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Some available options of cat foodCat food is a type of food specially engineered for the feeding of cats.
Cats are carnivorous by nature and need many essential nutrients, such as taurine, in their food. Commercial cat food contains these supplements, which is why other pet foods are not recommended for cats.
Many popular brands of cat food are made from what would otherwise be waste products of the meat industry. Some cat experts claim that this practice, as well as the overly processed nature of dry cat food, is responsible for many of the age-related ailments of cats. Additionally, many major brand-name cat foods are primarily grain-based, often containing large amounts of corn or rice supplemented with meats and essential vitamins, and usually saturated with 'digest,' a euphemistic term for real or synthetic cat vomit, to attract the cat as cats are prone to re-eating previously swallowed and vomited foods.
Some less well-known pet food manufacturers offer more 'natural' formulas of cat food that contain fewer grains and by-products. A few pet food brands, such as Innova EVO, are even made without any grain products at all. Natural cat food brands are often claimed to have cuts of meat closer to those that humans eat, with some manufacturers offering meat that is claimed to be 'human grade'. Many brands of such cat foods are made from raw ingredients intended to provide nutrition as close as possible to the cat's natural diet. These brands generally include raw meat with organs, ground bone, some raw vegetables, and some dietary supplements.
Many pet owners feed cats homemade diets. These diets generally consist of some form of cooked meat or raw meat, ground bone, pureed vegetables, taurine supplements, and other vitamin supplements. Some pet owners use easily digested human vitamin supplements, and others use vitamin supplements specifically engineered for cats. Veterinarians sometimes recommend including Digestive enzyme supplements in a homemade diet.
Vegetarian cat food, made with no animal products, has been available for many years, and is aimed primarily at animal rights activists. Vendors of vegetarian cat food claim it is nutritionally sound in some cases, and in other cases the food is intended to be supplemented with other cat foods. Some veterinarians recommend against exclusively vegetarian diets for cats, as they must eat certain amino acids not found in vegetables to remain healthy. Vegetarian cat food either includes these nutrients or the cat's food must be supplemented with them.
In some countries, feeding vegetarian food to cats may constitute not feeding an appropriate diet. If the cat requires veterinary treatment for dietary deficiencies, the owner risks action under animal care legislation.
Store-bought cat food generally comes in either a kibble form, often called dry cat food, or a canned form. Very few brands of cat food come in semi-moist form, which is generally reserved for treats.
Dry food is generally sold in bulk, with a bag of dry food lasting days, months, or even years. Canned food generally comes in much smaller serving sizes, and common can sizes are 3oz, 5.5oz, and 13oz.
Many cat enthusiasts and veterinarians recommend a diet consisting largely or entirely of canned cat food. One of the reasons for this is the high water content of canned food, which is thought to be a healthful amount of water compared to the amount that cats will drink when eating dry food. Canned food also generally contains significantly less grain or other carbohydrate foods. This is thought to reduce the chances of diabetes and maintain a healthy weight. In general, most canned foods are formulated to resemble a cat's natural diet more closely than dry food, where the focus is often shelf life and price.
Other enthusiasts and veterinarians recommend a diet consisting mostly of dry food. Often this recommendation is based on the idea that cats must break apart dry foods with their teeth, which causes the food to scrape off dental calculus, although the degree of benefit this provides has been disputed in recent years.
Pet owners often prefer dry cat food due to the convenience and price. Dry cat food is generally significantly less expensive than canned cat food. Dry cat food can also be left out for the cat to eat at will over the course of several days, whereas canned cat food spoils or becomes unappetizing after several hours.
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Most pet owners have heard that it is better to feed their animals specially
formulated food for pets rather than table scraps. An occasional treat is fine,
but table scraps used to excess may unbalance a pet's diet. Purchasing pet foods
labeled as complete and balanced can help ensure that your pet's diet is
nutritionally adequate.
