Feeding a domestic cat. Foods that should not be given to cats. Feeding with natural food - menu

4.79/5 (34)

Often, owners pay little attention to the nutrition of their pets. Unfortunately, this is the wrong approach, since high-quality and balanced nutrition for your pet is the key to its health and longevity.

Cat food is divided into two types:

• Ready-made feed
• Natural food

You can read about ready-made food in the article “Ready-made food for cats”. In this article we will look at natural nutrition in detail. Domestic cats are not averse to enjoying their favorite dishes with their owner, and sometimes even stealing something tasty from the table while the owner is busy cooking or doing household chores. Of course, there are also picky eaters who prefer only one dish in their diet and are indifferent to the rest of the food.

Calculating the daily value for your cat

Feeding natural food will allow you to control your pet’s weight and the amount of vitamins and nutrients it consumes. However, do not forget that thoughtless feeding can also harm your cat and cause illness or pathology.

At natural nutrition It is necessary to correctly calculate the daily food intake. There is a misconception that the cat itself knows how much it needs to eat per day. Unfortunately no. Many of our furry brothers do not know how to eat properly, which is why they develop problems with overweight, breathing or other dangerous diseases.

Please note that the amount of food for kittens and cats differs, so it is necessary to correctly calculate the amount of food consumed for different ages.

Nutrition calculations for small kittens

The kitten can be weaned from its mother at the age of 10 weeks. Until 9 months of age, cats should consume at least 10% of their body weight. In other words, with a weight of 2.3 kg, a kitten should consume up to 230 grams of food per day. (2.3×0.10=0.23) It is advisable to divide the diet (100-110 grams of fermented milk food and 100-110 grams of meat).

Nutrition calculation for adult cats

Daily norm adult is 5% of its weight. Thus, a cat weighing 4.5 kilograms should consume 225 grams per day. Of these, 115 grams of fermented milk products and 110 of meat.

It is welcome to add vegetables in the amount of 10-15 grams and oil from 2 to 5 drops.

It should be noted that not everyone with fluffy paws and tails willingly weighs themselves. To avoid the hassle associated with this process, you can do the following. Step on the scale and determine your own weight, then pick up the animal and repeat the procedure with it. By subtracting your weight from the total, you will get the weight of your pet.

You can calculate the required number of calories your pet needs. Young and growing cats need energy much more than adults - their consumption rate is 838 kJ. An adult cat needs only 353 kJ, and for obese or overweight animals the need is reduced to 251 kJ.

What foods can you give your cat?

To the list of products for natural feeding cats includes:

Meat

Lean beef and chicken are considered the most beneficial for cats. It is allowed to add lamb, rabbit and horse meat to the diet. Pork should be excluded from your pet’s menu. Meat can be given raw, after first dousing it with boiling water. There are cats that love boiled meat, if your cat is one of those, you can boil the meat and combine it with a small amount of vegetables and butter.

Fish

It is unlikely that you have ever met a cat that would refuse fish. Suitable for feeding sea ​​fish low-fat varieties. When feeding raw fish, the bones can be left in, but if your pet prefers boiled fish, then it must be cleared of bones. This is done because bones easily separate from cooked meat and can accidentally be swallowed whole by a cat.

Abuse with fish menu should not be used - excessive consumption can cause urolithiasis or deficiency. The best option is to give fish once a week, instead of meat. Fish is contraindicated for sterilized cats and neutered cats.

Meat by-products

Many owners replace meat with offal (kidneys, liver, lungs, heart), probably guided by the fact that the price of offal is much lower. Feeding these components is possible, but it should be taken into account that they energy value and the usefulness is much lower than that of ordinary meat. It is necessary to give offal only in raw form, no more than 1-2 times a week. It is also necessary to take into account that not all purrs easily digest and assimilate such food. Many cats react negatively to such feeding - vomiting and diarrhea are possible, and others side effects. When these signs appear, by-products must be excluded from the diet.

Dairy products

Half of the cat's daily diet should be fermented milk products. Please note that they should not be too fat (up to 9%) or low fat (may cause bowel upset). Cats eat cottage cheese, kefir and various sourdoughs well. You need to be more careful with milk - as a cat gets older, the cat's body absorbs lactose less well, so problems with the digestive tract are inevitable.

Vegetables

Vegetables are also nutritious and useful components in the nutrition of our little brothers. You can give almost all vegetables - peppers, cabbage, carrots, beets, pumpkin...

The list is quite extensive - pay attention to what the cat likes best and the recipe is found! You can either combine several types of vegetables or choose just one. Vegetables should be served raw, finely chopped, separately or mixed with meat. It is not recommended to give potatoes or dishes containing them.

