Cat Feeding Mistakes: Going Vegetarian Or Vegan
According to some vets, another up-and-coming mistake made when feeding cats is trying to make cats vegetarians or vegans.
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must eat mainly meat and animal organs to thrive. The amino acid taurine, for example, is found only in animal tissue. Lack of taurine can lead a cat to experience heart problems, blindness, and even death.
âThe nutrients cats need that come from meat, can be provided in the food synthetically,â Case says. âBut you have to be very careful, and aware of the cat’s nutritional idiosyncrasies.â Because most of us arenât quite sure of our own nutritional needs, it can be next to impossible to guess the needs of our cats.
Catfeeding Your Cat Differently: Leave Food In Self
It is innate in cats to eat several times a day in order to be able to fill its daily energy needs. He’s a born nibbler!
It has even been scientifically proven thata cat who consumes his daily kibble ration at once is more prone to overweight and obesity than a cat who consumes the same amount of kibble distributed over several meals.
Suddenly, the most effective way to feed your hairball is to leave it self-service kibble because this way, it can feed as it sees fit.
To do this, as the kibbles can be stored for a long time and do not deteriorate on prolonged contact with the air, you can put all of your cat’s daily ration in his bowl or use a silo or gravity kibble distributor, whether he will be able to eat at their own pace.
However, although most cats know how to ration themselves, some have a hard time, these cats described as gluttons consume more kibble than they need, all very quickly. This has the consequence of making them bigger, and ultimately obese. So, if you have a gluttonous cat, the ideal would be to opt for an automatic kibble dispenser to better ration it.
About Dr Pete Wedderburn Dvm
Dr Pete Wedderburn qualified as a vet from Edinburgh in 1985 and has run his own 4-veterinarian companion animal practice in County Wicklow, Ireland, since 1991. Pete is well known as a media veterinarian with regular national tv, radio and newspaper slots, including a weekly column in the Daily Telegraph since 2007. Pete is known as Pete the Vet on his busy Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages, regularly posting information on topical subjects and real-life cases from his clinic. He also write a regular blog at www.petethevet.com. His latest book: Pet Subjects, was published by Aurum Press in 2017.
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What Food Should I Feed My Cat
While there is a wide range of choices available we believe that we have researched the best formulas, sourced the best ingredients and made the best cat food available for your new family member.
Vetalogica offers two different choices for your cat. Both were developed by pharmacists who are passionate about creating pet food to keep your cat in optimal health throughout their lives.
Lets take a look at different types of cat food available across the market.
Wet Vs Dry Cat Food For Kittens
While your kittens are growing, They need a crucial nutritional needs. Should they eat dry cat food or wet cat food? Good quality Kitten food will have more protein. They will contain more healthy nutrition, calories compare to foods for adult cats. An opinion, a good quality dry kitten food daily along with a mix of a small portion of quality wet kitten foods.
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Wet Vs Dry Food Vs Both
Many pet parents feed their cats wet food, and some provide a mix of dry and wet food. Wet food is denser calorically than dry food. If youre feeding a combination of wet and dry food, its important to measure out the amounts so that your cat is getting the correct number of calories. 6 oz of wet food, or a little more than one can, averages about 250 calories. So, one can of cat food per day is enough for most cats daily if its supplemented with a little bit of dry food or treats. The trickiest part is that different foods will offer an additional number of kcals per oz. So, its essential to check the feeding instructions on the bag to get a feel for the caloric content of the specific food that youre feeding your cat.
Feeding Your Kitten Up To Four Weeks Old
From birth to a month old, your kitten will be getting all the nutrition they need from their mother when they suckle. At first, they’ll receive colostruma milk-like liquid which helps support their immune system in early lifefollowed by milk. If your vet advises you to, you can feed the newborn cat kitten milk to make sure they’re getting everything they need this is particularly important if their mother has no milk, not enough milk, or the litter is very large.
At first, your kitten may lose a little weight as it learns to suckle. However, after this, it should gain weight steadilyweigh it each day and consult your vet if their weight stagnates or drops. The best thing you can do during this period is to make sure your kittens and their mother are safe and undisturbed, leaving them to feed in peace.
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How Much Kibble To Feed A Cat
How much kibble to feed a cat depends on several factors. First, you have to consider what type of cat food your feline is eating. Cat foods are available in different formulas that cater to a range of needs, such as weight control or dental hygiene. For example, if your cat has been diagnosed with diabetes and is receiving insulin injections, youll have to be careful about the amount of carbohydrates in her diet so she doesnt experience hypoglycemia . Some veterinary clinics will recommend changing your pets diet entirely if they need special care and attention its important that you understand how much food will be best suited for them before making any changes.
