If a person is the proud owner of a feline, then a person knows the cat must have proper nutrition as cats have very sensitive stomachs. Cats can be fussy and very finicky when comes to food. There are only certain foods that will be placed in a cat's mouth and the pet owner will not be able to change their mind.
With this in mind, cat food needs to be holistic to feed the cat's mind, soul, and body. Holistic canned cat food must contain ingredients that will keep them well and away from the dangers of all the terrible kitty diseases out there. A cat's coat has to stay healthy and shiny along with their skin. When a cat bathes, they get their fur stuck in their throat because of excessive hair. This is because they are not getting proper nutrition.
For finicky cat eaters, there now is a solution to this problem by using holistic canned cat food. This food has the highest natural ingredients that are formulated to nourish a cat's skin, coat, and body. There will be a real noticeable difference when the cat changes back over to healthy eating.
One company that is making a difference is Instinctive Choice. This is the most nutrient dense holistic canned cat food a person will ever see. This means a cat will be fed less food as its more filling. The food is designed the way a cat would feed in the wild.
The holistic canned cat food contains human like proteins that are very digestible for a cat's sensitive stomach. Proteins that come from fish, white meat, shrimp, turkey, chicken liver, and chicken, will the kitty's tummy. The chicken has to be organic chicken, chickens that are raised humanely and are only fed with natural ingredients. Chicken liver that is vitamin enriched with E, C, A, B, Folic Acid, Copper, and Iron will greatly help with digestion.
When a cat is in the wild, they obtain their moisture or water from the prey that they kill. With a modern-day house cat they have to be fed to stay alive. They no longer hunt in the wild. They do not even try to eat a mouse anymore. Eating holistic cat food will contain broth and vitamin water while eating their food.
Cats naturally love grass. The reason this is because it helps with their urinary tract. So, if the cat lived inside the house one hundred percent, the holistic cat food would contain grass to help with this problem. Agropyron Repens grass is called couch grass and is the perfect choice to provide phytonutrients and fiber.
There are powerful antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins that are packed into holistic canned cat food. L-Carnitine and Taurine are also added to support the muscles, eyes, and the heart to stay healthy along with their wellbeing. These two nutrients are protein constituents and much-needed amino acids. To help with a feline's immune system, a sensitive tummy, and to help absorb the nutrients, Inulin was also added.
Now a person can have help with a finicky cat to get them eating again. They will never know how healthy it is for them, they will just love all the yummy ingredients. They will be climbing on your lap for some "me" time.
Josh Wallach, owner of HealthyPetsLife.com and National Field Representative for Life's Abundance offers Life's Abundance Premium Pet Food that is veterinarian-formulated to cater to your pets' needs, puppies or kittens, adult and even senior pets alike. Visit us at http://www.healthypetslife.com or call 800-699-0870.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5985791
As I began researching articles about cat food, I found many with authoritative documentation and some with personal opinions. I personally wanted to know what would be the best to feed our mature cat. He has been on dry food since birth with expensive treats and occasionally a few pieces of meat - table scraps - of cooked chicken, beef, tuna, salmon or pork. This may not have been the most correct choice.
Our cat Simba, is strictly an indoor cat. He has always had good health and has a beautiful, glossy, smooth, orange tabby coat. He has starting vomiting a little bit, which appears to be unprocessed dry food or treats, and occasionally hair balls. I will leave the hairballs for another article. In this article I will look at cat food options. I decided to find out what kind of cat food we should get for him or if a dietary change is needed.
In my opinion, it often the 'cost' that drives the consumer's decision on what cat food to purchase, even though our cats are very precious to us. I am sure we want the best food we can afford to give our pet, and what is best for him. In evaluating the issue, I believe that 'costs' can be evaluated in two ways.
First, we can get the best from the grocery store. Much of our decision is probably based on the advertising we hear or see through the media, and occasionally from a friend. It is often that we are at the store, cat food is on our list, our selection is on sale, it says it's 'natural' or some other persuasive word on the label, and we place it in our cart with little thought to read the ingredient list. At home, our cat likes it when we feed him the selected food, so we think we have made a good choice.
Second, we can do a lot of research, decide to go to a pet store or make a purchase online for a good quality, high protein cat food, and know from what we have read that it is a good choice, and 'cost' didn't really become the deciding factor. Our cat's health became the more important issue.
