How to prepare cat food at home. Proper feeding of cats with natural food: how and what to feed

There are three options for feeding your cat: natural food that you prepare yourself, industrial food, and mixed food, which includes both natural nutrition, and food. Which method to choose is up to you.

Ready-made feed

Feeding dry and canned food is very convenient. It has everything essential vitamins and minerals, it does not need to be cooked.

However, such food should be High Quality. Always remember that good food it doesn't come cheap. Choose super-premium and holistic food.

Do not buy industrially produced food in bulk. It quickly deteriorates in stores, as it is constantly in open bags. When choosing food for your cat, take into account its individuality: age, lifestyle, physical condition.

You cannot mix dry food and natural food on the same day, since neither food will be digested normally. If you feed the animal in combination, then alternate days, do not feed food and natural food at the same time.

Your cat should always have a bowl of clean, fresh water. You must give her the opportunity to quench her thirst when she wants it. You should not give your cat tap water. Water must be either bottled or boiled.

Natural feeding

If you have the opportunity to prepare complete natural food for your cat, then this will be the best option for her. The basis of a cat's diet is protein food of animal origin. In addition to meat, a cat's diet should include plant foods(vegetables, cereals, bran, vegetable oil, sprouted oats) in small quantities, as well as fermented milk products.

In nature, wild cats feed on small rodents and birds, and eat them along with the skin and stomach contents - grains and herbs. Sometimes small birds appear on their menu, but they practically do not get fish.

At home, beef, chicken, liver, cottage cheese, cheese are good sources of protein for cat food. chicken eggs(boiled).

There is an opinion that meat and fish are much healthier in their raw form, as it is more reminiscent of nutrition wild cat. It’s really better to give meat and liver raw, but with fish it’s more difficult.

River fish are very often infected with worms. The tissues of some marine fish contain harmful substances, destroying B vitamins, the so-called antivitamins. Any fish should be boiled before feeding it to your cat and given no more than once a week. A cat's diet may not include fish at all.

Meat products are cut into small pieces, approximately 1–2 cm, so that the animal chews them for a while and does not swallow them whole. The bones and fat are removed, and the tendons and membranes are cut. Boiled bones are of no value. Tubular bones are simply dangerous for the animal. During the cooking process, bones lose all the essential nutrients. Tubular bones very fragile, especially poultry bones, easily crumble, forming fragments that a cat can swallow. In this case, urgent veterinary intervention is required.

Despite the ingrained belief that cats love milk and dairy products, you should not give your animal whole milk, as it contains a lot of lactose. Not all cats can digest lactose; milk causes diarrhea in many animals. Instead of milk, cats are given fermented milk products such as kefir and sour cream.

Cats, especially young and growing ones, need vegetable fats. They have a beneficial effect on the condition of the coat. Vegetable oil 5-10 g should be added to food 2-3 times a week, mixed with the main food.

Many cats eat fresh vegetables and fruits, depending on their individual preferences. You can also boil carrots, beets, cauliflower, grate or finely chop, and then mix with meat. You should not give your cat beans, peas, or corn.

Food should always be fresh and at room temperature. Frozen and hot foods are harmful to the animal.

It is recommended to include fresh grass in their diet. Pet stores sell wheat and oat seeds. They are sprouted at home. The animal happily eats young shoots that contain a large number of vitamins

Because cats have quite small stomach, they should be fed 2-3 times a day, and the portions should be small and the food should be quite nutritious. On average, in order for a cat to feel comfortable, about 30 g of food is required per 1 kg of its body weight; the daily energy requirement is 250 kcal for females, 300 kcal for males. However, there are cats that, due to their metabolic characteristics, need less or, conversely, more food. Pick up daily norm food should be taken individually in each case, but not forgetting to take into account average norms so as not to overfeed your pet or leave him hungry every time.

Castrated and sterilized animals differ from those capable of bearing offspring not only in their physiology, but also in their way of life. The first rule of feeding a neutered pet is not to overfeed it. Otherwise, the cat may become obese. A castrated animal (both male and spayed female) requires less food than breeding and fertile cats.

How can you determine how well-fed a cat is without a scale and whether it is overweight? You need to run your hand over her back and hips and feel the bones: at a normal weight, they should be clearly palpable, but not visible.

