Current Nutrition Research/suggestion For Newbies

[SkiaEsh]

Hello All,

I have not had a cat in years and am looking to get back into cat ownership. There is a lot of information out there on nutrition, so I wanted to ask forum members what has worked for them and about reputable articles new cat owners could read up on. Thanks.

 

[Neo_23]

catinfo.org is basically the go-to site for feline nutrition. It is written by a vet who specializes in nutrition, Dr. Lisa Pierson. I would have a read of the pages on that site.

Most vets don’t have much nutrition expertise and are actually often trained by representatives from pet food companies in vet school (e.g., Hill’s, Royal Canin), so they tend to usually suggest these brands even though they are not of the best quality.

Cats are obligate carnivores and need lots of meat-based protein in their diet. Foods higher in meat proteins are best for cats, while foods with grain and vegetable fillers are not so good. Cats also need a lot of moisture in their food because they don’t have a strong innate thirst drive. This is why wet food is recommended over dry (also wet food tends to have fewer carbs which cats don’t handle very well).

There is some new research coming out suggesting that raw food is more digestible for cats than cooked food. Many people on this site feed a raw diet, which is what cats would eat if they were in the wild. Research into this area is new, but people in non-Western countries have been feeding cats raw for ages, and there is a lot of anecdotal evidence from people in the west that their cats are healthier on a raw diet.

Raw food can be prepared at home (there are recipes on catinfo.org) or purchased from independent pet stores (make sure the package states it is a complete meal). If preparing raw food at home you want to make sure you are including all of the nutrients your cat needs and making a “balanced” diet.

Personally my cat is on an all wet diet. I started him on this when he got urinary crystals. The wet food cleared it up and now he is fine. I am also starting to incorporate raw food into his diet because he has digestive issues and I want to utilize the digestive benefits of raw food. He eats Rawz brand canned food and RadCat raw food. I will be incorporating other raw foods (maybe homemade) in the future.

 

[Ardina]

Neo_23 gave an excellent summary. If you want to read up on raw feeding as well, I'd recommend feline-nutrition.org and catcentric.org.

 

[SkiaEsh]

Thanks to both of you! I will read pages on all three recommended sites and hopefully track down some good books, as well.

 

[kommunity kats]

Healthypets.mercola.com has excellent articles on both cat nutrition / diet, and, cat health problems.
(Dogs, too, by the way.) This is the first site I check out when in need of information.

Dr. Karen Becker DVM -a proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian- is the author.
(She's trained at both conventional & Holistic veterinarian care.)

 

[SkiaEsh]

Thanks; I will check out Dr. Becker's site now that I have read most of Dr. Pierson's pages and quite a few on the other two sites.

 

[ashekitty]

I’d read this article: http://catinfo.org/docs/Feeding Your Cat - 4 pages 11-13.pdf

Good luck!

 

[Columbine]

We have a ton of great nutrition articles right here on TCS too
What Do I Need To Know About Feeding My Cat?
How To Choose The Right Food For Your Cat
What Makes The Best Canned Cat Food?
How To Choose The Best Dry Cat Food?
The Science Behind Cat Nutrition
A Scientific Take On Cat Nutrition By Dr. Rachel Boltz
Cat Food & Feline Nutrition With Pet Nutritionist Dr. Martha Cline
Grain-free Cat Food – What Does It Mean?
How To Compare Cat Foods & Calculate Carbs: Dry Matter Basis
Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet?
By-products In Cat Food: 5 Facts You Need To Know
Raw Feeding For Cats
Raw Feeding For Cats
https://thecatsite.com/ams/raw-feeding-cats-types-of-raw-diets-feeding-options.31714/[URL='https://thecatsite.com/ams/does-dry-food-actually-clean-your-cats-teeth.30205/']https://thecatsite.com/ams/[/URL]

 

[SkiaEsh]

Well, it looks like I have endless articles now. Thanks for your input.