Eggs

Cats digest both chicken and quail eggs very well. You need to give both the white and the yolk together. You can add eggs to dairy nutrition, along with cottage cheese or kefir.

Bran

Excellent substitute for vegetables. Have a number useful properties- are a base with fiber, provide beneficial influence on microflora and peristalsis. Many owners recommend mixing them with meat and fermented milk foods.

Oil

Cats tolerate it well the following types oils: vegetable, olive, pumpkin and flaxseed. A little oil is needed, just 2-5 drops. The oil has an enveloping property and helps normalize work digestive tract.

How often should you feed your cat?

You need to feed your cat 2-3 times a day, if possible. Small kittens need 4 meals a day until they are 5-6 months old. Spayed and neutered cats should be fed strictly once a day. One of the constant rules is to always have water in the bowl, but with food everything is a little more complicated:

1. Try to feed your cat at the same time every day to develop a feeding routine.
2. It is better to leave meat feeding for dinner.
3. A cat should not have constant access to food - unfortunately, our furry brothers do not know when to stop and can harm themselves by overeating.
4. If your cat refuses to eat or has developed side symptoms(vomiting, diarrhea, fever, decreased activity) - this is a distress signal and a reason to urgently contact a veterinarian.
5. After feeding, cats often find a secluded place and rest - you should not disturb your pet during these periods of time.
6. If your pet leaves some food behind, you shouldn’t leave it for a long time - the food will spoil quickly.

How to cook it correctly?

Food should not be cold or hot, but slightly warmed or at room temperature.

The consistency of the food should be comfortable - do not give large pieces of meat. Cats eat quickly, so large pieces may cause difficulty digesting or vomiting.

Products should always be fresh.

The food is divided into two or three parts: fermented milk - 45-50%, vegetables and meat.

A few simple examples for your pet (calculated for an adult animal weighing = 4.3-4.5 kg):

Example 1:

Breakfast: 10 g kefir, 10-15 g. vegetable puree 30-40 years cottage cheese, 2-3 years. oils, water.
Dinner: 50-60 chicken meat, water.
Dinner: 40 g. cottage cheese, 60-70 g. rabbit meat, water.

Example 2 (with added by-products):

Breakfast: 1 raw egg + 20-30 g. cottage cheese, water.
Dinner: 20-30 g. chicken hearts, 30-40 g. cottage cheese, water.
Dinner: 70-80 g minced chicken, 10 g vegetables, 2 g vegetable oil, water.

Example 3 (with added fish):

Breakfast: 50 g boiled fish, 10-15 g. vegetables
Dinner: 30-40 cottage cheese, 10-20 years. kefir
Evening: 70-80 lean beef, 20 g kefir.

Exceptions to the rules

It should also be noted that some cats require a special diet. If your pet is expecting a baby, has recently undergone surgery, is undergoing treatment, or is simply capricious, you need to coordinate the diet with your veterinarian and deliberately exclude dangerous ingredients.

Health to you and your pets!

This is a question asked by many owners of these pets who want their pets to eat a healthy and balanced diet. Of course you can buy specialized feed in the shop. But, firstly, it is not cheap, and secondly, you will never be sure of the quality of the food that is offered to you. Therefore, it is cheaper and healthier for your pet if you prepare the food at home.

What can cats do?

Before we figure out how to prepare a cat’s lunch, let’s find out which foods are considered acceptable and healthy for her. The cat will be healthy and cheerful if you feed it tasty and varied. For these pets raw is fine lean meat, such as lamb or beef, chicken, lean ocean fish. It is also recommended to give boiled yolks or raw eggs and fermented milk products no more than twice a week.

It is strictly forbidden to feed cats chocolate, alcohol, avocados, nuts, grapes, yeast dough, onion, garlic and salt. These products are not only not required by the cat's body, but can also be harmful to it.

Why is it better to cook for cats yourself?

Making your own cat food is not difficult at all. After all, although industrially produced food makes our lives much easier, they often contain ingredients that cannot be included in the diet of our pets. That is why every year there are more and more people who prefer a natural diet prepared in the home kitchen to commercially produced food.

Food specially prepared for the cat from healthy and fresh products, does not necessarily have to be the basis of his diet. You may be feeding him store-bought food more often, but it’s still worth making a healthy and enjoyable addition to your pet’s diet. And if you have enough free time, then the cat can be completely switched to food that you prepare yourself. It will be more natural than any food you can find in a pet store. But remember that you cannot simply feed your cat the same food that you yourself eat for dinner; these pets have dietary habits that must be observed. Therefore, you will have to cook for them separately.

Monotonous menu

Another one common mistake, which cat owners admit, is a too monotonous menu with which they treat their pets. This is absolutely impossible to do. The fact is that cats need five times more protein than dogs, much more than a person needs in his daily diet. All this should be reflected in the food they receive. It is necessary to prepare for each type of animal separately, observing unique features.

