Home Made Cat Food - Tips, Ideas and Pointers

Are you seeking tips and ideas for making home made cat food?

Many people have begun to have concerns about the pet food available in their grocery stores. Profit seeking corporations using substandard ingredients also stuff their products with chemicals and preservatives.

And while there have always been concerned people who make their pets' food, there are now more and more cat owners taking matters into their own hands. Not only is it rewarding, but many are finding it to be not only more nutritious, but more economical as well.

All cats need certain nutrients to keep them happy and healthy, to maintain their proper weight, and to ensure a smooth and shiny coat. If you decide to go with home made cat food, remember that while most felines like many of the same foods, specific breeds enjoy, and better process, certain foods over others. Research your cat's breed and find out what is nutritionally best for them before moving on. Above all, go slow by mixing small amounts of your creation with their old food and gradually increasing the amount of homemade until you have phased out store bought food altogether.

Cats appear to lead healthier lives when given raw foods versus cooked, as much of the nutrients they require are negated by cooking - this is something to bear in mind when preparing home made cat food. Cats are not strict meat eaters, but it is the one thing that delivers the animal protein they absolutely need. Obviously, there are other vitamins and minerals essential to a cat's health, but be careful because too much of a good thing can be harmful.

Zinc, calcium, copper and potassium are a few of the nutrients cats require, and are all easily incorporated into the diet. Enzymes, another critical component of your cat's diet, are destroyed by cooking. There are foods that should never be given to felines for their toxic properties or for the physical damages that they can cause. A few of the no-no's are caffeine (including chocolate), baby food, raw fish and fish bones. Dairy products that are intended for human consumption, including milk, should be given very sparingly as part of home made cat food.

Most raw meats are acceptable to give to your cat - lean of course, with the main ones to avoid in home made cat food being pork, fish and rabbit because of their high probability of carrying parasites. It should be noted that not all veterinarians and pet experts recommend the "bones and raw food" (BARF) diet because of the possibility of bacterial poisoning. But when you consider that animals in the wild do not cook their food before they eat, most advocates consider this a small risk.

As part of using home made cat food, you can try giving your cats different fruits as snacks. Experiment with different types but do not be disappointed if your cat is indifferent to both fruits and vegetables. If you feed plant matter, be wary of seeds and other things that may cause blockages in their digestive system.

Dr. Richard Pitcairn, DVM, recommends the addition of a few teaspoons of a pre mixed powder, which can be stored in the refrigerator that will supplement a large majority of its nutrients. It consists of: 2 cups nutritional yeast, 1 cup lecithin granules, 1/4 cup each of bone meal and kelp powder, and 1000mg vitamin C.

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