Characteristics of holistic food: what is it?
Typically, products are marked with the “holistic” sign located on the packaging. The label was introduced for the first time by Innova, a company that produces ready-made dry and wet food. The first batches with this mark appeared back in 1989.
There is no strict definition of the term, since the legal status of holistic food is not secured in any way. It is not regulated by GOSTs either. However, products of this class have common properties: good quality, a composition that uses natural ingredients, a well-balanced balance of vitamins and mineral supplements.
Holistic is made from fresh meat, fish or poultry with the addition of several sources of protein, fruits, vegetables. The products used, according to the manufacturers, are suitable for human consumption.
However, labeling does not mean that the product belongs to this class. However, not every package will have a corresponding icon. Sometimes its presence is a marketing ploy to make the product sell better. Therefore, to determine usefulness, it is important to look at the composition. You need to study the percentage of animal protein, additional plant components, and the list of available microelements. It is important that there are no potentially dangerous components that cause food allergies.
Also, an indication of holistic food for cats will be the AAFCO (American Association for the Control of Food Products) logo. The organization studies the composition of prepared animal feeds and ensures that they meet their nutritional needs.
The difference between holistic and other foods
The first thing that distinguishes holistic dry and wet food from the economy and premium segments is price and high quality. Indeed, the cost of first-class food for a cat can be several times higher than the prices for goods freely sold in mass markets. The established price does not consist of the costs of marketing and brand promotion, but is fully consistent with the declared quality and natural composition.
Among the main differences of the class, the following should be noted:
- The composition indicates exactly what beneficial substances it contains, while products in the economy segment use the standard formulation “minerals and vitamins” without decoding.
- It is possible to achieve an appetizing appearance and organoleptic characteristics not by adding artificial additives, but thanks to the natural composition, sufficient content of fats, proteins, prebiotics, etc.
- Long-term storage (up to one and a half years) is ensured by natural preservatives without the use of a list of chemical components - rosemary oil, vitamins C, E, and so on. Economy - segment indicates a shelf life of 2 years or more.
Premium cat food (dry and wet) is produced using the latest technology, which allows you to preserve maximum benefits, providing not only a healthy, balanced and tasty diet for your cat.
Numerous clinical studies have proven the high degree of absorption of cat food. Thus, to feel full, you will need a smaller volume of product compared to the economy and premium segments.
Holistic feed composition
The ingredients used are different from products in other categories. Even super-premium cat foods cannot always compete with these ready-made diets. Holistic level products are characterized by the following:
- Multiple sources of animal protein. The fresh or dehydrated (dried) ingredient is placed first. In many lines, they are not limited to one nutritional option: the food contains several types of protein, which is easily digestible.
- A small percentage of herbal ingredients. Protein of plant origin gives a false feeling of satiety, because of it the animal does not get enough food, and the food is consumed faster. The manufacturer adds it as a cheap filler that sometimes causes food allergies (corn or wheat gluten). Holistic practitioners for cats use pea concentrate as a vegetable protein.
- Healthy sources of carbohydrates. A good product does not contain many plant carbohydrates (wheat, corn); the manufacturer replaces them with lentils or sweet potatoes. Sometimes rice is included (brown rice, rich in protein, calcium and magnesium, is often added).
- Natural preservatives. Economy class cat food uses artificial preservatives of unknown origin. Holistic food uses a mixture of tocopherols for preservation. They are a direct source of vitamin E, which helps support muscles, vision and metabolism.
- Healthy fiber. The main sources of this valuable product are vegetables and fruits (for example, dried apples, carrots). Fiber is necessary to maintain intestinal microflora and normalize digestion.
The holistic diet is so balanced with fresh, natural ingredients that manufacturers do not add synthetic enhancers.
Price for Holistic food
Every pet owner must decide for himself whether to buy Holistic class food or not, but it is worth noting that this product has only one important drawback - it is high cost; there are simply no other significant drawbacks.
You can buy premium cat or dog food in specialized stores or on the web. You should first familiarize yourself with the composition, which should contain only natural ingredients and no grains, except brown rice in small quantities. When choosing food, you can use the rating, which will help you avoid making mistakes.
Advantages and disadvantages of holistic food
Holistic treatment for cats has pros and cons associated with the individual reactions of the animals.
Advantages and disadvantages
Natural composition that helps good digestion, saturating the animal with vitamins and minerals.
High-quality ingredients that do not cause allergies or other unwanted reactions from the pet’s body.
Economical consumption due to high nutritional value and rapid digestibility.
High price, surpassing all products in this category.
The absence of flavorings and taste enhancers may not be clear to a cat that has consumed “chemical” products.
It’s not always possible to buy a product freely in a store; sometimes you have to order it online.
Holistic food is a valuable nutritious product. However, it may not be suitable for your cat due to the specific taste, smell or meat used. The diet should be liked not only by the owner due to its benefits, but also by the pet in terms of taste.
Feed examples
There are not many foods that can call themselves holistic. These should be diets with truly excellent composition, tested in various independent laboratories.
Acana cat food
Canadian holistic food, which is sold in some veterinary stores. It contains many different types of meat, other types of protein, and healthy sources of carbohydrates. This food uses rosemary as an antioxidant, and vitamin E as a preservative. The food is also enriched with various vitamins and minerals in quantities recommended by experts.
Acana does not use cereal crops, which will be an advantage for many owners.
