Is it possible to feed a cat only dry food? Is it possible to feed a cat dry and wet food at the same time: how to combine it correctly. Food selection for an adult

Kirill Sysoev

Calloused hands never get bored!

Mar 30 2017

If a four-legged friend appears in the family, the owners must know how to take care of it so that the animal remains healthy and cheerful. Otherwise, it is better to hold off on replenishing. The appearance of a cat in the house entails great responsibility; it is important to properly adjust the pet’s diet and eliminate the risk of developing dangerous diseases.

What to feed your cat

It is common to believe that such a pet already traditionally loves fish, milk, and meat. In fact, a cat’s diet is somewhat more varied and eliminates vitamin deficiency and the appearance of its unpleasant symptoms. Individual nutritional characteristics depend on the breed of the animal. The question of what to feed your cat should be addressed correctly to a knowledgeable veterinarian, without violating his instructions. Nutrition can be natural, artificial or mixed, and in the latter case we are talking about a combination of healthy food from a person’s table with elite food from the best manufacturers.

How many times a day

There are certain rules that every breeder must follow to maintain the health and cheerfulness of his four-legged friend. For example, how many times a day to feed a cat correctly so that the animal does not remain hungry or overeat. The best option is in the morning and evening, while monitoring the volume of single servings. Cats that lead an active lifestyle may not eat enough, but for true couch potatoes this feeding schedule is ideal.

Which food is better

Feeding canned and dry food is very convenient, which is why in the modern world it is preferred among breeders. Such dishes do not require pre-cooking, and they contain valuable microelements and minerals necessary for a pet. The question immediately arises, which food is better for cats - dry or canned. Both options have their advantages and significant disadvantages.

Wet food contains 85% moisture, is a perishable product and, if opened and stored improperly, can become the main cause of poisoning for a pet. However, the presence of sealed packaging prevents damage to the sealed product, the formation of mold, and putrefactive processes. Taking into account all these nuances, breeders choose dry food, which is less troublesome in everyday use and storage.

Dry food

When choosing a healthy diet, the breeder will have to familiarize himself with a wide range of products and flavors. Dry cat food with the flavors of chicken, beef, fish, turkey, rabbit, pork, and liver is available for free sale. Even assorted vegetables are noticeably popular with cats. To improve the digestion of your four-legged friend, grains are often added to dry food. The idea is not bad, but before purchasing it would be wise to study the composition for the presence of harmful components, preservatives, and synthetic flavors.

Natural nutrition

Representatives of the British, Bengal breed, being the heirs of their elite parents, can be accustomed to natural food from the human table. This results in both health benefits for the animal and savings for some breeders. This also applies to representatives of other elite breeds that require special care. Natural food for cats includes the following mandatory components of the daily menu:

  • meat, offal;
  • seafood, fish of certain varieties;
  • eggs, dairy products;
  • cereals and vegetables.

How much feed is needed per day - table

The intake of protein, fats and carbohydrates into the animal body must be balanced, uniform and regulated. Therefore, it is correct to determine the daily portions of food in advance, stick to the chosen option, do not overfeed your beloved pet, but also do not leave him hungry until the evening. The determining factors are illness, age, pregnancy or previous castration. Below is a table that describes how much food a cat needs per day so that the animal eats properly, does not starve, or overeats.

Age of the cat

Daily portion, grams

Taking into account pregnancy

Taking into account castration

In the presence of chronic diseases

3-6 months

6-9 months

9-12 months

Double the serving size

Determine individually with a veterinarian, based on the nature of the pathology.

1 year (up to 4 kg)

Increase the single serving

1-3 years (4-5 kg)

8 years (5 kg or more)

Norm of dry food per day

It is necessary to determine the permissible doses of cat food per day based on the age and weight of the pet. If 70-100 grams per day is enough for kittens to eat, then the norm of dry food for adult cats per day is 250-300 grams. This is not the limit: it all depends on age, the approximate daily menu, and its variety. Eat properly, healthy foods, so in addition to dry food, give preference to regular food from the table.

How much wet food do you need per day?

