Natural food for cats

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 19 February 2021
Update Date: 13 November 2024
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Healthy Homemade Cat Food Recipes
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Content

Natural food has been increasingly chosen as a daily food for animals.

Despite looking like something easier, simpler and more accessible, the natural diet requires a lot of dedication and awareness on the part of the tutor. If it is not well prepared and provided, the animal may have nutritional imbalances and energy drinks that can affect the animal's health.

In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will explain what the natural cat food and how it should be prepared and provided so that your pet can have a balanced diet.

The cat: a carnivorous animal

Cats have a dentition and a specific gastrointestinal tract for the ingestion and digestion of meat, an essential protein source for carnivores. Their sharp teeth, large stomach, short intestine and no cecum make cats unable to process plants.


Taurine and carnitine, essential amino acids, are specially acquired through the ingestion of meat and offal.

In addition, feline liver and pancreas are not very capable of processing glucose. The ingestion of carbohydrates, such as rice, pasta, corn, potatoes and fruits, a source of glucose, can lead to a condition called hyperglycemia (increased concentration of glucose in the blood) and consequently to diabetes mellitus type II.

In the past, wild cats drank water, but it was through eating meat that they ensured their hydration. Nowadays, cats do not always guarantee their hydration with dry food, being especially demanding with their water sources. There are some tricks to keeping your cat properly hydrated that you can check out in the Tricks for My Cat Drinking Water article.


Natural food for cats: what it consists of

To provide a natural diet, the tutor must take into account that the product quality and quantity need to be very well controlled, at the risk of not ensuring a balanced diet.

The type of BARF natural diet (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) is the new trend. This diet consists of providing raw food without being processed or cooked.

Associated with this diet are some benefits, such as more efficient absorption, but it can also lead to the transmission of parasites and zoonoses (diseases that can be transmitted to humans).

Important to note:

  • Natural food It is NOT giving the leftovers of your food to the animal. The tutor must have a lot of discipline and dedication to provide your cat with a successful diet.
  • Natural food is NOT making the animal a vegetarian.
  • Be sure to read which foods are prohibited for cats to exclude them from your natural diet list, as well as what foods you can give your cat.
  • You should know how much daily the cat should eat.

Natural cat food: advantages and disadvantages

Benefits

  • For those who like to control and know exactly what the animal is eating, it is a viable option.
  • Homemade natural food has a higher percentage of water than dry food, preventing dehydration and possible urinary problems.
  • Less fiber and carbohydrates produce less bulky stools and a bad smell.

Disadvantages

  • It requires some work and dedication on the part of the tutor, sometimes causing them to give up after some time.
  • Another associated problem is the animal's refusal of the new diet. It's important to make a correct transition between current feed and new feed, in order to reduce the likelihood of refusal and gastrointestinal disturbances. Even with the transition correctly done, the animal may even refuse to eat.

Natural cat food: ingredients

Meat

  • Fish
  • Chicken
  • Bovine
  • rabbit
  • RAM
  • Lamb and duck are other options, but they have much fat.

Pay attention to the origin of the fish, they are currently contaminated with mercury, lead or arsenic. Make sure the place where you buy the food is trustworthy.


There are several homemade cat meat recipes you can try.

Viscera

  • Heart, source of vitamin A, iron, Taurine and L-carnitine
  • Liver, source of vitamin A, C, D, E, K and complex B, iron, zinc, omega 3 and 6
  • Kidneys
  • Spleen
  • pancreas

Vegetables and vegetables

  • Sweet potato
  • Cress
  • Lettuce
  • Broccoli
  • Arugula
  • Cucumber
  • Turnip

Egg

fruit

  • Plum
  • Banana
  • Fig
  • Guava
  • Apple
  • Melon
  • watermelon
  • Blueberry
  • Strawberry
  • Wait
  • Peach
  • Kiwi

In certain situations, it may be necessary to supplement the cat with essential nutrients and vitamins to ensure proper functioning of the body.

Example of BARF diet for cats

The name of the BARF diet has two meanings: Bones and Raw Food, which means "bones and raw foods", and Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, which is the name given to this diet in English, which means "Raw Biologically Appropriate Food". This type of food was implemented by Ian Billinghurst in 1993, although the name BARF is due to Debbie Trip.

The idea behind this diet is that the cat can be fed as close as possible to their food in nature, based on raw meat, bones, offal and a small portion of raw vegetables.

It is assumed that, by feeding in this way, the cat will have all the nutrients necessary to be healthy, in addition to avoiding the harmful effects that processed foods can bring, because of the amount of chemicals and flour they contain, as they can cause illness. , allergies and even generate obesity.

After Billinghurst published his theory, many veterinarians, researchers and, over time, protectionists and advocates of the organic way of life, chose to feed their cats this type of diet, promoting and spreading this natural way of feeding animals as the most. appropriate and natural.

If you are interested in starting to feed your cat with the BARF method, here is an example of how to identify the servings:

  • 1/2 kilo of chicken or turkey meat, between breast, wings, neck, etc.
  • 400 grams of heart, whether beef, chicken or lamb
  • 200 grams of chicken liver
  • 300 grams of grated vegetables (zucchini, carrots and pumpkin)
  • 1 egg
  • Fish oil

BARF diet preparation

Cut the meat and bones very well, at home or by cutting them when you buy them. Place in a container and add the heart, vegetables and egg. Mix the ingredients very well with the meat. Add some fish oil, a source of omega 3, according to your cat's weight. You can use salmon oil, for example.

Separate into portions with foil and store in the freezer. The night before, start defrosting the portions you'll need the next day to serve your cat at room temperature.

The idea is that you can vary the ingredients. Once a week, add fish instead of liver; when heartless, add taurine to supplements; switch the vegetables you use.

If you prefer to add taurine in supplements, you can add it directly to the serving at the time your cat is going to eat it, to avoid "oxidation" of the components and make it easier to calculate the right amount according to the animal's weight.

You should use no condiment, salt, oil, sauces or the like, or use garlic, chives, spices or onions. Your cat doesn't need these ingredients and they can be toxic to her or cause allergies.

Final recommendations

  • Pay special attention: if your cat is a cat accustomed to dry food or has a health problem, you should seek veterinary advice.
  • One natural food for cats with kidney problems it must have a different and very controlled amount of protein or, for another example, a natural food for diabetic cats it should have few sources of glucose (such as fruits, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc.).
  • Any natural diet for sick cats it must be prepared by the veterinarian that accompanies the animal.
  • Each of the ingredients should be introduced gradually and not all at once, in order to avoid sudden allergic reactions or gastrointestinal disturbances.

If you want to read more articles similar to Natural food for cats, we recommend that you enter our Balanced Diets section.