How to Buy Healthy Cat Food on a Budget
The health of an animal is directly related to the kind of food it eats. Like most pets, cats have certain nutritional needs. There are dozens of different brands and foods to choose to from, and more expensive doesn't always mean more nutritious. Feeding your cat healthy foods doesn't have to strain on your budget.
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Instructions
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Ingredients, Not Cost, Determine the Best Food
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Choose foods high in protein since this is what your cat needs most. Not all proteins are the same, however. The two types of proteins available in cat foods are plant based and animal based. Cats are natural carnivores, so foods with animal-based protein are best.
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Choose a canned food for optimal health. Dry foods contain plant proteins while canned, or wet, foods contain animal proteins. Dry foods also do not contain enough water and are often too high in carbohydrates. Lack of water can lead to urinary issues such as crystals, and carbohydrates can lead to weight gain and can disrupt blood sugar balance.
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Keep your cat's water bowl full at all times. Cats do not have strong thirst instinct, which can lead to dehydration. Though wet, canned foods contain more water than dry food, it's still not enough. What could be cheaper than water to keep your cat healthy?
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Read the labels. Not all canned foods are created equal. Don't assume a brand name is necessarily better than less expensive alternatives. Some popular brand names, for example, are higher in carbohydrates than other brands. The ingredients in a healthy food contain real meat (not a by-product), whole grains (such as rice, barley and oats), and vegetables and fruit. The ingredients in less healthy foods contain by-product meal, corn, wheat, soy, colors and preservatives such as BHA, BHT, and propylene glycol. These ingredients can have side effects and provide no nutritional value.
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Focus on two key label items, the ingredients and the guaranteed analysis. Ingredients are listed in order of weight. Look for a meat at the first ingredient, such as chicken, rather than chicken by-products, or an organ, such as liver. Also, meats termed "meal" such as chicken meal aren't as nutritious because the meat has been cooked at high temperatures resulting in nutrition loss. The guaranteed analysis shows a breakdown of nutrition listed by percentages. Look for a food with a high percentage of meat protein.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't assume that just because a product is a brand name that it must be healthy. Many brand-name pet foods are lacking key ingredients. Read and compare labels to find the best value.
