The Indoor Cat Food Diet
If you own a dog you are probably used to a feeding routine of just one, two or occasionally three meals a day. Dogs thrive on this. Cats are different, we tend to feed them by putting out food and then expect them to eat when hungry. if food is available, they will eat many more times a day – typically more than once every 2 hours or so. This means there is the potential for a cat to eat more than they should.
Cats do not normally overeat to the extent that a dog will when food is available, but it is wrong to assume that they will not do so at all. They will indeed eat more than needed and over time will become obese. This is especially true if the cat is fed a diet that is exclusively, or almost exclusively dry cat food. Dry cat food does not seem to satisfy the cat’s hunger as much wet cat food and it contains more calories. Wet cat food, by definition, contains more calorie free water.
Wet cat food is more “bulky”. In other words more volume has to be eaten to derive the same number of calories and your cat will feel full and satisfied without consuming as many. A cat fed nothing but dry cat food should have its intake strictly controlled.
However, many cat owners do not do this mainly for reasons of convenience. Cats are much more independent than dogs, and there is a tendency among cat owners to allow a cat to feed itself in a way that they would not attempt with a dog. Dry cat food can be left in a feeding bowl for a long time without worrying that it will become unfit before eaten.
Canned cat food will keep in good condition for as long as you would reasonably want, until the can is opened. Once opened it should be kept refrigerated and preferably given to your cat within one day.
Cats need to take on board the correct amount of water, in just the same way as any animal. In the wild they would do so from eating the animals they hunt. The nearest equivalent of that is to feed a cat wet cat food. Cats will drink from a water bowl, and if fed dry cat food they will drink more. However they do not normally drink enough to compensate.
Protein and Taurine
Dry cat food is comprised of animal and vegetable proteins, but cats are carnivores and their digestive system is designed for meat proteins. They do not cope as well with vegetable proteins and do not naturally eat grains, fruits, vegetables or carbohydrates. In particular cats require taurine which is an amino acid, found in animals and fish, but not vegetation. It is important that any bought food lists taurine as a supplement.
Dental Cat Food
Dry cat food is widely recognised as being better for teeth. It does not stay on the teeth in the same way and it is a little abrasive and prevents the build up of tartar, helping to remove it in time. The lack of moisture, which is a disadvantage in other respects is a bonus for dental hygiene. However you can clean your cat’s teeth, in order to prevent plaque and tartar becoming a problem. An alternative is to have a small amount of dry cat food in the diet to help combat dental hygiene problems.
Indoor Cat Food Portions
Indoor cats will not get as much exercise – and this may be especially so in the winter when the cat may stay indoors more often and for longer. Indoor cat food diets need to take this into account. They should be fed less than an active cat that spends its time outdoors – although a cat that ventures outside may hunt and find other sources of food.
Best Dry Cat Food
Check the food content of the dry cat food you are thinking of buying. This is not easy when out shopping, so if necessary do it in stages. You can decide upon the best dry cat food by checking say one against another and make a choice between these, then next time you shop repeat the process gradually eliminating those that are not nutrtionlly right for your cat. . Alternatively look up the ingredients on-line. If grains are the largest constituent part, then this will not be as easy for the cat to digest.
As a rule premium cat foods that are more expensive tend to have more of the correct and less undesired ingredients.
Best Wet Cat Food
When checking canned food, look for the amount of water, the lower the better – none will be too low. Less than 80% is better.
It is not as important that your cat should have prime meat exclusively. In the wild they will eat more or less all of their prey. More important is that there should be much less vegetable, grain and glutens.
Kitten and Senior Cat Food
Choose the right food for your cats age. Requirements change as they grow – ensure you feed kitten, adult cat food or senior cat food as appropriate – and if you have cats of different ages, do not feed them just one type.
What is the best cat food?
We all want the best for our cats, but the answer is to some extent a compromise. We have to balance what is best for our cat with what is affordable and what can we can successfully manage.
Raw food is much more difficult to prepare, store and manage generally. Canned cat food is more convenient and will last longer between purchase and feeding and it will keep well for long enough after opening - if kept refrigerated. Dry cat food lasts longer again and requires no special handling or storage arrangements.
Dry cat food is invariably less expensive than canned wet cat food, and there is much less likelihood of waste – which makes it less expensive again.
Dry cat food is more convenient if the cat and the food is to be left unattended for some time, but will normally contain more vegetable content,and less water than is ideal.
A diet that mixes both moist cat food and dry cat food should suit most cats and their owners. Feeding your cat wet cat food only when you are at home can ensure that all is eaten at the time it is put out. Leaving your cat a measure of dry cat food with a water bowl when you are out of the house will supplement the diet and contribute to dental hygiene.
Providing your indoor cat food in this way will provide variety and a healthy balanced diet.