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Feeding Your Cat

Feeding your cat a healthy diet.

There is a wide range of options when it comes to feeding your cats. Diet is very important in keeping your cats healthy and in tip top condition. As a breeder of Siamese and oriental cats I take this subject very seriously, as healthy, happy cats are far more likely to stay fit and well. And healthy cats means lower vets bills! Home-made diets are very difficult to get right as cats need a specific amount of certain vitamins and minerals to keep them well. Taurine in particular is essential for cats and this is the reason that feeding cooked chicken as the main meal every day is not recommended.

So are all cat foods the same?

Are you just paying more for a brand name or are you actually getting better value for money buying a premium food?

Personally as a Breeder and Exhibitor of oriental cats I believe that feeding a high quality diet can actually save money in the long run. Have a look at the labels on pet foods and take a moment to read what is actually in the food you are feeding your cats. Cats are meat eaters and the first ingredient in their food ought to be meat. Many of the cheaper cat foods bulk up their diets with Ash and other ingredients that are of no benefit to your felines. As a result, in order to get all the protein they need, they have to eat more of the cheaper foods to get the nutrition that their bodies require. Buying a premium food made from good quality meat may seem more expensive at first but your cats will need to eat less and should stay healthier in the long run.

Of course this does not mean that your cats’ diets should be boring! I know how I would feel if I found out that all I would be able to eat for the rest of my life was ham sandwiches! Some cats are very sensitive to sudden changes in diet and so of course the bulk of what your cats each should remain the same. I choose to feed a premium, high quality dry food with a helping of high quality (over 90% meat) wet food each day. Their diet is also supplemented with whatever meat we happen to be eating for tea that night. Not a scrap of meat on a cooked chicken is wasted in my household with my Siamese and Oriental cats particularly enjoying this treat. They also enjoy a helping of fish, salmon and trout are their favourites. Money need not be wasted on expensive commercial treats. After all every good Siamese out there would always much rather have what you had on your plate!!!

Feed the best quality cat foodCat Nutrition

As a rule, a multi cat household should always buy the best quality food they can afford. The old adage you get what you pay for normally works out to be true! But beware – this is not always the case. For instance, be aware that when shopping around that cat foods are either labelled ‘complete’ or ‘complementary’.

A ‘complete’ cat food contains all the nutrients and minerals that your cats need whereas a ‘complementary’ cat food does not.

Complementary cat foods cannot be fed as the main part of the diet and can only be given as treats. Many cats love these foods, but they can be very expensive to buy and as they are not nutritionally balanced you may as well save yourself the money and let your cats share the meat you have cooked for yourselves!

About the author

Ross Davies

Ross is a UK Siamese & Oriental Cat Breeder breeding and showing his cats and kittens under the prefix Burnthwaites . He is the author on various cat related websites and blogs including 'Siamese Cat Breeder' and 'CattyLicious.com'.

Ross is the creator of this website and has lived with cats since being a very young child. He started breeding cats in 2001 and has showed them successfully breeding many best in show cats.

Ross is a GCCF cat judge and also sits on cat club committees and both the Oriental and Siamese Cat Joint Advisory Committees. He holds certification in both feline behaviour & psychology and also cat anxiety and stress.

Ross writes extensively about cats and has been featured in magazines such as Your Cat and Our Cats and also guest authored on newsletters for various cat organisations. He is also a guest speaker at cat seminars.


Tags

Feeding Cats, Feeding Your Cat


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