If your pet weighs 2-3 kg, you need to give 35 grams of dry food and one bag of canned food. When the cat weighs between 3-5 kg, the norms of dry and wet food increase to 50 grams and 1.5 bags. If you are interested in knowing how much wet food a cat needs per day weighing 5-7 kg, the answer is simple - 60 grams of dry food and 2 bags (pouches) of canned food. If you eat a varied menu, you can fatten up your four-legged friend to the “eat and sleep” category.

Feeding with natural food - menu

Many breeders give preference only to natural dogs and try to prepare their own food for their four-legged friend. This is an alternative to expensive premium food that professional breeders use in cat diets. Feeding a cat natural food is more tedious and troublesome, but beneficial for the health of the animal. Food should be protein, contain valuable microelements, minerals for the growth of hair and teeth, strengthening bone structures. Proper nutrition for a cat includes the following food ingredients in the daily menu:

  1. Protein foods of animal origin: beef, poultry, offal.
  2. Plant foods: porridge, bran, sprouted oats, vegetables.
  3. Dairy products: cream, sour cream, milk, eggs, low-fat cheeses.

What cereals can you give?

If the animal is sick, it is better to seek an answer to the question of how to properly feed a cat at an appointment with a veterinarian. In such a clinical picture, nutrition should have medicinal properties and enrich the body with valuable vitamins, regardless of the breed. It is much easier to feed a healthy pet, but it is wise to find out in advance what cereals can be given to cats, and which it is better to immediately refuse.

Rice, oatmeal, buckwheat and corn grits are approved for use by Maine Coon, British, Scottish and other breed pets. But it’s better to immediately refuse pearl barley, peas and wheat porridge. It is advisable to cook these cereals in meat or chicken broth, otherwise the cat may simply not like the proposed dish. If possible, add 1-2 cm pieces of meat for greater appetite.

What vegetables can you give?

When figuring out whether it is possible to feed a cat only dry food, it is important not to forget that the diet should not only be balanced, but also varied. Therefore, the simultaneous combination of feed and natural food does not harm if you select the ingredients correctly and determine the permissible doses. Vegetables can be given to a cat in limited quantities and not all of them. For example, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, melon, cucumbers, and celery are allowed. It is not correct to completely switch living creatures to such a vegetarian menu, since the permissible dose of vegetables is no more than 10% of the daily diet.

What meat to feed a cat

This is an important component of the daily nutrition of your four-legged friend. When answering the question of how to properly feed a cat, meat products are the basis, since they enrich the animal’s body with vital protein, strengthen muscle mass, and provide a full supply of vitamins. The main thing is to correctly decide on the variety and prepare the dish.

So, it is prohibited to feed a cat fatty meat, so it is better to immediately stop buying pork and lamb. The best options are beef, chicken and turkey; the use of offal is not prohibited. The method of heat treatment is cooking to prevent excess fat from entering the animal body. If you feed your pet correctly and in a timely manner, health problems will not arise.

What to feed a kitten

The first weeks of life are very important for a small kitten, since during this period taste preferences are formed and the functioning of the digestive organs is normalized. Therefore, it is very important with the question of how to properly feed a young cat or cat, it is better to immediately contact a veterinarian. Vitaminized foods are especially useful according to your pet’s age category.

If you feed a kitten with such store-bought products, it is important to understand that over time it will hardly be possible to switch it to food from the common table. In order for the animal to quickly gain weight without “earning” chronic kidney disease, it is better to independently prepare natural, healthy food for the younger generation. It is important to periodically change your diet, thus strengthening the immune system and systemic digestion.

Pregnant cat

Proper nutrition for cats when bearing kittens is the key to impeccable health of the future offspring. Since during this period the animal becomes especially picky about food, it is better to switch it to elite dry food, specially designed for expectant mothers. Such nutrition of a pregnant cat will replenish the deficiency of vitamins, strengthen the body, prepare it for the upcoming labor, and will not allow the animal to gain much weight. You can cook food yourself, but give preference to lean varieties of meat and fish, steamed or boiled.

