Cat nutrition - food and Treats
Cats are Carnivores
Cats are predominately carnivores, which means they need a diet high in the nutrients found in meat or meat based diet. Although they are Carnivores and thrive on a high meat diet many people (about 60% of the cats in the UK) are fed cheap supermarket brands or foods with a high grain content (that’s like 60% of children in the UK fed only chips every meal!)
Taurine – Taurine is an amino acid found mainly in meat, Taurine is essential for cats as it helps with their eyesight and brain function and as it cannot be produced by the cat alone it needs to be acquired through diet. When most foods fed only contain around 4% meat it is almost impossible for the cat to acquire these good quality amino acids.
At The Big Pet Store we sell high quality dry, raw and wet cat foods which contain natural meat ingredients and all the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats.
What to avoid in a commercial cat food –
Meat and Animal Derivatives – This is from human by-product meat or ‘spent’ animals such as ex dairy cows or non laying battery hens. A food can often contain lots of different proteins even if it is listed as one ‘flavour’.
Cereals – Foods list cereals on the bag instead of a specific cereal so that the actual ingredient may change. Wheat or wheat by-product is used most commonly as it is the cheapest grain to use (we use a lot in human food production therefore there is usually a large amount of surplus). Wheat is a common causer of stomach problems, urinary crystals, bad hair & skin and stool issues.
Oils & Fats – Fats are very important to a cats wellbeing as they not only provide energy but keep the skin and coat healthy. The listing on the ingredients in an open manner means that the fat can change all the time, and again it is usually a by-product of the human food industry. Bad fats = bad skin and low energy.
Derivatives of Vegetable Origin – Vegetable fibres or starches derived from by-products of the human food industry. The open formula means that although it may say ‘of which 4% are peas’, it only has to be a minimum of 4% of peas in the vegetables.
Sugars – We all know adding sugar to human food is bad, then why would sugar need to be added to cat food? Sugar makes human food more attractive to eat and can cause addiction, the same is true with dog food.
EC Permitted Additives and Preservatives – Permitted items by law should be ok for cats shouldn’t they? Not necessarily, they may be permitted to preserve foods, but what they do to a cats body is not entirely known. Some foods contain additives like ‘sunset yellow’ which has been linked with child hyperactivity and ‘potassium sorbate’ which has been linked to cell damage.
Most pet cats in the UK are fed on a food high in cereals, which for a carnivore seems completely alien.
Remember this also applies to cat treats
Our recommended brands
Carnilove Cat Food
The wide spectrum of carefully selected wild-origin meats, such as reindeer, duck, pheasant, turkey, lamb, wild boar and salmon, corresponds to the composition of natural prey and ensures intake of important amino acids.
Forest fruits, vegetables, wild berries, and herbs are natural sources of important vitamins, antioxidants and other essential nutrients. 70 – 75% Wild-Origin Meats. Grain & Potato free for better digestion and less waste.
- Salmon & Turkey for Kittens
- Lamb & Wild Boar
- Duck & Pheasant
- Reindeer
- Salmon
- Fresh Chicken & Rabbit/ Carp & Trout
Dry food Available in a 350g, 2kg & 6kg bags. Wet cans and pouches also available
Eden Cat Food
85% meat or fish ingredients and NO GRAIN
Eden holistic cat food is quickly becoming one of our best sellers in store. The recipe is based on the Ancestral diet of your cat with a high content of quality animal protein aligned to a cats natural food intake. This food is naturally high in Taurine (essential for keeping your cat healthy) and actually costs less per day to feed than most Veterinary approved cat foods.
Available in Original Cuisine & Country Cuisine
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For Your Cat
Complete Dry Food
We stock a range of Quality Complete Dry Food for cats. Complete dry food must be left down, not portioned in to meals. It has been studied that cats eat around 16-21 times a day and are more of a grazer animal than dogs who eat set meals.
Many people worry that their cat will just eat it all straight away and carry on eating until it burts. If you are feeding a better quality food with balanced protein, fat and carbohydrates then your cat does not need eat as much and will feel fuller for longer, your cat may eat more at first and slow down once they are satisfied naturally with the level of protein they are consuming.
If your cat eats the complete dry with an amount a lot more than the average for their size then switch to a light or lower fat food, that way they are still getting the quality protein but not the high fat content.
For a better balance of food we recommend a balanced natural grain free food as the first choice. All of our cat foods are hypoallergenic.
Grain Free Dry Food For Cats
- Carnilove – With wild origin meats
- Acana Wild Prairie – 70% meat content
- Orijen Original, Fit & Trim, Grasslands – 85% meat content
- Applaws – 80% meat based food
- Keeko’s
- Canagan – UK made grain free cat food
- James Wellbeloved Grain Free – Grain free version of our best selling food
- Arden Grange
- AATU
- Fish4Cats
- Eden Holistic Pet Food
Insect Protein Food
- Yora for cats
- Catit Nuna
Hypoallergenic Dry Food
- James Wellbeloved
- Sense 6
- Charlies Choice
Quality Wet Cat Food
We stock a range of quality wet cat food in pouches, trays and cans. We don’t stock supermarket brands such as Whiskas and Felix as they are nutritiously poor quality and contain ingredients that are detrimental to health. The range of foods include –
Cans:
- Applaws Natural Cat Food
- Canagan
- Fish4Cats
- Zealandia
- Lily’s Kitchen
- Natures Menu
Pouches
- Applaws Natural & In Jelly
- Natures Menu
- James Wellbeloved
- Canagan
- Carnilove
- Webbox Naturals
Trays
- Lily’s Kitchen Organic
- Lily’s Kitchen Natural
- McAdams
- Webbox Naturals
For advice on choosing the best food if you have a cat with a specific need (ie Urinary issues, Kidney problems) please send us an email, give us a call or come in store to speak to a customer advisor.
Store Locator
The Big Pet Store
Unit 3
Hereward Rise
Halesowen,
West Midlands
B62 8AN
Store Locator
The Big Pet Store
Unit 3
Hereward Rise
Halesowen,
West Midlands
B62 8AN
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