Cat Food Ingredients
Most of the cat illnesses caused by low quality food can be avoided if cat owners give the required attention to the basics of cat food and its ingredients. Balanced and safe food can prevent several cat health problems and infections.
It is important to pay attention to the ingredients in your cats’ food, whether it is packaged food or homemade. This will make no impact though if you do not know the advantages and disadvantages of the ingredients to the cats’ health. The label on the cats food usually displays the flavors, ingredients and preservatives so be sure to read the label carefully.
Cat Food Ingredients You Need to Know
Protein
Protein, whether from meat or from vegetables, is an important ingredient of cat food, with a very big role in the cats’ development and growth. The best source of cat nutrition is protein derived from whole eggs, turkey, ducks, pork, dried whole eggs, chicken, etc. Corn, oatmeal, rye, beet pulp, rice, wheat, etc., are good sources of vegetable protein.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants serve to improve upon the immune system of the cat, preventing infection from many diseases. Antioxidants are usually packed with vitamins like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B Complex (especially B12), Vitamin E, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B9, Vitamin B2, canned and extruded taurine, arginine, arachinodic acid and cysteine, thus placing them among some of the most important ingredients of cat food.
Fats and Fibers
Healthy fats are an important part of a cats’ diet as they play an important role in skincare and add flavor to the food. Animal fats and essential fatty acids like that from fish oil work best for these purposes. Fiber-rich food is also good for the overall health of the cat. Fiber can be obtained from the hulls of various grains.
Ingredients to Avoid
There are some ingredients that can harm your cat and should thus be strictly avoided. These include food preservatives, artificial colors, food additives, byproducts, artificial flavors. Below is a list of ingredients which must not be included in a cats’ food, as put forward by the American Artificial Food Control Officers (AAFCO).
Dry Cat Food Preservatives
While dry cat food preservatives keep the food for longer periods of time, health officials suspect they are the primary causes of cancer. Popular dry cat food preservatives include BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), ethoxyquin and Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). Cat foods with vitamins like vitamin C and Vitamin E are advised instead.
Animal Products
Meat from animals is a good source of protein for cats but all other parts, used in packaged cat food are harmful. Ingredients like lungs, spleen, low temperature fatty acids that are partially defatted, blood, bone meal, etc., instead cause diseases like stomach problems, diarrhea, and kidney diseases in your cat. They should thus be avoided.
Human Foods
It may be fund saving or even fun to share your human food with your cat but this has a detrimental effect on your cats’ health even if it is healthy for you. Foods like garlic, raw potatoes, green tomatoes, grapes, raisins and other fruits, legumes, onions and various root vegetables are on the contrary, harmful to a cats’ health. Cats do not require milk if they are fed on a highly nutritious diet.
Not all packaged foods are harmful to your feline but be sure to check the ingredients in the package to ensure they are not harmful before you serve it to your cat.