Commercial cat foods are specially formulated to provide the cat's complete nutrition. The foods are standardized, convenient and less expensive than preparing homemade diets. The main advantage of feeding a commercial food is the assurance that the cat is eating a balanced diet that includes all the elements necessary for proper growth and development, provided it is a trust-able premium or medium range processed food.
An adult cat requires around 50 calories per 1 lb (450g) of weight per day. A very active feline may need more; a less active cat requires less. Most adult cats seem to thrive on either self feeding or being fed two meals a day. A cat's general appearance is a good indicator of whether its diet is satisfactory. A well-fed cat has good weight, a shiny coat, bright eyes and appears happy and content. Signs of poor nutrition include low body weight, dry coat, flaky skin, dull eyes, bad breath and strong smelling stools.
Changing Food
It is best to feed the new kitten the food it has been eating. If the kitten is purchased from a breeder, ask for their feeding recommendations and schedule. Once the kitten is settled in its new home, you may investigate other feeding options. A new food may initially upset the kitten's digestive system, so any change should be introduced in stages. Mix the new food in with the old in steadily increasing proportions over the course of a week. A slow transition avoids the risk of the kitten developing diarrhea. The best food in the world is no good if your cat will not eat it. so palatability is a critical component in choosing any food.
Dry, Canned or Semi-Moist?
With the wide selection of commercial cat foods available on the market today, it can be a challenge selecting the type and brand that best meets your cat's nutritional needs. Cat food comes in 3 basic types: dry kibble, canned food, or semi-moist foods in pouches.
Dry foods are relatively inexpensive, convenient and have the advantage of remaining fresh in the bowl all day, allowing the cat to feed freely. This is especially useful for kittens that eat multiple meals in small servings throughout the day. Dry food should be stored in a cool, dry place, either in the closed original bag or a container with an airtight lid to keep it fresh. There is some evidence that crunching on hard kibbles helps reduce tartar build up. Dry foods usually contain 8-10% water compared to 80% water in canned food, so cats fed dry food often drink more water.
Canned food and semi-moist food may be tastier than dry food but will spoil if not eaten immediately. Care should be taken to offer only as much food as the cat will finish in a single meal. Canned food should be refrigerated once opened and any leftover wet food should be thrown our after each meal.
Protein Content
Cats are obligate carnivores, which mean they need to eat a food with high protein content from meat, poultry or fish. The breeding cat's diet should be 30-40% protein, while neutered cats need around 25 percent. Pet food labels list their ingredients on the label. Look for the first ingredient to be a species-specific protein such as chicken, beef or fish. Do not be misled by the phrase 'meat by products'. By-product refers to heads, feet, feathers, entrails etc. and are not a high quality protein source.
Premium or Economy
Because a food is expensive does not mean it is necessarily better for your cat. Many mid-priced foods have good nutritional profiles. Some economy brands of cat food, however, are made from inexpensive ingredients not good enough for human consumption and not easily digested. If a food is difficult to digest, you may have to feed more if it for your cat to receive the same nutritional value as feeding less of a higher quality food.
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