How Natural Is Your Cat's "Natural Food"?

The ethics of good nutrition doesn't stop with your dinner plate; it extends to your cat's food dish as well.

These days, cats require a diet that is specifically tailored to their unique needs and to accomplish that cat owners are turning to 'natural' cat food. But how natural is 'natural'? Do you know what to look for when choosing a natural cat food for your kitty?

Cat Food Regulation

It should come as no surprise that all pet food is regulated by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). This regulation prohibits pet food companies from making false claims on pet food labels about the quality of the food, such as not claiming to be 'Organic' or 'Natural' if they aren't.

The AAFCO states that the term 'natural' means:

"... derived solely from plant, animal or mined sources ... not containing any additives or processing aids that are chemically synthetic except in amounts as might occur unavoidably in good manufacturing practices."

In order to fully comply with AAFCO's guidelines that state a pet food must be "complete and balanced", the majority of commercially prepared cat and dog food do contain synthetic sources of essential vitamins and minerals.

However, there are many benefits to feeding your cat a natural food, such as reducing the risk of intestinal tract infections and diseases of the bowel. Unlike commercial cat food, natural cat food does not contain any preservatives, additives, food stabilizers, wheat or other contradictory ingredients that are frequently found in canned, wet cat food that have been proven to lead to digestive upsets in cats.

Furthermore, cats that are fed a natural diet usually have a more shinier and manageable coat; not to mention the fact that they are also more active and alert. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that cats on such natural diets also live longer and healthier lives than their commercially fed counterparts.

What Natural Ingredients Should You Look For?

*No Artificial Colors, Flavors or Preservatives

"Natural" cat foods should not contain any synthetic fillers, artificial colors/flavors nor any man-made preservatives. However, naturally occurring flavors, colors and preservatives are to be expected, such as vitamin E and tocopherols.

*Byproducts

Whilst most byproducts are detrimental to your cat's long term health, most plant and meat-based byproducts actually fall under the definition of "natural" as specified by the AAFCO.

*Protein

The first ingredient in any cat food should state the source of the protein, i.e. meat, fish or poultry. Being carnivores by nature, in order to survive in the wild, cats have to eat the tissue of other animals. This translates into commercial cat food as well.

*Grains

Some cats develop severe allergies caused by excess grains in their food. Most times, a cat's owner is not even aware that their cat has an allergy which is being caused by their food. Some examples of these allergies include dandruff, dull coat and constant itching. There are, however, natural sources of carbohydrates that help to keep a cat's energy levels high throughout the day, such as whole grain barley and potatoes.

*Fruits and Vegetables

Even though your cat's natural food may claim to have fruits and vegetables in the ingredients list, you have no way of knowing whether or not they were genetically grown. That said look for peas and spinach to provide vitamin E and antioxidants, to build your cat's immunity.

To take the guesswork out of choosing and feeding a natural food to your cat, you can opt for ready-made, holistically natural foods, such as Prowl Cat Food, an all-natural dehydrated raw cat food which is prepared by adding warm water.

Prowl Cat Food is guaranteed to be 100% human grade food that does not contain any grains, by-products, chemical preservatives, or artificial colors/flavors. The first few ingredient listed are USDA chicken, eggs, potatoes, yams, and spinach.

Photo Credit:JSomeone1