About food needs of cats written quite a lot. They need a balanced diet containing proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, with 30 to 40% of the diet should be proteins - more than necessary for dogs. Determine if you feed your cat correctly, best of all by its condition.

With a satisfactory diet, the animal looks well-built, healthy, alive; his eyes shine and his stomach works normally. An unbalanced diet causes diarrhea, prolonged sleep, sudden moult, wooliness, dandruff, dull look or obesity, although all these signs may be associated with any specific disease or infection.

Cats feed in nature
Cats are programmed primarily to eat raw meat and entrails. Fangs they grab and kill prey, and then tear it apart. The cat tears the pieces from the carcass and swallows them whole, it has no teeth for chewing food. Therefore, following nature, you can give the cat either small, suitable for swallowing pieces, or a piece larger that it will be able to break into smaller ones with the help of its fangs and sharp edges of molars. She copes well with minced meat, as well as with liquid food. The combination of these products brings variety and interest to the feeding process. Some cats love crunchy dry food like biscuits that help to clean the teeth; but when feeding them, make sure that the cats have plenty of water.


In natural conditions, cats eat small mammals, such as rabbits, rats, mice and voles, as well as reptiles, amphibians, birds, spiders and insects, including flies and grasshoppers. Some cats eat and fish, which they suddenly grab their paws, standing on a rock above the water. Cats, apparently, instinctively know that shrews, robins and bullfinches are inappropriate food. A cat born in the wild will be able to survive in these conditions, but a domestic cat thrown out on the street can not always get food for itself. To drive a domestic cat, forcing her to take care of herself, is cruel and illegal.


Water
Fresh water should always be available and poured into a clean vessel. Water is often changed, even if the cat did not seem to use it, especially if the dog drinks from the same dishes (dogs, as a rule, let saliva into the water). It is often possible to see how a cat that does not drink in a house laps water from a dirty pool. Perhaps some cats do not like the taste of our chlorinated tap water, and we should not blame them for it. Such cats can be given boiled water or barley broth. For a nursing cat, add a tablet of lemon-sour sodium into the water. The trouble of preparing the water that your cat will have to taste is not in vain: if you allow it to drink outside the house, it can start from a puddle contaminated with insecticides, which were sprayed on the garden. If your cat does not drink water from a separate vessel, add it directly to the food to prevent the possibility of dehydration. And it is better to give food in a liquid form to one of the meals, against which cats usually do not mind.

Vitamins
For normal growth the cat needs small amounts of vitamins. Fish oil, liver, chopped seaweed, wheat sprouts, yeast, raw or lightly cooked vegetables and milk are valuable sources of essential vitamins and minerals. Serious shortage of vitamins and minerals can lead to irreversible effects on health, and sometimes to death.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A promotes the growth of body cells and helps to resist infection. With his participation, his eyesight is intensified by light of varying intensity. To synthesize this vitamin of a cat are incapable, and it should be added in one way or another in food. It is found in egg yolk, fish oil, carrots, green vegetables, grass and seaweed.

Vitamin B
Vitamins B include vitamins that promote growth, normal functioning of the skin and eyes, preventing the development of various avitaminosis. Milk, wheat sprouts, yeast and liver are rich in some vitamins of this group.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C prevents the development of the disease that occurs when it is deficient and called scurvy. Vitamin C is found in malt extract, green vegetables, grass and seaweed. This vitamin can be produced in the body of a cat.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is known as a "sunny" vitamin, because its synthesis requires sunlight. It promotes the formation of a healthy backbone, and cats can synthesize it, sitting in the sun or under ultraviolet rays. (Be careful, however, if you are exposing your cat: UV rays can fade its hair.) Vitamin D is found in large quantities in fish oil.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E promotes the development of reproductive functions in males and females, it is abundant in sprouts of wheat and salad.



