Because nutrition is one of the most important keys to the health and longevity of your cat, one of your greatest responsibilities as an owner of a Neva Masquerade, or any other cat, is to provide your cat with a diet with the nutrients necessary for its growth and to its maintenance.
To do this, I recommend you to first take a few moments to look at and understand what cats need in their diet.
Adapted diet = health!
Cats are strict carnivores. Unlike dogs, which domestication has profoundly changed in every way, the colorpointed Siberian cat called Neva Masquerade has changed very little in the digestive system compared to its wild ancestors.
Its feeding behavior is and remains that of a predator, requiring a frequent and fractionated food intake, which consists of nearly 70% water, with a lot of protein, a little fat, and especially very little carbohydrate.
Cats also need more than a dozen nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and amino acids.
Another important nutrient in relation to one’s overall health is water. Water helps regulate body temperature, digest food, eliminate waste, lubricate tissues.
It is also very necessary to provide your cat with clean, fresh, self-service water at all times.
Related post: Helpful Tips for Raising a Siberian Kitten
Which foods to choose then?
When choosing your cat’s food, it is important to consider their age, physical condition, health, and level of activity. You can avoid many feline health problems, including obesity and urinary tract diseases, by following the proper guidelines. It is therefore important to learn the advantages and disadvantages of different varieties of cat food and how to establish a proper feeding routine.
Make sure to buy premium and premium certified foods, and discuss feeding options with your breeder or veterinarian if you have questions or doubts. Premium foods are more expensive to buy than more “low-end” foods. But with a better digestibility and raw materials of excellent quality, the quantities to be distributed to satisfy the needs of a cat are less with a premium food than with a food of entry or mid-range.
The daily cost of a premium food is not much higher than that of a standard food, while the health effects of your cat are unparalleled.
Dry foods (croquettes), were previously recommended because of their cost, their convenience, and their interest in the teeth of cats. Nevertheless, we know that a dry diet predisposes more than a moist diet to the lower urinary tract, the concentration of urines favoring idiopathic cystitis and the formation of crystals or stones – even if the quality and composition premium croquettes limit this risk considerably, compared to standard croquettes.
Rebalancing is currently being done in favor of moist foods (cold boxes or sachets), richer in water (prevention of cystitis, protection of the renal system), and closer to what appears to be the “ideal” diet of the cat (many protein, very little carbohydrate). It is therefore recommended today to mix dry and wet foods.
Suggested post: The Average Weight and Size for a Neva Masquerade
Healthy Foods for Neva Masquerades
There are three raw food streams that we hear more and more about:
– The BARF. This is the best known. It’s about giving meat, bones, offal, and a little bit of vegetables.
– The Ray Feeling. This diet is very similar to the BARF, except that there are no vegetables.
Since the cat is a strict carnivore, the Ray Feeling diet suits him better than Barf.
Attention for these two diets, it is advisable not to cut too much meat, because it eliminates the taurine, essential for our little cats. If you have to cut into small pieces, you will have to give a taurine supplement.
For these diets, add vitamin and mineral supplements, salmon oil, yeast, etc.
– The Cholet Feeling. It is the most disparaged of all raw diets, but also the closest to what cat would eat in the wild, since it is to give whole prey, without removing anything.
In my opinion, it seems to me that the latter method is not very practical for everyone, (although much vaunted), and does not fit into the practicality of most of our daily operating modes. I recommend, however, when the opportunity is propitious not to hesitate to offer your cat a good share of raw meat, slaughter, egg, or fish. For our breeding, I made the choice of versatility.
Thus, according to the desire of the future adopting family, kittens are already accustomed to these various possibilities and, moreover, it strengthens their digestive system thanks to this early food diversification.
Here is a great article from Hill’s on healthy cat food.
Cat Foods to Avoid
Onions
Onions in all their forms are poisonous foods for the cat, whether raw, cooked, dried or in powder form. Sulfur compounds are responsible because they attack cats’ red blood cells. Onions contain allyl propyl disulfide which destroys the red blood cells of the cat, causing a form of anemia. Garlic also contains this substance, but to a lesser extent.
