We firmly believe that healthy food is synonymous with love. Like you, cats require a good diet to stay healthy. And, as head of the pack, its nutrition and quality of life is your responsibility. They do not need to speak to make you understand, because their personality is enough. Surely yours always demands a delicious meal.
There are a wide variety of cat food options on the market that you can choose from. But be careful, many of them have filler ingredients and do not provide the essential vitamins and minerals for the good health of your pet. For this reason, at Pets Guidelines we have prepared this complete guide with the information you are looking for at this time.
5 Best Cat Natural Balanced Foods
As cat lovers we always look for the best products. For this reason, in this section you will learn about the most popular cat natural balanced foods among users due to their excellent quality and price. Also, pay attention to its characteristics, since being well informed will be key to choosing the product that will benefit your pet.
ACANA Cat, Protein Rich, Real Meat Premium Natural Cat Food
With Acana Cat Protein you will be offering your pet complete and balanced nutrition. Includes 30 pounds of dry food with all the essential vitamins and minerals for adult cats. Plus, thanks to its high-quality protein, it helps keep your muscles strong and healthy.
With this food your cat will taste delicious flavors of chicken, turkey, salmon and sea fish. Try it, you will surely love it.
9Lives Complete Natural Cat Food
9Lives is characterized by its formula, as it includes lean protein and vitamin B. As a result, the food helps maintain a healthy weight and metabolism of your adult cat. It is also special for indoor cats.
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In fact, it has an advanced system of essential nutrients and vitamins to fulfill its purpose: that your partner does not gain weight. With the above, the brand seeks to support care, providing them with a long and excellent quality of life.
Premium Dry Cat Food with Real Meat & Brown Rice
Premium Dry Natural food is a super-premium dry food formulated with real protein and simple, healthy components for your cat. Some of these are special for weight control, healthy digestion and strengthening your pet’s immune system.
The main ingredient of this food is salmon, but it also has lentils, dandelions, pumpkins and blueberries. As they say, food is love. Following this priority, it contains no artificial flavors or preservatives.
Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet for Cats
If your adult cat is a bit sedentary, a natural food like this, is an excellent option. The package includes 16 pounds of dry food, made with turkey as the main ingredient. Of course, it’s also packed with all the essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
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Additionally, you will be supporting your pet to minimize hairballs and maintain a healthy weight. In addition, it contains Omega 6, which takes care of your skin and coat.
ORIJEN Natural Cat Food, Fit and Trim Recipe, Fresh and Raw Animal Ingredients
ORIJEN food is an excellent brand that has achieved prestige over time. This version is made with corn, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, beef meat and bone meal, wheat, chicken offal meal, tuna meal, salmon, turkey, and shrimp. It has a new and fresh formula that your cat will like like never before.
This food is 100% complete and balanced with quality proteins, therefore, your pet will not need nutrients. Contains a combination of 7 proteins. The product is among the best sellers in the United States. The size of the product is 1.5 Kg. It has vitamin A, D3, E and K3 as well as minerals (iron, etc.).
Something to keep in mind
- What your cat eats will influence its weight, health and also its happiness. Eating is one of the basic needs of any living being, so it is very important to choose quality food.
- Be careful, cats should not eat human food because they may lack nutrients. The body of people is not the same nor does it have the same needs as that of a pussycat.
- These animals are lovers of routines, so when they like a food, you should probably keep it. For this reason, it is better to ensure that your choice is of quality from the beginning, so that the animal does not get used to an unhealthy brand.
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Buying Guide
When purchasing food for our cat, it is important to evaluate some essential aspects. You know, a good diet is the basis of good health. Therefore, consider the following criteria before your purchase. They are key to choosing the best product for your feline.
Texture
The two most popular textures of cat food are dry food and wet food. Experts recommend combining both styles of food. Keep in mind that wet food provides a high percentage of hydration to your pet. In addition, it is very useful for elderly cats that no longer have enough strength to chew.
On the other hand, the advantage of dry food is that you can find it with focused and diverse functions. For example, for puppies or adults, sterilized cats, indoor cats, long-haired cats and more. Whatever your condition, there will be a dry food designed to improve your quality of life.
Ingredients
- Protein
- Fats
- Minerals
- Amino Acids
Flavors
As long as the food contains the necessary nutrients, the taste will depend on what your pet likes best. Normally, cat food comes with a main flavor, which is usually either salmon or some meat such as chicken or turkey, plus vegetables. But, on many occasions flavoring elements are also added to make it more pleasant to eat.
It is very important to know that the sensitivity of cats to bitter tastes is 400 times greater than that of dogs, but, on the contrary, they lack the taste buds to be able to enjoy sweet tastes.
Colors
If there is any color, such as reddish or green, it is because the food contains some type of dye. Artificial colors are sometimes more commonly found in low-quality foods. The only intention of these colors is to capture our attention (not even that of our pets).
Keep this in mind, because what really should matter to you are the quality ingredients and not the extra elements that add color to the food for your cat.
Quality
The quality is marked mainly by the ingredients that make up the food. The main thing is that it carries the amount that is needed of each nutrient to fulfill a good function in your pet’s body. Experts divide food quality into three categories:
Low quality: it is made with animal by-products not suitable for human consumption, such as cartilage, feathers, beaks or crushed hooves or viscera. To fill, they usually carry chemicals that can give a good flavor or be addictive, but that do not necessarily feed.
Medium quality: they usually alternate meat with by-products of animal origin. Therefore, the protein does not come as much from meat or fish.
High quality: it has the amount of protein that is required, coming directly from the meat and without animal by-products. They are low in carbohydrates and cereals, while they do not usually contain artificial flavors or preservatives.
Bottom Line
As a pet parent, one of the first things you think about before adopting a pet is how you will provide the best conditions for it to live happy, healthy and beautiful. The key to a full life for your dog or cat is to give it as much love as possible, accompanied by good pet food.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the differences between dry food and wet cat food?
These types of foods do not compete. In fact, many veterinarians recommend a combination of dry and wet food, so your pet can take advantage of both types. Keep in mind that wet food is not usually light.
So you could use it mixed in or as a treat as they love it. Please note: Dry food typically contains 5-10% water, providing little hydration for your pet. In contrast, cans of wet cat food typically contain 60-80% water.
Why shouldn’t I feed my cat human food?
It’s simple. The nutritional needs of a cat are not the same as those of humans. In addition, felines have a different metabolism than ours. When you give it what you eat at home, you are loading it with nutrients and calories that you don’t need and that can be harmful. Cat food is prepared with your nutritional needs in mind.
In fact, foods like onions, garlic, avocados, grapes or chocolate are not good for your body. If you decide to give him some human food, first check that it is not harmful to your pet, such as some source of protein or animal fat.
