Diet: Feeding Your Feline

Most cats will adjust in time. We suggest feeding your cat the same food that he was eating while at the shelter. Changing a cat’s diet suddenly can result in loss of appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea. If you want to change the type of food to something different, change his diet gradually after he has begun to eat regularly. That is, begin by mixing in a small amount of your new food with the food your cat was eating at the shelter. Each day, increase the amount of your new food and decrease the amount of shelter diet per serving. 

There are a wide range of commercially sold foods made for cats, many of which specialize in life stages or special needs (such as hairball control, calorie control, dental, etc). Canned cat food is also available and it should not be left out and may spoil. Consult your veterinarian to decide what type of food is the best for your cat. 

Feline obesity is a very dangerous and common condition. As in humans, obesity is associated with health risks such as diabetes and liver and heart complications. It is important to monitor your cat’s food intake and weight. Portion suggestions usually appear on cat food labels, however be sure to adjust food portions to your cat’s unique metabolism and activity level.

If your cat is moving towards an unhealthy weight, try the following:

• Adjust food portions

• Switch to a calorie controlled food

• Increase your cat’s exercise

• Consult your veterinarian to ensure that the weight gain is not related to an underlying health condition

There are many risks associated with allowing you cat to venture outdoors. Cats that are left outdoors are frequently subjected to the following:

• Hit by a car
• Harassed or hurt by neighbors
• Injured or eaten by neighboring or wild animals
• Stuck in a tree
• Startled and unable to find their way back home
• Picked up and taken in by Animal Control
• Unofficially adopted by neighbors
• Disease, many of which can be expensive to treat, messy, or even transmissible to humans

Many cats still seek the stimulation associated with the outdoors. There are many ways you can simulate them in your home and without the dangers of actually letting your cat outside:

• Keep your cat well exercised and devote time to play with him daily and make a wide variety of toys available to him.

• Install perches onto windowsills so that your cat can enjoy the view. You can even keep a bird feeder close to your windows to entertain your cat.

• Train your cat to walk on a cat harness.

• Build an outdoor enclosure for your cat.

• Install cat fencing around your yard. This type of fencing is designed specifically to keep cats in as most cats are able to jump most standard fences.