How Much Food Should a Cat Eat Daily?
How much food should you feed your cat? The answer depends on the cat's age, activity level and overall health. But while the amount you feed daily should be customized to meet your cat's unique needs, there are some general guidelines to follow.
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Kittens
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Growing kittens have lots of energy and need to free feed or have three or four small meals a day to meet their caloric requirements. About 30 percent of a kitten's daily diet should be meat, and about 20 percent should be fat. Kitten food or such super premium brands as Evo, Avoderm and Felidae provide all the nutrients a growing kitten needs. Independent pet supply retailers sell super premium cat food.
Adult Cats
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Cats are obligate carnivores and need animal protein (meat) and moderate amounts of fat. Adult cats should have about 12.5 grams of protein and 5.5 grams of fat each day. They need 20 to 30 calories per pound of body weight a day.
Senior Cats
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Many older cats don't absorb fat as well as they did when they were young and may need more fat in their diets to maintain their energy levels. Older cats need the same amount of protein as younger cats and should not be on protein-restricted diets.
All-Wet Food Diets
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Most cats on an all-wet food diet need at least two three-ounce cans or one five-ounce can of food a day. Very large or very active cats need more. Since wet food is mostly moisture and meat, an all-wet food diet should help your cat maintain an ideal weight.
Dry Food
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The feeding instructions on the bag will tell you how much your cats need to meet their daily nutritional requirements. In many cats, though, the grains in most brands of dry food turn to fat, causing obesity.
Free Feed
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Cats who free feed wet food or eat several small meals a day are less likely to gulp down food, then vomit a few minutes later. It's possible to free feed wet food the same way you do dry. It won't go bad if left out for several hours.
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