Category Archives: Cat Food And Feeding

How to improve your cat’s dental health with Greenies

Cat Food And Feeding

Has anyone ever told you that dry food (kibble) cleans your cat’s teeth? Well, turns as it turns out it doesn’t. You can read more about it in this article: Does Dry Food Actually Clean Your Cat’s Teeth?

However, while generic dry food doesn’t do much for dental health, specifically formulated dental foods and treats can. The ones that do have an official “seal of approval” from The Veterinary Oral Health Council. While these products won’t necessarily replace proper oral hygiene or dental care, they can help reduce the layer of tartar which otherwise accumulates on your cat’s teeth.

For cats, the most popular option is probably the Greenies dental treats:

greenies

As you can see, the package proudly presents the VOHC seal, stating that these treats have been approved for tartar control. The unique shape and texture of these treats mean that they gently file away excess tartar and plaque, for healthier teeth and gums. Made with added vitamins, minerals and taurine, they also give Kitty a nice nutritional boost.

As with all treats, make sure you don’t overfeed. Greenies are yummy and most cats love getting their daily dose of dental care with them but the bottom line is that these are treats and should not contribute too many calories to your cat’s overall diet. The good news is that they have less than 2 calories per treat, so feeding 5-10 of these a day is fine. Just calculate them into your cat’s daily treats allowance, and not as food, and you should be ok.

Remember to regularly check your cat’s teeth. Contact your veterinarian if you notice any of the following –

  • cavities or caries
  • loose teeth
  • bad breath
  • reddened or swollen gums

Each of these could be symptoms of tooth decay or gum disease, or they could be the first indications of other kinds of health problems. They should be evaluated by a veterinarian and treated.

If your cat is diabetic, elderly or has existing dental issues, it’s best to consult with your veterinarian before making any changes to his or her nutrition, including with treats. If Kitty is healthy and you just want to pamper her with a healthy treat that’s approved by veterinary dental specialist, just click here and order your packet of feline Greenies treats!

 

 

http://amzn.to/1TTSylx

How To Feed Small Amounts Multiple Times A Day Without A Hassle

Cat Food And Feeding

Cats have evolved to hunt mice and small birds. Their natural prey comes in small quantities and they were supposed to keep hunting several times a day in order to get enough calories and nutrients. The odd fat rat may have come their way, but generally speaking it would have been small mice, and even bugs. That’s portion control for you – much smaller portions than the average meal a cat owner provides at home.

Most of us don’t bother with filling a food dish more than twice a day and some owners even feed just once a day. When dry cat food is concerned, some cats tend to have their own version of portion control: They approach their food dish several times a day and nibble on a handful of kibble. The rest stays in the dish and is likely to go stale during the day. That’s why come evening time, your cat may start asking for more food, even if there’s still some in the bowl. Other cats don’t even bother with pacing their eating. They hoover up their food and then vomit, or just become overweight. Either way, it’s far from ideal.

Ideally, you should be dividing your cat’s daily allowance of food into 8-12 smaller portions. But who’s got the time and patience to do that, you ask? Nobody. Or almost nobody. Which is why this nifty automatic feeder by PetSafe is so great –

automatic-feeder

It’s made with slow feeding in mind. You have total portion control and can set it up to dispense anything from 1/4 of a cup to 4 cups at once and you can program the feeding schedule to anything you want it to be. You decide when Kitty gets a mouse, or a mouse-sized meal 😉

But wait, there’s more! This wonderful machine has a unique “slow feed” mode. That’s perfect for those cats that tend to hoover up their food, only to vomit everything a few minutes later. With the “slow feed” settings, a meal gets dispensed very gradually and slowly, a few pieces of kibble at a time, over a period of 15 minutes. That’s just perfect for dealing with gobbler!

Check it out on Amazon for the full specs and to make your order. It really is a great option for improving your cat’s eating habits!

