What do cats eat? - Food guide

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 12 February 2021
Update Date: 12 November 2024
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Cats Favourite Food list What do cats eat// what to feed cat
Video: Cats Favourite Food list What do cats eat// what to feed cat

Content

A cat maintains a balanced diet when its food sources provide it with all the necessary nutrients in the correct proportions, according to its physiological state, physical activity and age. While cats are fed milk in their early days, when they start weaning their bodies undergo changes that allow them to digest food. Up to one year of age, your diet should have more energy and protein than an adult.

Depending on your metabolic state, activity and individual circumstances, you will eat one way or another. if we have one pregnant cat, her feeding should be higher than when she was not pregnant, as she needs reserves to ensure a good growth of the puppies. When our feline gets older, its diet must adjust to its condition, so we will select a suitable feed for older cats. On the other hand, if he has any illnesses, he should also receive a specific type of feed according to the condition.


In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will answer the question: what do cats eat? - food guide according to your age and status. Good reading.

Nutritional needs of cats

The cat's nutritional needs will depend on its physical activity, reproductive status, environmental conditions where it is found, age, health and metabolism. Know that feeding a pregnant cat, a kitten, an older cat with kidney disease, a neutered cat that won't leave the house, or an entire cat that spends the day exploring outdoors is different. Cats are not like dogs and therefore should not be fed like omnivores. The energy that food contains is expressed in kilocalories (Kcal) and is obtained from the sum of protein, fat and carbohydrates.

O cat is strict carnivore and it has high protein requirements (at least 25% of the total diet), along with taurine, arginine, arachidonic acid and vitamin A, which are obtained through the ingestion of animal tissue. Thus, the nutritional needs of cats are divided into:


Proteins

It is the most important nutrient, so when we ask ourselves what cats eat we should keep in mind that protein must be the main ingredient. If we are talking about dry food, it is essential that it contains at least 25% protein, ideally around 40%. The percentage of protein is closely related to the quality of the food. However, if the animal enjoys a natural diet made at home or through brands that offer frozen or vacuum-packed food, the protein percentage should be around 90-95%, with the remaining 10-5% for fruits and vegetables. These last foods are optional, especially if the cat has the opportunity to eat offal.


essential amino acids

The two essential amino acids indispensable in the feline diet are arginine and taurine. Arginine is needed to synthesize urea and eliminate ammonia, as its deficiency causes ammonia intoxication (hyperammonemia), which can kill cats in a few hours. Taurine, although its deficiency takes months to damage the feline organism, can be responsible for cardiac disorders (cardiomyopathy dilates with heart failure), reproductive or retinal degeneration that can lead to irreversible blindness. Both amino acids are found in meat.


Fat

At least 9% of an adult cat's calories should come from fat, present in the meat, so ideally the percentage of fat in your diet is around 15-20%, especially in home-made diets.

Fatty acids

These animals need a supply of fatty acids such as the omega 3 and 6, vital for the skin, coat, cognitive, cardiovascular and immune systems. Also, they are anti-inflammatory. These nutrients are used to obtain energy, thermal insulation, protection of internal organs and transport of fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E). Omega 3 can be obtained from fish and shellfish, however, unlike other animals, they are not as capable of synthesizing the essential fatty acids required through linoleic acid (omega 6), so they need an extra supply of acid. arachidonic, which is formed from it and is found in animal tissues, once again we see the importance that meat has in the cat's diet and that is why the cat is a carnivore. Meat deficiency in cats causes blood clotting failure, alopecia, skin changes and reproduction.


Carbohydrates

With regard to carbohydrates, the most recent studies have proven that cats can be kept on a very low carbohydrate diet because through the catabolization of proteins they can supply your glucose needs.. What often appears in dry cat food is cornstarch, as it is more digestible in this species. However, carbohydrates are not part of the essential nutrients for cats, as these animals have difficulties in processing them. In home diets, cereals are not added.


Vitamins

Cats need vitamins as they are important for many vital functions. Antioxidants (vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene), for example, are needed to quell free radicals that cause cell damage and are involved in aging. Specifically, the vitamin A it is very important for our cats' vision, regulation of their cell membranes and the correct development of their teeth and bones, in addition, it can only be obtained from animal tissues, the kidneys and liver being the best sources. However, high amounts of vitamin A can cause hypervitaminosis A with lethargy, lack of development and skeletal problems. The rest of vitamins, such as the B-complex for cats, vitamins D and E are supplemented in our cats' rations. They themselves synthesize vitamin C.


Minerals

Good diets for cats are also often supplemented with necessary minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium or trace elements such as copper, manganese, iron, zinc and selenium. In homemade diets, foods already provide the necessary vitamins and minerals, as long as they are well formulated and balanced.

what kittens eat

Newborn kittens will obtain antibodies from their mother through the colostrum during the first 16 hours of life and, thereafter, the nutrients through the breast milk. If the cat rejects the litter or if one of her cats is weak or sick or does not produce milk, they should be fed formula formula for newborn cats, just as when we find orphaned kittens on the street.

During the first week of life of kittens, they drink between 10 and 20 ml of milk per meal and to increase 1 gram of weight they should eat 2.7 grams of milk. It is important to use formula milk for cats before using normal cow's milk, as it has a lower percentage of protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus. Cow's milk has 27% protein, while formulated milk has 40%.

The energy needs of kittens increase from 130 kcal/kg daily at 3 weeks, to 200-220 kcal/kg daily divided into 4-5 feeds per month, until reaching a maximum of 250 kcal/kg daily at 5 months of age, decreasing subsequently up to 100 kcal/kg daily at 10 months.

