Healthy Cat Food: Best Brand For Cats

What's the best dry cat food brand I can buy?

Premium quality cat food sold in North America or Canada can be identified using the phrases on the label:

“complete and balanced nutrition”

“Meets the nutritional requirements of cats established by the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).”

“Complete and balanced nutrition for cats based on AAFCO feeding trials.”

If your selected brand of dry cat food features such information, then you can be assured of it's quality, & then simply choose a recipe or formula which will meet your cats health needs specifically.

Choosing the best high protein cat food brand is a problem faced by cat owners the world over. Finding a healthy recipe can be an arduous task, & certainly made all the harder by the enormous choice of foods, special dietary recipes or plain simple costs.

The following discussion looks at some cat facts to determine the selection of a nutritious, healthy cat food which would be a good source of high protein; have enough fiber in the diet, & include essential vitamins & minerals to promote wellness for a cat.

Healthiest Dry Food For Cats

Cats are carnivores that survive on nutrients found within animal tissues to meet their daily nutritional requirements. In the wild, which is their natural habitat, cats eat prey which is very high in protein with small amounts of fat & carbohydrates. The best dry food should contain all of these elements ensuring a balanced diet.

The genetics & chemistry of a cats body uses protein as their main source of energy: Unlike dogs, humans or other omnivores whom gain relative energy provisions from the different food groups they consume.

An easy way to understand this, is that you wouldn't use Diesel fuel in your regular Gas powered vehicle - It simply wouldn't run.

While cats can survive on meager amounts of meat protein & larger amounts of vegetable proteins, like cornmeal or soy gluten, it isn't really that great for their general wellness: A cat needs a high protein food with some fats; regular fresh water; a mix of just small amounts of other elements, vitamins & minerals. The best dry cat food brand should contain all of these ingredients.

The dietary requirements of your cat will differ from other cats, much in the same way humans all have different needs. The factors in determining the proper balanced diet with high protein, with complete & wholesome ingredients are many, & are tied to:

• Primarily carnivorous
• Require trace minerals
• Need access to fresh water
• Need Vitamins A, D, E & K
• Do eat some plant matter [grass, leafs]
• DON'T need Vitamin C

• Age
• Breed
• Gender
• Environment
• Metabolism

One essential ingredient in a healthy cat food is the amino acid Taurine. Cats metabolize Taurine directly from animal tissue, & is one of the essential amino acids for cats health & wellness. Cats need Taurine to keep their heart going, to ensure reproductive ability & finally, to maintain their amazing eyesight.

The Fat content of a high quality cat food is used to supply energy & help absorb Vitamins A, D, E & K. Together with trace amounts of other essential minerals, a balanced & wholesome high protein cat food will keep your cats body engine 'purring along', promote a long & healthy life. Choose a dry cat food brand containing the such ingredients for assurance of health.

The most important aspect of choosing the healthiest cat food is to check the ingredients label, which must follow strict guidelines set out to ensure the food meets minimum, or in comparison, to known government standards.

The standards for cat food follow similar principals related to human food consumption: There will be minimum amounts of required nutrients, vitamins, minerals & other contents to be labeled in such a way, & claims by manufacturers of cat food are regulated.

Check the info panel Choosing A Brand, or click the link here: [high protein cat food] to find the secret of finding a healthy cat food

So now we have finished our technical explanations of what goes into a healthy cat food, & which elements must be present, let's look at some examples of various premium or healthy cat food types, & some of the ingredients within them.

While this is a general overview of cat food available, it will help you select at least a couple of alternatives to make sure your cat will get the essential diet they need for health & wellness.

A good method of ensuring a healthy cat is to include dry food & additional wet food into their diet. This ensures your cat is getting enough moisture day to day.

Natural Balance is a manufacturer of premium pet food. The recipes the company makes for cats have a variety of formulas specifically made for:

• Indoor Cat
• High Protein Cat Food
• Diet & Limited Recipe
• Senior Formula For Older Cat
• High Fiber Cat Food
• Regular High Protein For Kitten
• Active Outdoor Cat

Best Food For Old Cats

Carbohydrate content, manufactured of significant grains within a particular recipe, could lead to weight gain in an older, less sedentary cat. The best food for senior cats - whom are less active or indoor - would be a formula consisting of high meat or vegetable protein, & less grain.

Cats & Kittens require lots of fuel in their bodies, due to their gregarious lifestyle. Because of this, a young cat or kitten would require a cat food with higher levels of meat protein & fats. Again, your young cat's lifestyle would determine a specific premium formula.

An example is Natural Balance, a high quality manufacturer of cat food based in the USA, feature different formulas for indoor & outdoor cats.

Middle aged cats could be put on a regular diet, or indoor diet [recipes]; this would depend on the activity level of the cat & their lifestyle.

A middle aged outdoor cat requires more energy from a high meat protein source with additional carbohydrate content; however, an outdoor cat would have access to prey, insects or other small animals as part of their routine. Essentially, the cat may hunt for food & eat that as a supplement to the regular feeding schedule one may have in place for them.

If one notices their cat becoming overweight, then simply monitoring the pet in accordance with Veterinary advice will ensure the cat can maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Choosing a high quality, healthy cat food can be made simpler by reading labeling on the bag or tin, & making sure it meets government guidelines for quality assurance. Remember to look for government mandated quality controls, & that the cat food you are buying meets requirements, for example: American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).

Cat food which offers the best quality would be high in meat protein, with lesser amounts of grains. Meat protein would be the first ingredient on the label.

If the first ingredient on the label is not a meat protein, & is instead some type of Corn meal, or Soy meal; then that would indicate a lower quality cat food.

By checking labels, & talking with your Vet to make sure you are buying a formula to maintain your cat's wellness, you will have a happy, healthy cat.