Age-Appropriate Feeding
Cats should be fed food appropriate to their ages. Kittens need protein and other extra nutrients for growth, along with more calories and fat. Your veterinarian may prescribe special kitten growth food, and there are a number of major brands which are also excellent. Food for kittens will be labeled "kitten" or "growth" food.
Senior cats, as a rule, do not need the excess calories because of decreased activity, and should not be fed kitten food, unless they are anorexic, in which case the important thing is to get them to eat anything. Foods for otherwise healthy senior cats will be labeled as "Senior" or "Geriatric" food.
In-between cats (from one year to nine or ten) will have their nutritional needs met nicely with "Maintenance" food.
Specialty Foods
Cats with special conditions, such as FLUTD, may need a diet low in ash and magnesium, and calculated to maintain the proper pH for your cat's urine. Your veterinarian will prescibe special foods in these cases. Recently, "dental-cleaning" foods have been designed, to help maintain healthy teeth and gums, but these foods have not been tested for a sufficient period of time to warranty replacing regular dental care with them. The same caveat applies to "hairball relief" foods, which have recently been developed.
Check the Labels
When shopping for cat food, check the label ingredients carefully. Meat should be the first listed ingredient (chicken, lamb, fish, beef), not meat byproducts, which can be almost anything from chicken beaks to ground-up cartilege. Usually meat or chicken byproducts will be listed next, followed by grain (meal) products, and other flavoring ingredients. Taurine will always appear toward the end of the list. Avoid foods with meat byproducts or meat byproducts meal listed as the first ingredient, as well as foods overloaded with grain products. Corn is a popular additive in lower priced cat foods.
Wet or Dry?
Dry food should be the mainstay of your cat, unless your veterinarian indicates othewise. The advantage of dry food is that it doesn't spoil, and can be left out for free-feeding if you are gone all day. I suggest supplementing your cat's dry food diet with one-half can or so of canned food in the evening. Leave it down for half an hour and then remove whatever he doesn't eat. Wet food will spoil rapidly if left out, so the remainder of the can should be covered and refrigerated. The next day, you can warm the food up a bit by microwaving very briefly on medium or mixing a bit of hot water with it.
Water
Water is the "staff of life" for every living creature on this Planet, and cats are no exception. Keep your cat's water bowl full of fresh, clean water, at all times. I advise keeping two or three bowls of water in various locations so kitty will be reminded to drink. This is particularly important if your cat eats only dry food. If you live in an area with high mineral content in your municipal water source, as I do, you might want to consider bottled water for your cats.
Treats
A well-nourished cat does not really need extra treats, but they are useful occasionally for training purposes, or just to give your kitty a reward for good behavior. Pounce seems to be a big favorite of cats, and comes in several flavors, packaged in either cans or plastic bags. You should discourage your cat from begging for "people food." They don't need it, it's usually too rich for them, and many foods for humans (such as onions and chocolate) can be downright dangerous to cats.
Home-prepared Food
An increasing number of nutritionists and people interested in "natural" cat care are promoting the benefits of a diet based on raw meat, vegetables, and supplements. An excellent site for more information on this type of feeding is Feline Future, linked on the sidebar.
For my own geriatric cats, I am concerned about raw meat, because of the possibility of salmonella, listeria, and e.coli, although some experts have an answer to that concern also. It is a very personal decision and one best made in consultation with your own veterinarian. If you are interested in a raw food diet, I recommend reading the information at Feline Future. These people have devoted their lives to the study of a raw meat diet.
This concludes Chapter One of the Feline Owners Manual and Maintenance Guide.
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