There is endless debate on this issue. There are many examples of cats living to a ripe old age who ate homemade food, and just as many examples testify in favor of industrial food.
Therefore, you will have to decide for yourself, based on the time you have and the money you are ready to spend on feeding the cat. If time is short, then the best option is excellent ready-made food, in which everything is selected to ensure adequate feeding. If you want to give your pet the joy of varied food, feed it with natural food, but remember that this requires careful observance of the balance, and providing raw food will not always be cheaper than good industrial food. What do cat Breeders feed their cats?
It is recommended that you try to buy the most balanced feed according to what you can afford to prevent nutritional imbalance.
Natural food for cats
Cats like Purebred Cats, do not need a varied diet. They cannot appreciate the diversity since they hardly distinguish between taste (for comparison: a person has about 9000 taste buds, a cat has only about 500), and their intestinal flora is arranged differently than in humans, and frequent changes in diet can lead to digestive upsets.
Cats are not allowed most of what we eat: fried, salted, pickled, sweet (never chocolate!), Baked, spices. What do cat Breeders feed their cats?
Most of their diet is meats (but don't feed your cat fatty meats and bones!). For an optimal balance of natural food, it should contain at least 2/3 of proteins.
For the cat to receive all the vitamins, minerals, and taurine it needs (the feline body does not produce it, but it is necessary to maintain vision), vitamins and vitamin supplements should be included in the diet.
When Shorthair Kittens or other cats are sick, the best food for a cat is shredded chicken breast mixed with rice water.
Holidays are hazardous when you want to treat your pet to some delicacy!
At home, it is challenging to prepare food that would satisfy all the needs of cats' bodies and contain:
All the necessary nutrients.
Trace elements.
Minerals.
Vitamins in the right quantities and the proper proportions.
An example is what happens if a kitten is not fed correctly.
It is wiser to use commercial cat food specially formulated to meet their needs and characteristics.
Ready feed (What do cat Breeders feed their cats?)
Remember - high-quality food cost substantially more than lower quality food, but consider it an investment in your cat's health. Several large classes of feed can be distinguished:
Budget-Friendly: Dry food such as MeowMix, Iams, Purina CatChow etc. They are replete with numerous additives per kilogram to enhance the taste, dyes, etc. They are made mainly from viscera, bones, skin, and feathers. As a rule, they differ only in taste - fish, beef, chicken, etc. For little money, you get a product of a similar quality. There are frequent cases when cats constantly fed kibbles that had to be treated for urolithiasis. In addition, due to flavoring additives (most often catnip), cats become "addicts," recognizing only cheap food and nothing else, which is why the transition to a healthy diet requires a lot of effort.
Balanced Cat Food: Wet can food such as weruva, taste of the wild, and blue wilderness.It cost more per oz of food but in the long term may save you thousands in vet bills. These foods still have additives and can food can range in price. You should always strive to buy the best food your budget allows - focusing on whole ingredients and no additives.
Premium Foods: In the cat world, raw feed is now the golden standard to feed your feline friend. This may be similar in pricing with canned wet food if you are willing to buy raw ingredients and prepare it yourself. If not, subscriptions can be convenient but pricier than most foods. The lines of this type of food are very diverse, and it is possible to choose food for both an ordinary healthy cat and for neuter cats, for cats living in apartments, for long-haired cats, for cats with a sensitive stomach, etc. There are medicinal feeds - for urolithiasis, kidney problems, diabetes, after surgery, etc.
Dry or canned food?
Dry food is not really suitable for cats, it is not the best options for your feline friend that may friend that may find themselves surviving but not thriving. Dry food does not contain enough water and high-quality protein. In comparison, canned food is a more ideal options because it contains more hydration.
If possible, canned food should be fed at room temperature. Always check the expiration date. Always provide access to fresh water, even if wet food is the primary food source..
For several reasons, people like to choose dry kibbles over wet food:
Canned food is more difficult to store - however if you are able t
Canned food is 80% water. Therefore, to meet the cat's needs, they will need much more than dry food.
Canned nourishment is much more costly than dry nourishment.
Wet food can be fed from time to time. Hard croquettes help clean and strengthen your cat's teeth.
What are we going to drink?
There must be freshwater next to the bowl of food. It is best to give water filtered. Many cats only drink from large containers (such as a floor bowl). Therefore, provide your pet with a sufficient water bowl. Some cats like to drink tap water. Cats that eat dry food usually drink a lot of water; cats on natural food and canned food may not drink at all (see water for cats). Be sure to monitor your fluid intake - if your cat is drinking more or has stopped drinking altogether, you should show it to the doctor, as drinking problems can signal that the cat is sick.
About dishes
Cats prefer porcelain or ceramic dishes to plastic or metal. Bowls that are not too deep with a diameter of up to 16 cm are best suited. Tandem bowls (two bowls, for food and water, joined together) are strongly not recommended, since water often gets into food, and vice versa and the cat may refuse to eat or drink and, of course, the dishes must always be clean. What do cat Breeders feed their cats?