The pet's diet is an important point regarding pet care. Its health and longevity largely depend on the right menu, which also applies to cats. The British breed stands out for its popularity, therefore, acquiring a pet of this suit, you should study the requirements for food, the most suitable for such animals.
Kinds
Depending on the breed of domestic cats during their breeding certain principles of healthy nutrition for the pet were formed. As for the British, whose diet will consist of feed produced in an industrial environment, the breeder should examine in detail the existing range, designed for this breed of animals. British cats are one of the most unusual and attractive individuals of the feline world, which are in excellent contact with the person, are distinguished by an exotic appearance and a peaceful disposition.
Today, British breeders offered a wide range of ready-made feed, which can be divided into several types.
- Canned products. A good product for animals will consist of vegetable, meat, fish and fruit ingredients enriched with groups of vitamins and minerals. This option is considered the best among other types of food for cats, since it is distinguished by high organoleptic and taste qualities. Canned products are suitable for long-term storage, as they are sold in sealed containers, which eliminates the risk of penetration of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, in a closed form such food for representatives of the cat family can be stored at home for up to two years. Canned food produced by the manufacturer as a paste or cut into small pieces in jelly or broth.
If you feed your pet with high-quality ready-made canned food, then the animal will not experience a deficiency in any important vitamins and microelements.
However, when selecting products, it is important to ensure that there are no dyes, harmful preservatives and meat or fish waste instead of high-quality basic ingredients.
- Wet food. Such products for feeding animals sell in convenient packages of small volume. As a rule, the content of one sachet will be enough for a single meal. Premium food is made from natural and high-quality meat and fish products, which will provide the animal with a balanced diet. Unlike canned cat food, it will have less moisture, so the pet should always have fresh water in the bowl. Usually this category is implemented in the form of small pieces of meat, vegetables and seafood, filled with jelly or sauce. The minus of products is the minimum shelf life, so even in the refrigerator the contents of the package quickly lose their properties and taste, in addition, there is a possibility that the product in the open will deteriorate very quickly.
- Dry food. This type of food for pets is dried with meat products, offal, cereals or vegetables. As it became clear from the name, this category is allocated with a minimum moisture content inside. Unobstructed access to clean water for an animal that eats dry food is mandatory.The advantages of such a product is its availability, the possibility of long-term storage. However, it is in this case that there is a high probability that low-quality ingredients will be added to it. Some veterinarians believe that pets that feed on dry food, most often suffer from diseases such as urolithiasis, as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Cat food is subdivided into classes. There are four main categories, each of which is distinguished by its individual characteristics.
Economy class
This is the most budget option in the ranking of feed for the British, which are manufactured in industrial conditions. In addition to low cost, such products will have low quality, which may adversely affect the health of the pet. According to research, only 60% of such feed is able to absorb the body of cats. The advantages of goods for feeding economy-class cats should be their accessibility, since both small kiosks and large hypermarkets are involved in the sale of such products.
Cheap food usually contains dangerous additives that are addictive in an animal.. Comparing the benefits of a natural diet and economy class feed, the advantage will be on the side of the first pet feeding option. In situations where the balanced menu option for the British pet owner is not suitable from the point of view of the family budget, you should consult a veterinarian for advice.
With the help of a specialist, you can competently select an inexpensive product from the proposed range in the store, complementing it with a set of vitamins for animals.
In this case, under the special control of the breeder, the British cat may feel well throughout life.
Premium class
This product belongs to the average price segment among cat food. The meat content will be small, but the composition contains cereals, vitamins and vegetables. The digestibility of this product by animals is at 80%. A remarkable feature of premium feed is the ability to choose food for a pet with specific needs, for example, manufacturers offer special products for neutered or sterilized Britons.
Extra premium
Such feeds will stand out from the rest of the cat products for their high cost, but the quality of the ingredients used will be at the same level. As a rule, bona fide producers use natural dehydrated meat as the main constituent. In addition, there are various cereals in the feed, there are products of grainless category. Berries, fruits and vegetables are actively used. Among the additives to food for animals, the composition should include balanced and easily digestible additives.. There is a small risk that such expensive food will not be suitable for British women and Britons, but, as practice shows, it is this industrial food that will be as close as possible to the natural diet of pets.
Holistic
This is the latest generation of feed, which is an improved version of extra food for the cat family. The meat used for such a product is obtained from animals raised on eco-farms. Similar features of the cultivation of cereals and vegetables are provided for this category of ingredients. As part of Khilistikov, there should be no taste enhancers and other chemicals, so some British people may refuse it when they meet a new food.
