Quality Cat Foods

Caring for any pet involves regular visits to the vet, adequate exercise, and an observant eye looking out for any signs of illness. One of the most important tasks for you as a cat owner however would be to pick out quality cat food. Choosing a quality cat food may seem simple enough, but it can turn out to be quite a task, with vast variety of brands and products available in the market. Knowing and understanding your cat’s nutritional needs would take you closer towards this goal and make it a lot easier for you to pick out best quality cat food.

The first rule is that economy foods, though easy on your wallet are almost always a bad choice, and will also end up costing you a lot more in veterinarian fees. With the large amount of brands and choice for consumers the market is quite competitive and with quantity there is a drop in quality. Many unscrupulous manufacturers use fillers and artificial ingredients, some of which may even be harmful to your cat. Always look at the ingredients carefully before picking up any product, and ask your vet for specific recommendations and what ingredients should set off those alarm bells.

Good Quality Cat Foods

Here are some basic facts that concern a cat’s basic nutritional needs.

• Cats are extremely different from us and as carnivores they require a lot of meat or in other words protein in their diet. High quality cat foods are meats like fish and poultry which make a healthy meal for a cat.
• Taurine, which is an essential amino acid, is another vital ingredient in a cat’s diet. Taurine is added to a number of cat foods that are sold in the market.
• A cat’s diet should also have certain other vitamins and minerals as well as fatty acids and enzymes. If the diet is lacking in any essential nutrient your vet would be able to recommend dietary sources of the nutrient or nutritional supplements.
• Water is absolutely essential and it’s important that your cat always has access to clean drinking water. Dehydration can set on rapidly and you may have to watch your cat deteriorate rapidly in a matter of hours. Cats do tend to be finicky about their food and water bowls, so try and make changes and adjustments till your cat is satisfied.

Keep in mind that most dry cat food and canned cat foods that are available at stores contain a lot of carbohydrate rich fillers like rice, wheat and corn, all of which can be harmful to your cat.