Nutrition: Feline Style
By Dr. Dorothy McLean, HEALS team member
There are no Food and Drug Administration regulations that apply to pet foods.
This means the owner must pay attention to what is in the food by reading the labels and looking for expiration dates. Older kibble particularly in larger quantities- like big bags- are prone to growing mold or bacteria, having insect parts in the bags and going rancid depending upon how they were stored. The Association of American Feed Control Officials ( AAFCO) is responsible for determining the minimum requirements for pet foods. For cats, this is up to the Feline Nutrition Expert Subcommittee.
Wet vs. Dry
Canned cat food is usually formulated with water. A can can contain up to 80% of a cat’s daily water requirement per serving. Dry cat food, on the other hand, can help clean teeth and prevent tartar build-up, and can contain somewhere between six and ten percent water. it should be noted that sometimes dry food is coated with animal fat to make it more appetizing. Fat content whether in the kibble or coating the kibble can make the food liable to turning rancid. It is strongly suggested to store kibble in an airtight container away from any light sources to limit and prevent deterioration.
Dry cat food can have alot of different ingredients. Meat and/or meat by/products , poultry and/or poultry by-products, grains and/or grain by-products are usual first ingredient substances to find listed in the ingredients. This can be followed by fish meal, fiber sources, milk products, vitamins and various other substances. It is recommended that adult cats have 50 to 60% of their diet as protein – comprised of muscles, bones, ligaments and tendons. For fat which gives energy, it should be 30 to 50% and carbohydrates it should be 10% or less. Cats should have access to clean water at all times. There are, in addition, other substances the cat can not synthesize in sufficient quantities such as amino acids and fatty acids. These compounds must come from their diet. Amino acids such as arginine, methionine, histamine and taurine would be amino acids a cat needs in their diet.
The AAFCO states the cat should be getting a moisture content of at least 75% with organ meats such as liver and kidney and whole meat by-products. Any canned food not used should be refrigerated. If food carries an AAFCO -approved nutritional guarantee it is considered to be nutritionally complete and balanced.
Not all cats are the same.
The nutritional needs of cats changes with their different life steps. Kittens need more protein -intensive food than most adults. Meats must not be given raw as there is the risk potentially of toxoplasmosis. Also cats are essentially lactose intolerant so shouldn’t be fed cow milk or cream as gastric/intestinal upset can occur with vomiting and diarrhea. If this is done over time it can have a detrimental effect on the digestive system.There are other specialized diets for cats with diabetes , periodontal disease, and lower urinary tract disease. It is common now to find specially designed for the needs of certain breeds as well as food that minimizes hair balls.
Cats are given a body condition score depending upon fat m/muscle distribution. On a 8 point scale, a score of 5 would be ideal . A score of 1 would indicate visible ribs, no palpable fat, a severe abdominal tuck and an obvious spine and pelvic bones. A score of 5 would be a well-proportioned animal with a “ waist” behind the ribs, a slight covering on the ribs of muscle and fat and a minimal abdominal fat pad. Finally, a score of 9 indicates heavy fat cover with no “waist” and a large abdominal fat pad which can hang down. Cats who are overfed by leaving dry food out 24 hours for “grazing” are prone to this last grouping. Human food is not cat food and really shouldn’t be fed to a cat. People think it means love if you feed the cat your food, but food intended for humans does not contain essential things the cat needs- like taurine for example.
Make your own?
The internet now has videos on how to make homemade cat food which are inclusive of taurine and ground bones and organ meats. These are time-consuming methods and not inexpensive. Good canned and dry food is probably a more common sense approach to feeding your cat.
In summary, read ingredient labels to find the best cat food for your cat with the fewest by/products and consult your veterinarian about any special dietary restraints or needs your cat has or is developing.
Compassionate Recipe
As Autumn comes to the northern hemisphere, the mornings have gotten chillier and in the United States it becomes American football season with tailgate parties and people gathered to watch games- chili is a traditional staple- so our recipe today is a vegan chili. As always, if you aren’t vegan or vegetarian you can use beef ground or chunks.
For this recipe, we recommend a slow cooker to finish off the mix but if you make meat think about 4 hours.
Ingredients:
beans -15 oz cans each – black beans and pinto beans ( kidney if you like)
de seeded jalapeno peppers-
28 oz can of diced tomatoes- fire roasted
2Tsp avocado oil
1 onion
5 cloves of garlic minced
3.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tsp oregano and 2 of smoked paprika
1tsp cumin
2 teaspoon each ancho chile powder, chile powder
31/4 cups of water or veg broth
couple drops liquid smoke
1 tsp. of tamari
2/3 Cup of bulgur
1tsp salt, pepper to taste
1lb block of Beyond Chopmeat : break this up how you like your chunks
To Cook:
Large soup pot with some avocado oil
add the powdered spices and after a few minutes add the chopped onion, jalapeno and garlic and sauce for 3 min. til golden
add the beyond beef and break it up how you like it- browning it ( about 5 min)
add in the tomatoes and beans and simmer with the yeast , salt and pepper
add the the tamari water and bulgur and cook, stirring occasionally
about 15 minutes
This can be put in a slow cooker for another 45 minutes but it isn’t necessary. Let stand and then taste to season.
Garnish with cheese , sour cream ( these come in vegan versions) , avocado, taco chips, chopped green onion- whatever.
Enjoy!
