Feeding Your Cat - What You Should Know

By Jean Morgan 

You would think that feeding your cat would be the one part of act pet care that would be easy, but there are so many choices of food out there, that it can be downright confusing. You want to feed your cat the best food, the food that can provide the most vitamins and nutrients so that you can stays healthy and happy for a long time to come.

So, how do you know what type of food to feed your cat? How much food should you allow your cat to eat at one time? How many times a day do you need to feed your cat? If you make the wrong choice, you could severely impact your cat’s health, so as you can see, feeding your cat may not be as simple a task as you first thought it would be.

The majority of the cat food that you can purchase today has been specially formulated specifically for your cat’s health. It has the correct amount of vitamins and nutrients, with just the right number of calories, to ensure that your cat stays healthy, and doesn’t become overweight.

Your veterinarian should be able to suggest the best brand of cat food for your cat, as well as help answer any cat feeding questions that you may have. If your cat has health problems, or is overweight, he may require special food.

When purchasing cat food, you shouldn’t grab the cheapest bag that you can find and think that it is okay for your cat. When it comes to cat food, you really do get what you pay for.

If you can’t afford the most expensive brands, that is okay, but you should try to mix it up, maybe buy a more expensive, higher-quality brand one week, and then go for a cheaper brand the next week.

Your veterinarian will also be able to tell you how much your cat should weigh, and make suggestions to help you get your cat to that weight. Obesity is a major problem for cats just as it is for people, and significantly raises their risk for developing serious health problems as they grow older.

Try not to feed your cat the same type or brand of food all the time. Just as you would get bored and tired of eating the same thing everyday, so does your cat. Feed your cat a mixture of dry and canned cat food, and change flavors often. Most veterinarian’s will suggest that you give your cat canned food as much as possible, as it has higher nutrient content than the dry food, and is easier for your cat to digest.

You should never, ever give your cat or allow anyone else to give your cat table food or scraps. The food that you eat could cause serious problems with your cat’s delicate digestive system, damaging her health, and costing you major money in veterinary bills.

You should, however give your cat fresh water each time you feed it. Water is crucial in keeping your cat hydrated, and in helping her digest her food. If your cat doesn’t get enough water, it could develop bladder and kidney problems, again detrimental to your cat’s health and your wallet.

Feeding your cat the right foods isn’t really all that difficult, just do your homework and follow your veterinarian’s advice.