Food and Diet Pets

It is imperative that all animals have fresh food and water daily. Equally important to note is the higher quality

of food you choose to feed, the fewer stools you will clean up and the better health the animal will enjoy. Low

quality foods include indigestible and low quality nutrients, which do not absorb into the animal’s body, and

therefore are eliminated. High quality does not necessarily mean expensive; you have to read the label to know

if you’re buying high quality.

Some keys to getting high quality food are:

• Whole meat or single-source meat meal (chicken meal rather than poultry meal)

• A whole-meat source as one of the first 2 ingredients

• The type of meat is listed and not just stated as “meat”

• Whole, unprocessed grains, vegetables and not fragments and fractions (whole grain barley rather than

rice bran, rice gluten, or brewers rice)

• Few sweeteners and not at the top of the list (corn syrup, sucrose)

• No artificial colors

• No propylene glycol – this is added to keep foods chewy

• No artificial preservatives (BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin)

There are a variety of articles about foods, ingredients, and how to read a label. You are urged to consult the

resources listed at the end of this manual to learn more.

Changing foods

To prevent diarrhea, if you switch food brands, do so gradually. A mix of 1/3 new with 2/3 previous for 2 days

and then opposite for 2 days will help the animal to adjust.

Cat food

Cats are carnivores and must have meat to survive. If allowed to eat on their own, cats will eat 10-18 meals

evenly distributed throughout a 24 hour period. When diet is not artificially altered, cats select food according to

its aroma, consistency, texture, and taste. They will also use previous experience to determine foods they like.

Cats have a remarkable sensitivity to the taste of water, making it even more important to ensure they have

good, palatable water.

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