Choosing the right food to feed your cat is a very important part of overall pet care. There are hundreds of different cat food formulas available on the market, and choosing the right food for your cat’s health can be extremely difficult. However, when you have a cat that has food allergies, deciding on a food formula can be even more time-consuming. Food-based allergies can be very difficult to deal with in cats, since many cats become allergic to ingredients that are commonly contained in most commercial cat food formulas. When choosing a hypoallergenic cat food formula for a cat with food allergies, there are many important things that you have to keep in mind. Here is some of the most important general information to keep in mind when choosing a cat food for a cat that has specific food allergies.
GRAIN-FREE
Since so many commercial cat food brands contain a high level of grain ingredients, more cats are developing food allergies to grains. As this has been rapidly increasing, many cat food companies have developed “grain-free” cat food formulas that can be fed to cats who have problems digesting grain ingredients. In addition to this, grain-free cat food formulas are said to provide overall health benefits for cats, since a cat’s diet does not require grain ingredients. Because cats are classified as “obligate carnivores”, their digestive system can’t properly digest a diet that contains a high level of carbohydrates. Grain-based cat food formulas are usually also very high in carbohydrates, and this can create certain problems for a cat’s gastrointestinal health. Many cats develop food allergies to wheat, soy, and other grains that are commonly used as fillers in commercial cat food formulas. Because of the growing popularity of grain-free diets, they have become more affordable and accessible for cat owners.
ALTERNATE PROTEIN SOURCES
Some cats may develop allergies to specific sources of protein, such as chicken, beef or eggs. If this happens, it is best to begin searching for cat food formulas that contain alternate protein sources. A commonly used protein source in hypoallergenic cat food is lamb, though some cats may be allergic to lamb as well. Chicken is a fairly common source of protein-based food allergies in cats, since it is contained in the majority of commercial cat food formulas. Some cat food companies incorporate exotic protein sources into their formulas, such as kangaroo or bison. Choosing a pet cat food formula that contains an exotic protein source is usually a good way to feed a cat who has protein-based food allergies. However, these types of cat food formulas are usually relatively expensive, since the protein sources are much more difficult to obtain. When looking for an alternate source of protein to feed your cat, it is very important to read the ingredients label extremely carefully. For example, if your cat is allergic to chicken, it is possible that a cat food formula may contain ingredients that are directly derived from chicken, though they may not be listed as “chicken-based”.
Fri, Sep 4, 2009