Food that we give to our cats has an immense effect on their health and quality of life. Cats need specific vitamins, minerals and proteins in their diet for an enjoyable life.
Texture, odor and temperature all play an integral part in cat food preferences. Learn what steps can be taken to make mealtimes enjoyable experiences for your feline friend.
Feeding Schedule
As part of your cat’s health regime, setting them a feeding schedule is vitally important to maintaining their weight at a healthy weight and monitoring their wellbeing. Plus, creating a fun routine together allows for bonding opportunities between yourself and your cat!
Ideal, cats should be fed twice daily: one meal in the morning and another before dinnertime. A timed automatic feeder allows you to feed smaller meals more frequently if this works better for your lifestyle.
Note that cats have small stomachs and do not digest foods well when left without sustenance for more than 8 hours, leading them to start yowling or experiencing hunger anxiety. Therefore, it’s wiser to feed small meals throughout the day or use an automatic feeder if you will be away often.
If you have multiple cats living together, keeping to a consistent feeding schedule will help prevent fighting over food and will ensure each cat gets all of the essential vitamins and nutrients for optimal health.
Feeding schedules depend on many internal and external factors, so always seek professional advice before altering your cat’s diet. A veterinarian and pet nutritionist will be able to offer guidance tailored specifically for their age, size and current health status; additionally they’ll weigh your cat at least weekly to make sure he or she is on track for meeting his or her calorie requirements.
Calorie Counting
Your cat’s daily caloric intake is crucial. These calories provide energy to power their normal bodily processes and too few or too many can result in serious health concerns.
Vets typically calculate how many calories your cat requires each day in order to maintain optimal body weight, taking factors such as age, activity level, breed type and reproductive status (neutered or intact) into account.
Your cat’s diet depends heavily on its composition of wet and dry food; dry foods typically provide more calories per cup or can than wet food, while many pet owners choose either 100% wet food or dry food as part of their routine feeding plan – however combining both may provide additional advantages depending on their cat’s specific dietary needs or any health conditions they may have.
When calculating your cat’s calorie needs, always include all treats and table scraps – even small nibbles from a dining room can add up over time, deviating from his daily calorie goals and potentially leading to unexpected weight gain.
Every pet food labels contain the calorie content for every serving. This information can also be easily found by conducting a simple Google search.
Meal Preparation
Cats are obligate carnivores that require high levels of protein, moderate levels of fat, and limited carbohydrates for sustenance. Additionally, cats need several other essential animal-sourced nutrients like vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.
As domestic cats are genetically identical to African wildcats, their bodies have evolved to consume a diet rich in meat-based proteins. Although you may enjoy giving your cat treats from time to time, treats should make up less than 10 to 15% of daily calorie consumption – excessive treat consumption could result in digestive issues, obesity, diabetes and cancer!
No matter whether your cat prefers raw or cooked food, committing to purchasing and preparing their meals requires making an investment of time and money. While it can be less costly than purchasing commercial food options, preparing food from scratch requires proper cleanup after each use and is especially susceptible to bacteria contamination since raw meat has not been frozen beforehand.
For optimal results, a digital scale should be used to weigh all ingredients and portion out the correct amounts. Store it in the fridge to thaw out and refreeze before storage – be sure to include juices and pieces of meat! Additionally, wash hands and dishes after handling raw meat since this could pose a potential threat of salmonella infection.
Treats
Treats can add variety and reward good behavior in your cat, helping motivate them through activities they may find less than fun, such as going to the vet or having their nails trimmed. But treats should never replace playing or snuggling time with your feline friend!
When selecting treats, be sure to select items with low calories. Avoid high-sugar foods like honey and molasses as well as processed food products; choose those made with animal or fish proteins instead, without fillers such as artificial colors, artificial flavors or preservatives. Freeze dried treats often offer smaller caloric counts than kibble, making these an excellent alternative to wet food for older cats.
Some human foods such as small pieces of raw chicken necks or wings make tasty treats for cats, provided only small portions are fed at one time and any potential lactose intolerance or allergies are monitored closely. Avoid giving your cat anything with onions, garlic, chocolate, raisins grapes alcohol and salty food like jerky treats that have been smoked or boiled as these may trigger unwanted symptoms in them.
Treat dispensers or puzzle toys are another way of activating your cat’s natural hunt and prey instincts by hiding treats for him to find. Just be sure not to give these types of treats too frequently so they don’t become associated with meals or become dependent on them.
