But by the way, what does my cat eat? More and more of you are concerned about your pet's diet. Unfortunately, this awareness often comes as a result of a health problem or, in the saddest cases, the premature death of your previous cat. For others, this desire to better feed your kitty is probably the reflection of a personal trend towards healthier consumption and the intention to feed them as well as the rest of the family. Whatever the reason for this choice, it's probably the best decision you can make to give our cats the beautiful, happy life they deserve. Because while we have suffered from poor diets for decades now, unfortunately our cats are far from spared! Diabetes, cholesterol, obesity, urinary and kidney problems... none of these diseases should occur with quality food. Like our own diet, the diet of our cats has evolved over the last ten years, becoming increasingly processed, more convenient, and more economical. To the point where we sometimes hear (often): « You should get a cat, it doesn't cost much to feed and you can leave for the weekend without worrying about it! ». Unfortunately, and obviously, that's not true. A cat is a living being, an extra mouth to feed, and a strict carnivore. And as we know, meat, when it's of good quality, is one of the most expensive foodstuffs. So, when we buy a bag of kibble for 3€ per kilogram, there's probably more wheat, corn, and sugar than meat in it. But if we save a few years on food expenses, the veterinary costs of just one of these diseases could quickly make us regret our choice. Today, many brands claim to sell the best food for our cats. While some of these claims are sincere, we realize that for many of them, they are just marketing arguments, often misleading and with no real benefit. And while more and more consumers are informed, enlightened, and no longer fooled, we wanted to help you in this approach, so you don't get trapped by the first well-polished slogan. #1 - 100% Natural Doesn’t Mean 100% Healthy "Natural" is probably the term we hear the most these days! It's normal, natural reassures us. A few photos of plants and a "wild jungle" design, and we feel like we're feeding our cat like a predator from the desert! The difference is that kibble doesn't grow on trees and doesn't run very fast. We're the first to be reassured by what is natural. Cosmetics, food, decor... natural is everywhere! In fact, a Mediaprism-60 million consumers study shows that "the demand for natural food has become essential for 83% of consumers." But have you ever wondered what a natural diet really means for our cats? We'll let you think about that... To answer this question, we referred to the "Code of Good Practices of Fediaf" and here's the definition of a natural food: "The term 'natural' should only be used to describe the components of pet food (from plants, animals, microorganisms, or minerals) free of additives and that have not undergone any physical treatment other than those that make them compatible with pet food production while maintaining their natural composition. Among these treatments, dehydration, smoking, pelletizing, certain enzymatic processes, grinding, and extrusion are accepted." Since we don't consider the addition of nutritional or technological additives when using the term "natural," and since manufacturers no longer use or list GMOs (unless their presence is mandatory), we can say that pretty much EVERYTHING is natural...! That said, while we enjoy using natural creams on our faces or natural deodorant under our arms, does eating "natural" make us healthy? Apparently, if we take these three foods: fries, pizza, cheeseburger – all three are natural (and let's face it, pretty tasty)! But consumed daily, they're far from healthy (sorry to burst your bubble, guys, but potatoes are still not a vegetable). So when we look at a kibble or a pâté that's made up of 40% carbohydrates (sweet potato, corn, pea flour, beet pulp, sugar, or soy) – we can call that "100% natural," but for our cats, it's actually unnatural! For all these reasons, at Ziggy, we've removed the word "natural" from our packaging. It's tempting, and we often use it by reflex, but it doesn't add anything except false reassurance. We prefer to prove to you, through scientific analysis and arguments that our pâtés are healthy. And in the end, what's the point of lying? Sooner or later, the benefits or harm will be clear in your cat! #2 - Grain-Free Doesn’t Mean Carbohydrate-Free In recent years, we've seen more and more kibble and pâté for dogs and cats bearing the "grain-free" or "grain-free" label, and it has