Tips For Feeding Your Finicky Feline

Anyone with a cat knows how persnickety they can be about eating…. from not eating enough, to eating too much, to everything in between.  Making sure your cat is properly fed is a challenge, so this month’s article lays out some tips on cat nutrition and health. Putting a little thought into what you feed your cat can pay off over their lifetime and help them avoid serious, painful, and costly illnesses.

Plain and simple, cats are true carnivores. They are built to get their main nutritional needs from eating meat. Unlike humans, cats lack the enzymes needed for proper digestion of vegetables. Therefore, cats cannot be vegetarians! They need high levels of animal based protein in their diet. 

Now that you know cats need lots of protein, what should you be feeding your cat? An increasing number of veterinarians are strongly recommending the feeding of canned food along with dry food. Water is absolutely vital to your cat's health. Cats may drink very little water, and if they are on a dry food diet they can become chronically dehydrated. This can lead to many health problems, such as bladder or kidney stones. The natural prey of a wild cat contains between 65 and 75 percent water. Dry food averages 10 percent and canned food averages 78 percent, so you can see that a canned diet is much better for meeting your cat's water needs than dry food. Since cats do not have a strong thirst drive compared to other mammals, it is critical that they get plenty of moisture with their food.  Recent studies show that a diet high in water is related to a reduced rate of weight gain and a spike in physical activity in cats.   

Choosing a high quality food from the hundreds of available brands can be challenging. The pet nutrition industry is very competitive and relies on forceful advertising to sell their products. Not all pet foods are created equally and the quality of ingredients can vary.  It can be difficult to determine their quality just by reading the label. Your veterinarian can help you with this information, or visit the Pet Food Association of Canada at www.pfac.com.  An average adult weighing 10 pounds should get about 275 calories a day. Illness and trauma may double a cat’s energy needs, so consult with your vet.

Exercise should go hand in hand with proper diet, and like humans, cats probably don't get as much exercise as they should.  Feline obesity is rising and overweight animals are experiencing more joint problems, diseases, a reduced quality of life, and a shorter life span. While it will depend how sociable your cat is, the more time you spend playing with your cat, the more calories they will burn as a result.  It's also good to encourage your cat to work for food, as cats do in the wild.  For instance, place their dry food in specially designed feeders that encourage activity in return for food.

What if your cat seems overweight?  Cats usually gain weight because they are being given too much food on a continuous basis.  To prevent overeating, put less of their food out at a time, allowing the cat to eat through the day.  Another option is to feed 2-3 meals a day.  It is easy to misinterpret a cat’s meow as wanting food.  Cats may meow for attention or to play, but owners often assume that the cat is hungry, especially if the cat follows them into the kitchen. Don’t automatically think that a meowing cat needs food.  If it’s not feeding time, they probably just want to play or be petted.

In summary, to help your kitty live a long, happy & cost effective life, feed them quality dry food mixed with a moist canned portion, encourage more exercise, and consult your vet on obesity and other health concerns.