Feline Nutrition 101 – A Simple Guide to Eating Well

Feline Nutrition 101. It’s more straightforward than the marketing would like for you to believe! To understand your cat’s nutritional needs, there are just a couple of basics you need to wrap your head around.

1. Cats are Obligate Carnivores

This means that their diets should consist almost entirely of meat. In nature, cats don’t eat grains, hence the grain-free trend. Furthermore, they don’t eat carbs of any kind. You’ll see some grain-free foods full of starches, which are just as bad but allow them to make grain free claims.

Since meat is so important to feline nutrition, the quality of that meat should also be carefully considered. Not all meat is created equal and how it’s cooked can make a big difference. At Smalls, we use 100% human grade ingredients and cook it gently to maintain the natural nutrition of the ingredients.

2. Cats Need Wet Food to Stay Hydrated

Our furriends evolved from big desert cats and while that’s been happening for millennia certain things haven’t changed. Given the scarcity of water, they adjusted to staying hydrated from the fresh meat of their prey rather than drinking water. This is why most cats aren’t big drinkers.

When cats eat dry food they tend to be dehydrated. This is because dry food is between 8 and 12% moisture, a far cry from the fresh meat they are used to eating in the wild. Wet food, on the other hand, mimics cats’ natural environment by keeping them hydrated through the food that they eat. Many common feline health issues, like renal failure and urinary crystals,  are a result of a lifetime of dehydration.

So there you have it! The key to a healthy feline diet is lots of moist, fresh, high quality meat with no fillers of any kind. If you’re looking to switch to a healthier diet, give Smalls a try!

Get 50% off your first order and see how it goes!

We’d like to thank Matt Michaelson from Smalls for this informative guest blog!

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