Homemade Diets:  Use Care – this is not an easy thing for someone that does not have a PhD in animal nutrition to do correctly.

Owners should undertake this task only with the guidance of a veterinary nutritionist. Here’s why.
You likely consider your beloved cat to be a truly unique creature, and in many respects she may indeed be one of a kind. When it comes to her dietary requirements, however, she’s just like any other cat in the world. That is, all cats need a nutritionally sound and palatable daily diet, without which they couldn’t possibly exist for very long, let alone develop their distinctively individual personalities.

The lack of nutritionally complete and balanced food intake can result in a wide variety of disorders that can have lethal consequences if ignored. Daily consumption of a nutritionally adequate diet will not, of course protect a cat from injury or from the onset of many systemic illnesses. But it is likely to supply the resources that an injured or sick animal needs in order to respond well to medical or surgical treatment.

The most readily available sources of a complete and balanced feline diet are the commercial products that can be found in just about all pet stores.

It’s also possible for you to concoct healthy meals for your cat in your own kitchen. But if you’re inclined to do so, you’d better be knowledgeable about feline nutritional needs. You should also be willing to cope with the extra expense that might be involved in the preparation of your cat’s homemade meals.

Good Track Record
Over the past half century, the American pet food industry has striven to provide nutritionally sound, affordable, and easily available canned and dry cat food. The nutritional contents of these foods are based on the nutrient requirements of cats as published by the National Research Council and/or the Cat Food Nutrient Profiles recommended by the Association of American Feed Control (AAFCO). The feed control officials of the various states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration monitor the quality of all commercial cat food products.

The improvements made in the pet food products over the past four decades or so have greatly benefited feline health and have helped to significantly extend the average life span of our feline companions.

Some cat owners, however, feel they can do a better job than the pet food industry in creating their own diets. Some owners have become convinced that commercial cat food is tainted with foul ingredients and dangerous preservatives; others may believe that the cost and inconvenience of preparing a homemade diet is justified if the end product contains only the “natural” ingredients.

A Delicate Balance
Owners who insist on making homemade diets are encouraged strongly to consult with their primary-care veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist. An adequate feline diet must provide proper amounts as well as a proper balance of proteins, minerals, fats, and vitamins. Scientists have devoted decades to establishing this optimal balance. Unless the cat owner is knowledgeable regarding feline nutrition, it’s almost impossible for the typical cat owner to formulate a diet that is complete and properly balanced. A good example is the cat’s vitamin requirement. Vitamins are water- or fat- soluble organic substances that exist naturally in plant and animal foods and are needed in small amounts for the growth and normal functioning of the feline body. A vitamin A deficiency can retard bone development and cause eye disorders, lack of coordination, brain damage and other serious health issues.

On the other hand, there can be excess of this important vitamin in the diet. Vitamin A toxicity (poisoning) can happen when there is a diet too high in certain types of liver or cod liver oil, which can cause bone deformities, liver disorders, neurologic dysfunction and other problems.
Another example are proteins, which are major components of the supporting structure in a cat’s body – the muscles, ligaments and tendons, for example – are composed of chains of smaller chemical compounds called amino acids. A cat’s body needs about 20 different amino acids in order to function properly. Half of these can be synthesized within the body, but the remainder – the essential amino acids – cannot, and thus must be provided in the diet. An illustration of lack of an important amino acid is taurine. Taurine deficiency is responsible for serious diseases of the heart, eyes, and reproductive system. This problem almost never occurs among domestic cats because food manufacturers now supplement their products with adequate amounts of taurine.
Calcium and phosphorus balance is another huge area of concern.  If the diet is not  exactly balanced with calcium and phosphorus your cat will develop  rickets, osteo-arthritis,  pathological fractures  and nutritional osteoporosis.

Seek Expert Input
It takes more than just combining a bunch of healthy foods together when creating a nutritionally balanced diet for your cat. Before you begin, it is advisable to discuss homemade diets with your veterinarian.  Your cat is depending on you to make informed decisions to help her live a healthy and happy life.

Tips on Homemade Diets
>Stay current on evolving nutritional findings by consulting a veterinarian.

> If you intend to cut expenses by making your own cat food, you will have to pay a trained veterinary nutritionist’s fees if you undertake the task properly.

> Keep in mind that a homemade diet that is not properly formulated can lead to serious vitamin deficiencies as well as such abnormalities as obesity, or by contrast, weight loss.

>Be sure to use only fresh ingredients. Always refrigerate uneaten food, and thaw it completely before serving it again to your cat.

>Avoid using foods which are toxic to cats, including grapes, raisins, and chocolate. Do not include garlic or onions as these have substances that damage a cat’s red blood cells. Use very little milk since adult cats may be lactose intolerant, which may then cause the cat to have diarrhea.