Tortilla Cat is getting Chubby

[Eden]

I haven't gone to a raw diet (I did try....my male was throwing up too much), but I did go as close as possible. My two only get high quality 100% meat canned food. They are slim, well muscled, soft and glossy.

Corn (the largest ingredient in most dry cat foods - especially grocery store brands) is bad for them. They like the taste - its like candy to them, but it makes them fat and is being linked to all sorts of diseases that used to be quite uncommon in cats like hyperthyroid and diabetes. I've also heard that they have no appetite control - they don't feel full the way we do, so freely available food will make most fat.

Cats are what's known as obligate carnivores. They need the nutrients in meat, and specifically organs to survive. In the wild they don't really ever eat grain and usually only eat greens in order to throw up.... Most cat foods are a pretty unnatural diet for them.

(but the little swinging belly often develops on cats that are not overweight - so that alone is not an indicator - their profile from above is better - they should have a waist....)

Oh - and too give their teeth a workout I give them a daily treat of a 1/2 a dog sized "Breathies" - much better than the kitty ones that are just tiny shreds. They love chewing on them. Just avoid the ones with lavender (Mellow Mutt) - many essential oils are toxic to cats. These are pretty much just dried meat strips (I get chicken and duck) - so no bad carbs in them either.