How Does Freeze-Drying Work?

Freeze-drying is a process that removes moisture from the ingredient without the use of heat as in dehydration. All the guardian needs to do is add water back to the freeze-dried food to rehydrate it.
The freeze-drying process includes freezing the food, lowering the pressure around the food, removing the moisture, and sealing the product. The freeze-drying process acts as a preservative, which is how the food can last for so long without any other preservatives.

Raw food defined

Raw food can be fresh or frozen, homemade or store-bought. Several companies currently make raw food that is available frozen in “chubs” (sausage like tubes that are wrapped in plastic) or nuggets, or simply in plastic containers. This type of raw food is very similar to foods like hot dogs or sausages and may be the easiest form for handling by humans who do not eat meat themselves. Some people make their own raw food by purchasing a variety of meats and bones and cutting or grinding them into appropriate sizes and textures, which can also be made in volume and frozen.

Theory behind raw

The idea of raw food is that it most closely mimics what a cat would eat in nature. Cats who are free-roaming catch mice and other small prey to eat (probably in addition to raiding some dumpsters). Such cats would eat several types of critters and some of those would have greens in their stomach. So, prepared raw food diets tend to include a bit of greens and some supplements to ensure the variety that nature would provide.

When choosing a raw food diet for your cat, is important to read about the brand and to find out whether the food is all-inclusive or requires supplementation. For example, one company’s feline nuggets provide a complete diet and no supplementation is necessary, but the chub variety, intended to be only part of a diet, requires some additional nutrients to be served.

Benefits of a raw diet

People who feed raw rave about the results. Because the raw foods contain no filler, the feces of a cat on a raw food diet is dense and small and lacking in odor (who can argue with that?!). Another pus: it is very easy to control cats’ weight when feeding a fixed diet, especially raw. But be warned: If the cats have been free-feeding before the switch to raw, there may be some complaining about being served distinct meals instead.

Does it work for everyone?

In real life, a variety of factors are at play in how cats eat and their success in adapting to a fixed diet and/or a raw diet. If a cat experienced early-life food deprivation, the cat just may not be able to adapt to a non free-feeding situation. Or if the cat has food allergies, the raw food needs to be selected to avoid the allergy-causing food.

Finally, raw food tends to be more expensive up front than some of the other options, though it may not be that much more if you are serving a premium cat food already. And costs may be offset over the long run by savings from the cat’s potentially better health.

For many, it’s refreshing to see the pet food industry thinking outside the box and not just coming up with more flavors of junk food for cats. But remember, many cats do not take quickly to change; introduce new food slowly and with patience.

It’s easy to find high quality, well balanced foods for our cats. Cat food is so well designed that many veterinarians believe that cats often eat better than their owners! So why then do so many veterinarians, trainers, and animal behaviorists also recommend that cat owners give their animals treats?

Add Variety

Giving treats has many advantages. If your cat is going to have its next 20 or 100 meals come from the same bag, an occasional treat of a different flavor will make life more enjoyable. And while it is important to keep your pet on a consistent brand of pet food to avoid digestive upsets, an occasional treat won’t hurt.

Help Train

When teaching a command or reinforcing behavior, a positive reward helps the pet recognize what you want her to do. Treats are useful training tools, provided you don’t give too many or so frequently that the treats lose their reward influence. If your cat isn’t producing the results you want, don’t give her a treat. Be patient, and always give your cat the opportunity to succeed.

Help Fight Stress

After an illness or injury, it is important to get patients eating again. Soft, easy to chew, and flavorful treats can entice your cat’s appetite and get her back on her normal diet. Other stressful situations can also send a cat off her diet, which is why many boarding facilities utilize treats to encourage their guests to stay on their normal diet.

Help Clean Teeth

Treats that are firm and fairly hard are great for helping to clean teeth by removing tartar and plaque.

There is one obvious advantage to giving treats that we cannot fail to mention, and that is the joyful interaction of giving our pets something they love. This interaction helps to build and reinforce the bond between us – the main reason we have for sharing our time and space with our four-legged friends.

Does your cat need nutritional supplements?

It’s a question that vets get asked more often these days. Our pets are part of our families, and we want them to be as healthy and happy as possible, so they’ll enjoy as long as life as they can with us.

Most vets will say that as long as you’re feeding your cat a cat food that’s formulated to provide a balance diet, and the cat is healthy, you don’t need supplements. Others, however, counter that food stored for a long time on the shelves can lose some of its nutritional value, and that many cats have special needs that require more nutrients.

The best option is to check with your veterinarian. Some supplements can actually be harmful for your cat, as they can upset the balance of nutrients the cat needs. Using too much of one nutrient, for example, can upset the absorption or others, resulting in nutrient deficiencies or even dangerous overdoses. Most supplements have not been tested in cats, so even if they’re safe in humans and dogs, cats have very different metabolisms, and are likely to react differently.

Some Potentially Helpful Supplements —- Check with Your Vet
With that in mind, here are a few supplements that may be helpful to your cat. If you do decide to try one, as always, make sure you’re buying from a reputable supplier. Veterinary formulated supplements are often preferred.

