How to Avoid Unhealthy Cat Food

You want the best for your cat, so you likely worry about the quality of your furry friend’s food. Unfortunately, many cat foods on the market today do not provide sufficient nutrition. Some of them can even create serious health problems. In order to maximize your cat's health, learn which cat food’s are good and bad and only buy the best.

Good or Bad Ingredients in Cat Food

The first thing to understand about cats is that they are obligate carnivores. This means they must eat meat to maintain their health and vitality. Therefore, only feed your pet food that is mostly made of meat. It is exceptionally important to avoid wheat, corn, or soy products as these are potential allergens¹. In most cases, it is best to avoid feeding grains of all types. After all, no cat in the wild will eat grain.

In order to do this, focus on wet cat food as the primary or only part of your cat's diet. These not only contain more meat but also a higher degree of moisture that is necessary to prevent dehydration and urinary tract problems. Most cats get the bulk of their liquid intake from the food they eat, so wet food from a can is ideal. Also choose brands that put precise ingredients on the label.

Avoid These Cat Food Ingredients

Take the time to research various pet food brands and varieties to decide which can is best for your cat. A focus on natural ingredients that sounds like real food rather than chemicals like Ethoxyquin, BHA and BHT². Other ingredients to avoid include:

• Plant-based proteins. Meat is better for every cat.
• Carbohydrate levels over 2% per serving. Anything higher indicates a mostly grain or plant matter food that will not provide sufficient nutrition.
• Byproducts that are otherwise not identified. It is okay to choose a wet cat food that has beef byproducts or chicken byproducts listed farther down the ingredient list. These are natural parts of the animal that are not usually marketed as food to human consumers.
• Carrageenan³, which is a type of thickening agent from seaweed. It can cause digestive distress, and negative immune response, allergies, and does not provide any nutritional benefit other than bulk.
• Artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. For some reason, some pet food companies believe that dying their food a different color will make it more palatable to a cat. These chemicals serve no purpose whatsoever and may even be known carcinogens.

Buying Affordable Healthy Cat Food

The best way to feed your cat a nutritious, meat-based diet without spending your entire grocery budget is to research deals carefully and shop online. Once you have identified a brand or variety of cat food you prefer to feed your pet, it makes sense to search continuously for special offers or coupons so you can pick it up when it is available. After all, canned cat food will last very long time on the shelf.

1.https://www.petsafe.net/learn/pet-food-the-good-the-bad-and-the-healthy

2. https://www.thesprucepets.com/ingredients-to-avoid-554367

3. https://happycatshaven.org/knowledgebase/cat-food-what-to-feed-what-to-avoid/

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