Devoted parents will worry about the content of commercial cat food. Too often, first-time cat parents are guided by buying cat food straight off the grocery shelf without knowing if it is good for their pet. There are a lot of reports that popular cat food brands have been pulled due to some harmful effects of their products. This adds to the cat parent’s dilemma when it comes to feeding their pets the right food that is truly healthy and good for them.
According to some reports, the best food for cats should be similar to the type of food they would eat in the wild. You must remember that cats are born hunters and carnivores. They sometimes eat grass, leaves and some plants whenever they feel some intestinal problem. Sometimes, cats do it just for their own sake. By nature, a cat does not really need to drink a lot of water because the fluids it needs it gets from the meat of its prey.
Which leads to my conclusion, the best alternative to cat food that you can offer your pet is actually real and natural food. These foods come in the form of meat, grains, and vegetables. To be precise, the proportions of the best natural cat diet should be 60% protein, 20% grains, and 20% vegetables.
Hence, the 60-20-20 rule in a normal feline diet. It is healthy, chemical free and completely safe for your pet.
60% of the protein of a cat’s normal diet comes from raw or cooked meats such as ground beef, turkey, chicken, rabbit, fish, and organ meats. You can cook it by steaming or boiling it. You can also feed your cat some eggs, but only feed them once a week. Organ meats should be given as a treat and in very small amounts like 2 teaspoons once or twice a week.
20% of their vegetarian diet comes from a variety of vegetables. You can feed cats broccoli, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, squash, corn, potatoes, and steamed chayote. Some cats prefer leafy greens like spinach or Chinese lettuce. You can also give cats chopped fruits like watermelon, mango, and apple. To make it easier to eat and digest vegetables and fruits, be sure to wash them and boil or lightly cook them. It may help if you cut it into small cubes or puree it and mix it with dry cat food or boiled grains such as rice.
20% of a cat’s diet should also contain grain. Surprisingly, although most people know cats are carnivores, they do need some grains in their diet. It is really good for their digestive system. Brown rice is the most common type of grain you should feed your cats. It can be served steamed or boiled, then mixed well with a little chicken stock along with a little meat and vegetables. You can also use grains such as oatmeal, amaranth, couscous, millet, and barley.