusing. What even is high quality cat food anyway?
For starters, it has to meet the nutritional standards set forth by the Association of American Feed Control Officials . This is essential for any cat food, says Dr. Katy J. Nelson, DVM, Chewys resident veterinarian. An easy way to be sure of that is to look on the package for the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement.
High quality food also has high-quality ingredients with nutritional benefits, like:
- Protein: provides energy and is essential for growth, the transport of nutrients and oxygen delivery
- Amino acids: build and repair tissues, help maintain healthy skin and coat, support the immune system, and muscle activity, making glucose, as well as transport nutrients and oxygen throughout the body
- Fatty acids: maintain healthy skin and coat, and are essential for joint health and a healthy immune system
- Vitamins and minerals: to ensure that the pet’s nutrient requirements are met
Depending on the specific brand and ingredients, some may ease health problems , while othersincluding high-protein diets for active catssatisfy a particular nutritional need.
What Is The Best Urinary Health Cat Food
I’m sorry if I’ve confused you. My sympathies go out to you! Even yet, it is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. If youre still unsure which type of best urinary health cat food is best for you, I recommend comparing the characteristics and functionalities of the best urinary health cat food listed above. Each has advantages and disadvantages.
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About Rachael Ray Nutrish
Currently owned by J.M. Smucker, Rachael Ray Nutrish is a celebrity brand created by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition.
When Ainsworth and celebrity chef Rachael Ray teamed up to create the brand in 2008, the pet food world was ready for change. The 2007 pet food recalls had left consumers suspicious of the industry and were turning to smaller, independent companies in search of safe products for their pets.
Ainsworth had previously focused on the value market, but knew that it was no longer sustainable. Consumers were moving towards super-premium foods and Ainsworth needed to find a smart way to move into that space.
They chose celebrity chef Rachael Ray as the ambassador of that transition.
Rachael Rays warm, fuzzy, friendly persona and public love of animals made her an ideal face for Ainsworths first venture into the premium pet food space. The food was, and still is, marketed as premium food thats affordable for the average buyer.
Rachael Ray Nutrish became Ainsworths biggest brand. In 2017, it was named the USs fastest-growing pet food.
Its also involved in philanthropy.
A portion of the proceeds from each Nutrish sale is donated to the Rachael Ray Foundation. The foundations mission is to help animals in need and support other charitable organizations like Feeding America, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and FoodCorps.
Who Should Try Meowing Heads
Meowing Heads dry food is a great option for cats who have digestion issues, constipation, or diarrhea. The formula contains no artificial colours, flavours and preservatives, so you know exactly what your cat is eating. Its important to note the recipe contains brown rice, so I cant recommend it for cats with grain allergies.
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Dry Cat Food Versus Wet Or Canned Cat Food
Dry cat food is a popular choice partly because it is more convenient than wet cat food. Dry food is cost-effective, odorless, and it can be stored for long periods of time without spoiling, says Ferris.
But Julien notes that dry cat food can also be higher in carbohydrates than wet cat food. Just as you think about all the sourdough youve been eating while baking at home, you should also consider the amount of carbs your cat is eating. An active cat can absolutely use carbohydrates as an energy source, says Julien, adding that a sedentary aka indoor cat will store extra carbs as fat.
Wet food requires a bit more effort it has to be refrigerated once the can or pouch is opened and can be more expensive. But it may also help cats get more water in their diet . Canned or wet food has higher levels of protein and fat, making it a great option for cats of various lifestyles and ages, says Kornreich.
Standard Dry Cat Food
These are the usual cat foods you find in the supermarket. Standard cat foods can be from manufacturers who are big industry names, such as Purina and Royal Canin.
These tend to be made from the animal part not consumed by human beings. You may see ingredients such as chicken by-product meal listed, which contains the less desirable parts of the chicken and is a lower quality protein.
