Health food for cats can help prevent disease, help lengthen the life expectancy, and maintain good health and positive demeanor. The term health food implies food that has mostly natural, whole ingredients and a formula that provides only the ingredients a cat needs for optimal health. Health food for cats also avoids many of the ingredients that can cause ill health or provide empty calories with no nutrition.
What Cats Eat in the Wild
The digestive system of the housecat is not all that different from that in a wild cat's body. Thus, the healthiest diet for a cat mimics a wild cat's diet. In the wild, cats hunt animals and eat the entire animal, blood and all. This provides lean protein which is the primary ingredient all cats should eat. The moisture infused into the food also gives the cat hydration that even fresh water alone cannot provide.
Unhealthy Ingredients for Cats
Many cat foods contain ingredients that are either just empty calories or could actually harm your cat's health. Cats don't need grain and don't do well with food that has a high mineral content, corn, soy, gluten or a lot of rice. Some ingredients meant to give the food a longer shelf life can be toxic or fattening for your cat. If an ingredient name sounds unnatural or chemical, it probably is. Nature didn't intend for your cat to eat something created in a laboratory.
The Raw Food Option
The best diet for cats consists of raw foods particularly formulated for a cat's body. Studies have shown that cats who eat a raw food diet live longer, have better health, less disease and more viable offspring. The raw meat is safe for cats because they have a short digestive tract, allowing the meat to be absorbed and the waste eliminated much more quickly than in a human body.
The Healthiest Canned Food
If handling raw food is not what you'd prefer, you can find a high quality canned food for your cat. Look for food sold in a pet store and not a grocery store. Small pet stores are actually likely to have the best selection of natural canned food because the big distributors avoid marketing to them. It's often the mass produced foods that have the worst ingredients. The best canned food has whole ingredients, lots of moisture, and is low in grains and mineral content. If a food lists meats such as "chicken" or "fish" first, it will be the best for your cat.
Integrating Kibble or Hard Treats
Kibble and hard treats can be useful and convenient. They help with dental hygeine by removing plaque from the teeth and stimulating the gums. It's important to look for high quality kibble or treats to avoid harmful or unnecessary ingredients. Choose a kibble or treat that only has a few ingredients in it and lists chicken, fish or beef as the first and main ingredient.