Why my cat is a fatty-chunk

With the pet food industry's "fast and cheap" approach to our fur-children's food, it's no wonder that they end up with allergies, infections, and obesity. Isn't it strange how today's human health issues are now being reflected in our pets? Like us, we need to look at how we and our animals were DESIGNED to eat. We need to identify what kind of foods are processed easily and efficiently by our pets and take notice that the pet food industry (some brands) are starting to focus on this approach to animal nutrition.

Back to basics. Felines come from a very long lineage from pre-historic cats to our common domesticated cat. Mostly set apart by size, they are still related and still require the same type of nutrition. Cats are obligate carnivores by nature. It is in their natural instinct to eat other animals. When they eat their prey, they are not only hydrating themselves from the muscle and organ tissues but they are also getting additional vitamins and minerals from the plants and fruits from the stomach contents of said prey.

Looking at a cat's mouth, the teeth are designed for pulling and shredding, not crunching on hard baked kibble. They are poor water drinkers. They aren't meant to get all of their hydration from lapping at water. Dogs have spoon-like tongues where cats have flat, rough tongues. Watch your cat drink water from a bowl. The dance between their mouths and the water is awkward and inefficient.

What should you feed your cats? Evolutionarily speaking, they need MEAT. There is no such thing as a vegetarian cat. It would die without a protein based diet. I feed Blue Buffalo to my two dogs and two indoor cats. The dogs and one of the cats have thrived on this low or no grain food. Their coats are shiny and overall, they are very healthy. The other cat Sophia, the star of this article has actually gained weight and I am concerned. Her long coat is dull and her skin is dry and flaky. She and the other cat are 9 years old. Ingrid is quite active and looks great and Sophia is inactive and now weighs 15 lbs. She doesn't drink or eat anymore than the other cat but has managed to gain weight.

Blue Buffalo is a great company - they have the right idea. But for Sophia, I am trying the raw food diet. I got some samples from Brookside Barkery today from two brands; Nature's Variety and Primal. Each bag contains 1 oz nuggets of a frozen raw meal. It's a ground up version of what they would get in the wild including bone, muscle, organs, and some vegetables and fruits. If she is meant to eat like her ancestors, then how can I go wrong?

Safe handling instructions are identical to how we'd handle our own food. It's common sense. The biggest issue will be how to arrange and schedule feeding times. There will be no more grazing on dry kibble. When we leave for work, we leave them food to graze on both the dogs and cats, but in separate places. If the cats run out or get tired of their food, they eat the dog kibble. This is not ok! From now on, we will allow the dogs to eat some kibble before we leave. Whatever is leftover, goes back into the food bin until we get home in the evening. Water will be left out for all. The cat's raw food is tempting to my dogs - so much so that the cats will have breakfast and dinner in shut off rooms. In the morning, they will get a portion each of the raw food and be allowed to eat until I leave for the day. Once I come home, I will repeat the process. I will of course feed them according to the guidelines but Ingrid will be allowed to stay on the Blue Buffalo kibble since she has done so well. She will have to be separated into yet another room from Sophia. This is complicated but will hopefully become a habit for my family from now on.

These animals are our kids. We will not be having any of the human sort. I love them, shelter them, and fiercely protect them like they actually came from my own loins. This includes their health and wellness. They totally rely on us to feed them quality food....and this is what we will do for them. If anyone has tried the BARF diet for their animals, you are welcome to comment and offer your experience. If anyone has questions, please let me know.