The main thing is protein

If you are wondering how to prepare food for your cat, then first of all focus on recipes that are rich in protein. There are quite a lot of them, among them there are also simple ones that will not take up much of your time, but will allow you to ensure your pet is healthy and balanced diet.

Of course, we should not forget that cats are very picky eaters. Therefore, you cannot guarantee that they will like your cooking; some types of food may not be to their taste. Remember, it is very important for cats that the dish smells delicious. You should never forget about this when deciding what to cook for your cat at home.

Recipe Features

In recipes for domestic cats, try to use a variety of meats; the more varieties, the better. It can be turkey, chicken, rabbit, beef, duck. This way you will be able to maximize the balance of nutrients, enriching the feeding with all sorts of different textures and tastes. The best thing different sources meat to use at the same time, cats will especially like it.

Can bones be used in cat food? The clear answer to this question is no. You should try to avoid them at all costs for fear of suffocation, blockage of the digestive tract or puncture, since cats' teeth are not as powerful as dogs' teeth to grind bones without endangering their health. Although cats themselves, as a rule, are not averse to gnawing on bones, fishing out all the pieces of meat that remain.

Healthy foods for cats

It is very useful to add the hearts of different animals to your cat's diet. After all, this is one of the main sources of taurine, which serves for this animal essential amino acid. If about ten percent of your pet’s diet consists of hearts, such as chicken hearts, then nutritional supplements in the form of taurine are not needed, otherwise you cannot do without them.

It is also recommended to include the liver, spleen, and kidneys in the cat’s menu, which will also be very useful. True, most animals do not like the taste, but they can be disguised by mixing them with vegetables and meat, after chopping them. For vegetables, give preference to spinach, pumpkin, and carrots. Remember that garlic and onions are toxic to cats and should not be given to them.

What do you need to prepare cat food?

To prepare a cat's dinner, you don't need any special equipment. In the kitchen you will need to have a food processor, blender, and meat grinder, because most products will have to be chopped. There is a basic formula for a cat's diet - half protein (it is mainly found in meat) and a quarter each of vegetables (they contain fiber) and carbohydrates (these are cereals). A large amount of protein is found in chicken, turkey, rabbit and fish. The most optimal source of carbohydrates for animals is brown rice, and for vegetables you will have to rely on what your pet agrees to eat. In your diet, use both boiled and raw meat, mixing it with boiled vegetables and rice.

Canned cat food

One of the most common cat foods is sold in canned form. Surely not everyone knows, but making canned food for cats with your own hands is quite possible, although you will have to face some difficulties. The point is that you will need to comply with all technological process so that bacteria do not appear in them, besides, the meat must first pass heat treatment. Such canned food must be prepared in glass jars with a capacity of 0.5 to one liter. They should be closed with tin lids. The jars are thoroughly washed and boiled beforehand.

The meat and broth that you will use must be placed in the jar hot, and at least two centimeters must be left between the canned food and the lid so that the jar does not “explode”. Once you have sealed the jar, it should be sterilized in a large saucepan, pressure cooker, or enclave at 115 to 120 degrees. This takes from one and a half to two hours. Please note that the jars should be lowered into already warm water. After cooking, fish should be stored at a temperature of 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.

Canned food recipes

Please note that most recipes are suitable for both preparing classic canned food and freezing. This is an alternative option that is suitable for those who do not want to spend a lot of time preparing jars and sterilizing them. The only difference will be that for classic canned food it is necessary to stew or boil all the products, and only then pour in the resulting broth, and for freezing they can be left raw.

So, the first recipe for making homemade canned food for your cat. Take any meat (it can be veal, beef, chicken, rabbit, salmon or turkey), cut it into small pieces and simmer in its own juice. Then pour this juice over the meat, and then put it in jars or freeze it.

Another recipe for canned cat food will require bones, as for jelly, if you are going to cook canned meat, or neck and head, if you decide to cook canned poultry. You should also have gelatin on hand. Make a steep broth from heads or bones, add gelatin at the rate of one gram per liter of water. Only after this, lower the meat into the broth. Then transfer it to a jar and fill it with broth.

We emphasize that this recipe is not suitable for freezing, because the resulting jelly will need to be immediately laid out in molds and fed to your pet. Here's how to prepare cat food at home.

Dry food from the store is a favorite treat for many pets. However, really high-quality dry food that has all essential vitamins, useful substances and minerals, are very expensive. But manufacturers of cheap dry food often use low-quality ingredients, caring only about flavor enhancers, so that cats eat their products without getting practically anything useful.

