The Quick Cat Food Guide

For you impatient yet trusting types. For a longer version of this with links to all sorts of research, go to the Long Cat Food Guide.

A Quick Note On Switching Cat Food:

After reading this information, you may decide that Fluffeh needs a different diet from what she's eating right now. That's cool. You should know, however, that some cats can get diarrhea and/or vomit from abrupt food switches. Go slow, especially if you're doing something drastic like switching from all-dry to all-canned, or all-commercial to all-homemade. Mix a little bit of the new food with the old every day, or introduce just a little bit of the new type food and monitor your cat's reaction. Let your cat determine the speed of the food switch. Many cats do all right with sudden, wholesale food change--my cats have never shown discomfort, and the poor bastards have had to put up with a lot of fucking around in terms of their diet--but it's definitely not uncommon for cats to get indigestion because of this. You have been warned.

Things to Avoid:

1. By-products of any kind.



2. Unnamed species in the ingredient list. For example: Animal Liver, Meat Meal.



3. The preservatives BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin.



4. Soy, or more than one type of plant-based protein like corn gluten meal.



5. Feeding more than 50% dry food in general.
   
   
6. "Lifestage nutrition" is yet more marketing bullshit, and at least one lifestage formula (senior foods) is based on outdated and flawed research. If you have to use a lifestage formula, I recommend using kitten food. This is especially true of dry food, since adult and senior lifestage dry food contains even more carbohydrates and fillers than kitten formulas.

Things to Look For:

1. First ingredient should always be meat from a named species.



2. If food contains preservatives, look for non-toxic antioxidants, e.g. mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) and vitamin C.



3. Minimal plant matter, and preferably grain-free.



4. Water content over 70% (yeah, this means wet food).



5. A dry matter protein content of more than 37% (yeah, this means wet food again, unless you have enough money to buy Purina DM and a vet who's willing to prescribe it for a non-diabetic cat).



6. Less than 10% calories from carbs whenever possible.
   
   
7. Feed a variety of flavors from as many different brands as your cat will allow you to.
   
   
8. If you're a paranoid bitch like me, do a whole lot of reading, and try making your own cat food.

You named your cat Hitler? Fucked. Up.