Firstly, and most importantly...

Cats are obligate carnivores.

This means that they must eat meat or fish to stay healthy and thrive. They need an essential amino acid called taurine which their bodies can’t produce, so they need to get it from their diet.

If you, as their butler, wish to be vegetarian or vegan, that’s a choice you can absolutely make for yourself, but you cannot make that choice for your cat. Feeding a cat a vegetarian diet will rapidly result in an incredibly sick cat, and it will continue to go downhill until the inevitable end.

There’s a great video by Kitten Lady (who is vegan herself) that explains it really well.  

Catfood 

Most cat food on the market is complete and balanced, meaning that it provides all the nutrients that a cat needs, including the essential taurine. If in doubt, check the packet for those terms. In general, if you are feeding complete, balanced food to your cat, they should be getting everything they need to stay healthy.

That said, just like human food, there is a massive range of cat food at just about every price point and quality. Higher quality, more expensive cat food usually has a higher meat content and might be produced more ethically.

You can get lots of information about what’s in the major brands of cat food and how ethically they are produced at

www.petfoodexpert.com

When it comes to brand, if you ask ten different cat butlers their opinion on what they think is best and what you should avoid, you’ll get eleven different answers. Our best advice is that you feed your cat with the best quality food you can afford. As long as it is complete and balanced, they will be getting the basic nutrients they need.

Obviously your cat does need to actually eat the brand you choose, so if they won’t touch it, it’s time to try something else. Some cats will eat anything, some are really picky. Eventually they’ll eat what is available rather than starve, but from experience we know most people give up before their cat does and they'll swap the brand.

Oh, and all of them occasionally do the frustrating thing where they wolf down a brand, so you buy it in bulk…and they immediately turn their nose up at it. Just breathe, curse mildly, and feed them something else for a few days if you can. Then retry the first one and odds are it’ll be their “new” favourite again. This might be a natural behaviour, where in the wild they need to eat lots of different things to ensure they get a range of nutrients. Or it might be that they just like driving you insane. The jury is out on this one. Welcome to the joy of cats!

Why cats require both wet and dry food

Wet food

Cats can be little tinkers when it comes to drinking enough water. Biologically, cats are programmed to get the vast majority of hydration from their prey in the wild, so feeding them wet food ensures they are taking in at least some of the water vital for their health. You still need to provide a source of clean fresh water though.

Dry food has negligible moisture content.

Dry food

Dry food helps your kitty’s oral health and it’s great for helping with plaque and tartar. We all need to brush our teeth and this is one way to at least help keep a cat’s teeth clean. You might be lucky and have a cat that will tolerate you cleaning its teeth, but most are having none of it, so dry food might help reduce the number of expensive vet’s visits…at least a little.

Whilst it is possible to feed your cat solely on dry food, it is even more important that you provide a constant source of fresh clean drinking water to help prevent them becoming dehydrated and developing kidney problems. At least one cat fountain and preferably two would be strongly recommended. 

Why is it important for a cat to eat the right food?

A healthy balanced diet is essential for good health and nutrition. Eating a variety of foods, consuming less salt and sugars and processed trans fats will ensure a healthy diet. A bit like humans really.

As we’ve said, cats require specific nutrients and without these they could become at risk of severe health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.

Also, please try to keep the treats to a minimum. You wouldn't constantly feed a member of your family with sweets and junk food after all! 

Important Dont’s

Milk and Diary Products

Cats might like the taste of milk, but most cats are lactose intolerant as they lack the enzyme lactase needed to digest lactose. Giving them milk or dairy products can result in bloating, diarrhoea and vomiting. Bad in cats - potentially fatal in kittens.

Dog Food

Cats should not be fed dog food as it’s detrimental to their health. Dog food lacks the nutrients that cats require, especially things like taurine. Dog food also has less protein which will lead to protein deficiency with serious consequences. It also has more grains and fibre than a cat needs.

Canned Tuna Fish

Please see this as a very occasional treat. If you are going to let them have some, don't feed your cat a lot of it and always make sure it's either in fresh water or the drained type. A can of tuna is the equivalent of 51 chicken nuggets for a human!

If your cat is a fish lover, you'd be better buying cheap frozen white fish fillets and defrosting them for kitty to chomp on. 

Specific Foods

Kittens

Kittens are babies, and like human babies need specialised food to meet all their nutritional requirements.

Kitten food is rich in protein, fat and calories. Their food is formulated to ensure they have the correct number of vitamins and minerals and will provide your kitten with optimum energy required for growth and to thrive.

Kittens obviously have tiny tummies, so little and often is key to feeding them. It’s best to start them on four small meals a day and leave some dry food out for them to nibble on.

Cats

As cats grow and age their nutritional needs change. Kitten food is high in fat and once they reach maturity at around a year old, those extra calories can lead to weight gain. A adult cat also requires a different balance of nutrients to stay healthy.

Indoor Cats

With an indoor cat, it’s vital to understand that as they are not going outside, they won’t be burning off nearly as many calories as an outdoor cat. Playing with them and encouraging as much activity as possible is vital to stop the chonk!

Food formulated for indoor cats tends to have less calories, helping them maintain a healthy body weight. They can still be at risk of obesity with the associated health conditions, so we always advise speaking with your vet to get them on the right food.

Senior Cats

A senior cat has done their time out and about and are usually happier with a nice stroll or potter in the garden. Because of this change, if they are becoming less mobile it could lead to obesity.

Because a senior cat becomes less active it’s essential that their diet is balanced to meet their needs and ensure optimal health.

Many cat brands have food targeting senior cats, designed to be lower in calories but higher in fibre. They may even contain supplements with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to support certain things like joint pain etc.

Older cats tend to have smaller appetites, so feeding little and often is key.

Your also welcome to feed them things like lean beef, chicken and turkey. I’m pretty sure you will be their best friend!

Talk with your vets as they might also suggest a food to help with certain health or medical conditions.

Medicated Food

If your kitten or cat has any problems with food, we strongly suggest taking to your vets. It might turn out that they have extremely sensitive tummies and require a specific food.

It could be that a medicated food is required such as that for gastrointestinal or kidney issues. Your veterinary practice will be the best source of information and will ensure your kitty is on the right food.