Holistic-class food for cats: rating of producers and selection rules

The health, character and life span of a cat depends on 2 factors - genetic characteristics and characteristics of care. Care, in addition to various procedures, includes nutrition. And it is nutrition that has a greater impact on health. More and more owners, by virtue of convenience, choose special food for their tailed beasts. The latter have many varieties, one of them is holistic-class food.

Holistic-class feeds differ from the usual ones in their composition. The source of protein in holistic feed is primarily fresh high-quality meat, not bone meal and offal. Finally, there are no preservatives or flavor enhancers in this type of feed. Let's consider the characteristics of the composition characteristic of holistic.

• Proteins. Always represented by proteins of natural origin - dehydrated or fresh fillets of meat, fish. Only certain types of meat are used - chicken, turkey, lamb, rabbit, pork is not used. The composition lacks vegetable protein, which can be represented by potato or pea protein, corn gluten.

• Carbohydrates. In holistics, carbohydrates can be represented by lentils, potatoes, rice, peas. Wheat and wheat flour, corn are not used as additives.

• Preservatives. Naturally, to preserve the freshness of the product, one cannot do without preservatives in the composition. In holistics, safe, natural tocopherols are used.Synthetic preservatives, even those that are legal, should not be present in holistic products.

• Cellulose. Fiber is not always found in premium feed, especially since it is absent in economy class feed. But in holistics, dietary fiber is mandatory, but their number does not exceed 10% of the composition. In most cases, these are dried carrots, apples. Beet press is considered a little less useful, which is sometimes also found in holistic compositions.

• Vitamin and mineral complex. In holistics, it is present in the desired ratio and includes the maximum possible combination of useful elements. Mandatory - Omega 3 and 6. To improve digestion, many manufacturers also include probiotics and enzymes in the feed.

Initially, holistic foods were classified as super-premium food, however, it should be noted that their quality was the highest even in this category. Now holistics are increasingly being singled out into a separate class, which, in terms of its benefits and nutritional value, again surpasses the super-premium option. For the first time the term "holistic" (from Greek - "whole") was used by the American manufacturer Innova. So far there are no clear standards for the definition of this feed - standards, GOSTs.

According to the assurances of the manufacturers, the composition of such feeds is completely natural and safe, that even a person can eat it without harm to health (making food for animals from the same thing that a person eats is one of the postulates of the manufacturers). However, holistics are still pet food.

Their composition is developed from the standpoint of nutritionology, and it, in turn, is guided by the principles of genetics and dietetics. That is, the Holistic food allows you to meet the body's need for BJU, minerals, vitamins, to maintain the biological activity of the pet and not to harm its genetic code during the transfer of the last subsequent generation.

Even a holistic may not be suitable for your pet if he has diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or urolithiasis. In this case, a dietary food is selected for the cat.

The main advantage of holistic is the naturalness of the composition, which significantly reduces the risk of developing allergies and pet diseases. Another "plus" is the balanced composition - the food includes everything that is needed for the health of the pet, including vitamin and mineral complexes. Thanks to the high nutritional value of Holistic, this feed is consumed less than cheaper and less nutritious options. So we can talk about the economy of consumption as one of the advantages. In addition, the holistics are already enriched with vitamin and mineral supplements; the pet owner does not need to buy and give them separately. This also saves time and money.

The main difference between holistic and other food is that the animal's diet is obtained as close as possible to the diet of a wild cat. And this is primarily meat and only a small percentage of grains and fiber. In the Holistic class feed, meat occupies 50-70% of the composition.

Naturally, the natural composition of the product dictates its higher cost, which is perceived as a disadvantage. In addition, not every pet store has holistics for sale. And a number of manufacturers, even in large cities, sell such feed only via the Internet. In addition, while well-known manufacturers do not offer holistics in accordance with the type of animal breed. Due to the lack of flavor enhancers and synthetic additives, the pet may not appreciate the treat. The likelihood of this is especially high if the animal has previously eaten food with enhancers and flavors.

Among dry holistic manufacturers, the leading position is taken by the product from Farmina N&D. the company's production points are in Canada, Brazil and Italy. The product line is quite extensive and includes food for kittens and pregnant and lactating cats, for spayed and neutered pets, for adult cats, as well as a special series for cats with urolithiasis.

As for the flavors, it also includes several types of holistic - primarily low-grain and grain-free varieties, as well as treats with quinoa and pumpkin.

Customers note the variety of flavors of Farmina N&D food - lamb with blueberry, wild boar with apple, salmon with orange, chicken with apple. Also presented are foods with green tea extract, aloe vera and grape seed. Negative reviews indicating problems with stool or allergies after cats consumed this food were not found on the network.

The Canadian food Gina Elite was also highly appreciated by specialists. The manufacturer can boast of an even more extensive lineup than the one discussed above. In addition to the types of holistic described in the previous review, the brand produces food for cats living an increased active life, food for pets with sensitive digestion and a product for removing fur lumps from the gastrointestinal tract. In general, the manufacturer cares very much about the digestion of the tailed beasts, therefore all feeds include probiotics. The minimum packing of food for an adult pet is 8 kg.

Dry holistic Pronature Holistic (Canada) can be used for feeding kittens, adult pets and elderly pussies leading an inactive lifestyle. The food is classified as grain-free, for adult pets there is a separate line, enriched with a complex for the health of fur and skin. The official domestic distributor of the company is the Ivanko company, therefore the feed has the lowest cost on their website.

