Natural food for cats - advice from veterinarians. Pros and cons of human food

Ready-made (industrial) feed

Feeding with prepared food is more convenient, because... allows you to save time on cooking, it is balanced and the cat receives all the necessary nutrients.

You can feed dry and canned (canned) food.

There is also a difference between dry food. Experienced “cat breeders” categorically do not recommend buying cheap, advertised dry food, because they are made from products of dubious quality and often lead to serious illnesses kidneys and liver. Choose so-called premium food Hills, Nutro Choice, Iams, Royal Canin, Eagle Pack, Nutra Gold, Purina Pro Plan About Plan) in special stores. They are, of course, more expensive, but your pet’s health is worth it, don’t skimp on food! Good foods are usually labeled "Premium" or "Superpremium".

Each line of food contains food specifically for kittens. All over the world, diets such as: Eukanuba Puppy & Junior Small Breed, Hill's Science Plan Puppy & Kitten, Royal Canin Size Nutrition Mini Junior and many others for every taste and budget.

Cheap food like Kitty Kat, Katinka cannot be given! The same applies to widely advertised foods such as Whiskas, Friskas, etc. They Bad quality, contain too many mineral salts; they do not use meat and high-quality offal as protein, but bones, skins, and feathers. Their use leads to various diseases and does not meet the cat's needs. There is also a high risk of developing urolithiasis.

From canned food, good food comes from the dry food manufacturers recommended above, as well as from Gourmet.

A kitten up to 8-10 months, sometimes up to a year, is fed with special food for kittens, both dry and canned. This is very important for proper development. Then they are transferred to adult food. Kitten food is also given to pregnant and lactating cats. When feeding dry food to a male cat (especially a neutered one), the packaging should be marked “prevention of urolithiasis” (these foods have a special formula with low content ash, phosphorus and magnesium). For a cat this is not so important, just high-quality food is enough. Dry food can be poured throughout the day, it does not spoil. Canned food provides as much as the animal can eat at one time. This diet is recommended (based on daily dose): 75% dry food 25% canned. You can increase the consumption of canned food to 50% of the daily diet (especially important for show cats).

Vitamins Sanal, Jim Pat, Kitzim, etc. are given with such feeding in smaller doses and not constantly, but in courses (if necessary) than with natural feeding(consult your veterinarian or sales consultant).

Natural food for kittens, cats and cats

If you want to accustom your kitten to natural food, you must meet certain conditions. Food should be varied. If you don’t accustom a kitten to a certain product in childhood, it is unlikely that you will be able to do this as an adult. Therefore, offer different products, so as not to turn the kitten into a picky eater and provide adequate nutrition. Never feed an animal from the table - human food is not suitable for cats, it can cause severe indigestion, in addition, you risk raising a beggar if you constantly feed the animal from your plate. Do not give anything smoked, salty or spicy, have mercy on the animal! No bones, especially chicken ones. Such bones, when passing through the digestive tract, can seriously injure internal organs. Remember that cats need grass to effectively regurgitate the hair that has accumulated in their stomachs. Sow the grass directly in flower pots or buy it already grown at a pet store. The kitten should have its own dishes, its own permanent place for meals and your diet. And don't forget about vitamins and mineral supplements. If you feed your animal natural products, then you cannot do without additives.

First, add meat to your cat's food basket. It can be beef (it’s better to start with it), poultry, rabbit, lamb, horse meat. Avoid pork - this meat is too fatty, especially for small children, and can also infect the kitten with helminths. Oddly enough, it’s also better not to get carried away with fish - let’s sea ​​fish once a week in small portions. Meat can be given either boiled or raw; at first, it is better in finely chopped or pureed form.

Dairy products are the most native food for a kitten. However, some delicate stomachs cannot tolerate cow's milk. Whole milk can be replaced with curdled milk, kefir and other fermented milk products. An excellent product for a growing body is cottage cheese. A small kitten can be given a mixture of cottage cheese with milk and yolk - a very healthy and nutritious “nog”, eaten with great pleasure. Also, do not forget to occasionally pamper your purr with low-fat sour cream and cheese.

Almost all cats eat eggs with pleasure. This is a real delicacy for them. Include eggs in the menu a couple of times a week, they have a great effect on the condition of the coat. Can be given raw or cooked. For small kittens, offer a mixture of milk and yolk.

For full development, products are also necessary plant origin– cereals and vegetables. It is best to cook porridge. For young animals - with milk, for older kittens - with water or broth. A variety of cereals can be used; legumes and rolled oats should be avoided. Legumes are poorly digested and cause bloating, and rolled oats are too rich in carbohydrates and can lead to obesity. Mashed boiled vegetables and meat are usually added to broth-based porridges.

Remember that the kitten must have constant access to water. When feeding dry food, water consumption increases approximately 4 times. The water should be clean, fresh, change the water every day and scald the water container with boiling water.

Cat food is not salted.

Meat and meat by-products that are given raw must first be frozen.

You cannot feed your kitten only meat and fish, or only cereals. You shouldn’t get carried away with fish at all; its excessive consumption leads to inflammatory diseases kidney and urolithiasis. Castrated animals should not be given fish at all.

Food should be slightly warm or at room temperature. Do not give food that is too hot or cold (from the refrigerator).

All food for the kitten is ground very finely, large and small bones are carefully removed. For an adult cat, food is cut into small pieces. Don't give big pieces!

Raw meat is given in its pure form, cooked meat or fish (boiled) can be mixed with vegetables, cereals, etc.

