12
Aug
Older cats often need more warmth and padding to stay cozy so your home environment may benefit from some adjustments. Feeding the older cat Throughout its life it is a good idea to weigh your cat every one to two months.
In this article well discuss some tips that you can use to encourage your cat to eat more.
Tips to feeding older cat. In healthy mature cats providing the same high proteinlow carbohydrate option fed to younger obesity-prone cats is just fine. Once kidney disease is diagnosed however a kidney support diet with a modified protein component optimizes longevity and quality of life. Excessive phosphorus should be avoided in senior cats.
Raw or gently cooked fresh food is an excellent diet for elderly cats. Becker recommends that if it is impossible to feed raw that dehydrated or freeze-dried balanced food reconstituted with plenty of water is good second choice. However feeding an all dry-food diet in the long run will cause problems.
In this article well discuss some tips that you can use to encourage your cat to eat more. The most important thing for a cat owner to remember when attempting to get their older cat to gain weight is to exercise patience and flexibility with their older companion. Keep in mind that a strategy that works for one cat may not work for another.
How Much to Feed a Senior Cat. Most senior cats will have about the same caloric needs as an adult catroughly 280 to 360 daily calories depending on the normal lean weightas long as they are healthy. Some older cats will actually have an increase in energy requirements.
If your cat is already too thin. Feeding kitten food can help them gain weight back. Senior diets tend to be lower calorie because they are intended for cats who arent as active so be careful.
If you can get your cat to eat them a high animal protein grain free diet is best. Wet food will be easier to chew especially for old cats with bad teeth. Free-feed your aging cat so that it doesnt lose out on a meal just because its not hungry at that time.
Place the food bowl away from the water bowl and keep other pets away. This will ensure your aging cat doesnt need to compete for its meal. Feeding the older cat Throughout its life it is a good idea to weigh your cat every one to two months.
If weight is steadily increasing after 12 months of. Older cats often need more warmth and padding to stay cozy so your home environment may benefit from some adjustments. Layer soft blankets or flannel sheets in fave napping spots and add a folded sweatshirt or old sweater to plump up her bed.
Another way you can make things more comfortable for your cat is to place food and water bowls on a higher level. Some elderly cats may struggle to bend their necks so place a bowl on a box or a raised surface to make it more accessible. Grooming your older cat.
Instead the plan should be to re-hydrate reduce nausea and feed whatever the cat likes. Once they are feeling better the diet transition can begin. 8 - Sprinkle something tasty on top.
My 8th strategy for feeding a fussy cat is to use a topper. Sprinkle something super tasty and appealing on the top of your cats food to make it simply irresistible. Growth is for kittens and maintenance works for older cats.
The next thing youll see is if the food has been tested in feeding trials. Food tested in feeding trials is always going to be better than food tested in a lab because this means the company has spent time and money feeding the product to actual cats to make sure its safe and that. Hofve suggests three categories of supplements that she recommends for all cats including senior and geriatric cats.
Digestive support digestive enzymes probiotics and. Dehydration is a common problem for older cats so choosing a cat food high in moisture is important. A diet rich in moisture and fiber is also important for healthy and regular digestion which is also linked to your cats ability to absorb.
The morning our senior cat Earl Grey decided that food was no longer a priority marked the beginning of quite a challenge ahead. We had to conjure up creative ways to serve up dinner that would encourage him to eat at meal times. Here are 5 tips to entice your stressed senior or sick cat to enjoy their food.
Warm food brings out the taste. Senior cats with kidney disease may need to be on a phosphorous-restricted diet. Suitable diets for cats with kidney problems often have less salt and protein than standard cat foods.
Your older cat may prefer warmed food as well. Add a little bit of tuna juice. Larsen many cats enjoy the flavor of proteins and amino acids.
To entice your kitty to eat try adding a little tuna juice to his fare. A little more flavor might be all he needs. Dont give your older cat cereal grains at all.
Some better carbohydrates that most older pets even cats can tolerate in small amounts include oats oatmeal ground flaxseed and rice. Vegetables are Better Carbohydrates. Vegetables can be a.