The Pronature Holistic turkey with cranberries was highly appreciated by the pet owners. The high protein content (38%) and the reduced amount of fat make it optimal for castrated and neutered animals, and cranberries are the prevention of urolithiasis. According to the owners, pets eat the treat with pleasure.

Another well-established holistic manufacturer is Acana. More specifically, it is a production group that also includes the Orijen brand. The line includes products for cats and kittens, as well as adult cats, prone to overweight.

This is why it is so important when choosing dietary patterns and specific feed, consult a veterinarian. At the same time, there are many accolades on the Internet for Acana. It is suitable even for cats with allergies. Many tailed beetle owners write that Acana and Orijen are interchangeable, which is very convenient. True, Orijen has smaller granules, which some users consider not very convenient for adult animals.

The Grandorf food (produced in Belgium and Thailand) has 2 forms of production - dry and wet food. They are intended for adult cats, including neutered and neutered, for pregnant and lactating individuals, as well as kittens from 3 weeks old. Dry food from this manufacturer is low-grain, there is grain-free food for adults (improves the condition of the skin and fur). Some dry foods are fortified with probiotics. All wet foods are grain-free. It is most profitable to shop at the manufacturer's online store.

The British brand Barking Heads is also considered one of the best, it has 2 forms of release - dry and wet food. It can be eaten by kittens and adult cats, pets over 7 years old and animals prone to obesity.In addition to the main line, there is a variety to improve the quality and shine of the coat.

Fully grain-free feed (dry and wet) is produced by Innova EVO. they are intended for adult cats. Experts note the highest quality of feed, however, it is impossible to find it on the territory of Russia. The way out is to order on foreign sites.

One of the wet holistic at the top of our top is Almo nature. The manufacturer pleases the tailed with a variety of flavors based on rabbit, chicken, trout and tuna. In addition, the product includes fruits, vegetables, seeds. Among the disadvantages is the difficulty of acquiring.

The Innova EVO brand (it has already been discussed in more detail in the previous chapter) produces wet food for the smallest pets - kittens from 1.5 months. The food is enriched with proteins and probiotics, enzymes to strengthen kittens' immunity and prevent gastrointestinal upset.

A special complex for heart and kidney health (complex of medicinal herbs) of a cat contains Moonlight Dinner wet grain-free food. Grandorf food is considered hypoallergenic, because it does not contain chicken protein compounds (which often provoke allergies), soy and grains. The canned food contains a high quality vitamin and mineral complex.

In order for the feed to be classified as a super-premium product of the new generation, it is not enough to have only one Holistic inscription on the package. Some unscrupulous manufacturers make such inscriptions, while the composition of the product does not correspond to the declared inscription.

When buying, you should pay attention to the features of the composition.

• If the feed is of American or Canadian origin, then AAFCO must be listed on the package, that is, the American Food Control Association. This authority makes sure that the product meets the existing nutritional standards of the animal.
• The composition should not include useless and cheap ingredients: inert flour, offal, vegetable protein (potato and corn starch, soy), cellulose, wheat and cereals (with the exception of rice), synthetic preservatives, including those recognized as safe.
• First of all, the list of the composition should contain a protein with the obligatory indication of the source of its production. It is optimal if the feed contains 2 types of protein.
• Without fail, after the composition, the ratio of the following components must be indicated - protein (for dry food - at least 30%, for wet food - at least 8%), fat (for dry food - no more than 8%, no more than 4;), fiber (no more than 10% for dry food and no more than 3% for wet food).

The package must contain the name of the manufacturer's brand, trademark, product weight (in kg and g), date of manufacture and expiration date, composition (first of all, the ingredients that are contained to a greater extent are written, then in descending order), the daily rate for pet and feeding recommendations. It is important that the packaging contains a mark of the quality certificate and, if any, information about the distributor.

Purchase of dry or wet food is a matter of choice for the owner. Dry is not so demanding in storage conditions, while moist is recommended to keep in the refrigerator.

The fact is that the pet's teeth are cleaned in the process of eating solid food. The best option is to mix and change the feed from dry to wet. For kittens and animals with poor digestion, it is better to choose a hypoallergenic product. This property should be judged not by the advertising slogan, but by the composition - it should be grainless.

Based on the characteristics of the composition, veterinarians give the palm to the holistics of the Acana brand. Surprisingly, this product has no drawbacks, but it has a lot of advantages - first of all, a balanced composition and a high content of vitamins. Even a considerable price in this case is not so much a "minus" as - a confirmation of the naturalness of the composition. The same can be said about the food, which contains only high-quality meat products - Orijen holistic.

The food from the Grandorf company can boast of the richness and naturalness of its composition. But according to experts, it has a high calorie content; it should only be offered to active young animals. Some doubts of veterinarians were caused by GO! In general, its composition is high quality meat, however, the packaging indicates the presence of a preservative in the feed. What exactly is not said.

The food with a high protein content (holistic Golden Eagle) is suitable for cats participating in exhibitions, as well as for weakened individuals, animals after illness, young energetic cats. The compositions of such products as Innova and Superpet can also be called balanced.

More information about holistic-class feeds is in the next video.