Kitten 1.5-2 months. fed 5 times a day (or free access to food). By six months, gradually reduce the number of feedings to 3 times a day. From 8 months fed as adult cat 2 times a day.

Remember: a cat is a carnivore, and it does not have to eat borscht, pasta or coleslaw. A cat has its own special diet, and you should take this into account when feeding your pet, and not try to accustom it to what you and I eat - this is HARMFUL for cats and leads to various diseases.

FEEDING A KITTEN - RECIPE

Here is my method of feeding kittens for busy people.

For 1 kg of raw ground beef: 2 medium grated carrots (without nitrates), 200 g of kindergarten cheese (cheap, mild, unsalted), 1 chicken yolk raw (or 3 quail) for the binder, a tablespoon of brewer's yeast (this is the entire group of vitamins B from B1 to B12), calcium gluconate (common chalk) - 6 tablets (put in a tablespoon, grind to a powder state), vitamin D - 20 drops.

The amount of meat can be increased 2-5 times, correspondingly increasing the amount of other products.

Use your hands to turn the entire mixture into a homogeneous mass. Roll out with a rolling pin into 0.5 mm layers and put in the freezer. A layer of parchment or foil is a layer of mixture.

We came home from work. Tear off a piece, quickly defrost it, make small meatballs, which increase in size as the cat ages.

Mixed nutrition

Mixed nutrition - when the basis of the diet is dry food (high-quality!), to which the animal has constant access. As bait 1-2 times a day (for example, in the morning and evening), the animal is offered meat, fish, dairy products (see feeding table natural food).

With this feeding, it is necessary to give vitamins for cats.

This type of food is less preferable.

Artificial feeding of kittens

It happens that a kitten comes to you very young, still an infant, unable to feed on its own. What to do with such a baby and how to feed him in the absence of a mother?

Most often, these kittens are bottle-fed with whole cow's or goat's milk mixed with a raw egg. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth and feed it warmed to 30-35 degrees 6 times a day. Infant formula can also be used, and pet stores now sell specially formulated milk substitutes. When the kitten is 1 month old, you can begin to introduce grated or scraped meat (beef, chicken), fermented milk products, and liquid cottage cheese into the diet. At 1.5-2 months. kittens are already able to feed themselves and easily get used to the chosen diet. Introduce new products gradually, one after another, without mixing.

Full, balanced diet– the key to your pet’s health. Observe the kitten's appearance and behavior. He must be active and full of energy, grow and develop well. Organize proper feeding for your pet, and you can easily raise a healthy, beautiful cat!

HAVING DECIDED ON FOOD FOR YOUR PET,

• Don't feed your cat natural foods. When systematically combined, ready-made cat food and natural products will cause imbalance in nutrition - oversaturation of the body with some elements with a lack of others and, as a result, illness.
• Ensure your cat always has clean and fresh drinking water. It is completely unacceptable to have a full bowl of dry food and an empty water bowl: the cat is at risk of dehydration.
• Canned cat food is more flavorful than dry cat food and comes in a wider variety of flavors.
• Heating canned cat food to a temperature of 39 – 40 ° C can enhance its odor and indirectly improve it taste qualities, this can be used when feeding a picky cat.
• Experts recommend not mixing dry and canned food - the effect of such a mixture is closer to dry food. It is better to feed your cat only canned food from time to time.
• Cats are very good at recognizing shapes and prefer food with small granules.
• It is not at all necessary to change food throughout the cat's life. You can choose a high-quality cat food from one brand and stick to it according to your cat's age and weight.
• Many diseases cause changes in taste in cats. In this case, you should use special dietary food for cats with the best taste (Hill's, Iams, Mars, Royal Canin).

And finally, you can determine how suitable the food you have chosen is for your cat using the following external indicators:

1. Optimal fatness of the pet (ribs are not visible, but are easily palpated);
2. Good physical condition;
3. Shiny coat;
4. Small volume of stool (approximately 25% of food eaten);
5. Maintaining a constant weight of the cat.

A cat's diet is an important component of its health and general condition. In the question of what is the best way to feed cats, advice from veterinarians will certainly help the owner of the animal, because saving on food for pet may result in expensive treatment. Many people feed their cats scraps from their table. This diet is not suitable for animals. They need a balanced diet.

Each cat is individual and therefore has its own tastes. If you choose the right menu for your pet, it will live much longer. It has been experimentally proven that cats fed a balanced cat food lived on average up to 14-15 years, while poorly fed animals barely lived to be 9 years old.

“Calculating” the correct and suitable food for a particular cat is doubly useful: in addition to excellent health, such a pet will be easy to raise. It is unlikely that a cat, accustomed to its own food, will encroach on its owner’s lunch. When it comes to the question of what food is best to feed your cat, advice from veterinarians will help you determine the optimal diet for your furry friend.

It is the owner who chooses food for his pet, taking into account the animal’s tastes, the presence of allergies to certain foods, as well as sensitivity to the quality of food. There are two types of diet for cats: ready-made professional food and natural food. In addition, cat food can be: canned, wet, dry.

Sometimes owners decide to buy canned food for cats, pampering their pet with a similar treat. Here it is important to adhere to the sales deadline and compliance with the composition of the canned food. Canned food can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time, but as soon as the can is opened, the contents must be consumed immediately. If the portion is smaller than the volume of a can of canned food, the excess is transferred to a glass container and stored in the refrigerator.

Wet food is a cross between canned food and dry food. The bags are made for one feeding. Owners who decide, for example, to buy Arden grange for cats, should provide their pet with plenty of clean water.

By class, cat food is divided into economy, commercial, premium and super premium.