Standard dry cat foods tend to have a higher carbohydrate, fat, and cereal content. Plant by-products can also be found in standard cat food. An example of plant by-products is pulp and cellulose.
Caution: Standard cat food can cause urinary tract infections and weight gain.
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Buying Guide For Best Cat Dry Foods In 2022
Do you feel anxious when you think about looking for an best cat dry foods? Do you find yourself having second thoughts? For us, this is no problem because we’ve already gone through the entire process of studying best cat dry foods, which is why we’ve put together an extensive best cat dry foods list. In addition, we’ve compiled a list of questions you may have.
Although we’ve done our best to provide you with our ideas and recommendations, you should still conduct your own research before making a purchase of any best cat dry foods. The following are possible concerns of yours:
- Why should I invest in an best cat dry foods?
- What are the advantages of purchasing an best cat dry foods?
- What are the most important things to keep in mind while purchasing an best cat dry foods?
- Why should you put money into an best cat dry foods at all, let alone the greatest one?
- Which best cat dry foods are performing well in today’s market?
- What other resources are there for learning about best cat dry foods?
In our opinion, you have a lot more questions about best cat dry foods than just these, and the only way to satisfy your need for knowledge is to seek out information from as many reliable web sources as you can find.
Brand Value:Every best cat dry foods brand has its own unique value. A unique selling proposition is a claim that a company makes to differentiate itself from its competitors.
Formulas With Animal Proteins In The Main 5 Ingredients
The following list contains the dry cat foods in which the first 5 ingredients are either meats or meats & fish or meats & fish & eggs. The exception on this list is Wellness Core Original because this formula contains one carb as ingredient #5, but due to its high level of protein and the fact that informs all the 11 essential amino acids, I decided to put it in this classification. As a side note, if you have a cat with urinary sensitivities or if your cat doesnt drink very much water, I dont recommend formulas with only fish as the first 5 first ingredients.
Petcurean Go! Fit + Free Grain-Free contains 46% meat proteins and its grain-free. The recipe contains a good amount of meats and fish, such as chicken, turkey, duck, salmon, and trout. Also, it adds chicken fat as a natural source of energy for cats, but not too much to prevent obesity. Listed as the first ingredient, chicken meal provides a concentrated source of proteins, and de-boned chicken and de-boned turkey balance the formula with a crude source of proteins.
Petcurean Go! Fit + Free Grain-Free formula includes essential fatty acids such as Omega-6 and Omega-3, fresh farm-grown fruits, and garden vegetables. First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, deboned chicken, de-boned turkey, duck meal, turkey meal. Go to FULL REVIEW or get it on Chewy here. .
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Innovation Should Be Pursued Relentlessly Always Focusing On The Pets Nutritional Needs Safety And Well
We believe innovation should be pursued relentlessly, always focusing on the pets nutritional needs, safety and well-being. Thats why we have our Pet Care Center, where our feeding studies help to develop a better understanding of the natural preferences, nutritional needs and behaviors of dogs and cats. Our trained and caring staff treat our dogs and cats with respect and affection, because were pet owners too.
Importance Of A Knowing What Type Of Meat The Formula Contains
Meat meal is a high source of proteins, but it could be any meat so you dont know what your cat is eating. Its better to see defined meat and a defined meat meal, and without grains such as white rice, corn, wheat, etc. in the first 5 ingredients. Consequently, the formula has to have defined meat, a defined meal, and free of grains, such as soy, wheat, corn, white rice, rye, potatoes , and tapioca.
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We Gave Preference To Moisture
Our cats ancestors were desert dwellers. They lived in arid environments where fresh prey was often the best source of moisture. A mouse is about 70% water and a fine source of hydration for a desert cat hours away from the nearest watering hole.
Because fresh water was scarce, early wild cats evolved to have low thirst drives and a natural inclination to get their water from the moisture-rich bodies of their prey. This means that they typically dont drink enough water to compensate for moisture-depleted dry food.