Sterilized

It doesn’t matter whether it is a Scottish Fold or a Scottish Straight, or even a Siberian, Scottish or Thai breed, it is important to take the daily nutrition of a sterilized cat with special responsibility, especially in the first days after the operation. Choose industrial feed with special labeling. However, veterinarians cannot rule out natural food, which should be properly composed of boiled fish and lean meats. The presence of grains and vegetables to feed the cat is appropriate only in minimal doses.

Neutered cat

After surgery, nutrition must be balanced in order to restore the animal’s resource. There are several options for how to feed a cat after castration, but it is recommended to focus on changing the volume of daily portions. Immediately after the operation, each meal should be halved, while fasting days should be arranged regularly. If the cat eats a full portion, do not give supplements; it is better to increase the daily number of meals. The basis of the diet is boiled young beef and fermented milk products.

Cat with urolithiasis

It would be right to switch to healthy foods and eliminate the presence of preservatives in your diet. The daily diet for cats with urolithiasis is lean meat and fish, seafood, offal, and dairy products. It is correct to give a sick animal more fluid so that the stones pass naturally, without additional surgery.

old cat

At this age, a pet already has its own taste preferences, which are not recommended to be violated. The only advice is to feed your old cat products from elite manufacturers or natural food rich in vitamins. The benefits for the animal body will be obvious. The daily feeding of elderly cats and the variety of their diet should be further discussed with a specialist.

Nursing

It is advisable to give preference to the Holistic brand, which offers high quality products at an affordable price. It is very important to feed a nursing cat healthy ingredients so that she can feed the next generation. You can cook it yourself, but preferably steam it and don’t forget about the benefits of dairy products during lactation.

After intestinal surgery

After such a surgical intervention, it is correct to put the four-legged patient on a therapeutic diet. The first day will be a fasting day, since the absence of bowel movements is desirable. In the future, it is recommended to feed the cat after intestinal surgery with stewed or boiled vegetables, meat or vegetable broth, and steamed marine fish. Be sure to provide water and temporarily avoid the presence of fermented milk products in the diet.

What not to feed

A fat animal is not always a healthy animal. It is very important to know what not to feed cats, so as not to inadvertently harm the health of your four-legged friend. Forbidden foods are semi-finished products and dubious preservatives, pickles and mushrooms, chocolate and alcoholic beverages, chicken bones and lard, potatoes and bread. It is important to study in detail how to properly feed a domestic cat so as not to risk the health of your pet.

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Having tried to feed the pet with industrial products, the owner feels relieved, because he can forget about cooking. Granules are convenient to store, they can be left in a bowl, but sooner or later every owner wonders whether it is possible to feed a cat only dry food. Let's figure out whether a monotonous diet is dangerous for a pet and how to properly feed a cat with industrial products.

Feeding cats dry food has as many disadvantages as advantages. What guides the owner who decides to constantly feed his cat dry food?

There are a lot of options, but the most popular ones are:

  • Easy to store - you can buy for future use.
  • Non-perishable product - can be used in automatic feeders or pour a portion into a bowl for the whole day.
  • Simple calculation of nutritional value - on the box (package) with food there are recommendations on the daily portion, calorie content and nutritional value.
  • Cats love food - this is a separate topic for debate, let’s just say that cats rather get used to it.

This list can be continued, but almost all of its points will come down to owner's convenience. The advertisement insists that the food is also healthy. Does the owner, often busy and tired of work, have a choice? It may not be obvious, but there is always a choice. You can choose what type and class of food your pet will eat, and this is one of the most important nuances.

All feeds are divided into types:

  • Dry – granules.
  • Semi-moist - pieces with gravy, packaged in jars or sachets.
  • Wet - pate, usually packaged in portions.