Economy class food (“Meow”, “Kitikat”, “Darling”) are cheap, but they simply suppress the feeling of hunger and do not bring any benefit, since the meat in them is replaced with soy protein. Commercial grade food "Whiskas" and "Friskies", for example, have a quality similar to economy class. It is better not to use either the first or the second as the main diet. When it comes to the question of what food is best to feed your cat, the advice of veterinarians is clear: cheap food contains dangerous dyes and preservatives.

Variety of professional feeds

Professional food is practical, convenient and economical. Ready-made food will cost the owner less than all the products needed to prepare a natural menu. If dispensing ready-made food distracts a busy owner for a couple of minutes, then preparing a natural lunch for your beloved cat can take much longer. Another advantage is balance: the finished food has all the vitamins and minerals in the required doses. For example, Felix cat food advertising claims that this food has natural ingredients.

The convenience of professional food is that it is developed for pets, taking into account their individual characteristics:

• sedentary and very active cats;
• nursing cats;
• for actively growing kittens;
• for castrated cats.

Professional food has many options. For example, you can buy Felix cat food with turkey, chicken, salmon, beef, rabbit, and trout. Among the disadvantages of this type of feeding cats is the need to understand different types of food. Before offering your pet a certain type of food, you should not be lazy and consult with a good felinologist. Relying on advertising or a private veterinarian is very dangerous. Some cats are allergic to ready-made food, so only natural food is recommended for them.

More important disadvantage finished food is a discrepancy between the ingredients listed on the packaging and the internal contents.

Marketers often replace high-quality food with cheap analogues. And manufacturers are being cunning: instead of “meat products,” the food may contain ground bones, tendons and other “waste,” but not meat. Feeds that combine meat and vegetables are cheaper. For example, you can buy Felix cat food cheaply with the addition of tomatoes, green beans, carrots and other vegetable ingredients to different types of meat.

Popular brands of different types of food High-quality dry food helps prevent urolithiasis and removes plaque from the teeth of animals, which leads to the formation of stones. This type of food can be left in the bowl as it will not spoil or dry out. Any veterinarian will advise you to use only food from well-known companies and brands for your cat. This includes the Happy cat brand. It produces balanced, high-quality, appetizing food for the harmonious growth of adult cats and kittens. Hosts furry pets

Happy cat cat food can be purchased in specialized stores.

This dry food has a pleasant smell without chemical artificial flavoring additives. Happy Cat Junior is perfect for kittens aged 5 weeks to one year. This food is suitable for all breeds and is also indicated for sensitive cats.

Veterinarians say that animals eat dry cat food Happy cat with appetite, the main thing is not to overfeed your pet. At the core of this feed

High-quality Felix has a specific grilling technology, so it presents tender pieces of meat in a juicy jelly. The original food of this brand does not contain dyes. Veterinarians say that for a medium-sized cat you need 3 packs per day, which should be divided into 2 doses. Felix cat food is given to pregnant and lactating animals without restrictions. After opening, the packaging can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day. Before eating, your cat needs to warm the food to room temperature.

The English company Arden Grange produces dry grain-free food that belongs to the super-premium category. The balanced formula of Arden grange cat food is “meat + rice + healthy vegetables+ vitamin-mineral complexes + probiotics.” Dietary food has been developed for sensitive animals. Therefore, buying Arden grange cat food means taking the best possible care of your pet.

Cat Chow Special Care 3in1 is capable of acting in three various directions: protects teeth, monitors the urinary system and prevents the formation of hairballs in the cat’s gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, many believe that Cat Chow cat food is most suitable for constant power supply pet.

For cats large breeds special food is needed, since such animals are often at risk of joint diseases, skin diseases, and also requires more energy.

Bosch Sanabelle Grande is best food for large breed cats, as it has a balanced nutritional formula. With this food, your mustachioed pet will always be active and energetic, because the energy value of this food is within 16.3 MJ per 1 kg.

Secrets of natural nutrition

The main disadvantages of natural food for cats include the length of preparation and the special purchase of additional products. A cat's diet must contain meat, and this is an expensive product.

The list of benefits of natural nutrition includes the following main points:

It is important to be responsible when preparing the diet, since too much or too little of substances will not be noticeable until the cat gets sick.

What is the composition of natural food?

In addition to regular meat, the cat should be given meat by-products. Essential vitamins and fiber contain vegetables that the cat should eat every day, boiled and pureed. It happens that cats disdain plant foods, so they mix them with meat. Once a week, the cat should receive eggs, fermented milk products (but not milk), fish fat. It is useful when a cat's diet includes sprouted oats or wheat.

It should be noted that the best food for cats, according to veterinarians, is pieces of meat. But at the same time, your furry friend should receive mineral or vitamin supplements from time to time.

What should not be in a natural diet?

This may seem strange, but fish and seafood can lead to urolithiasis. Experts have long argued about the presence of fish in a cat’s diet. The main thing is not to have too much of it. In addition, cats should not eat:

Not all cats can dose their food, so you need to leave food in a certain portion. Constant access to food is unacceptable, otherwise the pet faces obesity. But clean and fresh water should always be within the animal’s field of vision. The more often the water is changed (2-3 times a day), the better for the pet. The bowl for water should be large. Read about how many times a day you need to feed your cat.

Combining several types of food when feeding an animal is harmful to the cat’s stomach. There should be one type of food (store-bought food or homemade food). It is better to stick to one brand of food. Then the cat will be healthy, active and live long.

The shelves of pet stores are replete with many types of industrial ready-made professional food for cats. Many of them, especially the line of economy and super-economy class products, can cause irreparable harm to the health of your furry pet.

