Dry Cat Food Analysis

The health of cats is determined by the quality of nutrition they receive. Studies have shown that natural foods and good quality canned food promotes better health in felines than dry cat food or kibble. Offering your cat the right type of food will help to protect her from several illnesses and diseases. It will also help to keep veterinary costs low and ensure a longer and healthier life for your cat. It is advisable to make a dry cat food analysis before offering it to your cat.

Dry food for cats is composed primarily of grains. Grains mainly consist of starch and hence are considered to be carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are added to cat food to make the food firm and add texture to it. This enables the food to stay intact during production processes. Dry cat food or kibble is commonly fed to cats. However, cats are carnivorous animals and hence many experts believe that a diet consisting exclusively of carbohydrates and starch may not be suitable for them. There is up to 30 – 40 percent of carbohydrates present in dry cat food which may serve to increase the risk of diabetes in cats. Wet cat food, on the other hand, contains large amounts of protein and this is more appropriate for carnivores. Cats have increased liver enzyme activity since energy is produced from amino acids. As a result of this, cats have a higher requirement of protein. Even if they are fed low protein foods they are unable to lower this activity. Therefore many cats that eat primarily dry food tend to suffer from fatty liver disease. In their natural surroundings, cats do not eat the high levels of carbohydrates that dry foods offer. It is essential for cats to drink water along with their food as cats do not experience much thirst. Water is necessary for hydration and proper functioning of the body. Since cats do not drink enough water on their own, they must be fed wet food that contains some amounts of water in it. A strictly dry foot diet will only serve to make them susceptible to chronic dehydration. Dry food manufacturers tend to use carb rich foods like grains as fillers too, as they are much cheaper than protein rich food sources like meat. This is why most dry cat food ratings are very low. Some brands do offer high quality food though, so it is important for you to make a thorough dry cat food analysis before purchasing any product.

It is not necessary to completely eliminate dry food from the diet. Owners can feed dry food to cats when they are away as it does not spoil easily. Dry cat food is also known to keep the teeth clean by reducing plaque buildup. When buying dry cat food, it is advisable to do some research first. There are many websites that provide dry cat food ratings and dry cat food reviews that can help one make a decision.