When you’re a first-time cat proprietor, “How a lot ought to I feed my cat?” is more likely to be one in all your first questions once you deliver your cat residence. Even in the event you’ve owned cats for years, chances are you’ll typically ponder whether your cats are getting too little meals or an excessive amount of. Let’s undergo a number of elements to contemplate when answering “How a lot ought to I feed my cat”?
How a lot ought to I feed my cat? The fundamentals
The reply to “How a lot ought to I feed my cat” relies on many variables, together with a cat’s weight and a cat’s age, whether or not you’re feeding moist cat meals or dry cat meals, the cat’s exercise degree, and whether or not or not she is pregnant or nursing.
The model of meals you’re feeding additionally makes a distinction once we’re answering the query “How a lot ought to I feed my cat.” A dense, top quality dry cat meals will include extra vitamins by weight than a low-quality meals, and thus require smaller parts to ship the identical quantity of diet on your cat.
Many cat homeowners permit their cats free entry to dry meals, supplemented by canned meals a couple of times a day. A dry-food-only food plan just isn’t essentially a nasty pet food plan in the event you’re feeding top quality meals, however it does require that you simply encourage your cat to drink much more water to compensate for what she’s not getting in canned meals.
When to feed your cat
If you deliver a brand new cat residence, it’s essential to proceed to feed her the identical quantity of the identical meals on the identical schedule that’s she’s been accustomed to, then regularly migrate to your individual meals and schedule. Cats are very delicate to alter, and a brand new cat might be coping with loads of new-environment stress, so preserving the meals and schedule constant will ease her transition and maintain intestinal upset at bay.
If you’re able to transition your cat over to your individual meals and schedule, you’ll want to find out what sort of meals you’ll be feeding her (moist or dry, uncooked meals or a combo), and utilizing the calorie counts in every meals, decide how a lot of which sort to feed her.
What to feed your cat — moist meals or dry meals?
One other essential think about answering “How a lot ought to I feed my cat?” is contemplating what you’re feeing your cat. The inspiration of a wholesome cat food plan is flesh-based protein like meat, fish or poultry. Dry meals must be excessive in animal proteins, and low in plant proteins (which cats are ill-equipped to digest). Carbohydrates ought to make up not more than ten p.c of the combination of cat meals elements.
Moist meals ought to consist predominantly of meat with as few by-products and fillers as potential.
Nonetheless questioning, “How a lot ought to I feed my cat?” Some calculations
In keeping with the Animal Medical Heart in New York, a wholesome, lively 8-pound grownup cat requires about 30 energy per pound per day. So, the typical 8-pound cat requires about 240 energy per day.
Usually, dry meals accommodates about 300 energy per cup, and canned meals accommodates about 250 energy in every 6 oz can. (or, 125 per 3-ounce can). Utilizing these counts as a information, an 8-pound cat would wish 4/5 of a cup of dry meals or simply lower than a full 6-oz can (or two 3-ounce cans) of moist meals per day. You may regulate the proportions based mostly on whether or not your cat prefers roughly dry or moist meals.
When you’re free feeding your cat dry meals, every day measure out the day’s allotment of meals into your dry meals feeder. This decreases the quantity of meals that will get stale and must be discarded. It should additionally make it easier to monitor how a lot your cats are consuming. If you must take a skinny cat to the vet, it’s going to assist in the prognosis in the event you can determine precisely how a lot she eats per day.
Portioning out the meals will maintain your cats from overeating. Free selection feeding is without doubt one of the prime contributors to feline weight problems.
How usually to feed a cat
One other think about figuring out “How a lot ought to I feed my cat” relies on how usually you feed your cat. And the way usually to feed a cat relies on what you’re feeding her. Most cat homeowners feed their cats within the morning and at evening, and should or could not complement these feedings with free feeding of dry meals all through the day.
Is your cat consuming sufficient — or too little?
All through your cat’s life you will have to change her food plan to accommodate altering metabolism and dietary wants. Really feel your cat’s spine and ribs. If the ribs and spine present via her pores and skin, she is simply too skinny. When you can’t really feel the ribs, your cat is probably going chubby. Modify her parts accordingly.
Conserving your cat from changing into overweight is far simpler than forcing an overweight cat to food plan. And it’ll make each you and your cat so much happier.
Thumbnail: Images ©bluebeat76 | Thinkstock.
This piece was first revealed in 2009.
