11 Tips And Tricks For A Healthy Cat Diet

Having some doubts about creating a balanced cat diet for your furry friend? Felcana’s brand new series of top cat care tips are here to help!

Keeping your cat healthy with a balanced diet isn't as difficult as you might think. We've asked out specialist cat vets for their top 11 tips to help you keep your cat fit and healthy with the right food.

1. Cats don’t associate water with food. Providing a bowl or fountain away from their food can stop them drinking from taps.

2. Some cats prefer to drink from a flowing source, i.e. a tap! This is completely normal. (Hover over to our post for a quick checklist and see if your cat is dehydrated.)

3. Cats meal times can be enriched with puzzles and toys, just like dogs. They have great search and hunt instincts.

4. Unlike dogs, diabetes can be reversible in cats with good medical and diet management.

5. Cats require a regular amount of Vitamin B1 in their diet. It’s best to feed a cat-specific food to ensure they get enough.

6. Onions, garlic, and chives are dangerous for cats – they can damage the the red blood cells leading to life-threatening anaemia.

7. Cats can choke on raw uncooked vegetables and have trouble digesting them. Be sure to cook them before feeding.

8. Canned foods have higher protein, fat, and water content than dry food and are always recommended by vets over kibble.

9. Heating food to body temperature can make it smell nicer and more appealing to the cats.

10. Unlike dogs, they prefer eating the same old “mouse” every single day. For cats, variety is not the spice of life.

11. If, for some reason, you have to change the cat’s diet, be sure to do it gradually, ideally over at least 7 days.
Alternatively, if you are worried about overfeeding your cat, read our other post on overweight cat and what you can do for weight control.

This post was written by Dr Jenny Lee.