After eating, the cat definitely needs rest. If you carelessly handle the animal immediately after eating, it may vomit.

Canned food for cats It is almost impossible to prepare it by hand, since it is difficult to reproduce the entire technological process of preparing such canned food at home. In addition, when preparing canned food with your own hands, a number of problems:

1) In home-canned meat and fish, there is a high risk of developing bacteria that cause botulism, a disease that is fatal even to humans.

2) Before preservation, the meat undergoes heat treatment, and then it is also sterilized in jars, losing most of its beneficial properties.

3) Sauces, broths, jellies, vinegar and salt solutions are used to preserve meat. The last two options are generally not suitable for cats, and sauces and broths for them are prepared without salt and spices, which, of course, reduces the shelf life of canned food.

It is also worth noting that canned food for cats made at home will not match the quality and composition of canned food made by industrial companies.

Such canned food is a way to store natural food for cats. However, it is much more convenient, simpler and healthier not to can food for cats, but to freeze it. The only thing is that frozen food for cats must be removed from the refrigerator in advance and defrosted to room temperature.

DIY canned food for cats: preparation method

Canned food for cats is preserved in glass jars with a capacity of 0.5-1 liters, which are closed with tin lids.

First, the jars and lids are thoroughly washed and boiled.

The meat and sauce/broth are placed in the jar hot; there should be about 2 cm between the meat and the lid so that the canned food does not squeeze out the latter, compromising the integrity of the jar.

After sealing the jars, they are sterilized in a large saucepan, autoclave or pressure cooker at a temperature of 115-120 C for 1.5-2 hours. In this case, the jars are immersed in already warm water.

Meat and canned fish should be stored at a temperature of 10-15 C.

DIY canned food for cats: recipes

These recipes can be used to prepare both classic canned and frozen ones. Only for classic canned food, all products need to be boiled or stewed, and then poured with the resulting broth/juice; while for freezing some of the ingredients can be left raw.

Canned food for cats: recipe No. 1

Ingredients:

Beef\veal\lamb\rabbit\chicken\turkey\salmon

Meat or fish is cut into small pieces and either stewed in own juice and are filled with it, or simply frozen.

Canned food for cats: recipe No. 2

Ingredients:

Bones, as for jelly (for canned meat); head and neck (for canned poultry)

Beef\veal\chicken\turkey

Gelatin

Cook a cool broth from bones/heads, add gelatin at the rate of 1 g per 1 liter of broth. Then cook the meat in the broth. Place the meat in a jar and fill it with broth.

This recipe is not very suitable for freezing, however, the resulting jelly can be divided into molds and fed to the cat immediately.

Canned food for cats: recipe No. 3

Ingredients:

Chicken/turkey/beef offal

The giblets are cooked until half cooked and filled with broth.

This is also a recipe exclusively for classic canning.

Canned food for cats: recipe No. 4

Ingredients:

Chicken heads\necks

Boil the heads and necks and pour in the resulting broth, after which they can be frozen or canned.

Canned food for cats: recipe No. 5

Appearance pet in the house - it's always happy event, especially for small households. Adults, however, have more worries, and one of them is providing proper nutrition animal. Despite the convenience of feeding ready-made industrial products, many cat owners choose for their pets natural diet.

Features of the diet of cats

Pet owners who choose a natural type of feeding should be aware that such a diet does not imply feeding cats dishes from the human table. Food must be prepared specifically for the animal, be balanced and completely satiate the pet.

A natural diet for cats is not food from the human table, but specially prepared dishes

Important components of a cat's diet

Proper nutrition serves as a source of physical energy for the animal, normalizes metabolism, promotes the formation of bones and all body systems, and fur growth. A furry pet’s diet should contain a sufficient amount of not only proteins, carbohydrates and fats, but also vitamins and beneficial microelements. A healthy and active individual should receive at least 10 g of protein, 2 g of fat and 2 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of its weight. In accordance with these standards, you need to make a diet.

According to the advice of experts, with a natural diet, the amount of daily food should not exceed 7.5% of the pet’s weight: if the animal weighs 4 kg, then it should receive no more than 300 g of food.

Squirrels

Representatives of cats are predators, and in nature the basis of their diet is meat, and this is one of the main sources of protein. Animal proteins, which are the main element of eggs, meat, cottage cheese and kefir, are better digestible. These foods should make up more than half of the total daily diet.

