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In their senior years cats need a high quality, palatable diet with easy to digest protein and a careful balance of nutrients. We recommend moving your feline friends onto a suitable senior diet to support their body changes and nutritional needs as they age.
Should I feed my cat senior food?
Start your cat on a senior diet at about seven years of age. The main objectives in the feeding an older cat should be to maintain health and optimum body weight, slow or prevent the development of chronic disease, and minimize or improve clinical signs of diseases that may already be present.
Do older cats really need senior food?
And it shouldn’t be different in cat world. Senior cats do not need a specific diet because of old age. However, their sensitivity to food quality is higher than their younger and adult counterparts. Get as high a quality of cat food as you can.
Does senior cat food make a difference?
The only difference that was found between the senior diets and the adult diets was higher fiber in the senior diets. There were no differences in protein, fat, or minerals between the senior diets and the adult diets. Calories were higher in the diets labeled for 11+ years than those for 7+ years.
At what age should a cat start eating senior cat food?
When your cat is about 12 months old, it’s time to switch to a maintenance formula adult cat food, such as Opens a new windowIAMS™ ProActive Health™ Adult Original with Chicken. At this age, cats no longer need the extra calories and nutrients found in kitten food.
Is Wet food better for older cats?
Wet food is easier for many senior cats to manage and the increased moisture content is important for digestion and kidney health as well. If your cat insists on dry food, try using moisture-rich wet food as a topper.
Do older cats need less protein?
Becker, premature aging in cats, digestion, organ dysfunction and detoxification is created by diets that are hard to digest and assimilate. Fortunately, however, many veterinarians are becoming aware that in fact, elderly cats actually need more protein than younger kitties.
What’s the average lifespan of a house cat?
2 – 16 yearsIn the wild.
How often should I feed my senior cat?
“From age six months to maturity, most cats will do well when fed two times a day.” Once the cat becomes an adult, at about one year, feeding once or twice a day is appropriate in most cases. Senior cats, age seven and above, should maintain the same feeding regimen.
What age is a senior cat?
In recent years, feline ages and life-stages have been redefined, cats are considered to be elderly once they reach 11 years with senior cats defined as those aged between 11-14 years and super-senior cats 15 years and upwards. When caring for older cats it sometimes helps to appreciate their age in human terms.
What is special about senior cat food?
Foods for Senior Cats Enhanced antioxidant levels. Senior cats can benefit from antioxidants that provide extra support to their immune systems, which may be declining. Highly digestible ingredients. Your senior cat’s aging digestive system will benefit from ingredients that are easy for her to fully digest.
How much should a 14 year old cat eat?
How Much to Feed a Senior Cat. Most senior cats will have about the same caloric needs as an adult cat—roughly 280 to 360 daily calories depending on the normal lean weight—as long as they are healthy. Some older cats will actually have an increase in energy requirements.
Do cats eat less as they age?
Calorie control in mature and senior cats usually means reducing calorie consumption by approximately 20-30%. In geriatric cats, it may be more important to increase their caloric intake to sustain a normal physique as their body condition and weight naturally declines with advanced age.
What is a good cat food for older cats?
Here are a few options to consider: Best Dry Senior Cat Food: Wellness Complete Health Senior Cat Food – Natural, Grain Free, Chicken. Best Wet Senior Cat Food: NUTRO Grain Free Natural Wet Cat Food Cuts in Gravy. Best Canned Senior Cat Food: Fancy Feast Senior Classic Pate Cat Food.
Can you feed a kitten adult cat food?
When it comes to energy intake, kittens need a large amount of it to come via protein. Essentially, feeding a kitten adult cat food may be harmful because you actually may be depriving her of the important vitamins and minerals she needs to grow — and thrive, for that matter.
What is the healthiest cat food for indoor cats?
According to online reviews—and our own very picky indoor kitties—these are some of the best indoor cat foods on the market. Iams ProActive Health Indoor Weight & Hairball Care Dry Cat Food. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Indoor Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food. Purina Beyond Dry Cat Food (Salmon).
How much wet food should I feed my elderly cat?
Many wet foods come in three-ounce cans and recommend feeding approximately one can a day for every three to three and a half pounds of body weight.
Is Fancy Feast okay for cats?
Best (less expensive) food for adult cats “A lot of people will say Fancy Feast is kind of the ‘McDonald’s for cats,’ but it’s actually not the case,” says Berg. “Plenty of the Fancy Feast [formulas] are actually quite high in protein and very low in carbohydrates.” This protein-rich turkey flavor checks all her boxes.
What do underweight senior cats eat?
Cat Food Options for Weight Gain Your veterinarian can also prescribe high-calorie cat foods like Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Recovery RS canned cat food or Hill’s Prescription Diet a/d Urgent Care canned cat food. These formulations are highly digestible and provide the extra calories your cat needs to gain weight.
Is too much protein bad for senior cats?
Senior cats are at risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease, which is extremely common in older cats. For cats with kidney disease high protein diets can damage the kidneys further. On the other hand, too low of protein can cause muscle mass loss.
Why do old cats get skinny?
Well-recognized causes of weight loss in old cats include chronic renal disease, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, and dental problems. Dental disease can contribute to weight loss in senior cats.
How can I help my aging cat?
Here are the top six ways to care for aging cats. Pay Extra Attention to Your Senior Cat’s Diet. Increase Your Cat’s Access to Water. Know and Keep an Eye Out for the Subtle Signs of Pain in Cats. Don’t Neglect Your Cat’s Dental Health. Give Senior Cats Daily Exercise and Mental Stimulation.
