What is cat food?

Types of cat food

Cat owners generally search for healthy and balanced food for their cats, and the available options are wide, but the owner must be careful to choose types that include the most important nutrients for his cat’s growth.^[XNUMX] Among these are the following:

Canned cat food

Canned foods are characterized by their high levels of protein, which is one of the good points for cats. However, there are types of canned food that you should know in detail:^[XNUMX]

Mashed or paste canned food

This meal is easy to chew due to its pureed form, and is more consistent than other options, as it consists of crumbled and compressed meat.

Canned meat with meat sauce

It is characterized by being a common type that is rich in calories and loved by cats, and consists of relatively large pieces of meat placed in a thick sauce.

Canned meat with gravy

This type is very similar to the previous type, the difference is that the broth is less thick than the sauce, and it is also distinguished by the presence of some types containing vegetables.

Crumbed canned food for cats

It is a meal that contains meat cut into very small pieces with broth or sauce, as in the previous two types. It also contains other food pieces, such as cheese.

Grated canned food

It is similar to the previous type in the small size of the pieces, except that its pieces are lengthwise like pasta, but short, and are preserved in broth or water.

Semi-moist canned food

It is considered one of the rare types, and is not popular because it contains high levels of sugar and preservatives. It may sometimes be used for treatment, not nutrition.

Cat food in bags

Cat foods packaged in bags are widely available in the market and can be obtained easily. They are similar to canned foods in that they contain high levels of proteins, and their cost is reasonable. However, it is not always recommended to rely on them as a main meal for cats, and the most important types are:^[XNUMX]

Soup bags

They can be distinguished as prepared bags containing pieces of regular meat, or crusted in a special sauce with a mixture of vegetables.

Raw cat foods

Cats can enjoy and enjoy raw foods, but the basic condition for these foods is that they be fresh.^[XNUMX] What is generally meant by raw food is uncooked animal food, and includes:^[XNUMX]

bones.
muscle.
Organ meat.

Raw foods for cats are available in commercial markets, and they can also be prepared independently at home, provided that care is taken to ensure that the food is balanced in order to preserve the cat’s health. Veterinarians can be used to obtain a diet if the owner does not have sufficient knowledge, and raw food is considered one of the best. Food for cats because it is free of carbohydrates that are harmful to cats, and because it is high in moisture.^[XNUMX]

Lightly cooked cat foods

The characteristics of lightly cooked foods range between raw foods and canned foods. They have a high percentage of proteins, in addition to being easily digested in the stomach. These foods are divided into two basic types:^[XNUMX]

Boiled foods

Boiling causes the food to lose its flavor a little, in addition to its role in reducing the nutritional value of the food by a small percentage. This type is considered one of the few widespread and difficult to obtain in commercial markets, and one of its most prominent disadvantages is the high percentage of sodium in it.

Steamed foods

This type is more expensive than boiled, canned, and even raw foods, and steaming does not make the food lose its flavor. However, some cats may not want it, despite its benefits for obese cats in particular, due to its low calories.

Dry cat food

It is not recommended for cats to rely on dry foods because they do not contain nutrients that are important for their health and safety. However, these foods are widespread and come in many types and flavors, but they do not consist of natural materials.^[XNUMX]

It consists of flavorings, processed meats, and non-animal products that do not provide any benefit to the cat. In addition, they are foods that are low in protein and high in carbohydrates and sugars, in addition to calories.^[XNUMX]

Careful attention must be paid to the ingredients of foods provided to cats, and to ensure that they do not contain large amounts of carbohydrates, as dry foods for cats may cause health problems resulting from high levels of carbohydrates, including the following:^[XNUMX]

Urinary tract problems.
obesity;
diabetes.

Foods that should be avoided for cats

Cat owners must know which foods are more harmful than beneficial to this pet, and some foods may also be toxic, so they must be noted and avoided:^[XNUMX]

Toxic foods

Some foods cause cat poisoning, and the matter may be very dangerous and require transporting it to an emergency vet clinic, including the following:^[XNUMX]

garlic and onion

Garlic and onions contain the mineral sulfides, and cats eating these foods, regardless of their form, whether powdered, raw, or dried, leads to the absorption of sulfur into the bloodstream, which damages red blood cells.^[XNUMX]

This may affect the cat and cause some diseases in cats, as it may cause anemia, in addition to kidney disease. The effect of onions and garlic usually begins within 12 hours, and the initial symptoms of onion and garlic poisoning in cats are as follows:^[XNUMX]

vomiting;
diarrhea.
Anorexia.
idleness.
Depression.

Xylitol sugar

Xylitol sugar can generally be defined as a sugar substitute used by humans to reduce the high calories in regular sugar.^[XNUMX] Eating this sugar leads to poisoning for cats.^[XNUMX]

It is one of the substances that cause disturbances in the functioning of the pancreas, and increases the rates of secretion of the hormone insulin, which reduces blood sugar levels, and in the long run this leads to kidney failure. The initial symptoms of poisoning are the following:^[XNUMX]

vomiting;
idleness.
Loss of muscle control.

