You Are What You Eat

I grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons. During that time, the commercials were just as entertaining as the cartoons. Remember School House Rock and Time for Timer? Those have stuck with me through the years. I actually show my students the Grammar Rock cartoons. The one that is sticking with me right now is the Time for Timer: “You are what you eat.” This was a PSA about how we needed to eat healthy foods that would allow our bodies to do their job correctly. And, although this commercial was directed at humans, the concept of holds true for our cats. They are what they eat.

Poor Diet

If you received word that a friend or loved one was diagnosed with some kind of health issue, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or obesity, you would be concerned. And if you knew this person well enough to know their daily eating habits consisted of processed foods and fast foods, you would not be surprised by their diagnosis. If a person was only eating foods full of additives and preservatives and not supplying their bodies with whole foods, then it makes sense that their bodies would start to shut down on them.

The same thing happens with our cats. When we give them a daily diet of highly processed dry food full of additives and other things that are not appropriate for a cat’s optimal health, then we should not be surprised when they are diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and more. If we are not supplying our cats with a diet that is meant to help support a healthy body, then we can only expect a chance that they will develop health issues over time. Just as with humans, a good diet is important to help the body stay healthy and fight off any illness.

Healthy Diet

As humans, we need fresh fruits and vegetables, along with healthy proteins to maintain a healthy body. Our cats do not need such a vast food selection to stay healthy. Feeding your cat a species appropriate raw diet is the optimal way to keep them healthy. You all know that I am a huge advocate for raw feeding. I have seen the amazing benefits with my own eyes with my own cats. The benefits of feeding a raw diet are vast. More energy, healthy weight, shiny coat and less illnesses.

It shouldn’t be surprising though. We all know what can happen to our bodies if we don’t eat a healthy diet. Why should it be any different for our cats? It isn’t. To me, eating an all-day buffet of processed dry food is the equivalent of eating McDonald’s every day. Eventually, we will start to see the negative effects of the poor diet. In just the past few days, I have been contacted about a cat with diabetes, a cat with a constant UTI and a cat with a thyroid problem. One thing they all have in common? Their diet consists of mainly dry food. That is the main problem. Fix the diet and the body is able to work properly.

Ways to Improve Your Cat’s Diet

There are many ways to improve your cat’s diet. The first thing I would suggest is to stop, or at least, cut back on the dry food. Read the ingredients on their bag of food. So many things that you wouldn’t eat yourself. But yet we feed it to our cats. Our babies. Secondly, start incorporating raw food into their diet. There are many ways to introduce your cats to raw food. Frozen, freeze dried, and treats are some of the different ways to improve their diet.

If you are unable, or unwilling, to provide your cats with a raw diet, then at least increase their wet food intake. Cats get the majority of their water intake through their food. A cat that only eats a dry food diet will more than likely be regularly dehydrated. Which can cause a whole host of health issues. Giving your babies a diet that has a high-water content will go far in keeping them healthy.

A Mission

I feel like I stepped on my soap box with this article. And I know that I will receive some backlash. However, after hearing about those poor babies who are dealing with health issues while their bodies are being deprived of a diet that would help keep them healthy, I felt compelled to vent. If this article results in one cat receiving a healthier diet, then it is worth any negative comments that I may receive. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about a species appropriate raw diet. I can point you in the right direction and provide with you lots of research on the benefits that accompany a healthier diet for your cat. Remember, you (or they) are what you (or they) eat.