The "home-made" is becoming more and more trendy, including for cat food. For as with humans, the ingredients contained in industrial food for felines are now being questioned. Whether it is dry of wet cat food, one can wonder about their quality and their true nutritional intakes. To be sure that your pet eats only good things, you might be tempted to prepare yourself Kitty’s meals. But beware : the nutrition of cats is very different from humans.
Essential precautions
To make a small dish occasionally for Kitty as your inspiration stikes, and from the content of your fridge, will pose no problem provided not to use food that is dangerous for cats. If, on the other hand, you are considering feeding your feline only with homemade food, you will need to carefully consider the specific needs of cats in terms of feeding.Giving unbalanced food to your cat is indeed likely to create deficiencies and eventually lead to serious health problems. Also, it will be more wise to consult your veterinarian beforehand for the menus you would like to make for your cat. Finally, be vigilant about the selection of the ingredients. If you wish to use raw meat, you will have to ensure that it is of impeccable quality and that it is kept in good conditions to avoid bacterial contamination.
Very specific nutritional rules
The diet suitable for cats is the one that comes closest to what they could find in the wild. That is to say a carnivorous diet, composed of small animals (birds, mice ...) that the cats consume as whole. This last detail has its importance: cats do feed naturally from the meat (i.e. : muscles) of their prey, but also from their organs and bones.This specific diet of cats in the wild explains their nutritional needs. Thus, they will need contributions consisting primarily of meat (vegetables intake should remain minimal), but also containing calcium (naturally provided by the bones) and specific vitamins and amino acids such as vitamins A, B and D and Taurine.
Which recipes for cats ?
You will understand, food for cats is very different from human diets. To prepare it, it is particularly advisable to equip yourself with a grinder (to prepare the meat but also the bones) as well as a kitchen scale that will be used to carefully weigh the different ingredients. Intakes of essential fatty acids, vitamins or minerals can be introduced by the addition of colza or salmon oil, brewer's yeast, egg yolk ... But there are also ready-made food supplements that are much more convenient to use.You can find advices and recipes to make your own cat food on Cat nutrition, Feline nutrition or CatInfo. Before you start, take the time to properly inform yourself and understand the rules of feeding felines. Cooking for Kitty is no small matter! But if you take the plunge, you will be rewarded by the feeling of participating in the health of your feline through a healthy diet which you will know all the ingredients.
