Cat food in the Supermarket

It is far too easy to buy cat food in basically any supermarket and then think it is good for your cat but is it really?

These days most people are aware that the meat produced by industrial farming is unhealthy.  Industrial farming methods use high levels of potentially toxic chemicals and pesticides to spray grain. 

This toxic grain is ultimately fed to farm animals and passes indirectly to the meat and dairy products derived from the animal.

Cats eat commercial cat food because they are hungry and have no choice.  The “recipe” and I deliberately put it between quotes, are often poor quality with little thought for the welfare of the cat.  

Cat food manufacturers habitually coat cat food with chemicals to create an ‘appetising’ flavour for the cat.  They also add sugar, and colouring to make the appearance more attractive to the owner. 

Felix is a well-known brand which now causes sickness in cats, due to the high level of sugar which has been added.

Let’s dive a little bit deeper into this cat food:

In both sentences, we see the word “processed” and when we see processed this way, we know it is not good enough for our cats. Yes, it is easy but is it really healthy?

What do wild cats eat?

When we look in the wild the big cats kill their own meat. Just look at lions, cheetahs, jaguars and I can go on naming the big wild cats. Or the smaller wild cats, their prey exists almost entirely on rodents and small mammals. So, now we are looking to replicate the biological profile of this natural diet and that is a challenge.

Why do cats eat meat? 

Meat provides phosphorous and bone provides calcium.  The calcium from bone is critical, and it is dangerous to feed cats on meat alone.

Poultry thighs provide the optimum balance and are palatable due to the higher fat content.  Poultry breasts are unsuitable as they contain disproportionate levels of fat.

Changing the Cat’s diet

Always consult the vet before changing the cat’s diet.  Cats with chronic kidney disease must not be fed home-cooked meals.

Complete cuts of a whole chicken and turkey thighs are most suitable, never use minced meat.

Homemade Organic Cat Food Recipe

We have added a recipe for Homemade Organic Cat Food. Your cat would love it and if I were a cat I would eat it too.

So, what do we need?

Do not add to, or subtract from any of these ingredients, as this could cause a dangerous deficiency.

How do we cook it?

Submerge the thighs in boiling water, for one minute, to kill bacteria.

If feeding a fat cat, remove 80% of the skin.  The skin need not be removed for feeding a thin cat. 

Remove half of the thigh meat, to be added raw later.

Bake the remaining meat at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Once cool, pass through a food processor.

Cook liver for 10 minutes.  Stir and break into pieces, and cook for 10 minutes more.

Warm the water, and add the capsules to dissolve.  Crush tablets and add them to the water.   Add taurine and fish oil, salt and bone meal powder.   Whisk well.

Chop raw meat into half-inch cubes.  Combine the liquid and the meat.  Once cooled, the food can be divided into ice cube trays for individual portions, and frozen for up to four months.

Remember

Never feed cooked bones as they can splinter and cause perforations.

The liver is high in vitamin A and vitamin D, and only limited amounts should be given.

Alergies

Cats are mountain and desert animals, and fish has no place in their natural diet.  Many cats are allergic to fish, and fish also contains mercury which causes alterations in vitamin E. 

Toxicity

Certain foods are toxic to cats – leeks, chives, grapes, onion, garlic, raisins, raw and cooked egg, raw fish, dairy products, alcohol, scallions, shallots, chocolate, coffee, citrus, coconut flesh and water, nuts, bread dough, excessive salt.

Fibre

You probably have seen that we hardly put any fibre in the recipe and that is because the natural diet of the cat is low in fibre. There is really no need to add fibre to the homemade recipe. 

Our homemade diet

This homemade organic cat food diet is highly digestible, the volume of faeces is lower, and the cat may not pass faeces every day. 

Bonne Appetit

We do appreciate that you can comment on our recipe, especially we would like to know if your cat liked it. For the rest, we will say “bonne appetite”, to your cat.