How to feed your cat | Dr. Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC, DABT, Board-Certified Veterinary Specialist
Are you feeding your cat correctly? Believe it or not, there are specific ways you are supposed to be feeding your cat. A recent Consensus Statement, “Feline Feeding Programs: Addressing Behavioral Needs to Improve Feline Health and Wellbeing” just came out from the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP). In this statement, the authors focuses on “how to feed” while addressing behavioral needs. This statement was written by the experts in the feline world: Tammy Sadek, DVM, DABVP (Feline); Beth Hamper, DVM, PhD, DACVN (Nutrition); Debra Horwitz, DVM, DACVB; Ilona Rodan, DVM, DAVBP (Feline); Eliza Sundahl, DVM, DABVP (Feline).
Feeding is an overlooked area of cat ownership – most cat owners just put one bowl in one location and leave it there for the next 10-20 years of their cat’s life!
This Consensus statement is important as it talks about things like:
- How cats eat small meals alone
- How cats hunt and forage
- How stress can contribute to medical problems, obesity, and even overeating
- How we often don’t help cats with their need for play and predation.
As a cat owner, make sure to download the free brochure so you can understand how your cat prefers to be feed. This will also help make your cat happier and help avoids overfeeding or underfeeding. The Consensus Statement also highlights “the importance of feeding programs, which should be designed to consider whether they are indoor-only or have outdoor access, live in multi-pet households, or are aged or debilitated. These feeding programs in many cases include offering frequent small meals using appropriate puzzle feeders, forage feeding (putting food in different locations), multiple food and water stations, and in some instances, automatic feeders.”
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