I Am What I Eat - A Love Letter From Your Cat

I need a balanced diet that includes proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water. Proteins supply important elements for energy, growth and body repair. Fats provide a highly digestible, tasty, concentrated source of energy and aid the production of healthy skin and fur. I should drink large quantities of water (about one ounce for each pound of my body weight daily) and I need free access to clean, fresh water throughout the day.

A few general principles on how to properly feed me:

To provide a well balanced diet and prevent picky eating, you can feed me a variety of styles and flavors.

1. There are certain things that I can not do and you will have to do them for me. Read cat food labels carefully. I don't want foods with additives or very high vegetable content. I guess that means the broccoli is all yours...ENJOY!
2. Examine my food carefully...I promise you I will. Does the food look smooth and digestible, free of skin, bones and discolored meat? I don't like those and I wouldn't ask you to eat them, either.

If you are going to allow commercial food makes up the bulk of my diet, then here is something you should know. Of the three kinds: Dry, semi moist and canned (moist), I like them all!

Dry foods (about 10% water) will help clean my teeth and are cost efficient, but lack the necessary water and fat   content to be a single food source.

Semi moist food (25% to 35% water) stays fresh longer than dry food, but costs more, does nothing for cleaning     teeth and usually contains chemical additives to retain a moist texture. Because of the chemicals, I only want this occasionally and in small amounts.

Canned food (about 75% water) store well, tastes good and conforms to most of my natural dietary needs, but costs more and may contain additives. Please give me a healthy diet by combining dry and canned food, that way I get the nutritional advantages of each.

My food quantities are going to be determined by my size. I am fit and not overweight so I need about 40 calories for each pound of body weight every day. I also know that active, pregnant, lactating and unneutered cats require more, while obese, inactive and older cats may require less. About a ½ cup of dry food and 6 ounces of canned food for every 5 pounds of body weight generally satisfies my daily needs. I really need to be fed at least twice a day or if you know you aren't going to be here in time to feed me, then leave some food out for me and I will leave the light on for you.

You can supplement my commercial food with cooked liver (I LOVE liver!), once or twice a week, and small amounts of cheese, milk, fruit, vegetable and cooked fish. Dry food and low fat canned foods (less than 5%) may need vegetable oil or lard added, but limit the fat addition to 1 teaspoon per day. Some adult cats enjoy (but do not require) catnip and owners often find that a potted catnip plant discourages the nibbling of houseplants. A balanced diet usually provides all of the necessary vitamins and minerals, so consult with my veterinarian before you add a supplement to my diet, please.

Young kittens have special needs and require a high calorie, very high protein diet that must be eaten in small, frequent meals. You can "free-feed" junior by leaving food out all day (I promise not to touch it) or "hand-feed" him five to six small meals. Many owners find that "free-feeding" insures that the kitten eats enough and prevents feeding boredom. Others find that "hand-feeding" prevents obesity and lets you monitor the kitten's eating. As junior matures, his calorie intake will diminish and you can then place us on a similar feeding schedule.

You already know that I can be a bit finiky, but if I change drastically in what or when I eat, I may be hurting or sick. Please take good care of me.

And, always, always, always discuss dramatic changes in my eating habits with my doctor. I love you.