Why Its Crucial To Calculate How Much Food To Feed A Cat
You might wonder why its important to determine the exact amount of wet cat food you should give your cat? As of 2017, an estimated 60 percent of cats in the US are classified as clinically overweight or obese. Thats about 56.5 million cats who are too heavy, and extra weight has a dramatic, negative effect on feline health.
Overweight cats are at an increased risk for congestive heart failure, skin disorders, infections, diabetes mellitus, complications associated with anesthesia and surgery, hepatic lipidosis , and some types of cancer.
Feeding cats wet food is never as simple as just opening up a can and letting them eat until theyre full. Indoor cats, in particular, tend to burn few calories throughout the day, and they become bored, which we all know can lead to excessive eating and weight gain. Pet parents need to take a strategic approach to measuring out cat food to prevent or deal with weight gain in cats.
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Is Dry Food Bad For Your Cat
While dry food for cats contains chemical compounds vital for your kittys wellbeing , its still a far cry from their ancestral feeding patterns. Cats are carnivorous creatures incapable of digesting high amounts of carbohydrates usually present in cat biscuits.
If your feline is on a kibble-only diet, it might lead to a slew of chronic health problems, including:
Unlike their two-legged caretakers, cats cant produce taurine and have to consume it regularly. A diet based solely on different types of dry cat food can result in amino acid insufficiency and cause various health problems, so you must pay close attention to the ingredients list of a particular product.
How To Store Wet Cat Food
If you only feed your cat a partial can, or they dont consume everything at one sitting, you can store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days, according to Purina Nutritionist Karina Carbo-Johnson, MS. If you have a special lid for canned goods, you can use that as well. Be sure to store unopened cans at room temperature.
Unopened cans will keep for up to two years in the pantry. Product shelf life may vary, however, so check the manufacturers website for more information.
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How Much Wet Or Dry Food To Feed A Cat
Now you know your cats body weight, how many calories it needs each day, and the calorie content of your cats food, so lets do this!
A good starting place is to find out how many calories your cat should eat from the feeding guide below .
For example, the table below shows a 10lb cat needs 216 calories per day. Simply divide this number by the calories in the food, as shown on the package.
How Much Wet Food Or Dry Food To Feed A Cat
Once youve determined how many calories your cat needs every day, you need to figure out how much food to feed a cat to provide those calories. Thankfully, manufacturers now have to list a foods caloric content on the label. It will be written as kcal/kg and kcal/can or kcal/cup . In nutrition circles, a kcal is the same as a calorie.
Divide your cats caloric needs by the foods caloric content . The answer will let you know how much wet food to feed a cat or how much dry food to feed a cat. To figure out how much food to feed a cat at each meal, simply divide the daily amount of food by the number of meals you plan to offer each day.
For example, lets say your cat is 10 pounds and very active, and they are on a diet of Tiny Tiger Pate Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Wet Cat Food. According to the chart, your cat should consume 346 kcal/day.
Since the calorie content of the wet cat food is 95 kcal/can, you would determine how much wet food to feed your cat by dividing 346 kcal/day by 95 kcal/can.
346 kcal/day ÷ 95 kcal/can = 3.64 cans of Tiny Tiger Pate Chicken Recipe Wet Cat Food per day.
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How Often To Feed Kittens
Younger kittens need to be fed several meals per day, if you are not free-feeding.
As they are growing and burning calories, we want to keep their bodies supplied with energy. Feed meals every 6-8 hours.
Your veterinarian will figure out the total daily calories that your kitten needs, and you can divide that between the number of meals per day. Typically, by the time kittens get to 4-5 months, they can be transitioned to two meals per day, still feeding the total number of daily calories, but in less frequent, larger meals.
Feeding Your Cat Well Also Means Giving Him Good Kibble
Indeed, not all kibbles are created equal, the ideal kibble must be perfectly suited to your cat’s carnivorous diet and provide it with all the energy and nutrients it needs. he needs, in a well-defined proportion.
You will find a multitude of types and brands of kibble on the market. However, only premium grain-free croquettes without a high content among other legumes will guarantee you such a high level of requirement. You will only find it in specialty stores, physically or online.
Ultra Premium dryadult cats normal activity
food forGrain-free and gluten-free, these premium dry foods are composed of 70% of raw materials of animal origin and 30% of fruits and vegetables. Although suitable for adult cats, these kibbles also contain many nutrients essential for the growth, vitality and development of the kitten . In short, a complete, balanced and healthy food for cats and kittens.
