Special Diets for Special Cats

The daily diet that your cat eats should supply all the necessary nutrients he requires to keep his body and immune system healthy. Occasionally, a change in the diet might be needed if your cat suffers from an acute or chronic disease. Sometimes, particular nutrients that though beneficial to health may actually exacerbate particular health conditions. Cats with illnesses may require a change of diet and supplementation with vitamins and minerals or they may require removal or a change from supplements.

For example, cats typically require a high protein diet; however, if a cat develops kidney disease, he should instead be eating a lower protein diet to reduce the load on the kidneys. However, that protein needs to be of high quality (a whole source of protein like chicken and not by-products).

Some cats may have food allergies and some of the more common foods can be allergens (that is, substances that can cause allergic reactions). Some of those food ingredients include soy and corn products. Such allergic cats would require hypoallergenic pet food formulas or a homemade diet. In the event that the offending allergen is unknown, pet owners can begin a homemade rule out diet beginning with simple nonallergenic foods like chicken and adding other items until the allergen is detected.

Other issues for which cats may require a diet change includes but are not limited to: obesity, diabetes, liver disease, inflammatory bowel syndrome, bladder stones and urinary tract infections, allergies and heart disease.

Food can bring health but it can also harm health. Many conventional and holistic pet care practitioners believe that food, more specifically the wrong food, can make cats ill. This fact was demonstrated years ago before pet food manufacturers added taurine to cat food. The high-temperature processing of cat food led to such a breakdown in the amino acid that a deficiency was seen in cats eating processed cat food. That deficiency can lead to blindness and other problems. So, pet food manufacturers added the amino acid to the processed food. Current belief among many is that grain-heavy, carbohydrate laden dry cat food formulas can contribute to obesity and diabetes in cats.

Several holistic proponents have faith in the raw food diet for pets suffering from chronic disease because it’s a diet that is closest to one that is most natural for cats. Opponents, however, feel that raw foods can bring risk of food poisoning, and for pets with already weakened immune systems, this issue can be of grave concern.

Proponents feel that cats have the stomach for handling the bacteria that may be found in raw meat. Raw food supporters suggest feeding only the freshest, organic raw food possible. Certainly, cats when having outdoor access can often find a tasty meal in a bird or mouse, but that meat, though raw, is fresh and hasn’t been sitting in a slaughter house or transported to await purchase from a supermarket freezer.

Some pet food manufacturers now offer frozen raw cat food, which can be ordered off the internet or in some health food stores. If you are considering such a diet, confer with your veterinarian and speak with the manufacturer as to the quality, handing and storing of the frozen raw meat.

If you maintain your healthy cat on a high protein diet with quality animal protein sources, added healthy nutrients like whole fruits and quality grains and no chemical additives, you’ll be serving his health well and, hopefully, he won’t ever need a diet designed for particular ailments.

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