There is little doubt that cats who live indoor lives are significantly safer since they are shielded from illnesses, social difficulties, and outdoor predators. But in order to avoid gaining weight and live happy, healthy lives, they require additional mental and physical activities as well as the proper indoor cat food diet tailored to their daily demands. CatSifu has put together for our cat parents 10 tips to properly feed indoor cats so that they can continue to be happy always.
1. Learn What is Good Food for Indoor Cats.
Cats consume meat. However, because indoor cats are typically less active, the finest indoor cat diet will have the following components:
• Choose high quality protein that is easy to be digested as the main ingredient
• Calorie count is lower than typical recipes for controlling weight.
• High fibre content to support digestion, prevent hairballs, and support maintaining a healthy body weight. To further assist lessen litter box stench, prebiotics (chicory root) and probiotics (all the fermentation products specified on the ingredient panel) are also included.
• Natural proteins that include taurine, a nutritional necessity, contain all 11 of the essential amino acids that cats need. Numerous conditions, including blindness, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, a compromised immune system, and infertility, can be brought on by taurine deficiency in cats.
• Rich in vital fatty acids, Omega 3 and Omega 6 maintain the health of a cat’s skin and coat.
• Zinc, copper, thiamine, riboflavin, and pyridoxine are essential vitamins and minerals for optimum body and immunological function.
2. Measuring and Managing Your Feeding.
The food bowl is frequently visited by cats since they enjoy to munch. However, in order to prevent them from overeating, it’s crucial to regulate their daily allowance by weighing out portions rather than free feeding. Also be sure to use Pure C+ to clean the food eating area properly so that their dietary intake can be clean.
• Use a standard measuring cup so that intake can be consistent
• Avoid piling it on since that adds extra food and calories.
• Indoor cats are less active. So, it’s crucial to regulate their weight. Serious health problems like diabetes, heart disease, and renal failure are more likely to affect overweight cats.
3. A Hairball Diet can help with Excessive Grooming.
The amount of time a cat spends in the sun each day has a significant impact on how much fur it sheds (called a photoperiod). Living indoors can cause cats to constantly shed because temperature controls throw off their reproductive clock, especially if they reside in homes with both heat and air conditioning.
• Cats are adept at grooming themselves. However, they risk ingesting stray hairs while grooming themselves, which can result in hairballs. These, in turn, can result in a potentially harmful intestinal blockage.
• Additionally, extra dead skin and hair collects and mats into knots.
• Using Pure C+ in a humidifier can disperse silver ions that will bind with the pet’s hair causing it to be clean and free from harmful allergens, bacteria, and parasites.
4. Offer a Selection of Dry Food Proteins
• For indoor cats, chicken and turkey are regarded as easily digested proteins.
• To estimate protein levels, read labels. Veterinarians advise a daily protein intake of between 35 and 40 percent.
• For the cats’ proper hydration, make sure there is always fresh water next to the food bowl.
5. Include Options for Wet Food.
Since many cats don’t have a strong thirst drive, wet foods provide cats with the moisture they need to help them stay healthy. For a cat at risk of Feline Urinary Syndrome/Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FUS/FLUTD), some vets advise a wet food diet to assist boost water intake and urine volume. It would be good to also have a humidifier to keep the air around the area humid enough so that the cat will not dehydrate easily.
6. Provide Variety in Diet
Cats are frequently described as picky feeders. But in reality, they simply have their preferred tastes and textures. They are also intelligent. As a result, feeding them a diet that consists of both wet and dry food enables them to consume their wet food while it is still tasty and fresh and save the dry part of their meals for small snacks throughout the day.
7. Provide Your Indoor Cat with Vertical Space.
An indoor cat’s quality of life can be significantly enhanced by a tall cat condo or cat tree since moving vertically provides them more “real estate.”
• Cats can retreat to a vertical location for some seclusion and a peaceful slumber. They remain active by climbing up and down.
• Your cat will have to expend some calories during mealtimes because some cat trees even include food dish attachments for high-rise dining.
• Place near a window with a view of a garden or the street to keep children interested in outdoor exercise.
• Ensure that the vertical area is sanitized regularly with Pure C+ as it can destroy microorganisms, viruses and parasites that affects the health of cats.
8. Use food-related games and puzzles.
Board games and puzzles can serve as feeders and motivate cats to work for their food.
• As cats remove kibble from such products, they provide mental and physical stimulation.
• Put some of your cat’s daily chow allotment toward buying one of these toys.
9. Make Sure Your Indoor Cat Gets Exercise.
It’s crucial to get your cat moving by playing games with it.
• Use a tiny toy that your cat can easily pick up and carry in her mouth to teach her how to play fetch.
• Wand toys get you involved while encouraging a cat to improve her hunting and pouncing techniques.
• Your cat’s inner lion is stimulated by catnip toys, too!
• Encourage your cat to wander to and from the food station for meals and daily grazing by positioning it far from her preferred sleeping area.
10. Include Greens in Your Indoor Cat’s Diet.
Fresh greens may be added to your indoor cat’s diet.
• You may buy wheat grass for your cat that is already prepared to consume.
• You might also think about cultivating your own cat grass. You might raise oats, barley, and rye for diversity. Even kits are being grown in pet shops and online.
• A new catnip plant will also provide kitty with an interesting treat to chew on. We suggest talking to your veterinarian if you have never used catnip on your cat or if your animal is not accustomed to it in order to make sure they are okay with you giving it to your cat.
• Put the edible garden for your cat close to a fountain. The key to a healthy indoor living for cats is flowing water since it stimulates drinking.
