What Quantity Of Wet Food Should I Feed My Cat?
Food is imperative for all living beings, cats among them. However, the type of food that your cat should consume depends on many factors. Some of the factors include the cat’s lifestyle and special dietary needs. The price of the food also plays a role when you want to purchase cat food.
Decide how much food my cat needs
This is one of the critical questions that you will ask if you are a new cat owner or if the dietary needs of your feline friend change. It usually varies depending on different factors about your cat. You will need to get professional advice for you to be sure.
If your cat is healthy and doesn’t have any major issues, then the recommended amount is 24 to 35 calories per pound. This will help in maintaining their healthy weight.
You should ensure that your cat eats at least two meals a day. Nonetheless, if you want to give it breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it is allowed as long as the potions are good for its health.
Don’t overfeed or underfeed them. You can add a bit more calories to your cat’s diet if they are very active.
Reduce the calories if they don’t move around as much or purchase interactive cat toys to help them to be more active. You should note that cats usually stop eating when they are full. Also, you can give out a higher serving of dry foods like kibble to your cat but balancing the diet with wet food is essential, due to the calorie content.
Why does my cat need wet food?
Some of the reasons that you should feed your cat with wet foods include:
Wet foods are richer in proteins – Most premium wet cat foods have high protein content. It helps them to curb their natural feline cravings. Since cats are carnivores, their hunger for meats and proteins tends to be high. They need to have fish and meat in their diet to not suffer from the following:
- A weak immune system
- Loss of weight
- Lack of appetite
- Dullness of the coat and the skin
- Lethargy
- Frequent infections
Wet foods have a lot of water that help in hydrating the cat –They tend to drink little water.
Should I feed my cat both wet and dry foods?
This is a common question, especially to new cat owners. It is important to note that dry and wet cat foods give the felines excellent nutrition.
However, you may lean on either wet or dry cat foods depending on:
- The cat’s health – If your cat has health challenges, it may force you to get foods that will help it get better faster. If they cannot chew dry foods due to one thing or another, you will have to buy wet foods for them.
- The cat’s weight – Wet foods tend to make the cat heavier and plump due to the high moisture content. If your cat is overweight, then dry cat foods will be ideal in helping it reduce some of the weight.
- The food budget – Money is a huge factor when deciding what to feed your cat. If your cat is of sound health, then buying either wet or dry cat foods will solely depend on which one you can save a coin from.
What quantity of wet food does my cat need?
Wet cat food is a term that refers to food cooked at a very high temperature. This helps in sterilizing the food so that it can have a longer shelf life as long as it is not opened. However, once the canned foods are opened, they quickly become perishable.
Some of the textures that you will find in wet foods include jellies, mousse, and chunks in gray. Most of the cat’s wet foods’ primary ingredients usually are by-products. The by-products come from poultry, feed grains, soybeans, meat, and seafood.
How much wet food you give to your cat is determined by your cat’s body structure. If the cat has large bones, it will need more calories to maintain it. On the other hand, if it is a small-boned feline, then fewer calories will do.
The cat’s age will also determine whether the cat needs more wet foods or not. If it’s a growing, active kitten, then more calories will give it the energy to jump up and down as they tend to. The same case applies to a cat that is pregnant or has given birth and is nursing. It will need more calories to help it produce milk for its kittens (Read more : How To Choose The Right Kitten Food).
Conclusion
Like the rest of the family members, cats need to be well taken care of through a proper diet to make them strong and healthy. Whether you choose to give them a lot of wet or dry foods at the end of the day, all that matters is their well-being.