Cat Food Ingredients

Most of the cat owners are not aware of the basics, when it comes to the cat food. Many pet owners are more aware of the best dog food than of cat food. I am not criticizing the fact, but I think a lot more attention should be given to cat food and its ingredients than it generally gets. That way, most of the cat illnesses that are caused due to low quality cat food, can be avoided. Many infections and health problems could be avoided by just feeding the cats with the right kind food that is balanced and safe.

If you feed cats with homemade cat food or packaged food, it is very important that you check for the ingredients and their positive as well as negative effects on cat's health. In case of packaged cat food, reading the label carefully at the time of purchase is always a good thing, but it can be fruitless if you are not aware of the pros and cons of those ingredients. However, artificial preservatives and flavorings could be easily detected that are harmful for cat's health and well-being.

Cat Food Ingredients to Add

As a matter of fact, essential ingredients and nutrition are somewhat similar to that of the human needs of a healthy diet. Things that contribute to healthy body functions with increased immune power, should be part of healthy cat food.

Protein
As for us humans, protein is one of the most important ingredients in cat food too. Both meat proteins and vegetable proteins play a vital role in growth and development of a healthy cat. Protein derived from chicken, pork, whole eggs, dried whole eggs, turkey, ducks, etc. is the best source of nutrition for cats. Vegetable protein, on the other hand, can be derived from corn, rice, wheat, oatmeal, rye, wheat germ, beet pulp, etc.

Antioxidants
Vitamins are the best and natural source of antioxidants that are very important for the cats as well. Vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B complex (especially vitamin B12), vitamin B6, vitamin B3, vitamin B2, and vitamin B9, vitamin K, canned as well as extruded taurine, cysteine, arginine, arachidonic acid etc. are the best sources of antioxidants and hence they are some of the most important ingredients. Antioxidants are very essential to keep cats away and safe from most of the cat diseases and their symptoms.

Fats and Fibers
Healthy fats are very beneficial for a healthy cat, while importance of fiber rich food for cats cannot be denied, either. Don't get surprised if you come across some animal fats as the major cat food ingredient. Animal fats are very important for skin care, along with adding flavor to their food. Fish oil for cats is also an important source of fats and essential fatty acids for cats. High fiber cat food also plays a major role in preserving health of the cat. Hulls of various grains are also the best sources of fiber for cats.

Cat Food Ingredients to Avoid

Byproducts, artificial flavorings, artificial colorings, food additives, artificial preservatives, etc, are such things that can really harm health of the cats and hence they should be strictly avoided. The AAFCO, better known as American Artificial Food Control Officers has put some norms when it comes to artificial ingredients and ingredients that must not be included into the cat food. Here is a list:

Dry Cat Food Preservatives
BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and ethoxyquin are some of the popular food preservatives present in dry cat food. They make the food to last longer but they are also suspected to be one of the primary causes of cancer in cats. Hence make sure that vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin E are used instead of these aforementioned preservatives.

Animal Products
All the other parts of animal, except meat are harmful when used as ingredients that are present in the packaged cat foods. They are low temperature fatty tissues that are partially defatted, lungs, spleen, blood, bone meal, etc. and are not healthy for cats and their health. These ingredients can cause problems like diarrhea, stomach problems and kidney diseases in cats.

Human Foods
There are many cat owners who feed regular human food to their cats, which is a disaster in store. There are many human foods that are healthy for humans but totally destructive for cats, when served as pet food. These ingredients include: chocolate, garlic, onions and various root vegetables, raw potatoes, green tomatoes, raisins, grapes and fruits, legumes, etc. These foods must not be used as ingredients. As a matter of fact, cats that are fed on a highly nutritious diet don't necessarily require milk as well.

There is nothing wrong in feeding the cat with packaged cat food, only when you are well aware of the cat food ingredients and their effects on the cat.