But no one is stopping you from making dry cat food at home. It will be economical, tasty and safe for your pet’s health. To prepare it, take meat or offal; heart, liver, and chicken gizzards are perfect. As auxiliary ingredients you will need rice flour, oatmeal, vegetables, flour, fish oil, bran, vitamins and mineral supplements.

Dry food recipes

Now we will tell you in detail how to prepare homemade food for a cat. For the first recipe take:

• kilogram of chicken liver;
• 300 grams of unsalted crackers;
• a large bunch of parsley.

Grind all ingredients as much as possible in a blender or meat grinder. Add a tablespoon olive oil or fish oil, mix everything thoroughly. After this, place the resulting mass on a baking sheet previously covered with parchment, make a grid with a knife, it is along these lines that you will then break the food into pieces. Bake the food in the oven at 100 degrees for 20 minutes. When the mixture has cooled, divide it into pieces, then return to the oven and dry for another hour.

Another recipe for making delicious dry food for your cat.

You will need:

• 500 grams beef liver, passed through a meat grinder;
• 200 grams of wholemeal flour;
• a tablespoon of honey;
• a pinch of salt.

Mix all ingredients until the consistency of thick sour cream. Next, cook in the same way as in the previous recipe, only at an oven temperature of 150 degrees.

Many pets like this dry food recipe:

• 700 grams of beef liver, minced;
• tablespoon small oatmeal;
• two chicken eggs;
• a pinch of salt;
• a tablespoon of vegetable oil.

Mix everything thoroughly and cook as in the first recipe. Here's how to make your cat food she'll love.

Various recipes for the cat table

In addition to canned food and dry food, cook for your pets original dishes, recipes for which you will find in this article. Here are tips on how to prepare homemade cat food.

Cat's dinner with chicken liver. To prepare it, take:

• half a cup of boiled carrots or broccoli;
• half a glass of boiled rice;
• one and a half glasses of boiled chicken liver;
• chicken liver broth.

Place liver, rice, carrots or broccoli in a blender and blend thoroughly, adding a large number of broth. Your pet should appreciate this dish.

You can also make cat food using chicken and broccoli. It is necessary to boil a piece of boneless, skinless chicken breast the size of a human palm along with two or three pieces of broccoli, and then mix in a blender until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.

A dish of shrimp and carrots can be a special delicacy. It will require four raw shrimp, from which you need to remove the outer layer and cut off the tail, and then boil. At the same time, cook the carrots over high heat for a quarter of an hour, and then blend in a blender until a homogeneous mass is obtained. When the shrimp have cooled, cut them into small pieces and mix with the carrots.

Many owners prefer to feed their pets natural homemade food. The advantages of this diet are natural composition, the absence of artificial additives, preservatives and colorings, quality control and freshness of the ingredients used for cooking and the ability to create a new recipe for the individual characteristics of the animal (diet for diseases, pickiness of the pet). It would be better to formulate feeding principles and meal options according to the advice of a veterinarian.

Show all

The importance of proper cat nutrition

Nutrition is the most important component of an animal’s health, well-being and appearance. In nature, representatives of the cat family feed exclusively on meat (caught birds and other animals). It is this diet that completely meets the nutritional needs of cats.

Unfortunately, some owners underestimate the importance proper nutrition your pet, offering monotonous or completely unsuitable food.

The cat's body cannot independently produce some important microelements. For this reason, food must contain all the necessary proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and microelements.

Unbalanced food for cats leads to various diseases:

• visual acuity decreases;
• the heart muscle is weakened (possible death);
• digestion is disrupted;
• urolithiasis develops;
• problems with reproductive function appear:
• fatigue and weakness are observed.

An attentive owner can see the changes by appearance animal:

• the coat becomes dull and shine disappears;
• dandruff appears;
• the fur becomes thinner and sticks out in clumps.



Basics of proper cat nutrition

Forming proper diet for your pet, you need to remember that it will differ significantly from a healthy human diet. In other words, not all food from the human table is suitable for a pet.

Cat nutrition must contain a number of important components.

There are several microelements, the presence of which is essential for health and wellness cats.

Item name	What role does it play in nutrition?	What products contain
Taurine	Supports visual acuity. Responsible for normal work of cardio-vascular system	Beef, poultry, seafood, white fish
Vitamin A	Increases immunity. Saves good vision. Gives wool shine and luster	Eggs, milk, liver
Vitamin E	Prevents the appearance of fatty deposits. Supports normal reproductive function	Cereals, fish, vegetable oil, eggs
B vitamins	Normalizes digestion	Meat, fish, eggs
Calcium	Accelerates skeletal growth in young individuals. Responsible for bone strength	Eggs, dairy products, fish





Hill's line of food for cats: types and composition

Advantages and disadvantages of natural nutrition

Pros of natural nutrition:

• Freshness. By preparing food for cats on their own, the owner can control the quality and freshness of the food.
• Balanced composition. You can include everything in this food necessary elements for health and Have a good mood your pet.
• Accounting individual characteristics. Ready-made store-bought feeds are taken into account General requirements feeding, individual approach provides only homemade food(recommended for cats with diseases and intolerance to certain foods).
• No harmful additives, artificial preservatives or dyes.

