In my job as a veterinary technician, owners often tell me “I can’t train my cat – food does not motivate my cat ”. ” My cat won’t eat his medication in a treat – he doesn’t like treats”.
Like people, cats are individuals – some are grazers and others will eat at any time. BUT… all domestic cats share common ancestry -Felis Libyca, the African Wildcat – and they have inherited a certain physiology.
The Behavior of Feeding
Marley looks for critters in the bushes
Cats have small stomachs and a short GI tract designed to digest meat.
They cannot wait until they get hungry to hunt – they will starve if they do.
Their lifestyle is one of being on the prowl most of their waking hours, looking for food
CATS ARE HARD-WIRED TO HUNT
“NEW PREY” IS A STRONG MOTIVATION
The free-roaming cat eats up to 8-10 meals daily. The number of meals depends on the size of the meal – it will take a bit longer to digest a rabbit than a few bugs!
You say “Food does not motivate my cat”? What if we try to mimic the prowling feeding style of the wild cat?
Feeding 4+ Meals a Day
How much to feed?
A cat’s daily food ration – 2 meals of canned food with two puzzle feeder meals of dry food.
What your cat will eat in one sitting.
watch your cat – pick up and measure the food eaten when he leaves the bowl -OR-
offer a “2 mouse” meal of about 50 kcal
Feeding 4+ meals if you are not home during the day
Avoid leaving large amounts of food out. While it is convenient just to top up the bowl, you don’t know how much your cat is eating. Boredom can lead to self-soothing behaviors such as over-eating and over-grooming.
Move the puzzles and feeders around when you can. Once your cat is prowling to dine, he will be more interested in training treats and treats for medications. Train and medicate BEFORE meals. Find the treats he values or use his regular food as treats.
The easiest way to avoid the drama of giving your cat pills is to train your cat to accept medication. Establishing a daily “treat time” can be fun and rewarding for your cat. The idea here is to get your cat accustomed to accepting “fake pills” – treats that are wrapped in pill pockets, cheese, or liverwurst. When your cat needs medication, she is already used to accepting treat-wrapped things.
Getting Ready
choose the place and the time – try to go to the same place every day around the same time.
cats don’t tell time, so pay attention the household routine – maybe treat time should be after dinner time or before bed time.
Have everything ready when giving the “pill”. Have a chair or stool nearby to park treats and “prepared” pills on. If you are giving a capsule, have some butter to lubricate the capsule.
You may want to train your cat to a particular mat or blanket that is used just for treat time!
Method 1 – Starting from Scratch
Lure your cat onto the mat or blanket using treats or a toy.
Once on the mat, reward with several treats and head rubs.
Work up to having your cat accept a “blank” pill in the stream of treats.
The next step is make a “fake” pill – break a treat into small pieces. Wrap one of these pieces in the pill treat, cheese, or liverwurst.
Put the doctored treat in the stream of the treats.
Method 2 – Using Previously Trained Behaviors
If you have trained your cat to target and sit, it is easier to train your cat to accept medication.
Using your target stick (or chopstick or laser pointer), direct your cat to the “pilling” spot and reward her with a treat.
Ask your cat to sit and again offer a treat.
Offer your cat the “blank” pill followed by a treat
Work up to offering the fake pill.
End session with the all done signal and another treat.
Method 3 – Train Your cat to Accept Medication Using a Pet Piller
I find the piller particularly useful when you are faced with giving a capsule.
Start by offering a treat on the piller – you can start with having your cat lick some baby food or pureed treat off the piller. This will get him used to having the piller in and around his mouth.
Offer hard treats using the piller; work up to using the plunger to put the treat in your cat’s mouth.
Accustom your cat to getting the treats off the piller with you behind him.
Give a stream of treats with the “fake” pill in it.
End the session with a reward and the all done signal.
Something to consider: If the medication you need to give is bitter, putting it in a capsule lubricated with some butter or petroleum jelly avoids risking your cat biting into a bitter pill.
It is a good idea to have your cat get used to you being behind him when offering the treat on the piller. This gives you more control when offering the pill and kitty will be more focused on the treat than on you giving the pill.
