What Is Freeze-Dried Cat Food?

Wondering what freeze-dried cat food is?

Nowadays, many kinds of cat food in Malaysia may have made you feel more difficult in picking out the right food for your beloved pets.

Should you go with dry kibbles? Wet food? Raw food? Dehydrated food?

One of the newer choices, freeze-dried cat food, has become an increasingly popular option on the recent market. But, how much do you know about freeze-dried cat food?

Let’s learn more about this together.

What Is Freeze-Dried Cat Food?

Freeze-drying is a relatively new technology to preserve the raw ingredients gently. It consists of multiple steps that involve using a freeze-drying machine. In summary:

1. FREEZE: The food is completely frozen at a very low temperature i.e. -40 degrees Celsius, turning the food’s moisture from liquid into solid (ice).
2. DRY: A vacuum pump is used to force air out from the machine and then a small amount of heat is applied. Since the air pressure is so low, the ice turns directly into gas (water vapour). This step, called sublimation, substantially removes the food’s moisture, up to 99%.

The process takes hours or even days to ensure that the raw food structure and nutrients remain the same. Speeding up the process may degrade the quality of freeze-dried food. For example, overheating can accelerate the process but, at the same time, destroy the nutrients and change the flavour of the food.

So, if you are considering feeding your pet freeze-dried food, it is best to reach out to a brand to understand whether their freeze-drying process is up to standard.

At Grace Cat, quality control is carefully implemented and only a very low heat is applied during the freeze-drying process. Results? Better quality freeze-dried food that provides high-level nutrition for your pet!

Is There Bacteria from Fresh Meat in Freeze-Dried Cat Food?

The freeze-drying process destroys bacteria or parasites that may reside in raw ingredients. The beauty of removing the water content in freeze-dried food is that the product then has a long shelf life, without the use of any preservatives, as microorganisms need water to function.

Freeze-Dried Cat Food vs. Dehydrated Cat Food

You may think that freeze-dried cat food is similar to dehydrated cat food as both remove moisture content from the ingredients. However, they are not the same.

The main difference is that dehydrated cat food is generally processed quickly under higher heat. When high heat is applied, the food is half-cooked or fully cooked, which results in losing almost half of the nutrients. While for freeze-dried cat food, as discussed above, only a low heat is involved in the process without cooking, thus it does not affect the raw food’s nutrients.

Texture-wise, freeze-dried cat food is soft, easy to chew and highly digestible. While dehydrated cat food always has a hard, cooked texture which may be difficult for kittens or senior cats with sensitive teeth to chew.

What Types of Freeze-Dried Cat Foods Are Available?

Freeze-dried cat foods include everything from delicious everyday treats to food toppers and even complete & balanced freeze-dried meals.

Benefits of Freeze-Dried Cat Food

Freeze-dried cat food is getting more popular in Malaysia simply because it has both the advantages of raw food and dry kibble, which are high in natural nutrition and easy to serve.

High in natural nutrition

Thanks to freeze-drying technology, the natural enzymes, nutrients and flavour of the raw food are “locked” into place, unlike the traditional pet foods, which are cooked in high heat and destroy the natural elements in the food.

Freeze-dried cat food is generally rich in protein, which is found naturally in raw ingredients such as meats, internal organs and yolks. Animal protein is the number one essential nutrient for cats to thrive because cats are carnivores in nature and this is what they will primarily get in the wild.

Easy to serve

Freeze-dried cat food is an excellent choice for pet parents who want to feed their pets a raw diet but worry about preparing fresh raw food themselves. Especially for those busy owners who might not have the time to purchase and wash the fresh ingredients, defrost the meats and so on.

Freeze-dried cat food is ready-to-serve, just like dry kibble! It can really save you a lot of time and energy in preparing your pet’s food.

On the other hand, it also frees up freezer space as it is a shelf-stable raw food that does not require refrigeration. Just store it at room temperature and keep the bag sealed!

However, if freeze-dried food is already rehydrated with water, your pet should finish it within half an hour. Refrigeration is needed for any leftover because bacteria can grow on it since it contains moisture now. It is also suggested to finish the leftover rehydrated freeze-dried food within two days for optimum freshness.

What’s more? Freeze-dried pet food is delicious due to its natural flavour and meaty texture that cats can’t resist! If your cats are picky eaters or rarely have an appetite to eat, you should try feeding them with freeze-dried cat food.

Drawbacks of Freeze-Dried Cat Food

Freeze-dried cat food is generally of a higher price than the other pet food choices due to its rather costly process, which requires advanced machinery and takes a longer time to produce. Nevertheless, it is also the most effective method to achieve the nutritional benefits of raw food in a shelf-stable product. You can also feed freeze-dried cat food without worrying about having cheap fillers as the ingredients, like most pet food in the market.

Verdicts: Freeze-Dried Pet Food

After all, a good thing comes with a price. For the price that you pay, you will get wholesome natural raw food for your cat which is incredibly convenient to serve.

As a result? Happy cat and happy owner!

If it is not financially practical for a pet owner to feed freeze-dried food as a main meal regularly, the pet owner may consider feeding it as an everyday pet treat or meal topper too. In this case, the freeze-dried food serves as an appetite and nutrition booster for your pet.

About Grace Cat’s GraceFull RAW Freeze-Dried Pet Food

At Grace Cat, we believe that all pets deserve the longest, healthiest and happiest life possible, and this starts by feeding your pets the right food. That is why we are passionately committed to bring the real food with real love and real joy to your pets.

Our premium freeze-dried product, GraceFull RAW, is purely raw and high in protein, suitable for all life stages and breeds of cat and dog.

GraceFull RAW is also grain and gluten-free, with no preservatives, harmful additives, salt & seasoning, colourings and fillers. Only the real food with well-chosen ingredients.

If you have any inquiries about our products, please feel free to reach out to us.

Where to Buy Freeze-Dried Pet Food in Malaysia?

Grace Cat’s GraceFull RAW is available in our official store.

Let’s grab it and fill your pet’s bowl with the natural nutrients of yummy raw food now!

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