 

Your cat is in for a treat: Temptations MixUps

Cat Food And Feeding

It may surprise some cat owners but the truth is not all cats like cat treats. Some cats tend to stick to one type of food and no other delicacy will get them to change their mind. That may sound like a good thing but it’s not. Nutritional variety is as important to our cats as it is to us. Sure, treats can rarely be considered to be health food but the very fact that your cat has more than one food source is actually a good idea. If your cat refuses to try foods other than one specific kind, it’s ok to try and tempt her by trying various kinds of treats, homemade or store-bought. These oceanic treats by Temptations are a good kind to try simply because they taste so good to cats.

temptations ocean treatsThey are crunchy on the outside yet have a soft yummy center. This line is called Surfer’s Delight and it’s all about the flavors of the ocean: tuna, shrimp, and salmon! The good thing about it is that it’s calorie-controlled. At only 2 calories a piece, you can allow Kitty a few treats a day.

Word of caution, that’s true for all cat treats: Don’t give too many treats. Even for a healthy adult cat, with no weight issues, you should not allow the total amount of treats in its diet exceed 10% of the total food intake. In fact, sticking to 5% is much safer. As delicious as these treats are, they contain a lot of highly-processed ingredients such as cornmeal, rice and yeast and are not a good base for wholesome nutrition.

Click to read more about how addictive treats can get and why you should limit your cat’s consumption of them in this article.

Which brings me back to these Temptations Mixups treats. One of the things I like best about it is this awesome container! You can easily seal it back after each use which means the treats stay fresh and crispy! That way you can limit consumption to 2-3 pieces a day and can offer fresh crunchy treats for weeks on end!

Click to see more and order these treats on Amazon

PetSafe SlimCat Interactive Toy and Food Dispenser

Cat Food And Feeding

Cats have evolved to be hunters. They were domesticated only a few thousands of years ago – most estimates mention about 5000 years – and even then, for millennia they were kept for their value as hunters of rodents. The new feline role of pampered indoor-only Kitty is relatively new, at most decades of years old.

No wonder many cats find the fact that their food just shows up from above and into their feeding dish a bit dull. Some cats still crave the level of interest that came with having to hunt. They need the mental and physical stimulation. Without it, their life is a bit more boring and if food comes too easily, they may eat too much of it, too fast, eventually gaining unwanted weight.

That’s why experts agree that feeding solutions such as the SlimCat Interactive Toy & Food Dispenser is a great idea.

cat feeding ball

Basically, this is a hardy plastic ball inside which you place Kitty’s kibble. In order to get her food, your cat will have to bat the ball around and chase it as the kibble falls out in small amounts. It gets her exercise and food at the same way hunting would have done. It also means eating is slowed down as she can only get a small amount at the time.

Made by PetSafe, you know this product comes “from a good home”, made with safe and non-toxic materials and tried and tested on many cats.

Who is this for? It’s a great solution for these scenarios –

  • Any cat who needs exercise.
  • Any cat who needs mental stimulation.
  • Any cat whose owner is away during the day and needs entertainment.
  • Any cat who tends to eat too fast.

If your cat falls into any of these categories, do her a favor and order this unusual feeding instrument for her. It doesn’t work well with all cats and it may take some getting used to, but if it works, it can hugely improve her quality of life and health too.

Click to read more about this and to order on Amazon

 

What’s The Best Water Fountain For My Cat?

Cat Food And Feeding

A water fountain for a cat is a popular choice these days. Many cats prefer access to fresh running water and more and more cat owners realize just how important it is to keep their cats well-hydrated.

Getting Kitty to drink more water is even more important if you feed kibble, as dry cat food contains very little water. Unless you encourage a cat to increase her water intake, it could be easily sub-hydrated for long periods of time, making her (or him) more susceptible to kidney issues down the road. Here’s an excellent list of Tips to Increase Your Cat’s Water Intake. You’ll find a recommendation for water fountains there too.

“What’s the best water fountain for my cat?”, you’re asking yourself now.  Which water fountain to choose? We’ll try and help by reviewing the wisdom of the crowds and see what thousands of cat owners decide is the best water fountain at Amazon.com. So, from fifth place, all the way to the first, here are the best-selling water fountains these days. Don’t let the order confuse you. These are the top-selling water fountains for cats in the US. It means they’re ALL great choices, so you can let your sense of design and style into play when making your choice!