Giving your cat a pill is not difficult if she will readily eat the pill in a treat. However, she may refuse to eat her medication in a treat if the medication is bitter or she does not feel well. Regardless, she needs her medication.
Other Techniques for Giving Your Cat a Pill
What about giving the tablet or contents of a capsule in his favorite food?
Pros
Not very stressful for your cat
Some medications, for example, the antibiotic doxycycline, are associated with inflammation and narrowing of the esophagus when given directly
It is often recommended to open the doxycycline capsule and mix the powder in tuna fish (or other strongly flavored food)
Cons
Many pills are bitter and may result in your cat refusing to eat his food
If you mix the crushed pill in his food, he may not get the full dose if he does not eat the entire portion
If your cat is on a restricted diet for, say, food allergies, avoid putting crushed pills in his food – you don’t want him to develop an aversion to the one kind of food he can eat
If you need to give medication in food, choose a different food than the one your cat usually eats.
Limit the amount of this “doctored” food to about a teaspoon, so that you can be sure your cat gets his full dose of medication
Make sure your cat is hungry when he is offered the medication in food – you may need to pick food up several hours before giving medication.
Giving Your Cat a Pill “by Hand”
Often, you will get a demonstration of how to pill your cat at your vet. The accepted technique is to hold your cat’s head like a baseball with your non-dominant hand, tilt his head back, gently open the lower jaw with your third finger, then pop the pill in as far back in the throat as possible with your index finger. Often, the vet team will recommend “massaging” your cat’s throat to help him swallow the pill. IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO FOLLOW THE PILL WITH SOME FOOD, WATER OR TUNA JUICE.
This technique takes practice to master and a wily cat can still manage to gag and spit the pill back up! At the veterinary hospital giving a pill may seem to go smoothly – Please remember, the veterinary team pills cats frequently AND your cat is not in the comfort of his home.
Using a towel wrap when pilling
Does your cat like to snuggle? She may appreciate a towel wrap or a ThunderShirt when being medicated to make her feel more secure. A towel wrap is also helpful if your cat paws at your hands when you are giving the pill.
Test your cat’s acceptance to these when NOT giving a pill. Your cat may struggle initially with towels or pressure wraps but should calm and STOP struggling. Count slowly to 5 – if she is still struggling at that time, these are not for her.
Giving Your Cat a Pill using a “Pet Piller”
Another technique to aid in giving oral medication to your cat is using a pill gun. A pill gun is a plastic tube with a plunger. The tip should be soft so that it does not cause any trauma to the throat when pilling.
Introduce your cat to the pill gun by letting her examine it and lick some baby food or other treat off the end. If she likes hard treats, see if she will take a treat from the pill gun.
Lubricate the tablet or capsule with petroleum jelly or butter.
Load the lubricated tablet into the pill gun.
Have some snacks ready for rewarding your cat after the pill is given.
Kneel down on the floor and gently snug your cat between your legs – this will keep him from backing up, away from the pill gun
Hold kitty’s head gently and
gently guide the piller into the side of Kitty’s mouth.
Depress the plunger to release the pill.
REWARD!
Offer Treats with the Pet Piller
Guide the Piller into the side of Kitty’s mouth
Work the Piller toward the back of the mouth and depress the plunger
Giving My Cat a Pill is Impossible!
If you are running into difficulties…Take a break and come back to giving the pill in 15 minutes or so.
Are there other treats you have not tried – “lickable treats” in tubes? Chicken baby food? Catnip or playtime?
Talk to your veterinary team – are there other forms of the medication? Some medications are effective as transdermal gels that can be applied to the inside of your cat’s ear; other medications can compounded into flavored tablets or liquids or given by subcutaneous injection.
Make giving the pill a positive experience – have something good happen!
At some time in your cat’s life, he will probably need to take some medication. Giving pills or injections to a cat can strike fear into the most stalwart cat guardian! The best way to proceed is to find out what works best for your cat – what will make taking the pill or getting the injection the most fun.
