What Is The Best Type Of Food For My Cat?

Owners of today’s domesticated cats have never had so much choice of foods to feed their pets. There are dried, tinned, semi-moist and fresh foods, together with a wide range of tasty food treats ranging from freeze-dried to fresh prawns, tuna and all types of meat. All of these foods have something to offer a healthy, active cat.

Low-cost foods may not contain the ideal balance between proteins, carbohydrates, bulk, vitamins and minerals, but they can sustain a cat. More expensive foods may offer the ideal dietary balance and the price usually generally indicates the amount of research and development that has gone into the product, as well as the freshness of the ingredients.

Does My Cat Need Milk?

Mammal milk is species-specific and some researchers involved in nutrition and allergies would argue that it is not wise to give one animal’s milk to another. The fact that cats readily lap up cow’s milk is not a scientific argument that it is good for them. Others argue that there are ingredients in milk which offer much-needed calcium and fats, but in fact these important nutrients could easily be offered in other ways.

How often should I feed kittens?

Kittens need roughly twice the nutrients of adult cats, for both growth and energy. Obviously, their tummies cannot handle large quantities of food, so much like human babies they need frequent feedings at first, tapering off as they grow. It is important during this time to weigh the kittens regularly, to ensure they are gaining regularly, but not becoming overly fat.

Can I feed my cat dog food?

your cat's nutritional requirements are not the same as those of a dog. For example, cats require higher levels of protein than dogs. Cats must have the amino acid called taurine in their diet, whereas dogs can actually make their own taurine. A cat eating food deficient in taurine can develop severe heart disease and other health problems. Almost all cat foods now contain added taurine.

how should I feed my cat?

So where should you start? Start with the food itself. Avoid poor-quality foods - in addition to actually being more expensive (due to the increased quantities you'll need to fulfill nutritional requirements), poor-quality foods produce more waste and may create digestive or behavioral problems. Instead, choose a high-quality food and look at the recommendations on the label. Make sure you know your cat's weight (and projected target weight if necessary). Ask your veterinarian if you're not sure about an ideal weight for your cat. When determining the amount of food to feed, remember to factor in environmental variables and any additional calories from treats or table foods, and adjust the starting food amount accordingly.

What should I feed my pregnant cat?

If you didn't start a vitamin-plus-mineral supplement before breeding, start it now. Do not over-supplement, as that may be harmful to the developing kittens. If you are adding multiple supplements to the diet, make a list of all the ingredients, gather nutritional labels, and take everything to your veterinarian to make sure it is balanced. Poor diets may cause problems with the developing fetuses and with pregnant cat.