Feeding your cat is an important part of taking care of your pet. Keeping up with the recommended daily ration will help keep your kitty in peak condition. In addition, it’s a good idea to consult a veterinarian before making any major changes to your cat’s diet. If your cat is sick, he or she may need more food to keep up with the symptoms. It’s also important to check your cat’s weight.
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has identified six life stages for cats. This includes the pre-kitten, kitten, tween, teen, adult, and senior stages. Each stage has specific diet and activity needs, so be sure to check with your vet before deciding on a feeding schedule.
Cats have very small stomachs. This means that they are best suited to eating a few small meals per day. While it may be tempting to feed your cat more food, this could lead to obesity. For this reason, it is important to find the perfect balance of calories and filling. For example, some cats are grazers who eat a full meal in the morning and then graze all day long.
The best way to determine how much your cat should be eating is to calculate his or her average calorie intake. Depending on the age and lifestyle of your pet, this can be done with a calorie calculator. It’s also wise to check the labels on your pet’s food to make sure you’re not buying the wrong type of food. For instance, many pate style varieties contain a higher number of calories than their canned counterparts.
A more practical way to figure out how much your cat should be eating is to measure out a single day’s ration at the start of the morning. This will provide your cat with a more consistent mealtime throughout the day. You can measure the number of servings you plan to give your feline friend by using a measuring cup or a kitchen scale. It’s a good idea to get multiple people involved, since this will help you avoid being tempted to offer more than your cat’s true appetite allows.
The most important piece of advice to remember is to keep your cat on a regular feeding schedule. This helps him or her stay healthy, and also makes for a more enjoyable and stress-free life. In addition, feeding your cat in a predictable routine will minimize the chance of confusion about when to eat. It’s also a good idea to measure out a variety of foods, so your cat won’t develop a taste for one brand over another.
When it comes to how much and how often you should feed your cat, the American Animal Hospital Association recommends that you stick to a schedule. This will help prevent your cat from getting hungry and developing a sour taste for his or her food. While there are no hard and fast rules, the AAHA has found that feeding your cat two small meals a day is the most optimal approach.