Xylitol is commonly found in the home in all of the following:^[XNUMX]

baked goods;
Dessert.
Chewing gum.
toothpaste.
mouthwash.

Chocolate

Chocolate contains both caffeine and theobromine, and their quantities vary depending on the amount of cocoa it contains, so dark chocolate is considered one of the most dangerous types for cats.^[XNUMX] Chocolate may lead to the death of the cat.^[XNUMX] Symptoms of poisoning begin to appear 6-12 hours after the cat eats the chocolate, and these symptoms include the following:^[XNUMX]

vomiting;
diarrhea.
Anorexia.
Increased thirst and urination.
Coma.
Tremor.
Rapid heartbeat.
Panting.

Coffee capsules, beans, and energy drinks that contain caffeine

Caffeine in all its forms and types is considered harmful to cats, and it may sometimes be fatal if its treatment is neglected. Its danger also lies in its bitter taste, which may be preferable to cats, which prompts them to eat it. Eating caffeine may cause harm to any of the following:^[XNUMX]

Intestine.
the kidneys;
heart and blood vessels.
Nervous system.
Lungs.^[XNUMX]
liver;^[XNUMX]

The degree of toxicity of caffeine varies depending on the level of its intake, and may also vary depending on the cat’s health condition and size. In general, one must quickly contact the veterinarian to look into the problem and try to solve it as quickly as possible, to prevent the damage from worsening. The solution may be to force the cat to vomit to get rid of the poison.^[XNUMX]

alcoholic beverages

It is forbidden to provide alcohol to any type of pet, but cats may be more affected than others by alcohol toxicity due to their small size.^[XNUMX] Therefore, you must quickly contact your veterinarian to prevent the danger from worsening.^[XNUMX]

It is also prohibited to serve alcohol through any type of food, such as baked goods, for example, as consuming alcohol may lead to the death of the cat. The primary symptoms of alcohol consumption for cats are the following:^[XNUMX]

vomiting;
diarrhea.
Depression.
Tremor.
shortness of breath.
Coma.

Grapes, raisins and currants

Grapes are considered a dangerous food for cats, due to the presence of an unknown compound that causes kidney failure. Among the initial symptoms that appear on cats after eating grapes, raisins, and apricots are hyperactivity and vomiting. The cat must also be taken quickly to the veterinarian when he eats these foods. Toxic.^[XNUMX]

Spoiled food

Rotting food produces fungal toxins that are harmful to cats. It may also lead to the cat’s death if early treatment is neglected. Among the foods whose rotting causes great harm when a cat eats them are the following:^[XNUMX]

Blue cheese.
Rotten fruit.
Decaying bread.

Unhealthy foods

It can be said that unhealthy foods are foods that can be given to a cat, paying attention to their quantities, including the following:^[XNUMX]

Dairy products

Milk is considered an unhealthy food for cats, in complete contrast to the image entrenched in the minds of many. This is due to cats generally lacking the enzyme lactase, which is responsible for breaking down the lactose present in milk and its derivatives. The accumulation of lactose may lead to diarrhea and stomach disorders in cats because of their love for this. The type of food and its voracious appetite.^[XNUMX]

Raw meat, fish and eggs

Eating raw foods causes many harms to cats. Raw meat, fish, and raw eggs cause the appearance of Escherichia coli bacteria, in addition to salmonella poisoning. Eating eggs also raises the enzyme avidin in cats, which is an enzyme that prevents the absorption of biotin. As for raw fish, it increases Thiamine enzyme destroys vitamin B. In the long term, the damage may appear as follows:^[XNUMX]

Damage to cat hair.
Harmful to cats' skin.
convulsions;
Coma.

Liver

The problem with overeating liver for cats is that it contains high levels of vitamin A, which being stored in excess in the cat’s body leads to health problems affecting the bones and spine. It may cause deformation of the cat’s bones and sometimes even fusion of the bones of its spine.^[XNUMX]

Liver can sometimes be fatal, so it is recommended to provide cats with measured amounts of liver in general, to benefit from the vitamins contained in it in moderation.^[XNUMX]

Tuna

Tuna is one of the foods that causes malnutrition in cats if they depend on it permanently, despite cats’ intense love for this type of food. Tuna does not contain the nutrients that a cat’s body needs to grow healthy and healthy, and it also contains levels of mercury that may lead to To poison him.^[XNUMX]

Nuts

Nuts of all kinds contain high levels of fats and oils, and cats eating this type of food in large quantities may lead to diarrhea and vomiting.^[XNUMX] This is due to the difficulty of processing it in the digestive system.^[XNUMX] Also, too much of it may cause pancreatitis over time.^[XNUMX]

bone

Wild cats usually eat other small animals, such as mice and birds, and swallow them whole with their bones without causing any significant harm. However, serving raw small bones or cooked bones may sometimes be harmful because of their softness and ease of crumbling, which leads to their accumulation in parts of the body. The digestive system, and sometimes it becomes clogged, causing cats to suffocate as a result.^[XNUMX]