Cat foods labeled as complete and balanced must meet standards established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) either by meeting a nutrient profile or by passing a feeding trial. The AAFCO's Feline Nutrition Expert (FNE) Subcommittee have established new nutrient profiles for complete and balanced cat foods. Cat Food Nutrient Profiles were established in 1992 and updated in 1995 to incorporate new scientific information.
The new nutrient profiles replaced the recommendations of the National Research Council ( NRC) as the AAFCO-recognized authority on feline nutrition. Cat foods labeled as complete and balanced based on the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profile must meet all the nutrient minimum and maximum levels as established by the Subcommittee. The Subcommittee set these levels after considering the most current information on good nutrition for cats. The profiles are designed to provide practical information for manufacturers of cat foods.
There are now two separate nutrient profiles -- one for growth and reproduction and one for adult maintenance, instead of just one for all lifestages. This allows cat foods made for adult cats only to contain lower amounts of some nutrients, eliminating unnecessary excesses. Also, maximum levels of intake of some nutrients have been established for the first time, because of concern that overnutrition, rather than undernutrition, is a bigger problem with many pet foods today.
The protocols for conducting the feeding trials for cat foods have also been updated. With these improvements, label reference to either the AAFCO nutrient profile or AAFCO feeding trials better assures the consumer of the validity of a complete and balanced claim. Endorsements, seals of approval, etc., from other organizations do not add assurances of safety and may be misleading.
If you are concerned about your companion animals’ health and about the cruelty of the meat industry, now is the time to stop buying meat-based commercial pet food.
Dangerous and Unsupervised Industry
Feeding companion animals commercial pet foods may be jeopardizing
their health. Supermarket pet foods are often composed of ground-up parts of
animals that U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors have deemed unfit for
human consumption. The flesh of animals who fall into one of the categories of
the four D’s—dead, dying, diseased, or disabled—is what often goes into pet
food. One Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specialist says that the unrendered
protein in food may come from heads, feet, viscera, and other animal parts.(1)
Many of these animals have died of infections and other diseases. Pet food has
also been recalled during mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE),
outbreaks because of the risk that contaminated meat might have been processed
into the food. One deputy commissioner states that cats in particular “are
susceptible to BSE.”(2)
Most pet foods contain the same hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics that are found in commercial meat products for humans. Other additives can be toxic and go unnoticed until it’s too late. In 2007, melamine found in food was linked to the deaths of least 16 animals, sickened thousands, and caused the recall of millions of containers of dog and cat food.(3) While the pet-food industry falls under the purview of the FDA, the manufacturers are not regularly inspected and, as one industry nutritionist told USA Today, “it’s largely self-policing.”(4) Yet the federal government does not penalize companies for failing to report problems to the FDA, nor does it have the authority to require a recall of contaminated food.(5)
Vegetarian Dogs and Cats
Many vegetarians and vegans feed healthful, meatless diets to their
companion animals. One remarkable example is that of Bramble, a border collie
whose vegan diet of rice, lentils, and organic vegetables contributed to a
nearly record-breaking lifespan of at least 27 years.(6) Studies have shown that
the ailments associated with meat consumption in humans—such as allergies,
various types of cancer, and kidney, heart, and bone problems—also affect many
nonhumans.
The nutritional needs of dogs and cats can be met with a balanced vegan diet and certain supplements. James Peden, author of Vegetarian Cats & Dogs, developed Vegepet™ supplements to add to vegetarian and vegan recipes. They are nutritionally balanced and also come in special formulas for kittens, puppies, and lactating cats and dogs.
Some people wonder if it’s “unnatural” to omit meat from the diet of a dog or cat. Animals in the wild commonly eat quite a lot of plant matter. Besides, to feed them the meat that they would naturally eat, you would have to serve them whole mice or birds or allow them to hunt for themselves, an option that is unfair to native species of birds and other small animals, since companion cats and dogs have been removed from the food chain and have advantages that free-roaming animals lack. Vegetarian or vegan dogs and cats enjoy their food and good health, and a vegetarian diet for your companion animal is ethically consistent with animal rights philosophy.
