When, Where and How Much To Feed Your Cat

Once your cat has reached their first birthday, it’s time to think about a regular cat feeding routine. As they change from a playful kitten to a full-grown adult cat, it’s important to make sure they have all the right nutrients they need to stay happy and healthy. To keep in tip-top condition, your cat’s diet needs the right balance of proteins, fats and oils, minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates. It might sound a bit complicated, but good-quality complete feline food should provide everything your furry friend needs, and unless advised to by your vet, a well-balanced diet means your cat won’t need any other diet supplements. Find out how much and what to feed cats for their health and happiness with tips from the Pet Care team below. What to feed cats It might seem like there’s a huge amount of choice out there. Answering ‘what is the best food for cats?’ seems impossible. The good news is that whatever your cat’s lifestyle, condition or age, there’s a food that’s right for them. Ultimately, unless influenced by a medical condition, deciding whether to give your cat wet or dry cat food is completely up to you (and your cat of course)! Some owners serve a mixture of dry and wet foods - some cats prefer wet food in the morning and to have dry food left out during the day to graze on. Try your cat with both to see which they prefer. Find out more about feeding your cat and the benefits of wet and dry food in our guide.

As a cat-lover, you’ll know how tempting it can be to give your furry friend treats and titbits to eat alongside their main meals. Scraps from the table or food fed by hand are, for lots of people, a way of showing affection to your cat. As lovely as it is getting your dear feline’s attention and having them eating out of your hand, literally, cat treats are best used sporadically and within certain limits. Here is how to get treat time right, how many treats a day to feed your pet and what to avoid. Which cat treats to choose? When it comes to treats for cats, your intentions may be good, but the fact is that human foods can be very high in calories and salt, and often lack many of the essential nutrients your cat needs. What this means is that you run the risk of overfeeding and/or upsetting the balance of your cat’s diet. The good news is that many manufactured cat treats are also available - these may be designed to support digestive or dental health, or as an extra special treat or reward for your feline friend. How many cat treats a day? Cat treats contain calories and are usually not complete and balanced. They’re meant to given just as an occasional treat. It’s therefore important that whenever you give cat snacks to your pet, you reduce their main meal by an equivalent calorific amount. You should also limit feline treats to no more than 10% of their total daily calorie intake, so that you don’t unbalance your cat’s overall diet.

Cats can be quite tricky when it comes to food with some happily eating anything and others turning their noses up at everything. Read our article on what cats should eat and what they need in their diet to ensure they’re healthy and happy. Some cats can be finicky eaters, sticking their nose up at foods that don’t satisfy their taste buds, whereas others will happily gobble down the same dish day after day. Each cat is unique in their preference and it’s important to understand what cats like to eat to ensure that they’re getting all the nutrients they need to thrive.