Food is an integral part of our lives. Alongside Oxygen and water, it is vital to life. It energizes our body and ensures the correct functioning of our organs. And of course, our taste buds generally have a good time.
We all know that our body depends on the intake of five basic nutrients – carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Each nutrient plays a different role in taking care of our physique. Additionally, this doesn’t apply just to humans but also the animal kingdom in general.
Pet owners should be well aware of this. Feline and canine creatures, or specifically cats and dogs, are quite common in households. Cats and dogs are heavily dependent on the right kind of food. This is especially true for cats who don’t exert themselves physically. As a result, their diet has to be properly managed.
Both creatures need high levels of protein in their diet, and these pet foods don’t come so cheaply in the market. While there are inexpensive and quality brands if you search comprehensively, most of such brands are priced above the range of the working class adult. It is one of the reasons why many shun from having pets.
There are those who have both cats and dogs in their households. To save up some money, it is not uncommon to see dogs being fed cat food or vice versa. Under normal circumstances, one would just gobble up food meant for the other. However, it is not good for the long term.
This is because dogs and cats have widely varying dietary needs, and each pet food brand is customized to the needs of its consumer. Dogs, for example, derive most of their nutrients from proteins and fats. While it is not required that the diet is predominantly meat-based, the ease of digestibility is more important.
Dogs are omnivores by nature, and can live even with a vegetarian diet if there are sufficient quantities of proteins and fats. In fact, a fully meat-based diet would even harm them. Cats, on the other hand, are an entirely different ball game.
Cats are perhaps among the most meat dependent species around. They require heavy doses of meat- based protein on a daily basis. This is mostly because cats require a variety of amino acid – Taurine – that is mainly found in meat. This variety of amino acid helps maintain proper organ functions of the cornea and the heart in the cat.
Understanding the nutrient needs of your pet goes a long way to managing maintenance costs. We recommend that you read up more on such topics to obtain a comprehensive understanding of your pet’s physiological requirements.
