😻 Cat nutrition basics
All cats (no matter which breed you have) descend from desert dwellers. So our goal is to feed a diet that closely mimics what they eat outside.
Whole prey.

And that brings me to harsh cat food fact #3: most processed cat food is the exact opposite of what our cats eat in the wild.

Whole prey VS raw, wet, and dryWhole prey provides a variety of muscle meats, muscular organs, bones, ligaments, tendons, secreting organs, glands, and so much more.

A raw diet aims to mimic this variety and in the same proportions.

However, most wet and dry foods contain mystery meats, rendered by-products, corn, wheat, rice, artificial ingredients, and the list goes on.

The exact opposite of what our cats eat outside.

What's the biggest difference?Moisture content makes up the largest percentage of all foods except for dry food. 

This is crucial to understand. 

Cats come from the desert, and whole prey is mostly moisture. Therefore, cats rely on food for moisture.
This alone eliminates dry food as an appropriate food for cats.

Additionally, carbohydrates make up the least amount of whole prey. But carbohydrate is the largest percentage in dry food.

Again, the exact opposite of what our cats eat in the wild.

Dry matter basisNotice how the protein amount on the bag of dry food seems higher than wet food?

The guaranteed analysis numbers are presented including the moisture content...

Dry food = 30% protein
Wet food = 11% protein

But when we remove the moisture content...
 
Dry food = 34% protein 
Wet food = 50% protein

Raw food is even better at 53% protein which is closer to natural prey at 55%.
Therefore, a complete raw diet is the most proper feline diet.

HOMEWORK
1. Compare your cat's current food to the images above.