Top Tips for Choosing High-Quality Cat Food - 55 Charac

What are our criteria for evaluating cat food?

There are numerous factors to consider when determining the quality of cat food. The most crucial aspect is to choose a suitable option based on your cat's age, health condition, and dietary habits. Otherwise, it may lead to discomfort or an imbalance of high energy with low nutritional value. In the past, I relied solely on reviews, but now I take a more comprehensive approach. I hope that after reading this article, you will have gained some valuable insights.

Here are three simple strategies to help you make a basic judgment:

First Strategy: Look. Avoid cat food that has been excessively colored. The darker the color, the higher the meat content; conversely, lighter shades often indicate a higher grain content.

Second Strategy: Smell. Many cat foods are enhanced with strong fragrances or attractants to appeal to cats. If the scent is overpoweringly strong, it's likely that the food contains artificial flavors or additives, which are not ideal.

Third Strategy: Feel. Take a few pieces of cat food and rub them between two paper towels. If they feel greasy or crumble easily, they may be of poor quality. Highquality cat food should be less greasy and have firm, dense kibble that doesn't easily break apart.

Now, let's delve into the specifics of evaluating cat food:

1. Protein

Cats are obligate carnivores, requiring nutrients primarily from animal proteins (meat or organs) and only a small amount from plant sources like grains and vegetables. Cats can digest and absorb up to 90% of the protein from animal meat and organs, but only about 60% from plant proteins. This is because animal proteins contain complete amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), while plant proteins lack the essential amino acids needed by carnivores. Additionally, taurine, an important amino acid found in meat, is crucial for maintaining vision and preventing heart disease in cats. Generally, lowend cat food contains less than 28% protein, midrange is 28% to 32%, and premium options have 32% to 42%. For growing kittens, a protein content of over 30% is recommended, while adult cats need at least 25%. For cats with sensitive stomachs or those prone to obesity, these standards should be reduced by 10%.

2. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates in food can be categorized into two types: those that can be utilized by animals (simple sugars, disaccharides, and polysaccharides) and those that cannot be digested (fibers). Cats lack salivary amylase and have low levels of digestive enzymes for carbohydrates, making their digestion inefficient. Excess carbohydrates simply translate to extra calories that can be stored as fat, leading to obesity, diabetes, or urinary tract issues. Ideally, lower carbohydrate content is better, but dry kibble on the market typically contains 15% to 20% carbohydrates. Therefore, it's important to regularly vary your cat's diet. Opt for meatbased canned food or kibble with a higher meat content.

3. Water Content

Adequate water is vital for maintaining normal physiological functions and metabolism. Water plays a crucial role in the digestion, absorption, transport, and excretion of nutrients, as well as in temperature regulation, endocrine function, blood and lymph circulation, and lactation. Dry kibble typically provides only 10% water, while canned food can offer up to 80%. Clearly, if you're feeding your cat dry kibble, you'll need to ensure they have access to plenty of fresh water.

The amount of water a cat needs is determined by various factors, such as size and weight. A simple calculation principle is that a cat requires 44 to 66 milliliters of water per kilogram of body weight per day. For example, a 5kilogram cat would need a minimum of 220 milliliters of water daily.

4. Mineral Balance

Minerals have various functions in the body, such as bone and cartilage formation, maintenance of fluid and acidbase balance, oxygen transport in the blood, normal muscle and nerve function, and hormone production. Unlike trace minerals like iron, copper, and zinc, calcium and phosphorus are "macrominerals" that are abundant in animal tissues and are essential for normal development. An imbalanced calciumphosphorus ratio can lead to diseases such as osteochondrosis and hyperparathyroidism. The ideal ratio is 1 to 1.2:1.

5. Vitamins

Vitamins are essential for metabolic regulation, normal growth, and function. They are typically found in food and some are synthesized within the animal's body. Vitamins are divided into fatsoluble (A, D, E, K) and watersoluble (B, C) vitamins. Fatsoluble vitamins are stored in the body, while watersoluble vitamins are not and need to be replenished regularly.