Table of Contents
- How Much Should I Feed My Cat?
- Age of your cat
- Bodyweight of your cat
- The activity level of your cat
- Body condition of your cat
- Type of food for your cat
- Nutrients Requirement Of Your Cat
- The lifestyle of your cat
- How often to feed a cat?
- What to feed your cat?
- Common mistakes people make while feeding their cats
- Conclusion
- References and Citation
You might be wondering how much food you should feed your cat. If you are like most cat parents, the simple answer is not enough! The amount of food a cat needs varies depending on their lifestyle and age. A kitten will need more than an adult cat because they have higher metabolic activity and growth rates.
The best way to determine how much your specific kitty needs is to consult with your veterinarian or local animal shelter for the advice! They can give you a personalized recommendation that is tailored just for them and their unique needs.
How Much Should I Feed My Cat?
There are many factors that determine how much to feed your cat. Factors that affect how much to feed your cat includes
Age of your cat
Your cat's food requirements depend on your kitty's age, and it is important to feed them correctly for their coat to stay shiny and healthy. Kittens usually eat kitten food until they are about one year old; however, you should transition into adult foods after that time period because chewing can wear down teeth or damage gums when eating hard, dry foods, so avoid any problems switching up diets at this point.
Bodyweight of your cat
Cats need a balanced and nutritious diet. Cats should be fed food made for them like dry or canned cat food, which will provide the protein they require and vitamins and minerals. Your cat's feeding depends upon her body weight; if she is too thin, you must feed her more than one that is already overweight.
The activity level of your cat
A cat's feeding schedule depends on her activity level. Whether a cat is an indoor or outdoor animal, the amount of food she eats each day will vary based upon how much energy they exert and their age and health status. Suppose your kitty spends most of his time lounging around indoors, chewing up all sorts of household items. In that case, you may want to adjust the amount accordingly as she likely doesn't need that many calories since she isn't expending too much effort compared to some other cats who have more active lifestyles.
It can also be helpful to add activity to your cat’s playtime. Using a puzzle feeder can be a great way to get your kitty off their butt and exercise their natural hunting instincts.
Body condition of your cat
A healthy weight is a good thing for both you and your cat. While cats are often described as "obligate carnivores," meaning they must eat meat to survive, that doesn't mean it's their only option when looking for nutrition or sustenance. Many veterinarians will tell owners of obese felines to add more carbs to help the animal lose weight at a safe pace after checking their body condition score.
The body condition score in cats is a way to determine whether or not your cat has gained too much weight. A healthy, lean adult should have an ideal BCS of 5/9, with 9 being the best and 1 being the worst possible score, according to Dr. M Fisk, DVM Ph.D. DACVP at Purdue University College Of Veterinary Medicine
Type of food for your cat
It is essential to understand that not all cat food will be the same, and there are types of diets for cats. The requirement of dry or wet food is different for your cat.
Nutrients Requirement Of Your Cat
A cat's nutritional needs depend on its age and lifestyle. Kittens need more calories than adult cats; for example, a kitten has more nutrient requirements than an adult cat. Similarly, a nursing cat has a different nutrient requirement than an average cat.
The lifestyle of your cat
There are many factors that determine a cat's lifestyle. The feeding of your feline depends on the food available in its surroundings, whether or not it is an indoor/outdoor cat and how much energy she expends during daily activities such as hunting prey, for example.
How often to feed a cat?
Cats require a lot of attention and come with their own set of responsibilities. Food is probably the most important responsibility one has to take care of a cat, as it will play an integral part in whether or not your furry friend lives a long life. Cats need food about twice every day--and you should give them wet foods instead of dry ones. Dry kibble can cause dental problems, which are very painful for cats, who have been known to starve themselves rather than eat something that's hurting them.
Kittens require more food than adult cats because it takes a lot of energy to grow quickly into healthy adults! It would help if you planned on feeding your kitten three times per day from when he becomes an adult until he grows out of his adolescent years, where growth slows down substantially.
What to feed your cat?
There are many different things that you can feed your cat. A lot of people will give their cats dry food, but there are also wet canned foods available for them to eat as well. Some owners only offer one type of food, and some switch it up between the two types so they can get a variety in their diet.
Cats are carnivores that primarily hunt and consume meat. This is in contrast to most other mammals like dogs, who eat both plants and animals. So a cat diet should always be a meat diet. Similarly, cats also require water to drink. Most cats don't like to drink water from a bowl. Instead, they want to drink running water from the water fountain. For such kitties, arranging a water fountain is a better choice.
Common mistakes people make while feeding their cats
There are several common mistakes that people make when they feed their pet cats
Don't overfeed your kitty
Overfeeding your cat can cause serious health problems and may even shorten its lifespan. Not only that, but if you're feeding your kitty too much, it might lead to obesity which is also a problem for cats and humans.
All those extra calories could be affecting their bones, so they become more prone to fractures later on in life. The best thing you can do for your kitty is to keep them at an ideal weight by following the guidelines of how many cups per day based on age and activity levels.
Feeding only dry food
Feeding only dry food is not suitable for cats. In fact, it can lead to a number of significant health issues, including urinary tract disease and obesity, according to the book "The Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook."
Cats need moisture in their diet because they do not have thirst-driven mechanisms that allow them to compensate by drinking when dehydrated as humans or dogs do. Dry cat foods are often made up primarily of carbohydrates which means there is little water content even though some products may contain high amounts of plant ingredients such as corn gluten meal, soybean hulls, brewer's rice, etc.,
Offering little water
If you offer your kitty too little water, they might become dehydrated. If their body becomes dehydrated, this can cause lethargy and nausea, making it difficult for the cat to eat or drink anything.
Don't go vegan
It will be challenging to manage the cat's health if you provide a vegan diet. A cat is not able to digest plants and vegetables very well, so it would have negative consequences on her body. If someone wants to try this, they should do thorough research on what are all the issues that might arise from such an experiment before proceeding with anything else diet.
Conclusion
Be sure to consider your cat's weight, their activity level, and how often they eat in a day when determining how much food you should give them. If you still have questions about what to feed your pet, ask our experts for help.