Mini-guide to complete and balanced nutrition for adult cats

A complete and balanced diet is the basis of a cat's well-being. How can you be sure that this is what you are really offering? This guide offers you a clear guide to how to create the perfect feeding bowl, similar to a cat’s natural diet, and tells you how to read the labels on wet food so that you can identify the nutrients that are truly essential for its well-being. 

FEEDING ADULT CATS: THE IDEAL BOWL 

The ideal bowl reflects what cats would eat in the wild and what has always nourished them for millennia: their prey. 

Cats are actually descended from Felis lybica and are true obligate carnivores. In order to stay healthy, they need to eat mainly meat or fish that is, to consume animal proteins. 

But where can we find wet food on today’s pet store shelves that fully meets its nutritional needs? The first step is surely to read the label carefully. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LABEL 

The first indication you will find on any wet food for adult cats is whether it is a complete or complementary food. 

 
Another aspect to consider is the composition shown on the packaging: this is the content of the food and lists the ingredients in descending order of quantity. The first ingredient must always be a source of animal protein. 

The percentage of meat or fish and crude protein really makes a difference in the quality of a food, whether it is complete or complementary. A good wet food should always contain between 50% and 70% meat or fish, and between 10% and 14% crude protein. Our complete wet foods from the new Complete Nutrition range, created by our veterinary team, contain as much as 13% animal protein. 

Another important percentage to consider is the liquid, i.e. the moisture contained in the product. As cats do not drink much in the wild, it is essential to offer them foods rich in liquids at every meal to satisfy their daily hydration needs. Complete wet foods will contain about 82% moisture. 

WHAT WET FOODS DO NOT NEED 

There are, however, certain elements that are not necessary for your cat and should not be included in wet food: 

 
That is why we at Schesir only offer wet food made of 100% natural ingredients, based on real meat and fish fillets. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF MINIMALLY PROCESSED INGREDIENTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN 

We at Schesir believe in the value of animal protein for cats’ well-being. But how can we know whether wet foods are actually good? 

There are two items that you should look out for: 

 
Both of these are alternative ingredients to meat which are highly processed, less valuable in terms of quality and therefore lower in nutrients.  

That is why we make a point of saying that our wet foods contain only real whole fillets of meat or fish, with minimal processing. Less processing means better preservation of taste and nutrients, without the need for artificial flavourings. 
Highly processed foods, although often tasty, are very different from the cat's natural diet. We measure quality by the choice of raw materials and how they are processed: less processing means more well-being. 

The difference is immediately obvious when you open a packet: a natural food, such as ours from Schesir, shows whole, recognisable pieces of meat or fish, similar to homemade food. More processed foods, on the other hand, have uniform or unnatural consistencies, like reconstituted morsels. They also smell different: quality products have a more natural aroma , while processed foods are stronger and more artificial. 

SO... ADULT CAT NUTRITION ACCORDING TO SCHESIR 

Our nutrition experts have come up with two dietary options to ensure that cats get all the nutrients they need:

• Only complete and balanced wet food 
  It is the best solution from a nutritional point of view: complete and balanced wet foods, rich in real animal protein, made from 100% natural ingredients and enriched with vitamins, minerals and taurine, such as the new Schesir Complete Nutrition range.
  
  
• Mixed feeding bowl
  If you prefer to offer them mainly kibble, we recommend the Born Carnivore range, with fresh meat as the main ingredient, low in carbohydrates and gently oven baked, to combine with a complete wet food or a complementary wet food such as Schesir Complements, with rich flavours. 

 
Both solutions are good and nutritious. However, we believe that the best choice for adult cat nutrition is still the complete and balanced wet food, the option most consistent with cats’ carnivorous nature. 

THE BENEFITS OF A FULLY COMPLETE WET DIET 

A cat fed a predominantly wet, complete and balanced diet is: 

 
That is why it is important to choose its diet carefully, one that is suited to its carnivorous nature, complete and balanced. Better if wet. 

So what kind of food will you choose for your cat from now on?