become a major selling point for many of us. After all, what could be more natural? Our domestic carnivores are not chickens, so we don’t want to feed them wheat, corn, or oats... they might start clucking! But... a kibble is essentially a little cookie? And without flour, it's difficult to make a cake (personally, we've never succeeded)! It is indeed impossible to make kibble without "starch." Starch is a "carbohydrate stored by plants in the form of granules, which, when ground, provide a paste." The paste? That's the glue that allows your cookie or kibble to hold its shape. So, if there are no cereals in the kibble, we still need starch. In grain-free foods, we often find sweet potato, potatoes, pea flour, chickpea flour, lentils, tapioca (cassava), and sometimes even quinoa, yes, quinoa. While grain-free diets are a source of reassurance for many of us, it’s still important to analyze and calculate the carbohydrate content of your cat’s kibble or pâté. It’s very likely that a grain-free food containing 30% to 50% carbohydrates is just as harmful, if not more harmful, than a food containing a little rice or wheat. At Ziggy, we chose to keep things simple and healthy, and we don't include cereals, starches, or legumes in our pâtés, let alone quinoa. So, no starch, no problem! By the way, we provide you with a detailed list of all the ingredients we use here. #3 - There’s no chicken fillet in the kibble This will probably be your biggest disappointment. No, the chicken fillet on the packaging of your kibble is not the same chicken that’s in your kibble. More often than not, it’s actually meat meal, dehydrated meats, or proteins. We know wheat flour, but what exactly is meat meal??? Well, it’s a “powder obtained by cooking, degreasing, sterilizing, grinding, and sieving animal by-products,” definitely not as appetizing as the Sunday roast chicken they sold you, right? You might say, “But in the kibble I buy, there’s fresh meat .” And that’s a good point! But let’s not fool ourselves, it’s still not the Sunday chicken. It’s closer to the meat you find in fast-food nuggets or in supermarket meat (with a bit of carcass thrown in). Stop salivating, we see you! This meat is called VSM. What? What’s that? VSM stands for “Mechanically Separated Meat.” What? Doesn’t sound too appetizing, does it? VSM is a product that is “obtained by mechanically removing the meat from the bones or carcasses of poultry. After deboning, this product may contain bone, cartilage, or marrow residue, unlike ground meat or meat for minced dishes”. We’re definitely far from the protein quality of a chicken fillet. And it’s probably not much different for fish kibble – you’re probably getting more bones and skin than salmon fillet in your kibble.How do we spot this?   Often by the percentage of minerals present in the food, also known as the “Ash Content”. Carcasses and bones both add a lot of minerals (calcium and phosphorus, among others). So make sure to read the ingredient list carefully and check that the mineral content isn’t too high. We’ve made the decision to banish all these types of meat from our pâtés. The only animal protein present in our pâtés is muscle meat and offal. We leave the rest to others. #4 – No, your cat doesn’t need mango, cranberry, chia seeds, or spirulina to be healthy (and still no quinoa) What do all these ingredients have in common? They are very photogenic, they are “superfoods,” but mostly they are “super marketing ingredients.” All of these ingredients are typically quite expensive, and they are appreciated by humans for their various health benefits: mango and chia are rich in antioxidants (polyphenols) and help protect our cells from free radicals. Cranberry has a disinfecting effect on the urinary tract, and spirulina is very concentrated in plant-based proteins (60-70%). Another thing they have in common? They literally come from the other side of the world. Chia from Mexico, mango from tropical countries (mainly Asia), and cranberry from North America. Exotic! But not really useful. While they beautifully decorate the packaging of kibble and pâtés, they are by no means essential to our cats’ health. And often (almost always), you’ll find only 0.00001% of… mango skin in your kibble. To add fiber to our recipes, we decided to prioritize French vegetables, a bit basic, we admit: carrots, zucchini, and green beans. Less sexy, yes, but we guarantee your cat won’t hold it against you. It just won’t be posting its pâté on Instagram. #5. “Knowledge is Power” What’s the moral of the story? Understanding what your cat eats every day is just as