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Just like with people, your cats dietary needs depend on many factors:
Age, level of activity, breed, weight, health conditions and much more.
Your cats digestion could be suffering from a diet high in carbohydrates. Signs that your
cat is consuming too many carbohydrates could include excessive gas, bloating and/or
diarrhea. Feline obesity can also become an issue if too many carbohydrates are con-
sumed.
Unless you COOK your cats food, you dont have much control over the ingredients in her
dish. However, you can judge cat foods by their protein/fat/carb ratio. Make sure to scan
the ingredients on your cats food label to check the amount of carbohydrates it contains.
Potato/corn/grains should be at the very bottom of the list (or, better, not on the list at all!)
Many discount cat foods are just meat-flavored cereals. If possible, choose your cats food
by the nutritional facts as much as by the price. Remember, carbohydrates are the cheap-
est way for cat food manufacturers to add calories to your kittys food.
The truth is that cheap cat food is 1000% awful, resulting not only in short-term gastrointes-
tinal issues like bloating, gas or diarrhea, but also in a lowered life expectanc
How much food should you be feeding kitty? Calculate your cats daily calorie limit by
multiplying your cats weight (in pounds) by 30. For example, the average cat weighs
around 8 pounds and should only consume 240 calories per day. If in doubt, ask your
veterinarian to help calculate your cats caloric needs.
Want to learn more about feline obesity? CHECK OUR BLOG POST HERE
Providing too little water
Dry food contains 10 percent water, while canned is approximately 80 percent water. If
your cat eats only dry food, she will need to drink a lot more water than a cat who eats wet
food. Hot weather may also influence your cat to drink more water.
Even if your cat prefers wet food over dry, he stills needs free access to water. Normally, a
cat will require 2-4 ounces of fresh water in addition to his food.
WARNING! Diabetes and kidney disease are examples of medical conditions that can
cause increased drinking in cats. So if your cat starts drinking more, you should men-
tion this to your vet. Also, do not substitute water for milk for the reasons listed below
Giving milk
One of the most common misconceptions is that milk is good for cats. However, after the
weaning stage, milk is not a natural part of a cat's diet..
Adult cats do not possess significant amounts of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down
lactose in milk. Undigested lactose causes diarrhea, bloating and flatulence.
If you insist on feeding your cat milk, veterinarians recommend that a maximum of 20 to 30
calories per day can come from unbalanced food sources. Food for thought: Skim milk has
around 80 calories/cup, while whole milk contains 149 calories/cup.
Why are we warning you against giving your cat too many treats?
Cat treats (as well as human treats) are rich in calories. Thats what makes them so tasty.
This means that your cat consumes more calories than he normally would if you allow him
to get full on treats. Eventually this may lead to feline obesity. Also, many commercially
available cat treats contain low-quality fillers, carbohydrates and fat (as flavoring). This can
put a lot of pressure on the feline digestive system, which is genetically programmed to
digest more protein.
Buying kitten food for
an adult cat
Each life stage has its own nutritional needs based on your cats specific developmental
period. Make sure the food you are giving is labeled according to your cats life stage.
However, if your cat is on a homemade and/or raw food diet, make sure you are following
veterinarian-approved recipes that contain appropriate supplements if needed.
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Easier said than done, right? A few other tips:
1) Pet food labels list ingredients in order of weight, starting with the heaviest. So look
out for the moisture figure. 10% of protein in wet cat food is not the same as in dry food.
2) Stay away from food with gravy and sauces because they often use high-carbohy
drate thickeners.
3) Naming conventions: Cat Food with Chicken will generally have less chicken in it
than Chicken Cat Food. In order to use the word with in their products name,
manufacturers must include at least 3% of that ingredient in the food. If the product
contains between 25% and 95% meat or fish, the product name must include a
qualifier such as dinner, entre, formula, platter, and so on. If the product
name contains two ingredients (for example Chicken and Fish Cat Food), the food
has to contain more of whichever is named first, and together they must add up to
95%. And lastly, if the product name reads Tuna Cat Food or Chicken Cat Food,
then it must contain at least 95% of the named ingredient, not including moisture
content.
4) Meat meal is not the same as meat. Think of meat as the fillet and meat meal as
the stew, which includes all the bones and other animal parts. Ancestral and wild cats
would have consumed all the pieces, so meal can sometimes be healthier for your
cat than just meat. However, avoid low-quality meals that dont specify the animal
they come from, or which include the term by-product.
Vets recommend switching food gradually over the course of 7-10 days. For example, make a
mixture that contains 25% of the new food and 75% of the old food and feed that for three
days. Then make it 50-50 for three more days, then 75% new food and 25% old food for three
more days. If your pet seems comfortable with this progression, you can start feeding her
100% new food.
If you are interested in learning more about cat health, and how genetics can improve your
cats life, check our blog here.
Your cats health is shaped by 3 main factors: Nutrition, Environment, and Genetics. By under-
standing all three, you can provide your pet with the ultimate cat care. Basepaws is the first cat
care company built around Genetics. While we are working hard to deliver personalised
nutrition advice for your cat, you can order your Cat DNA Testing Kit NOW with special
discount code EBOOK.
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