Why Should I Feed Dry Cat Food?

<a href="http://www.higherpetresource.com/cat-food/dry-cat-food/"
target="_self">Cat food is food for consumption by cats. Cats
have specific requirements for their dietary nutrients. Certain nutrients,
including many vitamins and amino acids, are degraded by the temperatures,
pressures and chemical treatments used during manufacture, and hence must be
added after manufacture to avoid nutritional deficiency. We talk a lot about
cats’ need for wet food. That’s because cats are natural carnivores and
have a naturally low thirst drive. This means they often don’t drink enough
water. Feeding wet food, toppers and treats gives cats supplemental hydration.
So, does that mean dry food is bad for cats? Absolutely not. A high-protein,
low-carbohydrate dry food offers many important benefits such as:

• Supports Cats’ Natural Grazing: In the wild, cats ate multiple
  small meals throughout the day. With dry food, you can leave their food out for
  cats to instinctively graze upon. This is not possible with wet food, which
  would spoil if left out too long.

• Helps Promote Dental Health: Chewing hard kibble may help prevent
  plaque and tarter buildup on teeth. However, whether you feed wet or dry food,
  you can maintain your cat’s dental health with regular teeth cleanings by your
  veterinarian.

• Easy and Economical: A bag of dry food typically costs less than
  the equivalent amount of meals in wet food. And, one bag can last a while. So,
  it can be a good option for cat parents on a budget.

Do Cats Need Wet Food?

If you’ve only ever fed your cat dry kibble, you may wonder if cats need
<a href="http://www.higherpetresource.com/cat-food/wet-cat-food/"
target="_self">wet food. In nature, cats derived most of the water their
bodies needed from their prey. Because dry food has low moisture content, your
cat needs to get water from a dish, fountain or wet food. Feeding a
combination of wet and dry food, rather than just dry, is a great way to
help your cat get more water. There are many benefits of including wet food in
her diet.

• Better Overall Hydration: Many cats don’t like still or
  standing water. In nature, cats tend to avoid standing water because it’s
  often a breeding ground for bacteria and insects. As a result, they may dislike
  drinking from a cat bowl or dish. Most felines prefer fresh, moving water from
  a cat water fountain or faucet rather than a dish. Cats may also feel
  vulnerable when drinking, and it’s not something they do efficiently. A single
  lap only gives your cat about 3/100 of a teaspoon. Despite this, water is
  essential for chemical reactions in the body, temperature regulation and joint
  health and mobility. It makes up about 60 percent of your cat’s body, so it’s
  vital to maintain proper hydration through adequate water intake. How do you
  get cats to drink more water? Providing plenty of fresh water or even
  purchasing a cat water fountain can help. Another way to up her water intake is
  by feeding wet cat food. While it can’t replace water altogether, it does help
  improve her overall hydration.

• Promotes Lean Body Mass: Wet food is high in protein, which
  supports strong muscles. It also helps maintain that muscle mass through
  adulthood and into a cat’s senior years. A cat’s total body weight is
  comprised of lean body mass (LBM) and fat mass. Muscles, ligaments, bones,
  organs and more are all considered LBM. Organs and muscles are the main source
  of metabolic activity, helping to support many vital functions, like immunity,
  mobility and more. As cats age, they naturally lose LBM. Feeding wet cat food
  with high protein content can help maintain LBM as cats age.

• Adds More Variety: Just as many people dislike eating the same
  foods every day, cats can get bored with their food, too. Some cats don’t just
  like variety—they crave it. Feeding dry food only may not always satisfy this
  craving. By including more wet food in your cat’s diet, you can satisfy her
  desire for new and exciting flavors and textures. Because cans of wet food are
  small, it’s easy to buy a variety to see what your cat loves. With so many
  flavors and textures to choose from, each meal will be a delightful adventure
  for your cat. Whether she’s drawn to seafood flavors in a creamy sauce, more
  traditional chicken pate or she likes her food in a hearty gravy, feeding wet
  food will satisfy her desire for variety.

What is freeze-dried cat food?

