Features of natural food for cats

The cat is one of the most beloved pets. Cat lovers say: cats are not loved by those who do not have them. These charming graceful creatures are so positive and attractive that many owners sincerely consider them family members, enjoy spending time in the company of furry pets, communicate with them “on equal terms”. In order for a pet to live happily ever after, have a luxurious shiny coat, be healthy and energetic, you need to clearly know how and what to feed it.

Even before a new "family member" appears in the house, you should decide on the choice of feeding method. In the course of evolution, the basis of their diet was food of animal origin. Cats are carnivores, predators in behavior and diet. There are no unequivocal recommendations as to which feed to use - industrial (dry, liquid), natural or mixed, but there is one general rule: the diet should be balanced and beneficial for the pet, taking into account the characteristics of the breed, age and physical condition of the animals. It is natural that the diet of an adult cat cannot be the same as that of kittens.

You must understand that Natural food from our table and natural cat food are not the same thing. If natural feeding is planned, then food will have to cook separately specifically for the pet. Not all owners will have the time to properly prepare meals for cats that are balanced in composition.

In modern conditions, for many owners, an important plus is that keeping a pet with natural nutrition is cheaper than feeding a cat with high-quality super-premium and holistic food.

Trading networks offer a wide range of feeds of various compositions and prices. Of course, commercial food is convenient and saves a lot of time, but you should not choose them for constant use if you have financial difficulties that do not allow you to buy expensive cat food. Cheap food of economy class often not only does not meet the energy needs of the animal, but can also be harmful to the health of cats.

It is enough to look at the cat to determine how it is fed. With proper nutrition, animals have a healthy look, luxurious coat, lively shine in the eyes, playfulness and a cheerful mood.

With inadequate nutrition in animals, a depression, a dull look, excessive drowsiness, hair loss, dandruff, often obesity and diarrhea.

With any type of diet, the cat's diet should contain a full set of components necessary for the normal development of kittens and a full life of adults. The essential components of the diet are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, amino acids, mineral salts, trace elements, vitamins.

Cats are natural predators. In the body of a cat, "building" protein is not produced on its own. The main supplier of animal proteins is meat of various types. In the natural diet of felines, it is the main part and is the main source of replenishment of nutritional resources. Animal proteins are well absorbed by predators. In addition to meat, they are found in cottage cheese, eggs, kefir and other fermented milk products.

It is a kind of "fuel" for the cat, a source of energy that maintains the constant healthy activity of the cat. Fats improve the taste of food, enrich them with vitamins of groups A, D, K, E, which affect the state of vision, skin and coat, reproductive function, the formation of the musculoskeletal system, blood clotting and calcium absorption. The optimal proportion of fat in the diet is approximately 20%. If there is not enough fat in the diet, fish oil should be given to cats.

Important as an additional source of energy for all mammals, including the feline family. Glucose has a beneficial effect on brain function. Vegetable fibers of carbohydrates normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, promote the elimination of toxins and create a feeling of fullness in cats. The need for carbohydrates is small, but their usefulness in the normal functioning of organs and systems is indisputable.

In a cat's diet, minerals and trace elements must be contained in a complete complex and in the correct proportions. For the skeletal system and teeth in sufficient quantities are necessary phosphorus and calcium - the most important of the minerals. In addition, the body needs trace elements such as iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, iodine, sodium and others. All this is necessary for the health of the cardiovascular system and the musculoskeletal system.

Vitamins affect the growth and development of the body, strengthen the nervous system and immunity, participate in metabolism, accelerate wound healing, preserve vision, maintain healthy skin and hair of cats. With natural feeding, it is necessary daily give pets complex vitamins containing essential fatty acids (sold in vet pharmacies).

Like all living things, cats need water.The ancestors of felines lived in desert places, hence the ability of pets to economically use and retain moisture in the body. But still, for the normal functioning of all organs, pure The cat should have drinking water freely available around the clock. Place the bowl of water close to the bowl of food, but away from the tray.

What can you give to cats:

• lean beef meat, calf meat;
• turkey and chicken meat;
• meat baby food;
• rabbit meat;
• meat offal (liver, lungs, heart 1 - 2 times a week);
• boiled sea fish without bones (once a week);
• cereal dishes (oats, buckwheat, semolina, rice, wheat, pearl barley, rolled oats);
• dishes with vegetables (beets, zucchini, salad, pumpkin, dill and parsley);
• fermented milk products (cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, yogurt, bifidoproducts);
• vegetable oil (olive, linseed, sunflower, corn);
• boiled egg yolk;
• sprouts of sprouted wheat or oats.

These healthy products can be safely used for the preparation of natural feed. Of course, in order for the cat to actively eat the food, you will have to make an effort and go to some tricks. Most cats are not happy with vegetables, they will not eat empty porridge, many do not like cottage cheese. These components must be combined with meat, and yogurt and an egg must be added to the cottage cheese - it will turn out tastier, and the fastidious pet will happily eat the food.

Meat baby food is mainly fed to kittens and aging animals, as well as cats with stomach problems.

Variety is a prerequisite for a natural diet. 2/3 of it should be meat or baby meat food, and 1/3 - products of the rest of the composition (fermented milk, cereals, vegetables). Well-prepared food should not only be complete in composition, but also tasty, then cats will be happy to eat it.

According to the recommendations of felinologists (specialists in domestic cats), The daily food intake for healthy adults is 7.5% of the animal's body weight. For example, a cat (cat) weighing 4 kg should receive 300 g of food per day. The given norms are average and depend on the breed of the animal, its state of health, the presence of diseases, age, taste preferences.

