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Awareness after Cat Food Recalls

July 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Article by Luvi Marie

A cat food recall came in response to reports of renal failure in pets. It was apparent for the first time in March 2007, when cats and other pets died of kidney failure and the reason was traced to wet pet foods made with wheat gluten from a single Chinese company. There have been several cases after that, but in spite of extensive government and private testing and forensic research, no cause has yet been isolated.

Sources of Cat Food

Pet food is a billion dollar industry in America. As a result of the cat food recall, the cat food was traced mainly from one company called Menu Foods having nearly 100 brands of cat food. In the United States there has been good media coverage of the cat food recall. There has been public outrage in many places and people have asked for a government regulation of pet food. Pet foods are self-regulated by pet food manufacturers and the government has been asked to step in.

There are about 40 products manufactured by Menu Foods. The favorites which are listed as “cuts and gravy” style products have been removed due to the cat food recall. The ingredient that is the root of the problem is a protein source which is used to thicken the pet food gravy. These products sold in cans and pouches are available in all the supermarkets in the country. Consumers are advised to stop buying these products with immediate effect. All customers have been advised to remain calm and follow the advice of the veterinary doctors.

Symptoms Causing Alarm

There has been a 30 per cent increase in kidney failure in cats and this is definitely the main reason of the cat food recall. Pet owners have been asked to take their cats to a veterinary doctor as soon as they show any symptoms like loss of appetite, lethargy, depression, vomiting or diarrhea associated with the unknown toxicant. If the cat is excessively thirsty or urinates more than usual, they could be the symptoms for kidney failure as a result of consuming harmful cat food.

New Cat Food

Due to the sudden cat food recall, the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has recommended that the cats be fed products which contain U.S.• “sourced protein supplements till the crisis is resolved. The ASPCA is keeping a close watch on any new developments in this crisis. Pet owners can call them or email them regarding all queries. Their website provides the necessary advice and answers all questions regarding the cat food recall. The information is up-to-date and fully supported by a team of doctors who have been handling cats with problems after consuming toxic cat food.

For more information and guides you may visit the following websites :Home Improvement

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Understanding Organic, Holistic and Natural Pet Foods

July 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Understanding Natural Pet Foods

Natural pet foods are manufactured without the use of preservatives or synthetic chemicals. Artificial flavorings and colorings are forbidden. Natural cat and dog foods should not contain any animal by-products, including ground intestines, bones, feet, feathers, organs and fatty tissues.

Natural cat and dog foods are made from meat proteins from animal flesh. The color of the pet food should be natural. Natural pet food will not have a variety of colorful kibbles.

Some natural pet food brands include Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Blue Buffalo, California Natural and Mother Nature.

Understanding Holistic Pet Foods

Holistic pet foods offer all the same quality standards listed above for natural pet foods, and add extra ingredients to boost your pet’s health systems and overall well being. Ingredients are chosen to stimulate various body systems including the immune system, brain growth and skin health. Common food additives in holistic pet foods include blueberries, fish oil and flax seeds.

Some holistic pet food brands include Innova, Halo, Eagle Pack Pet Foods and Canidae.

Understand Organic Pet Foods

Organic pet foods are natural and use USDA grade ingredients grown on farms free of pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones. The meat protein used in organic pet foods is human grade, USDA certified. Wet dog and cat foods labeled organic usually contain 95% organic ingredients. Dry foods are usually labeled as “made with organic ingredients” (rather than 100% organic), and contain 70-94% organic ingredients.

Some organic pet food brands include Karma, Organix, Newman’s Own Organics and Castor and Pollux Pet Works.

Natural, holistic and organic pet foods are a green option for the pet food industry and pet owners. They promote sustainable farming, less pollution of ground water systems and healthier, more digestible diets, for our pets. Recycled packaging and electronic marketing are also common features of natural, holistic and organic pet products.

Written by AngelaTague
Freelance Journalist

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Natural Cat Food – Pointers on Proper Feeding of Cats

July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A natural type of cat food is one that tries to imitate in the closest possible manner the wild diet of the animal. If one is knowledgeable enough on the animal, one will learn that wild cats obtain their food by hunting wild prey such as mice. Because obviously they cannot cook, they eat the meat from their prey fresh and raw. In the same token, a pet owner must also provide their pet cat with fresh and raw meat in order to minimize the craving in the animal for raw meat, which may lead to an ugly specter of dead mice scattered around the yard.

