How to choose my cat's food

Cats are excellent pets, independent, curious and affectionate, they are animals that, like any other, require a lot of care to be healthy. And one of the most important aspects to consider is their diet, but what should we consider to choose the ideal food for the feline? In .com we explain how to choose the cat food and thus guarantee the nutrition and health of your pet.

Forget about feeding him with your food

One aspect that is important to consider when choosing cat food is that these animals should not, under any circumstances, eat the same as us. You should not give your cat any leftovers or food that you would normally eat, because they are not suitable for the animal, do not contain the nutrients and vitamins that it requires and, more importantly, could be toxic for your cat.

Attentive to ingredients

There are ingredients that should not be present in a cat food, as they could harm the health of your pet. When choosing cat food, look at the ingredients and make sure that:

• Do not contain preservatives such as ethoxyquin, BHA and BHT because they could become carcinogenic to the cat.
• That the percentage of cereal with which the food is made is not too high, because this means that the food is not of high quality.
• That, preferably, in the list of ingredients is identified the animal from which it comes and with which the feed has been prepared. It is not the same "of animal origin" as of meat or fish. The more explicit the ingredients are, the safer it is that you are giving your cat a good feed.
• Meat or fish should be the main ingredient of your cat's food, not cereals, flours or other compounds.
• The fats must also be identified well indicating which animal they belong to. Similarly avoid feed containing animal derivatives because they are not suitable protein for the cat.

The humidity of cat food

We know that cats are not very fond of drinking water, which in the medium term can cause important kidney problems. All this is due to the type of food we give our cat. The feed we acquire normally has an average of only 8% humidity, which means that the cat has to compensate for this lack of liquid by ingesting water, the problem is that this animal is not a water drinker.

In that case it is very important that the cat food we choose is as wet as possible . Canned food is a great ally in this regard, but it is also true that it is much more expensive. For this reason, it may be advisable to purchase a quality feed for your cat that contains as much liquid as possible, and add a little water when serving it to moisten the croquettes. You will see how, once your cat gets used to it, he will have less need to drink water and will be healthier.

Considerations according to your needs

All the above aspects should be taken into account when choosing your cat's food. But it is also very important that you consider the age and condition of your animal to choose its food. That's why we recommend you:

• That you acquire a food indicated for the age of your feline. Small cats have different nutritional needs than adult cats, so pay attention to this specification.
• If your cat has been sterilized has a tendency to obesity, so it is important that I think you choose to have a low percentage of fat and a lot of liquid, in this way you will prevent kidney problems in the animal.
• In all cases, it is advisable to alternate the feed with canned food, in this way the cat will stay hydrated.

Not everything is a matter of price

As you can see after all this explanation, to choose the best food for your cat it is important to stop to evaluate in detail the ingredients they contain and the nutritional table, as much as we would with our own food. The highest price does not always correspond to the best food, so beyond the budget it is important to consider what are the most healthy alternatives for our cat to stay healthy and happy.