Dedicated cat parents would be concerned about the contents of commercial cat food. Oftentimes, first-time cat parents are misguided into buying cat food straight off the grocery aisle without really knowing if it’s good for their pet. There have been many reports that popular cat food brands have been recalled due to some side effects of their products. This adds to the cat parent’s dilemma when it comes to feeding their pets the right foods that are truly healthy and beneficial for them.
According to some reports, the best cat food you should give has to be similar to the food they eat in the wild. You must remember that cats are natural hunters and carnivores. They will occasionally eat grass, leaves, and some vegetation when they feel an intestinal upset. Sometimes cats just do it that way. By nature, cats don’t really need to drink a lot of water, as they get the fluid they need from the flesh of their prey.
From this I conclude that the best alternative to cat food that you can give your pet is real and natural food. These foods are in the form of meat, grains and vegetables. In fact, the best natural cat food should be 60% protein, 20% grains, and 20% vegetables.
Hence the 60-20-20 rule in a cat’s natural diet. It’s much healthier, chemical-free and completely safe for your pet.
60% of the protein in natural cat food comes from raw or cooked meats such as ground beef, turkey, chicken, rabbit, fish and offal. You can prepare these by slightly steaming or boiling them. You can also feed your cat some eggs, but limit feeding to just once a week. Organ meats should be given as a reward and in very small amounts like 2 teaspoons once or twice a week.
20% of their plant-based diet comes from a variety of vegetables. You can feed cats steamed broccoli, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, squash, corn, potatoes, and chayote. Some cats prefer leafy greens like water spinach or Chinese lettuce. You can also give cats chopped fruits like melon, mango, and apples. To make it easier for them to eat and digest the vegetables and fruits, be sure to wash and boil or lightly boil them. Chopping or crushing these into tiny cubes and mixing them with dry cat food or cooked grains like rice would help.
20% of cat food should also contain grains. Surprisingly, although most people know that cats are carnivores, they do need some grains in their diet. It’s actually good for your digestive system. Brown rice is the preferred grain to feed your cats. It can be served steamed or boiled and then finely mashed with a little chicken broth along with some meat and vegetables. You can also use grains like oatmeal, amaranth, couscous, millet, barley.
