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It’s very common to see cat owners scratching their heads for the best cat foods that can be available.
Healthy Food for Cats Available Online in India
While there is nothing healthier than homemade food, an array of brands that offer nutritious foods for cats, these foods have blends of essential nutrients for your cat.
Benefits of Giving Homemade Food to Your Cat
When your pet cat is in the growing stages of his/her life, one of the essential things it needs, apart from love and care, is proper and balanced nutrition, which most commercially available pet food fails to give.
Homemade cat food is made of natural food items and is excellent for the digestive system of cats. By giving homemade food to your cats, you can keep their calorie intake in check and ensure they stay healthy. Your cat’s dental and urinary health will also improve. They will have better fur and will shed much less. You’ll also see a visible improvement in their energy.
What Do Cats Need to Eat?
As obligate carnivores, cats need:
- Protein from meat or fish
- Amino acids like taurine and arginine (from meat or fish)
- Fatty acids
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Water
Carbohydrates like rice and corn in small amounts are okay, but they aren’t necessary for a cat’s diet. However, a modest amount of carbs will provide helpful energy and may reduce the cost of a home-cooked diet.
Raw Cat Food: Good or Bad?
Raw meat diets are neither safe nor nutritionally fulfilling due to the risk of salmonella poisoning.
Know these things before making homemade food for cats
If you decide to make your cat’s food at home, follow these instructions to ensure that you meet your cat’s nutritional requirements.
Ensure Nutritional Balance
Balanced nutrition is vital for cats’ quality of life. Both excesses and deficiencies in nutrition can lead to serious health problems.
It’s a shame that many recipes for homemade cat foods contain too little or too much of one or more essential nutrients.
Use recipes approved by a veterinary nutritionist
So, where should you get your recipes for homemade cat food? Your best option is an expert and certified veterinary nutritionist.
Get the Right Supplements
Making nutritionally complete and balanced cat food is virtually impossible without vitamins and mineral supplements. Beware of any recipe that claims to provide all the nutrients your cat needs without supplementation.
Reputable sources will tell you exactly how much of each specific vitamin and mineral supplement needs to be added to the other ingredients in the recipe.
Make sure you have the time to make Cat Food
Preparing a homemade diet for your cat requires extra time.
You can save time by preparing a week or two’s worth of food and freezing meal-sized portions. Thaw the food in the refrigerator overnight and warm it to body temperature before feeding.
Homemade food should be discarded in the refrigerator after two hours at room temperature or after a few days.
Make a Gradual Switch
Rapid changes in the diet can lead to gastrointestinal upset for cats. Take a week or two to mix gradually in increasing amounts of the new food with decreasing amounts of the old. If your cat doesn’t quite like the new diet, switch back to the old, and if symptoms persist, please consult a veterinarian.
Take Your Cat to the Vet Regularly for Monitoring
Cats who consume a homemade diet should be seen by a veterinarian twice or thrice a year to monitor for diet-related health problems and ensure that your recipes meet your cat’s needs.
List of Safe and Homemade Cat Foods:
Human foods are considered healthy and most nutritious for cats if they have all the necessary nutrients. Since they are prepared at home, undoubtedly, the food would be safe for your little kitty. Here we have listed some of the best cat foods that can easily be prepared at home.
Read this article for some tasty homemade cat food recipes
1. Cooked Eggs
Cooked eggs are superfoods for cats. Eggs are packed with protein and are easy to digest as well. Besides, they are a rich source of amino acids that keeps help in growth. The only thing you must take care of is avoiding raw eggs, as they could lead to health problems like food poisoning. Also, the protein present in the egg may interfere with biotin absorption. Cats need Biotin for a shiny coat and healthy skin.
2. Steamed Vegetables
Fresh vegetables are a great source of vitamins and fibres that promotes healthy digestion amongst cats. Also, it has water that the cat needs. Though vegetables like cucumber, cantaloupe, broccoli, green beans, etc., are highly nutritious for cats, they also don’t like veggies. So you would have to struggle to make your cat eat vegetables. You can consider baked or steamed vegetables. Or prepare a burger consisting of all the vegetables. In a case like eating fresh vegetables, make sure you wash them. Avoid garlic and onions as they would not add any nutrient value.
3. Boiled Fish or Cooked Salmon
Fish is packed with protein and omega-3 fatty acids that improve your cat’s eyesight and help prevent kidney diseases and arthritis. You can give your cat boiled fish or cooked salmon. Avoid giving them raw fish as it would not suit their health. Also, avoid giving her Sushi as it is also consumed raw. For additional nutrients, you can add fish oil supplements to their diet. Fish oils have their benefits, such as it keeps the cat’s skin moisturized and preventing dryness.
4. Cooked Whole Grains
Whole grains like oats are loaded with protein and fibre, one of the iron-rich foods for cats. It takes good care of their overall health. Other whole grains you can feed your indoor cat are cornmeal, barley, brown rice, and millet couscous. Ensure the grains are well cooked, as it would be easy for her to digest.
