Having a pet in the house can make you feel happy. Surrounding divine creatures like cats that attack their people to have fun can make you feel less worried. People get attached to them and consider them as family members.
Being in love with pets, it is important to know what foods they should eat and what foods can cause health issues.
Sometimes, it is easy to pick random foods to feed your cat but it can lead to health issues in cats and result in laziness, fatigue, etc.
But if you cannot decide on your own what food you should choose, this article will help you learn.
Learn About the Nutritional Value for Your Cat
An animal doctor in Rawalpindi shares that some essential nutrition value your cat needs every day. The basic food ingredients for a cat include amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, etc.
Proteins are the basic nutrition value that your cat needs. Cats are carnivores that make them eat meat as it is one of their basic and important food to live a healthy life. The cats can get vitamins and minerals through meat sources. Cats are predators that eat a diet that largely contains vitamins and minerals. Some cats are also allergic to the protein source, you can switch the food of the cats.
Vitamins and minerals
A balanced food with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids is crucial for cats. These values should include calcium, folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, B12, iron, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, sodium, magnesium, etc.
The bone, teeth, and joints of the cats need the above-mentioned nutrition value that can help your cat to stay strong even in old age. Giving such a healthy diet to the cats can eliminate the intake of the supplement as supplements can also leave side effects on them.
Amino acids and fatty acids
Do you know what the building blocks of proteins are? Well, amino acids play this important role. There are two common amino acids that maintain the health of bones, blood, skin, organs, coat, and muscles. These two include lysine and leucine.
If you have a younger cat, it needs more energy than the cats of old age. These two ingredients are important parts of cat food.
A healthy diet can provide all these essential ingredients to your cats.
Carbohydrates
Excess intake of carbs can lead to health complications, but considering carbs as an important source of protein for cats is a fact. For active kitties, the carbs are important as they keep them energetic which helps them to move around your house nonstop.
You can give them these carbs through foods, like rice, oats, and potatoes.
Avoid Overfeeding Your Cats
Overfeeding your pets leads to excessive fat and also can cause various health issues. Giving too much food to your cats can put them at higher risk of developing diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, breathing issues, heart disease, etc.
You always need to read the guidelines that are written on the products that you buy for your cats. Make sure that you manage the calories intake of pets to maintain their weight. But feeding cats less than fattier food can also lead to malnourished cats.
Feed Your Cat as Per Life Stage
You may buy products that are labeled for all life stages for cats. But it is not a good option to go with. You should choose the food that is specially made for a specific age group. Kittens require foods that are high in protein, such as fat, folic acid, fat, etc. they need to be fed on lamb, turkey, chicken, tuna, etc.
Adult cats need less fat and protein as compared to younger cats. They need to feed at fixed timings and with a controlled portion.
Having an old-age cat means that you should give them food that contains low in protein and fat. They are prone to developing kidney disease. Buy the foods that are specially made for senior cats that will reduce the risk of kidney disease by reducing the risk.
What Foods to Avoid for Cats
Some foods can cause health issues in cats that you should avoid giving to your cats.
These foods include:
- Milk: A small amount of milk can do well but more amounts can cause seizures, heart issues, diarrhea, etc.
- Raw fish: Raw fish may consist of an enzyme that can work as a toxic and become a life-threatening condition.
- Bread dough: the intake of these can provide enzymes that may lead to co2 and ethyl alcohol. They can contribute to many health issues, like respiratory failure.
- The other you should avoid giving your cat include tomatoes, avocados, chocolate, onions, garlic, raw eggs, etc.
You should take your pets to the vet for a regular checkup as it will also help to maintain the weight.
