Friday, March 29, 2024

Best Food For Calico Cats

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Iams Proactive Health Specialized Care Adult Dry Cat Food

Our calico cat “Vlekie” delivers a litter of kittens

The well-known IAMS Proactive Health* makes a dry food formulated especially for indoor cats.

It has 10% less fat than the regular IAMS and is designed to maintain a healthy weight and control hairballs thanks to the extra fiber.

Kitty owners say that it does help with hairballs and even finicky cats are pleased to eat it.

Purina Beyond Dry Cat Food

Purina Beyonds wild-caught salmon, egg, and sweet potato recipe has fresh salmon as the main ingredient, with chicken meal as a supplemental source of concentrated protein. Designed for indoor cats, this dry food also contains grain-free carbohydrates and beneficial supplements. Its available in 3-, 5-, or 11-pound bags.

Delicious And Nutritious Options For Your Feline Friend

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The Spruce / Sabrina Jiang

Choosing cat food isn’t always a straightforward process. It’s a cat owner’s responsibility to provide for a cat’s basic needs, including its nourishment requirements, which can change over time.

“Cats are what we call obligate carnivores, meaning they must have protein as the majority of their diet,” Dr. Lewis Singleton, a veterinarian at Banfield Pet Hospital in South New Jersey, explains. “Cats are not able to naturally make certain amino acids and vitamins such as taurine, arginine, vitamin A, vitamin D3, and other B vitamins, and therefore they must be included in their diet.” Wet cat foods typically contain satisfying meat blends packed with amino acids, but what about dry kibble?

With Dr. Singleton’s guidance in mind, here are the best premium dry cat foods.

Weight: 10 pounds| Form: Dry | Flavor: Chicken & Salmon | Life Stage: Adult

  • Expensive

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How Do I Care For A Calico Cat

If you have a healthy female cat without Klinefelters Syndrome, you can care for her like you would any cat. For instance, brush her regularly to keep her colorful coat in great shape and take her to the veterinarian for yearly check-ups and routine preventive care, like vaccinations.

You might also want to consider a cat insurance plan for your Calico friend. Cat insurance can help you cover the expense of the wellness treatments your kitty will need over her life. It can also help you manage the costs of care in case of an accident or illness. Keep in mind that even cats who are kept inside can get hurt or sick.

Why Are Most Calico Cats Girls

First time the dilute calico stray cat took food from my ...

Calico cats are predominantly female because theyre coloring is related to the X chromosome. Ill try not to put you to sleep with a complicated genetics lesson, so heres a quick overview:

  • Two X chromosomes are needed for a cat to have that distinctive tri-color coat.
  • If a cat has an XX pair, she will be female.
  • Male cats have an XY chromosome pair, so they cant be Calicos.

However, there is an exception. In rare cases, cats can have an extra X chromosome making them XXY. These cats present as male, but can be Calico because they have two X chromosomes. This XXY configuration can cause Klinefelters Syndrome, which is a health issue well get into later. These cats are also sterile and cant be used to breed other Calico cats.

On a side note, please keep in mind that even sterile male cats should be neutered. Although they cant produce unwanted litters, this procedure provides them with important behavioral and health benefits, such as preventing testicular cancer and unwanted territorial spraying.

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Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Indoor Adult Dry Cat Food Chicken Recipe

Blue Buffalo Freedom is another solid choice for indoor cat food, made with high fiber content for enhanced digestion and a balanced caloric profile for healthy weight. Similar to the other Blue Buffalo option on our list, this kibble formula also includes LifeSource Bits, a mix of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants forming a complete supplement profile.

Key Features:

  • Grain free dry cat food in chicken recipe
  • Formulated specifically for indoor cats
  • Made without corn, wheat, soy
  • Natural ingredients, made with no artificial flavors or preservatives
  • 32% protein, 14% fat content
  • Available in 5 and 11 pound bags

Pros:

  • Chicken is the first ingredient
  • Does not contain poultry by-products
  • Contains flaxseed for omega 3 fatty acids, supporting skin and coat health
  • Added LifeSource bits, a mix of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants

Cons:

  • On the pricier side of dry food options

Cats Need Lots Of Animal

While there isnt a single diet that is ideal for all cats, in general, most do best when they eat foods that are high in moisture and protein and relatively low in carbohydrates, says Jennifer Coates, DVM, a veterinarian for Chewy. A study published in 2011 showed that when cats are given access to foods of different protein, fat, and carbohydrate concentrations they tend to self-select a diet that provides them with around 52 percent of their calories from protein, 36 percent from fat, and 12 percent from carbohydrates. Bottom linetheres no such thing as a vegetarian cat. Along with feeding your cat the best food, youll also want to avoid these 12 common mistakes cat owners make.

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Reading The Nutritional Label

All the text on cat food labels can be confusing. Heres how to figure out what matters.

Required Items

  • What type of pet and stage of life the food is suited for
  • Feeding instructions
  • Name and address of manufacturer

Dont pay attention to marketing terms like primal, wild, or premium on the label. These words are misleading and dont actually mean that the food quality is any higher than other brands.

