A guide to buy the perfect dry cat food
Picking the best cat food in the market can be challenging. Your pet cat has specific nutritional needs, and you need to make sure her needs are met so that your pet does not fall sick. Food market has some brands that make nutritious cat food. But you need to know which food is better for your cat before you buy it. Before you understand which brand offers best dry cat food, you need to address the following things:
- Age of the cat
When you pick the cat food, make sure the nutrition in the food is appropriate to the age of your pet. Some food is designed for kittens and some other food for the adults and seniors. So make sure you read the labels before you put the tin in your cart. Cat’s life is categorized into three stages: kitten, adult, and senior. - Kittens
Your kittens need high protein and high-fat diet to develop teeth, strong bones and muscles. - Adults
Try low calorie best dry cat food indoor cat meals so that they do not put on weight. If your cat is overweight, it is at the risk of getting diabetes, heart problem and arthritis. - Senior cats
By this stage the cats become sedentary. Hence they need best cat food indoor cats can digest easily and does not burden their kidneys. - Body condition of the cat
The nutritional requirements of pet cats differs depending on their size of the body. Overweight cats need different nutrition when compared to underweight cats. - Health conditions
You also need to keep your cat’s health condition in mind while picking best dry cat food. If your pet suffers from any of the health conditions like allergies, diabetes, breathing difficulties, then you need to buy food that is sensitive to your pet’s conditions. - Budget
Usually, you get best quality cat food at a higher price. So the more you spend, the better quality you get. However, you need to find what best you can offer to your pet in your budget without compromising on the nutrition. If budget is your constraint, then you can get your pet cat accustomed to homemade or discounted best indoor cat food.
What to look for in the best dry cat food?
A healthy diet will keep your pet cat away from diseases. So make sure the following ingredients are on the top of the list when you read the labels- Protein from fish, poultry or meat like lamb, beef, chicken, tuna, or turkey, amino acid taurine, fatty acids, enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and water.
The best dry cat food should have preservatives to keep the food fresh and should have wheat, corn, rice as fillers along with coloring, flavors, and binders. The foods should meet the standards set by the AAFCO.
What to avoid?
You best dry cat food should not have the following ingredients:
- By-products
- Added Sugars
- Chemical preservatives proved to be dangerous like BHT, BHA, propyl gallate and ethoxyquin
- Cornmeal
- Carbohydrate fillers added more than the required quantity
Keep rotating your cat food because your pet may get bored with the same meal every day. Different foods come with a different range of vitamins and minerals. So when you rotate food choices, you are balancing the diet. Also, cats are very curious by nature. They tend to eat the common household food which can make them severely sick. So here are the things that should be kept away from your cat:
- Canned tuna
- Garlic
- Onions
- Milk
- Alcohol
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Tea
- Cola drinks
- Raw eggs
- Grapes
- Raisins
- Candy and gums
- Yeast dough
In case your pet accidentally eats any of the above-said household food items, you need contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and get help immediately.