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In the US, some proteins are considered
hypoallergenic e.g. lamb, rabbit, turkey or duck.
This is not strictly true; those proteins are
simply uncommon in many US cat food formulations
and cats may not been exposed to them often enough
to develop an allergy. In the UK, lamb, rabbit,
turkey and duck are among the most common
ingredients and just as likely to trigger an
allergic reaction as beef or chicken. In the UK,
venison may be used in hypoallergenic diets as it
is rarely found in UK cat foods. Horsemeat and
whalemeat would also be hypoallergenic for the
same reason, but are taboo in Britain.
Cats enjoy a variety of tastes and textures:
canned (UK: tinned) food, semi-moist pellets, dry
food (UK: biscuit, US: kibble) and occasional
treats of cooked meat, fish, egg or even a small
amount of fruit or vegetable. Your vet will advise
you on nutritional matters, but be aware that he
may get commission for selling certain brands of
non-prescription food in his clinic. Prescription
diets are necessary to control diabetes, heart,
liver or kidney disease, obesity, digestive or
urinary problems or food intolerances. Cat food
ingredients basically simulate mouse-in-a-can or
mouse-in-a-biscuit. Your vet may recommend
nutritional supplements for certain individuals.
If your cat eats a balanced diet and has no
digestion problems, supplements are unnecessary
and could upset the balanced nature of the diet.
Many British cat nutritionists recommend canned
foods for their better bulk (combats constipation)
and high fluid content (for healthy kidneys). If
you use canned food, clear away or refrigerate
uneaten food or it becomes stale or fly-blown and
may cause digestive upsets if eaten later. If you
find canned food wasteful, buy smaller cans, foil
trays or pouches. They are more expensive weight
for weight, but may save money due to less waste.
If the large cans are prescription foods, ask the
vet if the product is available in small cans or
biscuit form.
American cat nutritionists recommend dry foods
but American cat magazines give frequent advice on
combating constipation caused by these
energy-dense, low-bulk foods. Many cats enjoy dry
food and the crunchy texture helps keep teeth
healthy. Cats which eat dry food require plentiful
drinking water. Some dry foods are marketed as
reducing stool bulk and odor.
This is entirely
for your convenience (litter tray emptying) and
can cause problems such as constipation since the
cat's bowel is designed to handle a certain amount
of bulk. Cats on concentrated foods require
smaller portions and often overeat because their
stomach does not feel full. You may have to
accustom your cat to canned food as he ages since
a toothless cat often gulp down dry food which
leads to indigestion, regurgitation or vomiting of
undigested biscuit. Most dry foods can be softened
with gravy and the old problem of dry food causing
urinary tract disorders has been overcome with
modern formulations.
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