Feeding Your Cat – Part two

 See the August Issue for part one of this article.
I like to take a fairly basic approach to feeding my cats – and recommending diets for cat owners. First, trust the manufacturer. The AVMA publishes a list of pet foods that have been recalled (https://www.avma.org/News/Issues/recalls-alerts/Pages/pet-food-safety-recalls-alerts-fullyear.aspx), and it’s never good to see your pet food company’s name on there, especially more than once. It’s generally safer to go with an older, well-established, name brand food than with a coolly-named but brand-new-to-the-market boutique firm that produces small volumes. Second, consider your cat’s lifestyle. Cats are more likely to gain weight on dry, higher carbohydrate foods – as cats, being carnivores, tend to turn carbohydrates into fat rather than energy. They are better at utilizing protein, so canned or partly-canned diets are more “natural” to a cat. And canned food should be just meat, not thinned with rice, vegetables, or excessive gravy. You’re paying a lot for that little can, and pet food companies will save money where they can – watch for that. Of course, if your cat has special needs or certain medical conditions, you’ll want to feed to provide the best care for those. Pregnant queens probably should get canned kitten food in the last week and through nursing, for the extra calories and protein. Older cats with significant kidney disease may want to eat slightly lower protein – or more to the point, lower phosphorus (therefore only certain types of protein), to help maintain kidney function as well as possible. Diabetics need low-carbohydrate diets, even if they only eat dry – and those high-protein dry foods are much more expensive than regular dry foods (protein always being more costly than other ingredients).
Now, you have found a manufacturer you like – for example Wellness – and a type of food that seems reasonable – for example mostly canned with a few kibbles as treats for your relatively inactive indoor house cat who’s developing a mid-life “spread”. Now, find a type or flavor that your cat likes; that doesn’t cause any GI upset (like diarrhea), and that hopefully is reasonably priced. Simple, right?
If all else fails, ask your vet. We are not professional nutritionists, but we have seen a lot with cats and their diets, and we’ll do our best! To schedule an appointment, please call 661-259-5288.