How to Feed Your Cat

If you’re one of the 35 million cat owners in the United States, you undoubtedly want to know whether your furry friend is getting the food it needs for optimal health. For the domestic housecat, the wrong diet can contribute to myriad health problems including kidney disease, diabetes, allergies, and even cancer to name just a few. To make the most of its nine lives, your cat requires a diet that strengthens its immune system–and that means the natural foods that closely resemble the diet of its ancestors.

Cat evolution
Felis catus has been lounging around since antiquity, living for most of that time on birds, insects, and anything else it could get its claws on–especially small animals that nibbled wild grasses, seeds, and nuts. Bones of small prey cleaned teeth, fur provided fiber, and innards provided moisture and small quantities of grains and berries. It all added up to a wild but well-rounded diet.

As cats’ domesticity evolved, so did their food; mice and squirrels were replaced by dry kibble. But, according to Michael Dym, VMD, a homeopathic veterinarian in Morristown, New Jersey, dry food “is not in cats’ evolutionary diet.” Because feline biology isn’t suited for kibble, many holistic veterinarians believe that dry, processed food is a main cause of illness and premature death in the modern cat.

Cats’ digestive systems are short and acidic, meaning they can handle and process meat, bones, and most bacteria quickly and effectively. But a grain-heavy or purely vegetarian diet spells trouble for a cat’s tiny fermentation system. Carb-rich foods, such as dry grain and plant material, are difficult to digest and cause an imbalance in the normal pH levels of a cat’s urinary system, potentially leading to irritation of the bladder lining and increasing risk for urinary tract infections. Overworked by production of the digestive enzyme amylase, the pancreas becomes stressed; undigested grains and a pH imbalance create toxins in the kidneys and bladder; and the weakened immune system can’t fight off illness.

Dry foods also deprive cats of the moisture they need to digest foods and remain hydrated. “A cat cannot drink enough water to compensate when eating a total dry food diet,” says Sue Green, co-owner of the Whole Cat in Denver. Many veterinarians agree that drinking a lot of water is usually a sign of a physical imbalance. “In a pure state of health, they should be thirstless,” says Dym.

Going raw
Dry food may be the preferred option for many feline caregivers, yet in a purr-fect world, cats would eat moist, low-carb diets, with supplements as necessary. Raw food holds sway with many holistic vets, who cite the research of Francis M. Pottenger, MD and his controlled-feeding study on cats from 1932-42 (see www.price-pottenger.org). While experimenting on the function of cats’ adrenal glands, Pottenger discovered that felines fed a raw-meat diet were much healthier than those given cooked meats, particularly over several generations. Sara Winikoff, DVM, of Rockland Holistic Veterinary Care in Blauvelt, New York, adds that a raw diet “will most likely prevent intestinal cancer, cystitis, and immune-system disorders.”

Natural switch
Raw or cooked, the safest meats for cats are chicken, turkey, and beef. Organ meats are crucial for the vitamins and minerals they offer cats, according to Marty Goldstein, DVM, a Palm Harbor, Florida-based holistic vet. Vegetables–particularly pureed pumpkin, green beans, broccoli, zucchini, and carrots–supply fiber, vitamins A and C, and water. Vets also recommend salmon or other fish oils for omega-3 fatty acids, plus finely ground eggshells and ground bones for calcium.

A few cat-food cautions
Avoid onions; they destroy red blood cells and cause anemia. Many holistic veterinarians forgo feeding fish to cats because of mercury concerns; fish treats two to three times a week are a better option, says Don Hamilton, DVM, author of Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs (North Atlantic, 1999). And under no circumstances feed your cat chocolate; even a tiny amount can kill. Chocolate contains the chemical theobromine, which is toxic to dogs and cats. Although theobromine levels vary with the type of chocolate, any type or amount ingested by a cat should be treated as life-threatening.

Whether homemade or purchased, a diet that doesn’t meet your cat’s nutritional needs is still a raw deal. Consult with your veterinarian or an animal nutritionist to find a recipe that is suited to your cat and has been used by others with healthy results. And naturally, kitty can’t tell you when it’s hurting, so learn to recognize what’s normal and pay attention to any changes in your cat’s usual habits.

Deborah W. Johnson dedicates this article to her cat, Ninja, who passed away at age 19. Perhaps on a raw diet, he would have lived to be 30.

