Included in a lot of cat foods that are commercially produced are potatoes and grains which should not be added but are because they are inexpensive and cheaper than meat.
Quite a number of cat owners are of the opinion that cat foods that don’t contain grain are more digestible, cause fewer allergies than grain containing foods and will give the cat better nutrition. However, when grains are processed in the correct manner, they can provide essential nutrients which will make up part of a well-balanced diet.
Historically, research has indicated that pet foods manufactured commercially may cause disease. It was shown that a deficiency of taurine, an amino acid, can cause heart disease that’s often fatal in cats. Taurine deficiency can also cause blindness which occurs due to insufficient quantities of taurine being included in the formulations of cat food. However, as a result of this finding, taurine is now added to cat foods.
Hills is an example of a large commercial pet food manufacturer and they produce food on a massive scale. Headquartered in Topeka, they are a multi-billion dollar subsidiary of the global giant Colgate-Palmolive. Hill’s has enormous product lines, sold in over ninety countries which includes in excess of eighty Prescription Diet brand foods for pets as well as in excess of ninety Science Diet brand foods for pets. Employed by Hill’s are food scientists, nutritionists as well as one-hundred-and-fifty or more veterinarians who cooperate on the research and development of food products for pets.
Making it all about the meat is due to the fact that pet food includes a great deal of animal protein and feeding our cats diets high in meat is the current trend. Typical cat foods contain a range from thirty to sixty per cent, the bulk of it coming from animal sources. Diets that are meat-based for humans as well as animals have a much greater ecological footprint than diets based on plants. This is due to the fact that it takes a great deal of food to feed cows, sheep, pigs, poultry as well as fish that is farmed.
When animals farmed for food are involved, they must be fed a diet that is healthy which means it cannot include routine use of growth hormones or antibiotics. If producers wish to market food as organic, they have to follow clearly defined standards of production as well as holding special certification. Take note that a healthy diet is designed to assist in recovery as well as improving life length and quality of life but it is not a replacement for correct medical treatment should it be required. Advice can be obtained by consulting your veterinarian regarding the proper medical treatment for your cat.
Bear in mind that superiority is not dictated by classification of pet food. A number of manufacturers market organic or natural foods as being more superior to those foods containing by-product, but this is not always correct. Reason being is because a number of natural and organic foods have a deficiency of minerals and vitamins that can sometimes be offered by food containing by-products. Despite the category that the cat food falls into, the most important aim of cat food is to retain a balanced and nutritious diet.
Years ago, it was recommended that diets for senior pets contain lower protein levels to avoid possible damage to the kidneys. It has since been established through recent studies that kidneys are not adversely affected by protein in healthy older cats or cats with kidney failure. What has been discovered is that phosphorus restriction, not protein restriction is key once kidney disease develops in cats.