Head to your local pet shop or supermarket and you’ll find plenty of cat foods to choose from. With so many different types, how do you decide what is the best food for your cat?
Watch our video for tips and advice on how to feed your cat or read our guide below.
Cats need a meat-based diet that is balanced with the right amount of proteins, vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy.
Depending on how old your cat is, they will need different food for their life stage.
We don’t recommend trying to make homemade meals for your cat, unless advised by your vet for medical reasons. It’s very difficult to provide the right range and balance of proteins, vitamins and minerals when making your own cat food. Feeding your cat an unbalanced diet can cause growth problems and/or medical conditions.
You can feed your cat wet food, dry food, or both. Which one you feed your cat will be entirely down to your cat’s own preference. Cats are very particular about what they do and don’t like to eat.
Try offering your cat both wet and dry food in separate bowls and see if they prefer one over the other or are happy to eat both. As long as the food is a ‘complete’ cat food, they will be getting all the nutrients they need.
There are different benefits to feeding wet and dry food.
How much food your cat should eat will depend on their age, weight and how active they are. Follow the advice given on the food packaging for how much to feed your cat each day and check their weight periodically. If you’re worried that your cat is overweight or underweight, speak to your vet to find out how much to feed your cat.
It’s also important to remember that once neutered, cats typically have reduced energy needs. Consider reducing the daily amount you feed your cat after they have been neutered, to prevent them from gaining weight.
Cats have evolved to eat little and often. In the wild, a cat would eat around 10 to 12 small meals throughout the day, and pet cats will often prefer the same. Their feeding behaviour is also influenced by their environment and previous experience.
Just like us, cats love the occasional treat. If you choose to give your cat treats, make sure you limit the amount you give them, so they don’t gain weight. Also, reduce their usual daily allowance of regular cat food to allow for the extra calories in the treats.
Try putting the treats in puzzle feeders to provide some mental stimulation and encourage them to exercise. It’s best to stick to cat food treats rather than giving your cat any human foods. Although feeding your cat a little bit of well-cooked, plain chicken or fish is okay occasionally.
Many cats appreciate play or attention more than food treats, and it can strengthen your bond with your cat. Instead of giving your cat food treats, you could try:
If your cat has a health condition, such as kidney disease or food allergies, your vet may recommend a prescription diet. They may also recommend a special diet if your cat is particularly overweight. Always follow your vet’s advice when giving your cat specialist foods. Only give these foods to the cat they are prescribed to. If possible, introduce the new diet gradually while your cat still has access to their original diet.
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they need to eat meat to stay healthy. Their digestive system hasn’t adapted to eating a plant-based diet, and they need certain amino acids, such as taurine, which can only be found in meat. For this reason, we would not recommend feeding your cat a vegetarian or vegan diet.
If you’re considering feeding your cat a raw diet, always speak to your vet first. There are some commercially available, complete raw cat foods which can meet all your cat’s nutritional needs. It’s better to choose these over trying to prepare a raw diet yourself. It can be difficult to make a nutritionally-balanced raw diet yourself, and it could make your cat unwell if not prepared correctly.
In general, we wouldn’t recommend feeding your cat food meant for humans unless your vet has advised it. It can be hard to know how many calories human food contains for your cat, and it can unbalance their diet. Also, a lot of human foods can be harmful to cats.
Switching your cat’s usual food can cause problems. A sudden change of diet could cause an upset stomach, or they may be reluctant to eat a new food. Any changes to your cat’s food should be made slowly and carefully. Follow our step-by-step guide to find out how.
If your cat doesn’t eat the new food or becomes unwell, continue feeding the old food and speak to your vet for advice.
It can be worrying if your cat seems to be eating less than normal or not at all. There are lots of things that could cause this.
If your cat’s eating or drinking habits suddenly change, give your vet a call to rule out any medical causes. If your cat needs treatment, you can get them help as soon as possible rather than letting the problem get worse.
If your vet rules out medical causes, there are a few things you can do to encourage your cat to eat, including:
If you’ve got a pregnant cat or a cat who is feeding her new kittens, you’ll need to provide her with extra nutrients.
Give her unlimited access to energy-dense kitten food, as well as a supply of fresh drinking water. During pregnancy, she may only eat a little more than usual. But when she is feeding her kittens, she may eat double or triple the usual amount of food to help her produce enough milk.