Natural feeding is an increasingly chosen trend as a daily feeding of animals.
Although this seems to be somewhat simpler, simpler and more accessible, natural eating requires a lot of dedication and awareness on the part of the tutor. If not well designed and provided, the animal may have nutritional and energy imbalances that can affect the animal’s health.
- In this Animal Expert article we will explain what natural cat food is and how it should be made and provided so that your pet can have a balanced diet.
Cats have a specific gastrointestinal tooth and tract to eat and digest meat, an essential source of protein for carnivores. Its sharp teeth, large belly, short intestine and lack of blind make cats unable to transform plants.
Taurine and carnitine, essential amino acids, are mainly acquired by eating meat and offal.
In addition, the liver and pancreas of felines do not have a great capacity to treat glucose. Ingestion of carbohydrates, such as rice, pasta, corn, potatoes and fruits, a source of glucose, can lead to a disease called hyperglycemia (increased blood sugar) and therefore type II diabetes mellitus.
In the past, feral cats drank water, but it was eating meat that ensured hydration. Today, cats do not always guarantee their hydration with dry food, being especially demanding with their water sources. There are some tips for keeping your cat well hydrated that you can check out in the tips for my cat drinking water article.
To ensure a natural diet, the tutor should take into account that the quality and quantity of the products must be very well controlled, at the risk of not guaranteeing a balanced diet.
The natural diet type BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) is the new trend. This diet consists of providing raw foods without being processed or cooked.
Combined with this regimen, certain benefits, such as more effective absorption, can also lead to the transmission of parasites and zoonoses (diseases that can be transmitted to humans).
Important to note
Pay attention to the origin of fish, currently contaminated with mercury, lead or arsenic. Make sure the place where you buy food is reliable.
Existem diversas receitas caseiras de carne para gatos que você pode experimentar.
In some situations, it may be necessary to supplement the cat with essential nutrients and vitamins to ensure the proper functioning of the body.
The name of the BARF diet has two meanings: Bones and raw foods, which means “raw bones and foods,” and biologically appropriate raw foods, which is the name given to this English-based diet, meaning “biologically appropriate raw foods”. This type of food was implemented by Ian Billinghurst in 1993, although the name BARF is due to Debbie Trip.
The idea behind this diet is that the cat can be fed as close as possible to its food in the wild, based on raw meat, bones, offal and a small portion of raw vegetables.
It is assumed that by feeding in this way, the cat will have all the necessary nutrients to be healthy, in addition to avoiding the harmful effects that processed foods can bring, by the amount of chemicals and flours they contain, since they can cause disease. allergies and even lead to obesity.
After Billinghurst published his theory, many veterinarians, researchers and, over time, protectionists and advocates of the biological lifestyle, chose to feed their cats with this type of diet, promoting and spreading this natural way of feeding animals as the most suitable and natural.
If you want to start feeding your cat with the BARF method, here is an example of portion identification:
Cut the meat and bones very well, at home or by cutting them when you buy them. Place in a bowl and add the heart, vegetables and egg. Mix the ingredients very well with the meat. Add a little fish oil, source of omega 3, depending on the weight of your cat. You can use salmon oil, for example.
Separate portions with film paper and store them in the freezer. The day before, start defrosting the portions you need the next day to serve your cat at room temperature.
The idea is that you can vary the ingredients. Once a week, add fish instead of liver; When you don’t have a heart, add taurine to supplements; change the vegetables you use.
If you prefer to add taurine to supplements, you can add it directly to the serving size when your cat is going to eat it, to avoid the “oxidation” of the components and facilitate the calculation of the correct amount based on the weight of the animal.
Do not use seasonings, salt, oil, sauces or the like, or use garlic, chives, spices or onions. Your cat doesn’t need these ingredients and can be toxic or cause allergies.
If you would like to read articles similar to Natural Foods for Cats, we recommend that you visit our Balanced Diets section.