What to feed a cat: why water matters more than you think

The key difference: a cat is an obligate carnivore. That means some vital nutrients, taurine in particular, can only come from animal food — a cat cannot synthesise them. This is why a vegetarian diet is dangerous for cats and why dog food does not suit them in principle: it simply does not contain what a cat needs in the amounts it needs.

Water: the central topic in cat feeding

The ancestors of domestic cats lived in a dry climate and got almost all their fluid from prey. As a result a cat has a weak thirst drive: it does not physiologically "top up" what it did not get from food. On a dry diet this creates chronic fluid shortage, which in turn is one of the factors in urinary tract problems — the most common reason cats end up at the vet.

• Put several water bowls in different rooms.
• Keep water away from food. Cats instinctively avoid drinking next to where they eat.
• Use a wide, shallow bowl — whiskers should not touch the edges.
• Many cats drink far more readily from running water. A fountain genuinely increases intake.
• Wet food is the simplest way to add fluid to the diet.

How many meals a day

In nature cats eat little and often — up to ten small meals a day. So:

• Kittens — 4–5 small meals a day.
• An adult cat — 2–4 meals.
• Leaving out a day's dry food is possible, but then weight needs closer watching: many cats overeat with free access.

And something important: a cat must not go hungry even for a day. Unlike in dogs, a prolonged refusal of food in cats can trigger serious liver damage. Refusing food for more than 24 hours is a reason to see a vet, especially in overweight cats.

Forbidden foods

• Onion and garlic — including inside prepared dishes.
• Chocolate, coffee.
• Grapes and raisins.
• Alcohol.
• Large amounts of raw fish — it destroys thiamine.
• Bones, especially tubular and cooked ones.
• Salty and smoked food, sausages, human tinned goods.
• Human medication in any form. Paracetamol is lethally toxic to cats even in a minimal dose.

About milk

The classic image of a cat with a saucer of milk is a myth that causes harm. Most adult cats do not digest lactose, and cow's milk gives them digestive upset. Kittens need their mother's milk or a proper substitute, not cow's milk.

Excess weight

This is very common in house cats, especially after neutering, when calorie needs drop by roughly a quarter while the portion stays the same.

• Calculate the portion from body weight rather than by eye, and recalculate after neutering.
• Signs of a healthy weight: ribs felt under the coat, a visible waist from above, no hanging belly.
• A cat should lose weight slowly. Rapid weight loss is more dangerous than the excess weight itself — it too can damage the liver.
• Daily hunting play is not entertainment but part of weight control. Two 10-minute sessions with a wand toy work better than any "diet" bowl.

Changing food

Cats are more conservative than dogs: many simply refuse to eat something new. Change over 7–10 days by mixing the new food into the old. If a cat pointedly will not eat, do not wait it out "until it gets hungry" — that tactic is dangerous for cats. Step back and introduce the new food more slowly.