Look out for the AAFCO or FEDIAF Statements which indicate labels for various life stage. Internationally recognized life stages are:

· gestation/lactation

· growth (kittens)

· maintenance (adult)

· all life stages

The Association of Animal Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sets strict nutritional requirements. Feeding a nutritionally balanced food that conforms to AAFCO standards is strongly recommended to avoid nutrient deficiencies and excesses.

Different quantities and ratios of nutrients are necessary for different life stages.

Kittens have different nutritional needs than adult cats, so they need a kitten food to support their growth. If the food label says it's formulated “for All Life Stages,” that means it's safe for both kittens and adult cats to eat.

Mau & Me fresh cat food recipes are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages. This ensures the highest nutritional standards to ensure optimal nutrition for both kittens and adult cats.

“Complete” means the product contains all the nutrients required.

“Balanced” means the nutrients are present in the correct ratios.

Different quantities and ratios of nutrients are necessary for supporting different stages of growth.

Mau & Me recipes are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages. This ensures the highest nutritional standards to ensure optimal nutrition for both kittens and adult cats.

Biologically, cats require high amounts of protein, moderate amounts of fat, and minimal amount of carbohydrates. Studies also show that cats also require other nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids) to be healthy.

Although your cat needs certain amounts of each specific nutrient to be healthy, more is not always better.

Mau&Me Fresh Cat Food contains all the necessary ingredients and supplements, in the right proportions, to help your cats thrive.

The use of supplements is not necessary if you are feeding Mau&Me Complete and Balanced diet. Supplements can be given with your veterinarian’s approval. Additionally, cats should have access to clean, fresh water at all times.

Kittens are playful, curious and full of energy. They have different nutritional requirements as they are growing and developing at rapid rates. They need a complete and balanced diet, on a daily basis, to support their energy and explorations during this time.

A diet suited for kittens contains more calories and higher levels of certain nutrients, such as:

Protein: Kittens need more essential amino acids such as arginine, lysine and methionine than adult cats to support their rapid growth and development.

Vitamins and minerals: Like adult cats, kittens need sufficient daily intake of taurine and choline. Kittens need more magnesium, copper, iodine and vitamin A than adult cats. They also require more calcium and phosphorus to support growth and development of their bones and teeth.

Fat: Kittens need more essential fatty acids to support their rapid growth and development. Omega-3 fatty acid DHA, in the right proportions, is important for brain and vision development.

Large breed cats (eg Maine Coon), need kitten food for 18 months to 2 years because they take longer to reach maturity.

Mau&Me recipes are formulated to the highest nutritional standards to ensure optimal nutrition for both kittens and adult cats.

Mau&Me Recipes follow nutritional standards such as the AAFCO & FEDIAF. These standards define the recommended amount of each nutrient (proteins, vitamins, minerals) in a daily diet. Our recipes follows these standards to ensure that the diet is complete and balanced.

The main advantage of this method is that we can be sure your cat gets all its needed nutrients everyday. The disadvantage, however, is that all fresh foods can have minute, natural variations in their nutritional values.

The Variety principle, such as in a Bones and Raw Food (BARF) or Prey Model Raw (PMR) diet, is being balanced from eating a diversity of food over a week. Recommendations in these diets follow ratios for each ingredient (eg: 5% liver, 6-10% raw meaty bones, etc) and different sources of protein.

The advantage of BARF and PMR diets is that the guidelines are easy to understand and try to recreate a prey that a wild cat would eat. However, these guidelines are not based on the nutrient requirements of cats. It is possible that one might never be able to reach a balanced diet by just following the variety principle.

For example, cats have a high requirement for iron in their diet and this requirement is difficult to cover if you don’t feed them spleen or blood. These ingredients might be hard to find. In that case, no matter how much you vary the organs or types of meat, the iron requirement might never be fully covered.

This ends up in a few nutritional gaps that are very often present when feeding a diet based on variety.

The solution?

We can take what’s best from the two approaches and provide our cats with meals designed for them to thrive. Both variety and nutritional guidelines are important and should be taken into account.

A simple way to solve the minute variation of a recipe is to vary between several recipes to mitigate any possible flaws.

Mau&Me Complete and Balanced recipes are available in proteins such as chicken, duck, beef, lamb and kangaroo.

For some cats, a cooked recipe is better, particularly for older cats, cats with gastro-intestinal issues, or with low appetite.

