Your furry pal needs proper nutrition to live a happy, healthy life. However, with all the different brands and food types, it can be confusing to know what your cat actually needs. Once you find a healthy cat food, your cat will thrive.
Here is a list of ingredients that you need to be sure your cat’s food has.
Protein
Number one is Protein. Their bodies were made to process animal protein. Your cat needs at least two grams of protein per pound of healthy body weight in the number of calories they consume each day.
Cats break dietary protein down into amino acids, which they burn for energy. While amino acids can come from plants, it is not taurine and the amino acids are not as processable for a cat. Therefore a vegetarian diet is not a good choice for your cat.
Protein supplies the energy needed for growth and development.
Taurine
Taurine is a type of amino acid found in many different types of foods. It is an essential amino acid that is found primarily in meat, fish, and dairy. It is critical to have taurine in a cat’s diet. If you feed your cat a high protein diet, taurine is naturally in there. They add it to most processed cat foods, as the content isn’t enough naturally.
Fat and Fatty Acids
Fat is the most concentrated source of energy. Too much in a cat’s diet will contribute to weight gain, but enough is needed to keep your cat going.
Fatty acids like omega-3, 6, and 9 are critical to a cat’s health. We can find fatty acids in fish as well as borage seed and flaxseed.
Vitamins
Cats need vitamins for normal growth and functioning.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that a cat must get from animal protein their body cannot convert it from a plant. Vitamins D is also a fat-soluble vitamin that your kitty needs. We also know it as the sunshine vitamin, as it can be taken in from the sun. However, your cat will need to get it from healthy cat food.
Minerals
Minerals are important for cats and play a role in their physiological reactions. Minerals influence enzyme formation pH balance, oxygen transportation, and nutrient utilization.
Minerals in healthy cat food come naturally from fish, meats, and salt.
Water
Cats are not very good about drinking water from a bowl. So, most of their water intake comes from their food. Canned cat food has a higher percentage of water than dry cat food. Dry food has between 6% to 10% versus canned cat food that has 75% to 78%. Water is essential to cats.
High quality cat food will contain all the ingredients listed above, making it a healthy cat food choice. It is about doing your due diligence and knowing what your cat’s needs are since they differ from yours and even other pets that you may have. As always, if you have any questions, consult with your vet to discuss your cat’s needs.
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