Feed Me An Appropriate Species Diet - I'm an Obligate Carnivore!
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Did you know that there are no requirements that pet food products have to pre-market for approval by the FDA? BY PRODUCT or MEAL are beaks, hooves, feathers, skin, hair, fur, claws etc. Rancid roadkill, rotting fish parts, poultry, pork, beef etc that is unfit for human consumption, including euthanized unadopted or ill pets from Animal Control Services/Shelters are collected & used to make pet food with often with their collars still on & phenobarbital used to kill them still within their corpses. Bits & pieces of dead animals which would make a human terribly ill is not "human grade" and instead is used in petfood. Our pets who most of us consider to be as one of our family members are forced to eat this. We need to realize what is going on and rely on fancy misleading marketing and colorful, appeasing packaging. |
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Kitties are obligate carnivores, predators that evolved to eat a diet of raw meat. It has been over the last half-century or so that the majority of the pet food companies have implemented a diet unsuitable for them. Kitties only have digestive enzymes to break down & utilize meat protein. Unlike other mammals such as humans & dogs who have digestive enzymes for both meat protein & plant protein - kitties DO NOT!
Therefore, giving your kitty any type of food with plant proteins (corn, maze, grains) wears down their gastrointestinal tract & gradual organ failure typically results. Kitties can suffer from Liver, Kidney, Colon, Heart, Lung (all organs) disease, Adrenal Fatigue, Leaky Gut, Colitis, Cancer etc - most everything in which a human can. |
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Animal parts that are unfit for human consumption & thrown out into the garbage - is used to make pet food & force our pets to eat. Ew.
The main difference in nutrition between a human & a kitty? Kitties are prisioners to WHAT WE GIVE THEM TO EAT. |
How to Read Your Kitty's Food Label (Ingredients)
Above are two examples of Ingredient Lists from two different Dry Kitty Foods - notice how the one with the "Red X" doesn't contain ANY real meat protein at all & the first three ingredients are items that a kitty cannot digest? It continues to list other ingredients with minimal nutritional value & does not contain any source of real protein. This food will nutritionally starve your kitty & she will start having health issues as she is not getting the nutrition she needs to be well. Consider the equivalent of feeding a child only Ramen Noodles for her entire life, just because she eats it & it's economical. That is what many of us are either knowingly or unknowingly doing when feeding kitties. Many kitties are surviving, not thriving. There is a huge difference & because they can't talk, they are unable to tell us how badly they feel & are doing. If attention is paid to their coat, it will be shiny & smooth, not dull &choppy appearing. They will have more energy. Their litter boxes won't smell & will be used less often because their bodies are able to utilize the food properly. These are just some very apparent clues that what you are feeding your kitty is optimal or not.
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Kitties Who Only Will Eat Dry Kitty Food ARE ADDICTED TO CARBS... Most of the dry kitty food contains corn which has lectins that directly stimulate fat production. 50% of kitties are overweight. If you were only fed Doritos for all of your life then had it replaced with broccoli, would you be eager to eat it? Switch your kitty to canned food & even further to get them on track as to what they should be eating. Please do your best to get your kitty away from eating dry kitty food, especially the males. Kitties get 80% of their hydration from their food & it is advised to even add a few more drops of water & mash within. Dry Kitty food does not help oral hygiene & has very minimal nutritional value. Keep the meals of dry food as a rare occasional treat & do not leave food out for "free grazing". Only provide the appropriate portion according to their weight. Please do not mix dry cat food in with canned food! Dry cat food has a much slower digestion rate than canned and will cause GI upset when combining the two. It is ideal to feed twice a day. Kittens of course require more frequent meals. It is instinctive for a kitty to cover her food after she is finished eating as this is a way to preserve & hide her food from others.
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Have you ever wondered why the produce department doesn't have nutritional facts or ingredients listed for an apple or carrot? It is because both are examples of "REAL FOOD". They do however, contain PLU codes which represent different categories - choose a PLU code starting with "9" & you are safe as it is organic, stay away from products starting with "8" as they are GMO.... One HAS to pay attention to the Nutritional Facts & Ingredient Lists instead of the fancy packaging for both human & pet food. Always look at the back of the package for the listed ingredients for kitty food, not the front (it is strictly marketing & has no value). A label will start with the ingredient that it contains most of, down to the last ingredient that it contains the least of. Find out more by clicking on Susan Thixton's 2022 List!
