Be SAVVY about your cat's nutrition

I encourage my clients to  ask me questions about their cat's food because, as a consumer, making healthy choices  is not easy.  However,  it is SO very important to your cat.   Your cat DEPENDS on you for good quality nutritious food -and NOT ALL food on the market fits into this catagory. 

 Very few of the pet food manufacturers put useful information on their label.  The most important information, aside from the ingredient list, is calorie count.  How many calories are in each 8 oz cup or 5.5 oz can of your cat's  food?  The average 10# indoor  cat should be fed 200-250 kcal per day.  Without knowing how many calories are in the food you feed, you do not know how much to feed daily.  And PLEASE do not trust the chart on the bag that tells you how much to feed your cat!  These charts always encourage overfeeding!  (It is a sad fact that pet food companies are more concerned about the bottom line, than the health of your cat.)

 As many of you know, part of my annual exam appointment  includes a discussion of nutrition and  healthy choices, we calculate how many calories to feed , and the amount to feed based on YOUR food choices.  I do this because I am convinced that the way to keep your cat  healthy is by making healthy choices.  I also carry a variety of wellness diets in my practice that I have researched and feel comfortable recommending.  These are foods that I feed my own cats.  I know that many of you don't have time or the desire to do the necessary nutritional research before you chose your cat's food.   I have the calories per cup or can clearly posted on my shelves.  My staff can advise you on how much to feed to maintain a healthy weight.  I have recently posted the  percentages of protein, fat, and carbohydrates in these canned wellness foods.  Again, this information is not found on the label (without doing the math), but it is SO important.

I recommend looking for a food that is at least  40% protein, whether you are feeding canned or dry food.  Watch the carbohydrate percentage -cats should not be getting more than 25% of their diet as carbs (and some nutritionists think that even this is too high.).  The first ingredient in your cat food MUST BE meat based protein, or DO NOT FEED IT.  I recently had a client bring a bag of Science Diet dry food in for me to evaluate, and I was shocked to see the first two ingredients were rice and corn.  Remember that companies change their ingredient list AT WILL.  They are not required to change the label or notify their customers in any way -so ALWAYS read the label with every purchase. And a reputable name brand does not ensure quality ingredients. 

Lastly,  evaluate the water content in your chosen canned food.  Water in canned food should be around 75-78%, and this is plainly marked on the label .  If the water content is 78%, then you are paying for 22% food.  Water is a great addition to canned food,  but you can always add more water before serving .   I have seen some quality canned foods as high as 87 1/2% water -so your cat is only getting 12 1/2% food.    If the water content is high, the calorie count is usually lower, but the PRICE MAY STILL BE HIGH -so READ THE LABEL.

The internet can be your friend, if you are wanting more facts about the food you feed your feline friend.  Or, feel free to bring your cat food bag/can in with your next annual exam.  We will be happy to do the research for you!
Dr. Maureen Flatley
Fox Valley Cat Clinic

Mealtime Montras to live by

What meat does your cat seem interested in? -if you are cooking fish for dinner, are they right there watching?  If you make a chicken breast sandwich, do you have sudden helpers?  One of my cats LOVES liver.  I just have to open the container of fresh beef liver, and the cat appears out of nowhere.  A little close observation will usually yield YOUR  cat's answer.

"What should I feed my cat."  (I am asked this question several times every day.)  This is not a simple question to answer, as many cats will not eat what is good for them (but with persistence, you may be able to change their minds.)  Good cat nutrition is essential to keeping your cat healthy, and their weight under control.

It makes sense to feed the protein source that your cat actually wants.  It also makes sense to ROTATE different protein sources if you can.  Most beef/lamb/poultry products in cat food manufactured in the USA are sourced from the USA.  This may not be true for fish.  Fish sources could be international (China...) so be aware of this.  Some higher quality canned cat foods are made from human-grade meat sources, ALWAYS a good thing.   If your cat has skin allergies, you may want to stay away from beef.

"How much protein should be in my cat's food'"  The pet food companies will tell you that 35% is enough protein for your cat. And they will tell you that plant protein is fine.   Mother nature says 90%+ and MEAT is more appropriate for a carnivore.  Cats do best with high protein and low carbohydrate foods, what nature intended them to eat. 

Read the label:  If the food is called "Chicken Medely"  or Beef Stew", it could contain any and all meat sources.  Read the label closely.  Try to chose foods with only MEAT based proteins.  Rice gluten or Soy protein are PLANT based proteins, a cheap protein source, but NOT OK for a meat-eating animal.  By-products, altho a meat based protein source, should never be a first choice.

"How much should I feed." - Please do not follow the recommendations made by the pet food company.  Their primary goal is to sell more cat food, not feed YOUR cat appropriately.  The average 10# cat should be fed between 200-250kcal per day total.  You need to add in treats to this number.  AND you need to find out how many calories are in the food you are feeding.  The internet is the best reliable source for this information.  Or next time you are at the Fox Valley Cat Clinic we will help calculate this for you.

"Can I supplement with table food?"  YES, if you stay within the calorie limit, and feed this as a supplement, not a well balanced meal.   It must be human grade non-processed lean lightly cooked MEAT.  Chicken, turkey, beef liver, beef, pork, chicken gizzards/liver/heart.  Small chewable pieces, not seasoned.  NOT sandwich meat (processed), NOT sausage (processed), NOT ham (cured in salt).  I don't recommend dairy products like ice cream or cheese, as these are not sources of protein.

Do you want BRAND recommendations?  Feel free to stop into the clinic.  I have a large number of the most popular brands catagorized into EXCELLENT, GOOD, FAIR and DO NOT FEED, and we will happily share this with you.

Thanks for reading my blog- if you found it helpful, please share it with a friend :)
Dr. Maureen Flatley
Fox Valley Cat Clinic