Important Supplements
Making vegetarian food for dogs is easy because dogs, like people, are
omnivorous and usually hearty eaters. Recipes for vegetarian and vegan dogs are
available along with the Vegedog™ supplement from James Peden’s company,
Harbingers of a New Age. It is important to follow directions carefully. If you
make any changes in ingredients, make sure that you do not change the
nutritional balance of the recipe. If a dog receives too little protein,
calcium, or vitamin D, his or her health could be jeopardized.
Additionally, some dogs need two amino acids called L-carnitine and taurine, which are not generally added to commercial dog foods and can be insufficient in homemade dog food as well. A deficiency of these nutrients can cause dilated cardiomyopathy, a serious illness in which the heart becomes large and flabby and can no longer function. This illness generally strikes young or middle-aged dogs who are deficient in L-carnitine or taurine because of breed, size, individual genetic make-up, or diet. Supplemental L-carnitine and taurine can be bought at your local health-food store.
Cats are often more finicky than dogs, and their nutritional requirements are more complicated. Cats need a considerable amount of vitamin A, which they cannot biosynthesize from carotene, as dogs and humans do. Insufficient amounts may cause loss of hearing as well as problems with skin, bones, and intestinal and reproductive systems. Cats also need taurine. A feline lacking taurine can lose eyesight and could develop cardiomyopathy. Commercial pet-food companies often add taurine obtained from mollusks. James Peden found vegetarian sources of both taurine and vitamin A, plus arachidonic acid, another essential feline nutrient. He then developed veterinarian-approved supplements Vegecat™ and Vegekit™ to add to his recipes.
Dogs and cats who are eating only cooked or processed food also benefit from the addition of digestive enzymes to their food. These are obtainable through companion animal supply catalogs and health-food stores. Any raw vegetables in a dog’s diet should be grated or put through a food processor to enhance digestibility.
Making the Adjustment
To help with the adjustment to a vegetarian or vegan diet, start by mixing the
vegetarian food in with what you usually serve. Gradually change the proportion
until there is no meat left. If your efforts are met with resistance, tempt your
animal friends by serving it warm or by adding soy milk, nutritional yeast
(available at natural-food stores), olive oil, tomato sauce (most dogs love
spaghetti!), catnip (for cats), powdered kelp, baby food that doesn’t contain
onions, or other seasonings. Many cats like nutritional yeast and pieces of
melon, and most love mashed chickpeas and veggie burgers. If your companion
animals are addicted to supermarket pet food, it may take a while for them to
adapt.
After switching dogs or cats to a vegetarian diet, monitor them closely to make sure that their new diet agrees with them, especially if they are still puppies or kittens. Watch for chronic gastrointestinal and skin problems, and note any new health problems. Most dogs and cats’ health improves on a vegetarian diet, but occasionally an animal may not thrive, so use common sense if this occurs.
The table below lists the AAFCO nutritional profiles for cat foods.
It must be noted that the levels of nutrients are expressed on a dry matter basis, while the levels listed in the guaranteed analysis on the label are expressed on an as fed basis. To allow for meaningful comparisons, the as fed guarantees must be converted to dry matter. For a canned product that is 75 percent moisture (25 percent dry matter), multiply the guaranteed level times 4. For a 10 percent moisture dry product, multiply by 1.1.
