Best way/food to feed a cat?

HI all,

Being an absolute newbie, I've got questions about feeding a cat.

1) how many meals per day and how much per meal should a cat be fed? (don't know if it matters, but it's a regular size cat with short fur - sorry, being so new to this I don't know what info might be helpful).

In the previous abusive home, this cat was often starved (would be fed a handful of dry food in the am and that would be it for the whole day). So, I understand that we cannot just let him gorge right now.

So, what's the best way to change his eating routine/ease him into the new eating routine?

2). what are the best and worst cat foods? (in terms of nutrition - I've already seen a list of toxic stuff here, so I am not asking about dangerous foods, just about best and worst nutrition-wise).

Are there any foods he should be eating daily/weekly/only occasionally?

3) what are best cat treats? both - commercially available and home-made?

Thank you!

Way back when before the internet...I was splitting one large tin can a day for two cats, thought that was normal     plus kibbles'n treats, then found out everyone fed only one large tablespoon per DAY!!!!  I never cut back...still has good teeth senior @ 16.5 but he always likes to chew plastic I'm sure that helped teeth and gums, people will say moist food is bad for the teeth so they limit intake. Some people are able to brush their cat's teeth like dog owners. 

In general most people free feed kibbles then offer at least one or two moist servings per day.

You can buy food specified to target your cat's age.  Pet stores carry the best products NOT the local

grocery store. High end good quality foods with probiotics maintains a good life. Other posters will offer wonderful advice on how to read bags can guide you...some of us offer supplements, some feed raw foods, some make home made food or treats....you will find lots of information here..

Welcome   Would love to see pictures of your kitty.  **If  your cat gobbles kibbles you can feed slowly with your hand to prevent inhaling food fast plus building a bond of trust with you.

MEAT should be the FIRST ingredient in any cat food! Cats are obligate carnivores and don't necessarily need anything like rice, fruits, or vegetables on a daily basis. (A little bit of pumpkin here and there for digestion is fine.) 

If you feed only kibble, be sure to feed your cat at least one can of wet food a day. Wet food is usually at least 70% water and because cats are desert animals, they aren't very good with drinking water. Lack of water can cause kidney problems and UTIs.

Most people don't like to feed wet food that has carrageenan in it. And you should try to feed grain-free foods. Although, some companies will say their food is grain free but use other fillers like potatoes and peas. 

I personally think treats like Purebites or any freeze dried meat-only treats are great and healthy. Sometimes I boil a little bit of chicken and give it to my cat. 

If you're on a budget, wet foods like Friskies, Whiskas, and Fancy Feast are good options as long as you choose the flavours without veggies like the Fancy Feast Classics. 

Also, check out these helpful pages:
[article="31116"]How Much Food Should I Feed My Cat  [/article][article="29707"]How To Choose The Right Food For Your Cat  [/article][article="31138"]Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food Canned Raw Or Homemade  [/article]
I also like to check this page for an extensive list of the best food brands: http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2010/12/the-7-best-natural-commercial-cat-foods-so-far/

Another great site that can help explain what is good cat nutrition is: http://www.catinfo.org/

Welcome to the site, belochka!

I agree with mingking about feeding foods with meat: we feed our cats lots of grain-free canned foods without potatoes, peas or other fillers. Foods like that are particularly good for underfed cats: that's how our cats came to us, too. You might want to speak with a vet (preferably a cat specialist, if there is one where you live) about how much to feed. Our cats were so skinny and undersized when we got them that the vet said to keep feeding them "unlimited calories" until they filled out. They were only ten months old when we adopted them so they ate a lot of food for a long time! We took them completely off dry food a month or two after we adopted them; I don't like dry food's combination of low moisture and high carbohydrates.

We also use PureBites as treats: the cats love them! If you try them, you might want to buy a small bag (cat size) and then, if your cat likes them, get a large bag (dog size) and just break or crush the treats. We use crushed PureBites to tempt our cats to finish leftovers.

