Cat food

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Cat food is a type of food specially engineered for the feeding of cats.

Cats are purely carnivorous by nature and need many essential nutrients, such as taurine, in their food. Commercial cat food contains these supplements, which is why other pet foods are not recommended for cats.

[edit] Types

[edit] Commercial

Most store-bought cat food comes in either kibble form, often called dry cat food, or canned form. A few brands of cat food come in pouch form that is similar in ingredients to canned food, though pouch form is more common in cat treats. Some manufacturers also sell frozen raw diets, which may be divided into patties, medallions, or undivided and sold as a large block of food to be separated by the cat owner. Frozen raw diets are generally sold by the pound.

Many popular brands of cat food are made from what would otherwise be waste products of the meat industries. Some cat experts like Olivia Applegate claim that this practice, as well as the overly processed nature of dry cat food, is responsible for many of the age-related ailments of cats.^{[citation needed]} Additionally, many major brand-name cat foods are primarily grain-based, often containing large amounts of corn or rice supplemented with meats and essential vitamins, and often saturated with animal digest, a highly processed flavoring ingredient containing meat from numerous unspecified animals.

Some less well-known pet food manufacturers offer more 'natural' formulas of cat food that contain fewer grains and by-products. A few pet food brands, such as Innova EVO, are even made without any grain products at all. These grain-free diets still contain carbohydrates, from sources such as potato or tapioca, for which cats actually have no metabolic need (the feline system prefers to create glucose from protein). Natural cat food brands are often claimed to have cuts of meat closer to those that humans eat, with some manufacturers offering meat that is claimed to be "human grade". Many brands of such cat foods are made from raw ingredients intended to provide nutrition as close as possible to the cat's natural diet. These brands generally include raw meat with organs, ground bone, some raw vegetables, and some dietary supplements. It must be noted, however, that using raw ingredients in a cooked food does not necessarily produce a diet that is actually closer to a cat's natural diet (a cracker is a cracker, regardless of how raw the ingredients were to begin with).

[edit] Dry (Extruded) food

Dry food is generally sold in bulk, with a bag of dry food lasting days, months, or even years.

[edit] Against dry food

Many cat enthusiasts and veterinarians recommend a diet consisting largely or entirely of canned cat food, homemade cat food, or raw cat food. One of the reasons for this is the high water content of such food, which is thought to be a healthy amount of water compared to the amount that cats will drink when eating dry food. These foods also generally contain significantly less grain or other carbohydrate foods. Most canned or raw foods are formulated to resemble a cat's natural diet more closely than dry food, where the focus is often shelf life and price. In general, canned, homemade, or raw foods are thought to noticeably reduce the likelihood of numerous health issues including urinary tract disorders, diabetes, chronic renal failure, constipation (sometimes leading to megacolon), and obesity. Many cat owners consider these health problems significantly more worrisome than the dental issues that might be related to feeding mostly canned foods.

[edit] For dry food

Other enthusiasts and veterinarians recommend a diet consisting mostly of dry food. Often this recommendation is based on the idea that cats must break apart dry foods with their teeth, which causes the food to scrape off dental calculus, although the degree of benefit this provides has been disputed in recent years. Some veterinarians believe there may be a link to feeding canned food and hyperthyroidism, particularly fish flavors or cans with "pop tops". Homemade cat foods are thought to be somewhat more beneficial to cat oral hygiene than dry or canned foods, but no form of food has as much benefit to oral hygiene as toothbrushing or veterinary cleanings.

Pet owners often prefer dry cat food due to the convenience and price. Besides usually being significantly cheaper, dry cat food can also be left out for the cat to eat at will over the course of several days, whereas canned or raw cat food spoils or becomes unappetizing after several hours.

[edit] Wet (Canned) food

Canned food generally comes in common can sizes of 3oz, 5.5oz, and 13oz.

[edit] Homemade food

Many pet owners feed cats homemade diets. These diets generally consist of some form of cooked meat or raw meat, ground bone, pureed vegetables, taurine supplements, and other multivitamin supplements. Although cats are naturally resistant to many of the bacteria that raw meats contain, meat can sometimes also contain parasites and other harmful organisms and for this reason raw meat is sometimes frozen for periods of time before being used. Some pet owners use human vitamin supplements, and others use vitamin supplements specifically engineered for cats. Veterinarians sometimes recommend including digestive enzyme supplements in a homemade diet. Some pet food manufacturers offer packaged versions of a raw food diet that closely resembles such homemade diets. These packaged versions are generally kept frozen, with individual portions being thawed in advance.