Medicating your cat : The feline purrspective…
From the cat’s point of view, taking a pill is unnecessary and unpleasant. When you least expect it, your person levers your mouth open and shoves something down your throat. You feel like you are going to choke! You gag and spit that thing back up; then run and hide.
As cat guardians, we don’t wish to distress our cats but we do want them to take their medication. After all, we just spent money for an exam and possibly diagnostics to find out why our cat is not feeling well! We just want her to feel better. Medicating your cat can be feline friendly – pick a spot, pick a treat, and give the pill!
A favorite spot with a soft blanket.
Pick a Spot
Does you cat have a favorite spot, a preferred basket she sits in, a blanket she likes?
Make this spot pleasant – offer treats, attention, play time here.
What does your cat like?
Does you cat have particular treats that he values? Can we get something that is special – say some of the lickable treats, chicken baby food, crunchy hard treats? If your cat is not all that food-motivated, pick up food a few hours before giving medication. He will more inclined to eat the pill if he is hungry.
Establish a Routine
Offer your cat treats or head rubs when in her favorite spot.
Get her favorite spot ready and give the medication close to the same time every day.
You may think that surprising your cat and sneaking up on him to give pills would be a good way to pill him – after all, he is not expecting it! But…sneaking up on him can result in his being fearful and hiding from you – after all, you may be coming with the dreaded pill at any time! A routine lets him know the pill comes at particular time and once the pill is taken, it is over with.
Medicating Your Cat – taking a pill in a treat or a stream of treats
Your cat is in her favorite spot. What next?
You can use a commercial treat such as “Pill Pockets” – these are soft, flavored treats with a modeling clay consistency – to disguise the pill. Break a small piece off the pill pocket and mold it around the pill. Alternatively, you could mold a piece of sliced cheese, a bit of liverwurst, or anchovy paste around the pill. Some cats will eat the pill in a treat.
Your cat, being a solitary hunter, may be suspicious of this new food item. You may need to entice him to accept it. If your cat has treats he likes, you can start by offering a treat, followed by another, then a “blank” (the pill pocket without the pill), followed immediately by more preferred treats. Wait a bit then offer the treats, the pill in the pill pocket, then more treats.
Give the medication around the same time every day in the favorite spot. You may find your cat will anticipate the activity and go to her spot and wait.
Be Creative!
Let’s say your cat likes laser pointers. You may be able to guide him to a treat with the pointer, then the pill wrapped in the pill pocket, then another treat. Finish with a fun laser pointer session.
“My cat is not falling for these tricks and she needs her tablet! ” Each cat is an individual and each medication is different. In the next post, we will look at other ways of making your cat feel safe and secure, and giving a tablet or capsule using traditional pilling or a pet piller!
Do you have a cat that is picked on by your other cats? Everyone else seems to get along okay but this one cat seems to be singled out for torture. He or she does not fight back, just tries to slink away and hide. You may have heard the term pariah used for such a cat – a pariah is an outcast, someone who is not part of the general social group.
Often, one or more cats will pick on the “pariah”. These feline bullies may..
stalk and track their victim
stare directly at their victim
attack her or him
prevent the pariah cat from using critical resources – litter boxes, food, sleeping places.
Bullies can exist within any multi-cat household – like human bullies, they tend to pick on the timid, old or sick that respond to threats.
Why should you intervene when cats don’t get along…
The victim may develop a stress-related illness due to the constant threat presented by the bully.
A out and out cat fight may result – fear and anxiety can lead to overt aggression on the part of the bully or the victim.
Unlike the outdoor colony, the victim cannot vote with his or her feet and leave.
In an outdoor colony, “membership” is loosely “managed” by the group of core females. If a cat pushes the limits with bullying behavior, the core females may drive him or her off, if they perceive a threat to their kittens or resources.
Our indoor colonies rarely have a group of mother cats at the core – as the surrogate mother cat, the cat guardian must police the bullies and promote harmony in the group when cats don’t get along.