Some cat owners are probably a little on both sides when selecting the cat food; I know I am. Cost is important, but the quality of health our cat enjoys is also very important. We enjoy spoiling our cats, and our cats love to be pampered, so sometimes we supplement our cat's food with cat treats. Spoiling our cats with treats may not be a good decision either. He may want more because he is not nutritionally satisfied with the cat food we give him. How do we make the right decision?
As with ourselves, we feel better when we eat better, and so will our cats. Let me briefly share with you some information I found it articles that I researched.
1. Whole meats such as chicken, beef, lamb, salmon, etc. vs. cat food with 'meal', 'by-products', 'animal digest', and added sugars. Analysis: Whole meat is best, as you may know. If you really want to know what goes into some inexpensive pet food, and your stomach can stand the information, take the time to read about it on the web. Many of the products put into pet foods should not be ingested by any living thing, and these are products are put into pet food by many large pet food companies.
2. Grain based vs. grain free cat food: Analysis: Cats do not need grains. Most grains are used a fillers in canned cat food and as binding agents in dry cat food. Some manufactures believe that grains will add protein content, which it does, but cats need meat protein, not grain proteins. Some cats may also develop allergies to wheat or corn when added to their food.
3. Cat food with vegetables and fruits: Analysis: Often you can observe that vegetables, such as peas or corn, go right through a cat's digestive tract without being processed in the intestines. Cats process meat proteins, but not vegetables or fruits.
4. Dry cat food vs. Canned/moist cat food: Analysis: Dry cat food is not natural. It has carbohydrates for fillers, such as grains, to hold it together. The label may indicate that it has high protein content but most of the protein is grain or milk protein, not meat protein. Don't, however, feel that canned cat food is the only answer because it may also contain fillers including grains, meal, by-products, milk, etc. Several articles suggested that a combination of dry and canned may be the best for your cat.
5. Raw meat vs. high-protein canned cat food: Analysis: I never felt this issue was totally resolved. It has much to do with the individual cat and his owner. Canned food is more convenient and has a longer shelf life, and should be kept refrigerated after it is open. Raw food takes more preparation and has a shorter refrigerated shelf life. You can read discussions on this subject on several cat forums.
6. Grocery store cat food vs. pet store or online high quality cat food: Analysis: I believe that we could all come to the conclusion that a high protein from meat is the better choice, and that product would probably best be purchased at a pet store (which also carry the grocery store brands), or online.
In conclusion, here are a few final thoughts.
* Even thought the cost is higher with a better quality cat food, your cat will eat less because it is a better protein and he is nutritionally satisfied. He won't eat as much, and he will be less likely to develop liver or other diseases. You, therefore, will have less expensive vet bills, and a happier, healthier cat.
* Read the labels, do research (other than asking friends and listening to or reading ads), and become an educated consumer. Purchase the cat food you feel is best for your cat.
* Consider the age of your cat. A kitten shouldn't eat the same cat food as your mature cat. The brands will indicate on the label which food is best for your age of cat.
* Introduce any dietary changes slowly, probably over the course of a week or so.
* Research the web, read books, or talk with your vet so you can decide which cat food is best.
All cat foods are not the same. Your cat's taste buds may like some brands or meats better than others. Purchasing the cat food you feel is best will give you peace of mind by giving him the best cat food you can afford, and he will feel better and more satisfied as he adjusts to his new diet.
Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian nor do I have any formal training in any medical field. This article is not to replace the advice of your veterinarian. I am only providing options and ideas that you may want to discuss with your veterinarian
Having had cats and dogs most of her life, Lori Kniff is concerned about the health and safety of our best friends, our dogs and cats.
Please go to the website http://www.pawsitivepamperings.com, and you will find those items that will keep your pets safe, healthy, happy and content.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6612385
Whether or not cat bladder stones kill cats is an important question that every cat owner should have the answer to. Can cat bladder stones kill cats? The answer is a resounding yes! Do they always? The answer is resounding no. So if you have a few minutes to dedicate to the riveting attention grabbing topic of can cat bladder stones kill cats why don't we enthusiastically push on.
The first thing you should know is that all stones (also known as uroliths) are not the same. This fact matters since different types of bladder stones have different properties and tend to be found in different age groups and breeds. Of course just like with most things different doesn't necessarily mean completely different since there is some overlap.
The two most common types of stones are struvite and calcium oxalate.