Delicious Living is the go-to resource for the natural and organic lifestyle, helping readers eat well, live green, and stay healthy. Visit deliciouslivingmag.com for more articles and free recipes.

Read more: Cats, Everyday Pet Care, Pets, cat, cat food, pet food, raw food

By Deborah W. Johnson, Delicious Living magazine

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Carolyn M.

6:05PM PST on Dec 7, 2010

I have 2 vets and both told me never never feed a cat dry food on a constant basis. Dry food is grains and cats need meat. They need water and all dry food without enough water will cause these bladder problems cats can get where rtheir bladder stops working and can kill within hours and my guy almost died twice, so I feed him wet food morning and nite and he nibbles on dry inbetween but has lots of water, Sine I started feeding him this way, he has never had bladdr problem in 10 years now. I have 4 cats so they are all fed the same food in the same way and no prolems and I take their food away at nite,no free feeding aftr I go to bed

send a green star

Patricia A.

8:08AM PDT on Aug 10, 2010

Thanks Susan Suni Ibarra -Feb 23 2009 - I've never come across this - but it may explain where the plastic red nose of a toy mouse went - it was attached to a new cat-tree I was putting up for my kitten - I turned to put something down and stretch my back, turned to see the kitten playing with the mouse before I had inspected it for safety. The toy mouse had no nose! I immediately removed all other removable parts...

Explains a lot.

Sergio R.

5:07PM PDT on Aug 9, 2010

I so thank you!. Cheers!, Sergio.

Charles W.

10:18AM PDT on Aug 9, 2010

Raw is best! I can't believe people feed vegan food to their cats. I can't believe the cats eat that crap! They are obligate carnivores. You can get meat and organ scraps at custom butcher shops, and sprinkle bone meal on it. The animal highest in taurine is a mouse. No surprise there. Go to cat shows and see what they feed. Those cats have to be the picture of health in order to compete. Most feed raw. Depriving a cat (or dog for that matter) of meat is nothing short of cruel.

Eric M.

6:06PM PST on Dec 15, 2009

Alyssa, a great dry vegan cat food that I give my cats as a portion of their diet is Ami Cat. Great stuff. Goto vegancats.com

Past Member .

9:30AM PDT on Jun 14, 2009

thanksss...
Kabin

Konteyner

Susan Suni I.

11:20AM PST on Feb 23, 2009

PLEASE, folks - - - - take heed!!! Since the world was inundated by the plastic supermarket bags, our cat buddies have been going after them. Cats nibble, chew on, and/or eat those plastic bags. Veterinarians are NOT paying any attention to this. If you ask them, they will, most of them, say that they have never run across the problem. Not enough pet owners are speaking up or even noticing this deadly problem. We have to find out what is in that plastic, and require the formula for that plastic to be changed , to remove whatever it is that attracts cats in the first place. I have lost cats to the consumption of plastic bags. This is what your cat may be doing at night while you are sleeping safely out of interference. Never leave a plastic bag out where your cat can get to it!!!!!! And get on your vets about info. If they don't have any, get pushy with requests about more info, to make the vet know you are serious about a life and death situation!!! They need to know about this, and most don't!!!! Get with the band wagon on this.
It WILL save cat lives!!!!!!!!!!!

Liz T.

3:26AM PST on Feb 22, 2009

Alyssa, cats need meat. A vegetarian or vegan diet for a cat will make them sick. Also, cheap food will make them sick. So any $ you save on food will go to the vet. As Mel points out, raw food is best. A good diet for a healthy cat can be affordable, but there is no cheap pet food that is OK for our pets. If we don't want to deal with meat, we should have pets that don't require meat. And if we choose to be vegan, we still need to respect our pets' needs to be carnivores. We must provide a variety of good quality, nutritious food for our furry family members. They deserve it. They give us so much, including priceless unconditional love, and ask for little in return. The least we can do is feed them right, provide clean, filtered water, and keep them safe and comfortable. If you skimp, you & your cat will both be unhealthy & unhappy. If you provide what they need, the rewards are immeasurable.

Alyssa R.

8:31PM PST on Feb 17, 2009

Does anybody have recommendations for cheap, widely available vegetarian (or even vegan) cat food?

Robin H.

2:56PM PST on Dec 25, 2008

no killing instinct ~ huh?