Rating of the best food for neutered cats and males in 2021

Date updated: 02/14/2021 14:36:52 7532 Share:

Author of the article: Astafieva Ekaterina Alekseevna

*Review of the best according to the editors of simplerule.ru. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective in nature, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before purchasing, consultation with a specialist is required.

Sterilization is a procedure that can not only improve the condition of a pet, but also prolong its life. Removal of reproductive organs in cats can lead to weakening of the body, so it is important to review your pet’s diet after surgery. We have compiled a rating of the best dry and wet food for sterilized cats, which contains all the necessary components to maintain the health of your pet.

Special food or natural products?

The first months after surgery are especially difficult for the pet and its owner, whose responsibilities include helping the animal adapt to new living conditions. Your pet should have a balanced diet with essential vitamins and minerals. You can feed him natural food or special food.

The advantages of natural products include:

• constantly fresh food without preservatives;
• variety of product combinations;
• ability to control ingredients.

There are also negative points:

• it takes time to buy groceries;
• Vitamin and mineral supplements are required;
• the need to prepare fresh food;
• difficulty in creating a balanced diet.

When feeding an operated cat natural food, it is important to consider some details:

• food should not be too cold - it is recommended to serve it warmed or at room temperature;
• there is a daily need for vitamins, which your veterinarian will help you choose;
• It is necessary to offer sprouted oats to enrich your pet’s diet with useful microelements.

Ready-made food is divided into dry and wet food, which has both pros and cons.

Advantages of a ready-made diet:

• no time is wasted on cooking;
• ease of travel;
• low phosphorus and magnesium content;
• reduced nutritional value to prevent pet obesity;
• the necessary nutrients are supplied in the required proportions.

Minuses:

• dry food contains little moisture;
• Super-premium and holistic products have a high cost.

Mixed nutrition leads to digestive disorders, so it is better to choose one type of feeding and stick to it. It is better to introduce food several weeks before the planned operation. Having chosen a suitable option, it is not recommended to suddenly change the manufacturer: the ready-made food of each of them has a composition to which the animal’s body gets used to.

The animal needs to be fed several times a day. It is forbidden to give the entire portion at once, since cats after castration are not able to control their appetite.

How does a cat's body change after sterilization?

Sterilization and castration have many positive aspects. Thus, the animal stops experiencing sexual desire, becomes calmer and more affectionate, does not mark in the apartment, and does not scream at night. But there are other physiological changes that can negatively affect the condition of a cat if they are not leveled out by care, attention to the pet and proper nutrition. Let's talk about this in more detail.

Table. Changes in a cat's body after sterilization

Video - Cat sterilization: pros and cons

How to prevent urolithiasis

After the operation, the cat’s urethra narrows, and as a result of feeding food rich in calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, sand and stones form in the pet’s kidneys.

To prevent urolithiasis it is necessary:

1. Carry out the operation after the completion of the formation of the urinary system (after 6 months).
2. Do not offer general food to animals after the procedure, but choose special food with recommendations: “For the prevention of urolithiasis”, “For sterilized cats and cats”, “For castrated cats”. They differ from general feed in composition and contain fewer macroelements, the excess of which is harmful.
3. Do not restrict the animal in liquids. Drinking plenty of fluids helps flush the kidneys and prevent stone deposits. It is advisable to give filtered or boiled water.
4. Control weight and ensure mobility. Animals that are overweight or lead a sedentary lifestyle are 50-85% more likely to develop urolithiasis.

In older cats, stones that formed earlier and have not been bothered for a long time may manifest themselves. This occurs as a result of the stones breaking down and injuring the urinary tract, leading to inflammation and an increase in the number of pathogenic microorganisms.

Rating of holistic food

• 3rd place. Almo Nature is one of the best foods for sterilized cats. Which one is right for your pet after surgery? Functional Adult Sterilized with Rice and Beef is one of the best nutritional options. The food consists of 15% proteins, 14% cereals, and the remainder is minerals and vitamins. To prepare the mixture, natural beef, flaxseed oil, Yucca extract, chicory, brown rice, and yeast are used. Additionally, the granules contain folic acid, amino acids, vitamins E and A, and biotin. With such a diet, pets do not gain excess weight, they do not have problems with the kidneys or stomach. True, some veterinarians believe that there are too many grains in the food.