Go Natural
Another Canadian food that comes in both dry and canned form. The first places in the composition are meat ingredients: for example, duck meat and duck flour. In third place are dried eggs. The composition also includes sources of vegetable protein: chickpeas, lentils. Rosemary and vitamin E are used as a preservative and antioxidant. The food also contains natural flavoring, but the manufacturers did not specify which one.
Gou is a good quality holistic practitioner, but with his own shortcomings. It is quite expensive, and the composition does not indicate the percentages of the main ingredients. The food may also contain by-products.
Pronature Original
A food that, in terms of quality and price, is between super-premium and holistic class. In the first place in the composition is chicken flour, which is the main source of protein. It may include meat and high-quality offal. There is no vegetable protein in the composition. The source of carbohydrates in the feed is rice and barley, and the fiber is beets. Pronature food contains many essential vitamins and minerals.
If you want a cat food that is not as expensive as Asana, but still high-quality, you can safely try Pronature Original. In their rich range of flavors there is sure to be something just for your cat.
Other Holistics
We analyzed in detail only a few foods of this class.
Of course, there are many more of them, and their number on the market is growing every year. The range of high-quality food allows any owner to choose what is ideal for him.
In addition to the options that we discussed above, the holistic class includes:
- Savarra
- Applaws
- Jaguar
- Wildcat
- Grandorf
- Gather
And many more.
When choosing food, a veterinarian can help you, who will tell you which manufacturer will satisfy you in your case.
Age recommendations
Holistic specialists also have different purposes, including depending on the age of the pet. However, there are universal options available for cats of any age.
Holistic treatment for kittens is a good option, suitable for babies from the first months of life. With it, the kitten will receive the necessary vitamins and nutrients important for the growth of bones, teeth, and the formation of the nervous system. The best food contains everything for the proper development of the baby, including probiotics, folic acid, and fatty acids.
Already grown kittens switch to the option for adult animals, which will support their formed body. This is an important stage in nutrition and maturation, requiring a gradual transition. New granules are mixed with old ones, giving the kitten the opportunity to get used to the diet. It is important that they contain enough vitamins to strengthen bones, ensure proper brain function, and keep your pet active. If your cat is overweight, you need to choose a diet with the addition of L-carnitine, which helps with weight loss.
Rating of holistic food for cats
Even among holistic foods, there are those that stand out for their most beneficial, natural composition. Based on their characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages, the following rating of cat food can be made.
AATU
The top holistic food category is opened by a product from the UK, which is difficult to find on the shelves of Russian stores and often has to be ordered online. However, it is worth the effort as it has the best composition. It contains more than 50% pure animal protein (chicken or duck). AATU does not have useless cheap carbohydrates, and contains fiber important for digestion - peas, sweet potatoes, chickpeas. Ingredients include: salmon fat, herbs, berries. The composition is completely grain-free, which makes it accessible to animals at risk of developing food allergies.
Acana
The Canadian-made brand features a large number of fresh ingredients of animal origin. Often it contains several types of animal protein (a combination of meat, fish or chicken). Holistics from Akana have only a dry appearance, but the granules are made in such a way that they are suitable for animals of any age. They are recommended for both small kittens and older animals. The manufacturer claims the food is “biologically appropriate” for cats, as it is as close as possible to foods found in the wild. It has a high protein content, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and a low percentage of carbohydrates.
Grandorf
Belgian holistic food Grandorf, recommended for cats suffering from food allergies. Contains about 30% animal protein, which is obtained from pure boneless meat. It has several lines, one of the most popular is lamb and turkey. This combination of fresh meat is a good source of protein, often found in food for animals with sensitive digestion. Lamb is a hypoallergenic product, turkey is dietary.
Holistic food: what is it?
The classification of industrially produced cat food includes 4 classes:
- economy;
- premium;
- super premium;
- holistic.
At the same time, professional breeders and veterinarians do not even consider economy-class food and even premium food as a permanent food for cats, except as an alternative to starvation. Why?
These foods contain a very small percentage of meat, it is rarely more than 10-15%, and the quality of the meat itself also leaves much to be desired. And the rest is fillers: soy, grains, vegetables, bone meal, etc. The nutritional value of this food is low, since most fillers are simply not absorbed by the cat’s digestive system.
A completely different kind of holistic food. This is a whole nutritional philosophy, the name of which goes back to the Greek “holos” - whole. The basic philosophical concept of the holistic approach, developed by Aristotle, states that the whole is more than the sum of its constituent elements. And within the framework of holism, an animal is considered as an integral organism, where it is impossible to isolate and treat, or correct only individual elements: specific diseases. Age-related problems, environmental influences.
This is why holistic food for cats is usually universal: they are suitable for animals of any age, gender, breed. After all, if you think about it, in their natural environment, kittens eat the same thing as adults as soon as they stop sucking milk. There are no special foods for kittens in nature - this is just a marketing ploy by manufacturers who come up with ways to force caring cat owners to fork out for more and more expensive products.
Holistic food has such a balanced composition that it can be given to kittens in exactly the same way as to adult cats. More than 70% freeze-dried meat, and it will be meat, not horns, hooves and intestines. No fillers: cellulose, soy - only a small amount of fruits or berries as natural vitamin supplements, probiotics that improve digestion, microelements. Grain-free options do not contain grains at all, to which cats often have an allergic reaction.
There is practically no holistic food available for kittens. Some companies have dry food intended for kittens, but they differ not in composition, but in a smaller fraction (pieces).
