Wet Vs Dry Food Vs Both
Many pet parents feed their cats wet food, and some provide a mix of dry and wet food. Wet food is denser calorically than dry food. If youre feeding a combination of wet and dry food, its important to measure out the amounts so that your cat is getting the correct number of calories. 6 oz of wet food, or a little more than one can, averages about 250 calories. So, one can of cat food per day is enough for most cats daily if its supplemented with a little bit of dry food or treats. The trickiest part is that different foods will offer an additional number of kcals per oz. So, its essential to check the feeding instructions on the bag to get a feel for the caloric content of the specific food that youre feeding your cat.
How Much They Weigh
To maintain a normal, healthy weight, Fetch by WebMD says that cats should eat between 24 to 35 calories a day, per pound. For an eight-pound cat, this would equate to 192 to 280 calories a day. To put this into perspective, a 5.5 ounce can of RAWZ turkey and turkey liver pate is 199 calories. Half of a cup of RAWZ salmon meal free dry cat food is 230 calories.
If you cat is underweight or overweight, you will need to work closely with your veterinarian to make sure youre feeding them appropriately. Overweight cats, especially those with diabetes or other health conditions, should always receive measured food amounts. The Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts University notes that frequent weigh-ins are recommended to promote slow, safe weight loss.
The Wet Cat Food Debate
So, is it mean that wet cat food is better, right? Well, not necessarily all the time. A very cheap wet food is not good for your cat to compare to a premium quality dry food.
Always check the ingredients. It should list an animal protein and the source of it as its number one ingredient. And, They should not contain meat by-products.
Some people argue that a cat is living on only canned food diet can lead to dental problems. That including gingivitis. But if you schedule regular dental checkups and cleanings. This really isnt an issue. The mix of dry cat food and canned wet cat food can help your cat with dental health. If you are worried about her teeth you can probably give her raw chicken, chicken neck to chew for her teeth once or twice a week for exercise her jaw.
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How Much Wet Food Should I Feed My Cat
For starters, have your cat evaluated by a veterinarian. He or she will weigh your cat, identify your cats ideal weight, and determine the number of calories your cat should take in every day to reach that goal.
A pet calorie calculator can also get you into the ballpark. If your cat is severely overweight, your veterinarian may recommend a prescription cat food for weight loss otherwise an over-the-counter weight control cat food should suffice.
Next, look at the label of your cats wet food. At best, the feeding instructions will be somewhat vague, and they certainly dont apply to every cat in every situation. It helps do some math. A wet cat foods caloric content should be listed somewhere on the label.
For example, American Journey minced chicken and tuna recipe provides 73 calories per 3-ounce can. If you cant find this information, look it up on the manufacturers website or give them a call.
Lets say your veterinarian has determined that your cat should take in 240 calories per day. In this example, you simply need to divide 240 by 73 to determine how many 3-ounce cans of the American Journey chicken and tuna recipe you should offer your cat daily.
240 / 73 = 3.3
Dry Cat Food And Cat Obesity Feline Diabetes Problems
Cats are on dry food only diets are more prone to obesity and diabetes than the cats who eat wet cat food. The reason behind it is due to the high carbohydrate levels. There are many kinds of kibble. And, part is due to it gives a free choice feeding of dry cat food which gives cats 24-hour access to food.
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What The Vets Have To Say About It
If we assume the average cat weighs approximately 10 pounds then the average indoor cat needs 250 calories a day, according to the team at Kirkwood Animal Hospital in Kirkwood, Missouri. Most high quality foods have approximately 500 calories per 8 ounce cup of food meaning an average-sized house cat should have a total of 4 ounces of food a day.
Knowing how much to feed your cat starts with identifying their ideal body weight. This is something you should discuss with your cats veterinarian, but you can do a quick visual assessment at home. Cats should have ribs and a spine that are easy to feel but not too bony, writes Dr. Jacqueline Brister, DVM for Embrace Pet Insurance. When looking at a kitty from above, the abdomen should taper in somewhat. In other words, a cat of a healthy weight should have an hourglass figure.
However, there are some exceptions to this thin and trim rule. As cats enter adulthood, they may develop extra, loose skin on the belly region in between their legs a feature vets call the primordial pouch, according to Dr. Brister. Veterinary experts arent exactly sure why cats have it, but it is likely used for protection of important belly structures during a fight. While normal, your vet should still examine your older cat to see whether this pouch is too large for its body size.
When To Feed A Kitten
Once you know what to feed your kitten and how much, its time to create a feeding schedule that works for you both.
Use your kittens name when feeding to help her learn her name, while also associating you with a pleasant activity.
Creating a routine and feeding her at the same time each day can help your kitten feel secure and will aid in forming a bond between you two that will last for many years to come.
You can feed your kitten one to three times a day, as long as you dont give her more than her total daily calorie needs.