• 2nd place. Functional Adult Sterilized is another worthy representative of its class, deservedly considered one of the best foods for sterilized cats. What features does the diet have? This brand of food is based on a special technology for preparing natural meat with minimal heat treatment. In addition, the mixture includes cereals, animal and vegetable fats, and plant extracts. The balanced formula ensures the normal functioning of the urinary system of animals. A low amount of protein puts minimal strain on the digestive tract and prevents obesity.
• 1 place. Well, what is the best food for sterilized cats? This title was awarded to a food made from brown rice and four types of meat, designed specifically for neutered pets - GRANDORF. The components of the mixture undergo minimal heat treatment during the preparation process, due to which they retain their beneficial properties. The composition contains herbal ingredients that effectively fight the formation of kidney stones. In addition, it is a hypoallergenic food that contains a minimal amount of magnesium and phosphorus salts.

How to avoid obesity?

Excess weight in cats after castration is not only an aesthetic problem. Obesity causes a number of different health problems:

• increased load on the musculoskeletal system leads to joint deformation and limited mobility;
• fatty degeneration of the liver occurs, which leads to its degeneration;
• metabolic disorders provoke diabetes mellitus.

The reasons for excess weight gain in cats are:

• changes in hormonal levels;
• decrease in activity by 35-45%;
• increased appetite as a result of changes in metabolism.

After surgery, your pet's diet will need to be adjusted to prevent obesity. Weight control is also important, since in the first months after surgery the animal’s body is just adapting to the changes. We can talk about the appearance of obesity if:

• weight increased by 20-35%;
• during palpation it is impossible to feel the ribs.

Veterinarians recommend taking into account some rules when feeding neutered cats:

1. Dependence of diet on energy needs. Since activity decreases after surgery, it is necessary to reduce the portion or reduce the frequency of feedings.
2. Portion control. For accurate measurements, use a measuring cup or kitchen scale.
3. Daily regime. The pet should be fed at the same time, dividing the daily portion into the usual number of feedings. It is better to discuss questions about how many times a day to feed and what the portion should be with your veterinarian, since the number of feedings depends on the age of the cat. For example, an animal over 6 months old eats 2 times a day, over 7 years old - 3-4 times.

Why not Whiskas and Kiteket?

The main reason why you should give up popular economy feeds like Whiskas is their composition. The diet of a neutered cat must be prepared wisely, because such a pet has an increased risk of developing obesity and urolithiasis.

Let's compare the composition of the 2 foods to understand why you shouldn't skimp on your cat's nutrition. For comparison, we took food specialized for feeding sterilized cats and cats of economy and premium classes.

1. Whiskas for sterilized cats with chicken.

Whiskas feed composition

• In first place, wheat flour is a source of cheap carbohydrates. Often causes food allergies in cats and leads to excess weight gain. Grains, in general, are not a typical food for cats, so they can cause digestive problems.
• Chicken flour - the manufacturer saves on the source of animal proteins by not using fresh or freeze-dried meat. The protein in the food is more of plant origin, but cats are predators, not herbivores.
• Rice is another source of carbohydrates. As we can see, there are more sources of carbohydrates in Whiskas than proteins.
• Animal fats and vegetable oil are sources of fat in food of unknown origin. It is unknown what kind of fat and oils from which plants are added to the feed.
• Chicken and pork liver are good ingredients, but they are the lowest in the composition, which means their percentage in the feed is negligible.
• Brewer's yeast is a source of B vitamins.
• Vitamins and minerals – as with fats, it is not known which vitamins the manufacturer added.

Bottom line! Whiskas is a carbohydrate food with undisclosed sources of many components. The low content of animal protein makes this food unsuitable for daily feeding of cats.

1. 1st Choice Sterilized.

