How to feed your cats to keep them healthy

23rd February 2015

Not all cats require the same type or quantity of food. Their lifestyle, eating habits, age and medical condition all contribute to their dietary needs.

Cats on life stage diets

Cats of different ages have different dietary needs. As cats get older, they become less active, their metabolism slows and they are more prone to weight problems. Senior cat food is available to help deal with the effects of old age and keep them healthy.

At the other end of the scale, kittens require kitten food to support their fast growth and high energy lifestyle. They require a high protein diet that is rich in minerals, giving them strong bones and plenty of energy.

Cats on prescription diets

Cats with medical conditions such as diabetes or chronic kidney disease will require prescription cat food. It’s important to keep their food away from your other cats to ensure their condition is properly managed, and to prevent your other cats experiencing any ill effects as a result of consuming the food.

Overweight or underweight cats

Obesity can be a real problem in multi-cat households where one greedy cat will try to eat everyone else’s food. Timid cats might struggle to get enough food, or cats that like to graze throughout the day may find all the food is gone the next time they go to their bowl.

Feeding multiple cats

While your cats may be happy living together, they probably won’t be happy sharing food so it’s unlikely that all your cats will get their fair share. So what can you do to separate them? Feeding your cats in different rooms could be an option, but it can be a hard process to manage, especially if you are out of the house for much of the day.

A more effective way to feed your cats separately is to give them each a SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder. The feeder will only open for the right cat’s microchip or RFID collar tag, so that each cat can have exclusive access to their food.

If each of your cats can only access their food, then they can lead happier, healthier lifestyles.

Accurate food portions

To prevent obesity, it's a good idea to weigh your pet's food to prevent overfeeding. The SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect makes this easy because it contains integrated scales and LED lights that guide you to serve the right portion size every time you fill your pet's bowl.