Feeding Your Cat

 Food Choices

The last few years have shown a shift in focus of cat food manufacturers to high quality, easily digestible premium foods.

In almost all cases, it is best to feed your cat a premium cat food. Although these foods are generally more expensive, your cat will tend to eat less and be healthier. It has been suggested that the increased cost is offset by lower vet bills. These foods are low bulk, the unnecessary filler in basic foods, and contain little or no dyes.

Veterinarian recommended diets

In some cases your vet may recommend a special diet for your cat. In this case, understand the nutritional needs of your cat and follow the veterinarian's directions.

Wet canned foods

Canned foods have a number of disadvantages. They are expensive, can cause dental problems, they smell and can cause the cat to smell or have gas, they spoil quickly, and bowls need to be cleaned daily. If your veterinarian recommends canned food because of dietary needs, then they should be used.

Dry foods

Dry foods are easier to feed and generally less expensive. They are better for the cat's teeth as they can remove tarter build up and are easier to clean up after. Be sure to always provide plenty of water, especially when feeding dry foods.

Moist foods

Moist foods do not seem to offer any benefit, other that humane appeal. Some contain proylene glycol (a preservative) that can damage red blood cells as well as cause other problems.

Milk

Many adult cats are lactose intolerant and drinking milk may give them diarrhea. If you are feeding a nutritionally balanced diet to your cat, there should be no need for milk.

If you do want to offer milk as a treat, cream is better than milk. Cream contains less lactose and most cats can digest the butterfat. A small serving of cream will satisfy the cat more than a bowl of milk.

Treats, People food and Dog food

There are many nutritional treats on the market. Follow the advice of the shop owner.

Never feed people food! There are many foods that can be toxic to pets that humans can handle. In addition many other foods are indigestible or provide unneeded calories. The same goes for dog food. It is specifically formulated for dogs and should never be fed to cats.

Cat Grass

Vegetable matter can be valuable in a cat's diet. Growing your own cat grasses can distract cats from other household plants! Check with your local pet store to see what is available.

When and how to feed

There are two common methods of feeding, neither seem to offer significant benefits over the other.

Feeding at specific times. This is a must when feeding wet foods but can also be used with dry foods. Be consistent, feed once a day at the same time, or ½ the feeding twice a day.

Free feeding. You can leave dry food out and allow the cat to feed when desired. Be sure to watch the cat's weight and replace any food that is left in the bowl at least once a week.