How to provide a balanced diet for cats

 **This is a sponsored guest post.

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Everyone needs a balanced diet to remain happy and healthy – and live their best life. And, whether you have two legs or four, a quality diet can make an enormous difference to your health and well-being.

As our cats are such important parts of our family, we need to give them everything they need to thrive.

In this post, we’re going to discuss everything you need to know about cat nutrition and providing a balanced diet for your cat.

Food choice

Deciding what to feed your cat is the most important aspect of their lives. Unless your feline friend hunts at night, they’re dependent on you to give them the best-quality food you can afford.

We appreciate times are tough, but we strongly recommend buying the highest quality cat food you can. It will have the best balance of nutrients, fewer filler ingredients and less fat.

A balanced diet for cats starts with their food, so it is important to get it right.

It doesn’t matter so much whether it’s wet food, dry or a mixture of both. Your cat will soon express a preference in no uncertain terms, so work with that.

Portion control

Portion control has the same impact on cats as it does on humans. Eat too much and you’ll put on weight. Eat too little and you’ll be in calorie deficit.

Most cat foods will have a recommended portion size on the packet. Use that as a guide and monitor your cat’s size, weight and activity level.

If your cat always seems hungry or moves less, experiment with adding a little more to each portion. This will help them get proper nutrition and ensure they have the energy to play.

If your cat is gaining weight, reduce the portion size a little.

If you have multiple cats and one steals another’s dinner, consider using a microchip feeder. This restricts food to the cat with the correct chip and is a straightforward way to stop dinner raiding.

Variety

This may require a little experimentation as some cats love variety while others don’t.

Some cats are perfectly happy eating the same food day in and day out. Others like variety, so you’ll need to experiment a little to see what yours prefers.

If they like variety, great. You can mix it up to keep things interesting and also to provide proper cat nutrition.

Maintain high-quality food options and provide a variety of textures. This could include soft or dry foods, meat, fish or any other foods your cat enjoys.

Treating your cat

We know, it’s hard to resist your cat’s mews for treats!

While treats don’t really play a part in cat nutrition, they’re excellent training tools and another way for you to show your love.

Just like food, use quality treats wherever possible or make your own so you know exactly what’s in them.

But it’s important to use treats sparingly. They will have much more impact if they aren’t a common occurrence and will remain useful for training. Plus, too many treats and your cat could gain weight.

The importance of water

Most vets agree that cats just don’t drink enough. Water is essential for every cat – doubly so for cats on dry food diets.

A balanced diet for cats is all very well, but if they don’t drink enough, they won’t get the full benefit.

Change your cat’s water every day and keep the bowl clean and away from odours and other animals.

If your cat is reticent about drinking, use a cat water fountain. It mimics the running water they would drink in the wild and can be amazingly effective at helping them drink more.

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Making time for fun and exercise

A balanced diet for cats is only part of the picture. To live their best life, a cat should run, play and have fun.

It stimulates them both physically and mentally and should be encouraged.

Putting time aside to play with your cat is good for both of you. It lowers stress in humans and in cats and helps you bond.

Having a few cat toys around can also help. Your cat can amuse themself while you’re doing other things and can run and play.

Puzzle feeders and games can also help keep your cat stimulated.

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Feeding time

The final way you can provide a balanced diet for cats is with their feeding schedule.

Some cats prefer to graze and don’t respond well to set mealtimes. Other cats prefer set meals at set times.

Experiment with this once your cat leaves kittenhood to see which they prefer.

If your cat prefers to graze, use a quality complete dry food and make sure there is always fresh water around.

If your cat prefers mealtimes, use a clean bowl and their food of choice. Use an automatic cat feeder to maintain their schedule when you’re not around.

The importance of a balanced diet for cats

Diet and cat nutrition are pivotal to living a good life. We want our cats to be happy and healthy and live a long life. Cat nutrition plays a key role in that.

Fortunately, it’s straightforward to give your little loved one what they need in the way they prefer.

It may take a little experimentation, but the food is out there and technology has provided simple solutions to common problems.

