All You Need To Know About Cat Feeding

By | November 26, 2014

Cat Feeding A healthy, balanced diet is all what a cat requires to stay fit and active. But how much do you know that what type of food, what amount of food and how many times do you have to feed your feline friend. Not only this, it is essential to recognize the age factor and his health conditions when you are feeding your cat.

Definitely, cat feed depends on the various factors according to which you have to decide that what is appropriate for your cat. Usually, cats are fussy about their feed, but proper scheduling and the palatable taste will make your job little easier when it comes to feeding them.

Though the food you give to your cat should be balanced and complete, it’s crucial to know that how often you need to feed them. Check the various aspects you need to consider determining what amount and type of cat feed you require for your cat’s belly.

Consider Cat’s age

According to the age of your cat, the quantity and type of food is decided. Compared to old cats, growing kittens require more amount energy, and thus the feed has to be accordingly. Kittens require more amounts of proteins, vitamins and minerals for their healthy growth. Pet parents have to arrange for the feed that balance all these nutrients. The number of feeds given to kittens should also be more.

“Growing kittens up to six months of age may require three meals a day,” says Francis Kallfelz, DVM, PHD, board certified by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition and James Law professor of nutrition at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. “From age six months to maturity, most cats will do well when fed two times a day.”

When a kitten grows to adult, at about one year, feeding them once or twice a day is standard according to veterinarians. Dr. Kallfelz says, “Once cats reach adulthood, once a day feeding is fine as long as they are healthy and have no disease problems suggesting a reason to feed differently.”

As cats age, the number of feeds vary and as a pet parent, you need to take proper care that the food you are providing is appropriate according to his age. Whether you are giving wet feed or dry feed, consider giving according to their life stage. Wet and canned feed is more preferable for kittens and old cats, whereas adult cats can go with dry feed.

Don’t Neglect Cat Health

Healthy cats require good amount of food once or twice a day. Again feeding them depends on their overall health. A healthy growing kitten needs feed twice or thrice a day and a healthy adult cat requires feed twice or once a day.

However, if your cat is struggling with some health issue like diabetes, he may require cat feed based on insulin administration. In such cases, you need to talk to your vet for the appropriate food to be given to your cat. For cats suffering from arthritis, it is crucial to feed cats according to weight management to keep their weight under control. Arthritic cats also require additional supplements of calcium for active life.

Normally, with age, cats do face teeth issues like gum problems or loose tooth, which can make it difficult for them to chew dry food. Dr. Kallfelz recommends that if they are undergoing such conditions, then offer them canned food or dry in a finer nugget size. You can even crush the dry feed and mix it with water to feed your aging cat.

Types of Food

Many pet owners seem comfortable in providing dry feed to their cats. Veterinarians say that as long as these feeds are complete and balanced, it is fine to feed your felines. When compared to wet canned cat food, dry food is less expensive and even stays fresh longer. If your cat eats only dry food, it is important to provide them a lot of fresh drinking water. This helps to prevent illnesses like urine infections and urinary tract blockages. Without depending on cat’s age, breed and health, it is important to make available fresh water throughout the day.

For some cats, canned cat food is more palatable. Typically, cat canned feed is about 70- 80 percent water, and can be fed in addition to or instead of dry. Cats are likely to feed over canned food more as they are quite palatable. Sometimes, this makes them overeat and increase their weight. Therefore, along with canned cat food, it is crucial to provide dry food simultaneously.

Mixing the two types of food – dry food and wet food is not a big issue, but you need to take care that the calories should not exceed beyond your cat’s requirement.

Veterinarians say that free choice feeding is better for those cats that exercise self-control but some cats may snack all the time if they find food more palatable and invite obesity. If your cat can’t maintain his weight, then free feeding is not appropriate for them. In such cases, you need to control how much they eat. If you’re a big fan of free feeding, remember you have to provide fresh feed daily.

How Often to Feed Your Cat

How often you feed your feline friend also depends on your schedule. Mornings may be quite hectic for you as you prepare breakfast get your kids ready for school and you getting ready for your work. Are you stuck in this schedule? It’s easy to feed your furry animal in the evening when it’s less busy. If evenings are rush for you, then prefer feeding your cat in the morning before everyone gets out of the bed. Fix a schedule, which is feasible to both you and your feline – and then you can keep up to it.

Overall, you have found that which is the best time, type and how often you can feed your cat. Initially, experimenting with different types and schedule, you can fix kind of feed and time for your fluffy feline. Well, never forget to consider his age and health conditions before selecting a feed from the food aisle.