What cat loves to eat – being a cat fan are you searching for information for this? If so, I am here to present information on this topic.
Then, no doubt, it can be assumed that, your house must be filled with kittens.
Anyway, when it comes to feeding them, it may be a little tricky. But they must need a proper diet.
Are you looking for a healthy treat for your cat? Then you are at the right place, as this article will help you clear all your doubts.
Here, you will get a list of food that is good for your furry pet. I will also tell you which food you must avoid while feeding them.
Don’t worry; you will get those in your pantry only; you don’t have to order from outside or anywhere else.
As you know, cats are carnivores, and it is easy to choose eatables from your kitchen only. You need to know the right precession of feeding.
Cats like to enjoy a variety of flavors and tastes as food. So, you can give them small treats with creative dishes.
Before serving, make sure you know their diets and only serve perfect nourishment.
Let’s start to talk about what does cat love to eat?
Exactly what do cats like to eat?
Before answering this question, you need to understand the underlying biological activities of your cat that relate to the types of food best fit for them.
Anyway, as you know – cats are from the carnivores group of animals, so by default, they choose meat. A certain amount of protein, fats also vitamin-minerals are needed for their normal growth.
If you deprive them to get such desirable foodstuffs, it can end up some sort of health issue in your kitten,” according to Dr. Cecilia Burnside, a Texas-based veterinarian.
Another biological feature is their hunting activity especially in the case of wild cats. As they have to manage food themselves by hunting other smaller creatures such as rodents, cockroaches, etc.
Even though, if cats are domesticated, still they demand the same food as they used to hunt during their wildlife.
This is what the physiological side cats have to maintain by nature.
“Your cat is a hunter of animals,” Dr. Geri Katz, a veterinarian in Connecticut . stated, “your cat is a hunter of animals”.
He added that cats don’t need blueberries or flaxseed. If your cats could have the scope, they would eat 7 mice a day.
Now come to the previous point – cats are grouped as carnivores, which tells your cat mostly lives on eating meat.
If you pet it, you need to provide a high volume of protein along with some carbohydrates and fat.
Therefore, this cute little creature needs meat in its daily feed which is originally the main source of protein.
They enjoy the variant taste and meals. But, you need to know there are few foods that a cat may not digest.
So, they need a certain quantity of protein, fat, and amino acids. So, as an owner, you must have a good knowledge of what your kitties like to eat.
You may also like: What does it mean when a kitten sleeps a lot?
What type of diet do your cats love to eat depending on age?
After birth like a newborn baby, your cat passes through several stages of life which mainly we call kitten, adult, and senior or old.
However, at each stage of their life, they prefer to eat a bit special types of food.
Now, I ‘ll talk about the different types of diet that cats like to eat depending on their age.
Cats generally as discussed earlier need meat. They don’t love vegetarian diet. But you also care about it the food given to cats is nutritionally balanced or not. So make sure to provide a balanced diet to your cats where all six food constituents should exist.
As the cats grow up, their dietary needs change with health conditions and age.
Now, firstly let’s talk about the kitten diet, how should you handle your lovely kitten in terms of food?
Kitten diet
Like the newborn baby of human being, a kitten needs his mother’s milk after birth until he is 4 weeks of age.
As soon as weaning occurs, their food habit turn towards a high proportion of meat as the source of protein.
As it starts to grow, the amount of their protein intake gradually drops. Then, you need to feed it calcium, fats with fat-soluble vitamins.
You can also provide wet food to your kitten when they are able to move around by their own means.
Additionally, try to introduce dry foods at around 6 weeks of age. But keep in mind, the key food should be wet types of food where protein contents remain high.
Adult cat diet
This is the time to ensure a balanced diet when you go to feed your adult cat. Experts say, balanced diet helps prevent a number of deficiency diseases of your cats. It develops healthy tissues and other organs for the well-functioning of the body.
But cat’s balanced diet is same as that of human one as definition tells?
No, a bit different is there.
The diet having 50-60% of protein with 30-50% fats is generally termed as a well-balanced diet for your adult cat.
If you find the cat not so active, your vet could advise you of different amount of protein and fats from it.
At the same time, make sure to supply plenty of clean fresh water with the diet.
You should give a balanced diet mostly one or two times a day for your adult cats which are also advised for senior and older cats.
Occasionally, some health conditions like diabetes, hyperthyroidism can be seen in your cat by the effect of which your cat can show over or under eating symptoms.
But, nothing to get worried about. It has got a good treatment option to return your cat to normal behavior.
Senior cat diet
In this case, no specific nutritional guidelines are in place for senior cats.
The diet for senior cats usually starts at the age of 7. But you must talk to your vets and prepare a dietary list to suit with your cat’s health status.
What foods should your cats eat?
You will find a varieties types of cat food available in the market. But the thing is that, you need to select the most suitable one for your cats by reading the label of the food products.
Make sure, the food is prepared to maintain the balanced formulation of 6 food elements with the right proportion.
In a broad sense, you can have a look at the following categories of cat foods-
Dry food
This type of food is prepared by well mixing of meat and meat by-products, grains, vitamin-minerals, poultry products, and fish meal.
As the name suggests, these mixed foods are dried and kept into small bite-sized cats, often coated with fat to make them tasty.