Is your cat's name Belochka? (I partly ask because I'm a translator and recognize the Russian word!  )

Hello and welcome to you and your kitty!! 
Lilith- she will be 3 next month. She's 5.5 pounds and the alpha in our house. She's the queen. 


Sophie- Lilith's sister. She will also be 3 next month. She's 6.5 pounds and she's my mischievous one. She's always getting into something


Henry- he just turned 9. He's 10 pounds. He's such a gentleman. He puts up with a lot from Queen Lilith. 

belochka said:

 
1) how many meals per day and how much per meal should a cat be fed? (don't know if it matters, but it's a regular size cat with short fur - sorry, being so new to this I don't know what info might be helpful).

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It varies What works for one cat may not work for another. How old is your cat? Is she / he at a good weight or does she / he need to gain or lose some weight? The general rule is to feed approximately 20 to 25 calories per pound of ideal body weight daily. For a 10 pound cat this may be 200 to 250 calories daily. Age, activity level, any  health condition, gender play roles in how many calories a cat needs. Here are two charts you can use to determine calorie content in canned foods:

http://catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf

http://www.petobesityprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Cat_Canned_Pouch_Foods.pdf

Two meals a day doesn't keep a cat's tummy full for long. Kind of like you eating only breakfast and dinner every day without a single snack in between. A few small meals daily works best for most cats. What are you feeding your cat? Canned food or dry food or a mix of both? Canned food can be left out all day. A programmable timed feeder works great. Some people who feed both dry and canned feed canned food when they are home and leave a small amount of dry food out for snacking on.

belochka said:

 
2). what are the best and worst cat foods? (in terms of nutrition - I've already seen a list of toxic stuff here, so I am not asking about dangerous foods, just about best and worst nutrition-wise).

Are there any foods he should be eating daily/weekly/only occasionally?

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The worst ones are the "vegetarian / vegan" cat foods and those that contain nothing but cheap fillers.

Limit seafood based canned / pouched foods to occasional meals. Too much seafood can cause urinary issues in some cats and other cats get addicted to eating it. Some dry foods contain some fish in it even if it's labeled as meat based so read the label. It's best to buy a dry food that doesn't contain any fish to minimize the potential issues that can be caused by seafood.

The best cat food is the one your cat will eat A brand that is meat based and grain free is ideal. You don't need to feed a high end expensive brand that that is hard to find. Fancy Feast and Friskies and other similar brands are good and affordable Chain pet stores have a good selection of good quality brands now.

For healthy canned foods, see these threads:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/308964/healthy-but-affordable-canned-food

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/272192/affordable-canned-food

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/240335/canned-food-without-carrageenan-or-guar-gum

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/310250/new-brands-of-canned-cat-foods-including-gluten-and-wheat-free

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/291133/...nan-grain-free-wet-foods-to-feed-to-your-cats

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/306956/new-affordable-petsmart-brand-d

If you need dry food, I recommend Nature's Variety Instinct.

belochka said:

 
3) what are best cat treats? both - commercially available and home-made?

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See this recent thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/314398/what-treats-do-you-feed-your-cat

Plain raw or cooked meat are great as treats If you do raw, make sure the meat hasn't been enhanced with broth or flavorings or anything. And don't feed raw ground meat (harmful bacteria could be mixed in the meat). When you prep whole cuts of meat for your own dinner, like a chicken breast, cut off small pieces to give as treats. Poached chicken in water (no salt or seasonings) is great. Any leftovers can be frozen along with some of the cooking water for later treats.

Treats should always be limited to no more than 10% of the diet to prevent an unbalanced diet. A few pieces weekly is plenty for most cats.

Thanks so much to you all - so much info to process and to choose from! So much to learn.

@Seventhheaven - right now we don't have pics, but they will definitely be coming if the guy stays with us. He is so handsome - white and orange.

@Kat0121 - Gosh, those faces and those eyes - just want to snuggle and smooch those faces. Do they let you kiss them?

@LTS3 and @mingking - thank you very much for all those links - I am going to look at them all. There is so much to learn!

@LisaHE - yes, it is a Russian word , but it's not his name. He never really had a name, so right now we are choosing a name for him, At the same time, we are not sure if we should since we are looking for a good home for him.

