What to give to a cat instead of a mouse

7.1. Bases of cat's feeding

Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, oligoelements... Each component of feeding has its role in digestion system. Both the incomplete diet, and food over consumption are equally unhealthy. Therefore it is necessary to have an accurate idea about what and in which quantity it is necessary to give to a cat, after all its feeding needs are absolutely different from dog's or man's. Contrary, alas, to a widespread opinion the cat doesn't need various kitchen, and it can't be called a gourmet. The animal chooses food according to a strong smell basically. Many canned food with bright, calling labels like "lamb", "chicken meat" etc. are able to attract the owner's attention more likely than a cat's one because their content doesn't correspond to its taste. Some pets` owners have to regret bitterly because the use of the canned food they've bought sometimes leads to serious negative consequences.
Experts in feeding think first about the nutrition, biological value, digestibility of the food and its correspondence with the specific requirements of cats at this or that period of their life (pregnancy, lactation, growth period, maturity, old age, sterilization), and then their compound (chicken meat, mutton, fish, liver...). The special diet is required not only for treatment, but also for disease prevention. But even the best food in the world won't bring any use if it remains unclaimed for this reason  the great value has its ability to stimulate appetite. Modern industrial products for pets and especially the range of high-quality dry feeds meets all requirements of a healthy cat.
Each food,  there are only about fifty of them, has its specific role. The absence of even one of them can lead in due course to the most serious consequences for the health of a cat.

7.2. House diets

To feed a cat with the fresh products prepared at home is possible only with following a number of rules. It is necessary:
• To include enough components of the animal origin, and also salines and vitamins in a day diet;
• To provide the balance of feeding from the point of content in it proteins, calories etc. in it;
• At least sometimes to weigh components for definition of their quantity and total amount of a food taken by an animal;
• To make sure that the cat doesn't fox and eats completely a daily ration;
• To add to the day diet consisting of meat, rice, macaroni, green vegetables and vegetable oil,  vitamins and minerals necessary for health, including calcium with phosphorus in proportion 2:1. In total cat should receive near 50 nutrients in the diet, and also minerals, oligoelements and the vitamins made at manufacturing enterprises specially for cats and that are at the possession of a veterinary. What are nutrients? These are the chemical substances used directly for cellular nourishing (oligoelements, etc.) and assimilated without prior digestion (glucose, amino acids...). Nutrients are formed in a digestive tube from complicated molecules which during the digestion are divided and soaked by the organism.

7.3. Components of the house diet

Meat products are of different quality: the more collagen they have (sinews, aponeuroses, or fascias - membranes), the less its feed value. From beef is better to use muscle bulk pieces with blood. The horse beef will be fine also. It is necessary to give meat either raw, or slightly boiled. But pork, on the contrary, should be boiled properly to avoid danger of parasitical diseases. We will point out also that its fats are of high nutritious qualities. The main fault of all kinds of meat mentioned above is a low presence of minerals, especially calcium. What can we tell about  the so-called pets` meat  sold in specialized shops? If to clean it from sinews and aponeuroses (membranes, fascias), its quality is quite agreeable, however because of usual surplus of fats in it to use it often isn't recommended. By-products should be used in reasonable limits, and especially it is better not to practise upon liver, there is too much vitamin A in it. Its part in cat's diet  shouldn't exceed 10 %. Lights go for cats` feeding from ancient times. Thanks for proteins of middle quality and extremely low calorific value they will suit quite well for periodic feeding of the animal of sedentary lifestyle. As it is known, fish is a source of high-quality proteins. It is necessary to draw it and put to thermal conditioning because the antagonistic factor of vitamin B1 can be in its  interiors  - so-called thiaminase may become the reason of nervous breakdowns. An inconvenience of fish as a food product is, certainly, in the abundance of  bones, attempting to pierce where it is not needed. They distinguish fat fish (containing more than 8% of fat): a mackerel, a sardine, a salmon; low-fat (less than 5 % of fat): a cod, the pollack, a slope, the dorado; medium fat fish: sole, flounder and other flat fish. Boiled eggs and dairy products give a high-quality protein. However here much depends on specific features of animals in digesting dairy sugar (lactose). If there is a surplus of lactase in the organism of a kitten - the basic enzyme helping the digestion of dairy sugar than for an adult animal milk is prohibited because of lack of this enzyme. But yogurts are well digested, they don't contain some dangerous lactose  but also keeps in order the intestinal canal's microflora. Cheeses that were not subject to fermentation (unripe) are also very useful.