What is the Best Source of Meat Protein?
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Turkey is the LEAST inflammatory meat protein available. Any kitty that has any type of digestive disorder such as IBD, leaky gut, megaesphogus, fatty liver, pancreatitis etc - use turkey (and of course, without gravy) Gravy is high glycemic. Also Vitamin B12 injections are very helpful as it assists with malabsorption. A B12 deficiency is common in kitties with gastrointestinal, pancreatic and/or liver disease, and in particular, with idiopathic hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease). Discuss this with your Vet! Also, change up the type of protein for all your healthy kitties. For example, two months - turkey, two months beef, two months rabbit, two months venison - this will help avoid food allergies, and food boredom!
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Limit Seafood Meals
The high fish content in kitty food is contributing to the increase of feline kidney disease. Seafood used in pet food is typically rancid fish parts loaded with toxic mercury. Please do not feed your kitty ANY form of commercial kitty food containing fish.
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Please feed a small fish meal once per week or less. Ideally opt for sardines in spring water for this meal. Sardines are naturally loaded with healthy omega 3's & are low in mercury content & can be found for less than $1 in your grocery aisle. Join us on Facebook every Sunday for "Sardine Sunday" in which KPOH shares important nutrition info ♥
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Kidney Disease & Protein
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Please DO NOT restrict protein from your kitty's diet - especially if she has renal issues and is in stages of Chronic Renal Failure. Without the necessary meat protein, your kitty slowly starves & experiences muscle atrophy & other organs to shut down.
The belief that protein should be limited is thought by humans in which this is "true" because humans can digest & utilize plant proteins to survive (Vegans do it all the time & thrive!) whereas, a feline is a obligate carnivore & REQUIRES meat protein. "PHOSPHORUS" needs to be limited - NOT THE PROTEIN! Please do not put your kitty on any "Prescription Kidney Food" she will deteriorate from starvation. KPOH has had great success with the supplement Vetoquinol/Epakitin & Azodyl |
Not GOOD For Kitty
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Any corn or corn derivative (maze) corn syrup etc in any kitty food. Corn is a very toxic grain for kitties. It is GMO, high glycemic which also causes diabetes. Check the ingredients listed on your cat food. If the first ingredient listed is corn, it is recommended to switch to another brand that contains protein (such as turkey, chicken, quail, beef, venison or rabbit) listed as the first ingredient. NEVER EVER EVER Microwave any pet food, especially kitten formula to warm to body temperature. NEVER! Microwaving food, potentially destroys & depletes the life energy, rendering the food completely dead & lifeless. In addition, the food’s nutritional value is lost & it becomes nearly useless in terms of providing any real health benefit. It also creates uneven hot spots which can badly burn inside the mouth and lips.
Microwaves are in fact radiation which causes food to become carcinogenic. Instead heat water on stove top & immerse briefly within another container as one would to heat a baby bottle. Cow's Milk or any Diary Product! The only mammal that has the proper digestive enzymes for cow's dairy is a baby calf! Never give your kitty or baby kittens cow's milk. It will cause diarrhea and dehydration and cause electrolyte imbalance.
No eggs! Raw eggs have the possibility of food poisoning from bacteria like salmonella or E. coli. As well the protein Avidin interferes with the absorption of the B vitamin biotin. This can cause skin problems as well as problems with your kitty's coat. Eggs also raise cholesterol levels!
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GOOD for Kitty! ♥
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KPOH supports the RAW Diet! However, there are many factors involved to ensure that you are creating the Raw Recipe accurately. Make sure you are using bioavailable vitamins & minerals & have all ratios/portions correct. There are MANY incorrect Raw Diet recipes on the internet. Feline Nutrition & Dr. Becker's recommendations are two that KPOH endorses as the most accurate!
Learn when the Raw Diet is NOT best for your kitty! |
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Lysine is an essential amino acid for cats. This means that the cat's body cannot synthesize or make this amino acid so it must be consumed in the diet. Lysine is present in all meats, but fish contain higher amounts than other types of meat. Therefore, you need to supplement Lysine because fish meals should be limited because of the mercury content. Make sure the Lysine is bioavailable!
