It’s common for cat parents to find a food their kitty loves and stick with it. This is especially true for many with finicky cats. It’s important, however, that a cat eat different meats to avoid allergies and other health issues.
Cats, if fed the same protein over a prolonged period of time, can develop an allergy to that meat. This is most common for cats fed a low quality (commercially processed) fish or chicken diet.
Even if your cat is eating a species appropriate fresh food diet, there are risks associated with feeding only one protein source. Some meats can create inflammation in the digestive tract if fed too often. Other meats can lead to vitamin deficiency if fed exclusively.
Each animal protein (meat) offers valuable benefits to our feline carnivores. Some meats are higher in omega-3 fatty acids while others offer more of the essential vitamins and minerals our cats need. By offering your cat different meats you are filling in gaps and allowing them to better benefit from the protein they eat.
Aside from the health benefits of rotating different meats in your cat’s diet, this also keeps them stimulated. Face it, you wouldn’t like to eat only one type of protein your entire life. It wouldn’t be healthy for you either. Switching up proteins in your cat’s diet allows them to get different tastes and textures as well.
In the wild our cats hunt their prey. Usually they will hunt small rodents or birds, but sometimes they’ll take down a squirrel or chipmunk and eat it. To me this proves that, if left to their own devices, cats eat different meats by nature’s instinct. Why mess up their instinctive nature? Start giving your cat a variety of meat sources in their daily diets to keep them happy and healthy.
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