After purchasing a pet, the owner inevitably has the question of what food to feed a British breed cat. Someone chooses natural nutrition: if it is properly balanced, then this option is better than any other. Some people choose industrial food because... it is faster, more convenient and does not require any skills from the owner. However, according to our calculations, approximately 90% of food on the CIS market is of questionable quality and should not be present in a cat’s bowl. What kind of food can you use?
Animal sources of protein
No fresh and/or raw meat or fish ingredients were used in the production of Royal Canin British Shorthair Adult food.
Ingredient No. 1 – source of animal protein, so-called. "dehydrated poultry meat." In fact, it is “dehydrated poultry protein” - dehydrated poultry protein. An inaccurate translation may be a mistake or a marketing ploy.
Hydrolyzed animal proteins rank only eighth and are more likely to be a protein component that improves the taste and smell of food than a source of animal protein.
The manufacturer does not indicate what raw materials these products are obtained from, nor is the percentage of the main ingredients in the feed unclear. The proportion of animal protein in Royal Canin British Shorthair food is generally low.
Optimal diet
Royal Canin is a premium food for British cats. It has a number of competitive advantages. First of all, because this food is relatively affordable and is available in most specialized stores. In addition, it should be noted that it has a balanced composition, and the food is made from high-quality ingredients. Based on the experience of many owners, breeders and veterinarians, we can conclude that this is one of the best foods today.
This brand includes several options for ready-made diets for your pet. The manufacturer offers a concentrated mousse for small kittens. After 4 months they can be introduced to dry food of the same brand. Remember that dry food should be stored in airtight, closed bags. Canned food is placed in a glass jar and stored in the refrigerator.
Plant based protein sources
The food contains 4 types of cereal components (rice, corn, corn flour and corn gluten) and a certain “vegetable protein isolate” - a dubious ingredient from unknown raw materials.
All of these products are sources of vegetable protein and carbohydrates, which means that the content of the latter in the food is very high (rice, corn and vegetable protein isolate are among the top five ingredients).
Corn gluten is a protein from corn, or corn gluten. This ingredient often causes allergies in cats and is undesirable in their diet. Essentially, corn, corn meal and corn gluten are all the same thing. The manufacturer used the “split” technique - adding several different protein and/or carbohydrate ingredients (most often plant-based) from the same source to the feed.
In fact, their content in food may exceed that of animal protein sources. So, if you combine corn, cornmeal and gluten, there may be more of them than animal protein (ingredient #1). This is just a guess, but the likelihood of this makes us think about the quality of this food.
Note that grains are not included in the natural diet of carnivores and are not recommended for them in large quantities, much less as the basis of food.
Benefits of Royal Canin cat food for British cats
What characteristics of the British should the ideal food take into account?
This breed has a heavy build, so special stress falls on the joints. It is the joints that are the “weak point” of many British people, especially the “aged”. It becomes difficult for them not only to jump, but also to move. You can, of course, separately give your pet supplements containing Omega 3 - these polyunsaturated fatty acids are the building material of bones, joint tissue, hair, and claws. Therefore, Omega 3 helps protect joints under high loads, and in addition, improves the condition of the coat. But why try to “push” vitamins into your cat if there is food that already contains a sufficient amount of useful substances?
Another substance that helps keep an adult cat in good physical shape is L-carnitine, which helps nourish muscle tissue. This means that the pet will be quite mobile and at the same time its physique will meet the requirements of the breed standard.
Another organ that often serves as a source of concern for the owner of the “British” is the heart. Don't be surprised - heart disease is not uncommon for British cats. Special food additives - taurine and fatty acids - help maintain the heart. At the same time, food should not be excessively high in calories and contain a large amount of fat - after all, excess weight creates additional stress on the heart.
The Briton's strong and large jaws also need exercise. When feeding cereals, the jaw muscles weaken, and plaque will have to be regularly cleaned by contacting a special cat dentist. At the same time, large, hard pieces of food that need to be chewed solve the problem in an easier and more convenient way for the British. By gnawing food, the cat simultaneously loads the jaws and cleanses plaque from the teeth. And the food enters the stomach quite crushed.
The taste of Royal Canina British is usually liked by animals, but not so much that, like cheap brands, it gives the impression of a “drug”.
On a natural diet, in addition to the serious difficulties of creating a truly balanced diet, the question constantly arises: how to determine the quality and composition of products. For example, the average calorie content of lean chicken is known. But how many calories does this piece contain? What vitamins and microelements are missing if you use frozen rather than fresh vegetables? There is one more problem with “natural” food - what is not eaten can be stored for a maximum of several hours in the refrigerator. Then you will have to throw it away, unless, of course, you are ready to finish eating your royal Briton...
Thus, the benefits of Royal Canin dry food for British cats are obvious:
- has a pre-known balanced composition adapted to the needs of the breed;
- convenient to use and economical (you don’t have to throw away uneaten food and constantly cook fresh);
- eating dry food is the most physiological for cats in terms of diet - eat often in small portions;
- contains additives that have a positive effect on the joints and heart of British breed cats;
- Helps maintain optimal weight and good condition.