Chocolate
Theobromine present in chocolate is a very toxic substance for the cat. It can cause diarrhea, vomiting, agitation and – in extreme cases – seizures that can lead to death. just like for dogs, chocolate is a toxic for cats. It is very harmful, because of theobromine it contains. This component is found in all kinds of chocolate, but in higher concentrations in dark chocolate and pure cocoa, used in cake mixes and hot chocolate.
The consumption of chocolate by cats has harmful consequences, since this softness can cause arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), muscle tremors and cramps. The higher the cocoa content, the more dangerous chocolate is for your pet. Fortunately, cats are not very interested in this greed (unlike dogs). Even so, make sure your cat does not have access to the chocolate cupboard, since this is really dangerous food for cats.
Alcohol
It is obvious that cats should in no way consume alcohol in any form whatsoever. That’s why there are Bach flowers for cats in alcohol-free version. Alcohol is toxic to cats and can cause severe damage to the liver and brain. A quantity as small as a tablespoon of alcohol may be enough to make a cat fall into a coma. In the same way, the consumption of very small doses of alcohol can cause the death of a cat.
Raisins (dry)
Although fruits are generally not bad for cats, it is better not to give them grapes or raisins. They contain indeed a harmful substance for cats. This substance has not yet been clearly identified, but prevention is better than cure.
Raw pork
By eating raw pork, cats are at risk of developing an Aujeszky virus infection, which is often fatal. Aujeczky’s disease, also known as “pseudo-rabies” is mainly expressed by neurological disorders in cats. The latter is then agitated and tireless, is noticed by repeated mewing and loses a large amount of saliva by excessive swallowing. In the advanced stages of the disease, there are disorders of coordination and paralysis.
Milk
Milk, and all its derivatives (butter, cream, cheese, ice, etc.): when weaned, the cat does not produce enough lactase to digest the lactose contained in the milk. Most cats are lactose intolerant. This means that lactose (milk sugar) and dairy products can cause cramps and gas formation in the intestines.
Raw Eggs
Do not give raw eggs to your cat. They contain avidin, an anti-vitamin whose effects are harmful to the metabolism of fats, sugar, amino acids and energy.
Meat or Seated / Marinated Fish
Avoid giving your cat seasoned or pickled meat or fish. The seasoning often contains onion or garlic, which is bad for your cat’s red blood cells and can cause anemia.
Plants
Some plants may be toxic to your cat, such as lily, yew, tulips, holly, apricot, azalea and arum.
This is a great resource from ASPCA for a full list of plants that are toxic and non-toxic.
Helicides, a danger to the health of cats
When talking about helicides, it is not just a matter of brandy used against snails, but a repellent or a preparation, used in the garden and indoors to avoid an infestation. These products are also called molluscicide. Helicines may contain metaldehyde, a toxic substance for cats’ stomachs.
If your cat exhibits symptoms such as vomiting, balance problems or excessive salivation, consult the veterinarian immediately so that he can put in place the most appropriate treatment possible and save your cat.
The consumption of chemicals by young cats or kittens can be fatal! If you own a garden and have children or other pets, do not use helicides! This is also valid if your neighbors have cats that might be facing this product. Ask about more environmentally friendly techniques and animals, they can only be grateful!
You now know dangerous foods for cats. What to feed a cat to ensure good health? To learn more about your cat’s nutrition, it is better to discuss with your local cat specialist.
Canned tuna: Canned tuna contains far too much salt and can eventually cause serious kidney problems. Just like all the preparations intended for human consumption (rillettes, pattés, sausages, ham…)
Sugar and cakes, chocolate, coffee, pome fruits and stones, raw onions and garlic, Potato, cabbages and turnips, mushrooms, avocado, nuts contain toxic elements that can cause food poisoning in your cat.
So take notice, if you want to please your companion, it is better to opt for appropriate treats!
Neva Breeder:
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