How a Simplified Diet Can Help Your Cat Live Their Best Life

Angela Vuckovic
by Angela Vuckovic

While life has changed so much for cats over the centuries, their dietary needs haven’t. Cats are considered obligate carnivores. It’s simple, really: cats need a protein-rich, animal-based diet and don’t do well digesting most plant-based proteins. Unfortunately, when you feed your pet commercial food, things can get a bit more complicated and potentially stray further from a cat’s optimal dietary requirements.

The first thing to notice is that poor-quality kibble can be full of artificial ingredients, such as artificial preservatives or dies, but that’s not all that’s problematic with many commercial food options -- many products won’t even include real meat in the top ingredients, let alone quality, single-protein meat source – it’s often byproducts, or a mixture of different plant-proteins to ramp up the crude protein content without actually using quality proteins in the formula. Lastly, many brands formulate with a plethora of unnecessary ingredients that serve as cheap fillers but serve no nutritional purpose to cats, such as corn, soy, or wheat.

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In other words, there's a chance that the food you’ve been giving to your cat isn’t nutritionally adequate for their needs and doesn’t nourish their body as efficiently as it could. So what is the alternative, if you’re not looking to prepare your pet’s food from scratch daily or feed them raw meat that needs thawing before every meal? The “secret” to making sure that the kibble and wet food that you pick for your feline friend is good for them is to seek out formulas with more animal-based proteins and fewer other ingredients– so-called limited ingredient recipes.


Why a Limited Ingredient Diet Is Ideal for Cats

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A simplified diet is precisely what cats need – their diet in the wild isn’t all too complicated. Ancestors of your domestic cat would hunt for prey, such as mice and rabbits, and eat their prey raw, which provided them with all the protein and essential nutrients they required, but also with moisture – wild (and domestic) cats rarely drink water directly as they stay hydrated by the moisture in their food.

 

Their simple, minimalistic ancestral diet is what makes limited ingredient kibble so well suited for cats. A quality limited ingredient formula will be rich in protein coming from real meat and free of any unnecessary fillers that could affect your cat’s digestion or potentially even trigger food sensitivities or allergies. 

Nulo MedalSeries Whole-Prey Inspired Limited Ingredient Diet is a great place to start if you’re thinking about switching to a simplified diet for your cat. It is made from a single source of protein and over 80% of that protein is real meat – salmon, turkey, duck, chicken, trout, or cod, your choice. These recipes provide all the essential amino acids for your cat, as well as enough quality protein, vitamins, and minerals they need to thrive. In addition to kibble, which remains the most popular choice for many pet owners, Nulo MedalSeries for cats also offers a range of wet foods and toppers for the pickiest of felines and these products can be a great way to add dietary moisture to your cat’s diet.


It’s important to remember that it may take a while for your cat to make the switch to their new food. Cats can be notoriously picky and stuck in their preferred routines, so transition them to a new diet gradually by replacing a smaller portion of their meal with the new kibble until you progress to a bowl full of the new kibble. Then, sit back and watch your cat thrive for years to come on a food that nourishes their body and fuels them for all the adventures ahead. 


Feature Image by Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com

Angela Vuckovic
Angela Vuckovic

A proud mama to seven dogs and ten cats, Angela spends her days writing for her fellow pet parents and pampering her furballs, all of whom are rescues. When she's not gushing over her adorable cats or playing with her dogs, she can be found curled up with a good fantasy book.

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