important to its health as knowing what goes on your own plate. The less transparency there is, the more doubt there is! Thank you for reading this article! Don’t stop here, keep reading, researching, and comparing! Ask questions and demand answers. From all brands. Ours included. And more than ever, take care of yourself and your cat 😻 Want to learn more? We’ve prepared a selection of articles that may interest you: You should give pâté to your cat, here’s why A cat shouldn’t eat only kibble! Complete or complementary pâté? Be careful of the confusion! Ziggy, the revolution in your cat’s bowl And if you’re convinced and want to change your cat’s diet, you can introduce them to our healthy and complete food, formulated with love by Dr. Géraldine Blanchard, a feline nutrition specialist. A dietary transition may be necessary, especially if your cat tends to be "picky" with food. But we promise, we’ll be available to guide you and answer all your questions. Are you a feline nutrition expert? Test your knowledge with our quiz!

When it comes to feeding your cat, everyone talks about proteins. But why are they so important? How can I tell if my cat is eating enough protein? Are high-protein kibbles and wet food better? Many questions, but often very few answers (or sometimes wrong ones). At Ziggy, we couldn’t leave you confused. We tell you everything in this article. 1. Why are proteins essential in my cat’s diet? In the family of carnivores, meet the cat! Your feline friend is a strict carnivore, meaning it cannot live healthily without animal proteins in its diet. A vegan cat does not exist! Or if it does, it’s a rabbit with tiny ears. These proteins are absolutely necessary because they provide the amino acids your cat needs to synthesize its own proteins. Simply put, once digested in the digestive tract, proteins release amino acids, which then enter the bloodstream. Depending on the organs’ needs, new proteins or amino acids are produced. Animal proteins are the source of the 11 essential amino acids necessary for your cat’s health. Among the roughly twenty common amino acids, 11 are essential for cats and must be provided through their diet. These include taurine, arginine, phenylalanine, methionine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, tryptophan, threonine, and histidine. All these micronutrients play a crucial role; they contribute to your cat’s proper bodily functions (immunity, growth, digestion, reproduction) and structure (bones, skin, muscles, fur). Without animal proteins – and thus without these amino acids – your cat would suffer severe deficiencies and would not live long by your side. Taurine deficiency, in particular, causes central retinal degeneration (irreversible blindness), immune dysfunction, and cardiomyopathy. A cat with insufficient protein intake may also show other clinical signs: neurological disorders (arginine, phenylalanine, threonine deficiency), weight loss or even anorexia (phenylalanine, methionine, leucine, valine, lysine, tryptophan, threonine, and histidine deficiency), poor coat quality such as greasy fur or dull fur (methionine, isoleucine deficiency). Minerals, lipids, and vitamins Be careful, your furry friend is indeed a strict carnivore, but cannot consume only proteins. It also needs other nutrients in its food. For good health, kitty must also get lipids (essential fatty acids), minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, etc.), vitamins (especially B vitamins), and fibers necessary for good digestion. Fibers are provided, for example, by vegetables. A diet made solely of meat can also cause deficiencies. As explained in our article on common myths about feeding your cat, a cat deficient in calcium, for example, may have demineralized skeletons, easily fractured bones, a weaker spine, and over time, an abnormal S-shaped curvature. 2. What are my cat’s protein needs? And how do I know if my cat eats enough protein? Considering factors such as neutering, physical activity, and age, the estimated protein requirement for an adult cat is “between 5.2 and 6 grams of protein per kg of optimal body weight per day to maintain lean body mass,” explains Dr. Géraldine Blanchard, a feline nutrition specialist who formulated our Ziggy kibbles and delicious pâtés. This recommendation is supported by a study by Dr. Laflamme (2013). Note this need may increase in some cats, especially pregnant females and kittens. As caring cat parents, it’s not always easy to know if your little kitty is eating enough protein. One useful indicator is the protein-to-calorie ratio (PCR). This ratio measures