Answer: Basically, the diet of the car needs to contain a high level of easily-digestible animal protein, together with some animal fat and small quantities of certain essential vitamin and minerals. In fact, the balance of nutrients should correspond closely to that found in the natural food of cats which is small rodents. This means that the diet of cat must be based largely on animal tissue; for example, meat, fish, liver, heart, kidneys, etc.
Cats tend to regulate their intake of food according to its energy content. Lb For example, the daily energy requirement of the average 7 lb (3 kg) pet cat is about 250 calories. After the cat has eaten food which will provide the amount of the energy is stops eating. Therefore, if the diet you provide contains too high a proportion of fat or carbohydrates, which are rich sources of energy, the cat will finish eating before it has consume sufficient protein. In other word it will satisfy its energy requirements and the stop eating before it has satisfied its protein requirements.
However, so long so an adequate proportion of protein is provided, the extra energy which the cat needs can be supplied in the form of carbohydrates or fat which cost less to feed then protein,. Indeed, there is a definite need for some animal fat, which may be part of an animal tissue (e.g. fat in meat) or else supplied separately (e.g. butter or bacon rinds). In contrast, there is no real need for the carbohydrates, i.e. starched and surgery foods. Nevertheless, provide the starches are pre-cooked carbohydrate foods can be used by the source of energy.
When it comes to the question of the exactly what do feed, you may decide to prepare the cat’s meal yourself from basic foodstuffs bought at the butchers fishmongers or pet store, or to buy ready prepared cat’s foods, or best of all, you ,ay decide to do both, giving a proprietary product one day and a home prepared meal the next. Cats appreciate novelty in food, unlike dogs who will happily consume the some familiar diet day after day. After a period of being continuously fed on type of diet, most cats given the choice will change to different diet, even though it isn’t any more palatable. By feeding a verity of a diet you are less likely to create a deficiency of essential nutrients.
There are three main types of proprietary brands of cat foods: canned ‘wet’ diets with a moisture content of around 75-80%; semi-moist foods in sealed, plastic pouches containing 20-30% water, and dry foods containing 8-10% water.
Each type can be obtained ‘balanced’ that is containing protein, fat and carbohydrate in the correct proportions needed by the cat plus the necessary vitamins and minerals. Obviously, the less water in the diet, the less of it needs to be eaten to satisfy the protein and energy requirements. Always follow the manufacture’s directions about the manner of feeding and if you intend to feed it to pregnant or lactating females, or to growing kittens, check that it is recommended for that purpose. In the United States any cat diet described as ‘balanced’ has by law to be nutritionally adequate for the feeding of all weaned cats, but this is not yet the case in Britain. Furthermore, British pet food manufactures advise feeding milk with some of their products to produce a completely balanced diet.
