Cats: is it wrong to give them supermarket food?

Hairy, with pointed ears and a small motor in their chest, cats have become favorite pets of many Chileans. They come in all colors and personalities, and for every sitter there is something appealing about having a little feline in the house. But, give you the best meal the king or queen of your house?

There is a lot of misinformation, doubts and myths about cat food . For this reason, two veterinarians discussed with The third to clarify whether it is good to give them food that is sold in supermarkets, how often to fill their plate and the consequences of poor feline nutrition.

—The best food you can give your cat is the one you can afford. He begins to explain The third the veterinary doctor of Andrés Bello University, Maria Jose Aldana graduate in feline medicine.

And it is that currently in Chile there are many brands available in the market , each with different flavors and ingredients so cats can choose the one they like best. But As with human food, there are kibbles or granules for cats that are of better quality than others.

In this line, often due to ignorance, it is believed that the croquettes sold in supermarkets are of good quality. The big “but” is that, In general, supermarket dry cat food uses plant-based ingredients to keep costs down.

“Cats are strict carnivores. Vegetable proteins provide a lot of carbohydrates and provide proteins that do not have a complete amino acid profile and are much less absorbed compared to animal proteins. what cats need, says the feline veterinarian and nutritionist from Southern University, Constance Pinille For LT .

In this line, the veterinarian Aldana claims that These foods are not always cheap and there are other better quality ones that cost practically the same . The ones he usually recommends in his practice are: Natural Diamonds, N&D and Taste of the Wild.

—Often people think that food sold at veterinarians or pet stores is more expensive. . Yes, there are pellets that are worth 80,000 Chilean pesos, but a cheap one can cost between 20 and 30,000 and can last and earn a lot.

And it is that higher quality protein keeps kittens happy longer you could therefore even save money by having to offer them fewer pellets, compared to a bag of poor quality where you have to give them a lot more kibble so that they are satisfied.

According to specialists, the ideal is to give them at least two meals a day (by dividing the grams they must eat, which is usually indicated on the label of food bags or by veterinary indication), have fresh, clean water daily and keep the bag of kibble in its original packaging away from light, heat and cold to keep nutrients in good condition.

Besides, do not buy in bulk or in bags of too many kilograms for a single cat but prefer smaller ones, as once opened they quickly begin to lose nutrients and break down.

—In Chile, I would say that one of the most important problems that arise from the diet of cats is obesity. reveals the feline nutritionist.

And it is that, along with low physical activity, there are guardians who usually leave the food served, with the plate overflowing with granules, too appetizing for cats. Thus, they end up eating more than necessary.

— We will have a small overweight animal which will affect the functioning of a cat which is a hunter and which must be in good physical condition to run, jump and climb, which an obese cat cannot do.

For that, The ideal is to read the labels of the food bags, where -according to the weight of the kitten- you can calculate the grams that it should eat per day . In addition, veterinarians emphasize the importance of giving them not only dry food, but also wet food, but correctly calculated so as not to give them extra calories.

Besides, about wet food, no matter if it comes from the supermarket or pet stores . The difference in quality is centered on the dry food.

In this line, poor quality cat food that is also not supplemented with water and wet food causes lower urinary tract disease which are very common in veterinary practices in Chile.

It’s the same thing that happens to people. If you drink very little water and only eat dry things, the urine will be more concentrated and help certain minerals to clump together and form stones,” says Pinilla.

Aldana also adds that pregnant and malnourished females can have young with nutritional problems, which are very small and may even die at birth.

Cats Hide Symptoms Well When Something Goes Wrong however, any changes in physical condition, mood, perceived problems when urinating (if they only fall or cry when they go to the litter box) and if they start eating less or next to nothing , it is a reason for veterinary consultation . .

Also pay attention to depositions : if they are very soft or have extremely unpleasant odors, it could be a sign that the food is not well digested or that the cat is not feeling well.

Both veterinarians agree that the most important thing is that the cat likes what he eats . And it is that in addition to being a species characterized by being “fussy and stubborn” with food, They are neophobic, that is, they hate anything new and different from what they already know.

For example, if a little kitten only gets pellets for the first four or five months of life, when it becomes an adult, it will think in its mind that kibble is the only thing edible. So if you offer him wet food or food with a different texture, he will be scared and feel rejected.

And although there are exceptions, it is a problem that Aldana and Pinilla often see in consultation, when sick or old cats have to change their diet and it is very difficult to do so because they refuse to eat. .

This is especially difficult when you want to introduce wet food to them.

—All changes and novelties in an adult cat cause stress. They don’t accept food and they start getting sick and there are more problems. I always advise guardians to teach small cats and show them all kinds of food, textures, so that in the future this adult cat gets everything it needs,” Aldana tells LT.

Between two laughs, Pinilla, the feline nutritionist affirms what all cat owners know.

-You have to go get what you like, the cat always has the last word —.