Feeding Your Cat: 8 Mistakes Not To Make
Believing they are doing the right thing, some cat owners make a few mistakes that can impact their pet’s behavior or affect their health. We present to you the 8 mistakes not to make when feeding your cat, because an informed owner is worth two!
Mistake #1: Giving Him Milk To Drink
This is the No. 1 mistake made by many cat owners, and the advertising for certain feline brands in their time is undoubtedly responsible for it. But let it be said and repeated, the milk diet is not suitable for the cat!
Poor in proteins and lipids, but too rich in fats and sugar, cow’s milk is simply to be banned. The same applies to goat’s milk and all other animals, as well as vegetable milks.
The only tolerated milk is powdered veterinary milk specifically designed for kittens whose mother cannot provide breastfeeding. Even the milk from the cat department that you find in small bottles is bad enough for him. In short, give him fresh water, that’s all he needs to stay hydrated!
Mistake #2: Giving Him Dog Food
It’s a fact, dog food costs less overall than cat food, above all because it comes in larger packaging.
However, doggie kibble is not suitable for tomcats. Indeed, the dog’s diet has naturally evolved over the decades in contact with humans, while that of the cat has remained identical to its instincts.
As a result, dog food often contains too many cereals, vegetables or even fruits, which are not digestible for the cat and completely disrupt their organism.
Mistake #3: Choosing First-Price Foods
Who says low price does not necessarily mean poor quality. Indeed, the price of croquettes and pâtés can increase sharply for reasons of marketing, advertising budget or brand awareness.
However, entry-level kibbles are rarely a good choice for your cat. Just read the labels to verify it: very little protein, lots of animal residues, ash, additives, etc.
For the health of your choice and its nutritional balance, prefer the food offered by your veterinarian or the so-called premium croquettes, made up of a majority of meat and without cereals, available in pet stores, on specialized websites but also in many supermarkets.
Mistake #4: Giving Her Your Table Scraps
A cat is not a hen, one has hair, the other feathers. Joking aside, cats are not omnivorous like their master, but carnivorous. As a result, they need a diet adopted to their needs.
Giving him table scraps gives him bad habits, but also impacts his health. Too rich, too fat, too salty, too sweet, your mustachioed companion risks nutritional deficiencies and is exposed to high obesity.
Mistake #5: Constantly Varying The Menus
Constantly varying its diet, alternating between brands, kibble and wet food can quickly make your cat sick. Diarrhea, constipation, loss of form can follow.
The taste sensitivity of the cat is much less fine than ours, and it does not suffer from food monotony. On the contrary, he is used to eating the same thing and is satisfied with it once he has found his favorite food.
If you have to change the brand of croquettes, for example, go easy on it to avoid digestive problems, by gradually mixing its old croquettes with the new ones for two weeks.
Mistake #6: Overusing Treats
You think you will please your cat by offering him treats daily, but these are added to his usual food and can quickly lead to obesity, especially since they are often too rich.
If you really want to offer him this extra in his diet, prefer store-bought treats to your table scraps. Include them preferably in his daily rations, by lowering his daily ration of croquettes for example.
But if you really want to improve your cat’s life, prefer to offer him a session of games or cuddles, it strengthens the bonds, it makes you happier, and it’s guaranteed without any calories.
Mistake #7: Only Giving Him Raw Meat Or Fish
It is true that the cat is carnivorous, and that meat covers most of its nutritional needs. However, in the wild, your cat won’t catch a steak or a slice of ham, but small mammals and birds, and the occasional fish.
These contain of course animal flesh, but also offal, and leftover meals consisting of plants, cereals, minerals. To fully meet your cat’s needs, forget the 100% meat diet.
Additionally, raw meat and fish can contain toxins and parasites.
Mistake #8: Only Serving Him One Or Two Meals A Day
Unlike dogs, who are often incorrigible and greedy, most cats know how to regulate their appetite very well. This is why it is preferable to distribute their food to them at once, they will eat as soon as they feel the need.
To preserve all the flavors and avoid attracting flies, you can invest in a kibble dispenser, very practical if you have to be away for a few days.
On the other hand, if your tomcat turns out to be gluttonous, which can happen in particular because of stress or boredom, do not give him more than the ration recommended by the manufacturer to avoid obesity, and try to find the origin of his discomfort.