There are a number of nuances here and we will return to them later. According to food classes, they are divided into:

  • Economy- usually the most advertised and recognizable brands. In terms of price, these products should be cheaper, but this is not always the case. Economy food is based on carbohydrate foods (beans, corn, soy), which are not beneficial to the cat. In order to make their products more attractive, manufacturers add flavoring additives to feed. It is to economy class food that pets develop an unhealthy addiction, since taste enhancers cause addiction.
  • Premium– everyday food for a healthy animal, provided that the owner has excellent memory. The fact is that premium food is only partially fortified, so the pet needs special supplements. Year-round intake of vitamin supplements is fraught with hypervitaminosis, so supplements are used in courses, usually in spring and autumn.
  • Super premium– in theory, a fully fortified daily food for healthy animals. You can find out whether the product class corresponds by reading the composition. Please note that not all super-premium food contains a sufficient amount of protein.
  • Holistic- according to manufacturers, the most natural industrial food. Holistic class does not contain preservatives, so it cannot be stored for years. Naturally, food of this type is considered the highest quality, but it is also the most expensive.
  • Medicinal– a class of food intended for cats with allergies, pets suffering from urolithiasis and other ailments. Please note that medicinal food is not used for prevention; it must be prescribed by a veterinarian upon detection of an illness or the threat of its imminent development. Trying to get ahead of events, many owners begin to feed a castrated or sterilized cat medicated food, which only accelerates the development of the disease.

Depending on the manufacturer and its market share, you may see foods designed specifically for the needs of animals, e.g. kittens, active or long-haired cats. When making a choice based on individual indicators, you need to focus only on the needs of the cat. You will not do better by feeding an adult pet kitten food or a young cat food for older animals. The logic is clear - more nutritious, a wide range of vitamins. In fact, you will persistently disrupt the animal’s natural metabolism, which will not bring any benefit.

A similar path should be followed if the choice is made between feeds for certain breeds of animals. A simple example: a British cat needs to be fed carefully, as it is prone to gaining excess weight. The Sphynx needs more nutritious food because it spends more energy on heating. If you feed your British cat food for the Sphynx, even very high-quality and expensive food, your pet will quickly gain excess weight.

Note! Cats should not be fed commercial dog food because it does not contain half the required amount of protein.

Dry food - important facts

Above, we already touched on the topic of cats getting used to dry food. Indeed, too many owners are puzzled by the question of how to wean their pet from drying and switch it to natural food. If dry food were as healthy as advertised, would there be a need to give it up? The only reasonable argument that can be made here is money. However, let me note that a full-fledged natural feed is unlikely to be cheaper than premium or super-premium food. What's the catch?

In addition to the obvious dangers of dry food, there are several more nuances that you need to know about before choosing the type of food. Not all cats like dry food. Yes, a pet can put up with and even get used to drying, but not consume it with pleasure. Some cats have sensitive digestive systems, meaning that no matter how much they want to, they are unable to digest kibble. In this case, a cat that consumes high-quality food appears unhealthy.

Allergy to drying– this is a very common phenomenon, it is not customary to talk about it, but this does not change the facts. Almost all feed manufacturers want to increase profits, to do this they need to attract buyers, and to do this they need to reduce the cost of their products. How to make meat cheaper? Replace it with offal, or even better, bones and waste. In the first case we are talking about feed of average quality, and in the second about economy products. An even more profitable option is to replace meat with fat and grains... this is the basis of most economy class food.

Types of feed, their pros and cons

Let's highlight the facts that we know about and make a comparison. And so we will find out whether it is possible to feed a cat only dry food, and whether it is worth alternating dry and wet food. By the way, there is no particular point in feeding different dry foods (but only dry ones). The pet’s body will not be able to adapt to digesting products of different compositions, which means it will not completely absorb the food.

Not only cat owners, but also zoological experts argue about which type of food is better and healthier. American scientists conducted an experiment with several control groups of cats, each of which was fed only dry food or only canned food. The result was not surprising - all cats felt the same. The result was not surprising since same brand and line is identical, the only difference is the water content. Nuances were not discovered, since the observation was carried out over a short period of time.

The first nuance concerns teeth, or rather, their health:

  • Dry food– helps massage gums and prevent tartar. With prolonged use, drying spoils the enamel; this fact has been confirmed scientifically and statistically. It is not recommended to give dry food to elderly cats and kittens, since an older cat may lose teeth, and the baby runs the risk of ruining its bite.
  • – does not require intensive chewing, which preserves the integrity of the enamel. However, if a cat eats only soft food, plaque will form on its teeth in a matter of weeks, which is the first stage of tartar problems. Pates, or rather their prolonged consumption, negatively affect the health of the gums and the health of the digestive system.