For example, you can put dry kibble in her bowl in the morning and she can graze throughout the day. If a twice-a-day schedule works better, give half her daily amount in the morning and half in the evening.
Same for wet food or a combination of wet and dry food. Just make sure the wet and dry food combined meets the total amount of calories she needs in a day.
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Is It Okay If I Feed My Cat Exclusively Wet Food
It is possible to feed your cat exclusively on wet food, although this option can be expensive. Suppose your cat is not inclined to drink a lot of water or suffers from diabetes, urinary tract infections, or kidney disease. In that case, wet or canned food may be a better option than dry food due to the former having more moisture content.
Wet food also comes in many different textures, such as mousse, loaf, chunks in gravy or jelly. You can try feeding wet food to cats that dont like kibble, as wet food tends to be more palatable.
Avoid feeding your cat your food, as some of the foods we eat can be dangerous to your cats health.
About Dr Pete Wedderburn Dvm
Dr Pete Wedderburn qualified as a vet from Edinburgh in 1985 and has run his own 4-veterinarian companion animal practice in County Wicklow, Ireland, since 1991. Pete is well known as a media veterinarian with regular national tv, radio and newspaper slots, including a weekly column in the Daily Telegraph since 2007. Pete is known as “Pete the Vet” on his busy Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages, regularly posting information on topical subjects and real-life cases from his clinic. He also write a regular blog at www.petethevet.com. His latest book: Pet Subjects, was published by Aurum Press in 2017.
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Featured Product: Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Natural Cat Food
Once again, product packaging comes secondary to whats inside, but the fact that this featured a wild lynx on the package had us intrigued. We were pleased to find that it came in many bag sizes, the heaviest being 12 lbs.- a healthy size for a hungry cat or family of cats.
The Blue Buffalo blend is a grain free and high protein mix that features a great chicken flavor. Real meat is the first ingredient and it is made with real, deboned chicken.
Blue Buffalo is a brand that prides itself on using the best ingredients that really deliver what your Sphynx is going to need: Omega 3 Fatty acids, fiber, protein, and even features LifeSource Bits, which are a blend of minerals, vitamins, and of course antioxidants for immune system health.
This one is an especially nice and affordable option if you wish to do a raw diet for your cat but cannot for whatever reason.
This particular food does indicate that it is for all ages and needs, but we do still believe kittens should be eating food that is designed especially for them.
There are plenty of other flavors available in the Blue Buffalo brand, so if this particular one does not suit your Sphynx, consider one of the other great flavors. Get this food here!
Grain Free Chicken Cat Food
Raw, Grain Free Chicken Cat Food that is easy to make, store, and serve your cats!
I have talked before about how Our Pets Arent Vegan, and I have also posted the recipe for the raw, Anti-Inflammmatory Dog Food that I feed Fluffie, our little, five-pound, four year old Yorkshire Terrier, Fluffie, so it seemed high time that I posted the recipe for the Raw, Grain Free Chicken Cat Food that I make for our outdoor tomcat, JG, and our Bengal cat, Mazel.
Surprisingly, this Raw, Grain Free Chicken Cat Food recipe is actually one of the most Instagram-requested recipes that I have created! Many people are interested in feeding their cats a raw food diet, especially when they learn that cats cannot digest carbohydrates because they do not have the enzyme to process carbs, which is amylase. This means that most store-bought cat foods are actually really unhealthy for cats to eat because the foods are mainly made with grains like corn or wheat.
Another plus to this Raw, Grain Free Chicken Cat Food is that the food is very wet, similar to canned cat food. This is great for cats because they need a lot of moisture in their foods to help with digestion and the processing of the high-protein content of their meals.
I would love to see your thoughts on this post, so please comment or ask any questions! In addition, if you were inspired to put a picture on Instagram because of this post, tag me at #shalomhomestead!
Best wishes and shalom, friends!
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Why Are My Cats So Hungry All The Time
If cats become used to being fed too much food, it can be difficult for them to get used to a restricted amount of feeding. Cats enjoy the act of eating, just like humans, and so you need to find ways to give them enjoyment in different forms, such as getting new toys to play with, or simply by engaging with them more as their carer.Over time, most cats learn to adapt to the new way of feeding, and they become less hungry. If your cat does continue to seem hungry all the time, you should take them to your DVM veterinarian for a health check in case there is an underlying health reason for this . If it turns out that your cat is in full health, but simply very hungry despite being fed the correct amount of food, your veterinarian may be able to suggest a type of high quality cat food that is more likely to make your cat feed full .
Cat Feeding Mistakes: Too Much Food
Probably the most common mistake people make when feeding cats is over-feeding, says Joe Bartges, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DACVN, professor of medicine and nutrition, the Acree Endowed Chair of Small Animal Research, in the College of Veterinary Medicine, at the University of Tennessee. Obesity is the most common nutritional disease seen in cats.