No matter how good homemade cat food is, this approach to feeding still has its drawbacks:

1. 1. Time consumption. It takes a lot of time to prepare food for pets. That is why this method is not suitable for people with a strict work schedule.
2. 2. Special knowledge. In order to develop balanced diet cat will require knowledge from the field of veterinary medicine. On the other hand, you can always consult a veterinarian nutritionist on this issue.
3. 3. This method is not always cheap.



Feeding rules

Before you start planning healthy diet For a furry pet, you should pay attention to some rules:

1. 1. Kittens that have reached 3 weeks of age should be fed 3-4 times a day. Adult cats (from 6 months) need two meals a day.
2. 2. If several animals live in the house (cat, dog, chinchilla), food will have to be prepared separately for each of them. The reason for this is different nutritional needs. For example, cats need 5 times more protein than dogs.
3. 3. The cat should always have water in it. free access. The food bowl can be removed after each feeding; for adult cats, it can be left.
4. 4. The bowl should always be clean. Leftover food quickly turns sour and can cause indigestion.
5. 5. It is not at all necessary to completely switch your pet to natural food. It can be successfully combined with ready-made food.
6. 6. Including your pet in your diet raw eggs, protein should be avoided - the cat’s body cannot digest this product. In boiled form, you can safely give both the yolk and the white.



Particular attention should be paid to the list of products that must be included in the diet:

• meat (lamb, beef, horse meat, rabbit);
• Poultry meat (chicken, turkey) should be introduced into food with caution, as some cat breeds do not tolerate this product well;
• offal (heart, liver, lungs) is very useful, but it is often not recommended to give it;
• fish (ocean, sea, river) should be lean and not bony;
• dairy products (cottage cheese, milk-based starters, kefir) should not be given often, as these products have a laxative effect;
• boiled vegetables (carrots, potatoes) - in small quantities;
• cereals

When preparing food for your cat, you should use the following formula as a basis: ½ protein (meat) + ¼ carbohydrates (cereals) + ¼ fiber (vegetables).

Prohibited Products

Many products useful for human body, can be extremely harmful to animals. That is why the owner should pay attention to the list of foods prohibited for cats. It includes:

• pork (for cats) digestive system this meat is too fatty);
• garlic and onion (they are toxic substances for animals);
• chocolate (white and black);
• raisin;
• raw dough;
• sugar;
• nutmeg;
• ready-made dog food (it contains different proportions of nutrients, so this food does not meet the needs of cats);
• sweets (the sweeteners included in the composition negatively affect the animal’s liver);
• tea, coffee and other products with caffeine (cases of caffeine poisoning in cats are known);
• medicines for people (including pain relievers and cold medicines).



How to properly switch a cat to natural food?

Cats are quite picky when it comes to food. They get used to one food and are reluctant to change their diet. To switch them to home-cooked food, the owner needs to be patient and seek advice from experienced veterinarian nutritionists:

• The cat may refuse new food. This behavior is quite normal. You shouldn’t persist; it’s better to remove the rejected food. At the next feeding, you should offer your pet the same dish again. Soon the animal will become interested in the new taste.
• You can add some homemade food to your usual food. This will make the transition to homemade food easier and faster.
• When introducing a new food into the diet, you should pay attention to the cat's behavior. Products may cause digestive upset. Next time you will need to take this into account.

Homemade Cat Food Recipes

In order to make food at home, you need to use both meat and vegetables. Don't forget about porridge and cottage cheese.

To prepare your own food, you will need a blender or food processor. You can experiment and mix recipes.

Chicken liver with vegetables

Not all cats love liver, so offer a new dish in small portions.

For this recipe you need:

• 1.5 cups chicken liver;
• 0.5 cups carrots (can be replaced with celery);
• 0.5 cups rice.

Boil all ingredients separately until fully cooked. Do not throw away the liquid remaining after cooking the liver. Place all products in a blender and grind thoroughly, add a little liver broth.

Cottage cheese with meat

Great recipe with dairy product. Very easy to prepare.

Includes:

• 100 g poultry, beef or other meat;
• 1 tbsp. l. fresh cottage cheese;
• 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
• 1 tbsp. l. carrots.

Boil the meat and carrots, chop well and add cottage cheese and butter.

Chicken breasts with eggs

A recipe that even the most capricious cat will appreciate.

