After Surviving A Busy Week, It’s Finally Time To Treat Yourself.
A day out with your cat is the perfect stress reliever! So, you walk into your closet to choose your outfit. As you go through your clothes, you come across one of your cat’s cute outfits. Right away, you decided to let your cat wear it, which she wore just several weeks ago. Oops! It won’t fit! It seems like your cat gained a lot of weight.
Is there something wrong with his diet?
Advantages Of Improving Your Cat’s Diet
Your cat needs a nutritious, balanced diet to stay healthy. Any animal does! Eating an incorrect balance of cat food can lead to sudden weight changes, digestion problems, skin, and health conditions.
As a feline owner, you don’t want your cat’s life expectancy to be dramatically shortened, right? We want our beloved furry friends to live longer!
To keep your pet healthy, here are the 5 simple steps to improve your cat’s diet.
Tip #1: Go For Canned Goods Over Kibble
Kibble food may be cheaper than wet food but just like human food, the healthier the food, the more pricey it can be. As they say, “You just get what you pay for!”
Canned cat foods have healthier ingredients, and more meat protein, which plays an important role to keep them healthy as cats are strictly carnivorous. Besides, canned cat foods have fewer carbohydrates and more water content, which aids in your cat’s hydration.
When choosing cat food, look for a statement from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) affirming that the food is complete in nutrition and balanced.
Tip #2: Be Mindful Of Toxic Foods
Our pets usually watch us as we eat and those cute, sparkly eyes make us want to give them some food from our plates. Keep in mind that some of the food we eat can be toxic to them. Avoid feeding your cat onions, garlic, chives, chocolate, caffeine, dairy products, raisins, grapes, and yeast dough as these aren’t good for them.
Tip #3: Keep Your Cat Properly Hydrated
Cats should approximately have 60mls/kg of water a day. Their body won’t be able to function properly without sufficient water intake. Always opt for canned cat food as they provide hydration, too.
Just like humans, cats need to stay hydrated at all times as water flushes the toxins out of their systems. So, make sure that your cat has access to clean, fresh water at all times.
Tip #4: Avoid Free-Feeding Your Cat
In the wild, cats hunt for food several times a day. This is one of their natural habits that feline owners should imitate. So, instead of leaving a huge amount of food in your pet’s food bowl and letting it sit there all day, feed them small, frequent meals (4 or 5 parts) throughout the day to prevent them from overeating and obesity.
Tip #5: Age Matters
Always consider your cat’s age when shopping for cat food. Different ages and sizes mean different activity levels and nutritional needs. Just like humans, babies don’t eat food that adults do.
Let’s put it this way. Kittens may be smaller and less active than the senior ones but they need additional nutrition that helps in their growing process. Senior cats also have certain nutritional needs as they may acquire potential ailments due to their age.
Because their needs vary over time, it’s best to consult a feline specialist veterinarian to know the perfect diet suitable for your cat’s age.
The Ultimate Tip
Nutrition is an important key to your cat’s health and longevity. When shopping for cat food, don’t opt for the cheaper ones; you’ll end up spending more as it can lead to complications as a result of an improper diet.
Following the simple steps above can make a huge difference in their overall health. After all, it’s every fur parent’s responsibility to keep their fur babies healthy!
