Information section~

What diet should cats be fed?

Before domestication, small cats were desert-dwelling carnivores. They derived most of their water intake from the prey they ate. They are averse to drinking water. A common factor in many urinary tract conditions of cats is a dry food diet. They need a canned diet to obtain enough water to maintain a healthy urinary tract.

Cats are obligate carnivores. A lot of the chronic diarrhea we see in this species, some vomiting and constipation cases, as well as diabetes, are caused by feeding a diet too high in carbohydrates. By changing to a low carbohydrate diet we can prevent or help reverse some of these conditions. It is hard to find information about carbohydrate content of foods in Hong Kong. But almost all dry cat foods are too high in carbohydrates. Innova EVO dry is one exception; it has the lowest percentage of carbohydrates of any dry diet (7%), but it is high in fat and hence very high in calories. Low carbohydrates canned foods include Nature’s Variety Instincts, the Wellness range (all < 7% carbs except chicken/lobster and sardine/shrimp/crab), and Innova Evo canned. Innova Evo canned food has only 3% carbohydrates – one of the lowest available. Feed a variety of flavors of canned so that they don't get hooked on one. Preferably feed meals, not ad lib, with measured amounts of food, to avoid obesity.

Food allergies cause gastrointestinal and skin disease. Sensitivities commonly are reported to beef, lamb, seafood, corn, soy, milk or wheat gluten products. Prior to domestication, small cats ate rodents, birds, and reptiles. The commercial diets that most closely approximate the primordial diet are chicken, turkey, duck or rabbit-based, so to treat food allergies feed a single source, novel protein diet based on those species. Examples are the Wellness range and Instinct canned foods.

In summary:

1. We recommend that cats start on canned food from the earliest age. No dry.

2. Feed a low carbohydrate food, such as Nature’s Variety Instincts and Wellness canned diets.

3. Ensure all cats with lower urinary tract disorders (FLUTD) are eating canned food only.

4. Treat diarrhea with a high protein low carbohydrate diet.

5. Feed all diabetic cats a low carbohydrate diet.

6. If you suspect a food allergy, trial a poultry or rabbit-based single source protein diet.

Remember that new diets need to be gradually started and worked in over 7-10 days.