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For kitties unlike most other mammals, taurine is an essential amino acid, as they can not synthesize their own taurine from other building block amino acids as can dogs and even humans. Thus it is essential that kitties take in adequate taurine in their diet on a regular basis.
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How to Properly Use Supplements
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Please use bioavailable supplements - not synthetic vitamins and minerals - THIS IS VITAL!! You can add these to either your RAW DIET formula or your canned kitty food once daily. PLEASE DO NOT FALL FOR "PRESCRIPTION FOOD" or "DIET FOOD" or "LIFE STAGES or SENIOR FOOD" ETC. It is all marketing & the ingredients are void of nutrition.
STAY AWAY FROM ALL DRY KITTY FOOD especially if your male kitty has kidney stones or crystals. 95% of the Veterinarian industry is not educated on PROPER NUTRITION for felines. Nutrition training is not part of their curriculum and most advice given is acquired from petfood companies wanting the Vets to recommend and push their products. Shady! |
Nutrition FYI
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Also, please keep dry kitty food TIGHTLY SEALED AT ALL TIMES. It's best to transfer the food into air tight jars to keep it fresh & from going rancid. Put it this way, do you like eating potato chips that have been sitting out for a couple of days? That is what happens to their dry food. It becomes stale. Yuck!
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Have you ever wondered why kitty eats grass only to vomit? It's not because she needs to throw up, it's because the long blade of grass gets stuck in her throat & she is unable to swallow it. So, it makes her gag & then vomit. HOWEVER!!!! Grass is very important to their diet because it is the one plant that they can digest. Grass provides needed chlorophyll & fiber. At KPOH, we cut the tips of grown organic grass like chives, and mix it within their canned food (and we also steam ground turkey/chicken and mix in). Kitties don't vomit because they are able to swallow. Outdoor grass is heavily contaminated with poisonous weed killers & pesticides. Please NEVER use Round-Up for weed control. Consider using animal friendly products as many animal eat grass without your supervision.
Best Dishes
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It is best to use shallow, stainless steel dishes to feed & hydrate your kitty, as other surfaces tend to be pourous & harvest bacteria, as well as to prevent her whiskers from touching the sides. A kitty's whiskers are an essential sensory mechanism, so it is sensory overload for her when her whiskers are against the sides of the bowl & causes discomfort. If a kitty's whiskers become damaged, it will cause them not only discomfort, but also to become confused & disorientated, among other negative side effects. Like human finger prints, every cat’s whisker pattern is unique. The nerves at the base of the whiskers are actually sensitive enough to be able to pick up even small air movements which vibrate the whiskers. They are so sensitive, in fact, that cats can even pick up air movements indoors, such as air flowing around furniture, which lets the kitty know there is an object there, even when it is pitch dark. This is essential for kitties because they are far sighted and have trouble seeing things clearly close up. Blind kitties rely almost solely on their whiskers to navigate ~ so, never be afraid of adopting a partially blind or completely blind kitty!
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What Is Going On in That Litter Box?
Another great tip that something is off - THE SMELL! There should be little to no smell to a kitty's litter box if everything is in check. Instead of spending money on febreeze and perfumes, spend it instead on better food for your kitty. PAY ATTENTION to what you scoop!
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Scoop the Litter Box at Least Twice a Day!If kitty's stool is very hard and dry appearing, you can also occasionally use Pureed Organic Pumpkin filler (the kind without any spices) to add fiber to your kitty's diet. Use approximately half a teaspoon, apply a thin layer (like you would with butter) and mix within their Raw Diet or canned food. Continue as needed by assessing her stools when you clean her litter box. ALWAYS pay attention to what is happening in the litter box. Too much, too little urine, the shape, consistency, color of stools are all indicative of their state of health.
That is why a self cleaning or toilet flushing litter box is not ideal for kitty's sake. If kitty has diarrhea, help by giving her some Propectin & non flavored Pedialyte. If it continues, take her to the Vet for a fecal examination to determine if it is parasites or other possible issues. Changing from "food that wasn't good for kittyr" to food that is, will sometimes also change bowel habits temporarily. One of the probiotics mentioned above will also assist with gastrointestinal flora balance. |
