Although diet is among many factors affecting cat’s health, appearance and behavior, feeding felines a high-quality meal is an essential and wise move.
Although diet is among many factors affecting cat’s health, appearance and behavior, feeding felines a high-quality meal is an essential and wise move. Here are seven signs a cat is thriving on a well-balanced, nutritious cat food:
1. A shiny coat. A cat’s coat should be plush and shiny, says Dr. Margie Scherk, DVM, DABVP (feline), a past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and editor of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. “Matting or flaking are suggestive of poor dental health, arthritic pain or poor nutrition,’’ says Dr. Scherk. Lack of protein can be the culprit. Cat food should contain crude protein levels of at least 30% in dry food and 8% in wet food.
2. Good teeth and gums. “Good dental health includes not just having strong, white teeth but also — and arguably more important — healthy, moist, pink gums that cover the roots of those teeth without bleeding or excess gum tissue,’’ Dr. Scherk says. Dry food may help some cats in keeping the tips of their teeth clean, says Scherk.
3. Digestion and hairball care. You can tell a lot about your cat’s diet when you scoop the poop. Look for moist, formed “logs” with a “pungent odor that is neither sour nor excessive,’’ advises Dr. Scherk. Switching to canned cat food, adding water to cat’s food or offering a water fountain are options to help cats get the water it needs and avoid dehydration. Loose fecal matter could be a sign of digestion problems, food intolerance, inflammation, infection or even a serious illness, such as cancer. Special hairball formula cat foods offer fiber that helps move the hair along the digestive tract.
4. A healthy weight. Veterinarians might recommend that consumers feed their cats a food designed for weight management or for older cats, which are often less active and burn fewer calories.
5. A strong immune system. If cats eat a complete and balanced diet, they are more likely to fight off illnesses. Veterinary nutritionists are researching the role antioxidants might play in promoting a healthy immune system in cats, as they do in humans, says Dr. Scherk. You’ll find Vitamin E and antioxidants from sources such as tomatoes and spinach in some commercial cat foods, particularly those that emphasize natural ingredients.
6. Strong bones. Sometimes, devoted cat owners who try to feed their cats a homemade diet make the unfortunate mistake of not providing bone meal, says Dr. Scherk. This can lead to bone fractures. If a problem is suspected, veterinarians can use X-rays to evaluate the cat’s bone density. A well-formulated cat food should include calcium.
7. A healthy heart. Diet plays a critical role in cat’s heart health. For instance, feeding felines table scraps rather than a well-balanced, nutritious commercial food can lead to a deficiency of taurine, a critical amino acid. Taurine deficiency can lead to heart problems and even heart failure.