Grain varieties supply animals with a considerable quantity of energy, basically by means of starch. They should be well thermally cooked to avoid fermentation in intestines. As well as rice which should be cooked to a sticky condition. Vegetables deliver the dietary fibers that form the food volume, reduce calorific value and accelerate the passing of content of intestines. Unfortunately, the cat frequently refuses to eat vegetables, and therefore they should be cut and mixed in small pieces with other food. The potato should be well boiled and can be used only in the form of mashed potatoes. Bean (peas, a string bean) is not recommended to give, as they lead to flatus in intestines.  Vegetable fats are the necessary food additives, allowing to balance a diet: soya oil, rape oil, grapeseed oil, as they are most useful by their harmonious balance of irreplaceable fatty acids (omega 6 - omega 3), and also peanut and olive oils. And, of course, can't get along without minerals and vitamins: they will provide the deficit covering, that can't be avoided at table food, especially in calcium and fat-soluble vitamins.

7.4. What food is called balanced

Cats` family is carnivores, and a pet doesn't differ from its wild brothers which digestive system is arranged in a way that has the limited set of ferments and isn't capable to digest vegetative food. The need of organism for carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fat acids and other vital components is satisfied with ideal "suppliers" - vegetarian victims.
Having killed a vegetarian, the cat first of all eats the content of its stomach and an intestines, that is the same vegetative food only obligingly digested for fast and qualitative fixing. The kill can be compared to a semi finished product which needed to be warmed up a little, slowly eaten and digested. But here the cat has set in city apartment, that is has got from natural habitat to artificial where its life entirely depends on the person who measures by his own standard. The  high-calorific three meals, the pasteurized milk, the veal undercut, and a cat from such a "human" life can "stretch feet" soon, its well-being is measured by others, "inhuman" measures.
The cat should receive 60 various nutrients daily . A food where conformity of nutritious structure to natural needs of an organism is provided,  is considered to be balanced. All is considered literally: each component and its quantity in a diet of a cat plays the special, vital role.
Unlike other mammals, taurin is necessary only for vats - amino acid which isn't synthesized by their organism. The lack of taurin can lead to an atrophy of a nervous tunic of eyeball and irreversible blindness, weakening of immune system, nervous system malfunction, urolithiasis development. Deficit of arginine and taurin amino acids necessary for a cat can cause vomiting,  reproductive organs dysfunction. The taurin need for cats makes 500 mg on 1 kg of food.
At cats` feeding it is necessary to consider also the fact that they have more taste buds than dogs, and they are very fussy in meal.

So, the pet should be fed with such food which would ideally correspond to its needs.
Nowadays cats` owners use three kinds of food: natural products (raw and thermally cooked), canned food and dry food. What is what? Let's analyze values and downsides which this or that kind of food has.

7.5. FAQ on dry and canned food

Canned food
The canned food was the first attempt to create the balanced and practical diet, but this food has some downsides - presence of so-called aggressive components (preservatives, dyes, stabilizers and etc.), used to long products safety. Besides, it is difficult to provide the quantitative content of each component at 82 %-s' food humidity. However many cats willingly eat canned food, preferring it to home-made food and dry products.

Dry food
Nowadays many well-known manufacturers have refused to produce canned food and, using the newest technologies, have created such food which is close to natural cats` diet according to structure and balance.
There are 3 categories of dry feed:
1. Economic product.
2. Medium product.
3.Premium (professional) product.

Economic product – a low quality food. The necessary balance of components is poorly kept that, undoubtedly, affects the animals` health. However this product is inexpensive and is affordable for animals` owners of low-income.

Medium product – a medium quality food, is more qualitative than a food of economic line and more expensive. The Medium-product is made according to age and a way of life of the animal. Its structure includes qualitative additives in the form of vitamin-mineral food, protein powders and etc.

Premium products are made of perfect initial raw materials passing obligatory certification (the pure flesh is used, without a touch of connectives, skin and by-products), and contain all vitamins, minerals and micro elements necessary for the right growth, development and life of animals. In a complex with high-quality proteins, carbohydrates and fats they provide life-long immunity and insensibility to stressful situations and diseases.