Carbohydrates
It is energetically rich food substances contained in such products as cereals and root crops, including potatoes. Carbohydrates are needed in small quantities, but some cats love them more, others - less. If your cat likes milk, you can pour oatmeal into it. If she likes sardines and other fatty fish, add some porridge or crusts there from the black bread - the food will become more delicious. If your cat does not like carbohydrates, wet the cereal or bread (and the one left from your dinner) in advance, and then mix with the finely chopped fish - in this form the cats usually eat carbohydrates. It is not recommended to mix cereals with meat, as this can upset the stomach.

Vegetables, fruits, herbs
Some cats get greens directly from the gastric tract of mice, which they kill and eat. Home cats should be added to the diet of a small number of vegetables.
Fruits do not belong to the number of vital food products, but some cats love some of them, for example melons, grapes, olives, asparagus and avocados.
The grass has a beneficial effect on cats; it is eaten by most cats who are allowed to walk outside the house. Cats eat grass not because of the carbohydrates contained in it, but as a source of coarse fiber and vitamins. Often in cats, vomiting occurs, and then, together with the grass, lumps of wool come out of the stomach, which otherwise could cause intestinal obstruction.

Fats
Cats need a small amount of fat and usually get them in the form of butter, margarine, fish oil or slices of fatty meat that they fall from our scraps. Most cats readily lick a ball of oil with a yeast extract, added in an amount to color the mixture into a light brown color. Occasionally give such food is very useful.



Proteins
Proteins make up the bulk of the cat's diet and are consumed in the form of low-fat meat, fish, eggs, cheese, milk, vegetable protein and special food concentrates. Purely protein diet, without any additives, will lead to a shortage of vitally important minerals and vitamins, as well as to the development of kidney diseases. Proteins should be from 30 to 40% of the diet of an adult cat (in dogs its share is approximately 18%). We advise you not to give cats those kinds of meat that would not suit people's food, but if you still feed them animals, use a special cutting board and knife, and not those that you use when preparing food for yourself.

Product types

1. Fresh products, including any sort of low-fat beef, liver, chicken, rabbit or fish, like almost all cats. Products can be cut, chopped or given as a whole, so that the cat itself tears them apart. Entered into the sale of meat, designed for pets and unsuitable for human consumption, according to numerous data, poses a threat to the health of cats.
2. Canned foods - this is probably the most convenient option for today's busy cat owner. They are diverse and made from beef, liver, chicken, rabbit and fish. The products are hygienic and are usually readily eaten by cats. In canned tuna fish it is recommended to add vitamin E.
3. Moist cat food is easy to use, especially when traveling. Some cats prefer these soft pieces of dry or canned food. In most pet stores there is a large selection of such products for every taste.
4. Dry cat food is a mixture of cereals with beef, liver, rabbit or fish. Some cats are very fond of such food for the fact that it crunches. When using it, you need to give cats more water or soak it overnight.
5. Frozen products for cats are easy to buy at pet stores. They make variety in the cat's diet and are not burdensome in cooking. Be sure to let the cat try them.
6. Milk is a valuable source of nutrients, if your cat likes it, and it tolerates it. Milk must be diluted with water. As a special treat, you can add an egg yolk to it.
7. Water should always be left in an accessible place, changing daily walking more often (in hot weather or if cats use water together with dogs).
8. Cat delicacies - vitamins, yeast tablets or chocolate pellets - are used to reward animals while learning various tricks.
9. Vegetables and cereals should be given in small quantities. These are products from soybeans, root crops, potatoes and a variety of green vegetables, finely ground or filled with liquid. Food can be sprinkled with sea kale powder - a valuable source of vitamins and various trace elements.
10. Fish oil goes on sale in a convenient package, sometimes equipped with a pipette. It should be added to fish as a ready source of vitamin A.