It included:

• a portion of boiled chicken breasts the size of the palm of your hand (do not use the skin);
• 1 tbsp. l. boiled green beans;
• 1 egg;
• 1 tbsp. l. boiled carrots;
• ⅓ cup rice (brown);
• a little olive oil.

All products can be finely chopped or crushed in a blender until pureed.

Liver with oatmeal

Liver is a product that is often not recommended for cats, so it can be safely replaced with kidneys.

The dish contains:

• 1 cup boiled kidneys or liver;
• 3 tbsp. spoons of zucchini or carrots;
• ¾ cup boiled oatmeal;
• 1 tbsp. spoon butter;
• ⅓ kefir.

Boil the offal, finely chop or grind in a blender and mix with oatmeal and chopped carrots. Add butter and kefir, bring to puree.

Vegetables with chicken

This recipe is based on poultry, so this dish will suit most cats.

To prepare you will need:

• 2 cups chicken;
• 1 tbsp brown rice;
• ¼ tbsp. carrots.

Boil the chicken and chop finely. Boil the rice until fully cooked, boiled carrots rub on fine grater. Mix all ingredients. Another option is to grind all the products in a blender.

To do this you need to take 4 elements:

• 1.5 cups of meat (this is any meat - turkey, lamb, horse meat, beef, rabbit);
• ½ cup of vegetables (you can choose zucchini, carrots, wheat germ or pumpkin) - over time, you may notice that the cat eats one with pleasure and dislikes the other;
• ½ tbsp. vegetables or grains (boiled potatoes, oatmeal or rice);
• 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil.

Cook all ingredients separately and grind in a blender.

Fragrant beef with herbs

In this case, greens effectively replace previous vegetables.

Required:

• 1 cup beef (boiled and chopped);
• ¼ cup parsley (you can use alfalfa);
• half a glass of cottage cheese with cream.

Finely chop all products and mix.

Shrimp with carrots

An original dish for pet, rich in nutrients.

To prepare food for 1 meal, take:

• 2-3 shrimp (their tail is cut off and the top layer is removed);
• 2 spoons of carrots.

Boiled shrimp are finely chopped and mixed with boiled carrots chopped in a blender.



In order not to have to prepare food for each feeding, food can be prepared for several days at once. Ready mixture put into bags and freeze. The smartest thing to do is freeze food in portions. It is worth keeping in mind: depending on body size and body needs, a cat eats about 150-200 g of food at a time.

In fact, switching your pet to homemade food is not difficult. It is enough just to periodically spend 20-30 minutes on this, keeping the prepared food in the refrigerator.

It’s good when a cat owner thinks about good nutrition your pet. After all, the digestive process of cats is significantly different from the digestive process of humans. Only now the majority makes a choice in favor of industrial feed. Because they do not require time to prepare and their composition is balanced by specialists. That's right, but fresh homemade food is much healthier, and in case of health problems, it is certainly better to prepare food yourself, in consultation with a veterinarian.

Note: This article offers only a few healthy and proven recipes, and not a complete long-term menu.

Basic rules for healthy cat nutrition

About 90% of the diet should consist of meat and offal.

Cat dishes are served raw (with the exception of some products, which will be discussed separately) and at room temperature. It is advisable to defrost frozen portions at room temperature.

Buy meat only from a trusted place.

Food should contain bones or calcium supplements.

Most of the diet should be offered in the form of pieces, since the pet must work with its jaws, tear and chew food. This is important for the cat’s health and prevents problems with teeth and gums.

Pure water should be freely available.

It is necessary to follow the feeding regimen and not exceed the portion size. An adult animal is fed twice a day, in the morning and late in the evening. The daily norm for a domestic, sedentary pet is approximately 50 g/kg of weight.

A cat's menu is much poorer than a human's. Cats are absolute predators, natural conditions Very few grains and barely noticeable amounts of vegetables enter their stomachs. Therefore, no matter how healthy porridge, raw and baked vegetables may be for humans, they should not be included in your pet’s diet. We advise you to read the article, which describes in detail foods that are harmful to your cat’s health.

One of the easiest to prepare dishes that are most similar to natural food are raw chicken heads and necks. Some people do not believe and are even horrified that their cute cat is capable of greedily biting into chicken head and don't choke on bones. But it is the bones of the heads and necks that the cat will gnaw without harm to health. Moreover, such nutrition will bring a lot of benefits to the animal. Heads and necks require treatment before feeding, but this is not difficult to do.

How to Prepare Chicken Heads

Most often, such products are sold in frozen packages. Wait for the heads to thaw. Then you need to rinse cool water, cut off the beaks (they are too tough for a cat), and cut them in half lengthwise. This will not require noticeable physical effort.

