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Food question for Phil P.
Phil,
I recently got a cat and I've been scanning the cat newsgroups on Google for info on what canned foods to feed for long-term good health. I found one of your posts (quoted below) very informative, but I would like to know which specific foods (brands and 'flavors') actually meet these requirements since you stated that many do. I've examined the dry matter analyses for many canned cat foods, but I am yet to find even one that actually fits the bill (unless I'm not understanding them correctly). I know this is a complicated topic and there are many people here with strong opinions, but your input would mean a lot to me. Thank you very much for your time and help!! -Robert 1. Try to find a food in which the first 3 or 4 ingredients are meat products. Foods that have meat products as only the first and second ingredients could still contain more plant products than meat. Ingredients are listed in "descending order of predominance by weight". However, the combined total weight of all the plant products could outweigh the meat- even though meat is the first ingredient. 2. Try to find a food with a phosphorus content no higher than .2% 'as fed' or .9% 'dry matter basis'. If you accustom your cat to moderate-to-low phosphorus diets at a young age, it will be much easier to maintain the cat on low phosphorus diets later in life- which will be crucial if your cat develops CRF. 3. Try to find a food with an 'ash' analysis of 5%. 2-3% (on the label) is ideal. The higher the 'ash' the less digestible the food. 4. Try to find a food with fiber content 2%. High fiber reduces digestibility of proteins and fats and affects absorption for some vitamins and minerals. A high fiber content also increases fecal volume and reduces urine volume which could lead to urinary tract disorders. So, a food with a fiber content of about 1% max (on the label) would be ideal. Many foods meet these requirements, but the trick isn't only finding a food that meets all these requirements but one that your cat will like, too! You can make the selection a little easier by putting down a smorgasbord of 4 or 5 foods that meet your requirements and let your cat choose the one she likes. Repeat the process the next day but without the food she chose the day before. If she chooses another food, repeat the process the next day and leave out that food. I know this sounds crazy but this is how to establish a group of foods that you know your cat will eat without going through numerous trials. This way you'll have a group of foods she likes and can rotate her diet. Personally, I believe in rotating foods from an early age, this will avoid fixed food preferences later in life and will make switching to a prescription diet much easier if the need arises. Phil |
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