Meat

Suitable are all grades of lean meat with a small amount of fat. You can give beef, lamb, game, cooked in one way or another pork, kidneys, heart, rabbit meat, kangaroo meat, chicken (not receiving hormones), chicken heads (raw for food and play) and liver. The liver has a strange effect on the stomach: a laxative if it is eaten raw, and fixing after cooking. Remember this, and you can successfully use the liver to correct the operation of the cat's intestines. Since chickens on poultry farms usually receive food with hormone supplements, they are not suitable for food for cats intended for breeding.

A fish

Cats living in natural conditions often fish and eat it. If you once forget to close the aquarium with goldfish, the domestic cat will gladly show you this. Fish like almost all cats, and, according to the unanimous opinion of dietitians, it is best to give it in the prepared form, although many cats prefer raw and with skin. So it only remains to remove the scales and remove the bones, if the cat receives the fish in the prepared form. Kittens prefer a fish with tender fibers, such as flounder, and adult cats - tougher fish, such as saithe.
Food from fish is a great opportunity to add to the ration a little fish oil, sea kale (which gives the dish a special freshness), cereals, potatoes or bread crumbs. Fish oil is necessary, first of all, as a source of vitamin D in the winter months. It is best to give fish with a small amount of liquid. It should be room temperature, not just taken off the plate or taken out of the refrigerator.
Canned fish are great food for cats, and most of them seem to like it. Feed the cat sardines, mackerel, sardines in tomato sauce, adding slices of black bread, oatmeal, corn flakes and other suitable cereals. Many cats love fish pouring on chicken broth. Make sure that vitamin E is added to the canned tuna (this is always indicated on the label). Herring and other fatty varieties of canned fish can act indulgently, so feed them a cat if it has a tendency to constipation.

Egg yolks

They are rich in protein, and mixing them with milk, you get a tasty and nutritious dish, especially when you have little time for cooking. A little bit of glucose added to the mixture will increase its energy value, although it is well known that cats do not absorb sugar.

 

Cheese

It is a rich source of protein, and cats often ask for a piece of cheese. On a separate feeding, cheese alone is not enough, but it can be given as a lavish additive, which all cats willingly eat. Fish or chicken in cheese sauce, left from your table, is considered a favorite delicacy.

Milk

Milk is a valuable source of protein, as well as calcium and other trace elements. However, some cats, especially Siamese and Burmese, do not tolerate lactose contained in cow's milk. Try giving them goat's milk, milk substitutes, cream or completely liquid food. For kittens, milk should not be diluted with water, as they need concentrated food. Cats, who usually do not like milk, instinctively begin to drink it when they have kittens. If a pregnant cat refuses milk, increase the calcium content in her diet by adding crushed calcium tablets or bone meal.

Vegetable protein

In the diet of cats, products rich in vegetable protein, such as soybeans, are increasingly used because they are much less expensive than animal proteins. But since cats are naturally predators, they will not be satisfied with a diet of vegetable proteins alone. Therefore, they must be mixed with other types of protein.



Ready-made food

Since the Second World War, the production of cat food, previously completely absent, has turned into a powerful industry, covering many countries in the world and turning in tens of millions of dollars. The canned food can be bought in dry or semi-liquid form (the latter was made in response to the screams about the terrible consequences of feeding the cats with dry food). Each of the varieties of feed has its advantages and is convenient in use, and all together they create a significant food variety.
Dry food can be left for several hours, without fear that it will deteriorate or attract flies, as is the case with liquid canned food. Semi-liquid food is convenient to take on the road or used when you do not have time. When the ready food first appeared on the shelves, the breeders opposed its use, for some of its forms caused diarrhea in kittens. Since then, much has changed: pet food vendors spend considerable sums on special studies to produce concentrates that are accessible, nutritious and tasty. And now there is hardly a house where at least once a day did not use ready-made fodder. Modern varieties of concentrated feeds are hygienic, safe to use, save your time and work. Among them, it's easy to find those that are suitable for your cat. Find out what exactly she prefers, and enter this feed into her weekly menu, interleaving it with fresh meat (especially rabbit meat) and fish. If you notice that any kind of finished food affects your cat negatively, be sure to write about it to its producers.