Don’t worry about the experimentation process either. Your cat will soon let you know when you’re getting it right!

Shadowing a Vet: Getting Kids Involved at an Early Age

This is A Sponsored Guest Post

 

Job shadowing is one of the best ways to learn if a job or activity is a good fit for you long before you have to get the education or put the work in. Veterinarians work one of the most interesting jobs in society, and are a great resource for education, especially for kids. 

 

If you want your kids to learn more about the natural world and give them a chance to learn hands-on about animal care, there's nothing better than a job shadowing a vet.

 

Here's how to get your kids involved and how to tell if it's the right choice for them!

Why Introducing Children to Veterinarians is Important

Although there are parts of the job that no child needs to see, a lot of what a veterinarian does is incredibly useful for a child to see. From showing how to respectfully hold and work with animals to giving kids a chance to watch medical care that doesn't directly affect people, it helps them learn the importance of caring.

This can be translated to their care for other people or their respect for pets at home, but it gives them a base to spring off of and create a healthier relationship with life beyond themself.

What You Can Expect From This Type of Shadowing

Job shadowing a vet as a child isn't going to include any hands-on work involving the animals unless those are animals the vet has deemed safe. The most your child will do is feed and comfort the pets while learning about shots, cleaning, signs of injuries, and how to treat animals.

 

Veterinarians won't usually show children anything graphic when it comes to animal injury and will be careful to only handle cases that will be okay for your child's age and understanding. 

 

Kids get the chance to feel included, and like they're helping while watching a professional save lives and help make animals feel better. This can help kids who are introverted or who have mild fears of dogs or other pets.

This can also be an awesome way to introduce the concept of shelters and fostering: but be warned, your child may want to bring home an animal if they're at a facility like this!

How to Tell if This is Something Your Kids Would Be Interested In

If you're curious about this, it's important that you think about whether this is something your kid would enjoy and benefit from. Does your kid love animals? Do you want to spark curiosity in them and give them a chance to grow and become more responsible?

 

Talk to your child ahead of time, and help them figure out if this is something they’d enjoy doing. They can always change their mind down the line, but it’s important that it’s something they actually want to do before you sign up for it. 

Children Are Naturally Curious and Have a Hunger to Learn

Young children have an innate curiosity about the world around them because it's all so new and unknown. Giving them a subject to focus that curiosity on through veterinarian shadowing helps them get that energy out while also getting the satisfaction of further information and skills they might not have learned otherwise.

 

If you have a child that keeps asking 'why' or 'How does this work?' then job shadowing could be exactly the stimulation they're seeking.

Compassion for Animals Translates to Compassion With People

If you want to help your child learn to be more compassionate and empathetic towards people, it's important to start by showing them animals. Most agreeable people tend to start out with compassion and social behavior with animals.

Pets like cats are a great way to teach consent since these furry friends are great at making it clear when they don't want to be pet or have any attention paid to them. Job shadowing a vet gives your kid a chance to learn about body language in animals and how to care for something beyond themselves at an early age.

What Guidelines to Lay Ahead of Time

Although every veterinarian will have an onboarding session with your kid, showing them what's acceptable and what isn't, it's still good to have a talk with your child ahead of time to prepare them for this work. Talk to your kid about the importance of being respectful and listening to instructions, but also the importance of setting boundaries.  If they aren't comfortable with taking on a job or petting an animal, they should have the words to make that clear. 

 

Any veterinarian who offers job shadowing to kids will generally have a keen eye for when a child is uncomfortable and will know to change the subject or task, but helping your kid speak for themself is invaluable.

Give Your Children the Chance to Be Excited to Learn!

Building excitement for learning and the world around us can help kids grow up to be curious and eager to get an education. Offer veterinarian job shadowing is something they can take part in: and watch your child flourish!

Kathryn Goodwin is a devoted animal lover and an ardent volunteer at the El Paso Animal Shelter. Her deep passion for animal welfare has led her to dedicate her time and writing efforts to educating others on how they can give back to the animals in their communities.