Indeed, so much to learn. I had no idea that cats are not good at drinking water and that wet food may cause tooth problems. Nor did I know that fish may be so addictive - I always thought that it would be one of the best things for them to eat. Will keep on reading.

You're welcome! Please post any questions or stories you have anytime on TCS! We love to help

The wet food = bad teeth is something highly debated still. I would look into it a bit more and come to a conclusion on your own! I personally don't believe feeding only wet food results in a higher likelihood of developing tooth decay. However, I believe dry food helps work a cat's jaw but doesn't necessarily CLEAN teeth.

The only way you can ensure a cat's teeth is clean is to do dental cleanings and brush their teeth everyday using enzymatic toothpaste.

thanks, mingking - yes, I will definitely read up on this wet food business. The idea of brushing a cat's teeth sounds intimidating , but of course - if I have to, I will

There are lots of threads here on TCS on how to brush a cat's teeth Here are some recent ones:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/314032/brushing-teeth

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/312641/do-you-brush-your-cats-teeth

LTS3 said:

There are lots of threads here on TCS on how to brush a cat's teeth :teeth: Here are some recent ones:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/314032/brushing-teeth
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/312641/do-you-brush-your-cats-teeth

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Yeah, I thought it was intimidating too, but it's really not so bad. I started doing it last Wednesday I believe. Then starting Saturday, been doing it every other day. So, yesterday was "brush the cats' toofies" day. Dare I say, Oscar and Penelopy are actually getting used to it! Oliver though, not so much. He still struggles quite a bit. I'm not entirely sure I'm doing it right - I know I sure don't feel like I am. And I'm definitely not getting every tooth - god forbid the cats say "ah" so I can reach the back toofies :lol3:

Our cats love their toothpaste: it's like a treat for them so they remind me if I'm late for brushing. (I use CET toothpastes, which are difficult to find right now but available on Amazon.)

LisaHE said:

Our cats love their toothpaste: it's like a treat for them so they remind me if I'm late for brushing. (I use CET toothpastes, which are difficult to find right now but available on Amazon.)

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Yeah, what's up with it being so difficult to find? I noticed that also and refused to pay double for it on Amazon since I was just starting out. I got the generic Drs Foster and Smith brand. I think they'll like CET better so as soon as it is available again, I'm swiping some of it up. This stuff doesn't look appetizing at all and the looks they give me is just... yeah, they don't like it!

I think I remember reading that they were doing something new for manufacturing. That fits with the fact that one of the tubes we got from Amazon was different from the previous tubes: they've improved the tube design. (Among other things, the threads in the old tubes got clogged over time.)

I've only seen the CET toothpastes at my vet. (Which I should really go get lol!)

mingking said:

I've only seen the CET toothpastes at my vet. (Which I should really go get lol!)

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And that, according to our vet's vet tech, is how CET wants it! She said they're going to be selling it pretty much exclusively through vets now. That said, even our vet can't get it at the moment.

I think I actually saw the poultry one available on Drs Foster and Smith today. Of course, I don't need a single other thing from them at the moment, and not paying a big shipping fee for toothpaste!

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=24578

Most say on back order till 4/1. I wonder if that's when they say "April Fools! We're only selling through your vet now!" Poultry is available though.

That's good to know, thank you, Donutte! Ireland's favorite flavor is poultry and that one's running a little shorter. Yes, "back order" is what our vet says, too. I don't think they even have April 1 as a due date, though!

LisaHE said:

 
And that, according to our vet's vet tech, is how CET wants it! She said they're going to be selling it pretty much exclusively through vets now. That said, even our vet can't get it at the moment.

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So I just went to the vet yesterday and they're having the same problem! I managed to snag a sample product of CET though! 

mingking, I'm not surprised! Our vet tech told us a month or two ago that they've been on back order for many months. I think she said they'd gotten a few tubes at some point but that was it. I'd much rather buy from them than from who-knows-who on Amazon for a lot more money!

I hope Ming likes the toothpaste!