Wet cat food: components, brands, selection, feeding mode

So far, no common opinion has been reached among veterinarians on which type of food is preferable for cats - dry or wet. Both products have both significant advantages and equally significant drawbacks, so when choosing the optimal diet for your fluffy pet, it is best to follow the recommendations of a specialist. Nevertheless, recent studies have confirmed that wet wet food is more physiological, they are well absorbed and like any cats, even the most fastidious and capricious.

Wet feeds in stores are usually presented in two options:

• in the form of small bags-spider - they contain one portion of the nutrient composition;
• the can of various volume.

Wet food is pieces of food in a jelly sauce. A good product is 35% meat. It is usually made from turkey, chicken, beef, veal, rabbit, or fish. These are useful ingredients necessary for the growth of a cat, maintaining its health and strong immunity.

20% of any food consists of protein, it can be egg or milk proteins, which represent the optimal natural filler. 10% comes from offal, expensive foods contain heart and liver, cheaper ones use lung, paws, skin, hooves and other ingredients.

Any products are enriched with vitamin-mineral complexes, they necessarily include vitamins B, E and A, as well as calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, iron and manganese.

Depending on the components used, feed of several classes is isolated.

• Economy - the most budget products, well known to all breeders, and not only, through active television advertising. These are Whiskas, Kitekat, Friskies and Four-Legged Gourmet. They are cheap, but this list of their merits ends. The fact is that such feed mixtures contain a large number of artificial ingredients - preservatives, flavors and flavor enhancers, the proportion of meat in them is small - usually it is replaced by proteins of plant origin. Such foods are absorbed by the body of cats by no more than 65%.

• Premium class - slightly higher-quality products, although they are not distinguished by a high content of meat, but it is more in them than in feeds marked “economy”, and nutritional products are also used. Usually they are produced in several lines - for kittens, for pregnant animals, for elderly pets, etc. Such a product is absorbed by 70-75%.

• Super Premium - the cost of these products will already be noticeable for the family budget, they include such meals as Purina Pro Plan, Royal Canin and others - the reputation of the brands speaks for itself, therefore the product does not need advertising. Such mixtures can be purchased exclusively at veterinary pharmacies or pet stores. There is a lot of meat in the feed of this segment, and there are very few plant-type proteins, no artificial components at all.Similar compositions are assimilated by 90-95%.

• Holistic feed - These are the most expensive products, which can be bought only in specialized stores by prior order. It uses only environmentally friendly products: the plant part is made from crops grown without pesticides, and the meat does not contain antibiotics and hormones.

Wet food domestic producers are little known among Russian breeders, however, some deserve attention.

"Titbit" - food based on natural ingredients at a reasonable price. However, veterinarians recommend using it not as a permanent food product, but only as an additive to help prevent the onset of various eating disorders.

Mnyams is another wet food from our review, produced according to Russian technology at European production facilities in accordance with the highest quality standards. Among domestic products, it is one of the best products that you can offer to your furry pet. Food is considered complete, therefore does not require any vitamins and additives.

“Zoogurman” is one of its quite worthy Russian-made food containing exclusively natural products without preservatives, glutamate and dyes. For the protein component in it are responsible high-quality by-products, duck, turkey, chicken, veal and beef.

“Four-legged gourmet” is a product that is distinguished by a balanced composition, however, the study of the label indicates the absence of such important additives as vitamins and healthy trace elements. Among the shortcomings, it is also possible to note the presence of a gelling component of unknown origin; therefore, it cannot be said with certainty that it has a non-synthetic origin. However, in the first place in the list of its ingredients is meat, and not little-known cereal mixtures mixed with fish meal, therefore, the product can be called quite suitable for feeding a pet.

Grandorf - this brand appeared on the shelves of pet stores quite recently, but it has already managed to gain recognition from breeders with all the attention to the health of their pets. This feed is holistic, which directly indicates its exceptional quality. Despite the fact that the brand is registered in Russia, the product is made in the workshops of Belgium and Italy using raw materials of the Human Grade category from ingredients that are edible for humans.

