What is a healthy cat diet? With the wide variety of options on the market, this question can be difficult to answer. Nutrition is a critical component in cat wellness and behavior, and what you choose to feed your cat is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Ideally, you will reach the right diet decision for your cat through a combination of research and consultation with your veterinarian.
There are generally two schools of thought when it comes to selecting a healthy cat diet: home-prepared.
Home-Prepared Diets
Providing optimal nutrition through home prepared diets will take more time, commitment, and research than feeding commercially available diets. Expect to spend a few hours a week to a few hours a month on preparing your cat's diet.
It can also be more expensive than many commercially available diets, but advocates of both home prepared diet camps will argue that what is spent on quality nutrition results in long-term savings through the reduction of expensive medical bills. If you are looking to save money on preparing your cat's homemade diet, it is worth checking to see if there are any co-ops in your area. Co-ops are cooperative buying groups where a number of individuals interested in similar products pool their resources to buy in bulk and thus pass on the savings to co-op members.
Catster provides informational forums to help you create your cat's homemade diet; there is a raw feeding and home prepared food forum on the site.
Commercial Cat Diets
Many veterinarians will try to dissuade pet owners from feeding home-prepared diets and will try to encourage the feeding of commercial foods for pets, citing risks to both human and pet health. Keeping a sanitary kitchen and following the same protocols you would when handling/preparing meals for your family will reduce these risks. Home-prepared diets can be a great alternative to commercial diets, but research is needed before you can prepare these diets correctly and preparing them incorrectly can be dangerous for pets. A high quality commercial food is preferable to a poorly constructed home prepared diet.
Cat nutrition is big business, and companies have recognized our love for cats and responded by offering a cornucopia of options and widely divergent quality from one brand to the next. Cats are carnivores, so any diet for your cat should have high meat content. Ideally, meats or meat meals should constitute the first three ingredients on the label. It may take a little research and experimentation to find the right food for your cat, but you will be repaid for these efforts by many happy, healthy years with your favorite animals.
Related Advice from Other Cat Owners
Food for a Cat with a Sensitive System
If your kitty has special dietary needs for a food that won't upset her system, you may want to ask your vet what to feed her since they know why she has that sensitivity. It could be a gastric problem, IBS, or even allergies to certain foods. Without knowing why your kitty has a sensitive digestive system, it's difficult to suggest a food. Vets don't always suggest you feed the food they stock, but that is usually food for animals with special needs. It's costly, but effective in most cases.
~Joy W., owner of Maine Coon mix
Tips for a Cat That Rejects Food
My cat often rejects her second feeding. I think that's because she's full. Cats only eat when they're hungry. The first can filled her up, so the second isn't as good looking. Do you feed your cat the same flavor? I try to mix it up and that helps a lot!
Also, here are some tips for preserving the cat food: 1. give her half a can at night; 2. give her a whole can, then put a napkin over the bowl to help it from drying out; 3. mix water in with the dried-out cat food. All these things work, and I do the same for my cat!
~Rebecca M., owner of American Shorthair
The Right Amount of Dry Food
My cats have their dry food out all day. It's said that cats will stop eating when they're full, and mine do. Some vets recommend against free feeding because they claim the cats will gorge themselves, but mine don't and they are not overweight. If your cat is finicky about the dry food, I guarantee you she won't starve and when she gets hungry enough, she'll eat it. Give her the wet food as a "treat" once or twice a day.
~Joy W., owner of Maine Coon mix
Wet vs. Dry Cat Food
I was always told that the wet food is better for cats - and to give the dry in moderation. My cat has a history of bladder stones so extra moisture is key for him. He is a big boy too at 18 lbs, so free feeding can have its challenges when you have a hungry kitty!
I give my pet a half of a small can of Fancy Feast in the morning and at night - and he gets a 1/8 cup of dry in the morning and at night). Try different things and see how your kitty does - you don't want the weight to come off too quickly and you want to make sure your cat gets enough moisture in his diet.
~Kellyann C., owner of Burmese mix
The Right Amount of Calories per Day
Take the weight of your cat and multiply by 13.6 then add 70. This is how many calories your cat should have in a day.
~Tina B., owner of Domestic Long Hair
A Cheap but Nutritious Wet Food Option
I'm not sure where you live but if you are on the West Coast and you are near a Trader Joe's, their own brand of canned cat food is good quality. It does have some rice in it but it is good and the main ingredients are meat or fish and not byproducts. My cats all like it and it is only 59 cents for a 5.5 oz can. So, it is very good value. It's a complete food so is good for both cats and kittens.
~Lisa D., owner of Domestic Shorthair
Treats for Sensitive Cat Tummies
If your cat has a sensitive stomach, I would go for a holistic, all-natural type of treat. Blue Buffalo has a Spa Selects treat which is a dry crunchy treat, and comes in chicken and salmon flavors. Also, some Feline Greenies might help! I haven't seen a kitty get sick over those. My cat loves treats and has a very sensitive tummy.
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