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Owning a cat can certainly be one of life’s most pleasurable experiences. Anyone who has ever had a warm kitty snuggled up in their lap on a cold night can tell you that. Without cats, our lives would be less enjoyable. True, their natural instincts can sometimes cause them to get into trouble, like that time when Kitty jumped up on the counter and had a taste of the meat platter you left out. But their foibles are well worth the love they give.
Part Of the Family
The truth is, most cat owners say that they feel that their cat is a part of the family. With sir names like Peter, George, and Henrietta, or lovey-dovey names like Peanut, Sweetie, or Missy Prissy, our cats end up not only sharing our home, but our last name as well; “Peter Smith? The vet will see you now.”
When you love your cat as much as you love the rest of your family, you want to do what’s best for them. If you have an indoor cat, there are ways to keep their quality of life going strong:
- Provide a place or two to perch near windows so she can see the outdoors; especially the bird feeder
- Plant cat grass in pots near the window for grazing
- Provide a variety of cat toys from mice to balls to paper bags. Rotate the options weekly
- Purchase a teat dispensing toy or hide treats throughout the house for kitty to find
- Try a cat DVD made especially with videos that cats love
- Play games with your cat
- Place scratching posts and pads around the house so that they don’t target your furniture
A Cat Food Comparison: Meat
When it comes to some of the important things that your cat needs to thrive, one can’t help but think about his food. There are so many brands and varieties of cat food on the market today, it’s tough to know just what one has the right balance of nutrition. Cats are carnivores; meat eaters. In the wild, they do not seek out grains or vegetables. The menu consists of what they can catch and consume and though they have been domesticated, their systems are still made for meat. When you look for a good cat food for your furry friend, be sure that meat is on the top of the list.
When doing a cat food comparison, you can see the vast difference between these two cat foods that are very popular. Looking at the first 5 ingredients of each brand will tell you a lot about what you’re feeding your cat.
9 Lives Daily Essentials – Whole Ground Corn, Chicken By-product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Meal, Whole Wheat
Both corn and wheat are filler products that do not provide much nutritional value and can cause allergies in some sensitive cats. Chicken by-product provides a lot of real meat protein, but can contain a dehydrated combination of meat (or cuts or parts) including lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, necks, undeveloped eggs and intestines. However, chicken by-product is better than meat by-product. As long as your cat isn’t allergic to soy based ingredients, soybean meal contains body-building protein, coat-nourishing vegetable oil and healthful fiber for cats.
Blue Wilderness Adult Chicken – Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potato Starch, Fish Meal
This product contains a lot of protein sources, which is excellent for your cat. Don’t be confused by the term “meal” as in chicken meal, turkey meal, or fish meal. This just means that the moisture was removed from the meat or fish prior to cooking. Meal actually has a much higher protein percentage and provides far more beneficial nutrients to your cats than a whole chicken, turkey, or fish. Though potato starch does not give much nutritional value, it can aid in digestion. The addition of carrots, sweet potatoes, and flaxseed make this a highly nutritious food for your cat.
A Cat Food Comparison: Nutrients
There are important nutrients that your cat needs, such as taurine. Taurine is an essential amino acid that is critical for normal heart muscle function, vision, and reproduction in cats. Since cats are unable to create proper levels of taurine in their body naturally, it must be supplemented in their food. Also important to your cat is Omega 3 and 6, which support the health of the skin, coat, joint, kidneys, heart, and immune system. It’s even been shown to aid in more serious problems, like cancer.
This cat food comparison might help you see the difference between two different popular brands.
Meow Mix Original Choice
This cat food has taurine listed as one of the last ingredients on the list, but at least it’s there. It also lists salmon meal and ocean fish meal in the ingredient list, which means that there is a good amount of Omega 3 and 6. There are plenty of vitamins added to this mix, which is healthy. Unfortunately, there is also plenty of corn, but your cat might not have a problem if he is not allergic. But this product also contains dyes that can cause problems in any cat.
By Nature Adult Dry
Taurine is high on the list for this cat food, meaning that there is an adequate amount. There is plenty of Omega 3 and 6 with the addition of flaxseed meal, fish meal, and even fish oil. There are plenty of vitamins and minerals added, but this also has carrots, which boost the immune system and help promote healthy eyes in cats as well as providing a good source of fiber as well as blueberries that help or prevent certain forms of cancer, dementia, heart disease, and asthma.
Keeping your cat happy means keeping her healthy. Give her lots of love, affection, and nutritious food and she’ll improve the quality of your life for years to come.
