A balanced diet affects the general well-being of pets, their health is in direct proportion to the diet. If you want your cats to be playful and fun, feed them right.
Healthy foods for cats
The duration and quality of life of the animal depends on proper nutrition. Cats belong to the class of mammals, the order of carnivores, that is, meat eaters. Their menu should be 90% raw animal products:
- meat;
- fish;
- birds;
- milk;
- eggs.
The diet of domestic "predators" must certainly include protein. Along with meat, feed them marine lean fish no more than twice a week. A prerequisite - the fish must be after freezing. Make an exception for cod and pollock, it is better to refuse this product altogether, since infection with worms is possible.
Small fish are fed whole raw, the bones of the cats are easily gnawed. You should not give them boiled fish, there is a possibility of choking on the bones, moreover, there are no useful substances in it.
What problems do cats have with a fish diet?
It is impossible to feed the cat with fresh lake or river fish, it may contain worms, which is harmful to them. Thus, fresh prey brought from fishing is not fed to cats. Fish from a pond or river can be fed after freezing for three days.
It is not necessary to give fish daily, as its constant consumption leads to kidney damage. An excess of phosphorus, magnesium and a low calcium content in seafood leads to an imbalance of minerals in the body and contributes to the appearance of kidney stones.
Also, animals on a 100% fish diet have a lack of vitamin K and, as a result, reduced blood clotting. When eating seafood, pets become inactive. Long-term fish feeding can provoke:
- allergies, fish is an allergenic product;
- vitamin deficiency;
- invasive diseases.
The enzyme “thiaminase” contained in raw fish breaks down vitamin B1 (“Thiamin”) in the feline body. This can lead to seizures and neuralgic problems. The constant feeding of fish leads to a deficiency of vitamin E, which causes a painful condition called panniculitis. Cats lose appetite, increased sensitivity to touch.
Veterinarians are observing an alarming relationship between fish diets and the occurrence of hyperthyroidism in animals. Seafood cats often suffer from hyperthyroidism.
Whether or not to feed your pets with fish is up to you. But if you want to see pets healthy and cheerful, fish should become a treat, not a permanent food.