When cats don’t get along: the bully/pariah emergency
First Aid: Separation
Separate the cats involved. You may need to redirect the bully (with a laser pointer, wand toy) to allow the other cat to escape or separate the cats physically and herd them away from each other
Remember cats are socially flexible – they can live alone or in groups. Put your pariah cat in a room of his or her own with litter box, cat tree, food and water while you figure out what to do. The pariah may need to remain in this room for several weeks. Make sure to give him or her attention and play time!
Assess the Situation:
Identify the social groups in the house : identify the bully(ies), the pariah(s) Social Groups of Cats
Evaluate resources – enough litter boxes, feeding stations, water sources? Are these separated so that all cats have access?
Is there enough room for cats to avoid each other? Try to “think like a cat” and draw the paths a cat must take to get to his food, water and litter boxes. These paths must give enough room for cats to pass each other comfortably. Beware of potential ambush spots – you may need to move some furniture.
A sketch of your home can help with locating resources, eg. litter boxes
Your cat is indoor-outdoor and is being bullied by a neighborhood cat…
keep your cat inside or accompany her when she goes outside
identify the aggressor cat and where he or she comes from
if possible, speak with the owner and find out when the bully cat goes out and see if a time-sharing arrangement can be worked out
Restoring Harmony…
Once you have gotten the cats separated, consider veterinary exams to determine if any of the cats are sick. Sickness can be frightening to healthy cats – their housemate may not smell right or behave quite right.
If all cats are healthy, make a plan to reintroduce cats slowly and gradually with some environmental modifications if needed. Introducing Cats: A Short Guide
Other Options if Aggression continues or become worse…
Consider re-homing the victim.
Under the direction of your veterinarian, give the victim and/or bully anti-anxiety medication and implement a behavior modification plan. If you decide to choose this route, make sure you are willing to work with your cats daily to desensitize them to each other.
When Cats don’t get along: A Tale of Two Siamese Cats
Demian and Rupert were two neutered Siamese cat who had lived amicably for over a year. Rupert would bully Demian, stalking and attacking him; there were no injuries. The tables turned one day and the victim became the aggressor – Demian stalked and attacked Rupert and backed him into a corner behind the toilet in the one bathroom in the 1 bedroom apartment. Demian would not let Rupert move. After separating the two cats, Demian went to stay with a family member for about 10 days. Fortunately, we were able to reintroduce the two cats afterwards.
If there is plenty of food around, free-roaming cats often form groups called colonies. Within the colony, there are smaller social groups of 2 or more cats that prefer to spend time together. Cats belonging to a particular social group, will share food, water, latrine areas, sleeping and resting places.
Cats in different social groups tend to keep their distance from each other. How cats get along is to “timeshare” or “take turns” using essential resources such as resting areas and feeding stations. When one social group is done, another cat or group of cats will move in to use the resource.
Timesharing in the Multi-Cat Home
Like cats in a colony, cats in a multi-cat home timeshare resources. You may notice that different cats will occupy a particular favored resting place at different times. If you watch carefully, you may see a cat watching this place, waiting for the resident cat to vacate the space, before moving in to use the space.
Cats timesharing a resting place – one cat will use this bed if the other is not in it
If there are enough beds, litter boxes, etc. available, this system usually runs smoothly. But if too many cats want the same thing, bickering can occur and more dominant cats may push other cats away from these resources. How cats get along in an outdoor colony may be to vote with their feet and move on – indoor cats do not have this option.
Cat society does not have a rigid hierarchy – there is no alpha male or female. There are simply some cats that have more dominant personalities. Unlike dogs, where a lower-ranking dog will surrender the prize to a higher-ranking dog, cats don’t have a hierarchy that dictates who gets what.
If a fight arises between cats over resources, the relationship between the cats involved may be damaged – they may not be able to tolerate each other after this. Needless to say, if the contested resource is a litter box, cats may be forced to find other places to eliminate and we, as caretakers, will not be happy.
In this video, 3 cats have worked out a way to avoid fighting over the nighttime treats. While not timesharing, the video shows resource sharing set up by cats.
Owner Managed Timesharing
If the cats are unable to timeshare resources on their own, we must set this up for them.
Setting up a Timesharing Plan
There are 3 social groups in this 4 cat household.
