What am I really feeding my cat?

Food is something dear to all our hearts, we look at what we eat closely as we know that what we consume inevitably affects our health.

Our cat’s food rarely comes in a form where we are able to recognize the ingredients it is made from, which brings to question. Do we really know what is behind all the glitz of nice foil wrappers that our kitty’s food comes in?

When it comes to giving kitty what is best, the first step is to understand your kitty’s digestive tract and recognize that its different from ours as well as our dogs.

Obligate Carnivores

Cats are obligate carnivores. They need animal proteins to survive and thrive.

Their strong heart, healthy digestive and reproductive system as well as good vision are entirely dependent on it.
They must be fed a species appropriate diet. A diet for human/ dog / cat is not interchangeable

In our Human Diet we strive for a balanced diet and healthy gut. In our pets, they need to have a complete diet.

The digestive system of our pets are entirely different to ours. A cat’s digestive tract is shorter than that of a dog or a human. It is also unable to produce certain essential vitamins and minerals. A simple example would be Vit D. We can take a long morning stroll and produce sufficient Vit Ds but a cat can’t. They have to get it through their diet. Without Vit D, they are unable to fully absorb calcium for their bones.

Compounding matters, Cats are unable to process or adequately absorb nutrients from plant sources. ( Source: What Can Cats Eat? Complete & Vet-Approved Guide to Cat Diet (feedingmypet.com) ) Cats are able to absorb upto 97% of protein and all its goodness from animal sources but less than 65% from plant sources.

What this means is that they will need to consume 2 to 3 times the volume of plant matter to absorb a similar amount if they were eating meat. If a plant has X amount of protein, you cat is only going to benefit an approximate 30% of it. Thus they have to eat more, and have their organs work significantly harder for it. This puts a strain on their body and organs

Cats require a diet that is approximately 90% animal based. M

ost commercial dry diets are about 45-75% animal based and sometimes from cuts suitable only for animal consumption after high temperature cooking.

Ask any chef in a restaurant and they will explain the grading of meats. Even Human grade has its own sub categories for the very discerning

If interested here are the AAFCO guidelines for nutrition for cats and kittens ( Nutritional Requirements and Related Diseases of Small Animals - Management and Nutrition - Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com)

The numbers from AAFCO are formulated based on weights and growth of normal domestic cats.
They do not state the sources from which the nutrient numbers should come from.
As such many brands of commercial food add plant/ chemical based nutrients to present a complete profile that will not be beneficial to your cat.

Notice that flavonoids, pre and pro biotics are not on the list of AAFCO requirements?

The profiles from AAFCO is formulated based on most cats. This is problematic for a WinterForest Graduate or any other cat that doesn’t really fall into the norm.

Our graduates typically weigh 3 to 4 kgs by 6 months of age and 4.5 to 6.5 Kgs by their 1st birthday. Although there are some brands that adjust their formulas to suit certain breeds or may have vets endorsing that their diets to be suitable for all cats and ages, these diets may prove problematic as our graduates continue to grow past 3 years of age and are different in structure from most breeds.

Seeing a experienced Siberian cat vet and feeding them a suitable diet is preferred for their long term health.

Where possible, a WinterForest cat should not be fed a diet based solely on commercially acceptable complete profiles and standards nor have normal standards imposed on them. As with many measurements, a one size fits all mentality should not be applied when it comes to the uniqueness of the breed.

Treats / complimentary feeding

Most wet foods fall into this category. If you are feeding a wet food only diet, it is important to read the fine print. There are certain nutrients only found in red meats and these have to be added into a diet if cat is only fed canned white meats or fish.

We advocate single ingredient freeze dried raw treats as they are great to supplement nutritional gaps in your kitty’s diet as well as safely boost overall gut health. Most importantly, it gives us great comfort to know exactly what it is that we are putting into their bodies.

Tasty/ flavorful foods

Pet pawrents usually purchase foods that their kitties love without scrutinizing what it is. Palatants are added to most commercial foods to ensure repeat purchase and are detrimental in the long run to kitty’s health.

