FELINE NUTRITION
As in people, proper nutrition
allows the body to maintain itself at optimum performance and
enhances longer life. In human nutritional circles there is a
saying “junk in, junk out”. This simple idea holds
true for your cat. It is important to recognize that nutritional
needs change with time.
Nutrition for the kitten
- Access to the first milk or colostrums is critical – it contains valuable nutrients and immune system factors
- Adequate nursing will ensure good growth during the first 4 to 6 weeks until weaning
- Kittens should then begin to eat solid food, and this should be of good quality
- Many cats do well with free-choice feeding, but it is also important to note that bored housecats will eat more and gain weight if food is always available
- Clean fresh water should be available at all times and changed as often as needed. Some cats prefer running water from a tap.
- Treats and snacks should not be overly fed as they can contain excessive calories
- The number one malnutritional disorder in cats is obesity and it can be prevented when your cat is still a kitten
Nutrition for the adult cat
- Lifestyle dictates what and how much you should feed: active, outdoor cats may require more calories, although they often ‘supplement’ this through hunting
- Know how much your cat is eating daily to prevent overfeeding or wasting of food
- Providing a high quality, balanced diet is essential
- Treats and snacks and table scraps add calories
- Prevention of obesity is very important in the adult cat
Nutrition of the senior cat
- As the cat ages so does its stomach and the diet should be easy to digest
- Providing a high quality, balanced senior diet is optimal
- Monitor appetite closely and provide ready access to clean water
- Remember that the metabolism slows down with age and obesity can quickly develop
A word on table scraps, treats and supplements
By feeding a high quality, balanced diet, these are not needed. Remember that when you use these they can become an important source of calories and contribute to obesity. They may also contain substances that could harm your cat.
Please feel free to discuss your cat’s nutrition with one of our veterinarians.
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