| Nutrient | Units (Dry Matter Basis) |
Growth and Reproduction Minimum |
Adult Maintenance Minimum |
Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | % | 30.0 | 26.0 | |
| Arginine | % | 1.25 | 1.04 | |
| Histidine | % | 0.31 | 0.31 | |
| Isoleucine | % | 0.52 | 0.52 | |
| Leucine | % | 1.25 | 1.25 | |
| Lysine | % | 1.20 | 0.83 | |
| Methionine-cystine | % | 1.10 | 1.10 | |
| Methionine | % | 0.62 | 0.62 | 1.50 |
| Phenylalanine-tyrosine | % | 0.88 | 0.88 | |
| Phenylalanine | % | 0.42 | 0.42 | |
| Threonine | % | 0.73 | 0.73 | |
| Tryptophan | % | 0.25 | 0.16 | |
| Valine | % | 0.62 | 0.62 | |
| Fatb | % | 9.0 | 9.0 | |
| Linoleic acid | % | 0.5 | 0.5 | |
| Arachidonic acid | % | 0.02 | 0.02 | |
| Minerals | ||||
| Calcium | % | 1.0 | 0.6 | |
| Phosphorus | % | 0.8 | 0.5 | |
| Potassium | % | 0.6 | 0.6 | |
| Sodium | % | 0.2 | 0.2 | |
| Chloride | % | 0.3 | 0.3 | |
| Magnesiumc | % | 0.08 | 0.04 | |
| Irond | mg/kg | 80.0 | 80.0 | |
| Copper (extruded food)e | mg/kg | 15.0 | 5.0 | |
| Copper (canned food)e | mg/kg | 5.0 | 5.0 | |
| Manganese | mg/kg | 7.5 | 7.5 | |
| Zinc | mg/kg | 75.0 | 75.0 | 2000.0 |
| Iodine | mg/kg | 0.35 | 0.35 | |
| Selenium | mg/kg | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| Vitamins | ||||
| Vitamin A | IU/kg | 9000.0 | 5000.0 | 750000.0 |
| Vitamin D | IU/kg | 750.0 | 500.0 | 10000.0 |
| Vitamin Ef | IU/kg | 30.0 | 30.0 | |
| Vitamin Kg | mg/kg | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| Thiamineh | mg/kg | 5.0 | 5.0 | |
| Riboflavin | mg/kg | 4.0 | 4.0 | |
| Pantothenic acid | mg/kg | 5.0 | 5.0 | |
| Niacin | mg/kg | 60.0 | 60.0 | |
| Pyridoxine | mg/kg | 4.0 | 4.0 | |
| Folic Acid | mg/kg | 0.8 | 0.8 | |
| Biotini | mg/kg | 0.07 | 0.07 | |
| Vitamin B12 | mg/kg | 0.02 | 0.02 | |
| Cholinej | mg/kg | 2400.0 | 2400.0 | |
| Taurine (extruded food) | % | 0.10 | 0.10 | |
| Taurine (canned food) | % | 0.20 | 0.20 | |
| Nutrient | Units (Dry Matter Basis) |
Growth and Reproduction Minimum |
Adult Maintenance Minimum |
Maximum |
| Notes:
a Presumes an
energy density of 4.0 kcal/g ME, based on the modified Atwater
values of 3.5, 8.5, and 3.5 kcal/g for protein, fat, and
carbohydrate (nitrogen-free extract, NFE), respectively. Rations
greater than 4.5 kcal/g should be corrected for energy density;
rations less than 4.0 kcal/g
should not be corrected for energy.
b Although a true requirement for
fat per se has not been established, the minimum level was based on
recognition of fat as a source of essential fatty acids, as a
carrier of fat-soluble vitamins, to enhance palatability, and to
supply an adequate caloric density.
c If the mean
urine pH of cats fed ad libitum is not below 6.4, the risk of
struvite urolithiasis increases as the magnesium content of the diet increases.
d Because of very poor
bioavailability, iron from carbonate or oxide
sources that are added to the diet should not be considered as
components in meeting the minimum nutrient level.
e Because of very poor
bioavailability, copper from oxide sources that are added to the diet should not be
considered as components in meeting the minimum nutrient level.
f Add 10
IU vitamin E above minimum level per gram of fish oil per kilogram of diet.
g
Vitamin K does not need to be added unless diet contains greater
than 25 percent fish on a dry matter basis.
h Because processing may destroy up to 90
percent of the thiamine in the diet, allowance in formulation should be made to
ensure the minimum nutrient level is met after processing.
i
Biotin does not need to be added unless diet contains antimicrobial
or antivitamin compounds.
j
Methionine may substitute choline as methyl donor at a rate of 3.75
parts for 1 part choline by weight when methionine exceeds 0.62
percent.
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