The affection and companionship that cats give us are indisputable. That’s why they’re one of our favorite pets. Of course, if we want our feline friends to live healthy, happy lives for many years to come, we need to give them some care.
Among them, it’s essential to know how to feed a cat properly. We give you all the keys!
How to feed your cat: what’s the best diet?
According to the experts, it’s best to opt for a specific, high-quality diet. This type of food is specifically formulated for the animal, taking into account all its nutritional needs.
Dry food (kibble) can be one of the options. In fact, it’s usually the first one that’s taken into account. However, this can be supplemented with wet cat food (pâtée).
What’s more, according to professionals, the nutritional content of wet food is much more similar to the food eaten (or rather hunted) by feral cats.
Wet foods are also tastier, easier to eat and have a higher water content. For all these reasons, they are particularly suitable for older cats whose urinary system is starting to fail, in addition to dental problems.
It’s best not to feed it homemade food.
When you’re wondering how to feed a cat, you may be wondering whether or not it’s a good idea to provide homemade food.
As we said earlier, the good thing about commercially available cat meals is that they’re made with all your pet’s dietary needs in mind. What’s more, the higher the quality of these foods, the more they are made from the very best products, with an abundance of animal proteins.
However, this doesn’t mean that it’s totally forbidden to prepare homemade food for your cat. But if you’re not properly informed, you may not feed it properly and completely.
For example, do you know how important taurine is for cats? Supermarket cat food contains them. If you choose to prepare your cat’s meals yourself, you’ll need to provide dietary supplements such as taurine.
You should also take into account the foods that cats are not allowed to eat, and always avoid giving them our leftovers.
Water consumption
A cat that doesn’t drink enough water is a cause for concern, as this can end up seriously affecting its health, starting with urinary problems.
For this reason, it’s essential that your pet has several drinking fountains throughout the house, each with clean, fresh water for him to drink whenever he wants.
When a feline eats dry food, water intake should be higher than when eating wet food, as wet food is inherently more hydrating.
Another key to cat nutrition: doses
How many times a day should a cat be fed? There is no exact answer to this question, since the amount will depend on various factors such as :
- Feline weight and size
- Metabolism
- Cat lifestyle
However, it is generally recommended to give between 30 and 40 grams for a cat weighing 2 kilos and up to 85 grams for an adult weighing around 6 or 7 kilos.
The exact quantity is normally indicated on the food packaging, but your veterinarian is best placed to clarify this information for you, based on your pet’s real and specific needs.
The full daily dose should be divided into several doses throughout the day. Kittens under 6 months suckle between 3 and 4 times a day, while adult cats generally eat twice a day.
Should milk be included in a cat’s diet?
It’s an enduring legend, but one that turns out to be partly false. Cats don’t need to drink cow’s milk. Milk is recommended only for kittens. However, this milk must be breast milk or, in the case of orphan cats, formula milk. In other words, formulated for kittens.
Cow’s milk is contraindicated for both young and adult cats, and can cause serious intestinal problems.
In fact, what few people know is that most adult cats are lactose intolerant. In fact, when breastfeeding is stopped, lactase production declines, and lactase is the enzyme responsible for lactose digestion in cats.
So it’s best to avoid giving your cat milk, whether it’s small or older.
Cat treats
Another problem to analyze in feline nutrition is rewards. These are suitable when the cat is learning behavior patterns or for evaluating certain positive responses.
However, they should not be given continuously:
- They can make cats picky eaters.
- Sweets can lead to obesity.
- They unbalance their diet.
If you’d like to treat your cat from time to time, you can resort to these formulated snacks on sale in specialist stores. Another option is to offer a small piece of fruit suitable for cats.
The cat’s bowl
In addition to the food, you also need to consider the bowl in which the food is served.
To start with, it should be a wide, shallow bowl, as cats find it uncomfortable when their whiskers touch the edges of the bowl.
If possible, avoid plastic plates, as they are of the worst quality and can even give off odors that affect the taste of food. The most suitable are ceramics.
What’s more, it’s very important to wash pet dishes frequently, just as we do our own. Otherwise, bacteria and fungi accumulate, which also affects the quality of the food and the cat’s appetite, and can even affect its health.
You may now have a better idea of how to feed a cat. Do not neglect any of these indications and, if in doubt, consult your veterinarian!
We now hope to have provided you with as much information as possible to help you feed your cat !
