Pets are an integral part of our lives. Their health and emotional state are directly dependent on what they eat. What makes cat sachets so popular at present? How to feed them furry friends? We will answer these questions in detail.
A bit of history
The manufacture of pet food dates back to 1860. Then a simple American electrician named Spratt came up with a dog pie, which included wheat, vegetables and beef blood.
Probably, from these times the myth went that all the food for cats and dogs was made from garbage: horns and hooves, as well as sawdust or soy (at best).
Now the variety of multi-colored bags allows you to choose for your favorite and paste, and jelly, and pieces in the sauce.
What is a cat's natural diet?
Affectionate domestic cats are predators by nature. Borsch and cucumbers as food are not suitable for them. The digestive system of tailed pets practically does not digest such food.
In order for a cat to please its owners with health and a playful disposition, it needs to receive high-quality protein every day. Meat, fish, offal should be the basis of the diet of any normal cat and cat. In addition, sources of vitamins are important for them. And these are vegetables, cereals and vegetable oils.
All this is quite difficult to give to your pet in a day. When feeding ordinary food, you have to cook not only for the family, but also for the cat or cat.
To facilitate the work of loving owners, a moist cat food was invented, which provides the animal with all the necessary substances.
What are they made of and how?
For the production of wet cat foods, offal is mainly used: liver, kidneys, lungs. But the meat in the composition of not the cheapest feed is necessarily present. Soya is added to cheaper options to replace expensive meat ingredients.
In order to know the composition for sure, you should first read it on the package. However, many manufacturers hide the real facts of the presence of certain ingredients in cat food.
It is believed that addictive psychoactive substance is added to many wet foods. Whether this information is true or is it just a “duck” launched by competitors, no one knows for sure.
A huge plus of wet foods is that they add various vitamins and minerals. Their absence in the cat's diet can cause illness. When eating natural food, it is almost impossible to choose a balanced diet in such a way that it meets all the needs of the animal.
Wet food is made on an industrial scale. To do this, grind meat and soya mass in huge meat grinders together. After the minced meat is passed through the holes to form sausages. They are cut into small pieces and then mixed with the sauce. After packing, the feed is sterilized and packaged.
Rating
All wet canned food for cats can be divided into four classes: economy, premium, super-premium and holistic. It is clear that the meat content in them is increasing. But not all cat lovers can afford anything other than economy class.
Popular brands of canned economy class: Kitekat, Whiskas, Night Hunter, Felix.
If we talk about the best wet food among the most budgetary options, then the Night Hunter is in the lead, as it is not surprising, in terms of protein content. Felix is in second place.
In the premium segment, brands such as “Sheba”, “Proplan”, “Gourmet”, “Royal Canin”, “Brit”. In Sheba, Proplan and Brit approximately the same protein content - 30–34%.
Super premium are feeds like Pronature Original, Gina, Bozita and others. If you choose them for your pet, then you can not be afraid to miscalculate - they are all about the same in composition and availability of nutrients.
The best feed for the holistic segment is Innova, Acana, Almo Nature, Farmina N&D, Pronature Holistic, Orijen. They are very expensive and contain a large percentage of meat in the composition.
How much to give per day?
Firstly, it is better to pick up a cat of the same brand food and not experiment in the future.
A pet doesn’t need a constant change of food, as its stomach and intestines can negatively perceive such an experiment.
Secondly, in order to select the daily amount of such food for your cat, you need to consult the instructions on the package. For example, for a medium-sized cat weighing 3-4 kg, 3-4 packets of feed, 80 grams each, are needed. A pregnant fluffy darling already needs 5 bags.
A newly born pet needs to be given special food for kittens. It is more high-calorie, and its pieces are smaller than usual. Each pack also has a recommended daily dose.
Wet food should not be immediately spread all in a bowl. It should be warmed in small portions to room temperature, and store an open jar or bag in the refrigerator for no more than a day. Unfinished food should be immediately removed to the refrigerator, as pathogenic bacteria multiply very quickly in it.
How to wean a cat to eat wet food?
Not always the owners want to feed their pets liquid canned food for a long time. If there is a need to transfer the cat to ordinary food, then you need to act on a special algorithm.
- Give more water. To remove various additives from the body of a furry friend, he needs to drink more. This will be the first step in the right direction.
- Gradually mix regular food into the feed. Let porridge first make up 30%, and the remaining 70% - the usual food.Then the percentage of ordinary food should be gradually increased.
- Add vitamins to the diet. They are usually added to wet food, so when switching to ordinary food, vitamins and minerals are best left in the form of special additives that can be bought at any veterinary store.
- Grow cat greens. All cats love to eat fresh cat grass. It is not difficult to grow it in a pot or even in wet gauze. And the pet will be satisfied and will experience less stress from a change in the usual diet.
For details on wet feed, see below.