Watching the Diet of Cats

Natural food for pet cats today is commonly replaced by processed cat foods, which purportedly provide the essential nutrients for the animal. However, pet owners must be careful when giving processed cat foods for their pet cat for the following reasons:

The presence of chemicals.

Most cat foods are preserved using chemicals of varying amount and kind of chemical used. The presence of chemicals in their food may cause harmful health effects on the animal, which in the long-term may cause them to develop diseases and other ailments that could be difficult and costly to treat, not to mention the suffering it may cause the animal.

The use of fillers. Fillers do not provide nutrient to the animal. What it does is to puff up the food particle it is used with. In this regard, the most common filler used is starch, which has no nutritional benefit in itself.
Nutrients. Because cats are by nature not as active as other animals, any large intake of carbohydrates may cause them to puff up and make them sluggish. Moreover, when carbohydrates and sugar intake is not properly digested, it may accumulate in the body and may cause feline diabetes.

In turn, feline diabetes may cause a string of other ailments.

Cat’s Dependence on Human for Nourishment

Because pet cats are entirely dependent on their owner for their nourishment, pet owners must see to it that the animal is provided the proper nutrient and that cat natural food is always around. This has the dual purpose of nourishing the animal properly while at the same time keeping in check cravings for other food items, which if ingested, may have harmful effects on its health.

Click here immediately to grab a FREE copy of the ‘natural cat care’ mini course. Inside it you will learn dozens of ways to keep your cat healthy, avoid getting ill, be happier and more playful. There are more natural cat food ideas found at the website above.

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Cat Ownership, Owning More Than One Cat

July 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Cats (with the exception of lions) are not pack animals, they would typically prefer to live alone.  They have accepted living with us and will accept other cats, although not by choice.  Here are some things to consider if you are thinking about getting another cat.  As well, be sure to read the link at the bottom to Introduce a New Cat Correctly!

Litter Box Concerns

The general rule of thumb concerning litter boxes is one box per cat, plus one other box located elsewhere in the house. This is because cats sometimes become territorial over their litter box and even cats that are “friends” will try to prevent each other from using the litter. This can be intentional or through play. As such having more litter boxes will help, and will prevent one litter box from becoming overly dirty which often results in litter box use refusal.

Feeding Concerns

This is often a big problem in homes with more than one cat, particularly when little thought has gone into selection the newer cat. Typically people have an adult cat, and bring home a kitten. The problem is that kittens need kitten food (at least for their first 8 months) and adults need adult food, or may even need senior cat food.

The problem here is that while feeding of small amounts of canned food can be monitored, dry food is typically left out all day so the cats can ‘graze’, as this is the natural eating pattern of domestic cats. Kittens who eat adult food will not get the protein and fat they need for growth and brain development. Adults will be attracted by the (usually) better quality kitten food and will eat that rather than their own food, and may become obese and unhealthy as a result. This is even more of a problem for older cats who are already obese or may have diabetes.

For this reason when selecting a new cat owners are advised to select one similar in age to the one they have now. If the ages are too different the owners must ensure that the cats are fed separately, and are fed several times throughout the day (at least 3 meals). One thing that may work is feeding a good quality dry adult food (left out for the day) and offering individual meals of canned food.

Fights

Fights are common in homes with more than one cat especially when a new cat is brought home and not introduced correctly. Fights are more likely to occur when one, or more, of the cats is mature and not spayed or neutered. Even cats who have lived together for years may have the occasional fight from time to time.

To reduce fights when the new cat is brought home it must be introduced slowly and correctly. Typically this is done by confining it to a bathroom (or bedroom) for 2 weeks, allowing the cats to meet by smelling paws under the door. Of course the new cat must have a litter box, food, and water, in the room where it will be residing. Even after the 2 week period the cats are not thrust at each other but allowed short times together, with the new one confined again when you cannot be home to supervise.

Although many people feel fights can be reduced by bringing home a kitten rather than an adult, this is not always the case. An adult cat can do real harm to a kitten, where as if you bring home an adult cat that is use to living with other cats, there may be less of a problem.

 

Diseases

In multi cat households it is very important that all cats be vaccinated. When bringing home a new cat you should be sure your current one is up to date on its shots. The new cat should have been vaccinated at least 2 days prior to being brought home, as well it should have been checked for ear mites, fleas, and so forth, and dewormed. Be aware that since vaccinated cats can shed diseases, it is important that all cats involved be vaccinated.

