I'm rather passionate about pet nutrition and I would love to see all cat owners feeding their cats a better quality food. Just like with us, proper nutrition is the foundation of good health for your cat. There are just two steps to learning how to feed your cat better:
- Take a moment to read the ingredients label on the package of pet food you purchase. It doesn't matter if you are looking at a store brand or Science Diet. Ignore the name and focus on the ingredients; That is where the truth rests.
- If you are only feeding dry food to your cat, make every effort to change your cat's diet to 50% dry food and 50% canned food. Cats NEED moisture to be healthy and they will never get enough moisture from dry food and a bowl of water.
The table below compares the top 7 ingredients of two common dry cat foods to that of two nutritious, grain-free cat foods. Remember:
- Ingredients are listed in order of weight on product labels. So the first three ingredients make up most of the food and should, therefore, be the best quality.
- Cats are obligate carnivores. That means they need to eat meat not a lot of grains, corn, or wheat!
- Meat on a pet food label should be identified as what type…not just say meat. And a by-product meat source isn't really meat. It is just the scraps of that meat source.
- If you must purchase a food with grains, the grains need to be lower on the list and definitely not corn or wheat.
| Scient Diet Adult Indoor |
Friskies Grillers Blend |
Wellness Core
(buy at Petco) |
Orijen Cat Food
(buy at The Nosey Dog) |
Chicken By-Product Meal Brewers Rice
Corn Gluten Meal
Ground Whole Grain Corn Powdered Cellulose
Chicken Liver Flavor
Soybean Oil |
Ground yellow corn
corn gluten meal
chicken by-product meal
soybean meal
beef tallow
turkey by-product meal
meat and bone meal |
Deboned Turkey
Deboned Chicken
Chicken Meal
Whitefish Meal
Potatoes
Salmon Meal
Natural Chicken Flavor |
Fresh boneless chicken
chicken meal
fresh boneless salmon turkey meal
fresh chicken liver
herring meal
russet potato |
Now that you see what types of ingredients to look for in a quality cat food,
try this label comparison with whatever brand you feed your cat.
Is your cat currently eating a healthy cat food?
Are the top ingredients protein rather than corn, grains, and fillers?
Is it time to change to a better dry and canned food combination for your cat?
I won't deny that feeding a better food will cost more money. But, keep in mind the following:
- With the better foods, your cat eats less. Those better foods are packed with protein, not fillers, so it takes less to provide a meal.
- And, there is the added bonus that less in, means less out. So, expect a cleaner, less stinky litter box.
- Finally, the better you feed your cat, the better his/her health, and the lower the vet bills.
If you are shopping for cat food at grocery stores or large supermarkets, you are NOT going to find a food that passes the test of having quality protein ingredients. Locally, I recommend you look for grain-free kibble and grain-free canned food at The Nosey Dog Spa & Boutique on 407 or Petco in Highland Village.
The Pet Depot cat sitter also has information on dog nutrition.
In case you wonder what I feed, I'm happy to share. I'm a raw feeder. Yes, I only feed raw meat and bones to my pets. Sometimes I add grain-free canned food to meals just for variety. If you want to learn more about raw feeding or just about feeding a better diet in general, email me anytime.
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