Feeding your cat right

For years veterinarians have been telling us to stick with one food, to open a can in the morning and at night, and to leave the dry food out for the cat to nibble on all day (rather like raising a child on Spam an Coco puffs!) And how would you feel about eating these boring diet left out all day to spoil? Would you ever dream of even tasting it? Of course not! It’s not fit for human consumption. No wonder cats get a bad rap about being finicky! With their food left out all day to go rancid, some cats may never show interest in their regular meals.

Remember, cats are carnivores, not grazing animals, and they need time between meals to fast so the system can become acidic. Smelling food and nibbling all day keeps cat system alkaline, which is a condition that lowers the immunity. Feline urological syndrome (FUS) is directly related to this nibbling. Studies show that dry food fed-free choice causes the urine to be more alkaline for longer periods of time, creating an environment conducive to the formation of urinary crystals an calculi. Adult cats that have been freely fed (dry food left out throughout the day) should be cut back to one to two meals a day. If you notice your cat has a better appetite at one meal or the other, you can even fed only once a day, just discontinue the meal of less interest. Cats that are ill or very old may not fare well with any change in meal scheduling, so consult an animal nutritionist or holistic practitioner for special problem.

Leave food down no longer than 45 minutes per meal. This is a good rule on two counts, you will guard against spoilage, and you will get your cat used to being fed at specific times rather than free feeding on kibble all day long.