What your cat really needs
Cats are carnivores, in the wild their natural diet consists of prey animals. Below is a composition of their diet and the essential nutrients they need to thrive.
Cat Facts: The Truth
1Cats are carnivores, needing a diet high in real animal protein & fats for energy.
2Cats need miminal carbohydrates, as they cannot digest carbohydrates properly.
3Many major cat food brands use cheap fillers in their cat food to save on costs and often add taste enhancers to increase appetite appeal to cats.
4A wet cat food is more beneficial for your cats health compared to dry food, as it is higher in animal protein and water & closer to the natural diet of wild cats.
What ingredients are really in your cat’s food?
Many cat food brands fill their cat food products with nasty cereal fillers and cheap grains rather than healthy natural ingredients. Your cat may love to eat these products but are they the best choice for your loved one?
Below is a list of ingredients to watch out for and avoid:
Cheap Cereal By-Products
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they need only animal protein for energy. It’s why you see them hunting mice and birds, not corn or wheat. The fact is, cats don’t have the enzymes to properly metabolise carbohydrates, but most cat foods contain cheap by-products such as corn starch, wheat mill run, oat hulls, cotton seed hulls and even weeds.
If fed a high carb diet, your cat can lose body muscle and gain fat. Even worse, high carb diets have been implicated in rising blood glucose, contributing to diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and fatty liver disease (hepatic lipidosis).
Animal Fats
The process that turns all these animal parts into pet food is also disgusting. A rendering machine slowly grinds the entire mess in huge vats. This mixture is cooked and then spun at a high speed until the grease (or tallow) rises to the top. It’s this grease that becomes the source of animal fat in most pet foods.
These rendering practices aren’t just gross; they’re also dangerous for your pets because the chemicals used in the euthanasia of zoo animals can survive the cooking process. This means chemicals such as sodium pentobarbital could end up in your pets’ food, and ultimately, in your pet.
Artificial Additives
Unfortunately, chemical preservatives, poorly monitored vitamin and mineral supplements, and other artificial additives are the norm in most pet foods. While some pet food companies have decided to use less harmful preservatives or natural preservatives, most pet food companies don’t find them to be cost effective.