Owners who sincerely want to see their animal happy for many years often think about preparing food for cats at home. Sometimes this is prompted by an animal’s illness, in which feeding with dry food is prohibited. Not every owner can afford to purchase expensive high-quality dry or wet premium canned professional food for a cat based on the latest technologies. Cheap food, richly flavored with artificial flavors and dyes that enhance the smell and attract the animal, can cause food addiction, similar to a narcotic. In this article we will look at what you can prepare for your cat from homemade food.

Some owners immediately feed their pets natural food, while others come to this later, having appreciated the benefits of this type of food. Products for this are almost always available in the refrigerator; they are much cheaper than ready-made commercial feed.

Many owners want to create healthy food on their own home menu, preferable for the cat's sensitive stomach, without preservatives, sugar, chemicals, bones, reducing the risk food poisoning, allergies, while you can always control the menu and diet of your pet.

Requirements for natural food

Dishes prepared by the owners of their furry beauties themselves will be healthy and suitable for pets if certain rules are followed. You need to understand that a careless attitude to the issue of feeding can cause harm, lead to illness, and the death of a family friend. It is necessary to observe the nutritional standards that a given individual is capable of eating in nature. It is important to adhere to the following requirements:

• V daily diet cats must be kept sufficient quantity components of animal origin, fatty amino acids Omega 3 and 6;
• Home-cooked food should be complete, balanced, taking into account physiological natural needs, age, breed characteristics, activity, sensitivity digestive organs, health status, gender, providing the animal with the necessary amount of energy. All this requires some experience and analysis. Developing a natural menu should be guided by veterinarian for a thorough calculation of what the cat needs nutrients, obtaining all the necessary elements in the diet;
• It is necessary to weigh products and strictly record the volume of food. The pet itself does not know how much food it needs. The result of this approach is often obesity, digestive, cardiac, breathing problems. The danger comes from both excess and deficiency of nutrients;
• cat food must contain the necessary microelements (necessarily phosphorus, calcium), including vitamins;
• The portion of food must be completely eaten.

Nutritional needs of cats

In nature, cats lead a predatory lifestyle, feeding on birds and small rodents. Their jaws are capable of tearing off and gnawing off pieces of meat, but they swallow them completely, entirely, because... Dont Have chewing teeth. Animals can eat food in pieces, eat chopped food, dishes in the form of pates, and porridges.

Carbohydrate products are not recommended for the cat family, like all other predatory animals, as they are not broken down in the stomach and are harmful. The preferences of humans and cats are different, although pets can happily enjoy their owner’s favorite dish. There are capricious individuals who are content with a certain type of food and are indifferent to the rest.

Cats need food high in fat and protein, which they need twice as much as dogs. The pet's diet is carefully planned taking into account the feeding received. The nutrition formula for a cat is simple: half of the diet should be protein (meat), 1/4 fiber should be vegetables, 1/4 carbohydrates should be cereals.

Features of permitted natural food:

• The main portion of the diet (more than 85%) should be meat: lean chicken, beef, rabbit, approximately 8% of body weight - up to 6 months of age, after a year - approximately 4%. Chicken requires careful introduction into the diet, as Lately causes severe allergic reactions. The meat is given scalded with boiling water or boiled with the addition of vegetables and a few drops of vegetable oil. Pork is under strict ban;
• fish: sea fish, low-fat varieties - once a week, to avoid urolithiasis, instead of raw meat, uncut or only boiled (hake, pollock, blue whiting, tuna) to prevent severe anemia, without bones. Mackerel, haddock, flounder, salmon, and cod are allowed. Freshwater fish must be boiled to eliminate problems associated with helminths infesting cats and to destroy the harmful enzyme thiaminase. It is not permissible to feed castrated cats and sterilized females with fish products;
• fermented milk products: kefir, cottage cheese, medium fat content, less than 5%. Milk cannot be added to the menu. Lactose is poorly absorbed by adult cats due to the lack of the enzyme lactase, but pets who tolerate the product can be given boiled as a source of calcium into the body. Cheese, cream, sour cream are heavy products for the pancreas;
• offal: liver (in its raw form it relaxes the intestines, in boiled form it has a binding effect), kidneys, lungs, heart (contains a lot of taurine, which cats need) - served raw a couple of times a week. Not all cats are able to digest them. Loose stools and vomiting are a reason to refuse this food;
• eggs - quail and chicken eggs are allowed, as an independent dish and when added to fermented milk products. Contains a lot of biotin, which strengthens the coat;
• vegetables - almost everything is allowed, except potatoes, cabbage, beets, fruits - except citrus fruits, bananas. You can combine several types or settle on one product that your animal prefers. They are given raw, crushed, as a separate dish or mixed with meat. Not absorbed, needed for good digestion;
• cereals and bran - useful for peristalsis, help maintain beneficial microflora intestines. You can give porridge: rice, buckwheat, rolled oats;
• oils: olive, pumpkin, flaxseed - envelop the mucous membrane of the digestive organs, normalize their functioning;
• greens collected far from the city limits, sprouted rice or oats are given periodically.

A vegetarian diet, useful for humans and carnivores, is contraindicated; it negatively affects well-being, causing blindness, cardiac arrest, and death, regardless of the addition of the necessary vitamins to food.

Feeding frequency

Kittens up to 2 weeks are fed every 2 hours, a kitten aged 1 - 2 months - 5-6 feedings, a 3 month old kitten - three to four times a day, six months - twice. For adult cats, food is left untidy; they can be allowed to eat as much as they want or be fed 2-3 times a day. If there are several animals in the same house, you need to make sure that they do not eat other people's food. Spayed and neutered animals are fed once a day.

