Walking down the food aisle at a pet store can be rather overwhelming. With so many brands, dry foods versus canned, and specialty diets, it can be difficult to decide what would be best for your cat. To help you make that decision, I’ll share what has worked best for me as a longtime cat owner, rescuer, and behavior consultant.
This article needs to come with a disclaimer that I am not a veterinarian or nutritionist. Whatever choices you make in regard to your cat’s nutrition and health, be sure to do ample research beyond this article and talk with your veterinarian before making any changes to your cat’s diet.
Choosing the Right Food
The most important thing to remember is that cats are obligate carnivores. That means they need meat in their diet to get all of the nutrients they need. Unlike dogs, cats cannot synthesize taurine in their body, so they must consume this amino acid by eating animal tissues. Cats also need higher protein content and vitamin A provided in their diet. A vegetarian, vegan, or dog food diet will not provide your cat with the nutrition they need to stay healthy. So if you are feeding anything formulated specifically for cats, you’re off to a great start.
Next make sure that the food is complete and balanced, meaning it has been formulated by nutritionists to meet all of a cat’s nutritional needs. Look for the “complete and balanced” wording on the packaging, and also check that it meets guidelines set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). The fine print on the back of the packaging will contain a a phrase like: this food “is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles” for a particular stage of growth (growth, lactation, maintenance, or all life stages). Some treats or specialty foods will not have this label, so these should only be used as supplements to a complete diet.
If you are feeding a cat food that meets AAFCO standards to your cat, that’s all you really need to be confident your cat is getting the nutrition they need. Any additional decisions will depend on your lifestyle, budget, and your point of view.
The Wet vs Dry vs Raw Decision
Dry food is the most common type of food people feed their cats, and for good reason. It’s cost effective, has a relatively long shelf life, and it’s easy to feed. But not all dry foods are created equal. Pick up the cheapest bag of dry food and inspect the label. You will likely notice that the first ingredient listed is not meat. I took a look at one and found the first ingredients listed were ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal, and soybean meal. When products like corn and soybeans are significant parts of the food, it may not be as healthy for your carnivore as a food that contains a meat source as the primary ingredient. When I picked up a bag of slightly pricier food, the ingredients started with deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, and sweet potatoes.
Note that meat by-products are made of the ground animal carcass after the meat has been removed. While that may sound unappetizing to us, it is not inherently bad. In fact, it can provide additional nutrients found in bones that cats would naturally eat with whole prey items.
Dry kibble can meet your cat’s nutritional needs, but most experts recommend supplementing with canned food (or feeding canned food entirely) because of its water content. Our domestic cats evolved long ago from desert-dwelling cats who had a low thirst drive and could survive on very little water. Cats today are notorious for not drinking enough, especially preferring not to drink out of a stagnant water bowl. Dehydration can lead to serious problems like kidney disease, bladder stones, or urinary blockages, so we need to do all we can to make sure our cats are getting enough water. Canned food is an important source of moisture to keep your cat adequately hydrated.
Raw feeding is becoming a popular alternative with cat owners that wish to feed their cat food more similar to what his wild ancestors consumed. There are several commercially prepared raw diets available or you can prepare raw food in your own kitchen. Keep in mind that serving your cat raw chicken from the grocery store will not be a complete diet. You must follow a recipe formulated by a veterinarian or nutritionist to make sure your cat is receiving all of the necessary nutrients. If feeding a raw diet is appealing to you, be sure to do your research since there can be other factors to consider to keep your cat and your family safe. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) do not recommend feeding your pets a raw diet.
When deciding what to feed your cat, keep in mind that your cat is not a small dog or tiny human. Cats have unique digestive systems and nutritional requirements that must be met. The easiest way to meet those requirements is by feeding complete and balanced commercial diets. To narrow down your options further, check ingredient labels and look for quality ingredients and a meat source at the top of the list. As for the form the food takes, consider starting with all canned food or a mix of canned and kibble to help your cat get the moisture he needs.