Considerations for Feeding Your Cat

Fast Facts:

• Cats are strict carnivores, meaning meat eaters. They do benefit from carbohydrates in their food, but require a primarily protein-heavy diet.

• Cats have a strong hunting instinct and can spend up to half of a 24 hour period foraging for food.

• Cats tend to be solitary hunters.

Potential problems with current feeding methods:

1. Multi-cat household - When all cats share the same food bowl, competition for food can occur even if not overtly obvious to an owner.

2. Stress-coping mechanisms such as lengthy intervals between meals or litter box use can aggravate illness. Gorging may occur, in which a stressed out cat may eat a huge meal as quickly as possible to avoid an encounter with another pet or family member, followed by vomiting.  Weight loss may occur if one cat’s access to food is restricted by the other.

3. Obesity - Easy access to unlimited food with no outlet for physical activity can result in weight gain.

4. Boredom - Eating can itself become a way to pass the time.

Solutions:

1. Feed cats separately (out of sight of each other) - eliminate the possibility of inter-cat conflict. Also provide multiple water bowls.

2. Frequent small meals.

3. Puzzle feeders/food puzzles - this provides mental and physical stimulation as the cat must manipulate the puzzle to get food.  (Available commercially or can be homemade).

4. Hiding kibble around the house - this increases activity and encourages the natural foraging instinct (Consider elevated spaces).

5. Regular weight monitoring.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1098612X18791877