Breeding

Although you might think it will be cute to allow your cats to reproduce, there are so many unwanted kittens already adding more is irresponsible. Before breeding any animal they should attend shows to prove they are worth breeding, and be checked by a veterinarian for breeding soundness. As complications can be expensive one should be sure they have at least 00 in case of an emergency. If cats are too young, or too old, they can have serious problems, and even die, during pregnancy or labor.

The simplest way of removing this risk is by having every cat spayed or neutered. If one cannot afford to spay or neuter there pets, they must keep them separate, or should only consider getting cats that are already spayed or neutered.

Other Concerns

When you have two cats you have twice the vet bills, twice the food expense, and so forth. As well it may be harder to find somebody to look after two (or more) cats if you go on holiday. On the other hand multiple cats can exercise each other (somewhat) and can provide companionship to each other.

Owners must be aware that sometimes cats who have been alone for a long period of time (a year or more) may have difficulty accepting a newcomer. Some of these more moody cats may start urinating inappropriately to show their displeasure, and to mark territory. This chances of this can be reduced with proper (slow) introductions and the use of Bach Flower Rescue remedy.

Other Cat Related Links

Introducing a New Cat

What to do when Cats Stop Using their Litter Box

How to Correctly Feed a Kitten

Cat Rescuer, or Crazy Cat Lady?

Join Bukisa and Get Paid to Write

Written by Brenda Nelson
Pet and Animal Expert

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How to Choose the Best Cat Food

July 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Choosing the best cat food for your kitty is one of the most important cat owner decisions you can make. Here are some key points to help you decide which cuisine is the right one. Making sure your cat gets adequate nutrition is the primary concern, so feeding foods that meet AAFCO guidelines is generally recommended.

1. Pick a food type.

Are you going to feed dry food and allow free choice for your kitties? Or, are you going to feed canned, wet food at specific feeding times. Some people do a mix of the two.

2. Choose “healthy.”

Generally, pricier foods will have better quality ingredients. So, the best cat food is probably more expensive than your house brand at the grocery store or super store.

More expensive isn’t a guarantee of quality by itself, though, on a case-by-case basis.

Check ingredients and try to choose a healthy food. Healthier cat foods are made with wholesome ingredients, and tend to avoid the use of artificial preservatives like BHA and BHT, or ethoxyquin.

3. Choose “organic.”

Unlike some other terms, when a cat food is labeled USDA certified organic it has a specific meaning, and requires that certain inspections be carried out. Try to choose organic if you can, since that should give you a high quality food.

4. Choose “natural.”

If you can’t find an organic food that your cat likes, you can go with some of the cat food offerings on the market that avoid artificial ingredients, and include real meat from free range cows and chickens.

These are often marketed as “natural” products. Although the term “natural” doesn’t have the meaning attached to it that “organic” does, these pet food companies will sometimes state that the ingredients come from human-grade sources.

Keep in mind that once incorporated into pet food, the product is not technically human-grade, it’s just that the source of the meat, for example, might be cows that are slaughtered for human consumption as well.

5. Choose specifics and learn to read labels.

When selecting a cat food, specifics on the label are better than something more general. So, the term “meat” is not desirable, but “beef” is. Learn the terms used on the labels. For example, how much chicken must be in a “Cat Food with Real Chicken” product? You might be surprised to learn, not much.

6. Choose a manufacturer.

When possible, it may be better to choose a product line from a company that makes its own food. Natura Pet Products, for example, shows you a tour of their dry food manufacturing plant right on their website. This should allow them to keep tight quality control.

7. Listen to your cat.

Pick a food type and a feeding schedule, and then choose the healthiest food you can find. Learn to read labels, and look for a product that lists specific ingredients rather than more general ones. If possible, choose a company that makes and packs its own food, or has control over the manufacturing.

Then, listen to your cat and follow veterinarian recommended food switching procedures. If your kitty doesn’t seem to like the food you select, choose the one next on your list and try again. After switching foods, watch your cat’s weight, eating habits, and behavior. If everything appears normal, you’ve found a winner!

Kurt Schmitt publishes a website for cat lovers with sections on cat health, behavior, products, choosing the best cat food and litter box problems.

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Can Healthy Cat Food Contain Preservatives?

July 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Article by Madeleine Innocent

In this day and age of the mighty dollar masquerading as king, it becomes more and more difficult to trust businesses who have a vested interest in gaining your sale. As cats can’t talk to us, or perhaps I should say, as we can’t hear what cats are telling us, we don’t have that all important input to know if we are providing our cats with a healthy cat food.

