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Top Ten Cat Food Myths and Misconceptions

 

While dry food does leave less residue on cats’ teeth, thus creating less plaque buildup and tartar formation, dry food is for your cat than wet food, and … there is no contest!

Feral cats hunt mice, birds, and other small prey animals because they are. When comparing water content, protein, fat, and other elements within thenutritional composition profiles of feline prey species to both dry and wet cat foods, !

content which is similar to the

Cats who consume over the course of the day relative to cats who eat dry food.

Cats were originallyand inhabited areas where water was not freely available for consumption. This means two things: cats are  and  their to conserve their body water in times when prey was scarce and water was unavailable. So when cats through their because their diet is composed mainly of dry food, their by producing the they are capable of making. Their kidneys spend a lifetime working very hard in order to compensate for their decreased water intake when their diets are composed of dry matter; this was only meant to be used in – not as a long-term solution to be used for decades!

Why is water intake so important for cats?Because

Additionally, often contains (corn, wheat, potato, rice, soy, etc.) that are Evolutionarily cats were . And although there are now a few ‘high quality’ dry foods on the market that are not made with grains, the fact remains that dry food is still dense (97% dry matter), is hard on cats’ GI tracts and still results in decreased water intake.

 

While most humans don’t want animal by-products on their plates (by-products can include bone, skin, eyes, intestines, chicken feet, undeveloped eggs, etc.), they are still body parts and in some cultures many by-products are even considered to be delicacies! 

When cats hunt and eat their prey (eg. mice), they don’t skin them, remove the muscle from the bones, and toss aside the viscera: , rarely leaving any ‘by-products’ behind!

​That said, kitties still along with the other bits and pieces that may be included in their suppers in order to get enough protein in their food, so a good quality cat diet should contain a significant amount of ‘real meat’ as well!

Many just like dogs and humans do. In fact, is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem among North American cats, particularly for . Many cat owners allow their kitties to free feed on dry food, and the food bowls are just topped up with kibble every several days when they’re looking a bit low.

in comparison with wet food or a natural feline diet consisting of prey species, so the that is equal to an average cat’s is relatively . 
This means that many cats that is equal to their daily caloric needs, and therefore they unwittingly consume since they continue to eat more dry food in order to feel full.
Just a few of the reasons that to cats include the following: obesity leads to (a disease that is now rampant in our domestic cat population), early onset of , increased risk of , increased risk of when obese cats become ill and stop eating, due to lethargy and low energy levels, and decreased capacity to have performed.
Additionally, unless the , it is very difficult to recognize when a cat stops eating if they are fed dry food. If the food dish is just topped up periodically, it , at which point illness may have progressed significantly.
Cats naturally eat ten to twenty small meals per day, so it is best to feed them as many small meals (of wet food!) as possible.

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Cats will naturally eat t, so it is best to feed them as many small meals as possible.

Logistically it can be somewhat difficult for working owners to provide this ideal number of feedings, but when possible, feedings should be done upon waking up, again in the morning before leaving for work, immediately upon returning home from work, and then once or twice more before going to bed. 
Leaving a very very small amount of dry food or better yet, , available in while away from home during the day, and when in bed during the night, allows cats to enjoy small feedings at their leisure and will encourage natural foraging/hunting behaviors (and may help prevent your kitty from waking you up at 5 AM for their breakfast feeding!). 
For practical reasons, wet food needs to be fed in because most cats won’t eat wet food that has been out for longer than 30 minutes. 
Once wet food has dried up from exposure at room temperature it loses its appeal to cats, and additionally, will grow bacteria, which means it won’t be safe for cats to consume.
Wet food should not be left out for more than 15 to 30 minutes and if not immediately placed refrigerated once meal time is finished it should be thrown away . 

 

While many people make the assumption that wet cat food is fattening, this is a . 

Intuitively it seems to make sense: wet food smells rich and enticing, many cats gobble their wet food with an enthusiasm they rarely display when presented dry food, and even the moistness of the wet food looks fattening! However,
Canned food is approximately , so while it may seem rich and delectable, it is actually very (literally!) in comparison to dry food.
(kibble) is approximately , and it is extremely . 
it’s a compact little item that contains all of the nutrients and calories that are required … but, who feels full after one little bar?! It would take four or five meal bars to actually feel physically full as though one had eaten an entire meal, and the very same problem exists with dry cat food. 
Only a small volume of dry food provides the calories necessary to meet cats’ daily caloric needs, but since most by the tiny volume that equals their daily caloric needs, they … in time, this leads to obesity which frequently results in diabetes over time.

Kittens, adults, and geriatric cats all have slightly different nutritional requirements, and it is important that they be fed appropriate diets for their stage of life. Additionally, some cats may have particular diseases that may require specific diets to aid with their disease management.

While cats who eat dry food may to be ingesting more water (and they certainly do spend more time visibly drinking from their water dishes), in they

The reason that cats who eat canned food ingest so much more water than those eating dry food, is because canned food is anywhere from 70% to 80% water content (in comparison to ).
Despite the fact that cats on dry diets appear to drink large quantities of water from their water bowls, they actually do not compensate nearly to the point of actually equaling the amount of water that cats who eat wet food consume on a daily basis.
Cats were originally desert creatures and they evolved to have the capacity to concentrate their urine very highly.
Thus, cats who eat dry food only take in enough water to remain adequately hydrated while their kidneys work in overdrive day in and day out,  to bridge the gap for them. In turn this causes , and many more

Depending on the type of cat treats that are being fed, they can be a dangerously high source of calories!

Over-treating your cat can be a contributing so it’s a good idea to know the caloric content of the treats you feed your cat. 
For example, Pounce treats are ; Temptations are ; and MediCal treats are . 
So if you give your cat 5 Pounce treats in one day, this is equal to 50 kcal. 
Since the average adult cat needs approximately , Which means that their meal portions for that day would need to be significantly reduced. 
5 Temptations treats, on the other hand, are only equal to 10 kcal, and so are a relatively low calorie choice.
​The bottom line is that but you need to  
​Also, keep in mind that in that they can include many for our little carnivores, including food coloring. For this reason, I tend to stick to – they are much healthier and contain no added ingredients!

It is true that many organic and holistic cat foods contain veggies and fruits in their ingredient lists. But while the concept of organic cat food is a good one, the that are frequently included in these diets tend to

Organic food is an important part of healthy living, but unfortunately many organic cat foods that are commercially available today include inappropriate ingredients in their make-up. are included in cat diets purely for . This tactic is very effective because we – the – have the : which they are, but that’s because we are
which means that their and are If cats were pushing their own shopping carts through pet store aisles, the food companies would not be marketing their feline diets with veggie and fruit ingredients, and nor would they be enhancing their diets’ appearance with artificial food coloring!
Cats are , and that would normally be ingested by cats would be the very minute amount present in the . 

Cats have , including that absolutely .  

can develop as a result of , and it is imperative that before switching your cat to a home-cooked diet or a raw diet that you and obtain a and all of the that must be included.

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The information provided in this article is for educational reference purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice and care of your veterinarian, nor medical diagnoses or treatments. All questions regarding your cat’s health should be discussed with your veterinarian.

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