Let’s look at the issue of the state of the gastrointestinal tract in a little more detail. In its natural environment, a cat swallows food in pieces, not too large, but not too small. Pieces of meat take quite a long time to digest (about 2 hours) and only then enter the intestines. What happens when a cat eats food:

  • Dry food stays in the stomach for about 2 hours and constantly absorbs liquid, which encourages the cat to drink more. Only after the granules have swollen does the process of digestion and movement into the intestines begin.
  • Pieces of food are often swallowed by the cat without chewing first. Since the food is thermally processed, it remains in the stomach for about an hour, after which it moves into the intestines.
  • The cat has to lick the pate. Food is partially digested in the stomach and partially in the intestines.

As you can see, not a single version of natural food is digested like meat, which a priori disrupts, or rather, changes the process of the gastrointestinal tract. There is nothing critical about this if the cat receives the same diet every day. If you alternate dry and wet food or dry and natural food, it is important to consider the digestion time. The intestines and stomach will adapt, but some of the food eaten will still not be absorbed and will lead to rotting. When food rots in the animal's intestines, the cat will suffer from cramps and increased gas production.

The place of ready-made food in a cat's diet often raises many questions among owners of furry pets. Is it possible to feed a cat only dry food? How to do it right? Which manufacturer is better? The answer to the first of these questions is clear: you can! Read below about the choice of food and the rules for feeding your pet with the finished product.

High-quality dry food contains everything a cat’s body needs: it includes proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins – the list goes on and on. This product will provide your cat with proper balanced nutrition. At the same time, feeding your pet anything else is not only not necessary, but is not even recommended, and here’s why:

  • It is difficult for a cat’s digestive system to constantly adapt from one type of food to another;
  • The balance of substances necessary for the body may be disrupted, since the dry product already contains the required norm.

In practice, mixed feeding is used by many cat owners, and opinions about it are mixed. Veterinarians still recommend choosing one thing: either high-quality food - “dry”, or natural food (meat, vegetables, grains, vitamins) - “natural”.

Benefit or harm?

So, there is no need to doubt: it is possible and even necessary to feed your cat only dry food. But you need to approach the choice of brand extremely responsibly. After all, poor quality food will negatively affect the health of the animal, and the consequences may appear months and even years later.

Cheap food contains components that are harmful to cats, such as:

  • flavorings;
  • dyes;
  • odor and taste enhancers;
  • preservatives.

Products from unscrupulous producers also contain excess salt, sugar, spices, starch, and instead of real meat, offal and meat waste. This mainly applies to economy-class feed, but it also occurs among brands that position themselves as premium (read more about the classification of feed below).

Professional food, subject to proper selection, on the contrary, will become the key to health and longevity for your pet. They contain the following useful components:

  • natural meat of a certain variety (beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit, etc.);
  • complex of vitamins and minerals;
  • amino acids;
  • probiotics.

Moreover, all these components of good food are in an optimal ratio for the cat’s body.

Most veterinarians do not recommend feeding your cat dry food and homemade food. Otherwise, serious harm to the health of the animals may be caused.

This is due to the physiological characteristics of cats. With a certain diet, their body produces specific enzymes to digest this food. But it cannot simultaneously produce enzymes for another type of nutrition. Therefore, combining food is fraught with problems with the cat’s digestive tract.

Combination of natural and industrial feed

Almost all experts insist that this cannot be done. Veterinarians warn: it is harmful to the health of pets to flavor natural food with dry food. Just like you can’t add homemade food to an industrial product.

Cats do not require a varied diet. They have little sense of taste, and frequent changes in diet lead to digestive disorders.

In addition, most commercial pet foods include all the necessary microelements for the pet's development. This is especially true for premium food, which even includes all the necessary vitamins. And adding natural food can create an imbalance in the body.

But some experts and cat owners believe that it is possible to combine the two types of food, providing only a balance between them and different feeding times. IN In this case, we are talking only about the combination of healthy natural food with premium food.