[edit] Vegetarian or vegan food

Vegetarian or vegan cat food has been available for many years, and is targeted primarily at vegan and vegetarian pet owners. Most veterinarians recommend against vegetarian diets for cats, as cats are obligate carnivores and require nutrients (including taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and niacin) found in meat sources that cannot be obtained in sufficient amount in plant sources, although many can be synthesized. Studies have found that supplemented vegetarian cat food resulted in nutrients within the reference range.<ref> Wakefield, Lorelei A., Shofer, Frances S., Michel, Kathryn E. (7 2006). "Evaluation of cats fed vegetarian diets and attitudes of their caregivers". Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, JAVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association, AVMA) 229 (1): 70-73. DOI:10.2460/javma.229.1.70. Retrieved on 2006-10-16.</ref>

Even when adequately supplemented, some claim vegetarian diets present other risks, such as urine acidity problems, which are less common in meat-based foods. A few vegetarian cat food brands are labelled by their manufacturers as meeting AAFCO's Cat Food Nutrient Profile while other manufacturers recommend their products to be supplemented and not used as a standalone. Many pet owners have caused their cats to become malnourished when they do not follow the recommendation and mistakenly assume that the latter food is nutritionally complete.

[edit] Nutrient profiles

Entire section ref. <ref>David A. Dzanis, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVN Division of Animal Feeds, Center for Veterinary Medicine (November 1997). SELECTING NUTRITIOUS PET FOODS. INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS. Food and Drug Administration - Center for Veterinary Medicine. Retrieved on 2005-01-20.</ref>

Cat foods labeled as "complete and balanced" must meet standards established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) either by meeting a nutrient profile or by passing a feeding trial. The AAFCO's Feline Nutrition Expert (FNE) Subcommittee have established new nutrient profiles for "complete and balanced" cat foods. Cat Food Nutrient Profiles were established in 1992 and updated in 1995 to incorporate new scientific information.

The new nutrient profiles replaced the recommendations of the National Research Council (NRC) as the AAFCO-recognized authority on feline nutrition. Cat foods labeled as "complete and balanced" based on the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profile must meet all the nutrient minimum and maximum levels as established by the Subcommittee. The Subcommittee set these levels after considering the most current information on good nutrition for cats. The profiles are designed to provide practical information for manufacturers of cat foods.

There are now two separate nutrient profiles -- one for growth and reproduction and one for adult maintenance, instead of just one for all lifestages. This allows cat foods made for adult cats only to contain lower amounts of some nutrients, eliminating unnecessary excesses. Also, maximum levels of intake of some nutrients have been established for the first time, because of concern that overnutrition, rather than undernutrition, is a bigger problem with many pet foods today.

The protocols for conducting the feeding trials for cat foods have also been updated. With these improvements, label reference to either the AAFCO nutrient profile or AAFCO feeding trials better assures the consumer of the validity of a "complete and balanced" claim. Endorsements, seals of approval, etc., from other organizations do not add assurances of safety and may be misleading.

The table below lists the AAFCO nutritional profiles for cat foods.

It must be noted that the levels of nutrients are expressed on a dry matter basis, while the levels listed in the guaranteed analysis on the label are expressed on an as fed basis. To allow for meaningful comparisons, the as fed guarantees must be converted to dry matter. For a canned product that is 75 percent moisture (25 percent dry matter), multiply the guaranteed level times 4. For a 10 percent moisture dry product, multiply by 1.1.

<math>{Nutrient (units)}_{Dry Matter}={Nutrient (units)}_{As Fed} \times \left ( \frac {100} {\left ( 100-{Moisture (percent)} \right )} \right ) </math>

[edit] Diet and disease

[edit] Food allergy

Food allergy is a non-seasonal disease with skin and/or gastrointestinal disorders. The main complaint is Pruritus, which is usually resistant to treatment by steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The exact prevalence of food allergy in cats remains unknown. There is no breed, sex or age predilection, although some breeds are commonly affected. Before the onset of clinical signs, the animals have been fed the offending food components for at least two years, although some animals are less than a year old. In 20 to 30% of the cases, cats have concurrent allergic diseases (atopy / flea-allergic dermatitis). A reliable diagnosis can only be made with dietary elimination-challenge trials. Provocation testing is necessary for the identification of the causative food component(s). Therapy consists of avoiding the offending food component(s).<ref>Verlinden, A., Hesta, M., Millet, S., Janssens, G.P. (4-5 2006). "Food Allergy in Dogs and Cats: A Review". Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (Taylor & Francis) 46 (3): 259-273. DOI:10.1080/10408390591001117. Retrieved on 2006-10-27.</ref>

