Did you know that cats are prone to problems involving their urinary tract? All cats have a 30% chance of having urinary problems throughout its lifetime. The good news is that these problems can be prevented by providing them with the proper nutritional diet. This works in both ways, to prevent the occurrence of the urinary tract problems in the first place and also to help them recover faster from any current problems they may be having.
Cats need a lot of water daily, however they don’t drink that much. A lack of water in their diet makes them susceptible to a whole array of urinary tract infections apart from causing dehydration. Therefore it is your job as its owner to provide them with food stuffs which are high in water content and restore the balance of water uptake in their system.
There are many products for cat feed which promote urinary tract health, usually sold in either dry or wet forms. Some may be frozen or premixed cat feed. The most important part is that you check for the necessary vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in the food. Look for a product with the right balance of the amino acid taurine, niacin, arginine, arachidonic acid, and vitamins A and B12.
Dry or Wet foods?
Dry food is relatively cheaper and may last longer than wet foods. Some say it also helps scrape off any dental calculus in the cat’s mouth. However, the lack of water could lead to urinary tract problems and is also associated with obesity.
Wet foods on the other hand usually contain up to 75-78% water in them thus providing the cat with the required daily water intake to promote urinary tract health. This prevents dehydration and promotes defecation which flushes out harmful organisms such as bacteria from its system.
Since cats usually don’t drink much water, the main source of liquids should come from its food. That is why experts recommend a diet rich in moisture for cats.
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