Feline Nutrition

Cats Are Obligate Carnivores. Feed Them Accordingly

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Animals are classified as three different types of eaters: herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. Carnivores eat a meat-based diet while herbivores eat a plant-based diet. Omnivores eat both meat and plants. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they need meat not just to survive, but to thrive.Continue Reading

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The Health Benefits of a Raw Diet

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This post is sponsored by Darwin’s Natural Pet Food*

Embraced for decades by holistically oriented pet parents and holistic veterinarians, raw feeding is becoming more and more mainstream as cat parents look for alternatives to feeding highly processed commercial pet foods. I’ve been feeding raw for the past ten years, and have seen my cats thrive on it. A raw diet can benefit your cat’s health overall, and it can also make a big difference with certain health conditions.Continue Reading

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The History of Commercial Pet Food: Profit over Health

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The earliest evidence of cats as companion animals goes back almost 10,000 years. These cats had the job of pest control on ships, farms, and granaries, and as a result, their diet consisted of fresh prey. The history of commercial pet food only dates back to 1956.Continue Reading

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What Do The Terms on Pet Food Labels Really Mean?

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I’ve written extensively about feline nutrition and my recommendations based on what our obligate carnivores need for optimal health. Generally speaking, the progression from most desirable to least desirable is a raw food diet (either commercial or homemade), a home cooked whole food diet, or grain-free canned food. I do not recommend any dry food for cats. But even within these parameters, the available options can be overwhelming.  Pet food labels should be a useful tool to help cat parents decide which foods to select. Unfortunately, food labels are more about marketing than providing information.Continue Reading

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How Much Should I Feed My Cat?

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“How much should I feed my cat?” is a question I’m frequently asked, and the answer isn’t as simple as it would seem. Even though every can and bag of cat food provides feeding instructions, they’re pretty much useless.Continue Reading

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Benefits of Slow Feeders

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Do you have a cat who inhales his meals? Does she throw up after meals, a syndrome also known as “scarf and barf?” Does she show other signs of indigestion? If so, your cat may benefit from a slow feeder bowl.Continue Reading

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6 Types of Cat Food (Ranked From Best to Worst)

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If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know that I’m passionate about species-appropriate nutrition for cats. Cats are obligate carnivores, and they need meat not only to survive, but to thrive. You can find many of the articles I’ve written about this topic in the Feline Nutrition section right here on this site.

You can find my recommendations on what to feed your cat here.Continue Reading

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Make Mealtime Peaceful for Your Cat

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Mealtime for your cat should be a happy, relaxed experience. Your cat shouldn’t have to worry about whether she can eat in peace. This can be challenging in multicat households, especially if cats eat at different speeds, require different diets, or one of the cats is a “food bully.”Continue Reading

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Cats and Fish: To Feed or Not to Feed?

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Fish is not a natural part of a cat diet, and yet, so many cats love it. And because so many pet food manufacturers offer a large variety of fish-based foods, unsuspecting cat parents think they’re doing something wonderful and delicious for their feline charges. While it’s tempting to indulge a finicky palate, canned fish is not necessarily good for your cat’s health and might even be harmful.Continue Reading

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Raw Food for all Life Stages, from Kitten to Senior

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This post is sponsored by Darwin’s Natural Pet Products*

Embraced for decades by holistically oriented pet parents and holistic veterinarians, raw feeding is becoming more and more mainstream as cat parents look for alternatives to feeding highly processed commercial pet foods. I’ve been feeding raw for the past ten years, and have seen my cats thrive on it. For the past five years, I’ve been feeding Darwin’s, and it has become a perennial favorite.Continue Reading

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