Kitten | Adult | Overweight | Tips

Food is made up of nutrients, which are required by the cat in order for it to remain alive, happy and healthy. Nutrients can be defined as any food constituent that supports or maintains life. Nutrients are essential in supporting life as they are involved in all basic functions of the dogs body including growth, tissue repair, forming the chemical reactions of metabolism, transporting substances into or throughout the body, maintaining temperature and supplying energy.

Your cat has specific nutritional requirements and depends on you to provide a complete and balanced diet for a long and healthy life. Cats have different nutritional requirements to dogs and should not be fed dog food.

Cats are strict carnivores and require food of animal origin to survive. Cats are unique in that they need specific nutrients, which they cannot manufacture in their body, unlike dogs, and are not present in foods of plant origin.

Energy is required by cats to fuel all of their body functions. Energy is not a nutrient, but carbohydrates, fats and amino acids contain energy and when digested and absorbed, they are transported to body cells where they provide energy. The energy content of food determines the quantity of food to be eaten each day and therefore affects the amount of all other nutrients that an animal ingests. Cats should be fed a commercial brand food suitable to meet their energy requirements as well as their other nutritional requirements without feeding excess, which can lead to obesity. Please ask one of our helpful staff to assist you in determining the energy requirements of your Cat and thus how much to feed your cat.

Nutrients are divided into six categories, they are:

• Water
• Carbohydrates
• Protein
• Fats
• Minerals
• Vitamins

Cats require other essential nutrients that are found in animal tissues and must be supplied in the cat's diet which include Vitamin A, Taurine and certain fatty acids.

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Kitten

Kittens will nurse from the Queen solely up until 3-4weeks of age, at which age they should be introduced to gruels to commence weaning.

Kittens at 4-6 weeks can be introduced to a commercial kitten food mushed up with some low lactose milk, so long as it is soft, wet and easy to ingest. As the kittens get older, they can be weaned from milk altogether and can be fed a more solid food.

Once weaned at approximately six to eight weeks, kittens require a well balanced diet that provides the right mix of nutrients that enhances growth. Commercial brand kitten foods are specifically formulated to meet these energy and nutrient needs.

Kittens should be fed three – four times a day; it is essential to feed small frequent meals as kittens have relatively small stomachs. Reducing this number to two meals a day as the animal reaches maturity, which is usually around six months of age.

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Adult

Cats are strict carnivores and require food of animal origin to survive. Cats are unique in that they need specific nutrients, which they cannot manufacture in their body, unlike dogs, and are not present in foods of plant origin. The essential nutrients found only in animal tissues must be supplied in the cat's diet and include Vitamin A, taurine and certain fatty acids.

The type of and quantity of food to be fed to an adult cat depends entirely on its life stage, existing weight and activity level. For example a young energetic cat will require a diet high in carbohydrates and fats to provide most of their energy. For more inactive cats a lower amount of fats is required to avoid obesity. Please ask our staff for assistance with the amount of food and type of food most suitable for your cat.

However, meat alone does not supply all the essential nutrients and cats cannot survive on an all-meat diet. In the wild the cat would consume its entire kill, including bones, organs, tendons, skin and muscle to provide the correct balance of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Meat is low in vitamins and also has an imbalance of calcium and phosphorus, which can affect bone growth.

Should you wish to feed extra snacks or treats to your cat you should then reduce the amount of the cats daily food intake.

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Overweight / Obesity

Most cases of obesity are due to excessive calorie intake. Some cats put on weight as they age due to decreased activity, and indoor cats are more prone to obesity than those that have access to outside. However, just as in humans, basic metabolic rate differs between individuals, so that some cats will always have a propensity to become overweight. Genetics also plays a part.

Obesity is unfortunately a common medical condition of domesticated animals. It can affect the animals joints, exercise tolerance and lead to other health concerns such as skin disease, disc disease, diabetes, liver disease, lower resistance to infection and cause the cat to be a higher surgical risk. Some important strategies an owner can undertake to ensure your pet avoids obesity include:

• Eliminating treats and titbits from the cats diet.

• Calculate the nutrient requirement and measure the amount of food accurately.

• Do not allow the neighbours to feed the cat.

• Do not allow the cat to steal food from other pets in the family.

• Regularly weigh your cat at the same time of the day, on the same scales. Record the pets weight on a progress chart.

• Regularly and routinely play with your cat. Have toys available to stimulate activity.

• In already overweight cats, feed a commercial brand cat food, which contains reduced energy producing foods such as carbohydrates and fats and replaces them with bulk to fill your cat.

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Tips for feeding cats

• Serve cat food at room temperature as the smell encourages the cat to eat.

• Avoid feeding your cat large amounts of raw fish and liver. These can harm your cat.

• Remove uneaten portions of food within a set space of time (for example 30 minutes), as this will prevent browsing leading to overeating and thus obesity. Replace with a fresh supply of food at the next feeding.

• Cats like privacy so feed separately to dogs and other cats in a quiet place.

• Raw chicken bones can be fed to cats to help keep their teeth clean

• Cats can be fed milk if you wish but best to dilute it first otherwise diarrhoea may occur. Specially formulated cat milks are available but are not a complete diet on their own.

• Fresh water should be available at all times.

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