Food & Nutrition for Cats

What should a cat be fed?

There are several ways to feed cats:

1. Complete moist cat food – in sachets, foil containers or tins

This type of food has been used for many decades and producers are legally obliged to give cats complete, balanced nutrition, so you can be sure that it contains everything your cat needs to stay healthy.

2. Complete dried cat food

Complete dry foods usually come as small, meaty or fishy flavoured biscuits and crunching on the hard biscuits can help to keep cats’ teeth and gums healthy.  Dry food is cheaper and more convenient than moist foods, but cats don’t always find it as tasty as moist food.

Fresh water should always be available and easy to find.

3. Home cooked food

Some people feed their cats the same type of food they eat like cooked chicken, fish etc but with this method, it can be difficult to make sure their diet contains everything a cat needs to grow and stay healthy.

It makes more sense to limit the amount of home cooked food to around 10% of their total diet and use a formulated food that you know meets their nutritional needs for the other 90%.

An adult cat should usually be fed twice a day. Some people give a small amount of tinned food twice a day as their main meals and leave a small bowl of dry food down all day for the cat to snack on, but it’s important not to give them too much food.

Obesity is becoming more common in cats so it’s worth monitoring your pet’s weight, with a regular weigh-in at your vet (once a year as a minimum).

You can watch the Petfix video on how to assess your cat’s body condition score if you need help or more information.

If you are worried about your pet's health, visit the Petfix DIY Triage Checker or Ask a Vet. If it is urgent take your pet to your vet immediately.