Many are mistaken and get overtly excited when their cat displays a huge liking and appetite for a particular diet. A cat having to consume more of a commercial diet may actually be a sign of them having to eat more junk to get sufficient nutrients to support their bodies. Similarly a lack of appetite may not be pointing towards an illness or lack of interest in the food. But that they have sufficient nutrition. A healthy cat is able to self moderate, have a healthy coat and display a keen awareness and activity.

Siberians are relatively long lived, highly intelligent and aware . Unlike most domestic cats that rarely make it past 13 years of age. A Siberian usually makes it past 16 years of age. It is crucial that they remain in good health and are mentally alert for their long lifespans.

A Siberian on a quality diet is rarely over weight. Carbs and plant based fillers are the usual suspects for overweight or lethargic kitties

Don’t mistake placid kittens for being well behaved or docile .

Some kittens are unable to be curious due to its less than optimum health. This maybe attributed to genetics, breed profiles or unmet dietary requirements invitro or thereafter.

Raw Vs Cooked
This is a highly contentious topic. There are many that are against or for a raw diet. Even more misunderstand what it is.
When done right, the benefits of a raw diet are tremendous. They are better absorbed and cleaner for your pet. I emphasize that it must be done right.

You should not be going into the supermarket and getting minced meats, feeding them directly to your pet.

Sometimes butchers have cuts that they label for pets. The butcher is not the best person to decide which meats are suitable for your pets. Cuts set aside by them are usually bits and pieces that were deemed not good enough to be sold for human consumption. It should not be given raw to any pet.

Raw foods fed to pets must be of higher scrutiny then foods meant for human cooked consumption. For those of us that consume raw fish, we know that for a meat to be served as sashimi, it has to be processed better than meats we bake in the oven.

A raw diet , when done wrong has serious consequences. If you wish to go into the super market or butcher and just prepare any meat, you maybe better off serving it as a cooked diet, complete with supplements or meal topper to complete the diet.
A point to note, there are differences in the quality and bioavailability of supplements. As mentioned earlier, animal based supplements are better absorbed by our cats.

Meats, exposed to temperatures above 41 degrees Celsius undergo dramatic changes to their nutritional profiles and affects the digestibility of meat for your pet. This is why it is important to use appropriate supplements for the diet you are selecting for your cat.

You should never microwave or warm up commercially available pet food. You will be destroying all the vitamins and nutrients that they added post processing. It is not different from preparing baby milk at high temperatures.. the goodness of the food is destroyed.

Feeding your cat or kitten a complete diet is not for the lazy nor is it cheap.
Nothing is cheaper or more convenient than commercial dry diets no matter how costly some of these extruded kibbles maybe.
However a pet on a long term commercial diet may end up with heftier vet bills in the future.

With so much to consider, leaving nutrition to professionals and getting premade boutique diets may seem like a perfect answer. However, cooked or otherwise, it is important to address any concerns with their diet formulators.

WinterForest is blessed to be given access to some of the freshest kitchens and knowledgeable minds to build complimentary diets for our kitties.

We cannot stress how important your pet’s diet formulators are. They must have the understanding and proper motivation to get it right. Look through their background and reach out to them and ask questions.

We thank you for taking the time to read through all this information . Please share this article and realize the dedication required by proper diet formulators.

Our parting points till the next time,

A quality complete species appropriate diet is important for your kitten’s health. Your kitty is affected by the food it has access to even by what its mum eats when she was pregnant.
Diets that are complete for a dog are not complete for a cat and vice versa.
When in doubt, Invest in either a complete freeze dried raw or a low temperature oven baked kibble diet supplemented with single ingredient high quality animal based treats and quality wet food with little to no plant based matter.
When choosing a purely wet diet, read the labels and ensure that it is a complete diet and supplement appropriately if incomplete.
Reach out and ask your boutique diet formulators in you have any concerns.

Feel free to reach out to us for more information or sources.