Why any old food ‘won’t do’.
It is important that our cats get the right food, just as important as it is that we get the right foods. However, there is a lot more that cats cannot eat than there is for us. There are plenty of foods cats can’t eat and if consumed can lead to health problems, sickness, or even fatality in some circumstances.
While we often feel compelled to gravitate towards the easy and traditional commercial brands, these are not always good for your cat. We typically buy because it is convenient for us, and not for the nutrition the cat needs. Before you go dedicating yourself to a cat food, consider what is actually in it. What do you really know about that fish free cat food, that generic kibble, that food you have been feeding your kitty for years? Do you know what is in it?
What to be aware of.
Before we get into the facts about what is in foods, and what you need to look out for, we want to give you a bit of information you probably didn’t know.
Cats get a vast majority of their water from their food. Before cats became our furry household friends, they were wild animals, and they struggled to find clean water sources, so they adapted to get most of the water their bodies required from their food instead.
This means that feeding your cat dry food neglects them of the all important water their bodies need. This can lead to a cacophony of health problems, even resulting in a rectal prolapse due to their stools being too hard and them therefore being unable to defecate properly.
Your cat requires wet food and plenty of water in their diet. Some house cats will drink water, but remember that they require a regular amount to stay hydrated, so dry food should not be the main part of their diet.
Now, onto the ingredients to avoid.
BHT, BHA, Ethoxyquin.
Chemical preservatives such as BHT and BHA are very effective at preserving dry cat food. However, they are also suspected to be potentially cancer-causing agents. These chemicals are often added to oils and fats.
They have been found to cause kidney and liver damage to rats as well.
Ethoxyquin is illegal to use in human foods in the United States, and it is very harmful when it is directly swallowed, or if it touches the skin. Many pet food manufacturers have moved to use more natural preservation such as Vitamins C and E. If you see Ethoxyquin in your pet food ingredients, time to get rid of that!
Meat Byproducts.
Meat byproducts are also dangerous, these are defined as secondary products produced in addition to the principal product. Despite not knowing what species of animal the meat comes from, byproducts are considered as being an inferior form of the protein that cats actually need to survive.
If you shouldn’t eat it, why should your cat?
There is also another type that needs avoiding meat meal, which is a mysterious meat byproduct and concentrate meal. Meat and other meals are usually produced via rendering, which is a process that raises a lot of red flags for anyone who loves cats.
Leftovers of meat which are used in rendering are not fit for human consumption. It alters and destroys natural enzymes and proteins. The meal, in it, is a highly-concentrated protein powder that is low in quality and inferior in nature! Why is kitty having this!
Carb Fillers.
Excess consumption of carbohydrate fillers is not good for cats. Dry food can contain as much as 50 percent grain, which is another reason why you should avoid a diet of dry food.
Older cats and cats who have diabetes can be fed grain-free food, as long as the carbohydrate content is limited.
Wheat gluten can also be a problem sustenance as it is a cheaper alternative to muscle meat protein and whole grain options.
Some pet foods can also contain melamine, which is often combined with cyanuric acid, another substance in pet foods, which can cause kidney stones, or kidney failure.
Also be aware…
There are many other foods that you need to be wary of, none of these should be ingested by cats. They are such as follows;
- Caramel.
- Carrageenan.
- Cellulose.
- Glucose.
- Garlic.
- Glyceryl Monostearate.
- Iron Oxide.
- Meat and Bone Meal.
- Red, Yellow, and Blue food coloring.
- Sodium Nitrate.
- Sodium tripolyphosphate.
- Titanium Dioxide.
- Wheat Gluten.