Wet food for British shorthairs from the Royal Kpanin brand is one of the favorite treats of many four-legged pets. And here the owner can only be scared off by a fairly high price. Still, you will need 3-4 pouches (bags) per day. The best option is when the diet combines dry and wet food from the same line. For example, in the morning the owner pours a portion of “drying” into the pet’s bowl, which will be eaten during the day (the main thing is not to forget to leave a sufficient amount of fresh water). And in the evening, for dinner, your favorite Briton will receive delicious pieces of meat in jelly.
Even without looking at the advertising, we can say with confidence: Royal Canin for the British has positive reviews from veterinarians, and many breeders recommend it for their graduates.
Cellulose
The diet contains several types of fiber. Vegetable fiber (No. 6 in the list of ingredients) is a cheap ballast filler of unknown origin, most likely cellulose. It is not nutritious for cats, so it is best avoided in their diet.
Chicory pulp is a carbohydrate filler with a small amount of the prebiotic inulin. In this form it does not bring any benefit.
The shell and seeds of plantain consist of 70% soluble fiber, which is beneficial for intestinal microflora and normalization of stool. Unfortunately, there is very little of this ingredient in the food - how much it can help animals remains open.
Plant products are difficult for predators to digest, and a large amount of fiber in the food increases the volume of the food bolus and gives cats a deceptive feeling of fullness.
Is Royal Canin food suitable for everyone in the UK?
Just like people, cats can have individual characteristics and taste preferences. And of course there are British people who will completely refuse Royal Canina in any form.
If special British food causes indigestion or allergies, you can try other types of food from the daily or veterinary line.
In general, any new food should be introduced with caution. If you have just adopted a kitten from a breeder, it is strongly recommended that you only feed it the same food that it received before. And switch to a new diet after at least 2 weeks, using extreme caution.
For example, after switching to Royal Canin, my beauties lost their bad breath. And the trays began to “smell” much less – and this is a sign of good digestion of food. Whether this will happen to your Briton, only experience will tell.
Healthy Ingredients
The fructo-oligosaccharides and yeast hydrolysate (a source of mannan oligosaccharides) declared in the composition are natural prebiotics that help normalize intestinal function. In addition, yeast contains many B vitamins.
Marigold erecta extract (a source of lutein) is very useful. In addition to lutein (a plant pigment that preserves vision), marigolds are also a source of bioflavonoids - powerful natural antioxidants.
The food also contains a variety of vitamin and mineral supplements. They are added partly due to a lack of minerals and vitamins in the raw materials, partly due to the peculiarities of the technological process for the production of dry food (this is the industry norm, and therefore is not a direct indicator of high or low quality of the diet).
From leading manufacturers
Dry food for British cats is, on the one hand, very convenient. The owner does not need to worry that his pet did not receive enough of any important substances. In addition, purrs always eat the contents of the bags with great appetite. However, there are also pitfalls. There are a lot of fakes on the market for ready-made food, and sellers do not always comply with optimal storage conditions. All this, first of all, affects the quality of food, and this is already reflected in the health of your pet.
Cons of Royal Canin British Shorthair Adult food
The production of food for British Shorthair cats does not contain fresh or raw (frozen) meat and fish ingredients - only dried animal proteins.
It is unknown what raw materials were used to prepare a number of products (dehydrated poultry meat, animal fats, vegetable protein isolate, hydrolyzed animal proteins and fish oil). Because of this, the feed may have an inconsistent composition, depending on the cost of the original components.
In addition, the manufacturer used techniques designed to mislead the buyer: “split” ingredients-sources of vegetable protein and inaccurate translation of English names.
Finally, this diet contains ingredients that are hazardous to the health of pets (corn gluten, plant fiber, etc.).
Is Royal Canin too expensive to feed a Briton?
Seeing the price of Royal Canin for the British in a store, many are horrified and believe that this is a whim of the rich. “And we’ll pour some soup for ours too...”
But such owners don’t think about the fact that cat digestion is very different from human digestion. Yes, there are cats that live happily for many years even on homemade food. However, most often these are ordinary street “murkas” and “vaskas”. Pedigree cats and cats, for example, the British, are the result of a long selection work. And often special attention was paid to the manufacturer’s articles, and not to his health. Therefore, the longer the pedigree, the more capricious such a pet is in terms of care. And the more care it requires when preparing a diet.
And show-class Britons need perfect coat, correct proportions (to be quite well-fed, but without excess fat), shiny eyes, healthy skin. And these characteristics largely depend on proper nutrition. If you don’t want to count calories and cook three times a day, the optimal solution is to trust professional manufacturers. Royal Canin is a very good premium food option for the British.
There is a “but”... There are rumors that Royal Canin, produced in Russia, is worse than its foreign counterparts. I can’t say anything here - I only tried the domestic version. If you have information on this matter, please share in the comments!