Gus is much more relaxed when eating away from the other cats.
Are there enough feeding stations, litter boxes, beds, scratching posts? The rule of thumb is (#cats +1) or (#social groups + 1)
Are resources separated enough so that cats of different groups can access them?
Can access to these resources be blocked by another cat?
Is there enough room for cats from different social groups to pass each other “out of paw-swipe”?
If resources cannot be spaced appropriately and conflict continues, you may need to keep one social group in another part of the house, while the other is using the main area. Have different social groups use critical areas in shifts. Slow, planned re-introduction may be possible between cats who “have fallen out” with each other. Introducing Cats: A Short Guide
Managing multiple cats in a confined, indoor space is a balancing act. We must ensure that all cats have access to essential resources and be able to use them without fear.
You know something’s up – your carrier is out. You hide under the bed but your human pulls you out and proceeds to squeeze you into the dreaded box.
You swing along in the air and then are loaded into a larger box that moves and smells funny.
You finally stop moving and swing through the air some more and arrive at another house where you smell lots of other animals. Oh no, not this place again! You can smell other cats – most of these cats too are afraid. As you move through the fog of smells, you arrive in a small room with a metal table.
A strange human opens your carrier door and tries to coax you to come out – you’re not sure what is out there but now your carrier seems like a good place to stay. Suddenly, your world tilts and you slide out of the carrier onto the cold, hard table.
You hiss your displeasure. Another strange human proceeds to look into your eyes, put a hard plastic thing in your ears, and presses a cold metal disc against your chest. Then, the strange human pokes you with a needle and you are finally allowed to escape back into the dreaded carrier – at least, it has taken you back home before.
A Better Vet Visit for Your Cat – What We Can Do
CHOOSING A CARRIER.
The plain-vanilla plastic carrier sometimes is the best option – safe and secure, easy to clean, and sturdy.
For your veterinary team, the removable top is a bonus. It allows your vet team to work with your cat in a place he knows – the bottom of his carrier.
MAKE YOUR CAT’S CARRIER A SAFE PLACE.
It should have a comfortable blanket or towel in it that smells like her.
Leave the carrier out a home – your cat may nap or play in the carrier.
Offer some food close by or in the carrier for her to enjoy.
Play games in and around the carrier.
Athena is ready to get in her carrier for a ride!
TAKE KITTY FOR SOME RIDES THAT DON’T END UP AT THE VET.
Start with short rides, maybe just around the block.
Work up to longer rides to pleasant places – if you have a cat stroller, you could work up to going for walks in the park.
ALWAYS move at your cat’s pace – if he is hunched up and hiding, slow down and shorten the ride.
HANDLE AT HOME FOR A BETTER VET VISIT FOR YOUR CAT
Take time at home to handle her feet and head
Work up to gently lifting her upper lip to look at her teeth.
Get her used to being picked up.
Make sure to reward her with tasty treats!
Spraying the carrier with feline facial pheromones signals that this a familiar place.
SPRAY THE CARRIER WITH SYNTHETIC PHEROMONES 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE RIDE
BRING SOME TREATS ALONG TO MAKE THE VISIT MORE PLEASANT.
Finicky Cats and Fat Cats: How we affect the way our cats eat
Finicky cats
Cats are notorious for being picky eaters – the pet food industry has responded to this by coming out with more products with different textures, tastes, and novel ingredients. We know that cats can taste the amino acids in food and are discriminating when it comes to spoilage and quality of protein in their food. Are they really that picky? What does my cat taste?
It is natural for you to become concerned or frustrated when your cat eats a few mouthfuls and walks away. You may think that she does not like the food so you offer a different type; you offer the food again, trying to coax her to eat. When we become increasingly involved in our cats’ eating, we may inadvertently cause stress and anxiety for them.
Your cat may not be finicky – he has a small stomach and can only eat so much. Perhaps the meal portion is too large – smaller frequent meals suit his physiology better. How to Feed Your Cat : Feeding Multiple Small Meals
Leave That Cat Alone!
Athena’s Surefeeder opens only for her. Note the bubble on the back to keep the other cats out.
