Tips to Make Sure Your Cat Has a Proper Diet

Some of our cats are inherently good eaters and will eat whatever you give them, while others are extremely fussy. The most important outcome of what you feed your cat is how your cat thrives on his or her current diet.

Cat

Edmund Renier

May 7, 2015 2 photos

And, of course, that your cat likes to eat and has just the right amount of food each day (and water). However, if you are unsure if you are feeding your cats properly, below are some over tips to help. 1. Make sure to feed your kitty a diet that contains mostly poultry or chicken-liver variety. Avoid beef (some cats have trouble digesting beef), lamb, corn, soy or milk products. A small amount of dry food provides the “crunch” that cats crave. Make sure to read the labels. A diet that is called “Chicken Entree” may only contain a small amount of poultry. Ingredients are listed on labels with those in the largest amount listed first. 2. Avoid marketing hype and realize that those funny colors are put in foods for humans—our kitties could care less. It’s better to have quality ingredients that look closer to real food. Mixed colors are a bad idea in a dry food! 3. Think critically about ingredients. Especially with dry diets, ingredients like herbs, mushrooms, etc. are unlikely to survive the heating process and might not be a benefit to your cat and could cause digestive issues. 4. Within reason, it’s okay to treat your cats periodically to some cooked poultry. Other cats enjoy cantaloupe, tomatoes, etc. Remember that treats are exactly that—treats—and not the basis of a complete diet. Always start with little pieces to see what your cat can tolerate. And, of course, that your cat likes to eat and has just the right amount of food each day (and water). However, if you are unsure if you are feeding your cats properly, below are some over tips to help. 1. Make sure to feed your kitty a diet that contains mostly poultry or chicken-liver variety. Avoid beef (some cats have trouble digesting beef), lamb, corn, soy or milk products. A small amount of dry food provides the “crunch” that cats crave. Make sure to read the labels. A diet that is called “Chicken Entree” may only contain a small amount of poultry. Ingredients are listed on labels with those in the largest amount listed first. 2. Avoid marketing hype and realize that those funny colors are put in foods for humans—our kitties could care less. It’s better to have quality ingredients that look closer to real food. Mixed colors are a bad idea in a dry food! 3. Think critically about ingredients. Especially with dry diets, ingredients like herbs, mushrooms, etc. are unlikely to survive the heating process and might not be a benefit to your cat and could cause digestive issues. 4. Within reason, it’s okay to treat your cats periodically to some cooked poultry. Other cats enjoy cantaloupe, tomatoes, etc. Remember that treats are exactly that—treats—and not the basis of a complete diet. Always start with little pieces to see what your cat can tolerate.