It is important to feed cat food at the same time to produce correct mode nutrition. Meat food, which takes a long time to digest, is left for evening feeding. Constant access to food is not necessary to avoid overeating and obesity.

After eating, cats usually rest in secluded places; they should not be disturbed. If you refuse to feed, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or fever, you should immediately seek help from a veterinarian.

Remains of food are not left in the bowl for a long time - souring and spoilage of food can cause poisoning of the animal. Product not eaten within an hour is thrown away.

How to accustom a cat to new food

Cats quickly get used to a certain type food, so they may initially refuse innovations. Continue to offer a new diet to your pet, sometimes replacing it with completely familiar food; over time, the animal will become interested in the product.

You can begin to introduce the ingredient, gradually adding it to the usual feeding, replacing it completely after 1-2 weeks.

Self-composition of a menu for cats begins if you are ready to correctly calculate the amount of necessary components and nutrients. If you are a busy person, travel or work a lot, who can provide proper care and nutrition for your little friend?

The animal needs not only boiled, but also raw or prepared food, which supplies the body with important substances, amino acids, which are destroyed during heat treatment. In this case, the best solution would be to feed with industrial feed that can provide all the vital components.

How to cook food

After studying the cat's needs, you can begin to create a menu for cats. At the same time, it is important to maintain balance, because when using useful substances in excess quantities the pet may develop serious health problems. This will require a lot of time and financial resources. Feeding natural food requires a competent approach. With such a life important issue It is better to seek help from a veterinarian.

homemade food for cats should be at room temperature or slightly warmed. Give small pieces: the cat eats quickly, large pieces may not be digested and cause vomiting.

Feeding utensils

Special bowls intended for cats that widen towards the bottom are better suited - they turn over and slide less. Their size accommodates a single serving of food, the food does not crumble or smear on the walls or bottom. It is not recommended to use double containers with water and food at the same time: food often gets into the liquid, and the animal refuses to drink.

Power calculation

Natural food is convenient and allows you to control your pet’s weight, the amount of nutrients, mineral and vitamin supplements. But it requires correct calculation daily value, otherwise the animal will not avoid health problems in the future. For of different ages The amount of food is individual.

How much food is needed

From ten weeks the baby can be separated from its mother. Until he reaches the age of 9 months, he needs no more than 10% of his total body weight. For example, with a weight of 1.5 kg, a kitten needs 150 g of food. It can be meat, dairy products in a 50:50 ratio.

How much food does an adult need?

For a mature animal, the amount of food is prepared at the rate of 5% of the pet’s weight. With a cat weighing 4 kg, food needs 200 g, the composition is the same as for babies: equal shares of meat and dairy products. You can mix some vegetables (10-15 grams) and a couple of drops of vegetable oil into your food.

It is not always possible to weigh an adult cat separately. You can do the following: stand on a bathroom scale with your animal, then subtract your weight, which will leave you with the mass of your furry friend.

Water

Cats should have constant access to clean filtered water; it is important that the liquid is always in sight. Furry pets, like all mammals, need it. Often cats prefer to drink from large, deep dishes: buckets, basins, ignoring small bowls.

A large dog bowl is an ideal container: the water will remain clean for a long time, and it will be difficult to turn the dish over. The cat regulates the amount of liquid needed on its own by drinking the required amount. You need to monitor older animals, because constipation may indicate a violation water balance. To get rid of intestinal problems and prevent dehydration, cats are switched to feeding semi-liquid food.

Dish recipes

Cats are even greater food connoisseurs than people. This is facilitated by their origin and habits developed over the years. They quickly get bored with monotonous food; a change in diet is necessary at least a couple of times a week. If it is not possible to cook frequently, long-lasting dishes are prepared.

What do cats eat from homemade food? This can be homemade dry food and minced meat laid out in portions and stored in the refrigerator.

How to prepare dry food

This type of food is convenient to use, you can take it with you on the road, it does not take up much space. But cheap industrial feeds contain a lot of dangerous chemical substances, capable of killing an animal. Stern High Quality Not available to every cat owner. Therefore, homemade dry food, made from high-quality natural products and dried to a certain moisture content, will be an excellent replacement for expensive ready-made food. It is also convenient on the go and has a long shelf life. You can prepare cat food from many products available at home. It all depends on the owner’s imagination and taste preferences pet The main thing is that it should be beneficial and have good taste. Cats happily eat this tasty, inexpensive food.

Recipe No. 1:

• 500 g beef liver;
• carrots, cottage cheese 500 g each;
• eggs - 2 pcs;
• cottage cheese, zucchini, beets - 100g each.

The products are ground independently in a meat grinder, eggs are beaten in, everything is mixed. The resulting minced meat is formed into meatballs or cutlets, distributed on a sheet, and sent to the oven to dry for 40-50 minutes. It is taken out and after cooling it breaks into small pieces.

Recipe No. 2:

• 500 g liver;
• 500 g hearts;
• 1 kg chicken soup set;
• 2 carrots;
• 1 glass of boiled cereals (buckwheat, pearl barley, rice - you can alternate).

The meat is beaten, finely chopped, and ground together with hearts, liver, and carrots using a food processor. The resulting pate is evenly laid out on a baking sheet or silicone sheet, baked, and dried in the oven for 40 minutes. It is cut and broken into small pieces. Stored in the refrigerator for a long time.

Homemade natural dishes

These recipes will take a little effort and time, which is important for busy people. modern people. With the help of such dishes, your pets will always be full and happy.

