Pros and Cons of a Kibble Diet
Pros
- Convenience — can be easily stored and fed.
- Economical — can be bought relatively cheaply.
- Nutritional — provides your cat's daily needs, when prepared properly.
- Safety — is not subject to contamination, when stored properly and will not go bad quickly.
Cons
- Dehydration — cats must have water. Cats need 5 to 10 ounces per day.
- Health Risks — there is always a chance of salmonella contamination, particularly from the large mass producers. They use the same conveyor belts for the really cheap food that they use for their “premium” brands.
- Diabetes — very easy to overfeed your cat with a food that has a lot of carbohydrates in it.
- Dental Problems — cats fed with only kibble may have a tendency to develop dental problems later in life, which are quite expensive to fix.
We shouldn't be so hard on the old kibble diet. Rescue groups and shelters couldn't get by without it. Also, the premium brands like Orijen's Cat and Kitten are not exactly cheap and contain great ingredients. Their web page, Orijen Cat and Kitten, gives a great breakdown for the ingredients in the food. Probably the worst thing about a kibble diet is the lack of water. Some cats are not conducive to drinking water out of a dish. You can put it in the kibble to help. But, like any food, you need to monitor them as they eat. Dehydration can lead to serious urinary tract problems later in life.
Pros and Cons of the Canned Food Diet
Pros
- Convenience — can be easily stored and fed.
- Nutritional — scientifically formulated to provide your cat's daily needs.
- Provides the water that your cat needs in his diet.
Cons
- Health Risks — there is a chance the liner of the can will have BPA, a toxic chemical used as a preservative.
- Limited shelf life after opening-product will go bad quickly and cats don't seem to like it as much, after can is opened.
- Somewhat expensive — average cost of a good quality can of food is around $1.75 per can, although we will give you a 10 percent discount for case orders.
Some experts recommend that people feed about half kibble and half canned food on a daily basis.
BPA poisoning has recently become a hot topic in the pet food community. Some manufacturers including Weruva and Canidae claim to be BPA free. At Tucker Pet Supply, we try to stay on top of the most recent information, but when dealing with corporations and mass producers, it can be a little dicey, but that is what we do and who we are.
Pros and Cons of the Raw Diet
We have now reached the raw diet. This is the diet that we would recommend for your kitty. We carry several brands of raw food for cats, and also several freeze-dried flavors. Freeze-dried is simply raw that has been freeze-dried.Pros
- Improved Digestion — cat's digestive systems geared for raw.
- Healthier Skin and Coat — cat fur becomes very soft, when fed raw.
- Better Teeth and Dental Health — meaty bones act like a toothbrush.
- Increased Energy — high quality protein in raw will make your cat more active.
- Better Smelling Poop — cat will use about all the food for its daily needs.
- Provides the Water your cat needs.
Cons
- Health Risks — possibility of salmonella contamination during production.
- Limited shelf life after opening-once thawed, it must be used within a few hours.
- Cost — a raw diet is going to be more expensive.
A raw diet is the most expensive of your options, but provides the most benefits. Cats are not large animals and usually consume around six ounces of food per day. This provides them with needed moisture and gives them a good healthy appearance.
Now, there is one other option for the raw diet. Fix it yourself. This requires a lot of research and also perseverance. But if you can do it, go for it.
To see pros and cons for dogs, click here.