If the head is small and the pet is large, you don’t have to cut it - the product will retain more useful substances. Then the halves are put into portioned boxes or cups. You can use plastic cups with a volume of 200 ml, the same volume as sour cream and mayonnaise boxes. One such serving of homemade adult cat The medium size is enough for the whole day.

How to prepare chicken necks

Necks, like heads, are often sold frozen and in packages. As with the heads, they need to be thawed, rinsed with water and cleaned of skin and fat (the fat contained in any meat, but not visible to the naked eye, is quite enough). Then they need to be cut into pieces 1.5 - 2 cm long. The necks are quite easy to cut, you just need to try to guide the knife blade between the vertebrae. Instead of cutting into pieces, you can flatten the necks a little with a hammer. Then also distribute into portioned containers and freeze. For variety, it’s a good idea to form portions of heads and necks in a 50/50 ratio.

Important!

A cat accustomed to human food or industrial feed, is unlikely to be happy about the change in the usual diet for heads and necks. You can learn how to correctly transfer a pet from one type of food to another in the article How to transfer a cat from commercial food to natural food (or vice versa).

Cooking fish

Only sea fish will do; river fish has too many bones. It needs to be boiled for a few minutes. Then cool and remove bones completely. One serving - no more than 150 g. You can put raw quail egg. Although many cats simply love fish, it is not advisable to give it more than once every five days. Fish contains a lot of phosphorus and magnesium; its frequent presence in the diet upsets the balance of minerals in the cat’s body. This can provoke many diseases, primarily KSD.

Meat mix

Any meat products in arbitrary proportions from those allowed are suitable for this dish. And the more of them, the better. For example: chicken breast, turkey and chicken stomachs, chicken heart. Everything is rinsed with cool water. Then the following are removed: from the hearts - pieces of fat, from the stomachs - hard connective fibers. After which the products are chopped into pieces measuring about 1 ╳ 1 cm. As in the case of heads and necks, the mixed cuts are placed in 200 ml portioned containers and sent for freezing.

How to prepare beef

It is advisable to heat-treat this product. First, cut the pulp into pieces, then pour boiling water over it and wait a few minutes. Then drain the water and cool the meat to room temperature.

Cutlets

This dish can include a wide variety of ingredients, including some cereals and vegetables. Meat products must be raw, defrosted. Sample list:

Chicken necks - about 1 kg

Turkey gizzards - 400 g

Rabbit fillet - 300 g

Beef heart - 200 g

Boiled buckwheat - 2 tablespoons

Boiled cabbage - 2 tablespoons

Proportions and ingredients can be replaced or supplemented. However, it is not recommended to increase the proportion of plant components by more than 5-10%. The pet will sense a “fraud” and simply refuse to eat a vegetarian cutlet - from his point of view. For the first time, you can completely do without cereals and vegetables. Pass all products through a meat grinder, installing a grid with large holes. Mix, form into patties and place them in the freezer. The only condition: the meat grinder must be powerful enough to grind chicken necks.

Adviсe

It is not recommended to prepare dishes such as pates: they require virtually no chewing and are therefore not healthy for the cat. If an animal likes liver, it is better to cut it into pieces and serve it as a separate dish or as part of a meat mix.

If you are afraid to give your cat head and neck, then you will have to add special drugs calcium, which can be purchased at veterinary pharmacy or a pet store.

You shouldn’t focus on your pet’s tastes. Many cats exhibit funny and unexpected food habits. It happens that a cat happily eats raisins or chocolate, licks the remains of the owner’s coffee, eats canned corn or boiled potatoes. All these products are not only unnatural for a cat's diet, but also harmful to health.

What to prefer:

ready-made food or natural food? Neither veterinarians, nor cat breeders, nor owners have yet come to a clear opinion. There is endless debate on this issue. There are many examples of cats that lived to old age who ate homemade food, and no less examples testifying in favor of industrial food.

Therefore, you will have to make the decision yourself, based on the time you have and the Money that they are willing to spend on feeding a cat. If time is short, then the best option– a good ready-made food, in which everything is selected to ensure complete feeding. If you want to give your pet the joy of varied food, feed it natural food, but remember that this requires careful balance, and feeding is not always natural food will be cheaper than good industrial feed.

Natural food for cats and kittens

Unlike a person, cats do not need a varied diet. They cannot appreciate diversity, since they have little discernment of taste (for comparison: a person has about 9000 taste buds, a cat has only about 500), and their intestinal flora structured differently than in humans, and frequent change nutrition can lead to digestive disorders.

Cats are not allowed most from what we eat: fried, salty, pickled, sweet (in no case chocolate!), baked, spices.

Contrary to popular belief, cats should not be given fish (why? see ""), milk (due to the indigestibility of lactose and causing diarrhea - see ""). Cats are "carnivores".

