If you are a cat owner, then it is a good idea to begin learning a lot about cat nutrition. Did you know that bad nutrition is the number one reason cats get sick? Most cat foods available on the market are not as healthy as they should be. Learn what to look for to make sure your cat is healthy for a long time.
To start off, cats are obligate carnivores. This means that their bodies are meant to only eat meat. They get all of their required nutrition from meat. This news may surprise you. Especially if you have ever seen a cat chewing on plants or grass. They do not chew on these things for nutrients, but instead they do so to settle their stomachs. This does not mean that you can just stop buying cat food and only feed the cat chicken scraps. The cat needs some nutrients which are present in parts of the meat that you cannot find in the store. For instance, in the wild, cats will often eat rabbit’s heads to get nutrients. This is something you will not be able to get at the grocery store.
Although there are many good foods available commercially, there are also many, many bad foods. Giving your cat the wrong food can cause diabetes, kidney disease, and other illnesses. If you do not trust cat food from the store, you can also make your own. Be careful where you get your cat food recipe from though. Many are just as bad as store foods.
A cat’s nutritional requirements will vary depending on its age and size. for example, a kitten requires many more calories than a full grown cat. This is because a cat expends more energy and is also growing at a very fast rate. Ask your vet about the portions you should be feeding your cat. Don’t blindly trust the measurements on the bag of cat food, they don’t know your individual situation.