How can I make my cat live longer? What is the healthiest cat food for an indoor cat?

Who wants their cat live for 20 and more years? Most of us, cat lovers, right? Great news, it’s very common nowadays, and many cats do live that long. How they do it? It’s a combination of several factors related to health, environment and safety; however, one of the most important ingredients is the food your cat eats, which nowadays rarely represent the natural diet of a cat. But it should.

In order to provide your cat the best, you must know what to look for in cat food. This article summarizes nine most important things you must notice in the ingredient list of a good cat food.

Keep in mind, though, pet food companies can distort their ads and ingredient lists to make you believe their food is better than it actually is.

Meat listed as the first ingredient. Did you know the order represents the amount? Therefore, meat or meat meal must come first. The only exception is water if it is listed as an ingredient.
Meat must be identified as chicken, rabbit, beef, turkey, lamb, and similar. Simple “meat” or “animal meat” doesn’t promise anything good.
Identified meat by-products. Meat by-products are good, and your cat needs liver, heart, bones, and others. If the package states simply “meat by-products,” this also does not promise anything good.
High amount of moisture. A natural cat diet contains more than 80% water. This unfortunately disqualifies any dry food.
High amount of protein.
Moderate amount of fat.
No grain. Cats don’t eat grain; they don’t eat wheat, corn, or rice. Cats also don’t eat soy or potato.
No colorings, sweeteners, and chemical preservatives. These are added to appeal to you, and extend the shelf life. Cats don’t give a damn about them.
No artificial flavors. They are added to make your cat believe this food is delicious (and, in turn, you believe it’s good). Without flavor, your cat would not even look at it.