18 Responsible Pet Ownership

NUTRITION CATS

feed FelixThere are a number of good cat foods on the market, available from both supermarkets and veterinarians, which do a great job of providing your pet with an adequate diet – experiment to find the one that your kitten likes and which maintains her healthy body.

Must have meat

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they absolutely

have to have animal protein (meat, fish, eggs, etc) and

taurine in their diet to remain healthy.

Lifestyle

Kittens should be fed on a specially formulated kitten

food, and in general offered three meals daily from eight

to 16 weeks of age, then twice daily (depending on the

kitten) from 16 weeks to one year of age. At one year

you can continue to feed twice daily or decrease to once

a day, unless your vet advises otherwise.

Until a kitten reaches half her adult size, she will require

a diet that contains twice the amount of energy needed

by an adult of the same breed. Feeding the best balance

of nutrients early on in a kitten’s life can have a marked

effect on her health in later years. So, it is important

that you select the food that is right for your pet’s life

stage, namely ‘kitten’ – and later on for her adult lifestyle

(active or couch potato, indoor or outdoor cat, show cat

or home body).

You may also be advised to use a veterinary diet to

help your cat overcome certain health problems. Always

follow your vet’s advice.

As with dog food, don’t let price alone determine what

your cat eats.

Treats

Cats of course also have their own ‘drug of choice’:

catnip. While not technically a food, it is often sold

alongside food, and could be a welcome addition to

your cat’s life.

If you choose to feed your cat snacks or treats, buy the

best quality you can afford and watch against your cat

becoming obese.

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