Liver with oatmeal:

• chicken, beef liver;
• half a glass of oatmeal;
• frozen green pea;
• a little sunflower oil.

The liver is boiled or stewed. Cereals boiled. Chopped liver is mixed with peas and oatmeal.

Chicken breast with vegetables and rice:

• carrot;
• half a glass of rice;
• 1 breast;
• 2 glasses of water.

The breast and rice are boiled. The meat is chopped, mixed with rice and grated carrots.

Diet for allergies:

• 2 cups minced lamb meat;
• half a cup of zucchini or carrots;
• a glass of boiled dark rice;
• 50 g cottage cheese;
• a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder.

Beat the ingredients in a blender and feed them warm.

Examples of a cat's daily menu

The cat's diet consists of home-cooked food (based on the animal's weight of 4.5 kg).

• breakfast: 30 g cottage cheese, 1 egg, water;
• lunch: 40 g cottage cheese, 30 g chicken hearts, water;
• dinner: 70 g rabbit meat, 40 g cottage cheese, water.

• breakfast: 15 g of vegetables, 50 g of boiled fish;
• lunch: 20 g kefir, 45 g cottage cheese;
• dinner: 20 g kefir, 70 g lean meat.

No. 3 (write for all techniques):

• 500 g beef;
• 2 hard-boiled eggs;
• 1.5 - 2 cups rye crackers;
• chopped parsley.

The meat is boiled, ground in a meat grinder along with the eggs, the ingredients are mixed with breadcrumbs and herbs, and immersed in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Give it to the cat half-baked.

What products are dangerous?

Before you go into the kitchen to prepare food for your pet, there are several factors to consider. You should understand: foods you like may be harmful to cats.

Cats are prohibited:

• chocolate, products with cocoa beans - contain theobromine, toxic to animals;
• onions, garlic, grapes, raisins;
• tomatoes, eggplants;
• sugar, salt, soda, baking powder;
• sweets (sweets, cakes) cause diabetes, allergies;
• herbs, spices;
• alcohol;
• artificial sweeteners;
• tea, coffee, blown, medications from a human pharmacy containing caffeine;
• dog food (dry, wet), because has a different composition:
• pork, lamb;
• bones, heads, tails, paws can cause intestinal obstruction, injury digestive tract;
• semolina, millet, corn porridge- useless food;
• pasta, flour - cause obesity, constipation, colitis;
• leftover human food (fried, smoked, baked);
• sausages;
• raw eggs;
• veterinarians do not recommend feeding cats raw meat purchased in markets, stores - often it contains dangerous hormones and antibiotics;
• pickled vegetables, fruits;
• freshwater fish - risk of helminth infection;
• seafood;
• mushrooms - the cat’s body does not digest them, does not produce enzymes capable of breaking them down, the cat can even be poisoned by edible ones;
• nuts are not digestible and can cause a severe allergic reaction, including respiratory arrest.

Feeding pet natural menu requires a competent, careful approach. You need to spend a lot of time, often a lot of financial resources, to provide the animal with a variety of balanced menu. A cat, just like us, cannot eat the same product all the time.

It is especially important to monitor the diet of those who have recovered from surgery, pregnant, young and suffering from chronic diseases animals. In such cases, it is better to listen to a veterinarian or feline health specialist to rule out dangerous products. Sometimes even healthy food Causes harm if used in excessive quantities.

Before you sit down at the table, you should feed the animal. A hungry cat is especially sensitive to the smell of human food, begins to intensively beg for food, then eats with increased appetite, which causes obesity over time.

Be attentive to your pet’s behavior: an unsuitable product must be immediately eliminated and replaced with another. If your pet friend looks good, is cheerful, healthy, and playful, then the diet is correct. This means that food prepared with your own hands will give your pet good health, a long, happy life, and excellent health.

Cats are conservative in food (and not only in food). Therefore, the cat’s diet must be carefully prepared, from the very beginning it is necessary to accustom the domestic cat to a varied diet (the cat’s tastes are formed by 6 months), otherwise later it will be impossible to come to an agreement with your pupil.

An overheard story about a cat and an old woman: the cat’s diet included only pollock, the cat selflessly ate only it, and he wasted it all.” Time of Troubles" The cat wasted away before our eyes, because it did not consider everything else as food, and the old woman wasted away, looking at the cat.

“In general, everyone died,” but everything could have been different if the old woman had given the cat soups, vegetables, and various fish in childhood. Because the answer is about proper feeding is clear: with the same products that you eat yourself, the main thing is to take care of the variety of the cat’s menu and prepare these products differently.

When creating a menu for a cat, you need to know and respect, of course, within reasonable limits, its tastes (as well as those of your pets), this will facilitate your understanding with the cat (and your pets).

Is it worth following your cat's lead?

A domestic cat may consider boiled fish food and completely ignore raw fish, or vice versa - the same problems of habit. Cats are picky eaters. What a domestic cat ate yesterday, purring, may not interest her in any way today. Don't rush to replace one treat with another. The cat's diet should remain stable, do not follow her lead. After a while she will get hungry and change her attitude towards food.

Do not indulge the whims, however, you should not starve the animal if it flatly refuses what is offered. Look for a middle ground. If the cat flatly refused the offered food (very expressively “burying” it - understandable in any language), then it is inedible, you should not wait until everything is completely rotten, you will have to throw it away anyway.

How to deal with overeating?

Cats are sometimes greedy eaters. They, like dogs, will never hide a piece “for a rainy day”; they will immediately eat as much as they can, kittens are especially unrestrained. As a result, vomiting and banal overeating are possible. If this becomes the norm of life, then a completely human set of diseases arise.

