How to Understand That Your Cat's Food Is Not Right: 6 Reasons to Change Your Pet's Diet

Every cat owner strives to provide their furry friend with the best nutrition.

But sometimes it becomes necessary to change food, whether due to changes in health, age-related characteristics, or simply to improve the quality of the diet.

However, cats are picky creatures, and the wrong choice or sudden change of food can lead to stress or digestive problems.

New stage of life

From a nutritional perspective, a cat's life can be divided into different stages depending on its age and reproductive status (kitten, adult, and pregnant).

At each of these stages, metabolic and nutritional needs will change, so special foods are needed.

Health problems

Cats can have a variety of health problems that require special nutrition.

Products containing medications or available only on prescription from a veterinarian

There are many treatment products available that are designed to reduce or eliminate the negative effects of a particular disease or diagnosis.

These are often prescribed by prescription, some include a urinary diet (helps maintain proper urine pH or may dissolve existing stones in the urinary tract or may prevent certain stones from forming), a diabetes diet that helps maintain proper weight and glucose levels, a diet aimed at maintaining better oral health, etc.

Skin or coat health

If your cat has itchy or dry skin, one way to try to help is to change his food.

Some food products are sold with ingredients that may improve skin health, such as vitamin E or omega-3 and 6 fatty acids.

If your veterinarian thinks your itchy or dry skin may be the result of an allergy, he or she may also perform a food test to rule out that possibility.

Any food trial should be done under the guidance of a veterinarian and may involve prescription, hypoallergenic, or new protein diets with very strict instructions.

Weight control

Weight control can be a cornerstone of your cat's overall well-being, as obesity can lead to a variety of health complications.

Most weight loss diets are aimed at weight loss or weight control, but there are also diet options that can help an underweight cat gain weight if needed. For overweight cats, the type and amount of food may need to be adjusted.

Serving food in a variety of ways, such as a puzzle feeder, will provide calorie-burning physical activity as well as mental enrichment, which will contribute to your cat's overall health. Although there are prescription-only weight-control diet options available from your veterinarian, over-the-counter diets are also available.

Sensitive stomach

Some brands of food are not suitable for certain cats. While there are various prescription products that can help with sensitive digestive tracts, there are also over-the-counter products that market themselves as promoting gut health.

Some of these cat foods may contain prebiotics, probiotics, and ingredients that are easy for the body to digest.

The easiest way

Sometimes the easiest thing to do—unless there is a medical reason not to—is to put all cats in the house on the same diet.

If one cat eats a certain food for some reason, it may make sense for the others to switch to that food as well. Budget, time, money, and the dynamics of the relationship between the cats may influence this decision.

Change of opinion or resources

You may change your cat's brand or type of food for a variety of reasons, including hearing other people's opinions, views, or recommendations.

Additionally, the budget may change, which will lead to a switch to a feed that is more suitable for the current situation.

Availability

If a cat food has been discontinued or is difficult to obtain due to supply chain issues, this may also be a reason to change your cat food for a short period of time.

Reliability, both in terms of quality and availability, can be a compelling reason to make more permanent food substitutions.

Picky eater

Cats can be picky about many things, including their food. Some may only like canned food, others may want their food heated up, and others may only eat at certain times of the day. Trying out a variety of food options can help your cat not be so picky.

Previously, we talked about how to keep your four-legged friend clean during a walk .