 |
|
  |
Feeding Your Cat...
Felidae All Natural Cat Food Cats are Carnivores. There is no way around this, it is a fact. When owned by a cat, most people want the best for them. But how do we wade through the mass marketing and find out what really is the best? You become an informed consumer. You read labels and you research so you can understand what your cat really needs vs. what the mass marketing is trying to "feed" you. The five major pet food companies in the United States are subsidiaries of major multinational companies. Please see list at the end; you might be surprised to find out who really makes some cat foods. To meet a cat's nutritional needs you need to provide a food that is high in protein content. Felidae contains 32% protein in the dry food and 11% in the canned formula. This is a perfect balance for all life stages. While you need to pay attention to the overall protein content, how much actual meat is in the kibble is important. Felidae contains 63% meat in each kibble. No other food on the market that can boast that fact. That’s why you can feed this to kittens and adults. The big question is meat vs. meal. Most people think meat is better than meal. This is a very common misconception, originally I thought meat was better. After all protein comes from meat...right? The "problem" with meat comes in the cooking portion of the production process. Turkey and Chicken meats are commonly used, but they contain roughly 70% water and water doesn't contain protein. When the meat is cooked, you have more water than meat, so you actually end up with less protein in the finished product. Meat meal has a much lower water content, so what you put in is what you get; 50%-65% protein. Felidae uses USDA grade meat meal; yes, USDA grade meat with no by-products nor road kill! Only slaughtered animals are used, just like the steak or hamburger on your dinner plate. This is how you get the high meat content in each kibble of Felidae. This also lowers the chances of Salmonella and Escherichia coli (E. coli) that can be found very readily in non-USDA grade meat as the carcasses are often diseased long before they are processed. Sorry to be graphic, but it’s a truth most choose not to look at. Grain and grain fractions are next. Understand the reason other cat food brands have sold you on the idea that older cats “need” a different diet is they get too many carbs in their "regular" diet; often leading to diabetes in cats. Notice that in most cat foods grains are first on the ingredients list. AAFCO requires that ingredients be listed on the label from heaviest to lightest. Grains such as wheat and corn are the ingredients most likely to be contaminated with mycotoxins. Felidae uses no corn or grain fractions; instead they use only #1 grade (human grade) brown rice in both their dry and canned formulas. Brown rice is very high in B vitamins, plus calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Also corn, wheat, and soy are a very high allergen while rice based foods are often recommended to alleviate food allergies. Years before I was selling cat and dog food, I personally experienced an allergy problem with corn. Felidae contains skin and coat conditioners in the form of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. In order for these to work you must have both, they work together. In Felidae, you have fish meal (FDA Inspected have been tested to have No Ethoxyquin Residual) and Flax Seed which contains the Omega 3. Chicken fat, Sunflower Oil and Linoleic Acid contain the Omega 6. Felidae is one of the highest Omega 3 and 6 fatty acid cat foods on the market. Along with the above mentioned fatty acids, Rosemary, Sage, Vitamin E, and Biotin also aid in the skin and coat conditioning. Cranberry meal is another very important ingredient in both the dry and canned Felidae. As most cat owners know, cats are prone to urinary track problems. Felidae will not cure the problem (as a matter of fact no food will), but it will help to maintain urinary tract health and prevent the problem. Cranberry works to coat the lining of the kidneys and urinary tract. By doing this you are lessening the chance of your cat getting a UTI. The pH of both the dry and canned food are very low (dry pH of 5.6, canned pH of 6) making it a great food to feed a cat who has been treated for a UTI or if your vet is concerned about the pH level for prevention of UTI. Felidae contains numerous digestive enzymes to promote better digestion which helps make the most of the food by allowing your cat make better use of the nutrients. I have customers that feed their IBD (irritable bowel disorder) cats Felidae and have the best results using it. They say it works better than the expensive “special diets”. Again it is not a cure, but you will get great results. About four years ago a major mass marketed cat food changed their formula, adding more corn to their product. Over half of my cats started licking themselves bald and pulling out their fur. After many vet visits and much research I found out about the non-publicized formula change. That started my quest for the best food for my fur babies. I have been feeding Felidae since June 2001 to my cats. Soon after, I started selling the whole Canidae line. I only sell what I use and believe in. I have seen what it does for my cats, including my International winning Household Pet Kitten. I have seen my very satisfied customers comment on how this is the only thing they will feed. I encourage you to read your labels. What’s in your cat food? Even if your vet says, “this is a good food”, read the label and do the research. Watch out for vets being swept into the mass marketing by multi national companies. I take sole responsibility for the information in this article. My sources are listed below. Please feel free to contact me with your questions. Kate Guynn KAOS Cattery KAOS Pet Products Resources and References:
Kate Guynn is the co-owner of KAOS Cattery and KAOS Pet Products. Involved in showing, breeding and rescue since 1995. Kate, Tony and son Michael are owned by Household Pets, Tonkinese, Savannahs, a Bengal and a Burmese. http://www.teamkaos.org and http://www.kaospetproducts.com kguynn@kasopetproduct.com I take sole responsibility for the information in this article. My sources are listed below. Canidae All Natural Pet Foods has been available since 1997. It is exclusive to small pet stores, health food stores, specialty stores, home delivery service and Veterinary Clinics. For more information http://www.canidae.com/ |
|
[Cover] [Home] [Links] [Gift Shop] [Letters to the Editor] [Help] [About Us] [Archives] [Submissions] [Forums] [Breeders Directory] |
|