To get this product is quite difficult, it is not sold in all stores and is expensive. But reviews of pet owners claim that pets on this diet are less likely to get sick and do not gain excess weight. We can safely say that this is the best domestic food, ensuring the full growth and development of the animal.

Among domestic breeders imported cat food is very popular. Let's stop on the most popular.

Traditionally, this food belongs to the economy-class products, but, nevertheless, due to the low price and active advertising in our country, it is one of the best-selling.

The advantages of this feed include:

• low cost;
• availability at any outlet;
• wide range of tastes.

Of the minuses should be noted:

• the presence of preservatives, flavors and flavor enhancers;
• low content of protein components;
• composition opacity.

Whiskas feed reputation is highly questionable, some breeders claim that the product worsens the pet's health. However, no facts confirming this opinion have yet been received. The feed is manufactured at the enterprise in accordance with high quality standards. Nevertheless, veterinarians recommend not using Whiskas on an ongoing basis, and when using it, carefully monitor the condition of your pet.

The main advantage of this advertised product is low cost and beautiful packaging. The manufacturer positions its food as a delicacy for fluffies, however, the meat in its composition is not more than 25% - this is more than in Whiskas, but at the same time does not reach the dosages recommended by veterinarians. The quality of the meat component is doubtful, therefore the product is not recommended for frequent inclusion in the menu.

This feed is much more expensive, but at the same time and quality. It is made taking into account the physiological characteristics of cats and is presented in several product lines - for kittens, for age cats, for animals with certain pathologies. This brand is indispensable for pets with diabetes and suffering from obesity.

The advantages of feed include:

• high protein content;
• The original series of vegetarian feed.

Of the minuses you need to indicate the presence of soy in the composition, GMOs and a slight presence of preservatives.

This is a low-calorie wet cat food, made on the basis of beef or poultry meat. Such products are optimal for small cat breeds.

Of the benefits emit:

• completely natural composition;
• the presence of antioxidants to stimulate immune protection;
• the presence of additives that protect the condition of the urinary system;
• obesity prevention.

The majority of the reviews about these feeds are positive, the breeders note that with regular use of the product, the animal's coat condition improves, and the chair becomes regular - this best indicates the good physical shape of the pet. In addition, the product has a pleasant smell for the owners of the animal, unlike many other feeds.

The composition of these mixtures include meat or fish products, feed optimal for everyday use. In addition to the protein component, the mixture contains cereals, oils, fat and vitamin-mineral supplements. The product has a high nutritional value and does not contain any fragrances and preservatives. Keep in mind that the feed of this brand is contraindicated for pets with overweight. The product does not contain soy and corn, which often cause animal allergies at any age.

The main advantage of this brand of feed is the highest quality of the products used. It is made from fresh or chilled meat that has not been frozen. The meat enters the production departments directly from farms, therefore it contains the maximum amount of useful substances without loss of taste.

The share of meat in the product is 95%, the mixture is rich in taurine, as well as the special bioactive MacroGard complex, thanks to which the pet's organism successfully resists viruses. There is a marked increase in the effect of vaccination of the animal.

However, its cost is quite high, so feeding them a pet can create a significant gap in the family budget.

Food superpremium class, which directly indicates a natural balanced composition and the absence of any synthetic additives and preservatives in the composition. Most often on sale are feed from rabbit, poultry and fish. From offal only liver is used. The products of this manufacturer for 65% consists of animal protein, as well as fiber, minerals and vitamins useful for cats.

Due to the balanced composition of the cat fully grows and develops, the animal forms a strong immunity, and after each feeding for a long time comes a feeling of fullness.

The meat content in the feed of this brand does not exceed 75%, but nevertheless it belongs to the category of elite. There are no synthetic additives, only natural meat is used, as well as fresh vegetables and probiotics. Food production recipe involves the use of brewer's yeast, which are an excellent source of vitamin B, contribute to the normalization of metabolic processes in the body of the animal and protect against allergic reactions. The composition is completely non-grain.