It's best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator.

Store Mau&Me Fresh Cat Food in the freezer until ready to thaw and feed. Mau&Me patties are conveniently portioned in 150 grams each, so you can easily thaw smaller or larger amounts of your cat’s food as needed.

Avoid fully thawing, portioning, and refreezing raw meat as this can allow harmful bacteria to develop. If you have a very small cat and unable to consume a 150gram patty within three days of it being thawed, you can ‘temper’ its food. Tempering means thawing the patty just enough to cut it into the amount your cat will consume within those three days and freezing the rest for later.

Thaw Mau&Me Fresh Cat Food in the fridge or in cool water. Thawing your cats’ food in the fridge will take a bit more time and planning, but it’s the safest way to thaw meat. To quickly thaw its meals, partially submerge the tin in cold tap water and change the water every 30 minutes. When meat is thawed in water, it increases in moisture - so you may find the product more moist when thawed this way.

Thawed portions of Mau&Me Fresh Cat Food should be stored in the fridge in a sealed container. It will stay fresh for up to three days when properly stored.

Stainless steel, glass, or ceramic bowls are great options for serving your cats’ food. They are very easy to clean and disinfect after meals. Always wash surfaces, utensils and hands with warm soapy water after handling your cats’ food.

Keeping your cat at a healthy weight is crucial for their long-term health.

Extra weight can lead to a variety of health issues such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, skin problems, and more. It also makes grooming and playtime more difficult.

Hence, keeping your cat at their ideal weight is important to their physical and mental wellbeing.

Click here to help determine if your cat is overweight, underweight or at an ideal weight.

Tip: Using your weighing scale, weigh yourself while holding your cat, then weigh yourself without the cat and subtract the two readings to find out the weight of your cat.

These guidelines are to be used when beginning to feed a fresh cat food diet: start with the suggested quantities, then adapt to the quantity your cat can eat, especially if it’s very active or very lazy.

A lot of cats are able to regulate their appetite; you could feed them as much as they want. However, it is useful to start feeding them with a reasonable and well defined amount of food.

Healthy Adult Cats

For healthy adult cats (a cat that is more than 1 year old), the general recommendation is to feed it with a daily quantity of meat (approximately) equal to approximately 3% of its body weight.

Weigh your cat regularly to know if the feed portion is sufficient. If your cat gains weight, lower the daily ration by 10%. If your cat loses weight, increase the daily ration by 10%.

Example: Your cat is 2 years old, healthy and at its ideal weight is 4kg. You can start feeding with a daily ration of 3% of its body weight: 4kg x 3/100 = 120g.

If, after two weeks:

Your cat is still at 4kg: everything’s perfect, don’t change anything!

Your cat gains weight, reduce the daily ration by 10%: 120g x 10/100 = 12g, so the new daily ration should be 120g - 12g = 108g.

If your cat loses weight, increase the daily ration by 10%: 120g x 10/100 = 12g, so the new daily ration is 120g + 12g = 132g.

Cats typically eat between 2-4% of their body weight.

Overweight Cats

Feed 2% of the cat’s current body weight.

Aim to gradually decrease food portions and increase activity levels, as sudden & drastic decrease in food can lead to fatty liver disease which can be life threatening.

Underweight Cats

Feed 4% of the cat’s current body weight.

Sphynx / Hairless Cats

Sphynx cats and other hairless breeds have higher calorie intakes requirements as they need more energy to keep their body temperature constant. A general guideline for hairless cats would be to feed them 5-6% of their body weight.

These guidelines are to be used when beginning to feed a fresh cat food diet: start with the suggested quantities, then adapt to the quantity your kitten can eat, especially if it’s very active or very lazy.

The values which are generally recommended for kittens are the following:

Until 3 months old: feed at kitten’s will, or 10% of its body weight

4 month old: 8% of its body weight

5-6 month old: 7% of its body weight

7-8 month old: 6% of its body weight

9-10 month old: 5% of its body weight

11-12 month old: 4% of its body weight.

As these are general guidelines, regularly weigh your kitten and adjust its daily ration as needed. If your kitten is growing too slowly increase the ration by 10%. Likewise, if your kitten is growing too fast decrease the ration by 10%. For large and slow growing-breeds such as maine coon, ragdoll or norwegian forest cats, they need kitten food for 18-24 months because they take longer to reach maturity.