Understanding Product Naming

Theres a lot you can glean from the product name of a cat food if you understand the regulations. Use the naming conventions below as a guide the next time youre choosing wet cat food.

Ingredient Cat Food = Must contain 95% of the named ingredient, ex. Turkey Cat Food is 95% turkey.

Ingredient Dinner or Ingredient Entree = Contains between 94-25% of the named ingredient.

Cat Food with Ingredient = Could contain as little as 3% of the named ingredient, ex. Cat Food with Turkey may have less turkey than Turkey Dinner.

Ingredients List

When reading the nutritional label, make sure the first ingredients in the recipe are meat, seafood, or meat/seafood meal/byproducts.

Ingredients are listed in order of weight, so ingredients that are used in higher quantities will be first. Look for recipes where the first few ingredients are meat, poultry, or seafood. Meat, poultry, or seafood meal or byproducts may also be top ingredients and thats generally OK, too.

Whats A Calico Cats Personality Like

Decorating a Calico Cat Cookie With Royal Icing and Edible Paint

Remember that Calico refers to coloration, not a breed. With that in mind, a Calico cats personality will most likely be determined by breed and other factors, such as their experiences and environment, just like any other cat.

That said there are plenty of anecdotal stories claiming that Calicos are a sweet, warm-hearted, and loyal lot. On the flip side, theyre also said to be smart, spunky, and notoriously independent with a proclivity for quirky traits and behaviors.

As an example of quirky, I can tell you that my Calico cat is crazy for water. As soon as I start running a shower, shes there meowing for me to let her jump in. She also drinks right from the bathroom sink with her head under the faucet. When shes done, she enjoys settling down in the sink for a warm, damp snooze.

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References And Further Reading

  • Loyd, K.A.T., Hernandez, S.M., Abernathy, K.J., et al. Risk Behaviours Exhibited by Free-Roaming Cats in a Suburban US Town. Veterinary Record, 2013.
  • Scherk, M. Optimizing an Indoor Lifestyle for Cats. Veterinary Focus, 2016.
  • The Ohio State University Indoor Pet Initiative
  • Dantas, L., Delgado, M.M., Johnson, I., et al. Food Puzzles for Cats: Feeding for Physical and Emotional Wellbeing. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2016.
  • Ohlund, M., Egenvall, A., Fall, T., et al. Environmental Risk Factors for Diabetes Mellitus in Cats. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2016.
  • Rowe, E., Browne, W., Casey, R., et al. Risk Factors Identified for Owner-Reported Feline Obesity at Around One Year of Age: Dry Diet and Indoor Lifestyle. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2015.
  • Öhlund, M., Palmgren, M., & Holst, B. S. . Overweight in adult cats: a cross-sectional study. Acta veterinaria Scandinavica, 60, 5. doi:10.1186/s13028-018-0359-7.

The Calico Is The Official State Cat Of Maryland

Calicos arent popular only in Japan. In fact, the official state cat of the State of Maryland is a Calico kitty, just as the Maine Coon is the official state cat of the State of Maine.

Back in October 2011, the Maryland government picked a Calico cat as its new state symbol to match the orange, black and white colors of its other symbols the state insect and the state bird

As an aside, outside of Maryland and Maine, Massachusetts is the only othe state with a state cat. Theirs is the tabby.

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What Are The Dangers Of Obesity For Cats

If your cat is carrying around a few extra pounds, hes not alone.

According to a 2011 study published by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention , more than 50% of cats are either overweight or obese. Just because your cat is in good company, however, doesnt mean that you shouldnt be concerned. Obesity is very dangerous for cats.

Here are some of the risks associated with overweight and obesity in cats:

  • Being overweight or obese increases your cats risk of developing disease and can greatly reduce life expectancy. A 2.8-fold increase in mortality can be seen in obese cats in the 8-12 age range.
  • Obesity puts a great deal of strain on your cats bones and joints which can increase his risk for osteoarthritis and other joint problems.
  • Being obese greatly increases your cats risk of type 2 diabetes .
  • Overweight and obesity can increase your cats blood pressure as well as his risk for develop cardiovascular disease.
  • Excess fat in the chest and abdomen can restrict your cats ability to breathe normally this also reduces his heat and exercise tolerance.
  • Overweight and obese cats have a higher risk for urinary tract disease and bladder stones.
  • Obesity can negatively affect both heart and lung function which makes surgery and other procedures that require anesthesia a greater risk.

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How Often And How Much To Feed Your Cat

Are Calico Cats Always Female?

The size, age, and energy output of your cat will dictate the amount of food they need. You should be careful not to overfeed, which is easy to do when using wet cat food. Overfeeding leads to obesity which can cause a host of health issues for your feline companion. Once a cat is overweight, its difficult to help them shed the extra pounds.

Portion Control Feeding

Similar to portion control for humans, feeding your cat measured amounts of food as meals helps keep them from overeating and becoming obese. Its common to allow cats to eat the allotted food without a timer.

Timed Feeding

Timed feeding is making food available for a period of time and taking it away if it isnt eaten within that span, for example 30 minutes. The amount of time you allow for your cat to eat a meal is up to you and will vary from cat to cat. This method can be used with portion control feeding.

