Is there a difference between indoor and outdoor cat food?

Juan

I have an outdoor cat. I wonder if there is a restriction with the cat food that doesnt distinguish indoor or outdoor. Is that safe to feed the cat with?



Christina

There is very little difference except for the name as it is more marketing then anything else. The bottom line though is both are loaded with carbs and both are not good for cats Nutrition since there are so many bad things out there is very important to your cat’s healthContrary to what you may have heard; dry foods are not a great thing to feed a cat. Please read the label on what you are feeding? What are the ingredients? Do you know what they mean? Is the first ingredient a muscle meat like chicken or meal or other things? http://www. catinfo. org/#Learn_How_To_Rea…Dry foods are the number 1 cause of diabetes in cats as well as being a huge contributing factor to kidney disease, obesity, crystals, u. t.i’s and a host of other problems. Food allergies are very common when feeding dry foods. Rashes, scabs behind the tail and on the chin are all symptomsThe problems associated with Dry food is that they are loaded with carbohydrates which many cats (carnivores) cannot process them. Also, Most of the moisture a cat needs is suppose to be in the food but inDry, 95% of it is zapped out of dry foods in the processing. Another thing, most use horrible ingredients and dont use a muscle meat as the primary ingredient and use vegetable based protein versus animal. Not good for an animal that has to eat meat to survive. You want to pick a canned food w/o gravy (gravy=carbs) that uses a muscle meat as the first ingredient and doesnt have corn at least in the first 3 ingredients if at all. Fancy feast is a middle grade food with 9lives, friskies whiskas lower grade canned and wellness and merrick upper grade human quality foods. The optimum food to feed cats has no grains whatsoever, cats have no use for them and many have trouble processing them as well as the carbs. IBD is another disease that is rapidly becoming common amoung cats because of the inappropriate diets being fed. Also, dry food is not proven to be better for teeth. Does a hard pretzel clean your teeth or do pieces of it get stuck? http://www. felinefuture. com/nutrition/bp… Please read about cat nutrition. http://www. newdestiny. us/nutritionbasics… http://www. catinfo. org/feline_obesity. ht… http://maxshouse. com/feline_nutrition. ht…



Aleen

Indoor formula cat food is generally geared to have slightly less fat. The outdoor kitty should be just fine eating it. Theres not really much difference. Indoor cats are usually less active than their outdoor counterparts, therefore requiring fewer calories.



Ji

There is a difference between the two. Indoor cat food is made with a little less fillers because indoor cats do not get as much exercise as outdoor cats. If there is no type on the bag it is alright to feed your cat the food. The only main reason you would want to distinguish between the two for your specific cat is to keep that pet from getting at an unhealthy weight if it is indoors.



Chris

My understanding is that manufacturers assume that indoor cats are less active so typically indoor formulas have a bit less fat and protein so that indoor cats dont get fat.



Despina

I use regular catfood for the outdoor cats because its better than nothing, but supplement with scraps (chicken skin, fats) so they have enough oils for their coats and such on the side. Provided theyre getting regular meals, they should be ok with the standard cat foods. Make sure to have water available too, I invested in a heated dog water dish for winter and I see cat prints in the snow walking in a straight line for up to 2 blocks to come to it. Cats need a reliable water source as well as food.



Judson

I am sure there isnt too much difference. the indoor formula might just account for something an outdoor kitty can get outside. outside kitties also get more exercise and there is probably less fat in the outdoor form.



Elli

Indoor usually has less fat and less protein. Cats need protein and fat not carbs, go with the outdoor even if you have indoor cats. But consider wet food, see below.



Leatha

The difference is the gimmick mostly..a cat needs proper nutrition - inside or outside it doesnt matter..and how does the food know where outside your cat lives (warm area, cold area) and so on...its a gimmick designed to sell more food because people will pick one brand ahead of another if they think is specializes (same with some brands who claim to offer special foods for different breeds)