It is also worth noting that not every pet shop sells this category of goods.
Feed selection rules
As a rule, cats of the British breed are not too picky in their food, so they are happy to eat middle-class food.
However, experienced breeders of such animals still recommend a careful approach to the choice of industrial feed, taking into account the following recommendations:
- it is important to study the composition indicated on the package, whether it is dry, wet or canned; it is worth refusing from acquisition if one or several unknown ingredients are present in the list of ingredients;
- expiration dates also remain relevant, since expired goods may become dangerous for the health of the cat;
- after the optimal type and class of food have been selected, it is worthwhile to take care of choosing the most suitable packaging for the mass - you should not buy large bags of food or the smallest portions so that the food will not spoil before the cat eats the entire volume; If you buy small portions, you should be ready for frequent trips to the store.
Important! Today, manufacturers of all types and classes of feed offer breeders of British cats specialized products specifically for this breed that meet the needs of such animals.
The basic point for the British is the presence of protein in food, because pets still remain predators, and therefore need animal food. For an adult individual it is required from 120 to 250 grams of food per day, but in some periods, for example, during pregnancy, the daily rate may be doubled. For kittens will require a separate type and portions of food. British breeders are advised to adhere to the following rules when choosing pet foods:
- in addition to the brand of the product, it is worth paying attention to how much the cat gets pleasure from the daily consumption of such food, in some cases you will have to give preference to the middle class feeds instead of elite products that belong to expensive commodity items;
- It is important to pay attention to the animal's body reaction, its state and behavior, for this it is recommended to buy several small packages of different products;
- It is necessary to give preference to feeds that will always be available at the nearest store;
- if one brand of feed has been chosen, then one should not purchase products from another manufacturer, since this is fraught with serious disorders of the digestive system of the animal, which is associated with large changes and reorganizations regarding the ingestion of another type of food;
- for the British, you should choose food without a large amount of vegetable carbohydrates;
- dry food is recommended to alternate with wet, which will be useful for the gastrointestinal tract of the animal.
Feeding rules and regulations
For owners of cats who cannot control the amount of food eaten per day due to their absence at home, you should not resort to options when the animal is left with a full bowl of food for the whole day. As the food is sure to wither, especially wet or canned food, in addition, there is a chance that the pet eats too much.
For British breed, uncontrolled food intake will be highly undesirable.
This is due to the tendency of cats to be overweight, hence the problems with health and longevity.
If the cat appeared in the house as a kitten, then from this very time it is necessary to accustom her to the diet. The correct option is to feed twice a day - in the morning and in the evening, in some cases the animal can be fed once a day.. Schooling may take some time, but subsequently a clear timetable will help avoid begging from the animal whenever the owner is in the kitchen.
Breeders in the period of schooling cats to the meal schedule recommend to clean the food in places that the pet can not reach.
This is due to the well-developed intelligence of the representatives of the cat family, who are able to remember where their food lies, and simply steal it.
Two meals a day - the norm, which applies only to adult and healthy cats. For pregnant women, elderly and sick pets, the procedure and frequency of feeding should be somewhat different. And this also concerns kittens as soon as they begin to eat on their own and until they reach 10 months of age. Feed should be designed specifically for kittens. Almost every manufacturer of products for animals produces a special line for small pets. There is a separate series of feeds for both the neutered and sterilized Britons, since such animals have a high probability of kidney and urinary tract diseases. The main distinctive feature of industrial feed of this group is the low content of evils, phosphorus and magnesium.
Veterinary advice
For breeders of British cats, veterinarians are recommended to familiarize themselves with the basic recommendations regarding the nutrition of industrial food. The following basic rules can be distinguished:
- it is forbidden to feed the cat at the same time dry food and natural food, such a diet can provoke the development of serious diseases in the animal;
- among all classes of food for the British, experts still advise choosing the premium category;
- You should not buy food by weight, because over time, some of the useful components in them simply disintegrate; packaging with food must be hermetically closed;
- very often it is expensive British elite food that causes allergic reactions, so when using this product, you should carefully monitor the pet; if the cat began to itch very often, it is worth replacing the selected food with another option;
- the pet must have its own dishes, and it is also forbidden to leave the animal without food for 2-3 days; such fasting days will go absolutely not to the benefit of the pet;
- animals that feed on industrial feed, especially dry varieties, should always have access to fresh water;
- The British are forbidden to give sweets, fried, spicy and fatty.
For a video on how to feed British cats, see below.