My oldest cat, Athena, is 15 years old and has chronic kidney disease. The younger cats in the house want to eat her food and would wait close by while she eats to get what she leaves. Athena would eat a few mouthfuls and leave. I started to follow her around with the food dishes to make sure she had an opportunity to eat. She often would walk away from me and the food bowl. She was losing weight!
The Problem
Athena should have a diet with a phosphorus binder in it due to her kidney disease
She needs to have food available for grazing throughout the day that other cats can’t eat
She needs to access her food herself without an over attentive owner (me!) hovering over her.
A Solution
Athena is offered 1 tbsp of food twice daily at the same time the other cats are meal fed.
The cats are spread apart (over 6 feet away from each other) while eating.
We bought Athena a microchip feeder and put food for day and night time grazing in it.
Her chip feeder is in the second floor bedroom where she spends most of her time during the day.
I don’t follow her when she is done the twice daily feeding – I allow the younger cats eat her leftovers that are not in the chip feeder.
The Fat Cat -How we affect the way our cats eat
The fat cat has no reason to prowl around looking for food
Food is left out in the same place every day
In multi-cat homes, it is not uncommon for all cats to eat in the same place
The fat cat may gorge himself to make sure other cats don’t eat his food
A bowl of food left out for our fat cat to graze on may trigger self-soothing activities such as over-eating and over-grooming
Solutions for our fat cats…
Feed several smaller meals – measure them!
Place food in different locations – keep him moving
In multi-cat homes, feed the cats apart and use individual bowls
Consider microchip feeders to restrict access to other cats’ food
Don’t forget you can feed on different levels – cats who prefer high spaces may like to snack up on the cat tree or other high space!
How Much Should I feed My Cat?
Cats, like people, are individuals and some can eat more than others and remain slim. Below is a link to a chart of weight and calories. Calorie amounts for indoor cats are on the lower end of the range. Calories for most cat foods can be found on the package or on the manufacturer’s website.
A recent study found that once daily canned feeding for cats may help with weight loss. One group of cats had 90 minutes to eat 198 kcal canned food once a day. The second group were offered the same amount of food in 4 feedings, 20 minutes long.
Although group 1 consumed less calories than group 2, the cats fed 4 x daily were observed to be more active, particularly during the daylight hours (when the staff was around).
Frequent meals stimulate your cat and keep him from becoming bored and depressed. Frequent meals also increase your interaction with your cat.
This scale does not tip when your cat walks on it. I have added a non-skid mat.
You can weigh her. The easiest way to do this is to purchase a baby scale. There are many brands online for purchase – check the customer reviews. You will not be putting the scale through the heavy use a veterinary clinic does, so one of the less expensive ones should work. I prefer the style that does not have a separate tray – these do not “tilt” if your cat backs up or steps on the edge.
Your Cat from Overhead – your cat should have a “waist” between the end of his ribs and his hips
From Left to Right: Gus as he lost weight BCS 8, BCS 6.5, BCS 5
Your cat from the side – your cat should have a “tuck” when seen/felt from the side – this is separate from the loose flap of skin on the belly
Zelda as she lost weight: Left – BCS of 9, and BCS of 6
Feel Your Cat’s Ribs
Feel your cat’s side with FLAT fingers – you should be able to feel her ribs; there will be small layer amount of fat
If you have to “dig” (turn your fingers in ) a little, her score may be a 6 or 7
If you can’t feel her ribs at all because of the fat covering, she is most likely a score 8 or 9 – she will have a rounded belly with an easily felt fat pad.
if your cat is long-haired, it is much harder to score her visually. You will have to feel her waist and “tuck” through the fur.
Muscle Condition – part of your cat’s body condition
How do you tell if your cat is fat? Check her muscle condition.
Use your fingers to feel the muscle along either side of the spine.
What you are feeling for is the thickness of the muscle.
A healthy young cat’s back muscles will feel like the outer edge of the palm of your hand.
As your cat ages or becomes sick, the muscles will thin out and feel more like the balls of your hands (MILD muscle loss).
