Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended.
I don’t know about you, but in our house, pets are family. And while I may be a Registered Dietitian who is well versed on human nutrition recommendations, I never received education on what my pets should eat. We have 4 cats (yes, I’m living out my childhood dream of being a crazy cat lady!) and a few months ago I noticed that our cats were eating an awful lot! I had been buying Meow Mix in the 30lb bag and we were going through 1 and a half bags a month, at least! That’s a lot of food. But even with all this food, my cats were always hungry and whining to us about their empty food bowl.
This didn’t seem right to me so I started doing my own research on what cats should be eating and how much. Prior to domestication, cats were hunters who’s prey (think mice, fish, moles, etc) was high in protein, moderate in fat and low in carbohydrates. While we’ve domesticated felines and now keep the spoiled animals in our homes, their dietary requirements remain the same as prior to domestication. Unlike humans who can get many nutrients found in animal protein foods from plants and supplements, cats are obligate carnivores who need to eat meat. In other words, your cat cannot become a vegetarian.
Types of Cat Food
There are three varieties of cat food out there- dry, semi-moist, and moist. While dry food is often the cheapest, you need to be careful and look at the quality of the ingredients, as well as palatability of the food, for your kitty. How would you feel eating bland food every day? Also, dry food needs to be stored properly so as not to go stale. An airtight container is great, as the bag does not keep moisture out. It’s actually a good idea to buy dry food in smaller amounts if your cat doesn’t go through it quickly, because just like our food, cat food does expire.
Semi-moist foods contain about 35% moisture and are typically more palatable for your cat. Most types do contain contain quite a few preservatives, though. Semi-moist food can dry out quickly once opened and even become rancid so it’s best to store them according to packaging and use sooner rather than later.
Moist food is the priciest variety of cat chow, but also has the best flavor. When unopened, canned food has the longest shelf-life but should be refrigerated once opened and used within 3 days. It is better to buy gourmet canned food as it has more whole food ingredients, and less additives or preservatives.
Nutrition Standards
Just as our food has nutrition labels, cat food is also required to have labels. Nutrition standards have been set for cat food by the Feline Nutrition Expert (FNE) Subcommittee of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). This is similar to the FDA and USDA regulating food standards in the United States. When looking at the ingredients list, you want meat, seafood, or meat-byproducts to be one of the first ingredients to ensure your furry feline is getting enough animal protein to sustain them.
What We Feed Them
I was previously feeding my piggy cats Meow Mix with the first ingredient being chicken byproduct, followed by a variety of carbohydrate rich blends. This totally explained their hunger as there was not a large amount of animal protein. I have tried the moist, canned foods but my cats oddly don’t like it at all. I have since switched to Blue Buffalo dry food and buy a 12lb bag once a month from Amazon. We subscribed to both cat food and kitty litter through Amazon and always know our order is coming. The first ingredient in Blue Buffalo is deboned chicken and there are no grains listed on the label. It is also preservative free which I like for my cats. When we first switched, we were buying 2 bags a month since the cats eat about 1.5 bags. After a few months, we had enough of a stock pile built up to go down to one bag each month. While the initial switch was a little pricey, we are going through much less food and are actually saving some money while our cats are super happy with their food!
- Stop Throwing Away Your Food - January 30, 2021
- Caffeine, Coffee, and Your Health - September 30, 2020
- What to Eat for Breakfast on Your Wedding Day - June 23, 2020