Devoted cat parents would worry about the content of commercial cat food. Often times, first time cat parents are guided by buying cat food right off the grocery shelf without really knowing if that is good for their pet. There are a lot of reports that popular brands of cat food had been recalled due to some adverse effects of their products. This adds to the dilemma of the cat parent when it comes to feeding their pets the right food that is truly healthy and helpful for them.
According to some reports, the best cat food that you should give must resemble the kind of food that they eat in the wild. You must remember, cats are born hunters and carnivores. They do occasionally eat grass, leaves and some vegetation whenever they feel some intestinal trouble. Sometimes, cats do it just for the heck of it. By nature the cat does not really need to drink a lot of water because the fluids they need, they get from the meat of their prey.
Which comes to my conclusion, that the best alternative to cat food that you can give your pet is actually real and natural food. These foods are in the form of meats, grain and vegetables. To be exact, the proportions of the best natural cat diet should be 60% protein, 20% grain and 20% vegetables.
Hence, the 60-20-20 rule in the natural diet of a cat. It is a lot healthier, chemical free and totally safe for your pet.
60% protein of the natural cat diet comes from raw or cooked meat like ground beef, turkey, chicken, rabbit, fish and organ meats. You can cook these by lightly steaming them or by boiling. You can also feed your cat some eggs but limit the feeding to only once a week. Organ meats should be given as a treat and in very minimal amounts like 2 teaspoons once or twice in a week.
20% of their vegetable diet comes from a wide variety of vegetables. You can feed cats steamed broccoli, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, squash, corn, potatoes and chayote. Some cats have preferences for leafy vegetables like water spinach or chinese lettuce. You can also give cats chopped fruits like melon, mango and apples. To make it easy for them to eat and digest the veggies and fruits, make sure to wash and boil or slightly cook them. It would help if you chop these into tiny cubes or mash them and mix with dry cat food or boiled grain like rice.
20% of the cat’s diet should also contain grain. Surprisingly, although most people know that cats are carnivores, they do need some grain in their diet. It is actually good for their digestive system. Brown rice is the most preferred type of grain that you should feed your cats. It can be served steamed or boiled, then puree finely mixed with a little chicken broth along with a few meats and vegetables. You can also use grains like oatmeal, amaranth, couscous, millet, barley.
