Feeding Your Cat

Dietary Needs: Your cat needs a variety of different nutrients, below is a brief overview of the basic needs.
    Protein: 25% of total diet (35-40% for kittens)
    Fat: 25-30% of diet
    Carbohydrate: Up to 33% of total diet

Water: 1 fluid ounce per pound of body weight

Amount of Food: Generally an average adult cat (between 5 and 10 pounds) will need 1/4 - 1/2 cup of dry food or 5-9 ounces of wet food daily. If feeding a combination of both then reduce the wet food amount by half.

Pre-Made Foods: Pre-made foods are available as moist canned food, soft-moist food, and dry food.

wet

Moist canned food typically contains some sort of meat, fish salts, vitamins, coloring, jellying agents, water and occasionally cereal. They can be used as a large part of your cat's diet because they contain 25 to 30% protein and lots of water. This is the most expensive of the pre-made foods, but is easily stored and sterile; however, cans that are stored for long periods of time can loose valuable vitamins.

soft_moist

Soft-moist foods are sold in foil packets and do not have a long shelf life. They are more expensive then dry food but are a better source of water and protein. The soft-moist foods contain a variety of ingredients including meat, fats, vitamins, coloring, soybeans, and water. Some brands are more wet then others, containing as much as 33% water.

dry

Dry food is a convenient cereal type of food that is easy to store and less expensive then moist or soft-moist foods. If the bulk of your cat's diet is from dry food make sure to provide ample amounts of water. Dry food contains meat, fish, cereal, yeast, fats, vitamins, and coloring however, they also contain the lowest amounts of protein, fats and water.

Fresh Foods: If you feed your cat a diet high in pre-made food you may want to supplement with some fresh foods once or twice a week. Just make sure that all meats are thoroughly cooked and are cut into small pieces and are bone free (especially chicken as these bones splinter easily and may cause choking). Some suggestions for fresh foods are: beef, lamb, pork, chicken, fish, egg, milk, cheese, yogurt, and basically anything you eat that your cat shows interest in. Some breeds of cats even like bread. Some cats do not tolerate cows milk and it will cause them to have diarrhea, if this is the case either stop providing milk or talk to your vet about supplements.

grass

Note on grass eaters: Grass is actually good for your cat. It contains vitamins and helps your cat get rid of hairballs. Make sure that if your cat is a frequent consumer of your lawn that you use a non-toxic fertilizer.

Special note: Feeding your cat fresh foods is something that is not agreed upon. Some pet food manufacturers, as well as some vets and a few breeders, advise against it. However, some vets and a lot of breeders highly recommend, and sometimes even insist on, supplementing your cats diet with fresh foods.

Liquids: Cats do not require as much fluids as humans do in proportion to its size, but liquids are essential to a cat's health. Water should be available to your cat in constant supply. Some cats will also drink water from other sources then the bowl provided, a leaky sink, bath water, puddles, etc. If your cat is only consuming pre-made dry food then the amount of water your cat will need will be higher than that of a cat who has a rounded diet of fresh foods and dry/soft-moist and moist pre-made foods. In general a cat will need 1 (one) fluid ounce of water per pound of body weight.

Feeding Methods: Cats are picky eaters. They like to eat frequently and their appetites vary. Its best to feed cats in a regular feeding area that is quiet, out of the flow of traffic, and is easy to clean. Indoors is best as the food won't spoil as fast and won't run the risk of attracting rodents or strays.

How often you feed your cat will depend on how much food your cat needs and your lifestyle. The suggested way is to feed small amounts frequently. However, if you are away from home a lot then you may find it easier to put out some dry food in the morning and let the cat nibble on that throughout the day and then in the evening provide some wet food.

Always provide a constant water supply. This can be obtained by filling a bowl daily or providing a 'self watering' type bowl.

Keeping your cat's food and water bowls clean is very important. It will also help a finicky eater from turning their nose up to old food left behind. Ceramic or metal bowls are recommended choices as plastic tends to harbor bacteria.