Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Do You Really Know What Your Cat is Eating?

By Ike Lowe

There are no legal or scientific definitions for such terms as; super premium, premium, natural and quality but these are terms used by the commercial cat food companies. The source of the ingredients are vital. Cats are carnivores and their diet should be meat-based.

Have you attempted several ways to get your cat to lose weight but none have worked?

It is a foregone conclusion that you are feeding your cat too much and you're feeding him/her the wrong type of food. You are probably feeding your cat too many snacks coupled with little or no exercise. Why do you think that cats need snacks? Perhaps you are confusing what humans eat with what cats should eat. Just like some humans eat too many carbohydrate loaded snacks and become obese, the same thing happens to cats every day. Obesity spells danger for humans as well as cats. For the life of your cat, it's imperative that you change your cat's diet right away to avoid serious and costly illnesses.

You should change your cat's diet to a species-appropriate diet

Let's incorporate some common sense into this. To do that, we should consider your cat's origin. Just where did your domestic cat(s) originate? Your domestic cat is a descendent of the wild cats that roam the African Deserts. Mother Nature has well-suited the cat to survive and even thrive in a desert environment.

A desert is a dry environment yeilding very little water. Since that is the origin of our domestic cats, Mother Nature designed a cat's body to be efficient in digesting meat with a low-thrist drive. Rarely will a cat eat plant food and when he does, it comes from the stomach of his/her prey.

Mother Nature designed a cat in such a manner that dry, processed and plant foods are not part of the cats' evolutionary diet. Cats' digestive system is not designed to extract needed nutrients from plants but is well designed to extract needed nutrients from meat. Their digestive system is acidic and short - that means that they can efficiently digest meat, bones and even most bacteria.

For that reason, in the desert you might see cats feasting on animals that have been dead for awhile and swarming with flies, maggots and other parasites.

The organ meats, of their prey, provide moisture. Their prey's stomach content, provide seeds, wild grasses, berries and various nuts. Their prey's bones serve as tooth brushes for cats.

Since cats don't have a high thirst drive, prolong use of dry food causes chronic dehydration, diabetes, urinary track problems, a weakened immune system and eventual death.

Why do commercial cat food companies produce such low-grade, non-beneficial and toxic cat foods?

PROFITS - grains are cheaper than meats - then they load up the dry foods with harmful preservatives. All of this spells danger for our domestic cats.

The commercial cat food companies claim their foods are wholesome, all natural, well-balanced and nutritious. However, their claims cannot be supported by science or common sense.

What foods are best for your cat?

Your cat should eat a diet that's close to their predecessor's diet. A raw meat diet is best. If any of the first five ingredients listed on the label is a carbohydrate, never purchase the food or feed it to your cat.

Keep in mind that cats are not humans. Their dietary requirements are much different from humans. Show them the love that they show you and feed them a diet that's beneficial and not one that greatly reduces their longevity. Then you will have your cat by your side for many years to come.

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