As we know the cat is particularly demanding and a creature of habit when it comes to food, if he is healthy there is no problem, we will do everything possible to make him/her happy and buy him/her the most delicious and appealing food.
Change pet-food in the cat, why?
What happens if suddenly it is necessary for his/her own good to change brand of food, switch from wet to dry cat food, or vice versa, or start a treatment that involves medicated food?
Reasons that lead to a “forced” change of nutrition
1. Chronic renal failure
2. Kidney stones (renal calculus, nephrolith)
3. IBD – Inflammatory bowel disease
4. Liver Diseases
5. Diabetes
6. Food intolerance
7. Pancreatitis
8. Allergies and dermatitis
9. Cancer
10. Aging: the nutritional needs change
Tremble tremble because you will see how your cat will become the most capricious of the felines!
Begin the transition to the new food is not simple, it is necessary
Reduce stress
Avoid fasting (hepatic lipidosis risk, obese and overweight cats are more exposed to develop it)
Avoid digestive problems, diarrhea or constipation
Do not hurry, respect his/her timing
Before starting any diet variation, weigh the cat
Change pet-food in the cat, why?
Transition from dry to wet cat food
Begin with small portions added to the usual food, and gradually increase the proportions of the new food. If we are lucky we will reach the objective within 10-14 days!
Day 1: Add 1 part of the new food to the usual one
Day 2: Add 2 parts of the new food
Day 3: Add 3 parts of the new food and so on up to 10 days
It might be helpful warm up the wet pet food before offering it to the cat, it is unlikely that he will eat it cold, just taken from the fridge! Besides it is better never leave wet pet food at room temperature for more than 30 minutes, in summer after only 15 minutes it begins to dry out.
During the transition period we can enrich cat’s meal adding to the chosen food small quantities of:
- Ricotta cheese
- Yogurt
- Kefir if it pleases
- Butter
- Rigorously cooked egg white
- Anchovy paste
- Mature hard cheese such as Grana Padano/Parmigiano Reggiano to sprinkle over food
- Shrimps
- Salmon
Change pet-food in the cat, why?
Attention, some of these foods are very fat and may be incompatible with certain diseases such as pancreatitis
Transition from wet to dry cat food
In this case, our “mission” could be a failure; initially try to offer soft biscuits, soak the biscuits placing them in a water filled bowl for about 20 minutes.
Proceed as usual to the transition period, mixing old with new food, attention to the water intake, the biscuits contain less moisture. Always provide fresh water to the cat to avoid constipation. IF THE CAT HAS A KIDNEY DISEASE CHECK HIS/HER HYDRATION STATE.
If the cat has health problems consider the transition to fresh and natural food!