Complete food vs complementary food
When a food is ‘complete’, this means that it contains all the necessary vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc., for your cat to be healthy. When the packaging mentions that the food is also balanced, all ingredients are present in the right proportions, so you won’t have to add other foods or food supplements to your cat’s diet.
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Complementary foods, as opposed to complete foods, don’t contain all nutrients your cat needs to thrive. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that your cat’s main meals consist of complete and preferably balanced cat food. Of course, you can still complement their diet with a delicious snack or treat. You can serve complementary food as a topper on complete dry food to increase palatability, or as a nice little treat to spoil your kitty. The same goes for supplementary food, which is largely the same as complementary food, only supplementary foods are typically designed to add a health benefit to your cat’s complete diet.
Dry food vs wet food
One of the most-heard cat food questions is ‘does my cat need canned food’. Well, that depends. The main difference between dry food and wet food is the moisture content. Canned food obviously provides your cat with extra moisture, which benefits cats with kidney problems and tends to be liked better by picky cats. Dry food, on the other hand, is easier to store, can be left out for your cat all day long, and might be better for your cat’s teeth. Whether you feed your cat wet food or dry food, always make sure that the food is ‘complete’, and that you provide plenty of water.
How much to feed my cat?
Make sure you always check out the packaging of your cat’s food, so you get the amount right. Obesity in pets is extremely prevalent, and the effects this extra weight has on your pet’s health should never be underestimated. It’s always best to ask the pet food company, your vet, or an animal nutritionist if you are unsure how much to feed! Also check out our blog post on how to put your cat on a diet for more information on this topic.