However, your cats may not like it initially and might face a bit of difficulties indigestion. But for the time being, it‘ll be okay to get habituated.
Semi-moist food
It is mainly made up of meat and meat byproducts with few added preservatives and fillers. The moisture content of this food remains slightly higher. But your cat finds this food so tasty and delicious.
Beware about opening the package, because – then, it can harden, dry, or spoil.
Canned food
Like semi-solid food, it is also made with meat and meat products. But, the high moisture content of this food can be a good source of water as well for your cat.
Your cat will get it much tastier though few brands may not mix all nutrients necessary for cats. You have to preserve this food in a refrigerator once opened.
Homemade food
This is up to you how would you like to prepare food for your such valued family member. You can do your own cat food-collecting the food ingredients as discussed above.
I won’t recommend this unless you can get a green signal from your vet. He can teach you the best option.
There might lack of the right balance of food elements according to the concept of a balanced diet.
But in order to maintain good health, you need to consider a balanced diet for your cat that is comprised mostly of proteins for your cat.
What could be a good source of protein for your cats?
Since your cats are obligate carnivores, you just need to fulfill their protein requirements. Protein is of either animal or plant origin. And your cats prefer animal-originated protein most.
Here is the list of food that is a good source of animal-originated protein, and your naughty pet likes to have that at a meal.
- Skinless chicken
- Lean Beef (fatless)
- Lamb
- Liver
- Fatless Deli Meats
- Eggs
One more thing to note, once the kitten grows up, they lose the power to digest lactose. So, during the growing stage only, you can feed them with some dairy foods which will be good for their health.
- Cheeses with lactose (like- cottage cheese)
- Hard Cheese (like- Gouda, Cheddar)
- Yogurt (Low-fat, plain)
Fish for cats as a protein source
Who doesn’t know that cats’ favorite food is fish? But make sure your cat eats fish in a small amount.
Why? Because the excessive quantity of fish may cause depletion of Vitamin E in the body of your cat.
Check the below list of fish that are safe and enjoyable for it.
- Canned fish
- Tuna or tuna (cooked)
- Fish oil (oil helps prevent dry skin in winter)
Besides the above, sometimes you can give them the following foods to bring variation.
Veggies for your cats
As a carnivore animal, a cat also can have some vegetables. You can give them veggies as snacks, which may help them develop digestive issues.
- Squash
- Pumpkin
- Cucumber
- Peas
- Spinach **
- Some steamed veggies like
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Green beans
- Asparagus
** Avoid feeding spinach if your cat suffers from any kidney or urinary problems; it causes crystals in the urinary tract.
Safe grains for your cat
Though cats do not like to eat some grains, so at the begging, you should offer them as a small sample. So here is a chart of grains that can be fed to cats.
- Polenta or cooked corn
- Carrots
- Millets or couscous (in tiny texture)
- Oatmeal
- Bread
- Sweet potato (mashed)
Note: In the U.S., cats are seen experiencing obesity, and grains are high-carb food. So, a little bit of grain may be better for them.
Fruits for your cat
Cats usually avoid “sweet” flavor. But if your cat likes it, you can give fruits in exciting ways. Fruits are good for cats’ digestion.
- Banana (blended and frozen)
- Watermelon or cantaloupe (without seed)
- Blueberries (raw/ frozen)
- Peeled Apples
How much your cat needs food?
Feeding the right food in the correct quantity may keep your pet healthy. Cats must be fed according to their age, size, and weight. For that, you must take the advice of your veterinarian.
To avoid obesity in your cat, you must follow experts’ advice for feeding your pet. Otherwise, it may lead them to a short life span.
What are the feeds that cats shouldn’t eat?
Cats cannot do well with carbohydrates as the protein, so animal protein is always their top ingredient. Another thing, cats do not drink enough water, so you must put a moisture-based diet on their food list.
However, there are some foods that your cat can’t eat. For example undercooked or raw eggs, fish, even meat. Moreover, such raw food can give rise to infection with foodborne diseases or parasites. So, this is wise to avoid them.
Though it is already discussed that naturally there is a limitation of cats to digest milk due to inadequate lactase enzymes present in their body system.
But if you can gradually raise the kitten with milk, then the different case. Otherwise, there might be digestive upset of the cats.
You also should avoid food with bones that can cause major injury in the throat of your cats.
Lastly, there might present few specific foods around your home which can cause poisonous even deadly effect for your cat, such as-
- Chocolate: The theobromine chemical present in chocolate may cause fatal effects on your cats. So, keep away the cats from this.
- Alcohol: Just a single teaspoon could be enough for your cat for serious brain and liver damage of your cat. So, be careful.
- Coffee and tea: Caffeine present there has a detrimental effect on the cat’s heart palpitations and muscle tremors. Therefore, don’t let your cat go near the stuff.
- Onions and garlic: Eating a large amount of these types of food can cause major problems for your cat. Keep your cats far from this onion and garlic.
Besides, check out some foods that can’t be fed to your furry friend.
- Cow milk and coconut milk
- Fat Trimmings
- Seeds
- Raisins
- Grapes
- Raw fish
- Bread dough
- Chives
- Nuts
- Cooked bones
- Gum or candy
- Human medications or supplements
- Xylitol (artificial sweetener)
If you provide human foods to your cat, be sure you give them only about 20 calories in a day to avoid gaining extra weight.
