Dry food for sterilized cats: properties, manufacturers, choice and diet

When owners are faced with the need to sterilize their cats, they need to understand that this process will have a significant impact on pet metabolism, body constitution, behavior and lifestyle. Therefore, one of the important components of pet support after castration is a properly chosen, balanced diet.

Sterilization or castration generally affects the pet, rather, safely: the pet lives longer, becomes more balanced, decreases aggression, it does not need to mark the territory.

But there may be negative consequences. In the urinary system stagnation occurs, as a decrease in the secretion of steroid hormones disrupts ion exchange in the kidneys, causing fluid retention. For castrated and sterilized cats, the typical situation is rare visits to the toilet.

This leads to the formation of stones in the cup and pelvis system, ureters, bladder infection. The restructuring of the hormonal background together with a calm disposition causes the cat's laziness to appear, it plays less willingly and moves much less.

Also, the reduction of estrogen and testosterone seriously reduces the rate of fat exchange, in particular the breakdown, which, in combination with the new lifestyle, leads to a faster swimming of the sides and belly of your pet. An increase in prolactin levels, leading to an increasing appetite, also contributes to this.

To stop all these problems, it is necessary, first of all, to choose the right feed., then make up a diet for your pet and strictly adhere to it.

In addition, you need to follow some more recommendations:

• the pet goes on a fractional diet: the frequency of feedings can increase up to five times a day, but at the same time the size of the portion decreases;
• to reduce the risk of kidney stones and ureters of your pet, limit the intake of phosphorus and magnesium in the body, since sterilized pets form stones of predominantly phosphate and magnesium nature;
• The animal should be weighed regularly to assess the dynamics of weight and adjust the portion in accordance with it.

Special feed has several obvious advantages. First, the recipe is selected in advance by experts, almost guaranteed to include everything you need for your pet in the right proportions. Especially when preparing food on your own, you will surely come across the fact that your cat is picky and does not eat all the ingredients in a row, ignoring, for example, vegetables.

Secondly, industrial food also saves your time, since you do not need to engage in its preparation, and the cat will not be able to miss any of the components past its abdomen, since the entire food is a homogeneous substance.Thirdly, dry food is more versatile with respect to the terms and conditions of storage - it will not wither in the open air and is easier to transport.

Regardless of the food model chosen, the ratio of macronutrients should be approximately as follows:

• 30–40% of proteins;
• 10–12% fat;
• 30–45% of carbohydrates with a fiber share from 5 to 7%.

When choosing a dry food should not focus on the beautiful packaging and cool advertising slogans. You should decide on the price segment in which you will choose: holistic, premium or super-premium, as well as professional diets. Immediately it is worth brushing off such options as Kitekat, Whiskas, Friskes and the like: in such feed there is no division into physiological groups of animals.

Examples of professional diets are Royal Canin, Hill`s, Eukanuba or Proplan. These formulations must have Sterilized special markings on the packaging, which means “for sterilized pets”.

More expensive options are not likely to be divided into categories of pets (for sterilized or not), but they are acceptable, since the quality of the protein in them is higher than in other feeds. These are, for example, the feed Now Now, Go !, Acana or Orijen.

Nowadays there are many options for food, which have their advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it is very difficult to make a choice in favor of a particular type. Below is a ranking of the most popular manufacturers of food for sterilized cats.

• Pro Plan. This brand is very well-known, which makes it easy to navigate in its intricacies to a beginner. You can buy food of this brand in most stores that release dry food. It is valued by the owners for a very attractive price-quality ratio, and it is believed that this food is particularly well-protected in the urinary system. There is also a variety of flavors in the line, which allows you to diversify your pet's gastronomic life. Experts discuss the ratio of proteins and fats (41% and 12%): some believe that it is harmful to the musculoskeletal system, others believe that this has a negative effect on the kidneys, although studies do not confirm these concerns. Therefore, Pro Plan can be considered a very safe feed. But do not forget that cats can sometimes be allergic to some ingredients.
• Hill`s. This brand has an almost perfect vitamin composition, is also widely distributed and can be bought in most supermarkets. There is a taste range that allows you to choose what suits your pet more. Veterinarians unanimously agree that this food is a good nutritional option for a sterilized animal.
• Purina One. This brand offers not only a variety of flavors, but even a line of medicinal feeds that differ in the composition of components, which can be used in a more subtle selection of your pet's nutritional support after sterilization. Just like the two previous feeds, you can buy it at almost any supermarket. Contains vegetable components (gluten and wheat proteins), which, according to veterinarians, can sometimes provoke indigestion disorders.

• Royal Canin. The most famous brand of "luxury" -cats for cats. It features high-quality raw materials, a large line of varieties and tastes of food, varieties for feeding individual breeds of cats, as well as a low price (for this price category). It is sometimes difficult to find, as well as in animals episodes of allergy to the components of the composition. Experts advise on the packaging of food for sterilized cats intently look for the age for which it is intended.This feed ensures optimal pet weight, dilution of urine and reduction of the likelihood of stones.
• Bosch Sanabelle. This German food has enough natural meat in the composition, a relatively low cost, but less common in pet stores and supermarkets. The composition contains antioxidants, but not always what.
• Eukanuba This feed contains a large proportion of animal protein and is distinguished by a relatively low price; there is a line of medicinal feeds. Cons: there are preservatives and additives, as well as the manufacturer does not specify the nature of these "animal proteins."

When choosing, it is first necessary to evaluate the composition of the feed. The shorter it is, the better. The names should be clear to you, even if you are far from the chemical industry.

Primary in the composition is called the component, which is the main source of protein, it is desirable that it was meat. The remaining components are listed in descending order of their share in the feed. Needless to say, there shouldn't be any flavors, flavorings and the like in the feed - a good dry food looks absolutely inconspicuous and represents the most common brown granules.

Next, pay attention to digestibility: the more food is saturated with nutritional components, the smaller the quantity that a cat needs to eat. Moreover, animals are forced to drink dry food, but they reluctantly drink. Thus, the less food you need to feed a cat, the less water it will have to drink, the higher the quality of digestion, thanks to which the animal will be provided with comfortable digestion.

The third criterion, very important for castrati, is ability to prevent the development of diseases. For the prevention of urolithiasis, you need to choose food with less magnesium, the correct ratio of phosphorus and calcium, and more protein. Protein will acidify urine and reduce the likelihood of stones.

After you have picked up the food for your pet, you should pay attention to whether it came up to him. Food can be considered well chosen if:

• the animal eats it willingly;
• the cat has “shiny” wool, in general, it gives the impression of grooming;
• regular discharge of feces and the appearance of feces, which will speak about the stability of the digestive process;
• a healthy body constitution is maintained.

Feeding the cat should be carried out at least twice a day, moreover, it is desirable to bring the number of feeding episodes to five, giving food in small doses.

Dry food must be accompanied by clean and fresh water, and there is a simple rule of thumb: three times more water. You should not change the water for milk, as it will shift the nutritional balance in the mixture that you have already selected or by the factory technologists. Feed should be given exactly in the quantity indicated, no more and no less.

More information about the rules of food sterilized cats described in the video below.