The set of products is determined from the norms of consumption of the main nutritional components per 1 kg of the live weight of the animal: proteins - 10 g, fats - 2 g, carbohydrates - 2 g. Based on this, rations are drawn up. The complexity of developing a menu for a cat at home is a significant disadvantage of natural feeding, but getting comprehensive advice and, if necessary, practical help from a felinologist these days will not be difficult.

It is impossible to force all cats to eat the same food. Some pets like variety, others prefer 2-3 products they like. The adage that tastes differ is as relevant to felines as it is to humans. If the cat does not like the dish, she will not eat it and will starve until she is offered her usual food.

It is necessary to train animals to eat at the same time from an early age. In most cases, kittens arrive at a new home at the age of three months. The feeding regimen of such a kitten is 4 meals a day with a gradual transition to one year of age for 2 meals a day. It is necessary to feed adult pets during the hours of increased activity in the morning and evening (at 8-9 a.m. and 6-7 p.m.).

Natural stereotypes of cats' behavior determine the main nutritional criteria:

• cats are picky about food and will not eat stale food;
• the smell of food is of paramount importance, since the sense of smell in cats is developed stronger than the sense of taste, the cat immediately recognizes a bad smell of food and will not touch it;
• before giving raw meat to the cat, you need to prepare portions and place them in the freezer for 3 days (this will destroy almost all parasite larvae and dangerous microorganisms, if they were in the meat), then slowly thaw at room temperature;
• food should be served to the cat warm (not hot and not cold), since the natural habit of eating prey in a warm state, as soon as it is caught, has become entrenched in the representatives of the feline family in the process of centuries of evolution at the subconscious level;
• you cannot give the cat milk and meat at the same time, this is fraught with stomach problems;
• food residues after feeding should be removed from the bowl;
• it is better to feed and water the cat from ceramic or glass dishes, be sure to wash the bowl after each feeding, since harmful microflora quickly develops in the food debris;
• clean water and green grass for the cat should always be freely available.

Natural products in the cooking process should not undergo any processing, except for cooking. Do not feed cats with fried foods, sausages, canned food, pickles and marinades, sweets, citrus fruits, flour products, dishes with seasonings and spices. Many of them contain flavor enhancers, emulsifiers, colors, salt and other food additives. What is tasty (but not always healthy) for humans can be detrimental to the health of cats.

It is not recommended to give cats raw meat brought from the market, it may contain hormones, antibiotics, food chemicals, so it is better to boil such meat to destroy harmful impurities. Pork, goose and duck meat are also contraindicated for cats as too fat.

In the wild, cats eat their entire prey. Together with the meat of rodents and birds, internal organs, bones, the contents of the victim's stomach, blood, part of the wool and feathers enter the stomach. Cute house pussies are also predators, so when making the right menu you should try to bring it as close as possible to the “wild” one. The main condition is the predominance of proteins and fats of animal origin, all other components of a much smaller volume.

It is necessary to study well what can be included in the cat's menu in order to get a full-fledged balanced diet, what products can be fed to pets raw, and which ones only after heat treatment.

Here is one of the options for an approximate natural menu for a week.

• Monday. In the morning - ground beef, grated vegetables; in the evening - kefir (or fermented baked milk), an egg.
• Tuesday. In the morning - chicken meat (in pieces), cereal porridge; in the evening - offal, ½ teaspoon of vegetable oil, chopped lettuce.
• Wednesday. In the morning - beef heart, grated zucchini; in the evening - cottage cheese.
• Thursday... In the morning - boiled chicken in pieces with porridge; in the evening - chopped beef with a few drops of olive oil, an egg.
• Friday. In the morning - boiled beef with grated vegetables; in the evening - fermented milk products.
• Saturday. In the morning - boiled beef with porridge on the water; in the evening - offal, greens.
• Sunday... In the morning - boiled turkey, grated vegetables; in the evening - boiled sea fish without bones, chopped sprouts of sprouted cereals.

Good meat is not cheap, but you can provide a domestic predator with a complete diet without spending too much. Useful proven recipes for cat preparations will help with this.

• Meat mix. Any non-prohibited meat products will do. All components (chicken breasts, hearts, stomachs) are washed with cold water, cleaned of visible fat and films, cut into small pieces, mixed, portioned into cups and placed in the freezer. Defrost at room temperature before use.
• Chicken heads and necks. Many are horrified at the thought that their pet will gnaw this unsightly food, but in vain. It is these products that the cat will gladly eat without harm to health and with great benefit, if they are properly prepared. After washing, the skin must be removed from the heads and the beaks must be trimmed, and the skin and fat must also be removed from the neck parts. The heads should be cut in half lengthwise, the necks should be cut into pieces of 1.5-2 cm. It is good to knock a little on the bones with a hammer. You can form portions of heads and necks about 50/50, you can put them separately in plastic boxes and freeze.
• Cutlets. The main share in the composition is various meat products (rabbit fillet, beef heart, turkey or chicken offal). Add very little cereals and vegetables so that the cat does not feel "forgery" and does not refuse such food. Pass the components through a meat grinder with a large wire rack, stir well, form cutlets and put in the cold.

Feeding domestic cats is an essential element in keeping animals. When feeding them homemade food prepared with your own hands, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the pet in order to timely replace food in the diet that, for some reason, is not suitable for a particular cat. If a four-legged "family member" permanently resides in the house, you must treat him responsibly, feed and care for him properly.

See the following video for nutritional information for cats.