What should I feed my cat for health and what foods are toxic to them?

People food is just that – food for people. Cats are obligate carnivores, and as such, have a delicate balance of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and vitamins and minerals that must be maintained. Cats should eat a balanced high quality diet in order to meet all of their nutritional needs. Unbalanced diets with vitamin/mineral imbalances risk a variety of health problems. Home cooked diets are not as commonly recommended, but are preferred by some cats and pet owners. If you opt to go down this road, a carefully crafted recipe by a specialist in veterinary nutrition should be used with proper vitamin and mineral supplementation. Even with a commercial diet, occasional treats of boiled white meat chicken, turkey, salmon, or tuna can be perfectly fine in small quantities.

I think a cat's diet should consist of mostly protein but you shouldn't eliminate all carbs. I think a mixture of canned and either freeze dried or dry food is healthiest. I would stay away from raw diets as I have seen many cats get really ill from salmonella and similar bacteria that can contaminate raw diets. I hope this helps!

If you would like to feed a homemade diet, I would recommend using a website like balanceit.com or discussing a recipe with a veterinary nutritionist. Completely meat diets won't be balanced for all of their micronutrient needs. Wet cat foods usually have higher protein concentrations than dry food. Purina Pro Plan makes a good dry cat food that has 45% protein, my cat loves it! In the wild, cats don't eat just meat. They will snack on grass and eat entrails of herbivores, which give them fiber and grains.

Great questions! Because there are so many foods cats can and can't have, I will put links to websites that detail them out. Keep in mind that while cats can have very small amounts of cheese, they are lactose intolerant, so low lactose cheese is best. Cats love tuna, but too much isn't healthy due to mercury levels. They can have small amounts of tuna in spring water. Never feed a cat onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, alcohol, and macadamia nuts among others. Also when feeding human food, make it an occasional treat, not an every day treat as that can lead to weight gain. If Luna becomes overweight, she will be prone to cardiac disease, diabetes, and joint problems among other illnesses. Hope this helps! https://www.petsworld.in/blog/10-human-foods-cats-can-eat.html http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You can feed your cat canned tuna, chicken, other meats (just cook them as you would for yourself), potatoes, carrots, pumpkin/squash. There are other foods as well. Avoid toxic foods (grapes, onions, garlic, raisins, chocolate) and very fatty foods, but just give a bit of your food. Spicy food should be avoided as well. Best of luck with your kitty!

Wellness, Weruva and Royal Canin are all good choices. When it comes to a canned food, look for one with a named protein source of animal (not plant) origin. Choose a food that comes from the can looking like a hockey puck. Avoid foods with gravies or sauces. These are typically higher in carbs which can predispose a cat to obesity. Avoid meat meals, by-products as well as store or discount brands. These latter two contain low quality ingredients and more fillers.

Any good quality kitten food can be fed until she is about 12 months old then you can transition to an adult formula. A commercial diet will be much more complete than simply feeding the items listed. Choose a grain free diet with a named protein source. Avoid meat meals and by-products. Avoid store or discount brands as these typically contain low quality ingredients and more fillers. Choose a diet that is easy for you to buy and one that Bella will eat without causing gastrointestinal upset. Royal Canin and Canidae have a line of cat and kitten foods. You will need to check your local pet store or order food online.