• Sources of animal protein : chicken meal, fresh chicken, liver hydrolysate. It’s good that chicken is in 1st and 2nd place in the food composition. This means that there is more animal protein in Fest Choice than carbohydrates.
• Vegetable protein sources: rice protein and lentils. Vegetable protein is presented with grain-free components, which reduces the risk of allergies. Rice protein is digested better than wheat protein, and it is also free of starch. And lentils, like any legume, are known for their high protein content.
• Carbohydrates and fiber : sweet potatoes, tapioca, pea fiber. Pea fiber, in moderation, normalizes digestion.
• Sources of fats:
  flaxseed, chicken fat, sunflower oil extract. Good sources of Omega 3 and 6.
• Salt is a controversial product that may be added as a source of minerals. May make cats thirsty after eating, so water should always be available.
• Vitamins - a list of all additives is indicated in the composition and is not hidden by the manufacturer, although their percentage is unknown. It’s good that it contains taurine, a vital vitamin for cats.
• Natural Additives : Yucca Schidigera, rosemary, dried alfalfa, pineapple, ginger, mint, parsley and green tea. All these components are at the bottom of the list and are needed to improve the taste and smell of the food.

Bottom line! 1st Choice is a super-premium food with a good content of animal protein. Quality sources of carbohydrates, fiber and fats. Open list of vitamins and minerals. The absence of grains and starchy foods will prevent your pet from gaining excess weight.

Selection rules

It is impossible to choose the best food for a neutered cat without knowing some details:

1. It is better to focus on products intended for animals after castration.
2. The mark “Light” is an indicator of a lightweight composition with a reduced amount of fats and carbohydrates. If your pet is prone to obesity, this is a suitable food option.
3. Choose food with plenty of protein. The composition must contain at least 50% protein.
4. Consider the amount of carbohydrates and choose products in which its content does not exceed 20%. A larger amount will lead to excess weight and increased blood sugar.
5. The norm of minerals is up to 6%, because An excess of phosphorus, magnesium and nitrogen promotes the growth of stones.
6. You can alternate canned food, pates or dry food of the same brand.
7. On the packaging you can see instructions with the composition of the product, recommended daily intake and expiration date.

What are the benefits of holistic people?

You need to be careful when choosing food for a sterilized pet in this segment. Holistic foods are the best foods that exist, but not all of them are suitable for neutered cats. Most manufacturers produce universal mixtures suitable for all breeds and ages. According to veterinarians, in the case of holistic practitioners, it is important to simply choose the right dosage.

All foods in this category contain large amounts of protein. They are completely free of harmful additives. In addition, the composition contains many vitamins and minerals. What is the best holistic food for sterilized cats? You can choose the best option in our review.

What can you feed?

After the operation, the owner thinks about whether it is possible to feed the pet regular food or give preference to a line of medicated food. If before the procedure the animal ate natural food, you can offer dishes from the permitted list of products:

• lean meats;
• offal;
• dairy products;
• vegetables;
• eggs: half a chicken or 1 quail.

A healthy cat can be fed not only with special food, but also with regular food, paying attention to the composition. It is better to choose premium, super-premium and holistic products.

Premium food rating

In this category you can find decent food with acceptable quality and affordable price. True, it is not advisable to use premium food for sterilized cats for daily feeding, since they cannot fully meet all the animal’s needs.

• 3rd place. Royal Canin - this brand’s line includes a series of food for sterilized cats VET CARE NUTRITION. These mixtures, according to the manufacturer, meet all the needs of the animal and can prevent the negative consequences of sterilization. In the line you can find food for pets, taking into account their age and characteristics.

• 2nd place. Feline Adult - this brand is supported by the presence in the line of medicinal foods and high-quality mixtures for the daily menu. For sterilized cats, the manufacturer produces a series with the appropriate mark Sterilized. You can buy food for older cats and small kittens.
• 1 place. PRO PLAN - in the line from the Purina company you can find special food for sterilized cats with salmon and turkey flavors. The mixtures contain ingredients that help normalize the functioning of the genitourinary system. The products are in great demand and receive rave reviews from both veterinarians and breeders.

What should you not give?

