Imagine your cat channeling its inner wild feline with a diet that mimics the thrill of the hunt! That’s precisely what the Ancestral diet for cats aims to mimic what domestic animals’ forebears would have eaten in the wild.
The trendy diet claims to boost energy levels, helping adult cats regain their youthful vitality and bounce around like sprightly kittens once more. Furthermore, the diet claims to enhance dental health while helping to keep those stubborn extra kilos at bay, ensuring all felines are catwalk-ready.
What Is The Ancestral Diet For Cats?
The Ancestral diet consist mostly of raw meat but also other food sources like fruit, vegetables and even insects. In today’s world that translates as a diet that consists mostly of protein and includes little or no grains.
According to global pet industry reports, grain-fee pet food is making serious inroads among consumers – up to 44% of the North American pet food market and 15% in the UK. There’s also a growing interest in this food trend among South African pet owners.
“South African customers are definitely becoming more selective in choosing what they feed their animals, which can partly be ascribed to the growing importance of pets’ role in the family and the knowledge that a premium diet helps keeps pets happier and healthier. As a result we ensure that we offer a wide range of dietary options, including grain-free pellets,” says Roger Bezhuidenhout, Marketing Manager from leading national retailer Absolute Pets.
Health Benefits Of An Ancestral Diet
By avoiding carbohydrate-heavy foods, this diet can lead to improved blood sugar control and overall health in cats.
“When it comes to proper nutrition for cats (and dogs), an important thing to consider is that they need animal protein, and don’t really need carbohydrates. This specifically applies to cats, who definitely don’t need carbs. Dogs can use carbs, but they don’t necessarily need them. Both dogs and cats also need fruit and vegetables, as protein does not contain all the vitamins and minerals that they need,” says consulting Absolute Pets vet, Dr Candice Cooper.
Lourens De Wet, an animal nutritionist at Nutrition Hub in Stellenbosch agrees that too many carbs can be
unhealthy for pets.
“In general we see a lot more overweight cats or cats with diabetes and that’s often because of a carbohydrate-rich diet or sugar-rich treats. Moving from a carbohydrate- focused diet to something that is more meaty has benefits in terms of the animal’s metabolic condition.”
In general, high-quality pet food, whether it’s in pellet or raw food form, will contain healthy amounts of protein as well as vitamins and nutrients.
High-quality Cat Food Options
There are an ever-growing number of high-quality food options available for cat parents. UK brand Canagan is a good example as it has the biologically appropriate ratio of meat to vegetables.
But the importance is not just in the proportion of protein to vegetables; it also lies in the quality of these ingredients that are sourced from trusted suppliers so owners know they’re giving their companions excellent nutrition.
Ultimately, selecting the right diet for cats requires careful consideration of various factors that handle their unique needs.While the most expensive cat food isn’t always the best, it’s clear that using high-quality ingredients in proper proportions consistently yields positive results.