6. Pioneer Fountain Big Max- Stainless Steel

Pioneer Fountain Big Max-

Reviewers raved about the design and ease of cleaningless. Those switching over from plastic fountains mentioned how stainless steel was much easier to clean – it’s even dishwater safe. It does appear from the reviews that a few customers had issues with the pump though. Those who did not were very happy with this product complained about pump issues.  At 128 oz capacity, this is a fairly large fountain.

 

5. Cat Mate Pet Fountain

Cat Mate Pet Fountain

It’s fun to look at this Cat Mate fountain as it moved water in two separate waterfalls connecting three different levels of water. It’s an excellent way to draw in a curious kitty and encourage her to drink. Reviewers who’ve tried previous models of this fountain mentioned how the new version is more quiet.

Click to see more details and read the reviews

4. Drinkwell 360 Pet Fountain

Drinkwell 360 Pet Fountain

The 360 pet fountain by Drinkwell is one of those utilizing a nouvelle shape to allow for multi-pet use. More than one cat can approach the fountain and use it at the same time, if they are comfortable being in proximity to one another (not all cats are, and don’t expect this fountain to change the inter-cat dynamics in your household!) It is fairly large with a 128 oz water cpacity but some reviewers note that the filter tends to clog up rather fast and the fountain requires afrequent cleaning.

Click to see more details and read the reviews

 

3. TheDrinkwell 360 Pet Fountain in Stainless Steel

This is essentially the same as the Drinkwell 360 Pet Fountain only made of stainless steel and not plastic. Generally speaking, this makes the unit easier to clean, leaving less room for bacteria to hide in the cracks. Reviewers were generally happy with this product, though some have noted that it can be a challenge to re-assemble after cleaning.

Click for more details and to read hundreds of reviews

2. Pioneer Pet Stainless Steel Fountain Raindrop Design

If you love the look and ease of cleaning provided by a chrome-shaded stainless steel fountain, you may like this one. It’s the #1 stainless steel fountain and it does have a lovely zen-inducing piece which is pretty enough to be a decorative item in its own right while providing an everlasting source of fascination for your cat.

Click for more details and hundreds of reviews

1. The Drinkwell Original Pet Fountain

Is the first pet fountain also the best? Some say it is. Originally developed by veterinarian Dr. Mary Burns. This is the basic model but it gets the job done. It can be upgraded by adding a larger water reservoir in the back. You can also adjust the flow of water for a better level of control and adjustment for your specific cat’s needs and preferences.

Click for more details and hundreds of reviews

Cat Lovers Valentine’s Day Special

Cat Food And Feeding, Gifts For Cat Lovers,

Valentines’s Day is almost here, but you still have time to get gifts for the special people in your life. And what’s better than a lovey dovey cat-themed gift? I’ll be reviewing a few gift ideas in this post, and don’t worry, there’s a Valentine’s gift for your True Love too – your cat!

Let’s start off with some chocolate:

This chocolate kitten is irresistible, isn’t it? Small and delicate in design, yet packed full of flavor, this gourmet chocolate shows a lot of thought behind the choice, as well as having an expensive taste. Literally. Click for more details or to order.

How about sticking to the sticky theme of candy, with no caloric remorse? I found just the thing for you – a super cute ceramic figurine of a candy colored cat, with candy for whiskers, in a distinctly Valentine’s Day design. What better say to say “I Love You?”

Another way to keep sugar levels down, would be to opt for this gourmet coffee gift basket, with five flavors of quality coffee and a pack of biscoti (I never said zero sugar!). Where’s the cat angle? It’s in the cat-themed mug and coasters that are part of this feline-themed gift basket:

Click here for more details or to buy

If you liked the design on that mug, how about adding a LOVEly apron with the same design. Purrfect as a gift in its own right, this is just the thing for Valentine’s, all hearts and loving kitties:

Click for more info on the apron and/or to buy on Amazon.

One more idea for the humans, before we get to the “gifts for cats” bit –

Of course, this goes best with a picture of your Valentine’s cat in there! Click to learn more about this frame and how to get it on Amazon.

And finally, the felines. I love the design of this can –

They have several flavors, each with a different color on the package. The price if for a package of 16 of those, making them ideal as gifts not only for your own cats, but for the loved cats of your loved ones. Click for more about these cans and how to get them.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone, furry or not!