Often when visiting, when we see the owner’s cat, we are touched by how well-fed and well-behaved he is. All so imposing and portly. What a good one! He is a castrated fat cat who eats without measure, and his owners cannot refuse him. After all, the cat is constantly hungry and demands that there is always food in the bowl.

When maintaining your cat’s diet, be sure to monitor the amount of food you eat, especially adding your favorite dishes; overeating of a domestic cat is entirely the “merit” of the owner. Happiness is not in food, and not in its quantity - the cat loves you anyway.

It is good for your cat to fast from time to time. In nature, predators do not eat every day, but depending on their luck. When deciding what to feed your cat and planning her diet, try fasting once a week.

Your indoor cat will easily tolerate it. At the same time, warn your family and neighbors that today is the animal’s fasting day, otherwise she will theatrically go begging. Feeding after fasting day should be kept within the usual diet and volume, but no more, otherwise vomiting and indigestion are possible.

What should you feed cats and how often? Typically cats are fed twice a day. If once, then better evening. The inscription on bags of ready-made food that food should always be in the feeder is beneficial to food producers (and cockroaches), but it is better for the cat to take a break - remove the leftovers 30 minutes after eating. If the owner himself eats non-stop, then it’s time to stop and think about his soul and health.

Dry cat food

Let's now find out the attitude towards dry food. Store shelves are replete with chips, kirieshki, chipsons, crackers... Do you yourself consider all these elegant bags with their contents to be food? Even fast food is only good for a snack and is not considered a complete meal. A normal balanced diet for a person is something else and we will not dwell on this in detail. Why should a cat eat “crackers”? Yes, it is convenient for the owners. Moreover, advertising from manufacturers is on a grand scale. This is a business and an entire industry.

The cat would never have eaten these crackers if the manufacturer had not mixed in various flavorings that imitate appetizing odors. Cats happily gobble up cat vitamins. Have you ever wondered why? The same flavors again! But at least there is a real benefit from them, otherwise you won’t force a cat to eat vitamins voluntarily. When deciding for yourself the question of what is best to feed your cat, give up dry food - this is not food for your pet. Such feeds can be used only in exceptional cases and not often. The cat should eat the same nutritious food as its owners: fish, meat, vegetables, liver, eggs, soups, etc.

Attitude towards fish

In nature, a cat does not catch fish; it does not tolerate water. Hydrophobia is congenital in cats. But a domestic cat most often loves fish, sometimes to such an extent that it does not consider everything else as food. Therefore, fish becomes the basis of her diet. Try to mix vegetables, cereals, and soups into the fish.

If you put all this separately in a cat’s bowl, the cat will pull the fish out of the bowl and eat it, but won’t touch the rest. You can trick your cat by crumbling and mixing all the ingredients. Try not to give your cat raw fish. It is known that when cats eat raw fish, the animal suffers from a lack of vitamin B, which affects its health and coat condition.

Healthy cat food

When a charming purr appears in the apartment, the caring owner thinks about what foods to include in her daily diet. There is always a choice. This can be regular food that the owner himself eats, or cat food, for example, dry pads with filling. How to decide healthy products on the cat menu?

Nowadays, the concept of “natural products” is quite fashionable. They are considered a 100% guarantee of quality, because such food is many times healthier than the best cat food, even if it is expensive and widely advertised.

Surely sales consultants at a pet store will assure you that natural products will only cause harm to your pet, and you should not feed them under any circumstances. But can you remember at least one cat from the street, even one living in the city, that has serious health problems? These mustachioed tramps get sick either in old age, or from injuries inflicted on them by people, dogs or their own relatives.

It’s impossible not to mention what older cats are like, especially those who live outside. These are mobile creatures last day their lives, unlike older people.

But they have one strong immunity and health, tempered physical activity that overall their condition is excellent. From this we can conclude that no matter how low-quality food from the gateway may be, the health of yard cats can only be envied. The defining word here is food! Thanks to her, the purr is saturated with energy, and even the most severe frosts are not afraid of it.

If we talk about furry homebodies, they, of course, live in luxurious conditions compared to strays. And, as a rule, many owners prefer to feed them with special cat food. The inventors of such food were very far-sighted, because it is ideal and practical for “cat people.”

• Firstly, it is very convenient. Cats are very picky eaters. And not every owner, even the most patient, can force a pet to eat something it doesn’t like.
• Secondly, preparing special cat food is very long and troublesome. But apartment cats are not able to eat enough for future use, unlike their yard counterparts; they eat often and little by little.

And that is why there is such a high probability that the food you carefully prepared will remain untouched for several hours. During this time, it will most likely dry out, and it will not be so easy to convince your pet that the bowl contains tasty food worthy of her. Yard cats are not that picky.

But cat crackers remain attractive for a long time. There is no doubt that they will not dry out. In addition, the special smell (flavors!), which is attractive to the cat, attracts it to the bowl. But this food makes the purr want to drink more. Therefore, it is very important that your pet has enough fresh water at any time of the day - it needs to be changed daily.

Thus, pampering a cat with special food is undoubtedly convenient for the owner. But are they really that good for your pet? After all, the production of ready-made feed is a gigantic business that brings in enormous income. Therefore, it is likely that the information disseminated about the benefits of such nutrition is very different from reality; it may turn out to be the policy of the manufacturers.

But this does not mean that special food is not worth buying. You just need to remember that natural food can be much more useful than “crackers”. You just need to learn how to cook it and serve it to the cat’s table.

Dry food: to be or not to be?