the concentration of protein relative to the calories provided by the food, helping precisely estimate the amount of protein relative to the energy requirement. For our cats, whose protein needs are estimated between 5.2 and 6 grams per kg of optimal weight, the ideal PCR should be above: 75 g/mCal for an intact (active) cat 87 g/mCal for a neutered or sedentary cat 100 g/mCal for a neutered and sedentary cat Our Ziggy adult cat pâtés for neutered cats, for example, have a PCR of 109.8 g/mCal. The pâtés for intact adult cats have a PCR of 83.3 g/mCal. Unfortunately, this protein-to-calorie ratio is not always indicated on cat (and dog) food packaging. How to calculate the protein-to-calorie ratio (PCR)? The formula is: % crude protein / Metabolizable Energy (ME) x 1000 For example, a pâté for neutered adult cats sold in supermarkets: Crude protein: 7.6% Metabolizable Energy (ME): 73 kcal/100g Calculation: 7.6 / 73 x 1000 = 104 g/mCal However, don’t rely 100% on the PCR. This ratio is quantitative, not qualitative! It does not provide any information about the quality of proteins used in your cat’s kibble or pâté. Pssst: Not sure how much kibble and pâté to give your cat? Feel free to use our calculator. How to calculate the protein-to-calorie ratio (PCR)? The formula is as follows: % crude protein / Metabolizable Energy (ME) x 1000 Let's take the example of a wet food for sterilized adult cats sold in supermarkets. Crude protein: 7.6% Metabolizable Energy (ME): 73 kcal/100 g This gives: 7.6 / 73 x 1000 = 104 g/mCal However, you should not rely 100% on the PCR. This ratio is quantitative, not qualitative! It does not give you any indication of the quality of proteins used in your whiskered friend's kibble or wet food. Pssst: Don't know how much kibble and wet food to give your cat? Feel free to use our ration calculator 😻. It also tells you your cat's energy needs (Kcal/day), based on age, weight, and activity. 3. My cat's kibble and/or wet food shows a high protein content. Is that good? A high protein content seems reassuring at first. But beware, it can be misleading! Know that most wet cat foods do not contain noble offal or real muscle pieces, but rather reconstituted meat (a mix of animal and plant proteins), mechanically separated meat (MSM), or animal meals. What is mechanically separated meat (MSM)? Let's refer back to our little glossary. It is a product "obtained by removing, using mechanical means, meat from poultry bones or carcasses. Obtained after deboning, this product may contain bone, cartilage or marrow residues, unlike minced meat or ground meat." And what about animal meals? These are obtained from mechanically separated meat. The mixture of carcass and meat is then ground into meals. A high protein content therefore does not mean much. There is no benefit to giving your cat a protein-rich food if it actually contains carcass or collagen. Especially since these proteins provide no nutritional benefit to your little cat! By ingesting these proteins, your whiskered friend will not use them for metabolism. Even his small body does not find them of sufficient quality! Amino acids will be eliminated through urine, and the more your cat consumes these proteins, the more it will strain its kidneys. This can lead to chronic kidney disease in the long term. The PCR also shows that a high protein content means nothing by itself. Let's take the example of two dry foods for sterilized adult cats with the same protein content: Food A: Crude protein: 35% Metabolizable Energy: 350 kcal/100 g Food B: Crude protein: 35% Metabolizable Energy: 400 kcal/100 g PCR of Food A: 100 g/mCal PCR of Food B: 87.5 g/mCal For a sterilized adult cat, Food A is closer to its needs. Animal proteins vs plant proteins Also watch out for plant proteins. For economic reasons, many manufacturers use them. Recall that animal proteins mainly come from meat, offal, fish, and eggs. Plant proteins mostly come from cereal grains (wheat, rice, corn, barley) and legume seeds (peas, soy). Unlike animal proteins, plant proteins do not provide all essential amino acids. They cannot meet our cats' needs. Taurine and arginine are notably absent from plant sources. As we have seen: a deficient cat risks serious health problems. 