If you do a quick search on the internet, you’ll come across practically all pet food manufacturers proclaiming their brand is ‘all natural’, ‘healthy’, ‘holistic’, even ‘organic’, but in every single case they are selling dry food.

Just think about it for a minute. Dried food which contains any form of meat just won’t keep at room temperature. Try keeping your steak out of the refrigerator for a few days and see what happens.

So how do pet food manufacturers keep cat food indefinitely at room temperature?

The only possible way to do this is to add preservatives. Despite many claims saying there are no preservatives, logic tells you there has to be.

Cooking in itself may preserve meat a little longer than raw meat, but not for weeks, or even years.

So what, you may be thinking, I know there are preservatives in some of the foods I eat and I seem to be OK. Surely a few preservatives doesn’t mean I’m not feeding my cat a healthy cat food?

I personally don’t think any preservative is OK. It may appear to be harmless in the short term, but in the long term there will be consequences.

But apart from my personal opinion, there are some laws, perhaps rather basic or not well enforced, in almost every country around the world, that protects human food. So all preservatives used in human food has to be considered ‘reasonably safe’ by some standards.

Unfortunately, there are no such safe guards in pet food. Or the laws are even less effectively enforced than the human laws.

So the preservatives used in cat food can be the most toxic. Does cat food containing highly toxic preservatives sound like a healthy cat food to you?

Ever heard of formalin? Embalmers use it to preserve dead bodies.

Formalin, also known as formaldehyde, is widely used in pet food to preserve it.

You probably haven’t heard of ethoxyquin. That’s a preservative used in the rubber industry. It’s in the tyres of your car. So what on earth is it doing in your cat food?

Lets look at ethoxyquin’s history. When factory workers were exposed to it, they exhibited side effects similar to those of agent orange:

constant diarrhoeavision disorders including blindnessorgan failureorgan cancersleukaemia

Are you getting a bit concerned? Perhaps your cat is suffering from some kind of organ damage? Here are a few other common preservatives used in cat food to keep it at room temperature indefinitely;

sodium nitrite, which gives a nice rosy colour to food and can produce powerful carcinogenic substances known as nitrosaminespropyl gallate – is now suspected of causing liver damagepropylene glycol used to maintain the right texture and moisture content is used as coolant antifreeze in enginesup to 1000 times more salt than occurs naturally

No manufacturer can keep preservatives out of dry cat food if it has a long shelf life.

So, if you don’t feed your cat a commercial cat food, what can you feed her?

To my way of thinking, the only sure way of knowing you are providing a healthy cat food is to prepare it yourself.

Before you throw your hands up in horror, saying you don’t know how, you don’t have time, that’s where I come in.

I’ve done the research for a balanced, healthy cat food.

I’ve made all the mistakes and can show how not to fall into the traps I did.

By feeding your cat a healthy cat food, you’ll have fewer trips to your veterinarian and your cat will live longer.

Madeleine Innocent is a practicing homeopath, a specialised modality of natural health care. She treats both people and animals in her busy West Australian practice. Madeleine loves to spread the good work of homeopathy and other areas of natural health care and writes extensively on the subject.

For a complimentary ebook on how to have a healthy cat, starting today, visit http://www.naturallyhealthycats.com or http://www.bestcathealth.blogspot.com

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The Amount of Water Your Cat Drinks Can Tell A Lot About His Health

July 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

Water is vital to the existence of every living thing. Cats, just like the rest of us need a clean source of fresh water daily. The amount they drink is determined by many factors including but not limited to, their size, age, the environmental temperature and even the type of cat food consumed. Cats can live for days without food but not water. 

 

Most cats require about an ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. In fact, most cats probably drink less water than they should to remain healthy. But what if your cat seems to be drinking too much water and urinating more than usual in the cat litter box? Is that normal? The truth is, both may be signs of serious illness.

 

When my eighteen year old cat started drinking water not only from her water dish but from the dog’s dish as well, I became concerned. Then I started noticing that she was urinating at least 6-7 times per day in her litter box. She really got my attention when I started finding her sitting in the bathroom sink trying to coax water out of the faucet. It was off to the veterinarian for a check up.

 

The medical term for this behavior is “polydipsia” or excessive drinking due to excessive thirst. Excessive urination is called “polyuria”. Both can be symptoms of rather serious conditions like kidney failure, liver disease, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, high blood calcium or pituitary disorders. It can also mean a bladder infection.