Although a pudgy kitty may look kind of cute, obesity is associated with cat health issues includingdiabetes, arthritis , and urinary tract disease. In fact,Bartges tells WebMD that cats may suffer from something similar to that very human condition, metabolic syndrome.
Its not necessarily that were intentionally giving our cats more food than they need, says Linda P. Case, MS, author of The Cat: Its Behavior, Nutrition, and Health. Its that our kitties are more sedentary, as compared to the days when they were barn cats and more active. They’re little couch potatoes now, their nutrition needs are much lower, so it’s easy to overfeed them.
So how much food does your cat need? Thats a question best answered by a professional, though recommendations range between 24 to 35 calories a day per pound, to keep cats at a normal, healthy weight.
Continued
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Measure Your Cat’s Food
It is very important to measure your cat’s food with a proper measuring cup. Depending on the situation, when we are asked or think about a cup, our answers will be very different. When we think of a cup of coffee, especially if the morning is a bit rough, a cup better be the size of a soda bottle. But if we think of a cup of espresso we think of a tiny cup. Either way, we just think of a cup.
Why should this matter to you as a cat owner? It matters because when it comes to your cats weight and their overall health, the myriad of empty containers people frequently use to scoop their cat’s kibble aren’t the cups we veterinarians are talking about. This especially becomes a problem when a cat owner feeds the number of cups the pet food bag suggests and they are using the extra-large coffee cup variety.
Using a Digital Scale to Measure Cat Food
As doctors always say, The scale dont lie! That is why measuring your cats food by weight rather than volume is more accurate. While a measuring cup is great, we can always be off a little when we eyeball how much is in the measuring cup. And the size of dry kibble can affect how much food actually fits in a measuring cup. But when you know the weight of what you should feed your cat, you can be exact every time you feed with a digital scale.
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Why Measuring Your Cat’s Food Matters
How Do I Ensure Proper Hydration
Water is the single most important nutrient for cats of any age. Aging, however, interferes with a cat’s sensitivity to thirst which is already low in cats and predisposes them to dehydration.
Chronic dehydration can interfere with normal metabolic function and may speed the progression of subclinical disease.
“Water is the single most important nutrient for cats of any age.”
Make sure your cat has regular access to water and monitor the amount of water left in the bowl to see if there is any reduction in their water intake. Have multiple bowls of varied sizes in different areas and all floors of your home. Water bowls should not be near food as cats prefer not to drink close to their food. Some cats prefer to drink running water if your cat prefers water from the tap, invest in a water fountain for them. Clean and freshen water bowls regularly to eliminate built up debris that may deter your cat. Feeding more canned food will also increase water intake.
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Your Cats Dietary Needs Evolve Over Time
As your cat moves through kittenhood, early adulthood, and beyond, his nutritional needs will change. Meeting those requirements at every phase of life sets the stage for good health.
Your first stop when choosing the right food for your cat? The nutritional adequacy statement.
Usually located on the back of the bag or can, this statement indicates whether or not the food is nutritionally complete and balanced for its intended life stage. The label will read, for example, formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO cat food nutrient profiles for all life stages.
Foods that arent nutritionally complete and balanced will usually be labeled for supplemental feeding only. These foods dont contain the appropriate balance of macronutrients and micronutrients and shouldnt be your cats sole source of nutrition.
While youre looking at the label, check out the feeding instructions as well. For the average house cat, the appropriate feeding instructions are usually already placed on the packaging of the cat food.
The nutritional guidelines on the package will point you in the right direction, though you may need to make some modifications to fit your cats exact needs.
For Sphynx Kittens And Younger Cats
Your Sphynx kitten has different nutritional needs than a fully grown cat of the same breed. Therefore, it is critical that you do the following when it comes to feeding your kitten.
Look for foods that provide support in the areas of digestive health, as well as immune system support.
Kittens:
- Are gaining weight rapidly as per their growth. They may eat 3-4 meals a day.
- Need higher amounts of protein, amino acids, and minerals, as well as vitamins.
- Need plenty of fresh, clean water.
- Need food that is easy to chew as their teeth are small.
Your Sphynx kitten is growing at a rapid rate-and remember, Sphynx naturally have a higher metabolism as they do not have the hair other breeds do.
Combine these two factors and you have a kitten that should be fed as much as they can eat-in this manner, their growth will not be hindered, and they will have the high energy that kittens often possess.
Do not be fooled by foods that provide nutrition at all stages of development-stay with food that is formulated for kittens. It will have the correct nutrients for your young cat.
Sphynx love liver and meat, as well as fish. But for kittens, stick to high-quality pet food. Raw meats and fish, along with raw eggs and milk, can cause health problems in young kittens.
Raw meat can have parasites and bacteria. Raw fish can lead to a deficiency of vitamin B. And milk may cause diarrhea in weaned kittens as they lack the enzyme needed to break it down.
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