The most complicated technological process of such food production guarantees exact matching of structure and proportions specified in the instruction. Food digestibility at its correct use reaches 80 - 90 %. Special packing provides long storage without loss of nutritious and flavoring qualities of a product. High qualities of premiums-products allow to consider not only the size of an animal, its age, activity, but also to reduce to a minimum the digestive and skin problems. The structure of premiums-products includes special extracts for decrease of volume and an unpleasant smell of excrements, and also for prevention of extra aerogenesis in digestive tube.
Premiums-products are sold in veterinary clinics, factory stores, specialized departments, phelinological clubs.
It is possible to include to this category of products the following food: Royal Сanin, Hill's, Eukanuba, etc.

7.6. Components of industrial food

1. Protein (growth - reproduction - muscles - coat)

The protein contains the basic amino acids which are necessary for growth, stable metabolism, reliable functioning of immune system of an organism, reproductive organs, a fine coat condition.
The basic source of animal protein - beef, fowl, fish, eggs, dairy products.
The basic sources of a vegetative protein - a yellow corn flour, a white corn flour, oatmeal, a soya, rice flour, a corn fibrin.
Excessive receipt of protein in organism increases load on kidneys that creates a condition for development of many diseases.

2. Fats (the main energy source)

Fats and oils contain the sated and non saturated acids, and also fat-soluble vitamins.
The basic sources of fat - animal fat, vegetable oils.
The food should be chosen according to standard and age of the animal. Surplus of fat leads to the adiposis which is a reason of many illnesses.

3. Carbohydrates (an additional energy source)

The basic sources of carbohydrates - beet marc, unpolished rice, the premiums of yellow corn.
Quality and quantity of carbohydrates have defining value for digestibility of a food.

4. Vegetative cellulose (digestion)

The vegetative cellulose containing in moderate quantity in a food, is useful, as allows to regulate the peristalsis of intestines.
The basic sources of cellulose are greens and vegetables.

5.   Mineral substances and micro elements (nervous system - a skeleton - teeth - blood)
Mineral substances (calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium) and micro elements (ferrum, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine, selenium, cobalt) are necessary for bones and teeth strength, normal functioning of all cells of an organism, regeneration of blood bodies.

6.  Vitamins (sight - reproduction - skeleton - cells)
Vitamins provide vital force. The organism of a cat possesses small ability to receive vitamins from plants therefore vitamins are included in structure of industrial food.
Vitamins A, D3, Е, K, В1, В2, В6, В12, niacin, biothinum, choline, folacin, ascorbic acid, inositol are included in the structure of premiums-products.

7.    Additional components.
Dry beer yeast (a source of vitamins of group B, an appetite and digestion stimulator); dry seaweed (a source of micro elements and minerals); "friendly microflora" (the components improving digestion and strengthening the immune status of intestines) are included here.

7.7. The relation of a cat to a food

The normal relation to a food
The cat adores something to gnaw. It will by all means divide the day food left for it in 10 - 16 small portions. The whole process of food eating lasts no more than 2-3 minutes. As to a thirst satisfying she drinks water about 10 times a day. As a rule, the cat prefers a ready commercial food to the home-made one. The numerous researches have allowed to learn better the fondness of cats to food (though the most various specific individual features, certainly, are possible): they are very greedy for presence of some amino acids together with animal protein in a food.
Subject of special general love - a liver. But it is impossible to tell that all cats prefer fish to meat. Here everybody has their own opinion. The choice of a food product is affected even by length of a fat acids chain: fat acids with average length of a chain as in some vegetable oils (for example, coconut milk, palm-oil), don't attract animals. As to a consistence the preference is given to its two extremes: either with considerable quantity of moisture , or, on the contrary, the dry one. Among damp products one cat will choose a food made of separate slices, and another - in the form of pasty mass. Sometimes, though it  is a strongly marked carnivore, phytogenic products attract it (it is a question of eating of some plants: the cat's mint, Valerian, a sage, mint, leaves of an olive tree...).
However, most likely, the preference of a cat to a food is formed mainly under the influence of the personal experience got at the earliest age: the kitten eats imitating mother, and in most cases when grows, during the whole life he eats those products which had received being a kitten. The manner of thirst satisfying also depends on education. Mother accustoms a kitten to lap from a bowl. Later the cat should always have a bowl with fresh water nearby.