However, it was not without flaws. Products sometimes do not like animals, especially adult cats, which for a long time consumed cheaper food, literally “stuffed” with flavoring flavors.

When choosing a cat food you need to pay close attention to the information contained on the packaging, in some cases it is better to refuse the purchase and return the package back to the shelf.

If you notice that sugar, starch or cellulose are included in the mixture, then such feed will be extremely harmful for your pet.

The presence of the additive E127 is another reason to choose another feed. The fact is that it is an artificial dye, which acts as a factor provoking the development of tumor processes and oncological diseases.

The by-products in the feed composition are extremely nutritious and beneficial, but only when they are of high quality and their share does not exceed 10%. If this parameter is greater, then most likely the manufacturer has included in the product such little appetizing and nutritionally deprived ingredients as beef or pork skin, as well as waste from the slaughterhouse.

The inscription "meat" does not guarantee that the food contains a real meat product. Buy is only one that contains a transcript, that is, a complete list of those types of meat that were used to make feed.

According to accepted standards, the ingredients in the list of ingredients are descending, that is, the top contains those products whose share is maximum. However, some manufacturers are cunning and include several cereal and vegetable components with minimal concentrations in the feed. Thus, they are all listed at the very end of the list. Be sure to calculate their amount - it is possible that you will have an unpleasant surprise and the total mass of such components will be greater than the weight of meat.

Another common trick of irresponsible producers is the term flavor, translated as “tasteful”.

By the way, the definitions of “100%” or “all” are also a ploy of marketers, and in many countries their use on packaging is prohibited. The fact is that they assume the presence of only one ingredient in the jar, and this completely contradicts the very technology of making cat food.

Some attentive breeders do not trust liquid factory feeds and prefer to make them at home according to proven recipes.

To prepare such food should take:

• 2 kg of beef or poultry;
• 300-500 g of the heart of the same animal, from which meat is obtained;
• 100-200 g of raw liver;
• ligaments and tendons;

• 2 glasses of water, better than mineral without gas;
• 4 egg yolks;
• 2 sachets of gelatin;
• 4000 mg of high quality fish oil;
• 200 mg of brewer's yeast are additionally introduced, preferably with selenium or zinc, as well as oil vitamin E — 800 IU;
• 1/3 tablespoon kelp powder;
• 5-7 spoons of bran.

Meat is ground and mixed with other components to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Ready food laid out in containers or special packages for the freezer.

The daily need for wet food is:

for an animal weighing up to 3 kg - 200 g;

• 4 kg - 220-250 g;
• 5 kg - 250-260 g;
• 6 and over kg - from 300 g

Older cats, as a rule, have a reduced immunity, their metabolism slows down and worsens the condition of the teeth, so after 7-8 years of age, one feeding per day is enough for them.

When choosing a cat food, it is important to consider how useful it will be for a pet. According to reviews of breeders, a sufficient amount of protein and fat, which have a beneficial effect on the well-being of the pet and the state of its fur, is included in high quality wet mixes. It is desirable that the percentage of carbohydrates was minimal, otherwise the animal may face obesity.

It is very convenient that wet food contains water, it is useful for those pets who do not like to drink. The owners of cats argue that animals that use wet mixtures, eat more quickly due to the high protein content, in addition, these foods prevent obesity in cats after castration.

However, despite the fact that, in general, wet food looks more attractive, it still has some drawbacks.

• Wet food is a soft product that does not protect the cat from the appearance of plaque and gum disease. Breeders recommend using special balls and bones for the care of teeth.
• The contents of open packages must be consumed as quickly as possible - they cannot be stored in clear form for more than a day.
• It should also be noted that wet food are much more expensive than dry.

Many feeds on the market are not credible to cat owners. According to consumers, they lead to the formation of urolithiasis, so before making a decision to transfer your fluffy pet to such a diet, you should always consult with a veterinarian.

A comparison of wet foods can be viewed in the video below.