How to Feed a Cat

Cats are delightful companions and part of your responsibility as a pet owner is to keep your cat healthy and well fed. The feeding part can be tricky, but making decisions about what type of food you're going to offer your cat on a regular basis and the method you'll use to provide that food will head off any finickiness that may arise.

Things You'll Need

  • Cat food bowl
  • Water bowl
  • Paper towel or placemat
  • Dry food
  • Canned food (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Decide when you first adopt your cat what type of food you will offer. Dry food (niblets or kibble) and canned food are the two main options. Dry food offers the advantage of being easily scooped and served, but be aware that cats need moisture to process their food. Canned food offers more moisture, but it is the smellier option. Check with your vet about what she recommends and also consider what feeding schedule your cat will follow that will fit most easily with your schedule. If you're out of the house every day at the office, a quick scoop of dry food in the morning followed by a can of wet food at night might be an ideal compromise.

    • 2

      Have fresh water available at all times. Cats get thirsty, especially if you're feeding a diet exclusively of dry food. Clean the water bowl every day to prevent dehydration--cats are understandably loathe to drink from a water bowl that has been fouled by dropped kibble.

    • 3

      Determine your feeding methodology: constant or scheduled. Constant means that food is left out all the time for your cat to nibble on and scheduled means that food that is offered at a specific meal time and then cleaned up with only a water bowl left until the next meal. The theory behind scheduled feeding is that cats who graze constantly are more likely to become obese and have little interest in exercise as their hunting instincts are dulled by the constant availability of food. But schedule-fed cats require a regular schedule. If you know that your schedule will be sporadic, or if you're regularly distracted with other responsibilities, you'll only end up with a hungry, grumpy cat.

    • 4

      Check what type of food your vet recommends. Many grocery store shelves contain cat foods that are filled with animal byproducts--the stuff that no one else will eat. The nutritional value of these foods is not as high as others your vet might recommend. On the other hand, your vet's recommended food may only be available at the vet's office and may be more expensive, so consider what works best for you and your cat.

    • 5

      Minimize changes to your cat's diet. Cats get used to the food they're fed. If you introduce a sudden change, you can almost guarantee an unpleasant event in the litter box or yard. If you're switching, mix the two foods together and slowly increase the amount of the new food at each meal until the new food is exclusively offered.