Diet

Contary to advertising these days, the most important nutritional issue in pets today is not grain. It's also not bi-products, preservatives, or naturalness. It's obesity.

About 50% of cats between 5 to 10 years of age are overweight or obese. Obesity is a preventative problem in most cases. As with most conditions, prevention is much easier than treatment. 

Some diseases associated with or complicated by obesity are as follows:

• Heart and lung complications
• Diabetes
• Arthritis, hip dysplasia, and Cruciate Disease
• Renal or kidney complications such as Cystitis or house soiling
• Liver complications such as Hepatic Lipidosis
• Pancreatitis
• IncreasedaAnesthetic risk
• Shortened life span
• Dermatologic issues such as grooming problems

Ideal ways to feed your cat.

1. Feed a mixed diet of canned and a measured amount of dry. Dry food is extremely dense in calories and very high in carbohydrates. Canned food is naturally lower in carbohydrates and lower in calories due to the water content.
2. Meal feed your cat instead of leaving food out all day. This is especially helpful in a multiple cat home, as it allows you to control the availability and observe who is eating. 
3. Calculate the total amount of food needed per cat and divide that into multiple meals throughout the day.

Did you know?
Kittens need more calories than adult cats do.
Spaying and neutering lowers the calorie need by 20%.
Indoor only cats need less calories than indoor/outdoor cats.