Pros of Homemade Food Diet
Homemade food has several advantages over ready-made cat foods; the foremost being the fact that it is made without using any added preservatives. This reduces the chances of allergy or food poisoning. Instead of preservatives, you can use natural ingredients that are nutritious and fresh.
When you add your own ingredients, you can opt for those that are not harmful for your cat. You can take it a notch forward by opting for ingredients that are advised by the vet. In this way, you can feed your pet cat the food that is suitable for its health.
Other than preservatives, commercial pet food is full of toxins, chemicals, sugars, fats, and animal by-products, like chicken claws, bones, etc. These ingredients may take a toll on the sensitive stomach of your kitty and cause diarrhea, gas, vomiting, etc. Commercial food products are not always up to the mark on the nutritional scale. You are more likely to end up buying exorbitantly priced commercial brands available at the stores, which are of little help for the pet. Nevertheless, the only thing these brands will do, is make a hole in your pockets. Homemade food, on the other hand, is not just beneficial for the cat, but also comes easy on your wallet.
Cats love eating homemade raw food containing chicken, liver, fish, turkey, lamb, and yeast. You can understand you cat’s taste and choose a diet accordingly. Cats are very fussy, so you will have to change the recipes regularly. If you are buying commercial food, this will become difficult as you cannot find two brands with the same ingredients and nutritional value.
Cons of Homemade Food Diet
Many pet owners look for cat food recipes over the Internet. While there is no dearth of easy-to-cook recipes on the web, one needs to understand, that not all these recipes are nutritionally suitable for kittens and cats.
You need to spare some time daily or every alternate day to prepare your cat’s meal. Cat owners who are short on time or have too much work at hand, thus prefer commercial cat food over homemade food.
If the food is for a cat with sensitive stomach, it may not cause any side-effects, but then, one also needs to consider the fact that it may not contain sufficient nutrients. In such a case, it may lead to serious and irreparable health problem in the long run.
Ingredients to Avoid
- Chocolate
- Macadamia nuts
- Candy containing Xylitol
- Moldy foods
- Mushrooms
- Mustard seeds
- Walnuts
- Grapes
- Raisins
- Onions
- Onion powder
- Garlic
- Yeast dough
- Coffee grounds
- Tea
- Alcohol
Additionally, you can also consult a vet; he will be the best person to guide you in this case. Cooking your pet cat’s food at home can be fun. It can help strengthen the bond between you and your pet. You can even ask your kids to pitch in; that will make them become more responsible and connect to their pets.
