Cats require a high-protein diet naturally as they are more carnivorous than canines, HOWEVER, meat alone is not a complete diet. Cats require vitamins and minerals to make their foods 'complete', just like a person's diet. For example, cats sometimes require cranberry (most good foods have this in them) which helps maintain a healthy urinary tract.Originally Posted by kitkaturday
I gave this to my fussbudget, and she inhaled it so fast, I think she would've been happy if we would have permanently infused it into her veins. It's just chicken, for heaven's sake! Why did she react like it was crack?
We have been trying to stick to healthy treats for them, which usually means some bits of plain chicken breast either poached or grilled (depending how the humans' dish was prepared). They like that, but I picked up a few of the appetizers just to see what they were about, and I was surprised how excited our fussy kitty got over the chicken appetizer. I wish I knew what seasoning they use. The ingredients list doesn't mention any seasonings at all.
Also, I am wondering why this isn't a complete food for them. Been wondering about Before Grains, too. Both types state that they are supplemental, but I don't really understand why. Isn't plain meat exactly what cats are supposed to eat?
I recently switched them to wet (canned), and want to mix that up with regular meats once in a while. They refused raw, but they will eat lightly poached and shredded poultry, and some of their Wellness flavors include liver. Would feeding them half-homemade plain meat and half-canned food be nutritionally incomplete?
The wet food, as long as it has all of the vitamins and minerals listed in the ingredients will make it complete (I'd have to see the label to tell you; I know the Wellness wet foods are complete).
Plain meat and wet food every day doesn't work; if you give your cat plain meat, he'll consume that and eat less of the canned and recieve less of the nutrients from the wet food, therefore you would only occasionally add meat into his daily diet (say once or twice a week). The reason for my saying this is that meat, due to its protein, is filling; you don't want your cat to fill up on meat alone and not consume enough of the wet food, which has all of his daily requirements in it. Keep in mind that on a day you feed wet food and real meat, you'll need to feed less of the wet food to compensate for the presence of the meat, otherwise if your cat is a bottomless pit that will eat non-stop, he'll gain weight.
Hope this helps; if not, feel free to send me a message.
-Emma