When it comes to cat food, it can be easy to get confused between raw,
dehydrated and <a href="http://www.higherpetresource.com/cat-food/freezon-
dried-cat-food/" target="_self">freeze-dried, so to help make it easier to
distinguish one from the other, we’re going to break each of them down for
you. Freeze-drying is when a food is frozen and then placed into a vacuum where
the water is turned into a vapor. After that, the food is then sealed in air-
tight packaging to make sure it’s completely moisture free before being
shipped to your local grocery store. Freeze-dried cat food is similar to
raw cat food in that it hasn’t been cooked, but there are some key
differences. Raw foods remain in their raw state, so they don’t have the
moisture taken out of them and are therefore not shelf-stable. Raw foods may
also lack key nutrients and they can carry a high bacterial and parasitic load.
Dehydrated cat food is a lot like freeze-dried cat food in that both have had
the moisture removed from them, just using different techniques. Freeze-dried
food is produced using cold temperatures whereas dehydrated food requires low
heat and because of that, the former tends to retain more nutrients than the
latter. Freeze-dried cat food is basically a blend of meats and vegetables that
have gone through a freezing and drying process to allow the shelf life of
fresh ingredients to be safely extended. These special blends allow you to
provide your feline friend with nutritious cuts of meat that don’t contain any
fillers of preservatives. Alongside being free from fillers and
preservatives, freeze-dried foods tend to be:

• Nutritionally complete and balanced

• High in protein

• Rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants

• Grain free

• Great for cats with allergies

• Robust in flavor

If you’re looking for a formula that combines the benefits of raw food
with those of dry kibble, freeze-dried cat food is well worth considering. Not
only is it high in natural nutrition but it’s also easy to serve, making it a
potential win-win for both you and your ball of fluff!

What is a High-Quality Dog Food?

Most of us know that the cheap brands of <a
href="http://www.higherpetresource.com/dog-food/" target="_self">dog food
found in discount stores aren’t the best for our dogs…but why? The answer
lies in the ingredients of these foods. Low-cost dog foods are low cost for a
reason. They use low quality, more affordable ingredients. These foods load up
on cheap filler ingredients like grains. Instead of using lean proteins they
depend on unnamed meat “meals.” In comparison, high-quality dog foods utilize
more whole, species-appropriate ingredients. What does species-appropriate food
look like for dogs? It includes the following characteristics:

• Whole muscle meat

• High moisture content

• Grain-free

• Low to no percentage of starches

• Animal fat content

• Fruits and vegetables

Ever notice that when you eat a diet that is too high in fat or
carbohydrates that you start to gain weight? The same thing happens to your
dog! Unfortunately, because fats and carbohydrates are more affordable
ingredients, cheaper dog foods are often full of them! This is why when you
feed your dog a poor quality food, you will notice that their weight becomes
harder to control! High-quality dog food, in comparison, provides whole
nutrition. For example, increased protein content, complex carbohydrates,
and healthy fats all provide nutrition without contributing to weight gain in
the way that “junk” ingredients do. Once again we go back to how you feel
when you eat a whole and nutritious diet versus how you feel when you eat a
diet packed with junk food. You wouldn’t eat fatty take-out food and candy
bars for the rest of your life! Your body needs real nutrition that provides
necessary vitamins and minerals and so does your dog’s!

Grain Free Cat Food: What You Need to Know

Grain-free cat
food is just what its name describes — a cat food made free of grains.
Common grains found in cat food include wheat, corn, oats, barley and rice.
Most cats don't require grain-free food and cats with diagnosed grain
allergies are unusual. In a study published in Veterinary Dermatology, corn
was found to be one of the least likely sources of food allergy in a cat. Of
the 56 cats in the study with food allergies, corn was responsible for four
cases of allergy issues. Forty-five cats, meanwhile, suffered from allergies
associated with eating beef, dairy and/or fish. So how can you know if your cat
has a food allergy? Some possible signs of a food allergy include:

• Itchiness

• Excessive grooming

• Excessive hair loss

• Bald patches

• Inflamed skin

• Sores and scabs

• "Hot spots"

Protein is especially important in cat food because, unlike many other
animals, protein is a cat's primary energy source. What many people
don't realize (57 percent of cat parents, according to a PetMD survey)
is that while cats do require a part of their protein to come from animals,
their systems are also very good at digesting and absorbing nutrients from
high-quality, plant-based ingredients. Plant ingredients can be an excellent
source of essential nutrients, proteins, fat and carbohydrates. Providing
adequate carbohydrate calories spares body proteins, like muscles, from being
broken down to be used for energy. In fact, a food that relies solely on meat
as a protein source can be higher in phosphorus. While phosphorus is an
essential nutrient, there is a link between high-phosphorus foods and a
progression in cats (and dogs) with preexisting chronic kidney disease.
Vegetables and grains are low-phosphorus sources of essential amino acids that
cats need, providing your cat with a source of protein she needs to be healthy.