Bengal cats are beautiful, temperamental and graceful animals. They have long been the favorites of many families around the world. Now the fashion for this breed has reached Russia. And although such kittens are quite expensive, they bring a lot of joy, fun and surprises.
The maintenance of Bengalis is not difficult, but expensive. You are unlikely to encounter a lot of features and differences from the rules of standard pet care. But there is one significant difference: food for Bengal cats must be selected carefully and competently. After all, not only their mood and health, but also life can depend on this.
Breed Information
Representatives of this breed are active and require increased attention. Bengalis are intellectually developed, amenable to training and learning. They like to play a variety of games. With a good approach to learning, they are able to repeat the actions of people: turn the lights on and off, move objects with their paws, open doors.
Bengal cats love flowing water (they got it from their ancestors), so they often spend a lot of time in the bathroom, can frolic in the shower or spray water flowing from the tap with their paws.
Health & Care
This breed is characterized by good health, stamina, stamina and playful temperament. They have good immunity by nature, which helps them avoid some feline diseases typical of the family, but at the same time they have sensitive intestines. Inflammatory diseases of this group of organs are found in them quite often. That is why you need to know exactly what kind of food to feed Bengal cats.
According to many breeders, the breed is unpretentious in all respects. Caring for Bengal cats will not create many problems. There are no specific recommendations for caring for them. Although the owners must perform all standard procedures:
- ear cleaning;
- combing wool;
- cutting and sometimes sawing claws.
Bengal cats are very clean and barely lose their fur. In addition, they are not afraid of water.
Awarded with natural activity, they need outdoor walks and the opportunity to frolic on the lawn. It is best to walk them in harness.
Now it’s worth talking about feeding these animals and find out which food is best for Bengal cats.
Nutrition rules
To make sure that the pet receives all the necessary nutrients, it is better to feed him with professional high-quality dry feed. For example, Royal Canin food for Bengal cats. You can buy it at almost any specialized zoological store. Buying it at the supermarket is not recommended.
Royal Kanin dry food for Bengal cats helps to care for the gums and teeth of the animal, and this affects the general condition of the body and, of course, mood.
Some representatives of this breed do not tolerate dry food. For them you need to choose a different diet. It is best to feed them with canned or wet foods from professional developers.
Some leopard cats feel better on "natural", that is, "human food." Developing such a diet on your own is not recommended. It is safer and more correct to seek the advice of a veterinarian who is familiar with this breed. He will help you choose the optimal nutritional schedule and portion size, as well as advise veterinary vitamins that are best added to the main diet.
Bengal cat: what is better to feed?
Representatives of this family are prone to digestive problems. Therefore, the selection of the right pet diet is an important and responsible event. Bengalis can be fed with dry and wet food, as well as natural products. Both diets will take care of the health and longevity of the pet. Although many veterinarians are strongly advised to give preference only to ready-made feed. This option has many advantages:
- The composition of the finished feed already includes a complete set of necessary elements, vitamins and minerals, which eliminates the danger of making the wrong diet.
- It also slows down the occurrence of tartar and helps to monitor the health of the teeth in general.
- Saves time and ensures that your pet does not stay hungry.
Finished products
Despite the ads, not all feeds are equally useful. Your pet should only be given top-class products. Popular and cheap feeds, such as Whiskas, can cost her health and even life.
The products of the following companies are most suitable for this breed:
- Hills
- Royal Canin;
- Nutra Gold;
- Akana
- "About the Plan."
Sometimes such food can be found on the shelves of supermarkets and shops, but you still should not buy them there. Firstly, they need to be stored under certain conditions, which are not always observed by the owners of a huge store. Secondly, you can stumble upon a fake. Only specialists from a pet store or cat nursery will be able to distinguish a real product from its cheap copy.
Quality is the key to health
Why is it important to buy premium food for Bengal cats? Giving preference to representatives of such a graceful and magnificent breed, do not save on their health. The main component of premium products is meat flour. Therefore, before buying, you need to carefully study the composition of the ingredients. Only with this component can we say that the food is made from natural meat. Of course, there are also products from meat and bone meal, which is also called a "natural product", but it is not natural meat. It contains an insufficient amount of amino acids, since in the bones themselves the amount of such acids is minimal. Such a feed can not be categorically considered a balanced and healthy diet, although it saturates the animal. The only problem is that the proteins from such feeds are not well absorbed. Bone, cartilage or hoofed protein simply transits through the entire digestive system, without being absorbed or remaining in the body.
Premium feeds contain ample amounts of vitamins and minerals. They provide the necessary daily intake of components in accordance with the condition of the animal: age, breed characteristics and characteristics of the content. You can choose the right food for pregnant females, neutered animals or individuals with reduced immunity.
Royal Canin Food - The Ultimate Solution
This product is specially designed to take care of the teeth and gums of the representatives of this breed. The granules are specially made in the shape of the letter Y, which makes the animals carefully gnaw on the treat. This helps maintain oral hygiene.
The composition of this feed includes highly digestible proteins, the required amount of fiber and prebiotics, which guarantee the maintenance of the balance of intestinal microflora.
High protein and moderate fat levels help Bengal cats maintain an optimal ratio of muscle to fat.
Sulfur-containing amino acids, fatty acids and vitamins that are part of the feed contribute to maintaining health and maintaining the shine of the coat, and this is important for a breed with such a unique color. The balance of minerals contributes to the proper functioning of the cat's urinary system.
Royal Kanin food for Bengal cats does not contain artificial colors, odor and taste enhancers. It does not contain glutamine sodium and sodium nitrite, which make the product more tasty, but less useful. The product is enriched with vitamins A and D, iron, iodine, copper, manganese, zinc and selenium.
Nutrients are contained in it in the following ratio:
- 3.8% fiber;
- 40% protein
- 18% fat;
- 7.7% of minerals.
Of the technological additives, only antioxidants and clinoptilolite of sedimentary origin are present in the feed.
How to identify a quality product?
Always pay attention to the components that are indicated in the composition first - this is the basis of the feed. If at the beginning there is wheat or wheat gluten, corn or corn starch, and not meat flour or protein components, then this is a product of not the highest quality.
Premium holistic feeds are the best. They are not based on crops, and they are balanced as much as possible. All ingredients are easily digestible, and the meat content is 65% and higher. Mineral additives in dry food for Bengal cats are not premixes, but natural products: vegetables, fruits, berries. Instead of grain, vegetable proteins are used.
With a diet consisting only of dry food, water consumption should be tripled. Water itself must always be fresh.
Medical Products
Among premium foods you can find those that are suitable for therapeutic diets. Such diets can be prescribed by a veterinarian or animal nutrition specialist. As a rule, they will also advise which producer’s feed is best to purchase. Such diets are often required by animals that are prone to certain diseases or breed characteristics.
Also, a special diet can be prescribed to pregnant, lactating or aging animals to make up for the lack of certain elements and minerals.
Diet change
If you need to switch from one premium feed to another, it is better to start this process gradually. It usually takes about a month. Replace part of one feed with another every day. So you can completely change the diet of the animal, without harming its health and mood. It is important to remember that feeding balanced and high-quality feeds is a guarantee of a happy, healthy and long life for your beloved Bengal.