Kittens need several meals a day as their stomach capacity is limited. Kittens are to feed 3-5 meals per day until 6 months of age, then 2-3 meals per day until one year old.

In short, yes, some fresh food is better than no fresh food at all.

As pet parents, we are constantly on the lookout for the best cat food recipes for our pets. Diet is one aspect of their well-being that we have the most control over, and it is of no surprise that a well-balanced fresh food is a nutritionally better option.

At Mau&Me, we understand the struggle between giving your cats the best cat food, and their preferred eating habits. Here are some reasons for adding fresh food to kibbles or canned food:

For Hydration

Fresh food recipes like Mau&Me is great for supplementing hydration due to its high moisture content. Some cats are at risk of developing urinary tract or kidney problems if they are constantly dehydrated. Hence, giving your cat fresh food is a great way to increase their water intake on a regular basis.

For Variety

Your cat is a descendant of hunters, and in the wild their food intake would depend entirely on the prey that they are able to find or catch. It could be a bird, a lizard, or a mouse, etc. These instincts are still within our household pets, and sometimes our cats can get a bit bored with the kibble options that we provide them. Hence, it is a good idea to introduce fresh food options if your cat is a fan of variety.

For General Health

Cat owners often choose fresh food because it is high in protein, moderate in fat and contains no carbohydrate fillers and preservatives.

Cats do not require carbohydrates as part of a healthy diet. An over-consumption of carbs can lead to cats developing obesity or diabetes. If your cat is at risk of developing obesity or diabetes, Mau&Me fresh cat food may be a great alternative as it contains no filler carbs. If your cat is already experiencing some health issues, it is possible that a switch to fresh food may provide them with more usable nutrients (better nutrient absorption) to help support their overall health. As always, it is best to consult your veterinarian before making any drastic changes to your cat’s diet.

1) Gradually stop free-feeding and have fixed meal times.

If your cat is free-fed, start by feeding it with kibbles 3-4 times a day at a fixed time. Put the kibbles out and, after 60 minutes, put them away. Your cat will slowly understand that it needs to eat at fixed times. By reducing it by 5 minutes everyday, you can progressively reduce the time to leaving food out for 15-20 minutes.

2) Introduce Mau&Me Recipes

You can introduce a fresh food diet while feeding kibbles, or after having fixed meal times.

Adapt the quantity based on your cat’s response. Find the smallest quantity of new food your cat accepts to eat and increase over time.

Start by adding Mau&Me to the kibbles, and progressively switch to a fresh-food-only diet. You can start with 5% Mau&Me, then progressively increase Mau&Me portions to 100%.

Tip: If your cat is not acclimatizing well to a fresh food diet, transit from a kibble to canned food diet first, then to a fresh food diet. The long term health benefits will be worth going the extra mile.

Introduce a new diet with appropriate slow-weaning and acclimatization. We do not advocate for cats to go “cold turkey” and change their diet acutely, as cats do not tolerate sudden changes well. Diet change should always be transitioned slowly over a few days to weeks, depending on your cats preference.

The key to transition is patience. Replace a wee bit of each meal by stirring in a teaspoon of thawed Maume Fresh Cat Food. Once your cat decides they like their new food, you can begin the transition accordingly to your cat's preference.

For optimal freshness, once thawed and opened, Maume can be kept and used over 3 days in the fridge.

The main differences between canned and fresh food for cats are the ingredients, nutritional content and storage methods.

The high moisture content of both fresh and canned food can be helpful for cats with urinary tract problems.

Canned food is convenient, easy to store and has a long shelf life -- making it a popular option for many cat owners. It is also a good source of moisture, which is important for cats who do not drink enough water on their own.

However, it can contain a higher amount of salt and preservatives compared to fresh foods.

Fresh food, is made with ingredients that have not been heavily processed or preserved. This means that it contains no preservatives and additives. Although it requires careful handling and refrigeration to prevent spoilage, and it is generally considered to be a healthier option for cats.

Mau&me fresh cat food is Complete and Balanced for kittens, cats and seniors and is available in conveniently portioned servings. Simply pop them in the refrigerator to thaw overnight, and watch them devour their meals.

Ultimately, the best choice of food for your cat will depend on several factors, including your budget, your cat's health, and your own lifestyle and preferences. It's always a good idea to consult with your veterinarian to determine what type of food is best for your cat's needs.