Free Feeding

Free feeding involves leaving food out all day and allowing the cat to graze at its leisure. Its commonly used with dry food since that can be left out for longer periods of time than wet food. Free feeding is OK for kittens, as they need to eat often, but can lead to obesity in adult cats.

Other Feeding Considerations

It is recommended to use a mix of wet and dry food when feeding cats but how you do it wet and dry in the same bowl two to three times a day, or wet food in the morning and dry food at night is up to the owners discretion.

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Benefits Of Indoor Cat Food

There are many benefits to keeping your kitty indoors.

Studies of free-roaming cats have shown that they are at increased risk of getting hit by a car, fighting with other cats, and getting stuck in dangerous places like sewers and crawl spaces.

But there are some health issues common to indoor cats too.

These issues are mostly related to eating too much and exercising too little!

Before we look at good cat food for indoor cats, its important to note that environmental enrichment is key to an indoor cats well being.

Environmental enrichment includes simple things like providing your cat with scratching posts and cat trees, window perches, interactive toys, food puzzles, and of course, daily play sessions with you!

All of these things will contribute to keeping your cat healthy. But the most important factor here will be your kittys dinner.

So what is the best cat food for indoor cats?

Unlike dogs that can eat a wide range of foods, cats are obligate carnivores.

This means that all felinesbig and smallneed meat to survive. All cat food should have high-quality animal protein as the primary ingredient, but this is especially true for indoor cat food.

A low carbohydrate diet is a key way to keep your indoor cat happy, fit, and healthy.

A poor diet can lead to health problems such as obesity and diabetes, as well as issues with the skin, teeth, and urinary tract.

What is the best diet for indoor cats? Lets look at some healthy options for your feline friend!

Halo Grain Free Natural Wet Cat Food

The Halo Spots Pate is a grain-free indoor cat formula* that contains whole turkey and duck, complete with low-carb veggies great for your indoor kitty.It also contains cranberries and vegetables like spinach and carrots for added fiber and nutrients.

Many owners report their kitties love Halos pate, and some cats with vomiting issues have improved with this food!

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Fun Names For Your Calico Cat

Considered lucky, and definitely unique, calico cats are very special indeed and deserve a name that reflects that. Here are 150 inspiring calico cat names, from traditional to sweet to quirky.

Calico cats are rare and uniquely beautiful. Like snowflakes, every calico kittys markings are completely different. In many cultures, calico cats are thought to bring good luck. Glückskatze, the German word to describe calicos, actually translates to lucky cat. Those adorable Japanese beckoning cat figures that you see in restaurants? All originally based on calicos. In ancient Japan, sailors and fishermen would take a calico as the ship’s cat to bring them luck on their voyage.

The pretty orange and black patches on white fur that make up the distinctive calico, also known as tortoiseshell or tricolor, pattern are caused by a genetic variation that in general only occurs in female cats. In most basic terms, male cats have XY chromosomes and females XX. Female cats inherit X chromosomes from both parents, and if one parent is black and one is orange, the distinctive calico variation occurs. As a rule, male kittens only inherit their mothers coloring, unless that kitten happens to have an extra chromosome which will result in a calico male being sterile, and possibly at risk of health issues.

Find the perfect name for your gorgeous and lucky calico kitten from our 150 suggestions listed below.

What To Look For When Buying Food For Feral Cats

Fluffy calico cat meowing for food and licking my hand

While people who feed and care for feral cats often want to help and provide the best cat food available, it can become expensive to do soespecially when they have taken on the responsibility for feeding multiple cats. Thats why its important to strike a balance between providing quality nutrition for the cats and remaining within your budget. Make sure to choose food made with whole, quality ingredients to ensure that the cats get the most nutritionally complete meal possible. The first ingredient should always be high-quality animal protein.

As long as the ingredients are high-quality, you can save money on cat food by choosing foods made with cheaper protein sources. Chicken is usually a very affordable protein source, so look for foods made with chicken. Some cat foods are grain-free, but they tend to be more expensive. To cut down on the price, you can choose a cat food that contains grains, but make sure to select foods made with grains that are easy for cats to digest, such as oatmeal or brown rice.

If you find yourself feeding several feral cats on a regular basis, you might consider buying the food in bulk as another strategy to cut down on costs.

Want to see more cat food reviews? Check out our review page here!

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Just Say No To Dry Food

Cats should never eat dry food. Nearly all dry foods are high in carbohydrates, something cats have a minimal need for. Even grain-free dry foods are loaded with starch and contain too many plant-based ingredients . Cats bodies arent equipped to digest carbohydrates efficiently, says holistic veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker, they lack the salivary, intestinal and pancreatic enzyme activity necessary to break down and digest carbs.

Dry food is also directly tied to chronic dehydration. By nature, cats get nearly all of their liquid needs from their food. Kibble contains approximately 12% moisture. Compare that to real food, canned food and natural prey, which contain around 75 80% moisture . Dehydration is one of the primary enemies of a cats body. A dry food diet is often a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome/disease, constipation, kidney disease, liver disease, joint problems, including arthritis, skin issues, including dry or flaky skin, hot spots, and itchy skin and more.

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