Carbohydrates

Known primarily as a source of energy, carbohydrates are also beneficial for the proper functioning of many organs and systems. For example, glucose is necessary for brain and kidney function, and carbohydrate fiber promotes normal bowel movements, helps remove toxins and gives a feeling of fullness. In the diet adult cat The daily share of carbohydrate food should be approximately 50 g.

Fats

Another source of energy is fats, which are also suppliers of vitamins, which include:

• A - for vision, normal condition skin and fur;
• D - for bone formation;
• E - for muscles and normal functioning of reproductive organs;
• K - to strengthen bones, ensure normal blood clotting and calcium absorption.

The sufficient presence of fats not only improves the taste characteristics of food, but also contributes to better growth and animal development. The proportion of fat in the diet should be approximately 20%.

The lack of vitamins D and A can be compensated fish fat- it should be added directly to food in the amount of a few drops. Pharmacies also have special multivitamin complexes- Polidex Immunity up, Doctor Zoo, Radostin.

To ensure that your cat receives all the necessary nutrients, you can give him vitamins.

Microelements and vitamins

A balanced diet is not only a sufficient presence of proteins and carbohydrates, but also vitamins and useful elements. Premium ready-made food already contains the required amount of all important elements, and with a natural feeding regimen, food must be additionally enriched with vitamin and mineral supplements. Source useful substances There is also a special herb, mixtures for germination of which can be found in veterinary stores.

Weed for cats contains beneficial elements

In addition to fat-soluble vitamins, the animal also needs water-soluble vitamins C and B vitamins. Vitamin C, which is involved in hematopoiesis, the production of antibodies, improves resistance, and fights aging, is produced by the cat’s body independently. Its deficiency in kittens and old cats is compensated by its presence in the diet fermented milk products, carrots.

A lack of B vitamins leads to metabolic disorders, weight loss, poor coordination and hair loss. By-products will help replenish the deficiency of these vitamins; for the same purpose, you should enrich the diet with a solution of brewer's yeast.

In ensuring normal life activities important role microelements also play a role. A cat needs potassium, manganese, taurine, iron and iodine, but calcium and phosphorus are considered the most important for its health and development.

Table: microelements necessary for cats

Lack of vitamins in cats manifests itself various symptoms- weight loss, lethargy, hair loss, frequent colds. If there is any change in your pet’s condition, you should immediately contact a specialist who will give necessary recommendations to enrich the diet.

General rules for feeding your pet

Basics proper diet include not only the correct selection of products, but also a competent feeding regimen. As a rule, a kitten appears in the house at the age of 3 months, when it has already mastered the skills of independent living and is accustomed to solid food. Fluffy babies need to be fed at least 5 times a day, by six months you can reduce the frequency of food intake to 3-4 times, after 6 months a pet should receive food 3 times a day, and after a year it is enough to feed an adult twice a day. The volume of the pet's daily portion should be equal to:

• at the age of 3 months - 180–200 g;
• at the age of 4–5 months - 200–240 g;
• at the age of 6 months - 200–250 g.

The calorie content of the diet for a growing and developing organism should be at least 200 kcal, and energy value The nutritional value of an adult animal should be approximately 80 kilocalories.

Daily amount of pet food large breeds there should be more. For example, for Maine Coon kittens aged three months the required volume of food is 230 g. When an individual of this breed reaches its adult size, it eats about one and a half times more than a regular cat.

Large breeds, such as Maine Coons, need more food than regular cats.

Following a feeding schedule disciplines your pet and promotes healthy growth and development. By always eating at a certain time, the animal is less susceptible to problems with the gastrointestinal tract and is less prone to begging and stealing from the table. This regime contributes to the formation of a respectful attitude of the four-legged pet towards its owner - the animal ceases to consider itself a completely independent creature and gets used to respecting the order established by man.

Strict adherence to the feeding regime will wean the cat from stealing from the table and begging

Your pet should always have two bowls - the second for water, which needs to be changed in a timely manner.

If after the next feeding there is food left in the bowl, it should be thrown away after 15–20 minutes so that it does not spoil.

