What do you feed them when there are no rats?! Dogs aren’t the only pets to benefit from home-prepared meals. Here’s a little bit of info on the truth behind your bag of commercial cat food. Poor Diet = Costly Health Problems Many of the major diseases that are common to cats are related to problematic diets, many of which are recommended by most veterinarians. In my years of practice, these are the problems I’ve seen related to years on an inadequate diet: The most common problems with cats on commercial diets are reoccurring bladder and kidney problems, especially if they are fed dry food. Because cats normally do not drink a lot of water, they need moist food to digest meals properly, and to eliminate digested byproducts via the kidney and bladder. Many veterinarians use “fear tactics” and half-truths to persuade their clients to buy their commercial food. It is easier to sell cat food, than explain why better options would be healthier. Besides, selling food brings in more money to the veterinary clinic and the pet food companies that provide sponsorships and incentives to top-selling clinics.

If you want to know more about how your veterinarian views nutrition, ask them when they took their last nutrition class not sponsored by a dog or cat food company. 26 Ain'T Dead T ShirtsThen ask them what they ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Outdoor Wood Furniture Portland OregonWas it the same commercially prepared meal all day?Valance Curtains Cheap Many vets will say, “Raw food is dangerous,” and, “Home prepared meals will lack vitamins and minerals.”  Have you read a cat food label lately? Most if not all of the minerals and vitamins are synthetic (made of chemicals instead) and have to be added to the food because of over cooking and processing (which destroys all natural vitamins and minerals). Also most vets have no problem selling you dry food kibble for the duration of your cat’s entire life (and as I mentioned above, this leads to reoccurring bladder and kidney problems).

Main Problems of Commercially Prepared Diets There are many problems with commercial food preparation, the biggest being a lack of quality,  love, and the power of positive intention put into the food. People in these food factories who work minimum wage jobs cooking, processing, and packing pet food are not thinking about your cat, nor praying over the food they make. Wouldn’t you rather eat a home prepared meal made by your mother, over a bland, mass-produced “frozen TV-dinner” kind of meal? Other problems with commercial cat food are: Commercially prepared dry food is fast and easy but certain foods will make cat urine more alkaline causing the precipitation of crystals, and increase their susceptibility to infections. Dry food containing soy, corn, or wheat flour will increase alkalinity of the urine (feline urine should be acid). Also, dry foods are very high in carbohydrates, and can be very addicting to cats, thus it may be difficult initially to change them to eat healthier varieties of food.

So who are you going to trust? Common sense or marketing hype? And what is your alternative to commercial food? These comprise a more “natural” diet for companion kitties: But unless you plan on hunting rats in urban society, you probably want an easier option for feeding your cats healthy and balanced meals. Through self education, feeding trials at home, and reading the labels on all food products, you can help create more natural meals for your cats. Keep these following points in mind: When I was just beginning to work as a veterinarian, I visited many farms that had “farm cats”. They seemed to live long into their 20’s! We never saw them come into the veterinary office for treatment. They were never vaccinated, except for a single rabies shot. They would only come into the office once or twice in their lives for cat fight wounds and abscesses, but none seemed to develop any serious diseases. What did the farmers feed them? Fresh leftover milk from the cows, and all the rats, mice, gophers, and birds they could catch.

Milk is on many veterinarians’ list as a “bad food item.” But my experience has been different. Some cats will develop diarrhea initially, but that is most likely due to the fact that they have been eating dry cat food or have intestinal parasites. Eventually, their bodies adjust and soft stools should stop in a few days. Milk is also a medicinal food! It helps support the formation of blood, and supplies many easily absorbed minerals (calcium) and protein. It’s also an easy way to hydrate cats when they have kidney failure, which allows you to rely less on having to give “fluids under the skin” at home. Buy organic or raw unpasteurized milk if possible. My parents grew up on a farm, and they weren’t even aware of the existence of a “veterinarian” or an animal doctor because they never needed medical attention for their cats. Their cats lived to be well over 18 years old. What did my parents feed them? Milk, and meat scraps, and all the rats and birds they could catch.

Here is a sample week (for meals) out of the life of my cat Garbanzo: Breakfast – Usually consists of one of the following… Dinner – Usually consists of one of the following… Midnight Snack – A small amount consisting of one of the following…Maybe, but one visit with a urinary tract problem will wipe out all the money and time you saved feeding dry food. Go ahead, and try it! Then share your experiences in the comments section below! If your kitty has serious ongoing health issues, I can provide a diet regimen tailor-made for your cat’s particular ailments. Just fill out our online consultation form on the “Services” page, and call us to arrange a phone consultation.There is a lot of talk in the pet community about grain free foods, and you might be wondering what’s causing all the hype. Many scientists believe that a grain free diet is more appropriate for cats because they are carnivores, and foods rich in proteins rather than grain-based carbohydrates more closely resemble their natural diet.

But is a grain free cat food the right choice for your cat? Grains like corn, wheat, and rice are the foundations for many cat foods. This is because they are cheap to produce and allow the food manufacturer to meet the carbohydrate requirements for their foods while saving some money.These types of grains, however, can cause problems for some cats. Some cats are allergic to grains, and others have a hard time digesting them. Some scientists believe that this is because cats weren’t designed to do so -- they lack a salivary enzyme called amylase that helps to break down carbohydrates like corn and wheat before they reach the stomach. Cats do, however, use amylase secreted by the pancreas during digestion in the intestines.A wild cat’s natural diet would contain more protein, and they would likely ingest only small amounts of carbohydrates through the proteins (or animals) they consumed. Some cats do great on grain free diets while others do not. Let’s take a look at the benefits and disadvantages.

Talk to your veterinarian about whether a grain free food is a good choice for your cat, and ask for brand recommendations. When shopping for grain free cat food, be careful not to be tricked by labels that say “all natural” or promise to make your cat healthier than anything else out there. You can get the full story by checking out the ingredients and nutrient analysis on the back of the bag or can.Just because a food is grain free doesn’t mean it will be right for your cat. Always check with your veterinarian before switching your cat to a new type of diet. Cat Nutrition for Male CatsWhat to Feed a Cat: Female CatsNutrition for Feeding a Senior Cat This information is for informational purposes only and is not meant as a substitute for the professional advice of, or diagnosis or treatment by, your veterinarian. It has however been reviewed for accuracy by Dr. Joe, a board certified veterinary nutritionist and graduate of Cornell University's program for Veterinary Medicine.