Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Nutritional Tips For Cat Owners

By Phil Coughlin

If you are a pet lover you will know that your cats and dogs have completely separate dietary requirements and shouldn't be confused. Cats in particular have special needs in their diet; here are some that you may not know.

Too many people give their cats more food than the animals need, and this could prove to be a costly mistake when you consider the long term well being of your pet.

Always ensure that you steer clear of the cheap cat food in favor of a top quality brand which will have all the nutrition and vitamins that your pet need to stay healthy.

One vital requirement to a cat's nutrition is taurine. You will probably know this better as an ingredient in many popular energy drinks. To your cat, however, this amino acid can mean the difference between them keeping the eyesight they are famous for, and blindness.

Cats also need a steady supply of Vitamin A. Other animals simply synthesize this vitamin for nutrients, but cats are unable to do this so we must ensure that they get it in their food.

Raw liver is one way to give your cat their Vitamin A, but a lot of cats refuse to eat it, and a lot of owner find it abhorrent. Braking open a capsule of cod liver oil and adding it to their normal food is a much more acceptable of doing it.

Although there are feeding guides on all cat food, these are just general and there are a lot of other things that you should take into consideration.

For example, an older cat will probably require a smaller amount of food which may also need to be lighter. The breed of your cat can also having a major bearing on this and the fact that your cat in an individual.

Never ever over feed your cat. Although you may want to treat your cat and think that you are making it happy, its health is way more important.

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