There’s nothing complicated with feeding your cat, right? Well, there are a lot of things that you can do to influence the mealtime routine of your cat and its success. Your cat’s health and wellbeing are determined by when, what and how you feed him. The location of your furry friend’s feeding station also plays an important role. In this post, we are going to share with you a few simple tips that will help you organize feeding time and create a conducive environment that follows your pet’s desires and instincts. Let’s get started!
1. Feed your cat the right food
Your cat’s health is greatly determined by the quality of food that you feed him. You need to feed the right amount of food every day based on age, physical activity levels, and health. There are a lot of dry recipes for cats on the market. You should talk to your vet if you are unsure of the quality or quantity of food that you should be giving your cat.
2. Create a comfy feeding station
You need to consider your cat’s preferences and instincts when creating the feeding area. You should avoid placing the feeding station near the litter box. While you might be tempted to create a convenient cat area, their natural instinct is to eliminate far away from their habitat to avoid attracting dangerous animals. Placing the food bowl near the litter box will cause stress when it’s time to eat. And it can lead to litterbox avoidance. If you have to place the litter box and feeding station in the same room, ensure that you place them on opposite sides with a huge distance between them.
Most cat parents create a feeding station in the kitchen. This is ideal for most cats. However, if the environment is noisy or chaotic, it can be difficult for your cat to feed properly. Cats need a quiet and undisturbed area for them to eat.
3. Use the right bowl
While you might think that all bowls are the same, it’s not true. A cat’s whiskers are usually sensitive. And they usually feel uncomfortable when they are bent or squished. If the food bowl is narrow or too deep, your cat will have to eat with his whiskers bent or he’ll try to dip her paw in the bowl to scoop food. Your cat’s food bowl should be shallow so that he can access his meal without stress or discomfort. This applies to the water bowl too. While you’ll want to ensure that your cat has enough supply of freshwater, a narrow bowl will make it harder for him to drink the water due to whisker stress.
4. Food and water should be placed away from each other
Most cats love it when their food is separated from the water. It’s always a good idea to have a couple of water bowls scattered throughout the house to make it easier for your cat to drink lots of water. When a cat is thirsty, the last thing he wants is the scent of food. This is all determined by your cat’s instinct. This means that you should avoid using the same bowl to keep water and food. Food can fall into the water. And this will lead to contamination.
5. Feed the right number of meals
A cat can eat multiple times in a day in the wild. Unlike lions, cats have small stomachs. Therefore, they need to eat frequently. Cats are small animals and they hunt for small prey. If you are not sure about the amount of food that you should feed your cat, you should consult your vet. Once you have a figure in mind, divide it into small portions.
If you go to work early in the morning and come back late in the evening, you should consider investing in a time-controlled feeder. This helps in keeping the food open and fresh at the right time. If you’ve invested in dry food, there are a lot of food dispensing toys that will ensure that your cat plays between meals. Cats have been conditioned to work for food. Therefore, having your cat bat a puzzle feeder will be rewarding to him.
6. Avoid feeding cold food
Wet food should be fed at the right temperature. Cold food from the fridge isn’t appealing to cats. And it may lead to severe stomach upsets. For the food to have an enticing aroma, it needs to be at room temperature. Cats determine the safety of the food they eat in the wild using smell and temperature. Cats use their noses to detect the freshness and temperature of food.
7. Make changes gradually
While variety is important in a cat’s diet, you should make changes gradually to avoid food rejection or stomach upsets. Similar to human beings, cats are creatures of habit. Making abrupt changes can harm your cat’s health and wellbeing. When changing to a new formula or flavor, you need to add food into the existing brand or increase the amount over a few days. If your cat refuses to eat new food, it might be that you’ve added a huge portion of new food too soon. Your cat is special. Therefore, go at her pace.
Conclusion
To encourage a healthy appetite, you need to include playtime before meals. Cats are hunters. And they depend on their skills to get food. Having your cat work for her food will enhance their health and wellbeing. Which tip are you going to use to organize the feeding of your cat?
About the Author:
His name is Samuel Matthews. He is 33 years old and he lives in Manchester. He worked as a journalist and wrote his own detective story which got published on Ninjaessays. He loves to learn something new and meet different people. His hobbies are travel, sports and drumming.