1. Multivitamin: If you have taken in a stray cat, or just adopted one, you may have an animal that has not been treated well, and needs a boost of good nutrition. Cats who have gone through an illness or surgery may also benefit from a good multivitamin short-term.
2. Digestive enzymes: According to Dr. Michael Dym, VMD, a good plant-based digestive enzyme added to each meal can help with digestion and help your cat absorb critical nutrients essential in preventing and treating diseases. Try NaturVet Enzymes or Prozyme.
3. Omega 3 fatty acids: Like in people, omega-3s can help support brain function in cats, as well as help decrease body inflamamation, ease joint pain and arthritis, support a healthy coat, and lessen allergic reactions. They may also help prevent heart and kidney disease in the long term.
4. Probiotics: These may be a good addition to your cat’s daily diet, as they can help prevent digestive upsets and strengthen the immune system. Particularly for aging cats, who have digestive systems less able to retain nutrients ingested from foods, probiotics may be helpful. Also, cats who have been sick and have taken antibiotics may bounce back faster with probiotic supplementation.

Some Potentially Helpful Herbal Supplements
Though again, you must be cautious when giving plant supplements to cats, there are a few that may be helpful in certain situations. Always start with low doses.

1. Chamomile tea: For cats that are nervous or hate to travel, chamomile tea may help to calm them down. Allow a strong-brewed tea to cool and administer via an eyedropper—about 3 vials full. This is also considered a good remedy for an upset tummy. You can also pour it into a spray bottle and use it for red and raw skin irritations—it will soothe on contact.
2. Ginger root extract: A few drops before leaving on a car trip may also help soothe an upset stomach.
3. Bee pollen: ¼ teaspoon for every 15 pounds, given two to three times weekly, may help slow the aging process, restore hormone balance, and regulate the digestive tract, as well as calm symptoms of allergies. Start with only a little to determine your cat’s tolerance. May be best used short-term in times of stress, illness, or disease.
4. Slippery elm: This herb is recommended for treating diarrhea and vomiting, or for pets with sensitive stomachs. Use ¼ teaspoon powder per 10 pounds of body weight.

Supplements to Avoid
The following supplements may actually cause damage to your cat’s health.

1. Antioxidants: People think that antioxidants will provide similar protection against disease in cats as they do in humans, but tread carefully here. Cats need vitamin A, for instance, but too much can cause medical problems. In fact, overdoses of vitamin A are more common than deficiencies in cats. High doses of vitamin C can also cause problems in the urinary tract, mouth, and stomach.
2. Garlic and/or onion: These can destroy red blood cells, leading to anemia.
3. Calicum and vitamin D: It’s difficult to find the right balance with these. Too much can be toxic.
4. Vitamin C: As mentioned above in “antioxidants,” too much vitamin C can cause overly acidic urine, which can lead to crystal formation and a life-threatening blockage.

Litter Box Behaviors

The invention of kitty litter opened a new life style for cats.  Before, they lived outdoors as barn or alley cats — afterward, they moved indoors to be house cats — low-maintenance pets that no longer needed to go outside to relieve themselves.  The litter box design mimics so closely how they go outdoors, that mother cats can train their kittens to use one when they are just 18 days old! By the time you adopt a cat, the habit is ingrained.  All you need to do is show them their box, keep it clean, and that’s it — or is it?  Normally, cats are dependable litter-box users, but they may lapse under certain circumstances — knowing what they are could head off a major problem.

Medical Causes.  If your cat eliminates outside the litter box, she may be ill.  About 25% of the time there is a medical reason — typically a bladder infection.  A more serious problem — especially for males — is if the cat has bladder stones making urination painful or impossible.  If your cat strains to urinate, seek veterinary help at once — this can be life-threatening.  Once diagnosed and medicated, stones can be managed through a special diet.  If the cat is elderly, geriatric issues may cause litter box lapses including chronic illness and even senility.

Preventable Problems

“Mechanical” Difficulties.  Sometimes a cat may use the litter box, but stands too close to the rim and goes over the side.  This is easy to correct.  Give the cat a hooded litter box and place a mat in front.

Litter Box “Alternatives” (from the cat’s viewpoint).  Even a litter-faithful cat is tempted to wet articles laying on a floor like clothing, toys, bath towels and small rugs.  Some cats find open laundry baskets or papers left on a table equally satisfying.  All of these meet the litter box criteria — absorbent materials that they can move around when they’re finished.  The simplest solution is “good” housekeeping — put things away when not in use.

Floor planters with loose soil are also an open invitation to a cat.  Keep your cat out of a planter by adding decorative stones to the top making it uncomfortable for the cat to stand on.

If you find your cat regularly prefers alternatives to the litter box, rethink your box location — or the type of box — or your choice of litter.  In larger homes, provide a box on each floor.  Some cats prefer two litter boxes side-by-side so they can urinate in one and defecate in the other.  Make sure the litter is scooped daily and the boxes washed bi-weekly.

Litter-averse cats may prefer framed puppy training pads instead of — or in addition to — a standard litter box for urination.