To prevent health problems, it is not recommended to offer cats some natural products:

• fish, since it contains phosphorus, which causes the development of urolithiasis (you can occasionally cook boneless fish);
• fatty meats;
• potato;
• sausages;
• baked goods;
• products containing sugar;
• pasta;
• spices (salt, pepper).

How to choose food for a sterilized cat?

First of all, when you choose food for your pet, you need to pay attention to its composition. The rule here is: “The shorter the list, the better. And also there should be no chemical ingredients.”

The main ingredient should come first, that is, protein. And this is meat or chicken. A good product will not consist of colored granules. They should only be a nondescript brown color.

The more nutritional components a food contains, the more satisfying it is. This means the animal will eat less. The dry product must be washed down with clean water. Therefore, with a smaller volume, the animal needs a little liquid and it will not swell much in the stomach. Accordingly, digestion will be better and all useful elements will enter the blood.

It is imperative that when choosing food for sterilized cats and female cats, you need to focus on their age. Products of this type are divided into types: for ages from 1 year to 7 years and over 7 years (Aduld). This is due to different needs for vitamins and minerals. Therefore, if an animal is older than 7 years, then it is already classified as elderly. He requires special food. There is also a category of dry food for pregnant cats, since they need a special diet for the development of the fetus and maintaining the health of the animal.

Another aspect of choice is disease prevention. The food that prevents the development of urolithiasis contains less magnesium, the correct ratio of phosphorus and calcium, and a lot of protein.

Rating of the best dry food for neutered cats

Products are divided into quality categories - classes. Each of them has its own characteristics.

Economy class food

The relatively low cost of this class of products is explained by the composition:

• abundance of soybeans and wheat;
• the presence of catnip, which is addictive;
• reduced content or complete absence of natural meat;
• the presence of fragrances and flavoring additives, resulting in the pet eating more than its recommended daily allowance.

Economy class products include: Kitekat, Friskies, Whiskas, NashaMarka, Happy Cat.

Premium food

Premium food is considered professional. They include beneficial substances necessary for the health of the animal. Manufacturers offer food in a variety of flavors for pets of different ages and with predispositions to various diseases. For example, Royal Canin even offers a diet for neutered kittens up to 12 months.

Premium class products include:

• preservatives;
• dyes;
• odor and taste enhancers;
• soy;
• vegetable proteins that are poorly absorbed by the body and cause allergies;
• low quality by-products.

In this category, the following products for neutered cats can be considered the best, taking into account the price-quality ratio:

1. Pro Plan.
2. Royal Canin.
3. Hill's.
4. Eukanuba.
5. Purina One.

Super premium food

Representatives of this class are distinguished by a rich composition and contain:

• several types of meat components;
• more vegetables and nutrients;
• natural preservatives;
• fewer allergens.

Super premium food rating:

1. Fitmin For Life.
2. Brit Care Missy.
3. Summit.
4. Blitz Sterilized Cats.
5. Leonardo Light.

Types of feed

Ready-made mixtures are divided into two types. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

• Dry food for sterilized cats. According to veterinarians, dry granules are an excellent prevention of tartar in animals. In addition, when eating such mixtures, pets drink more water, which reduces the risk of developing urolithiasis. But dry food usually contains taste and smell enhancers and preservatives, especially when it comes to cheap brands.
• Wet food for sterilized cats. According to veterinarians, such mixtures are much better absorbed by the pets’ body due to the liquid they contain. Wet food is produced in the form of mousses, pates, and stews. Pieces of meat are mixed with liquid or jelly-like broth. The disadvantage of wet food is its short shelf life - it can remain open for no longer than two days. And they are quite expensive.

Before choosing a specific brand, be sure to study the composition of the food you like and make sure that it fully meets all the requirements of your four-legged friend.

Useful video

Video review of Hills food for neutered cats:

For a castrated cat, it is better to buy specialized food marked “For castrated cats.” They have a reduced content of salts, phosphorus, magnesium and other trace elements, thereby reducing the risk of getting urolithiasis. Due to good nutritional value and lower calorie content, the cat does not gain weight and remains in good physical shape, delighting its owner.

It is worth giving preference to premium food and higher, and discarding economy food and forgetting it like a bad dream.