[edit] Malnutrition

Cats fed exclusively on raw, freshwater fish can develop a thiamine deficiency.Those fed exclusively on liver may develop vitamin A toxicity. Malnutrition has been seen in cats fed "natural", "organic", or "vegetarian" diets produced by owners with good intentions, and most published recipes have been only crudely balanced (by computer) using nutrient averages. Because the palatability, digestibility, and safety of these recipes have not been adequately or scientifically tested, it is difficult to characterize all of these homemade diets. Generally, most formulations contain excessive protein and phosphorus and are deficient in calcium, vitamin E, and microminerals such as copper, zinc, and potassium. Also, the energy density of these diets may be unbalanced relative to the other nutrients. Commonly used meat and carbohydrate ingredients contain more phosphorus than calcium. Homemade feline diets that are not actually deficient in fat or energy usually contain a vegetable oil that cats do not find palatable; therefore, less food is eaten causing a calorie deficiency. Rarely are homemade diets balanced for microminerals or vitamins. Owner neglect is also a frequent contributing factor in malnutrition.<ref>John E. Bauer, D.V.M., Ph.D., Dipl. A.C.V.N. (2005-1-1). Nutritional Requirements and Related Diseases (English). The Merck Veterinary Manual, 9th edition. ISBN 0911910506. Merck & Co., Inc.. Retrieved on 2006-10-27.</ref>

[edit] Brands

• Addiction (canned food manufactured by Addiction Foods)
• AMÍ Cat (vegetable dry food manufactured by AMÌ s.r.l.)
• Artemis (dry and canned food manufactured by Artemis Company)
• Bento-Kronen (dry and canned food manufactured by Versele-Laga nv)
• BRAVO! Blends (raw food manufactured by Bravo)
• California Natural, Innova, Evo (dry and canned food manufactured by Natura)
• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul (dry and canned food manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods)
• Eukanuba, Iams (dry and canned food manufactured by the Iams Company, owned by Procter & Gamble)
• Evolution (vegan canned and dry food manufactured by Evolution Diet Pet Food Corporation)
• Fancy Feast (R) gourmet Cat Food [1](canned and dry foods manufactured by Purina(R)[2], owned by Nestlé)
• Friskies(R) brand Cat Food [3] (canned and dry foods and treats manufactured by Purina(R)[4], owned by Nestlé)
• Felidae (dry and canned food manufactured by Canidae Corporation)
• Merrick (dry and canned food manufactured by Merrick Pet Care)
• Nature's Variety Prairie (dry, canned, and raw foods manufactured by Nature's Variety)
• Nutro (wet pouch, dry, and canned foods manufactured by Nutro Products, Inc.)
• Petguard (dry and canned food manufactured by Petguard)
• Pet Promise (dry and canned free-range food manufactured by Pet Promise, Inc.)
• PROPAC, SportMix (dry and canned food manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc.)
• Purina(R) Cat Chow(R) brand Cat Food [5], Purina(R) Kitten Chow(R) brand Cat Food[6](dry foods manufactured by Purina(R)[7], owned by Nestlé)
• Purina ONE(R) brand Cat Food[8](dry foods manufactured by Purina(R)[9], owned by Nestlé)
• Pro Plan(R) brand Cat Food[10](foods manufactured by Purina(R)[11], owned by Nestlé)
• Royal Canin (dry and canned food manufactured by Royal Canin USA, Inc.)
• Science Diet (dry and canned food manufactured by Hill's Pet Nutrition)
• Sheba (canned food manufactured by Mars, Incorporated)
• Solid Gold (dry and canned food manufactured by Solid Gold Health Products for Pets, Inc.)
• Spot's Stew (canned food manufactured by Halo Pets)
• Steve's real food (raw food manufactured by Steve's Real Food For Pets)
• Vegecat (vegan supplement manufactured by Harbingers of a New Age (HOANA))
• Wellness (dry and canned food manufactured by Old Mother Hubbard)
• Whiskas (dry and canned food manufactured by Pedigree Petfoods, owned by Mars, Inc.)
• Wysong Pet Products (dry and canned foods manufactured by Wysong Corporation)

[edit] See also

• Raw feeding

[edit] References

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[edit] Further information

• From the U.S. Food and Drug Administration - Center For Veterinary Medicine
  • Pet Foods
  • Information For Consumers - FDA's Regulation Of Pet Food
  • Information For Consumers - Information On Marketing A Pet Food Product
  • Information For Consumers - Interpreting Pet Food Labels
  • Information For Consumers - Interpreting Pet Food Labels - Special Use Foods
  • Vegetarian Diets For Pets?
• The Vegetarian Society UK on concerns relating to a vegetarian diet for cats
• From Max's House Feline Medical And Behavior Database
  • Feline Nutrition
  • Cat Food Nutrient Profiles
  • Dry food v/s canned (wet) food
  • Dispelling The Myth That Pets Are Used In Pet Foods
• From Animal Protection Institute
  • Get The Facts - What's Really In Pet Food
• The Truth About Pet Foodde:Katzenfutter

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