Additives for diet and goodies

In recent years, they have become more and more, as the commercial production of yeast tablets, chocolate tablets (some cats adore chocolate) and vitamin pills are constantly growing. In small quantities, they are useful, they can be used while training, but you can not give constantly, so as not to disturb the nutritional balance.

Food and etiquette


Each cat living in the house must have its own dishes for eating. Since cats sometimes pull out individual pieces to tear them apart, we recommend placing bowls on special mats. This will help you keep the carpet or kitchen floor clean. Some cats are better to feed a little, but often. Otherwise they will hastily swallow large portions of food in order to regurgitate them in a few minutes.
If there are several cats in the house, take care that sluggish and timid eaters get the share of food given to them, and the badasses could not, having devastated their bowl, set to work on someone else's. If this happens, it is best to feed the quiet in a special place where no one will disturb her. Remember, however, that active cats need more food. The opinion that a cat that catches mice should not be fed, is mistaken: it will hunt even better if it is well fed by the owner!


If there are several cats in the house, take care that sluggish and timid eaters get the share of food given to them, and the badasses could not, having devastated their bowl, set to work on someone else's. If this happens, it is best to feed the quiet in a special place where no one will disturb her. Remember, however, that active cats need more food. The opinion that a cat that catches mice should not be fed, is mistaken: it will hunt even better if it is well fed by the owner!


As I mentioned in the "Parenting" section, it is not difficult to teach a cat to stand on its hind legs and ask for food, holding a bowl over her head. She takes pleasure in this procedure and looks forward to a little ritual action before eating.

How much food to give
Cats, relatively to their weight, have a small stomach, so they need to be fed more than once a day. They should receive nutritious and concentrated meals in small portions. As among humans, among the cats there are individuals with different metabolism, so one animal needs more food, the other less. On average, 30 grams of food per 1 kg of weight is enough to make the cat feel healthy, although representatives of some breeds, for example the Burmese, apparently need to be given more. The needs of a domestic cat average 250 kcal per day for a female and 300 kcal for a male. The quantity and quality of food that cats need depends largely on their age, condition and degree of activity.

Kittens
Very small kittens should be fed 4 times a day: two times with milk and two with meat. As a meat dish, you can give scrambled beef or tender varieties of fish, primarily flounder. Milk food should contain some good boiling cereals, egg yolk and milk, you can also use ready-made milk mixtures in liquid or dry form, specially designed for the artificial feeding of excommunicated kittens.

Cat Mother
A pregnant cat needs more food, not so much by increasing the portions themselves, but by increasing the number of meals, since cats have small stomachs. A pregnant cat should eat at least 1.5 times more than usual. Before lambing, the female, as a rule, refuses to eat - the first sign of the approaching birth.
After the birth of the cubs, the mother cat eats twice as much as usual. If the brood is large, the mother's feeding turns into an endless process, especially in cats of some breeds. When the kittens, still continuing to suck, begin to gradually eat other food, the mother's appetite may decrease slightly. But the cat eagerly absorbs everything that you prepare for the kittens. She seems to instinctively feel that if there is the same food with them, her milk will be better absorbed in the stomachs of suckers.


During the feeding period, the cat should look absolutely healthy, not exhausted. If she is too thin, she needs to give more food or more nutritious meals. Kittens should be plump. If they look thin, it means they lack the mother's milk, in this case you have to feed them with milk from a bottle and quickly transfer to solid food.

Cat manufacturer
The cat-maker also needs abundant food, because the continuation of the family is not an easy task. Additional doses of protein and vitamin E improve its working qualities and fertility; Besides meat, cats also need vitamins, microelements and carbohydrates. Some cats must eat before mating, others refuse to eat, noticing the newly appeared female. Arriving on a visit "ladies" prefer to mate on an empty stomach, but then they have a wolfish appetite!

 

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