Maine Coon Cat Food

Maine Coons are a hardy breed with few health complications but require high-quality, nutritious diets made from wholesome ingredients to keep them healthy throughout their life. In certain cases, a veterinarian may suggest a hairball prevention diet depending on the number of hairballs your cat develops during a week. During the summer, Maine Coons benefit from a wet food diet to keep them from becoming dehydrated when temperatures outside are more than 25 degrees Celsius.

Here’s a deeper insight into what must go into Maine Coon cat food to ensure your kitty lives a long, happy, and healthy life - 

Protein

Cats are carnivores who eat more protein compared to other animals of their size. Dietary protein helps with the development of muscle, maintenance of skin health, optimum synthesis of enzymes, proper hormone regulation, cell regeneration, antibody production, and growth of tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Protein is also used as a secondary source of energy in cats. Cats need animal protein simply because they need specific nutrition from meat. A cat's digestive tract breaks down protein into amino acids and then reassembles those amino acids into the specific type of protein required by the cat at any particular time - fascinating, right? Cats need the following amino acids (that are best found in animal tissue instead of plant protein) - Arginine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Lysine, Leucine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Taurine, Tryptophan, and Valine. According to the AAFCO, adult cats need a minimum of 26% of crude protein. Kittens, nursing cats, and lactating cats need around 30%, whilst senior cats need around 28%.

Fat

Healthy fats are often in the form of oils - fish oil, cod liver oil, olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and more. They help with cushioning organs, improving brain function, maintaining healthy skin and coat, decreasing allergies, and improving digestion. Fatty acids are found in ingredients such as fish, chicken, liver, pork, mutton, beef and so on. According to the AAFCO, cats require a minimum of 9% of fat (dry matter basis).

Carbohydrates

Oftentimes, a cat's diet is loaded with carbohydrates to make up for the lack of animal protein, when in reality, they require less than 10% of carbohydrates in their diet. Cats have evolved to derive their energy from protein and fats, leaving very little requirement of the same from carbohydrates. In fact, some cats are allergic to certain types of carbohydrates. Before attempting to feed your cat carbs, it is best to check with a veterinarian to see whether it would suit your cat's digestive system or cause an adverse reaction.

Vitamins & Minerals