Common Misconceptions about Homemade Cat Food
Mixing various meats and offal in a certain proportion is not necessary for cat food preparation; adding fish or too many eggs to cat food; using only lean meat; adding lysine; adding vegetables and fruits, but vegetarian food obviously has no significant effect on the cat's nutritional intake; using tools to grind the meat; not supplementing with nutrients.
1. Mix various meats and offal in a certain proportion and feed them to your baby.
This isn't to say that preparing cat food this way is wrong, just that it's not necessary. As long as the proportions of food are appropriate throughout the week, it's fine. It's not necessary to have several types of meat and organ meats at every meal. Doing so only increases the difficulty of preparing cat food, without making a significant difference nutritionally. Feeding only one type of meat or organ meat each time, ensuring a proper weekly intake, is more convenient for humans and provides variety for the cat's taste preferences.2. Adding fish or too many eggs to the cat's food.
I heard as a child that cats love to eat fish, but actually, many cats can't tolerate fish at all (one of my three cats doesn't eat fish). Adding fish to your cat's food without knowing their preferences can easily lead to wasted effort. Adult cats shouldn't consume more than three eggs per week. While lecithin can help with hairballs, so can fat. The so-called hairball removal is actually achieved by using lecithin and fat to lubricate the intestines and expel hairballs. Eggs are indeed very nutritious, but I don't know why eating too many can cause soft stools in cats. I used to be unaware of this and thought eggs were easier to digest than meat, so I fed egg custard to kittens during weaning, and they immediately developed soft stools.
3. All lean meat
Many cat food recipes primarily consist of chicken breast, beef, fish, and shrimp, with almost no fat. Fat is an important nutrient, a major source of Vitamin E. Furthermore, insufficient fat intake over a long period can cause hairballs (another mistake I made out of ignorance). When occasionally giving your cat steamed meat as a nutritional supplement, be careful not to always suggest chicken breast, as cat food is already low in fat. The ideal meat for fat content is skinless chicken thigh meat. Lazy people like me usually feed my cat chicken drumsticks and chicken breast together, which saves me the trouble of removing the skin.4. Add lysine
Lysine is a component of protein, meaning that various meats are rich in lysine. So why is lysine added to cat food? Because cat food contains too few animal-derived ingredients, resulting in a deficiency of lysine, requiring additional supplementation. Furthermore, a quick online search will reveal that lysine is a cheap feed additive. The claim that it prevents feline rhinotracheitis has long been debunked; any assertion of its therapeutic effect likely stems from a poorly fed cat. Essential additives for homemade cooked food include eggshell powder and vitamin B (vitamin B1 is easily lost at high temperatures). Other nutrients can be substituted with food: liver (vitamin A), heart (taurine), seafood (omega-3 fatty acids), animal fats (omega-6 fatty acids), vitamin E, duck meat, and pork (vitamin B).5. Add vegetables and fruits
Many novice cat owners add various vegetables and fruits to their homemade cat food, believing that this will provide a balanced diet. However, this is not the case. As carnivores, cats are not significantly affected by plant-based foods. Adding vegetables is only appropriate when a cat is constipated, as it can help lubricate the bowels. Therefore, please remember: Cats are carnivores! Cats are carnivores! Cats are carnivores! I'll say it three times because it's important.
6. Use a tool to mince the meat.
Cats are predators, with a hunting instinct in their genes, so their tearing and chewing abilities are correspondingly strong. They don't need meat grinders or other tools to mince the meat; simply cutting it into chunks is sufficient. Chewing helps cats develop their cheeks and clean their teeth.
7. Not supplementing nutrients
Homemade cat food can meet a cat's protein needs, but some nutrients still need to be supplemented. For example, meat contains almost no calcium, and vitamins B and E, as well as taurine, also need to be supplemented. For convenience, you can buy premixed cat food online and add it to your cat's food according to the instructions. In addition, to supplement your cat's micronutrient needs, you can also give them micronutrient chelate tablets or multivitamin tablets. These help replenish the vitamins your cat may be lacking and are often fortified with taurine to promote growth and boost immunity.
