Feline Nutrition

Colorado Springs Feline Nutrition

What should I feed my cat?

1. Commercial Raw Grain Free Food Diet Formulated For Cats
Because cats are obligate carnivores (they don’t have the enzymes to metabolize carbohydrates effectively) and therefore need a high protein diet. Some examples include:

• Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Food
• Nature’s Logic Grain-Free Raw Cat Food Diets
• Primal Pet Foods Raw Cat Food

2. Grain Free Canned Food
When raw food isn’t an option (i.e. not well tolerated by cat or owner; too expensive; cat has kidney disease and needs a lower protein diet etc.) Some examples include:

• Merrick Before Grain 96% Meat Grain-Free
• Nature’s Variety Grain Free
• Wellness Core Grain Free
• Evo
• Before Grain
• Felidae Grain Free
• Many others!

3. Grain Free Dry Food
Try to combine with raw or canned when possible to decrease the carbohydrate load in the diet to avoid diabetes and to increase water intake (need to protect the kidneys!).
Same as brands of canned food. Make sure it says grain free. Some brands have foods with grains and some without grains. I like to make sure the protein level is at least 40%. Many grain free foods these days are still low in protein.

Every cat is different as to what they can digest well. For example, some cats can only have raw and some can only tolerate certain brands of foods. There is not one right food for every pet!

**Be sure to change protein sources every few months to prevent your cat from developing food allergies (example: change from chicken to duck or rabbit)**
Grains include rice, barley, oats, corn and millet.