One of the most asked questions to me is probably “What should I feed my cats?” I normally won’t have an exact answer to that question because feeding a cat requires more than what you can read and research. It also includes knowing your cats, what their needs are nutritionally, the age, the breed, the weight — there are just so many aspects to knowing what you should feed your cats. But there’s one vital knowledge which I can share with you that also plays a role in choosing what type of cat food to feed your cat, and that is what do cats eat. Read on to find out what do cats eat.
So what do cats eat?
If I’m going to be jokingly realistic, I would say cats eat a LOT. The most common and safe answer would be cat food. But when we think in a natural way, like what cats eat in the wild, you will be surprised at the variety of sources cats can eat. Cats are true carnivores. They’re natural meat eaters. Realistically, cats eat carcases of animals they prey on. Meats and bones are appetizing to them. The vegetable matter they eat mostly comes from the stomach of the animal they fed on. Over thousands of years, these are what cats eat and are well adopted to.
Cats Eat Meat
Being carnivores, the main ingredient in what your cats eat must be meat. Taurine, the most important amino acid cats need, is mostly found in meats. When cats eat less meat, they are prone to taurine deficiency, which may lead to blindness and heart problems.
Meat also contains moisture that cats need. I discussed before the importance of incorporating raw food in your cat’s diet. Raw food, like meat, is closer to what cats eat in their natural environment.
Cats Eat Grass
Really, what do cats eat? After reading about how cats are natural carnivores, you must be wondering why they eat grass. Cats love eating grass. The appeal of grass to cats still surprises a lot of people. It has been found that the juice in grass contains folic acid, which is beneficial to the cat’s well being. This folic acid is also what’s present on the milk of a mother cat. Lack of folic acid in cats may cause anemia or sudden stop of growth in kittens.
Unfortunately, being carnivores, cats don’t have the proper enzymes to digest these plant materials in their stomach. They eventual vomit these, which may be helpful in reducing hairball or cleaning the cat’s digestive tract.
Cats Eat Cat Food
When talking about what do cats eat, the most common and obvious answer is cat food, and rightfully so. Since we usually keep our cats indoor, it’s impossible for them to hunt for food that they naturally eat in the wild. The solution? Cat food.
Cat food today are processed to come as close as possible to what cats eat. We now have cat foods with different varieties and flavors, from chicken, turkey, salmon, sardines, you name it. Having all these ingredient to choose from, when it comes to cat food, what do cats eat?
There are 2 types of cat food: dry and wet or canned cat food. I won’t elaborate more on the differences between the 2, as I’ve already discussed it in detail here. Cats love to eat canned cat food more because it’s closer to the texture, smell and feel of their raw counterparts. There are canned cat food in chunks with gravy. My cats eat them with no hesitations. I suggest mixing dry with wet cat food and to choose the right ingredient based on your cat’s preference.
In summary, let’s ask the question again: What do cats eat? Whether it’s meat, raw food, grass or your favorite premium cat food, what’s important is that your cats are getting the proper nutrition and protein in their diet that will maintain their health. They may be far from their natural habitat, but we can still choose the right food to feed them to at least compensate to what they’ve been missing. In the end, what cats eat depends on the loving hands of their human parents.
After reading what do cats eat and still deciding on what type of cat food to feed your cat, you can check out my cat food reviews at the top of the page in the menu. Hope that helps you decide. Happy feeding!
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