4. How to check the quality of proteins used in my cat's food? The quality of ANIMAL proteins is fundamental to keeping your little cat healthy. To check the quality of proteins used, some indicators can help you make the right choice. Know that protein quality depends on their ability to provide essential amino acids to cats. In feline nutrition, it is the protein/phosphorus ratio or protein-to-phosphorus ratio (PPR) of the food that gives clues about the quality of proteins used in manufacturing. High-quality protein sources, or with high biological value (percentage of protein retained by the body), have a high ratio (above 35). These include fish, meat, eggs, and offal. Conversely, very low-quality protein sources (low biological value) have a low protein/phosphorus ratio (below 25). This is the case with cereals, carcasses, and bones. Since phosphorus is mainly found in bones, a low PPR shows that a large amount of carcass or bone has been added in your cat's kibble or wet food. How to calculate the protein-to-phosphorus ratio (PPR)? To determine this ratio, simply divide the crude protein percentage by the phosphorus percentage. For example, if your cat's wet food has 10% crude protein and 0.41% phosphorus, that makes 24.3. Not great... One problem: few manufacturers list phosphorus content on their products. This information is not mandatory. They have every right not to show it. In this case, you can rely on the ash content, which is mandatory under European regulations. This value indicates the amount of minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, etc.) present in your cat's food after complete combustion. To calculate it, the food is entirely burned. The residue is the crude ash content, which you can find in the analytical constituents on the back of the package or can. Ash content is an indirect quality indicator. The higher it is, the more carcass has been added. Note however that minerals, including phosphorus, remain essential for our cats. They ensure growth and maintenance of hard and soft tissues, and the production of enzymes and hormones. It's all about balance. In wet food, for example, one looks for crude ash content between 1.25% and 2.5% for a healthy adult cat. 5. What about proteins at Ziggy? At Ziggy, quality is our motto. In our wet foods for cats, you will not find MSM, animal meals, or reconstituted meat. We only use animal proteins from muscle and noble offal of great nutritional richness, highly digestible for our cats. All our recipes are formulated by Dr. Géraldine Blanchard, a world-renowned feline nutrition expert. We assure you she is very meticulous! Every ingredient has been checked and analyzed by her. Our wet and dry foods (grain-free) meet the nutritional needs of all cats. The first ingredient in each recipe is always an animal protein source (+50%). To learn more, feel free to check our ingredient list. We are fully transparent 😺 Another advantage: our foods are also low in carbohydrates. Our wet foods contain less than 2% carbohydrates. They also do not contain cereals, tubers, or legumes. Carbohydrates are indeed another factor to consider when choosing your cat's food. And rightly so: our cats are not adapted to digest, absorb, and metabolize large amounts of carbohydrates. High consumption can also cause overweight, and it has been suggested that foods too rich in carbohydrates may increase insulin secretion demand and thus predispose to diabetes mellitus. We explain more in our article on carbohydrates in your cat's food. 6. (Bonus). Can a cat be allergic to proteins? Many of you wonder about this. Although essential, some specific proteins found in beef, chicken, fish, or cereals may be poorly tolerated by some cats. Food allergies are quite rare in our furry friends but do exist. They can manifest as vomiting, digestive disorders, itching, or ear infections. These signs can also indicate other diseases. If you have any doubt, consult your veterinarian to determine if it is an allergy or another illness. If so, your vet will help you conduct an exclusion diet for your cat. This involves excluding one by one the proteins most commonly responsible for allergic reactions in cats.

Our beloved companions have many qualities, but when it comes to staying hydrated, they are often at the bottom of the class. We forgive them easily and ensure we provide them with high-quality wet food, which gives them the hydration they need, not forgetting of course to leave fresh, clean water available at all times. Hydration for Our Cats Originating from the desert, our cats drink little and mostly hydrate through their food, meaning the prey they would consume in the wild. However, proper hydration is essential for the proper functioning of their organs. Although we often feel that our cats hydrate sufficiently by drinking from their bowl or through water fountains, they actually struggle to meet their water needs, especially if they are only consuming