Organic Cat Food

The pet food industry as a whole has become more and more vigilant in recent times due to the large amount of pet food recalls which have taken place. This applies to the USA, where in one case, it is alleged that a Chinese pet food manufacturer tainted pet food with a protein like substance, causing thousands of cat deaths, it is estimated. There may be other examples.

With many cases of pet food poisoning being reported, the cause on occasions being salmonella, (and other poisons) a great deal of distress has been caused not only for pets but for their owners too. This has resulted in many cat keepers taking to the internet to research the best foods for their cats. Many people are switching their cats to organic foods. Apparently in the US, sales are up 63% from last year (3 times the rate of human organic food).

There is a gradual shift to buying organic cat food for those able to justify the expense. My personal view having studied cat food a bit is that it the manufacturers are too focused on short term profit and not enough in manufacturing a product that is genuinely right for your cat. The situation is probably getting worse in a more competitive world and there has not been enough checks by governmental authorities to regulate the manufacture cat food.

There seems to be a feeling amongst concerned pet owners that their cats are not getting the right food and all too frequently their cat's health is compromised by an incorrect diet. I discuss some dietary health issues on this website, click here to read about feline diabetes for example.

We think the world of our animals and want the very best for them. They give us a great deal of pleasure so we want them to have a happy and healthy lifestyle in return. As they cannot tell us themselves, we decide exactly what their diet is going to be on a day to day basis. As carnivores, our cats need feeding on meat, be it cooked or raw. Probably too much cat food doesn't exactly cater for a cat's needs.

In the USA you can check out the products which have recently been recalled and find out why, by looking at www.fda.gov (US Food and Drug Administration). This is the US government body that regulates exactly what goes into cat food and human foods.

In purchasing organic cat food one expects a more concerned approach from the manufacturer as to the constituents of the food (i.e. it should be a more natural diet). But there is no certainty that this is the case so I'd check the ingredients.

In addition there is the wider picture of less damaging farming techniques used in the production of the ingredients of the food. This will please many.

So now you have decided to "go organic" with your cat's diet, you may to wean him or her off the normal food. You can do this gradually by replacing a small part of the normal food with a raw variety. Within a few weeks your pet should be enjoying the new diet to the full.

My personal thoughts are that if we are too spend more money on cat food then spend it on food that more accurately meets your cat's dietary requirements (than some existing cat food) and food that is manufactured by companies that don't animal test (you will find a link to a list of companies that do and don't animal test in the linked article).

{this article has been written for the usual author and heavily modified by him}

Photograph copyright and by jurvetson