 

 Keep a watchful eye on your cat’s health regardless of age. If you are seeing signs of excessive thirst or urination, contact your veterinarian. You may be asked to determine the amount of your cat’s water intake. To do this, limit all water sources but one; measure that source before you present it to your cat and then again at the end of 24 hours. Refill as necessary and keep track of the amounts. Remember to remove all sources of water except one and that may include the toilet and any dripping sinks. Never restrict your cat’s water intake!

 

 If you use the clumping type cat litter, you may be able to count the number of wet spots in the litter box during that same 24 hours. This information about your cat’s water intake and urine output may be valuable information in your veterinarian’s hands.

 

 Just as with diseases of humans, cat diseases are more manageable the earlier they are detected. You want the best healthy life for your cat and your veterinarian can diagnose how to care for your cat’s condition.

 

Written by grannygoodearth

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What’s the Truth Behind Nutricious Cat Food?

July 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Article by Madeleine Innocent

Have you noticed there are now hundreds of ‘experts’ on virtually everything these days? That’s mostly thanks to the internet, which really is a wonderful resource of amazing information.

Sadly, it’s also an amazing place for misinformation.

Take nutricious cat food. Depending on how much commission the author is likely to receive will depend on how much they promote a particular brand.

Do you think that’s a bit cynical?

Well, you need to be today, more than ever before.

In today’s world, the dollar is king, with truth and health coming in a very poor second and third place. I don’t count myself as an expert. I feel my ‘expertise’ lies in working out the truth about health, regardless of any income I may receive from publishing this.

So how can you be sure I really am interested in the truth?

Nature has been around for quite a long time! Over millions of years, animals have evolved and fine tuned their diet and their behaviour to their current highly efficient selves.

Commercial cat food, on the other hand, has only been about for a maximum of 100 years, and more intensely for about 40 years.

Humans may well have had an impact on the look of domestic cats, but look how well domestic cats fair when they go feral. As long as they have all their physical attributes in tack (claws, teeth, etc), they can adjust just fine to finding their own food.

Which means that humans have had little real effect on them, as far as their diet and health goes.

Add that fact to the lack of laws governing the quality of pet food in most countries, and you can soon see that commercial cat food is likely to be as far removed from the nutricious cat food wild cats eat, as it can be.

Many people are told that domestic cats have longer and healthier lives than wild cats do. This is difficult to prove as few wild cats ages are known. But what most natural veterinarians do know for a fact is that as soon as cats are put on a nutricious cat food which closely resembles a wild cats diet, health problems melt away. From allergies to leukaemia, from kidney problems to infertility.

So I ask myself who is trying to convince you how much healthier domestic cats are? Could it be those people who want to profit by selling you inferior cat food or questionable medication to address the ill health as a result of the bad diet?

It seems almost too simple, to address the cause to cure the problem.

I remember reading of a medical student who became so ill she was confined to her bed. She had ulcers down her throat. She had no energy.

She went from doctor to doctor, who prescribed antibiotics to antidepressants and everything in between. None of it helped, and much of it harmed.

Her point was that not one of them had asked what had changed in her life at the time her illness started.

Finally she worked it out for herself. She had changed from good home cooking to hot dogs on the run. She stopped the hot dogs and her illness disappeared.

Diet is immensely important. Don’t underestimate its effect on you or your cat. When you go looking for a nutricious cat food, check everything out that you can. Compare the food to a wild cats diet. If the food is canned, ask yourself, does a wild cat eat canned food?

If the packet of food has a long shelf life, how can this be possible? Are the preservatives used safe for cats, despite a lack of laws? Do wild cats eat preservatives?

If man disappeared tomorrow, cats would revert to a healthy wild life, eating freshly caught raw meat and bones. That’s the most nutricious cat food. How can you better it?

Written by Madeleine Innocent.Do you want to learn more about natural health, in particular homeopathy? Check out my free ebook Better Health for Cats, by clicking on the website link below.Naturally Healthy Catshttp://www.naturallyhealthycats.com

IN THE WAKE OF POSEIDON (1970) 01. PEACE – A BEGINNING 02. PICTURES OF A CITY 03. CADANCE AND CASCADE 04. IN THE WAKE OF POSEIDON 05. PEACE – A THEME 06. CAT FOOD 07. THE DEVIL’S TRIANGLE 08. PEACE – AN END

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Why Cat Owner Should Seek Home Remedies For Flutd

July 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In this article, you’ll learn how come natural medicine is best and what additional measures you ought to adjudicate the infection quickly and ensure your pet doesn’t suffer with repeating problems.Discovering a effective natural cure for cat bladder infection is smart since it will assist your pet become healthier rapidly and annihilate the troubles made from giving prescription medicine*.

