Mary Allen
Which Cat Food is Right for My Cat?
Wet food or dry food? Or both combined? The wide variety of cat food available is a major challenge for most new cat owners. Which food is suitable for the cat and in what quantities? There is also the option to “barf” and feed home-cooked food. Which cat food is the right one for your darling? We have put together the most important differences between different feeding methods for you at a glance.
Dry Cat Food
Dry food was made durable by removing water. It is easy to feed, the bowl stays clean and it is cheap – good arguments for dry feeding. In contrast to the natural diet of cats, however, dry food contains almost no moisture. It does not actively draw water from the body, but in contrast to wet feeding, the urine is strongly concentrated and the pH value rises.
Urinary stones, gravel, and kidney stones can be the result. If you opt for dry feeding, your cat should therefore consume more water. A drinking fountain or placing several water bowls in the apartment can be the solution.
Wet Cat Food
Wet cat food is available in cans, bowls, and now even in practical sachets. Industrially produced wet food can be stored and fed almost as easily as dry food, but the shelf life is limited after opening. In contrast to dry food, the moisture content in wet food is higher. Both wet and dry food is available in good and bad quality. Make sure you have a high meat content and only a small amount of carbohydrates – this diet suits the carnivore cat.
Homemade
If you have a sensitive or allergic cat, you often have to reach for the wooden spoon. When it comes to home-cooked meals, the cat owner knows exactly which ingredients are in the food and which are not. However, minerals and vitamins should be supplemented after the cooking process, as cooking the meal destroys many natural nutrients. As with raw feeding, it is essential to familiarize yourself with the necessary supplementation with vitamins and minerals as soon as the amount of self-cooked food exceeds 20 percent of the weekly feeding amount.
BARF – Raw Food for Cats
The so-called “BARF” (biologically appropriate raw feeding) is becoming more and more fashionable. When barfing cats, your four-legged friend receives only muscle meat and offal from selected animal species. Depending on the philosophy, these are mixed with artificial supplements or specifically supplemented with natural additives such as bone meal and eggshells in order to meet the animal’s mineral and vitamin requirements. If only muscle meat is fed, deficiency symptoms can occur very quickly. Raw feeders should therefore find out exactly what the animal needs in advance! “Ready-made barf” products meanwhile make raw feeding even easier. There is no need to research, chop the meat or take supplements. The manufacturer takes care of all of this and often delivers freshly frozen meat to your doorstep.
Conclusion
As always, the same applies of course: No feeding method has to be exclusive. There are many cat owners who successfully supplement high-quality canned food by feeding raw meat once a week or who cook something for their cats on special occasions.
Regardless of which cat food or feeding method you choose: It is important that the food meets the cat’s natural needs. Cats are carnivores, they need a lot of high-quality protein, but only a small amount of vegetable ingredients and carbohydrates.