Cat Food
- By: Amielia Bt Shadan
- Dec 31, 2015
- 3 min read
Hello! This would be a rather short entry but still, best to pay close attention because this is one of the most important entry among others which is about cat food.
Source: Google images
Cat having a meal
There are a few things that you need to know before giving your cat any food to fill those fluffy bellies. First, always keep in mind that a cat is a carnivore. Yes, they do eat grass once in a while but that is a way for an outdoor cat who hunts their own meal to get rid of unwanted or indigestible part of the prey like feathers and eating grass would also help a cat to get rid of hairballs.
Source: Google images
Cat eating grass
Now, back to the topic, like stated above, cats are carnivores, strictly carnivores since they cannot sustain life if they do not eat any meat-based food. When choosing a cat food, make sure you check the labels at the back of the product whether it meets the standards that was set by the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) or not.
Source: Google images
A kitten eating kibbles
A kitten for once, needs more food in their first few weeks in their life. A kitten is supposed to get 30% of their energy from protein and kittens have a higher need for protein, amino acids, and minerals, and some other vitamins. It is recommended for kittens to be fed wet food but both wet food and dry kibbles are both suitable for kittens as long as they are formulated kitten food. If you are feeding your kitten both dry and canned foods, then twice a day canned feedings are sufficient and if they’re only eating canned food, they should be be given their meals four times per day.
As for adult cats, here are some differences concerning the type of food (wet and dry) that needs to be payed attention to.
Dry adult cat food:
Cheaper and more in amount.
It doesn’t spoil as easily
Is energy dense, meaning a cat can consume lots of calories quickly
Has about only 10% moisture content which can be considered low
Tends to have more carbohydrates and less protein than wet food
Slightly better than canned food in order to prevent dental disease
Canned adult cat food:
Is more expensive
Can spoil more easily and requires refrigeration.
Is less energy dense than dry food
Has up to 78% moisture content
Tends to have more fat and also protein - especially animal protein - and fewer carbohydrates than dry cat food.
Source: Google images
Dry kibbles vs wet food
Thus, most owners, like myself, prefer to give adult cats dry food but wet food are essential to be given once in a while especially for a cat with diabetes and kidney disease. As for the portion of the food that should be given daily, different cat needs different amount of food. There are a few aspects an owner must measure in order to know how much food they must give their cats like the body size of the cat, its health, its daily activities and also its food preference. Often, a cat may go upset and refuse to eat rather than eating the thing that they don’t like.
Comments