Food Time
MEETING YOUR SIBERIAN CAT'S NUTRITIONAL NEEDS
A good and healthy nutritious diet is the cornerstone to a healthy Siberian cat. And yet how do you know which is a good diet for your cat? These days, there are so many varying "expert" opinions that it is hard to tell which is which. We present to you some of the best practices when it comes to feline nutrition and diet,
A good and healthy nutritious diet is the cornerstone to a healthy Siberian cat. And yet how do you know which is a good diet for your cat? These days, there are so many varying "expert" opinions that it is hard to tell which is which. We present to you some of the best practices when it comes to feline nutrition and diet, but it is important that you realize that ultimately, the decision of your cat's diet depends on you. Make your choices based on what you have learned, what you feel comfortable with, and most importantly, what is healthy for your Siberian cat.
Make it a habit to be observant whenever you make any changes in your cat's diet, and adjust accordingly. A healthy and well-nourished Siberian cat is muscular, strong, hardy, and playful. And always remember not to make any drastic changes in your cat's diet without giving their stomach and digestive system time to adjust. Don't hesitate to consult us for expert recommendations, but do your own homework, too!
The Nutritional Needs of Cats
Cats are obligate carnivores. This means that their nutritional requirements are based largely on meat, much as their natural diet if they are in the wild. It is therefore important for your Siberian's diet to be high in proteins and fats.
Recent research has suggested, in fact, that there is a ceiling at which cats are able to process carbohydrates. The only carbohydrates that cats ingest in their natural diet, if they are in the wild, for example, are those that are found in their prey's stomach. Experts are of the opinion that cat lacks the enzymes that would enable them to properly digest carbohydrates. If you are giving him a high-carb diet, then this could possibly lead to problems such as digestive diseases and other conditions such as diabetes and pancreatitis.
Many cat breeders and owners out there are, in fact transitioning to a raw meat-based diet. If this appeals to you, it is important that you do your research first. Know what types of meat you can give them, and how they should be prepared.
If you prefer feeding your cat the comparatively convenient packaged cat food, look for meat-based cat food that is appropriate to their age level. You can find some tips on choosing quality cat food in your kitten's contract.
How to Select a High-Quality Cat Food Brand
First of all, look for the following:
Dangerous Foods to Avoid
Don't forget that cats are obligate carnivores - and this means a diet completely different from humans and even dogs. So don't think that by giving them what you consider tasty human food you are doing them a favor. Below is a Hs: of some potentially dangerous or even poisonous human foods that a cat should not eat. Take a look around your living space and make sure that none of them are available where your cat can reach them.
• Alcohol • Candy and Gum
• Chives ​
• Chocolate • Coffee
• Dairy Products ​(cow)
• Energy Drinks
• Fat Trimmings and Bones
• Garlic
• Grapes and Raisins
• Mushrooms
• Mustard seeds
• Onions/leeks
• Peach pits
• Potato leaves/stems
• Raw Egg White
• Rhubarb leaves
• Tea
• Tomato leaves/stems
• Walnuts
• Xylitol
• Yeast dough
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AAFCO Aproval
Finally, while the choice of whether you give your cat dry or wet food is completely up to you, part of which may even be determined by your lifestyle and how often you are at home - please bear in mind that most experts recommend canned instead of dry kibble. comparatively, canned food may be preferable because dry kibble has too low water content, too high carbohydrate content, and is mostly plant-based rather than animal or meat-based.
Yes, choosing a good and high-quality cat food can be a daunting and sometimes frustrating task. It is literally the confusion of too many choices, each one claiming to be the best for your beloved feline.
How do you choose? Perhaps the simplest answer to this would be to ask around. Ask other cat owners, especially breeders with a good history of breeding and raising healthy cats. Which cat food do they prefer? They can give you some recommendations to narrow their choices, and you might not even need to look further. It is always a good idea, however, to start learning how to read the label on that cat food you are bringing home. This allows you to make informed choices should you later on decide to shift to a different brand of cat food, because after all, you won't get much information from advertisements alone. And with the notoriety of some cats losing interest in the same food day in and day out, you may find yourself having no choice but to alternate between different cat food brands.
1
Age Group
A nutritional adequacy statement that tells you the age-appropriateness of the cat food, whether it is for kittens, adult or mature cats, or cats in their senior years
2
Name
Look at the name of the cat food. This usually highlights a key ingredient. It is advisable to look at the first word of the cat food name. This is important because the cat food is then required to contain at least 95% of the named ingredient. For instance "Tuna Cat Food" or "Chicken Cat Food" Watch out for qualifiers such as "entree," "dinner," "formula," or statements such as "with tuna/chicken", because while the cat food may contain these meat ingredients, adding them only as qualifiers means that they are not the primary ingredient, and may range from some 3% to anywhere that is less than 95%.
3
Avoid "by" products
Next, look at the ingredients list. As much as possible, avoid cat food that contain chicken by products, chicken by-product meal, corn meal, corn gluten meal, wheat gluten. These are not healthy ingredients - as meat by products mostly consist of rendered parts of chicken such as viscera, head, legs, necks and intestines. Corn meal and wheat, on the other hand, are cheap fillers and may even cause indigestion in your cat.
4
Grain or Grain-Free
Not all grain is bad, as rice, rice flour, barley, barley flour, or milled barley can also be a good source of carbohydrates in high quality cat food. Make sure that these are not the primary ingredients, however, as the healthier options are meat-based cat food. Manufacturers are legally mandated to list ingredients based on their weight in descending order. Look for those that are derived from meats such as chicken, tuna, fish, beef, etc.
Don't forget to look for a statement that says that the cat food "meets or exceed AAFCO standards."
Siberian Cat's
Nutritional Needs
The choice of what to feed your cat is ultimately up to you, but here are a few tips that may guide you:
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Cats are originally desert creatures, and they derive most of their water from the moisture in their food. While you can offer them a constantly filled water bowl at the same time as feeding them dry kibble, they will only occasionally lap up water to make up for their thirst. This means that cats on a steady diet of dry kibble will be in greater danger of dehydration. An alternative is feeding them a mixed diet of dry and canned food.
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Shake it up a bit. If you find a good canned cat food that you think is healthy, it's probably not a good idea to stick to it constantly over the course of his life. For one thing, they might simply become bored with it and lose interest. For another, it's always a good idea to provide them with varied sources of good protein and fats, and the vitamins and minerals that come with either fish or meat. Feeding them too much of one thing can deprive them of important nutrients found in other diets.
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Always provide them with readily accessible clean drinking water. While cats don't have the same sense of thirst that we do, providing them with a good source of clean drinking water allows them to satisfy their thirst whenever they need to, keeping them hydrated and healthy.
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Don't free feed. There is perhaps some leeway for freeding for kittens and pregnant or lactating mothers - these cats need the added nutrients and food for growth and their developmental changes. But for a regular, adult cat - particularly those kept mostly indoors and with limited options for something else to do inside the house - leaving them readily accessible food that they can get to throughout the day opens the doors for obesity in your Siberian. Sure, a rounded furball looks kind of cute and cuddly, but it is fundamentally unhealthy, and can lead to all sorts of illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis, and urinary tract disease.