â¡ï¸ Make the most of your first order as quickly as possible â¬ï¸
To be more precise, in general, the perfect kibble should contain as much animal protein as possible , and the least of carbohydrates possible , the ideal being without cereals. In addition, in order to avoid possible health problems , the kibble must have a very specific intake of animal fats and minerals .
Note that the well-known brand names or distributors sold in the supermarket are to be avoided unless it is specified without cereal.
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Why Do Cats Need Wet Food
Many veterinarians recommend that cats eat a diet of exclusively or mostly wet food. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, cats are obligate carnivores and are not designed to ingest many carbohydrates . Dry food will automatically contain many more carbohydrates than wet food. For many cats, dry food consumption leads to obesity.
Secondly, most cats are not big water drinkers and tend to keep themselves on the edge of dehydration. Wet food naturally provides more water in the diet, which supports the kidneys, urinary tract, and overall health.
Recommendations For Owners Who Stick With Dry Food
Dry food can be fed but must be done by careful measure, specific meals and no snacking. Todays dry foods have much better ingredients allowing for a higher number of usable calories per cup, so even less is needed compared to the Little Friskies of 30 years ago.
Feeding multiple feedings a day is useful but can be a source of contention as the cat tries to get to be fed in between feedings. No open bowls of food should be available. Dry food is offered for a set amount of time, and any leftover food is removed until the next feeding. Sometimes, taking the bowls up, so there is no reminder of the lack of food is helpful to limit begging.
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How Much Should I Feed My Cat The Basics
The answer to How much should I feed my cat is based on many variables, including a cats weight and a cats age, whether youre feeding wet cat food or dry cat food, the cats activity level, and whether or not she is pregnant or nursing.
The brand of food youre feeding also makes a difference when were answering the question How much should I feed my cat. A dense, high quality dry cat food will contain more nutrients by weight than a low-quality food, and thus require smaller portions to deliver the same amount of nutrition for your cat.
Many cat owners allow their cats free access to dry food, supplemented by canned food once or twice a day. A dry-food-only diet is not necessarily a bad pet diet if youre feeding high quality food, but it does require that you encourage your cat to drink a lot more water to compensate for what shes not getting in canned food.
Cat Feeding Mistakes: Too Much Food
Probably the most common mistake people make when feeding cats is over-feeding, says Joe Bartges, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DACVN, professor of medicine and nutrition, the Acree Endowed Chair of Small Animal Research, in the College of Veterinary Medicine, at the University of Tennessee. Obesity is the most common nutritional disease seen in cats.
Although a pudgy kitty may look kind of cute, obesity is associated with cat health issues includingdiabetes, arthritis , and urinary tract disease. In fact,Bartges tells WebMD that cats may suffer from something similar to that very human condition, metabolic syndrome.
Its not necessarily that were intentionally giving our cats more food than they need, says Linda P. Case, MS, author of The Cat: Its Behavior, Nutrition, and Health. Its that our kitties are more sedentary, as compared to the days when they were barn cats and more active. Theyre little couch potatoes now, their nutrition needs are much lower, so its easy to overfeed them.
So how much food does your cat need? Thats a question best answered by a professional, though recommendations range between 24 to 35 calories a day per pound, to keep cats at a normal, healthy weight.
Continued
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How Often Should You Feed Your Cat
This is a highly debated topic and the answer is unique to your cat.
Some cats are like cows and like to graze on food all day . Others like eating at set times of the day and dont let you forget what that time is.
The big factor, whether you leave food out all the time, feed several meals, or just two meals a day, is to make sure you aren’t giving them more calories than their daily intake needs. You should not just fill the bowl whenever its empty this can lead to your cat becoming overweight or obese. Not all cats are good at regulating how much to eat at a meal.
Lets Talk About The Dry Cat Food Debate
Many cat owners leave dry food out for their cats. Some people supplement it with wet food and some dont. Is it the equivalent of feeding your kids on a steady diet of fast food.
If you are giving your cat only dry food to eat. She is likely to be getting less nutrition to compare to other cats eating canned wet cat food. A lot of fillers are present in many low-quality dry cat food. In the wild, only five percent of carbohydrates is in cats diet. That carbohydrate she gets from ingesting the stomach contents of her prey.
As many fillers are the necessary requirement for the extrusion process to shape dry food nuggets during manufacturing dry cat food. Dry cat foods are cost-savings Since theyre a cheaper ingredient than meat.
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