O natural weaning Kittens usually start around four weeks. From then on, what can the kitten eat? Well, at this point, we can encourage the introduction of solid food by mixing kitten cat food with water or milk, progressively reducing the liquid until it is just dry cat food. Here, their ability to digest lactose decreases and amylases increase to digest the starch present in cat food.

At about six weeks, when they consume 20 grams of dry matter per day, complete weaning is reached, requiring more kcal than an adult cat, as requires three times as much energy. In the case of offering a homemade diet, the food should also be introduced gradually until the mother completely rejects the puppies.

It is important to respect the natural rhythm of separation, as it is with its mother and siblings that a cat begins to receive its first lessons and begins the period of socialization.

What pregnant and lactating cats eat

The cat's gestation lasts a maximum of 9-10 weeks and her energy needs increase every week, and at the end of pregnancy there is a increase of25% of energy needs maintenance, around 100 kcal ME/kg per day. Also, it is important that you consume more fat to build up reserves you will need during the last weeks of gestation, as the weight gain will go to the kittens, and during lactation.

On average, a pregnant cat gains 40% weight, but loses 20% after giving birth, while the remaining weight will go during lactation or may even become thinner than she was before, as her feeding during lactation will cover between 80 -85 % of her needs, the rest is provided by the cat's own reserves.

Depending on the size of the litter, energy requirements may increase to a greater or lesser degree. As they will always be greater than the maintenance needs, during pregnancy and lactation a good option is to offer the pregnant cat a formulated feed for puppies, for the high amount of energy it has. After the lactation process is complete, if the cat is at her weight and has energy, she will return to the proper diet with her adult cat food. Let's see below what is the diet of adult cats and what types of food exist.

adult cat food

What do cats eat? Energy requirements in adult cats vary widely. A domestic cat with little activity has enough with 60 kcal ME/kg/day, if it is neutered, particularly calm or older, the figure can drop to 45 kcal/kg/day, while if it is active it rises to 70-90 Kcal/kg/day. Age must also be taken into account, as younger cats expend more energy and their needs are greater than older cats.

Feed for neutered cats

You neutered cats they have more appetites, but their energy needs are lower. Therefore, if a nutritional adaptation is not carried out, one year after the operation our cats will be 30% overweight, as the excess of administered energy accumulates in the form of fat in their body, so most neutered cats are overweight .

In these cats, the energy consumption should be reduced by 14-40% and administer about 50/kcal/kg/day, in addition it is advisable to have a specific ration for neutered cats or to follow a homemade diet prescribed by a veterinarian specialized in nutrition.

When cats enter a advanced age, can often suffer from diseases such as kidney failure, diabetes or hyperthyroidism, requiring a diet according to their condition. In addition, due to the increase in free radicals that cause aging, a food rich in vitamin C and E, which we have mentioned are antioxidants, can be administered. The energy content of the food must not increase due to its lower activity and protein must be increased and phosphorus decreased. You should also avoid ingredients that acidify urine to prevent kidney disease.

What cat can eat?

Having seen what cats eat and their nutritional needs, what foods can we give them? Cats' food can be based on three types:

  • wet food
  • dry feed
  • Homemade food

If you don't have the proper knowledge or have doubts when it comes to balancing nutrients, the best way to feed a cat is with wet and dry food, alternating both options and taking into account that they must be of quality. As we've already mentioned, meat should be the main ingredient, so it's essential to read the nutrition tables and evaluate the product before buying it. In this other article, we'll help you choose how to set your daily cat food amount.

Cats are animals that prefer to do several light meals during the day instead of two abundant. Therefore, they prefer to have their daily dose of feed always available and divide their dose of wet food into several portions. They also prefer fresh, moving water, so many cats prefer drinking water from the tap or a fountain rather than their drinking fountain.

THE homemade food, in turn, has many benefits in relation to industrial food, such as the possibility of choosing the products and ensuring that you receive the contribution you need from each nutrient, especially meat. However, it is very important to keep in mind that they must also receive other nutrients already mentioned, so it will be necessary to add more ingredients for the purpose of supplying them.

Likewise, it is preferable to avoid raw food unless it has been frozen and thawed in advance, as it may have parasites or microorganisms that can make your cat ill. In this case, it is recommended to divide the food in about four daily intakes. Again, we insist on the importance of getting informed and consulting a veterinarian specialized in nutrition so that they can determine a homemade diet according to the specific needs of the cat in question.

Here we have a selection of several articles about foods that cats can eat and also foods that cats cannot eat that might be of interest to you:

  • Can cat eat dog food?
  • Human food that a cat can eat
  • Can cats drink milk?
  • Can cat eat egg?
  • Can cat eat chocolate?
  • Natural food for cats
  • Prohibited food for cats

In the video below we explain in detail why cats like to drink tap water:

what stray and wild cats eat

You wild cats eat naturally any prey to which they have access, whether they are lizards, rodents, birds or any other small animal. These prey provide them with all the nutrients we mentioned, in addition, they have a high percentage of water.

You stray cats of the city, rather than hunting prey that are harder to find, search the containers or dumps in search of food or feed on what people give them.

Although many people think that the life of stray cats is better than home cats, as they are free to roam wherever they want, in reality free cats tend to live more precariously, more exposed to disease, adverse weather conditions and scarcity of food. That's why these cats have lower expectations and quality of life, usually not reaching 9 years of age, while our domestic cats, with their nutritional needs met, adequate room temperature and proper veterinary care, can reach 18-20 years. Therefore, knowing what cats eat and all the information related to cat food is so important.

And we end this article with this video that might interest you with 7 things people do wrong when caring for cats:

If you want to read more articles similar to What do cats eat? - Food guide, we recommend that you enter our Balanced Diets section.