How To Choose Quality Food for Your Cats
One type of pet that has many fans is a cat. Cats are animals that are very funny, entertaining, and adorable. Many houses keep cats, but not many pay attention to the cat’s food. Good food will certainly keep your cat healthy and agile. Even though it is a carnivore or meat eater, cats will not eat you, especially if you care for them full of affection. If you want to maintain a cat, you must pay attention to the health of your cat. If your cat is not groomed, not only is the age shorter, but various diseases can also attack. One way to maintain a healthy cat is to pay attention to the food intake that you provide.
Cat’s Basic Nutritional Needs
Different foods, so different nutrients contained in it. Cats also need balanced nutrition. Therefore, before buying cat food, you must first check the nutritional content, such as protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins. Do not choose cat foods that have high-fat levels, because it can make your cat overweight or obese. Also avoid foods that do not have complete nutritional content, such as cakes, biscuits, and other similar foods. Avoid giving cats dry food or kibbles. These foods adversely affect cats because they do not have high water content. If there is not much water content from cat food, then the cat will lack water intake. This will make the cat experience bleeding urine or urinary stones because of the heavy workings of his kidneys. That’s what makes it the worst dry cat food. The symptom of this disease is your cat will often lick his genitals, because of pain. If your cat does these symptoms, then you should replace the food that you normally provide with foods that have high water content.
How to Choose Quality Food For Your Cats
Cat owners often ignore health problems that can occur if their cat is fed carelessly. The point is maybe to save money, and finally, the quality is overlooked. Currently, on the market, there are many different kinds of cat food for sale with varying prices and quality. There are several ways to buy quality food for your cat. First, choose a cat food that contains complete nutrition. Second, do not choose foods that contain preservatives. third, choose foods that have high water content. Finally, don’t buy foods that contain dyes or other harmful substances and buy them according to the age of your cat.
Choose Cat Foods Based on Ingredients.
Give your cat food that contains nutrients according to their type and needs. The important thing to remember is that you still need to be careful when choosing local and imported food.
Check AAFCO Certificate
Choose products that are guaranteed to be safe and meet the standards of BPOM for local products, and from AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) or FDA (Food & Drug Administration) for imported products. The important thing to remember is that you still need to be careful when choosing local and imported food.
Is the product Original?
Choose products that are guaranteed to be safe and meet the standards of BPOM for local products, and from AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) or FDA (Food & Drug Administration) for imported products. Also, check the authenticity of the food you buy. Many people are deceived when buying and getting fake items. Besides the low quality, fake food can also be fatal if eaten by your cat.
Check Animal by-products.
Choosing safe and nutritious foods is a must. Look for quality cat food to protect the health of your favorite cat. Foods that contain the high animal protein are the best. There are several brands that use the remnants of processed meat products and include them with “by-product” appendages on the label. If it says “chicken by-product” means the food is made from parts other than meat, namely bone, feather, comb, innards, beak, blood, or claw. In addition to its low nutritional value, the content is also difficult to absorb by the body so that it can cause disease. Choose foods that are of the highest quality ingredients. Avoid foods that contain grains or grain-free. Too many carbohydrates make food difficult to digest and can cause obesity in cats. If you really pay attention to the health of your cat, even though it is slightly more expensive, as much as possible choose foods that do not contain corn, wheat, soybeans, or other grains. That ingredient is the worst dry cat food. In cat food manufacturers, many products use chemical additives such as antioxidants and artificial preservatives to prevent mold and oxidation. When considering the dangers, of course, pet food that does not meet safety standards must not be sold on the market. However, it is recommended as much as possible to choose foods without additives, or at least, that use natural additives.
Read the label of products
As much as possible, avoid foods that contain preservatives. Look for foods that use natural preservatives and don’t use chemicals. Do not give your cat food containing BHT, BHA, ethoxyquin, propylene glycol, sodium nitrate, food coloring, and other such substances. This substance is usually contained in dry food and is the worst dry cat food. Chemicals can cause allergies or cancers triggered by carcinogenic substances in food.
Expiration Date
It is also important to adjust the type of food with the frequency of purchases and the location of food storage. Especially for wet foods that quickly expire. The ease of buying, busy owner, and efficiency can be a thing that should be considered before deciding what cat food you will buy.
Dry Foods or Wet Foods?
There are two types of basic cat food, namely wet and dry food. However, dry food is more suitable as a main food because of its long-lasting and friendly price. In addition, dry foods also make cats train their teeth and help prevent plaque because it does not leave dirt on the cat’s teeth. For those of you who have a cat with a weak bite, try giving wet food. In addition to the high water content, wet food has more flavor variants than dry food so it is more effective when given to cats that are not having the appetite. Not only humans but cats will also get bored if their food menu is always the same. Try to do a combination of dry and wet foods. For example, if you have given dried food from salmon, also give wet food from chicken. Choose different main ingredients so that the nutrients are fulfilled. For cats that do not have an appetite, giving snacks or complementary foods is highly recommended. You can also add snacks as a topping on the main food. Snacks are also suitable for cats who are on a diet because they can complement their nutritional needs.
Cat Food Based on the Cat’s Age.
Like humans, cat food changes with growth. Determine the main food of your cat according to its age development. For 0-1-month-old kittens who still drink milk from their mother, you can provide special cat milk or goat milk, which is warmed to the temperature of the human body. However, still, milk from the mother is the best. It is best to let the baby cat get milk from his own mother until two months old. For 1.5-6 month kittens who have been weaned, give food labeled ‘kitten.’ What distinguishes kitten food from adult cats is the amount of caloric content. Kittens need more protein and calories because they are still developing. If there are, products without chemicals are the best. Choose products that include clear ingredients and use natural additives. At the age of six to seven months, your cat can be fed adult cats. In this period, it is important to choose foods that are rich in protein and fat. Choose those that are free of grains, with meat or fish as raw materials. It is important to remember that you must be careful with calories. High-calorie foods trigger obesity, and your cat will be susceptible to disease. At this time, you need to be more careful about products that use a lot of grains and chemical additives. Chemicals and additives can cause cats to get dangerous diseases such as cancer. Try for products that do not contain preservatives and grain-free. For cats over the age of 7, provide high-quality, low-calorie foods. Older cats should be given food that is easily digested along with reduced mobility because the body’s metabolic ability will also decrease. Foods that are easily digested by cats are foods that contain a lot of animal protein. Give soft half-cooked food or wet food. That is one important point that must be remembered because hard food can hurt the gums so that appetite will decrease.
Conclusion.
Give the best food for your favorite cat. Choose chicken or fish as the main food ingredient. Avoid foods that contain grains, preservatives, flavorings, and artificial coloring. Adjust the food that will be given with the age and health condition of your cat. If you do the things mentioned earlier, you can keep your cat healthy and cheerful.