dry food in addition. Therefore, it is highly recommended to incorporate wet food into their diet, or ideally, to opt for a 100% wet food diet. A cat that doesn't drink or doesn't consume water through their food may suffer from chronic dehydration, potentially leading to urinary stones. Wet, Semi-Wet, and Dry Food: What Are Their Water Contents? A complete food for cats can be wet, semi-wet, or dry, depending on its water content, which is expressed as a percentage of moisture. A wet food must legally have a water content greater than 60%, but typically this content is around 75% minimum for pâté. A semi-wet food, on the other hand, contains between 14% and 60% moisture. Finally, a dry food, such as dry kibble for cats, contains less than 14% moisture. For complete foods, the moisture content must be declared only if it exceeds 14%. Therefore, it is not visible on the labels of dry food, as most dry foods contain between 5% and 8% water. Choosing Wet Food for Proper Hydration Although they generally drink little, our little companions readily enjoy wet foods that are rich in water. In the wild, the prey our cats consume contains an average of 70% water... While kibble only contains 7 to 10%. A mouse, for example, contains an average of 75% water, which is similar to the moisture content in pâté. In addition to the water found in pâté, it typically contains fewer carbohydrates, particularly starch, and more high-quality proteins compared to dry food. Furthermore, all scientists agree that a cat fed with kibble barely compensates half of the missing water by drinking. Moreover, eating a meal diluted in a large volume of water leads to quicker water absorption into the bloodstream. One of the advantages of wet food is that our cats consume water without realizing it. And when food contains a high proportion of water, it makes for a more voluminous, less calorie-dense diet, which promotes satiety. Lastly, pâté is well-suited to the environmental constraints of sterilized and sedentary cats, who are more prone to conditions such as overweight, obesity, and urinary stones. What Are the Health Benefits of Wet Food? Goodbye Constipation The causes of constipation in our cats are varied: it can be linked to medication, a change in lifestyle, dehydration, or more serious health issues... We recommend scheduling a prompt visit with your veterinarian to determine the exact cause and rule out certain conditions. When our cats' hydration is insufficient, the body draws water from the digestive tract. When it becomes dehydrated, particularly in the rectal area, this can trigger episodes of constipation. After a consultation with your veterinarian, if it is determined that your cat's constipation is due to insufficient water intake, it may be beneficial to change their diet. In this case, a wet food diet would be ideal, and you may consider adding zucchini to their meals to regulate their digestive system. Preventing Urinary Issues Remember that the less a cat drinks, the more concentrated their urine becomes in minerals. These minerals can contribute to the formation of crystals, such as magnesium ions, ammonium, and phosphates, which form struvite crystals (urinary stones). Wet food also helps produce more diluted (or less concentrated) urine, thereby preventing urinary problems. Here’s why: with wet food, our cats produce more abundant urine that is less concentrated in minerals that lead to urinary stones. Consequently, urination becomes more frequent and helps cleanse your cat's bladder. If hydration is sufficient, wet food provides excellent hydration and contributes to the prevention of urinary stones in cats. However, it’s important that the wet food is of good quality and well-balanced, especially in minerals (being rich in water is unfortunately not enough). Reducing the Risk of Obesity and Overweight A cat that primarily consumes wet food will have a much lower risk of being overweight, and an almost negligible risk of suffering from obesity compared to a cat fed on dry food. Indeed, kibble is dehydrated food, so it is much more calorie-dense than wet food. On average, kibble contains 4kcal per gram, while pâté contains 1kcal per gram. Additionally, due to its moisture content, pâté contributes to the feeling of fullness in our little companions. Increased Activity Levels We don’t know exactly if the increase in activity levels is related to better hydration or simply to urinating more, but studies agree: cats fed wet food are more physically active than those eating kibble. Are you an expert in feline nutrition? Test your knowledge with our quiz here!