Posted by Jeanne on March 4, 2009
It’s almost impossible to say how much or how often a cat should be fed. This must be worked out with the individual cat. Try only to avoid the extremes of over- and underfeeding.
This is not so easy as it sounds. Cats are interested in food and eating — yours as well as theirs. No matter how well they may have dined, or how recently, they will sit staring wistfully whenever people eat. The temptation to share with them is strong, but resist it. It is no favor to your cat to let her get fat and flabby from overeating.
At the same time, don’t think that because she has caught a mouse she’s through eating for the day. There is food value in all the creatures a cat catches, but in these civilized times it is difficult for her to snare enough of them to keep herself adequately fed. Remember, too, that hunting is hard work. No cat can do it well on an empty stomach.
Feed your cat at regular times each day, and keep her cat bowl
in the same place. Serve her food at room temperature, and always keep fresh water available to her.
Cats have been known to like, and thrive on, so many unusual items that few foods can be ruled out absolutely. It seems to be agreed, though, that salted or spiced meats are not good; that pork in all its varieties is probably the least satisfactory meat; that a small amount of vegetables goes a long way; that any bone which splinters is deadly and must be avoided; and that candy and cake are less than ideal.
What’s good? Practically anything else the cat will eat.
Lean, raw meat is most attractive. Beef, lamb, veal, poultry are all dandy, if you can afford them. Horsemeat, frozen or canned, is just as healthy — and cheaper. Pork is possible, but should be cooked. Fish is fine, but it, too, should be cooked — and boned.
Perhaps more than anything else cats relish innards — liver, kidneys, heart, lung, gizzard. Unless you are a giblet fancier yourself, these items are a fairly inexpensive way to give your cat a de luxe diet without cutting into your own menu. Beef heart and lung, in particular, are pieces for which most butchers are willing to charge little or nothing. Also chicken heads — if you can stand them. Serve all of these things raw.
Prepared cat foods are nutritious and tasty, although you may have to discover which flavors your cat prefers. The main thing is to avoid monotony. Alternate prepared meat, fish and cereal dishes with horse-meat and innards, or whatever serves as a special treat at your house.
Your cat does not need a different dish at every meal, but she will appreciate variety and, in fact, will probably require it to guarantee that her diet is properly balanced.
She will need a raw egg two or three times a week to brighten up her fur. And an occasional spoonful of green vegetable — spinach, parsley, lettuce — will help keep her vitamin intake up. Again, serve raw, and without seasoning. Ideally, the vegetables should be mixed with a food the cat is very fond of. Normally she won’t eat vegetables straight.
For their medicinal quality rather than their food value, it is wise to include a little garlic and a little mineral or vegetable oil in a cat’s bill of fare. Garlic is insurance against worms in the intestinal tract, and the oil helps prevent the formation of hair bails in the stomach. The garlic — about half a clove — can be mashed and mixed with the cat’s dinner once every couple of weeks. The oil may be mixed or given straight. The oil in a sardine can meets the need very well.
Despite tradition, milk is not necessarily a favorite food of adult cats. They may drink it occasionally or disdain it completely. Either way, don’t fuss about it. Grown-up cats will get the same values elsewhere.
You may discover, usually by accident, that your cat has a taste for something unheard of — perhaps grapes or peanut butter or Münster cheese. If so, indulge her every once in a while. It won’t hurt her.
Posted by Jeanne on December 19, 2008
You need to make sure that you read the label on the food that you are getting for your cat. Although it may seem strange because your cat is a pet, his nutrition is still just as important as yours is. This is why you should read the ingredients so that you are aware of what is in the food you are giving your cat. You also need to pay attention to what formula of cat food that you are purchasing. They have food for adult cats, kittens, aging cats, cats on diets, and everything in between. You don’t want to be feeding your kitten adult food and vice versa.
After picking up the right food for your cat, there is matter of where to feed your cat, when to feed your cat, and how much to feed him. If you have never owned a cat before, this can be quite a tricky process to figure out all on your own. First and foremost, you need to find a place that is ideal for your cat to eat at.
Think about it from your cat’s perspective. You really wouldn’t want to eat while adults and kids are running all around you and being loud. This is why you need to find a place that is quiet and accessible for your cat to have his food and water bowls. Once you decide on a particular place, don’t keep changing it around because cats don’t always deal well with that type of change.
Keep in mind that your cat might make a bit of a mess when he is drinking and eating, so it may not be wise to put the food and water in an area that is going to be ruined by the mess. You also need to make sure that you are keeping the bowls clean and changing the water out on a regular basis to avoid your cat getting sick.
It is good to get your cat into the habit of eating at a particular time each day. Just as humans eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at certain times, so should your cat. Of course, this might not be quite so easy if you are away from the house during the day, but there is a solution. If your cat is eating dry cat food, you can simply put the entire day’s ration into the food bowl, and your cat can eat from it throughout the day.
If you aren’t sure you want to put it all in, you can choose to put half of it in the bowl. It’s really up to you and your schedule as to what a regular and convenient feeding schedule will be, but it is wise to get a regular pattern started.
The schedule below will give you some ideas as to how to coordinate your cat’s feeding schedule based on his age:
- At 4 to 6 weeks, give him 1/2 to 1 ounce three to four times day
- At 7 weeks to 6 months, give him 1 to 3 ounces three to four times day
- At 7 months to 1 year, give him 3 ounces two times a day, or you can leave 6 ounces in his bowl all day
You also can look on the package of cat food that you buy for what they suggest you feed your cat.
Just as there are certain things that you need to keep in mind when feeding your cat, there are also certain things that you shouldn’t do when feeding your cat.
- You shouldn’t give your cat bones. Chicken bones, pork bones, and fish bones are a big no because they can cause quite a bit of damage to your cats tummy and throat that could lead to a trip to the veterinarian or worse.
- A good tip for any animal is not to give your cat leftovers from the table. Although you think that you are doing them a favor by giving them a treat, you could be making a bigger problem when your cat begins to avoid his cat food.
- Cats can’t eat two foods in particular: chocolate and onions. These foods are considered toxic foods to your cat.
- Despite what you may have seen on television or in the movies, cats do not need to drink milk. If you give milk to your cat, you might find yourself cleaning up after an icky mess since it can cause diarrhea.
- The last tip is not to feed your cat any other animal’s food. He needs the nutrients that are in his cat food, and dog food won’t quite give them what he needs.
As time goes on and you have your cat, you will find out what foods or pet foods your cat can tolerate.
Just because you like to switch your food around because something was cheaper at the store or a new product looked better, doesn’t mean that your cat should jump around from one cat food to another. Pets are funny this way. Once he becomes used to a certain type of food, switching to another brand because it was on sale doesn’t always agree with his stomach.
If it happens that you want to switch your cat’s food, then you need to do it slowly. Do not just decide to replace cat food A with cat food B the next day. If you do so, you might find you have a cat with a very upset stomach. To switch your cat’s food without all of the digestion trouble, you will need to put just a bit more into each meal. This process can take a few weeks before the switch is complete.
There might also come instances that you need to consult with your veterinarian about your cat’s food needs such as if your female feline becomes pregnant or if your cat has health problems that are related to what he eats.