It is strictly forbidden to give your pet homemade food and dry food at the same time. If we are talking about canned food, then you cannot combine raw and cooked foods - the former take longer to digest in the cat’s body.

Switching from one food to another

The only case when it is permissible to combine natural and industrial food is when changing the type of food. The owner can make such a decision for various reasons: the kitten growing up, the pet aging, illness, castration/sterilization, food allergies, etc.

A prerequisite for a correct transition: this should be done gradually. A sudden change in diet can often disrupt digestion and cause indigestion and vomiting.

The new food should slowly “displace” the old one. For some days it may constitute only a quarter of the usual diet. Then its share will increase until the new food completely replaces the old one. This process lasts up to several weeks.

During this period, you have to give natural food at one meal, and dry food at another time. The proportions are gradually changing in favor of a new type of nutrition. When switching from natural food to dry food, the regime is important: a bowl of wet food is set out for half an hour. If it is not eaten, the next portion is offered to the cat after 6-8 hours. And the share of dry food is gradually increasing.

When replacing dry food with natural food, the first one is no longer freely available, but is issued according to a schedule - at a certain time. And the share of natural food in the pet’s diet is increasing. During the transition period, enzymes will gradually adapt to digest the new product.

The process should be monitored: if the combination becomes accompanied by gastric disorders, then the portions of the new food should be reduced until the situation returns to normal. In case of persistent problems with the digestive tract, you should stop combining dry and natural food.

If an animal develops an allergy, you need to find out which component caused the reaction. This is done by sequentially eliminating one product after another.

Mandatory condition: fresh water should always be available to the pet. You only need to give your cat fresh food.

Vitamins and microelements

When replacing one type of food with another, an imbalance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, vitamins and microelements occurs. It is recommended, after consulting with a doctor, to use pro- and prebiotics, food enzymes, and vitamins. For example, when fish is introduced into the diet, a cat may develop urolithiasis due to an imbalance of calcium and phosphorus.

It is also possible that the pet does not receive the necessary substances. Only premium and super premium class products are fully balanced. In other categories there is no necessary balance of useful elements, and appropriate supplements will be required.

It is especially important to ensure that cats are getting enough taurine. The animal body does not produce it on its own. This amino acid helps digest fats and support the immune system. Meat contains taurine, but it breaks down during cooking.

You should consult your veterinarian about the course of vitamins and other nutritional supplements for the period of combined feeding.

When combining food, it must be taken into account that cat food should contain 5.3 g of protein; 1.8 g fat; 1.6 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of animal body weight. Meat should predominate in your pet's diet.

All owners of feline friends are faced with choosing the appropriate food for their pet. I want the cat to be healthy and make his family happy. Good condition is influenced by many factors, one of which is a good diet. It is still not known which feeding is considered best, natural or dry food.

Owners who feed animals with food that they themselves eat run a very high risk of harming their pet. The body is not designed for human food, and the consequences can be dire. Liver diseases, gastritis, impaired digestion and many other troubles await the eater of the wrong food. Therefore, you should know how to feed your cat properly without risking its health.

  • roast;
  • conservation;
  • sweets;
  • salted and seasoned foods.

A prerequisite for proper nutrition of a cat is the presence of drinking water in the diet. Considering the capacity of the mechanical one, we can say with confidence that the cat will be constantly fed with fresh, germ-free water and tasty dry food, which has retained its quality even in a plastic feeder.

What to choose?

Experts still cannot say which type of feeding is better. Many people argue about this. But in the end, you have to make your own choice about how to feed your cat.

If you don't have a lot of time, then dry food is more suitable. They contain everything necessary to provide for the animal.

If you are willing to work hard and provide your mustachioed with a variety of foods, then natural food is perfect. In this case, you must choose the right components.

Do not alternate types of feeding. They are absorbed differently by the body and have different substances that, together, will cause an imbalance.

How much should a cat eat per day?

The amount of food is selected individually for each animal. According to standards, the animal should eat 2 times a day and the volume should be from 150 to 200 grams; overweight pets can consume 120-130 grams. We recommend that you rely on these standards when calculating how much your cat should eat per day.

