
Homemade nutritious food for cats and dogs
Pets are meant to be part of our family. They also deserve to receive the same kind of dietary consideration that we give to other family members. There are multiple choices regarding packaged pet food which are promoted by many brands in the market. These foods are recommended by most veterinarians and animal lovers. It is assumed that these packaged foods are developed by experts in the field of veterinary nutrition and contain all the right ingredients necessary for a healthy diet of a pet.
There is another school of thought behind the idea of giving pets home-cooked food. Even though packaged foods are promoted as healthy, they are still not as fresh and nutritious as home-cooked ones. According to these experts, pets too are bored with eating the same food every day and definitely need a change. One of the vets claimed that his pup started losing his appetite after a few days on ready-to-eat food, which led to intestinal dysfunction and weight loss. But when he replaced the dog with food made with human ingredients, there was a positive change in the animal.
According to another study conducted, cats need more nutrition than dogs and hence ready-to-eat packaged food is very helpful for cats. Dogs are omnivores like humans, but cats are absolutely carnivorous. They absolutely must eat meat and are susceptible to nutritional deficiencies if they do not receive well-balanced meals. There is a sea of difference between preparing food for a dog and food for a cat. The nutritional needs of the two types of animals are entirely different, as are the eating habits.
There are many cookbooks available in the markets that focus on healthy and nutritious food recipes for pets. There is a growing trend among pet owners to provide homemade meals for their dogs and cats. This came about as a result of the health concerns that come with packaged pet food. Even though companies producing these foods assure users that they are made from the best material, many varieties of foods have had to be recalled in the recent past.
Many veterinarians and animal lovers have written pet food cookbooks. Some of the best cookbooks that can be referred for dog and cat food are Barker’s Grub: Easy, Wholesome Home-Cooking For Dogs by Rudy Edalati, Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats by Kymythy Schultze, The Natural Pet Food Cook Book: Healthy Recipes for Dogs and Cats by Wendy Nan Rees, Cooking the Three Dog Bakery Way by Mark Beckloff and Dan Dye, The Kitty Treats Cookbook by Michele Bledsoe, Michael Walton and Kelly Schaefer.
Considering all these factors, pet owners are opting more for home-cooked meals for their pets, which has led to an increase in the sale of pet cookbooks.