Bradley Hills Animal Hospital » Health Info for Your Cat
Home » Cats » wellness care » Diet
Your Cat's Diet
Kittens can be fed dry kitten food starting at 6-8 weeks old. For most cats, unless they are overweight, free choice feeding (putting new food down each day for the day) is an easy, acceptable way to feed. You can introduce adult food at 12 months of age. The popular commercial diets (Eukanuba, Purina, Waltham, Hills) today have well balanced nutrition so no supplementation or vitamins should be needed; however, every cat has slightly different needs. If you notice that your cat’s hair coat is dry, dull, or flakey ask your vet about vitamins or a diet change.
Canned food - Canned food is generally more palatable. You can feed canned food as a portion or even all of the meal if you choose, but keep in mind dry food is better for his teeth in the long run. If you would like to feed your cat some canned food, we recommend you feet at least 50% of what he or she eats as dry food and feed the rest of his/her daily requirement as wet food.
Treats - If you choose to offer your kitten treats you can give the pet store ones or meats like turkey, fish, or chicken without spices. It is not recommended to give your cat milk because this can cause diarrhea.
Water is the only drink a cat needs.
How much should I feed my cat?
A good starting point is the instructions on back of the food bag. Keep in mind that all cats are different and their nutritional requirements can vary based on their activity and individual metabolism. To judge if your cat is too heavy or thin, place your hand on his side. In a healthy weight cat you should be able to feel his ribs but not see them. If your cat is too heavy you can reduce the quantity he is getting or switch to a low calorie food and feed the same amount. If he is too thin increase his total amount. If your heavy cat cannot lose weight or your thin cat cannot gain weight, schedule an appointment to see us.
Cats are considered seniors at the age of 9 years. At that time you should consider switching him to a senior diet, which is lower in fat for the less active cat.
If you notice a change in appetite, either an increase or a decrease, contact us for an appointment.