Mary Allen
In nature, the cat hunts mice and small birds. She always eats when she has caught something – so many small portions spread over day and night. Basically, it is always best to feed the cat as close to nature and fresh as possible. Feeding a house cat like this can turn out to be problematic. We’ll give you a few tips on how to easily feed your cat properly.
Lots of Small Portions
Just like in nature, you should offer your cat small portions several times a day. Some cats also like to share their food themselves. If your cat is one of them, you can divide its daily ration into two portions and she can use it whenever she wants. Important: if the bowl is empty, there is no refill, otherwise your cat is at risk of being overweight. This type of feeding works best when your cat is given dry food. If you feed moist food, you can be assisted by an automatic feeder with a sensor-controlled lid. The lid then only opens when the cat approaches to eat and then closes again. Thanks to this function, the wet food also stays fresh longer and is protected from dirt and vermin. However, the feed must not remain unrefrigerated in the machine for too long! Especially at higher temperatures, you have to pay particular attention to good feed hygiene.
Playful Feeding
Cats always want to be busy and also like to strain their heads – and that of course also when getting food. You should also incorporate this property into your home feed. Intelligence toys such as balls, food mazes, and fiddling boards can be filled with food and provide an extra challenge when eating. Just as it would be for cats in nature. The disadvantage of these toys: They can usually only be filled with dry food. If you prefer to feed your cat wet food, you can still use the toys for activity and simply fill them with a few drier treats. Alternatively, a mixed feeding of dry food in the toy and additional portions of wet food from the bowl is also possible.
Extra tip: You can also make your own food toy from a cardboard tube. Fill the roll with a few chunks of dry food or treats and seal the two ends. Now cut a small hole in the roll so that the cat can get the food out of it. But always make sure that your animal cannot injure itself and that you use non-toxic glue for handicrafts, for example.
Don’t Forget: Lots of Water
When you get your cat’s diet, he is already getting most of his fluid needs from the diet. Nevertheless, it is a must to offer her additional water. Most cats drink rather poorly and standing water is of no interest to many velvet paws. Splashing and flowing water are much more appealing to them. Special drinking fountains imitate natural running waters with the help of a pump and thus encourage the animals to drink.