Further aging and disorders like chronic kidney disease can reduce muscle mass further. The muscle will feel more like the backs of your hands (MODERATE muscle loss).
With very old or very sick cats, the vertebrae and pelvic bones become more pronounced and feel more like your knuckles (SEVERE muscle loss).
You can assess your cat’s muscle condition when you are stroking her – think of it as a back massage!
Cats evolved as predators. They get most of their nutrition from meat. They have small stomachs and short gastrointestinal tracts designed to digest animal protein (meat). Cats are what we call “obligate carnivores” -they must eat meat, unlike dogs and humans who are omnivores (eat a combination of plant and animal foods).
Zelda “hunts” some dry food from a treat ball
So what do I feed my cat? A diet high in protein.
How much protein?
Feral cats consume of diet of about 52% kcal of protein and 46% kcal of fat.
Adult domestic cats when given the choice, eat 52% kcal protein, 36% kcal fat and 12% kcal carbohydrates
Protein and carbohydrates provide about 4 kcal per gram of food, while fats supply 9 kcal per gram of food.
A 100 kcal portion of food of choice for an adult domestic cat would contain about 13 g protein, 4 g fat and 3 g carbohydrates.
The guaranteed analysis on the pet food label refers to weights of the nutrients.
The Label on the Cat Food
Pet food is regulated somewhat loosely – the The Association of American Feed Control Officials or AAFCO is an organization with no actual regulatory authority although individual members may have jurisdiction in their countries. The FDA is a member of AAFCO and has regulatory authority in the United States.
AAFCO sets recommended standards for nutrient levels and ingredients in pet food.
Most pet food manufacturers make their food to meet or exceed these requirements.
AAFCO also provides models for feeding trials.
AAFCO recommends a minimum of 26% crude protein in cat foods.
Don’t Forget the Water!
The label on a can of Purina Pro Plan canned cat food reports a minimum protein of 10%. The food has a maximum moisture level of 78%. The canned food has 100%-78% = 22% dry matter. Per 100g, 10g are protein, 78g are water resulting 12g of dry matter. 10g/22g = 0.45. Multiply by 100 to get 45% of crude protein dry matter.
This a label for a maintenance diet for Maine Coon cats.
Note the protein exceeds the minimum of 26%. This food is for maintenance of adult cats.
Restricted Diet Label
The feeding statement on this label says the food is for intermittent feeding.
This is a label from a food designed for cats with kidney disease – it is lower in protein than a maintenance diet. It should be fed under the direction of a veterinarian. You may see this type of label on food toppers and other products that are not a balanced diet.
Feeding Trial Label
This food was tested by being fed to a cats in a research setting. Cats are monitored by evaluating their weight, stool, urine, and blood periodically.
The feeding trial is the GOLD standard to evaluate a pet food. Most pet foods are recipes and few pet food manufacturers can afford to maintain colonies of cats to feed the food to and monitor their health. This falls to the larger, more established pet food manufacturers who can afford this expense. If you see the feeding statement on the bag or can, you know cats have eaten the food and thrived.
Canned or Dry?
Cats will thrive on an all dry diet as well as a 100% canned diet. Cats appreciate variety and feeding your cat a mixture of canned and dry may fit the bill.
Canned Foods
Canned foods lend themselves to meal feeding.
most of the time (but not always) has more protein than dry food
provides water to your cat
cats in the wild get most of their water from the prey animals they eat
Canned foods lend themselves to meal feeding
Dry Foods
Dry foods are easy to use in puzzle feeders.
convenient
do not spoil when left out
work well in puzzle feeders, that can provide your cat with some much needed stimulation while you are away
Like potato chips for humans, dry cat foods are formulated to be tasty and are often high in calories.
Feeding Your Cat – Which Food?
Choose a food that lists meat and/or fish at the top of the ingredient list.
Choose a food that meets the AAFCO nutritional minimums.
Beware of marketing that targets us, the owners. For example, some brands offer cranberries or blueberries in their foods. While not harmful, there are no clinical studies at this time that show the benefits of these ingredients to cats.
Guide the Piller into the side of Kitty’s mouth