The reason that natural remedies for bladder infection in cats is a clear-cut winner over prescription medicine* are that these remedies bear zero side effects. Drugs can in reality exacerbate your pet’s suffering since all they do is suppress the symptoms. Home remedies provide nutrients that restore the pH of the bladder. When the pH is unbalanced, bacteria could proliferate and cause problems.

Naturally, it’s crucial to support a good natural remedy for cat bladder infection with healthy food. Numerous pet owners don’t realize that the commercial brand names* that they feed their pets are often ladened chemically with dyes and fillers. This is equal to giving your cat junk food. Humans can’t stay healthy on a junk food diet and neither can our pets. This is how come you should always read the ingredients label on the cat food you buy, even as you do when you buy packaged food for your family. If the label has long chemical names that you can’t say or lists meat by-products or cheap grains, look for a different brand of food.

Of course it’s also important to give your pet access to a fresh bowl of water. Be sure you clean out the bowl each time and leave water that has been filtered. You don’t need to purchase bottled water because an cheap tap filter will work fine. Just make sure that it will filtrate the chemicals. The reason filtered water is significant is that certain chemicals can change the pH of the bladder just like junk pet-food.

While seeking a good quality natural supplement, be sure to do some research because not all products are made equal. Search for one that contains ingredients like Staphysagris, Uva Ursi and Cantharis which have proven effective in clinical trials as a natural remedy for cat bladder infection. Equally important, the remedy can be utilized both for treatment and prevention. This means that if you’ve an older cat or cat that has been fighting with bladder issues, the supplement is gentle enough to use day-to-day.

Always raise your pet the way you would a child: protect its best interests, provide healthy, nutrient-dense food, use a preventive approach and when sick, rely on natural medicines that heal and nourish without disturbing side effects.

visit: http://www.cat-urinarytractinfection.com

Written by thesleepingman

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Is Natural Cat Food the Best?

July 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Article by Luvi Marie

People who love their cats want the best food available for them and many cat owners think natural cat foods are the best available products for their loveable cats. Numerous cat food companies have worked with experts in veterinary nutrition along with cat breeders and nutritionists to formulate healthy foods for cats.

The overwhelming conclusion has been that cats thrive when they eat food that is as close to natural as can be made. Whole foods are preferable, just as they are for humans. Numerous natural cat food companies use ingredients such as chicken, lamb, turkey meat, whole grain barley and rice. They add fruits, a variety of vegetables and dairy products that are of the finest grade.

Cat Food and Nutrition

If you have decided to purchase natural cat food make sure the product you choose contains whole grains, good fats, fiber, healthy carbohydrates and necessary vitamins and minerals. A lot of the cat foods you find at the grocery store include grains that have been heavily processed and are not considered whole grains and therefore do not provide your cat the nutrition he needs.

Cooking and Processing

Companies that are sincere about making quality natural food for your cat have put a lot of time and research into making sure the cooking methods and processes they use preserve the nutrients from the natural foods they are using. Natura Pet products, for example, claim their natural pet foods must pass 121 quality control checks before they will sell the items. Check the label on cat food items and make sure they do not contain any additives, artificial preservatives or any unnecessary colors.

High quality natural cat foods usually contain a high level of meat and top quality fats and oils along with sufficient levels of nutrients in order to provide your cat attractive fur and healthy skin. Avoid cat food that contains vegetable protein fillers and inexpensive fats.

Most of the high quality natural cat foods do not contain chemical additives or artificial flavors. They usually do not contain preservatives such as BHA/BHT or Ethoxyquin which are often used in pet foods but are not allowed in food items for people in numerous countries.

In order to keep your cat healthy, the diet your cat eats is just as important as the diet that you eat. Natural cat foods have a much higher nutritional level that most of the cat foods available at the grocery store and other places. If the health of your cat is something you consider to be very important, you might want to consider only feeding him natural cat food.

Luvi Marie is the Editor of Informational Sites such as :

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The official music video for Cat Food (music by Stuchka Vkarmanye, released by Concrete Plastic www.concreteplastic.co.uk). The video made by Yellow Sub with a lot of bits and pieces collected out of the streets of Tel Aviv, turned into a massive factory that dances to the sounds of Stuchka. Directed by: Yossi Assulin & Oded Korach. This video has been shortlisted for YouTube Play. See the shortlist at youtube.com/play.

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