The importance of proper diet

Many owners, neglecting the rules of feeding, understand the importance balanced diet only when the pet begins to have health problems. It is especially important to follow the regime and correctly formulate the diet when the animal is actively growing and developing. Following the principles of proper feeding helps maintain the health and longevity of your pet. At any age, errors in the animal’s nutrition cause various disorders in the functioning of the body. To the most common problems health problems caused by poor diet include:

• pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and joints;
• disorders of the kidneys;
• dental problems;
• allergy;
• urolithiasis disease.

Rules for natural nutrition

An undoubted advantage natural feeding is confidence in the freshness of the cat’s diet and knowledge of their composition, because the owner buys the food and prepares the food himself. But not all owners have the time to prepare culinary masterpieces that are balanced in composition for their pet - and this is the main disadvantage of a natural diet. In addition, animals that eat natural food are prone to developing vitamin deficiency. Therefore, in order to prevent vitamin deficiency, their diet should be enriched with vitamin and mineral supplements. Owners who have made a choice in favor of natural food should know which foods are preferable in the cat’s diet and which should be avoided, and also follow the feeding rules.

Table: healthy and prohibited foods in a cat’s diet

Any methods of processing cat food products other than boiling are prohibited. It is allowed to give meat raw, but previously frozen. It should be cut into pieces - very small for a kitten. Oil should be added to porridge or meat 0.5 tsp. 2-3 times a week - this will contribute to better functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. More than half - 60–70% of the total daily diet - should be protein foods - meat, eggs, cottage cheese or kefir. The other part is vegetables and cereals. All pet food should be warm.

In order to save time, the best option would be to prepare nutritional mixtures for furry pets in advance, divide them into portions and freeze.

Table: recipes

In the morning you should feed your pet something light - kefir or cottage cheese, and for dinner it is better to give something more nutritious, for example, a mixture of boiled meat with vegetables or cereals (meat can be replaced with fish once a week).

How to switch an animal to natural food

The difficulty in switching from dry ready-made food to a natural diet is due to the fact that store-bought products, especially the so-called economy class ones, contain various flavoring and aromatic additives that are addictive. Exactly these chemical substances lead to development various pathologies - urolithiasis, dysbacteriosis, allergies and others.

You should gradually switch your pet to a natural diet, gradually adding new foods to the usual food. At first, natural products are added in small portions, but after about 5 days, the volume of store-bought food should be reduced to half. It may take 10–14 days to completely switch to natural foods.

Another option is to reduce the portion of ready-made food:

1. Two bowls are prepared for the pet - with store-bought food and homemade food.
2. Without eating enough dry food, the animal involuntarily switches to natural food.
3. Gradually, the pet will get used to homemade dishes and will not require dry food.

Felinologists advise adding catnip to new food for faster adaptation. After the cat switches to a new diet, there is no need to give treats.

Video: how to feed cats correctly

People are becoming more and more attached to their pets, seeing them as part of their family. Cats still remain at the forefront of people's choice of pets. In order for a cat to please its owners, they need to spare no effort or money to organize the life of a purring family member. Important point in caring for cats, it’s a good and varied diet. Some people prefer dry food, but others are more accustomed to feeding cats dishes that all family members eat. Below we will find out what homemade food should be included in organizing your cat’s diet.

Rules for organizing homemade cat food

The cat's body has a great need for squirrels. Unlike dogs, cats need five times more. For this reason, foods high in protein are a must in your diet.

If you have both a cat and a dog, then remember that the dishes should be different, since each animal has its own needs for certain substances.

Notice the presence offal in the diet, for example, hearts. They are a source of taurine for the animal.

From vegetables cats can be offered pumpkin, spinach, carrots. You can mix vegetables with meat by first passing everything through a meat grinder or blender. There should be no garlic or onions in a dish for cats, as they can lead to intoxication of the body.

If you want the animal's body to be enriched carbohydrates, then introduce brown rice into your diet, which will perfectly cope with this task.

There are foods that should not be in the diet of cats or their the quantity should be minimal: milk, raisins, sweets, chocolate, baked goods

Concerning dairy products, then the most suitable for a delicate cat’s stomach are low-fat cottage cheese, sour cream and a small amount of cheese.

Many cats enjoy eating eggs, so offer them to them periodically. The egg can be raw or boiled, it all depends on the cat’s preferences.