6 Mistakes Common To When Feeding Your Cat

Cats can’t tell you what they want. More and more cats cannot understand what diet is best for them. But your cat’s well-being is most visible in the diets you are following.

Here are the 6 biggest mistakes we need to review to ensure balanced nutrition for your cat:

Mistake 1: Feeding the Cat too much

The most common mistake people make when feeding cats is overfeeding.

Although a fat cat looks cute, obesity has been linked to various health problems in the cat, including diabetes, arthritis, and urinary tract disease. In fact, cats may have the same condition as humans, metabolic syndrome.

We don’t have to give a cat more food than it needs. Cats today are less active when compared to their large ancestors. So they don’t need to overeat.

How Much Food Does the Cat Need Per Day?

Energy allowance for cats is between 24 and 35 calories per day per pound of body weight (1 pound ~ 0.45 kg) to keep the cat at a normal, healthy weight.

Mistake 2: Only Feed Your Cat Dry Food all Year Round

Today’s cat is domesticated from a desert ancestor, a legacy that testifies to today’s cats’ low-water habit. Cats do not drink water on their own like dogs, so they have higher grit levels in their urine and are more susceptible to urinary tract diseases.

When cats have urinary problems, they need to be cared for with a water-rich diet. Instead of waiting for the sick cat to replenish water, you should actively provide enough water in the Royal Canin cat food every day by mixing wet food with everyday foods such as seeds so that the cat has more water absorbed into the body.

A cat’s body is made to absorb water through food. Although rats, cat’s everyday food, are only about 70% water, and wet cat food contains about 78% water, dry food is 5% – 10% water. That’s why wet foods help your cat stay hydrated.

Mistake 3: Give the Cat too Little Water

Obviously, water is important not only to humans but also to cats. According to ASPCA experts, water makes up 60% to 70% of the adult cat’s body weight as an essential life component. Dehydration can have serious consequences for your cat, urinary tract disease, or even death.

Also, your cat should have some clean, fresh water available indoors. Keep the water where the cat likes and frequents it. Note that cats prefer running water and can detect chlorine’s taste in tap water, so use bottled water for cats to be both clean and free of chlorine.

Here’s a good tip to help encourage your cat to drink plenty of fluids:
• Use catnip or fresh mint (catnip).
• Crush the leaves underwater and pour the water into a running flower pattern

Mistake 4: Use Garlic to Treat Tapeworm

Near the cat’s buttocks or anus, if some strange white rice grain-sized segments appear, it is a tapeworm from the cat’s small intestine. Some people believe can be used fresh garlic to overcome this problem.

This is one of the biggest misconceptions ever. There is no evidence that garlic prevents any parasitic infection, including intestinal worms or fleas. Even if used in overdose, garlic can also destroy the red blood cells of the cat.

The most common parasites are found inside adult cats. The tapeworm is usually caused by a cat swallowing a flea. Although tapeworms are not life-threatening, they can lead to weight loss, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, and other problems if left untreated.

So Why is it Garlic?

Maybe the source of this is because people think garlic can prevent fleas, but the fact that giving your cat garlic does not prevent fleas or even tapeworms.

If you notice tapeworms in your cat’s feces or near the anus, consult your veterinarian. Don’t treat your cat’s worms yourself – not all treatments work on all worms, and you can make things worse with just one dose of the wrong medication.

Mistake 5: Give the cat a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet

Cats are carnivores, which means they must eat mainly meat and animals to absorb normal growth. For example, the amino acid taurine is found only in animal tissue. Lack of taurine can cause heart problems, blindness, and even death in cats.

The nutrients cats need come from meat, which can find in whole foods. But you must be very careful and be aware of your cat’s nutritional characteristics.

Mistake 6: Nutritional Deficiencies

One of the biggest nutritional misconceptions in cats is home-made food. No matter how clean and complete it is, self-made food still needs to consider the balance between nutrients. That’s because when making cat food, some people don’t balance the amount of meat with the exact amount of calcium. They forget that a cat will eat both the flesh and bones of its prey, thereby absorbing the calcium-phosphorus ratio suitable.

A cat’s diet that is too heavy on tuna, liver, or liver oil (such as cod liver oil) can lead to vitamin A poisoning, leading to bone and joint pain, brittle bones, and dry skin. A diet too rich in raw fish can break down vitamin B1, causing muscle weakness, seizures, or brain damage. If a cat breeder wants to make their pet food, they need to follow a well-balanced recipe. Your veterinarian should consult this about a healthy and balanced diet.