There is one more advantage of special feeds that needs to be mentioned. They are usually given to cats that all year round live in an apartment, rarely walk down the street and, as a result, are inactive. Such pets are spayed or neutered, which contradicts their natural essence. All this contributes to the fact that pets need to consume more microelements and vitamins, the lack of which usually does not affect free-roaming animals.

So that natural food brings your furry pet maximum benefit, you will have to analyze enough information about the products themselves, in what proportions they need to be mixed, and the like. Pets are susceptible to various diseases, and this is also taken into account when producing cat food - specially developed food is produced that will be useful for different categories of sick purrs.

Accordingly, only you can choose what to feed your furry pet - natural products or ready-made food.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS ARTICLE ON SOCIAL NETWORKS

Natural feeding is not only a failure of industrial feeds. Food from the human table also does not apply natural nutrition. Unbalanced food can be harmful to the cat’s body and can lead to serious problems with health. When feeding your cat natural products, you plan the diet yourself, create a menu, and prepare food for your pet every day.

What is included in a natural feeding diet?

1. Beef, veal, rabbit (thawed or boiled)
2. Chicken or turkey (necessarily boiled, boneless)
3. Beef or chicken by-products (heart, liver, lungs, tripe, gizzards). Boiled or defrosted, no more than 1-2 times a week.
4. Sea fish is low-fat. Only boiled, without bones, no more than once a week.
5. Boiled egg yolk. Can be given separately, or mixed with cottage cheese or porridge (no more than 1-2 times a week)
6. Dairy products (milk, kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt). You should be careful when offering milk to a kitten older than 3 months. In adult cats, whole milk can cause stomach upset and diarrhea.
7. Low-fat cottage cheese (can be mixed with kefir or egg yolk).
8. Hard, mild cheese (no more than once a week).
9. Liquid and semi-liquid milk porridges without sugar (semolina, oatmeal). For kittens up to 3 months old, you can add yolk to the porridge.
10. Children's meat purees with vegetables. Suitable for feeding kittens up to 8 months. It is better not to give them to adult cats.
11. Porridge: rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, with boiled meat or fish in a 1:2 ratio (one third cereal, two third meat).
12. Vegetables: carrots, zucchini, kohlrabi, cauliflower, lettuce, celery, zucchini, pumpkin, squash, cauliflower, beets, carrots, cucumbers. Separately, with butter, or with meat in the same proportion as cereals.
13. Greens (dill, parsley, lettuce). Separately, with oil or added to food.
14. Green grass (wheat, oats, barley, millet, rye). Grown yourself on the windowsill or ready-made, bought in a store. Under no circumstances should you give cats grass from the street!
15. Dry brewer's yeast, bran, buckwheat flour, kelp powder. Add to food 3-4 times a week.
16. Vegetable oil. Add no more than 2 teaspoons per day to food.
17. Vitamins and mineral supplements. Every day in a dosage according to the age of the cat.
18. Water (bottled or boiled) should always be available. Change it at least once a day as it becomes dirty, and the bowl must be washed thoroughly each time.

What you should absolutely not give to a cat at any age:

• Pork, lamb, goose, duck.
• Bird and fish bones.
• Fatty, fried, spicy, salty, smoked food.
• Canned food for people.
• Sausage, frankfurters, sausages, pates.
• Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, onions, garlic.
• Citrus fruits, grapes, raisins.
• Any sweet fruit.
• Sugar, cookies, sweets, chocolate.
• Salt, any spices.
• Any food from the human table.
• Vitamins and dietary supplements for people.

A kitten from 1 to 3 months is fed 6 times a day, from 3 to 6 months – 4 times a day. From 6 to 8 months, the number of feedings is gradually reduced to 3 times. From 8 months, a kitten, like an adult cat, is fed 2 times a day. All products are finely ground or pureed. For adult cats – finely chopped.
Food should be at room temperature or lukewarm. Do not give food that is too cold (from the refrigerator) or too hot (freshly cooked).
Meat and meat products are fed boiled or pre-frozen.
It is better to feed raw thawed meat separately, boiled meat and fish - with vegetables and cereals.
You cannot feed your cat only meat and fish, or only cereals. In both cases, such a monotonous diet will definitely affect the pet’s health.
Fish should be given no more than once a week (and for cats once every 2 weeks). It often causes kidney problems in cats and can lead to urolithiasis.
You should not add salt or sugar to animal food.

How to properly create a cat menu for every day

Many owners prefer to feed their pets with industrial food, thinking that feeding natural food is time-consuming and expensive. In fact, no more expensive than professional feeds. Besides, creating a menu for the week and then preparing meals from pre-prepared ingredients is not that long or difficult.

Sample menu for 1 day for an adult cat:
Morning:

• Cottage cheese with egg yolk, or
• Kefir or yogurt with bran.

• Beef with vegetables, or
• Boiled fish with porridge.

• 1 kg raw beef or chicken
• 0.5 kilograms of animals’ favorite vegetables,
• 100 grams of soft cheese (not salted),
• 1 chicken yolk,
• 1 tablespoon brewer's yeast,
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil.

After this, all you have to do is take a piece of the mixture out of the refrigerator and divide it into small balls. Then you can either boil them, or simply let them warm up to room temperature and feed them to the cat. An additional advantage of this dish is that for an animal, raw and cooked mixture are two different dishes. By alternating them, you diversify your pet's menu.

What else is worth considering?

The most serious mistake that cat owners make when switching to feeding natural food is a monotonous diet, in which 1-2 of the pet’s favorite products become the main thing on the menu. This should not be allowed, since such feeding can seriously affect the health of the animal.