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Types of Cat Food

Cat food is a type of food specially engineered for the feeding of cats. Cats are carnivorous by nature and need many essential nutrients, such as taurine, in their food. Commercial cat food contains these supplements, which is why other pet foods are not recommended for cats.

Ingredients of cat food

Many popular brands of cat food are made from what would otherwise be waste products of the meat industry. Some cat experts claim that this practice, as well as the overly processed nature of dry cat food, is responsible for many of the age-related ailments of cats. Additionally, many major brand-name cat foods are primarily grain-based, often containing large amounts of corn or rice supplemented with meats and essential vitamins, and usually saturated with 'digest,' a euphemistic term for real or synthetic cat vomit, to attract the cat as cats are prone to re-eating previously swallowed and vomited foods.

Some less well-known pet food manufacturers offer more 'natural' formulas of cat food that contain fewer grains and by-products. A few pet food brands are even made without any grain products at all. Natural cat food brands are often claimed to have cuts of meat closer to those that humans eat, with some manufacturers offering meat that is claimed to be 'human grade'. Many brands of such cat foods are made from raw ingredients intended to provide nutrition as close as possible to the cat's natural diet. These brands generally include raw meat with organs, ground bone, some raw vegetables, and some dietary supplements.

Many pet owners feed cats homemade diets. These diets generally consist of some form of cooked meat or raw meat, ground bone, pureed vegetables, taurine supplements, and other vitamin supplements. Although cats are naturally resistant to many of the bacteria that raw meats contain, meat can sometimes also contain parasites and other harmful organisms and for this reason raw meat is sometimes frozen for periods of time before being used. Some pet owners use human vitamin supplements, and others use vitamin supplements specifically engineered for cats. Veterinarians sometimes recommend including digestive enzyme supplements in a homemade diet. Some pet food manufacturers offer packaged versions of a raw food diet that closely resembles such homemade diets. These packaged versions are generally kept frozen, with individual portions being thawed in advance.

Vegetarian or vegan cat food has been available for many years, and is targeted primarily at vegan and vegetarian pet owners. Most veterinarians recommend against vegetarian diets for cats, as cats are obligate carnivores and require nutrients (including taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and niacin) found in meat sources that cannot be obtained in sufficient amount in plant sources, although many can be synthesized. Even when adequately supplemented, many vegetarian diets present other risks, such as urine acidity problems, which are less common in meat-based foods. Many pet owners have caused their cats to become malnourished when they do not follow the recommendation and mistakenly assume that the latter food is nutritionally complete.

Forms of commercial cat food

Most store-bought cat food comes in either a kibble form, often called dry cat food, or a canned form. A few brands of cat food come in pouch form that is similar in ingredients to canned food, though pouch form is more common in cat treats. Some manufacturers also sell frozen raw diets, which may be divided into patties, medallions, or undivided and sold as a large block of food to be separated by the cat owner.

Dry food is generally sold in bulk, with a bag of dry food lasting days, months, or even years. Canned food generally comes in much smaller serving sizes, and common can sizes are 3oz, 5.5oz, and 13oz. Frozen raw diets are generally sold by the pound.

Many cat enthusiasts and veterinarians recommend a diet consisting largely or entirely of canned cat food, homemade cat food, or raw cat food. One of the reasons for this is the high water content of such food, which is thought to be a healthful amount of water compared to the amount that cats will drink when eating dry food. These foods also generally contain significantly less grain or other carbohydrate foods. Most canned or raw foods are formulated to resemble a cat's natural diet more closely than dry food, where the focus is often shelf life and price. In general, canned, homemade, or raw foods are thought to noticeably reduce the likelihood of numerous health issues including urinary tract disorders, diabetes, chronic renal failure, constipation (sometimes leading to megacolon), and obesity. Many cat owners consider these health problems significantly more worrisome than the dental issues that might be related to feeding mostly canned foods.

Other enthusiasts and veterinarians recommend a diet consisting mostly of dry food. Often this recommendation is based on the idea that cats must break apart dry foods with their teeth, which causes the food to scrape off dental calculus, although the degree of benefit this provides has been disputed in recent years. Some veterinarians believe there may be a link to feeding canned food and hyperthyroidism, particularly fish flavors or cans with "pop tops". Homemade cat foods are thought to be somewhat more beneficial to cat oral hygiene than dry or canned foods, but no form of food has as much benefit to oral hygiene as toothbrushing or veterinary cleanings.

Pet owners often prefer dry cat food due to the convenience and price. Besides usually being significantly cheaper, dry cat food can also be left out for the cat to eat at will over the course of several days, whereas canned or raw cat food spoils or becomes unappetizing after several hours.