Dry food and canned food

Ready-made food has many advantages:

  1. Practicality. No need to cook, pour it into a bowl and enjoy your meal.
  2. Saving. Dry food is cheaper than a full range of natural products.
  3. Diversity. There are foods for different types of cats. For sedentary, active, pregnant, neutered and many others.
  4. Balance. Manufacturers have included sufficient amounts of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates that the animal needs.

But be careful when choosing food. Carefully study the manufacturer's brands to avoid purchasing a low-quality product.

Don't listen to friends who give advice based on their own experience, and look at the packaging for instructions on how to properly feed your cat dry food. Each animal is unique and reacts differently to everything. The cat’s body may not accept this or that food, and an allergy may be a side reaction.

If you want to eliminate the occurrence of such problems, it is better to use natural food.

How to feed natural food?

  1. The cat can choose what to eat. Based on her preferences, you will choose the right diet.
  2. Ability to regulate food. You can choose an individual menu that suits your furry.
  1. Take a lot of time. Buying and preparing food is not a quick task, but if you have the opportunity to be a personal chef for a cat, then this is not a minus.
  2. It is difficult to choose a menu so that the animal does not gain weight or lose weight.

This type of food should contain: meat, cereals, dairy products, vegetables. Below is a list of recommendations for properly feeding your cat natural food:

  • The meat should be lean, so beef, poultry or rabbit are more suitable. Pork is very fatty and should be avoided;
  • All porridges are suitable, with the exception of legumes. They are difficult for the body to digest and cause bloating;
  • Dairy products are very good for bones; it is recommended to give sour cream, kefir, and cottage cheese. Milk is quite heavy for a cat's digestion;
  • All vegetables can be given to your cat, as long as they are not salted, canned or fried.

Various treats are an important component in the diet of any animal. They are made from natural meat ingredients and contain an admixture of fiber and a large amount of amino acids. In addition, it contains an extensive vitamin and mineral complex that is necessary for the cat’s body.

How much water does a cat need per day?

The daily rate of water consumption is from 20 to 40 ml per 1 kilogram of weight. For example: a cat weighing six kilograms should drink 180 ml. To understand how much a cat should drink per day, you need to weigh your pet and calculate.

There should be a drinking bowl near the food bowl. It is recommended to give filtered. There are animals that love fresh water and try to drink from taps, cups and other sources. Find out what is most convenient for your pet to drink from, and create the necessary conditions.

Cats that eat dry food need plenty of fluids. Those on fresh feeding consume liquid much less often.

Pay attention to how much water your cat drinks. An increase in volume or complete failure may indicate a disease.

Nutrition for castrated and sterilized animals

After surgery, cats need special nutrition. Due to hormonal changes, the animal changes. Deprived of the main goal, the cat switches to the second - food.

You should prepare for changes before surgery to avoid stress. In the future, you must choose how to properly feed a neutered cat.

The optimal alternative to a boring diet will be. It is made in Germany and looks like an ordinary home garden with herbs. But it is difficult to overestimate the composition of Gimpet, which is full of various nutrients, including the essential vitamin B. In addition, the herb helps cleanse the stomach of waste and toxins.

With dry food everything is very simple. There are specially developed foods for such animals and how much should be given to the animal is indicated on the packaging.

Natural nutrition should be reviewed and a few rules should be followed:

  • lean meats: beef and poultry. Mix with cereals one to one;
  • dairy products can be the same as in a regular diet, only with a lower percentage of fat content;
  • Foods containing carbohydrates will ensure good digestion and reduce the occurrence of constipation.

Operated cats do not differ from their male relatives. Their diet changes similarly. The correct diet for a sterilized cat is listed above.

Do not allow the animal to have constant access to the plate. The animal will not control how much it eats, in which case obesity is guaranteed. Don't forget about water, cats love to drink fresh water.

Carefully study the packaging of dry food, and strictly feed the amount indicated there. Remember, you cannot alternate between different types of food.

By adhering to these rules, you will have a healthy cat enjoying life.