5. Boiled Chicken
It is no surprise that cats are carnivorous; hence a slice of chicken would be the perfect food for cats. Chicken is a good source of lean protein. Boiled chicken makes for an excellent treat for cats. You can combine it with boiled rice to keep stomach-related problems at bay. The protein available in the chicken maintains your kitty’s heart health and reproductive system. Make sure that the chicken is boneless and not too much spicy.
6. Bananas
Next on the list of best foods for cats is bananas. Like vegetables, cats do not like fruits. However, banana is counted among the superfoods for cats, all thanks to the number of nutrients the fruit has. Banana is an excellent source of soluble fibre and potassium. Also, they are perfect snacks for cats. Though they are healthy, the entire diet should not have bananas only as they have high sugar content.
7. Turkey
Turkey is one of the best sources of lean protein; thus, it is here on the list of human foods for cats. Cooked turkey breast is a safe snack for cats. Unseasoned, plain, skinless, and boneless turkey is safe for cats. Avoid giving them raw turkey as it might not suit her health.
8. Apples
Like humans, apples are good for animals like dogs and cats, and thus apple is one of the best food for dogs and cats. Apples contain a lot of fibre, which is good for your cat’s bowel. Also, it is an ideal snack if your cat is overweight or has a lower metabolism. Besides these, apples also have other nutrients like vitamins A and C that make tissues and bones healthy. While feeding apples to cats, remove their upper layer and seeds as they have cyanide.
9. Bread
Bread is a good source of fibre and protein. Thus it is ideal cat food. However, one should feed a cat bread in moderation. The entire diet should not contain bread. It should have other ingredients, too, so that your cat gets complete nutrition. Also, ensure that you do not feed the bread dough to the cat since it could harm their health.
10. Blueberries
It is also one of the best foods for cats because it is an excellent source of Vitamin A and C. Blueberries are also available in many cats’ foods. Whether you want to feed her fresh or frozen blueberries is up to you. The fruit also has many antioxidants that add to the benefits of blueberries.
11. Foods for diabetic cats
Some cats have diabetes. They might develop it in the late stages of their lives or even show symptoms from the beginning. If your pet cat has diabetes, here’s a cat food recipe for senior cats with diabetes.
Ingredients
1/2 cup grains (brown rice or oatmeal, cooked)
1/2 cup organic chicken (raw, ground)
1/4 cup raw carrots or cooked green beans
1/2 cup chicken liver (raw)
vegetable broth to moisten
Directions
Take a large bowl and pour all the ingredients into it. Mix all the ingredients to the desired consistency.
Warm up the meal before serving it in small-sized pieces for easy digestion.
This meal is specially designed for cats with diabetes, and its main aim is to strengthen the pancreas, reduce insulin needs and reduce scarring.
Foods that should not be given to cats:
- Bread dough
- Garlic and onions
- Alcohol
- Chocolate
- Raisins
- Grapes
- Macadamia nuts
- Sugar-free gum or candy
- Tuna
- Dog foods should NEVER be given to cats!
Conclusion
One of cat owners’ most challenging tasks is feeding them the right foods. The proper meal can help your cat to grow well as it has all the required nutrients. Besides offering her the proper nutrients, another challenge is how to make her eat. There is no defined rule for the same; all you have to do is test and try what your cat likes and what she does not. Also, one must look for many ways to feed her nutritious food.
FAQs
What are superfoods for cats?
Cranberries, lean meat, and fish are some superfoods that should be fed to cats.
What human food can I feed my cat?
Above is the list of all the human food you can feed your cat.
Is homemade food better for cats?
Yes, because it has all the required nutrients and is prepared according to the need of a pet cat.
Raw Food or Cooked Food – Which is Better for My Cat?
Since your pet is domesticated, cooked food is the best option for him.
Which Ingredients Should Never Be Added to a Cat’s Food?
Avoid adding gluten-based products and corn substitutes to your cat’s food.
How to Store Homemade Cat Food?
The best way to store homemade cat food for short periods is to keep in a container and place it in the corner of your kitchen. For extended periods, you can consider storing them in your refrigerator.
Can Kittens Be Fed the Same Homemade Food as the Older Cats?
Yes, they can, but the food needs to be softer and broken into smaller bite-sized pieces for easy digestion.
How Much Food Should I Give to My Cat?
A standard bowl serving 250 gms of food twice daily would be enough to keep your pet healthy.
Homemade food is good for cats. By eating homemade food, your cat with stay healthy and happy. Try these recipes and keep your little friend happy and healthy.
Can I feed my cat a vegan or vegetarian diet?
No, cats are obligate carnivores and require animal protein to survive.
Can I add seasonings or spices to homemade cat food?
No, seasonings and spices can be harmful to cats.
Can I feed my cat raw meat?
While some people advocate for raw diets for cats, it is not recommended.
I am a pet expert dealing with Cats, Dogs, Birds, Rabbits and Aquarium fish for the last 10 years. Now it is time to share my knowledge with you. I am very passionate about sharing everything that I learned so far about pet care. Watch my Youtube channel Petfather
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