Cat Nutrition and Food

The cat also needs certain nutrients made by the metabolic processes of other animals and not available in plant material. Dogs have a range of biochemical processes that convert nutrients from plant and animal sources into what they require - for example dogs can convert the carotenes found in fruit and vegetables into vitamin A. The cat cannot do this and must obtain vitamin A already preformed in animal sources. Cats ingest not only the flesh and organs of their prey but also the partially and wholly digested vegetable foods the prey had eaten. With the assistance of the prey's own digestive processes, the cat then is able to derive nutrition from various vegetable sources. Thus the cat is more than a carnivore -- the cat is an obligate carnivore. To survive the cat must eat meat.

How much should I feed my cat?The first place to start is to look for feeding guidelines on the package, they are an excellent place to start. Remember that these are guidelines only and that your pet's age, activity level and environmental temperatures all have an effect on how much your pet needs. The best method is to weigh your cat regularly and increase the amount of food if your cat appears to be losing weight and decrease the amount if your pet appears to be gaining weight. Many pet stores and most veterinarian offices have scales you can use to weigh your pet.Young growing pets should be fed two or three times per day, with newly weaned kittens being fed three times a day and older growing kittens being fed twice a day. Adult cats can be fed free choice, once a day or twice a day depending upon the cat and owner preference. Adult dogs or cats that are overweight and are being fed to lose weight should be fed twice a day to help minimize the risk of begging.
Is dry food better than canned food?Cats in particular need at least 50% of their diet in the form of wet food to reduce the workload on the kidneys and keep the urine dilute. Cats with a history of bladder or kidney disease should not be fed any dry food.Cats can thrive on a mixed diet of dry, canned or semi-moist, as long as it is complete and balanced. Dry diets are generally less expensive to feed than canned diets. It can be very difficult to control the build up of Tartar on your pet cats teeth, there are specific dry food treats for cats that can help tartar build-up.
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