The main part of their diet consists of meat products (but do not give your cat fatty meat and bones!). For an optimal balance of natural food, it must contain at least 2/3 proteins.

To ensure that your cat receives all the vitamins, minerals and taurine it needs (it is not produced by the cat’s body, but is necessary for maintaining vision), vitamins and vitamin supplements should be included in the diet. During illness best food for a cat it is chopped chicken breast mixed with rice water.

If your cat constantly eats food from your table, it may develop problems with the liver, kidneys, stomach and intestines may arise. This takes a very long time to cure and requires large financial investments.

Particularly dangerous holidays, when you really want to treat your pet to some delicacy! For example, .

At home, it is difficult to prepare food that would satisfy all the needs of the cat’s body and contain all the necessary nutrients, microelements, minerals and vitamins in the right quantities and in the right ratios.

This is what happens if you feed a kitten incorrectly -

It's much smarter to use industrial feed for cats, specially designed taking into account their needs and characteristics.

Ready-made feed

Remember - good food does not cost less than 200 rubles per kilogram. Several large classes of feed can be distinguished:

Economy class(Kitekat, Darling, Whiskas, Katinka, Friskies, etc.) Cost 50 - 100 rubles. per kilogram, they are replete with numerous additives to enhance taste, dyes, etc. They are made mainly from offal - entrails, bones, skin, feathers. As a rule, they differ only in taste - fish, beef, chicken, etc. For little money you get a product of appropriate quality. There are often cases when cats constantly fed on economy-class food had to be treated for. In addition, due to flavoring additives (most often catnip), cats become “drug addicts”, recognizing only cheap food and nothing else, which is why the transition to healthy eating requires a lot of effort.

Middle class(Perfect Fit, Cat Chow, etc.). They cost from 100 - 200 rubles. per kilogram, there are flavoring additives, but in relatively small quantities. They differ not only in taste, but also in purpose - ordinary, for prevention urolithiasis, for distilling wool. Inside are the same by-products, but more good quality. You can give such food if there is no alternative yet.

Premium and super-premium class(Hill's, Pro Plan, Iams, Eukanuba, Royal Canin, Nutro Choice, Acana, etc.). They cost 300-400 rubles or more per kilogram and do not contain flavoring additives or dyes. Made from meat and cereals (for example, rice). You can feed them constantly; they contain everything a cat needs. Rulers of this type There is a wide variety of food available; it is possible to choose food for both an ordinary healthy cat and neutered cats, for cats living in apartments, for long-haired cats, for cats with sensitive stomachs, etc. There are rulers medicinal feed– for urolithiasis, kidney problems, diabetes, after operations, etc. Medicinal food is prescribed only by a veterinarian.

Since premium food does not contain any flavoring additives, your cat may well refuse it, especially if it previously ate economy-class food or natural food. It is best to first take a small amount of new food and let the cat “test” it. Vomiting, diarrhea, itchy skin indicate that this food is not suitable for her (this can happen even with lines of highly professional food), and it should be changed.

Feed healthy cat 2-3 times a day is best, for the patient - often in small portions. Of course, you should follow the instructions on the food bag. daily norm, since feed high class quite high in calories, and therefore more economical to use.

Dry or canned food?

Dry food is suitable for animals that do not have problems with health and drink enough water. Canned food is suitable for almost everyone (should not be stored open jar in the refrigerator for more than a day).

Give food at room temperature. Always check the expiration date. Do not buy dry food by weight (it may lose many properties). Make sure your cat always has access to water.

For a number of reasons, dry croquettes are preferable to canned ones. Firstly, canned food loses its flavor and other properties faster and is more difficult to store. Secondly, canned food is 80% water. Therefore, to satisfy the cat’s needs, you will need much more of it than dry food. Thirdly, using canned food is much more expensive than using dry food. You can give wet food occasionally. Hard kibble helps clean and strengthen your cat's teeth.

What are we going to drink?

There should be fresh water next to the bowl of food. It is best to give filtered water. Many cats only like to drink from large containers(for example, from a basin for washing floors). Therefore, provide your pet with a sufficient water bowl. size. Some cats love to drink tap water. Cats that eat dry food usually drink a lot of water; cats on natural food and canned food may not drink at all (see). Be sure to monitor your fluid intake - if your cat begins to drink more or stops drinking altogether, you should show her to a doctor, as problems with drinking may be a signal that the cat is sick.

About dishes

Cats prefer porcelain or ceramic dishes to plastic or metal ones. Not too deep dishes with a diameter of up to 16 cm are best suited. Tandem bowls (two bowls, one for food and one for water, connected together) are strictly not recommended, since water often gets into the food, and vice versa, and the cat may refuse to eat and drink . And, of course, the dishes should always be clean.