Struvite characteristics: Mainly found in female cats; have been found in kittens as young as 1 month and cats as old as 20 years; tend to form in cats whose urine contains a high concentration of magnesium; tend to form in cats whose alkaline pH is over 6.8; make up about half of all uroliths; and account for more than 85 percent of all urethral blockages.
Calcium Oxalate characteristics: Primarily found in neutered male cats; tend to occur in old animals for 10 to 15 years of age; occur more often in certain breed with the most notable being Persians, Himalayans, and Burmese; high pH levels increase the risk; account for about 39 percent of all uroliths; and only cause urethral blockage less than 15 percent of the time.
As you can plainly see we have a lot of generalizations to guide us but when it comes to bladder stones nothing seems to be 100 percent certain.
What happens when a fatal blockage occurs?
Female cats do not obstruct as often as males but pet parent can't let their guard down since females can become obstructed by urethral stones.
Once the bladder stone has managed to either block urine flow, or severely restrict it, pressure will start to build in the upper urinary tract. As the pressure builds the kidney will start to shut down producing less and less urine until finally no urine is being produced at all. Once the kidneys quit filtering impurities out of the bloodstream toxins flood the bloodstream leading to toxic urea.
As all this is occurring there should be a number of fairly obvious signs that something is terribly wrong including loss of appetite, frequent visits to the litter box with no success, uncharacteristic self-imposed seclusion, lethargy, and vomiting. If the bladder stone obstruction is not rectified and normal kidney function restored within 48 hours (possibly less) irreversible kidney damage will have occurred resulting in death.
In conclusion, not only can cat bladder stones kill cats but often do when the obstruction is not recognized and treated in record time. The best advice is to take preventative steps to make sure this terrible conditions never get far enough to become fatal.
A few preventative measures worth considering are to make sure your cat drinks plenty of water; lean towards wet food instead of dry; keep urine pH levels neutral to slightly below normal; opt for pet food slightly lower in calcium and magnesium; add a few drops of cranberry or raspberry juice to their food; and consider implementing a homeopathic pet urinary tonic containing Berberis and Cantharis to provide an extra bit of insurance against bladder stone formation.
Robert D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic consumer advocate for natural pet health with over 10 years experience in the field. To discover more about cat urinary tract health along with information about a herbal and homeopathic urinary tract tonic specially formulated to reduce the chances of crystals and bladder stone formation Click Here
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6642036
The treatment of kidney stones in cats is best started by looking for the cause. Only then can you expect to get lasting results.
Kidney stones in cats, in fact any problems related to the kidneys, are common in cats. This is because cats have evolved to live off their wits. They have super sensitive stalking and hunting abilities and these can only be achieved with the use of adrenalin. Adrenalin is manufactured in the kidneys.
The common cause of kidney stones in cats or anyone else, is the dietary supplementation of isolated and synthetic nutrients, in particular calcium and vitamin C. All living beings, including cats, evolved to gain all their nutrients from food. Nutrients cannot be isolated as they co-dependent on many others for full and efficient absorption.
At best, the synthetic nutrients are excreted. At worst they cause internal problems, such as kidney stones. All processed cat food will be supplemented with additional nutrients, as most are very poor quality. The cheapest nutrients are the synthetic ones.
By feeding your cat a processed cat food, you are not only starving her of quality food, you may also be contributing to kidney stones and other kidney problems.
Apart from the poor quality and the synthetic nutrients, the majority of processed cat food contains harmful preservatives despite the claim on the label. So your cat is also probably experiencing a toxic overload, to add to her existing burden.
The first thing to address is the diet. Convert your cat to a quality raw meat and bones diet. This is urgent given the nature of the problem, but no easy task with cats addicted to their 'fast food' equivalent. Perseverance on your part will eventually convince her.
The homeopathic medicine Urtica urens can be helpful is dissolving the salts which make kidney stones. It is also a helpful medicine in relieving the system of a toxin overload.
Cats who do well on Urtica urens may also suffer from urticaria (a rash of round red welts, which itch intensely and may swell, also known as hives, or can occur after an allergic reaction) of the skin. Or they may have suffered from this in the past.
If this has been suppressed with drugs such as cortisone, this simply adds to you cat's overloaded toxic burden.
The suggested potency (strength) is 6x or 6c twice a day for a week or two, depending on the results observed.
Do you want to learn more about natural good health, in particular diet and homeopathy? Download my free report 'Better Health for Cats' by clicking on the
http://naturallyhealthycats.com
Madeleine Innocent is a full time consultant homeopath and homeopathic coach.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3713635