Breakdown of behavioral reaction to food

Anorexia – food refusal is observed at the most various diseases. The treatment of the concrete illness not always allows to return the lost appetite to an animal. Anorexia signs are observed  at the animals taken from familiar atmosphere, for example, after being in hospital or moving to a new residence. In serious cases the use of such medicine as diazepam, usually allows to return an appetite to an animal.

Inedible products intake – behavior disorder, also called perverted appetite. A special place among them take fabrics and especially wool which Siamese or Burmese cats like to suck. The animal is capable to chew wool long, and at its absence to be content with other materials: cotton and even synthetics. Happens so: the departed owners have taken all fabrics away from the room where the cat was left,  but it, nevertheless,got its own way: gnawed a mattress through and  reached the stuffing. Certainly, such behavior is observed only sporadically, but these small predators are capable to do a lot of harm for few minutes. The deep reasons of such behavior are still badly studied. It is known, however, it happens more often with the hungry animal but if the animal has many plants and dry feed than such behavior is a more rare phenomenon. It is difficult to say, if it is connected with shortage of any nutrients, but the situation is corrected, if the food is richer with a cellulose. If it doesn't happen, despite all taken dietary efforts, it is possible to advise to leave the unnecessary clothes moistened with cologne or spicy sauce in reach of an animal. In this case the cat will necessarily connect the undesirable behavior with the unpleasant taste experience. Cats fool with chewing the electric wires and also every possible threads and strings that can lead to serious corking of intestines. The method of controlling the bad habit is the same that has been described above, that is a creation of accurate interrelation between its own actions and the subsequent unpleasant sensations for an animal. More incredible things were described: skin of the owner sucking or nipples of any dog or a cat. The mechanism of similar unnatural behavioral reactions is different from the one that moves "wool predators" as it reproduces childlike behavior: the cat behaves, as the real kitten, touching with the forepaws in a certain way.

The antagonism of some food products - owing to various reasons an antipathy to separate kinds of products can develop at a cat. In a classical case disgust to a food accepted at the moment of drug injection can develop. Besides, the cat can refuse a food which it ate directly before of acute indigestion (vomiting or diarrhea). The same way a person behaves, avoiding the products that caused, in his opinion, the weakness which has happened to him. We speak, thus, about so-called adaptable behavioral reaction: under natural conditions cats refuse a stale food in which may contain endotoxines.

Predatory instincts - attacks on small victim. It, certainly, can't be added to breakdowns of behavioral reaction to food. Even at filling feeding the cat is still a carnivore and is ready to attack  birds or rodents.
The hunting instincts of an animal are appreciated in countryside where it is often taken in the house with this utilitarian purpose. As for city fans of cats they doesn't express pleasure at seeing proud pupils with the killed bird, the mouse or the squirrel in teeth. Now the selection methods are used, allowing to develop or, on the contrary, to extinguish predatory instincts in the future litter. If it is necessary to receive defenders from gray evil spirits, the cat with strongly marked hunting talent  is taken and when  it has kittens they are left with the mother as long as possible. It will also teach them with necessary skills. To deprive the animals with food in hope to force them to catch mice -  is useless, the hunting instinct isn't connected at all with hunger. Fans of peace home cats, on the contrary, should choose for copulation an animal, unfamiliar with hunting, and to be sure to separate kids from mother earlier.

7.8. Rules of a choice of commercial food

1. Manufacturing company should be widely known, have the representative and factory store.
2. The spectrum of offered food should be various.
3. Packing should contain the maximum information on food structure.
4. On packing there should be a company logo, bar code, factory line number.
5. The instructions on usage and a dosage should be given on packing or a foil .

The following recommendations should be used at cats` feeding:

• Feed the animal only with high-quality food;
• If the cat is fed with dry food, a lot of fresh water is necessary for it;
• Don't add to cat's diet vitamins and minerals at will, it can lead to their oversupply in an organism;
• The animals during the different period of life have various needs - select a food according to age, breed and  physiological condition of the animal;
• Food with prevalence of one component should make no more than 25 % from a full diet;
• Process of changing over a new kind of food should take several days not to cause digestion problems;
• There is no need to use the food of several marks in case if you give a qualitative food;
• Pay attention to caloric value of food given to your cat (it should be specified on packing) and at feeding consider that at moderate activity it is necessary for a cat daily 200 - 300 joules on each kg of the weight, one calorie is equal 4,186 joules;
• Animals hug to adiposity are fed with food of low energy capacity;
• Don't combine a traditional food with commercial one, choose just one.