There’s an old saying that you are what you eat. Obviously, this isn’t a literal truth but the importance of a good diet for cat health care as well as our own cannot be underestimated. Ensuring that our pets get all the nutrients they need to stay healthy is a big responsibility, but it needn’t be complex if we understand a few simple things about diet and cat health care.

Drinking plenty of water is really important both for us and our pets. If a cat is denied fresh drinking water it can become seriously ill in a matter of hours. Dehydration can lead to grave cat health care problems and eventually death.

The diet of a cat must be very specific. Felines are what are known as obligate carnivores which means that they cannot live on a vegetarian diet. Depriving a cat of meat in its diet cause such cat health care problems as malnutrition, blindness and death.

Because of the very specific dietary requirements of our feline friends, owners must take care to try not to upset the delicate balance of their diets. However harmless they might seem, giving leftover human food can lead to cat health care problems. Human food is often too fatty and calorific for cats and may even poison them. For example, onions are highly poisonous to cats.

Cats naturally eat several small meals a day, so as far as possible we should try and allow this. Obviously, work or school obligations could mean that feeding regular small meals through the day is not feasible. One option to overcome this problem is to give the cat dried food which it will be able to return to at regular intervals through the day.

Finally, at the same time as considering diet we must consider obesity which is one of the greatest threats to cat health care. Obesity can lead to heart problems, breathing problems, diabetes, arthritis and eventually death, so it must be avoided. As a guideline, one could consider a short haired cat to be a healthy weight if its ribs can be felt but not seen. Always follow the instructions on portion size on cat foods and consult a vet if you think your cat’s weight is a problem.