| Eating is an integral part of life. | | | | - Holistic Cat Food |
| As a matter of fact... how and what you eat is | | | | - Organic Cat Food Some of the classifications are |
| directly related to the quality of your life. Diet will | | | | pretty straight forward. Others can be a little |
| determine how you look and how you feel physically, | | | | misleading. All product labels should be read carefully |
| which reflects how you look and feel about yourself | | | | to completely understand the difference between |
| psychologically. Those who ignore the links between | | | | the advertising hype behind the sales pitches, and |
| food, physical well-being and psychological/emotional | | | | what all the ingredients in cat food actually are. |
| confidence are doomed to a life of denial and ill | | | | Having made an unscientific study of these |
| health. With this in mind, one should select the foods | | | | classifications, I came up with some simple definitions |
| they put into their bodies with careful consideration, | | | | for understanding what is meant by each one: |
| including spending quality time researching where food | | | | - Natural Cat Food - Here is the official AAFCO |
| comes from and how it is produced. | | | | (American Association of Feed Control Officials) |
| What about your cat? Shouldn't the food you select | | | | definition for "natural" as the term relates to pet |
| for her get the same kind of consideration and | | | | food: "NATURAL... A feed or ingredient derived solely |
| scrutiny? | | | | from plant, animal or mined sources, either in its |
| All life depends upon a good diet to perpetuate itself. | | | | unprocessed state or having been subjected to |
| Fuel in = energy out. It's that simple. Food goes into | | | | physical processing, heat processing, rendering, |
| the body which then converts that food to energy | | | | purification extraction, hydrolysis, enzymolysis or |
| and we recognize that conversion as the animation | | | | fermentation, but not having been produced by or |
| of life itself. Cats over the eons have developed | | | | subject to a chemically synthetic process and not |
| very specific dietary needs based on their lifestyles | | | | containing any additives or processing aids that are |
| as hunting carnivores and the environment they | | | | chemically synthetic except in amounts as might |
| evolved in, which were desert lands. Cutting right to | | | | occur unavoidably in good manufacturing practices." |
| the chase, cats: | | | | This seems to be nothing more than a statement |
| - Prefer to eat freshly caught prey. All cats, from | | | | that the 'Natural' label on a food means that it wasn't |
| their sharp, pointy teeth to their short, efficient | | | | chemically derived in a laboratory, can be anything |
| digestive tracts, are designed to consume and | | | | from a prime cut of meat to the stuff swept off the |
| process flesh in its whole, raw state. | | | | floor of that same meat processing plant, and in any |
| - Derive a great deal of their water intake, and all of | | | | case it can contain chemicals to shelf stabilize the |
| the nutrients necessary for survival from the body | | | | product until consumption. |
| parts and fluids of their prey | | | | - Raw Cat Food - There's not much to equivocate |
| - Are not scavengers except in dire circumstances | | | | here. Raw food is not cooked or processed in any |
| - Have a very refined and successful hunting instinct | | | | way... except with the use of a good, sharp knife. |
| - Have a "nose" for the vitamin, mineral and protein | | | | Raw food can be organic and raised on a 'free-range', |
| nutrients needed for survival. Their sense of smell is | | | | or full of hormones and other chemicals used to |
| developed to identify nutritional sources | | | | increase the weight of the animal in a fast time |
| - Since becoming associated with people, cats have | | | | period. |
| been spoiled by our inclination of processing our | | | | - Holistic Cat Food - Holistic is an approach to |
| environment for ease of use. Consequently, their | | | | life-style rather than a specific product. It's a "whole" |
| natural instincts are confused by the seduction of | | | | approach to health, focusing on prevention rather |
| domestication and its accruements The first five | | | | than an after-the-fact cure of disease or illness. The |
| statements above deal directly with the evolutionary | | | | approach incorporates an understanding of the roles |
| development of cats and the resulting (naturally | | | | that diet, nutrition, water intake, exercise, |
| evolved) dietary profile. The last statement implies | | | | environment, sleep and emotional well-being play in |
| the responsibilities that people acquire when they | | | | maintaining good health. |
| open their homes to share with cats. Nowhere is this | | | | - Organic Cat Food - Here is a great and concise |
| more important than when choosing food to feed | | | | definition from the Organic Trade Association: |
| your cat. Simply speaking, the food you provide to | | | | "Organic production is based on a system of farming |
| your cat should meet the criteria set out in those | | | | that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the |
| first five statements for her to have the best dining | | | | use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. |
| encounter she is used to experiencing naturally. | | | | Organically produced foods also must be produced |
| Now, this doesn't mean that you should look for a | | | | without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, |
| can or bag of cat food with stubby little legs that | | | | genetic engineering and other excluded practices, |
| can be stalked, caught and opened by your cat. That | | | | sewage sludge, or irradiation. Cloning animals or using |
| isn't going to happen but you have probably already | | | | their products would be considered inconsistent with |
| noticed your cat will continue to stalk and even | | | | organic practices. Organic foods are minimally |
| capture prey though she may be well fed and | | | | processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, |
| satisfied with the feeding routine you have | | | | or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food" Of |
| developed for her. Therein lies the potential for | | | | all the above, the term 'Natural' when used in |
| delusion. | | | | advertising can be the most abused or misleading |
| In case there is any question... like all businesses, cat | | | | because of its broad definition. 'Natural' can even be |
| food producers have to make a profit in order to | | | | used in the name of a product and not be considered |
| stay in business. Not that making a profit is bad. It's | | | | false advertising as long as its not describing the |
| the basis for economical survival in civilized | | | | composition of the product. Conversely, when used in |
| communities and replaces anarchy as a way for | | | | conjunction with organic, i.e. 'Natural Organic Cat |
| people to get along. But, there's a difference | | | | Food', it might be describing a very good product. |
| between making a profit for the sake of greed and | | | | As for 'Raw' cat food, care has to be taken that the |
| abrogating any moral responsibility, and making a | | | | product is fortified with all the special nutrients that a |
| profit with concern for the well being of everyone | | | | cat needs for good health. Being raw alone does not |
| involved, including your cat. This is where a person | | | | guarantee complete nutrition. If you decide to make |
| has to step up and use their reasoning abilities, and | | | | raw cat food yourself, special care has to be taken |
| make proper choices; to determine what foods are | | | | to produce a product that meets all the nutrient |
| good for cats, as well as what foods should be | | | | needs a cat has to maintain a life free of disease. |
| avoided. This is best accomplished by learning to | | | | And, if you purchase it through the mail, be certain |
| interpret ingredient labels. Discovering ingredient labels | | | | that it is shipped frozen and is in the frozen state |
| and what is really in a can or bag of cat food is easy | | | | when it arrives in your mailbox. There's nothing worse |
| once you learn the basic math behind the recipe | | | | than opening up a stinky ole package dripping with |
| formulations. | | | | whatever. Of course, Fido would begin to show a lot |
| With a little more effort, though, it's possible to | | | | of friendly interest in the mailman after the arrival of |
| provide cat food that more closely resembles food | | | | such a package. |
| cats have long supplied for themselves in the | | | | The bottom line is to warily scrutinize the wording of |
| wilderness. But, in the market place, it can become | | | | the advertising on any can or bag of pet food. And, |
| really confusing. They'll usually come under | | | | to learn how to interpret pet food ingredient labels. |
| classifications such as the following: | | | | Now that we've brought our cats in from the cold... |
| - Natural Cat Food | | | | we don't want to kill them with our convenience |
| - Raw Cat Food | | | | oriented lifestyles. |