You’ve probably heard that domestic cats have a very selective taste, which makes the diet change process a real challenge. It is an unequivocal truth that we must be very careful and careful when proposing a different food or incorporating a new food into our cat’s diet. In addition, it is essential to know that prohibited cat food can cause serious poisoning or poisoning.
However, it is also important to note that with the dedication, patience and appropriate specialized advice of a veterinarian, it is possible to adapt the palate of a cat to new flavors, aromas and textures. And to help in this process, Animal Expert, in this new article, summarizes the steps to change a cat’s food without harming its health. Ready to get started?
1
Antes de realizar qualquer mudança na alimentação de um gato ou de qualquer animal de estimação, é indispensável consultar o veterinário de sua confiança. A primeira coisa a fazer é procurar saber se nosso felino está forte e saudável para encarar uma mudança em sua dieta. Além disso, é crucial contar com a orientação especializada de um veterinário para escolher uma nova ração que ofereça os níveis de nutrientes adequados e que agrade o paladar de nosso bichano. O mesmo é válido para os donos que elejam oferecer uma dieta crua ou BARF, em português dieta ACBA (Alimentação Crua Biologicamente Adequada) a seu felino doméstico.
In addition, regular visits to the veterinarian and adequate preventive medicine are also essential for detecting possible allergies or symptoms of diseases associated with food imbalances such as diabetes, obesity or kidney failure. In these cases, your cat will need to follow a specific diet to prevent the progression of symptoms of each of these pathologies and improve the quality of life.
2
Changing a cat’s food should always be a slow and gradual process that respects the adaptation time of each animal. Cats stick to their daily routines and eating habits to feel safe at home and not be exposed to uncharted environments that may jeopardize their well-being. By forcing our cat to undergo a sudden change of diet, we facilitate the onset of stress symptoms and also some physical side effects such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Older cats need special attention to change their diet, as they need adequate nutrients, such as high protein intake and certain vitamins to compensate for natural muscle loss and decreased metabolic rate. They are usually even more vulnerable and develop digestive disorders in the face of a sudden change in their diet.
For this reason, we should never completely or suddenly replace your daily meal with a new ration. To change a cat’s food slowly and gradually, you should start replacing a very small percentage of your cat’s traditional food with the new food. You can gradually increase this percentage until the new ration accounts for 100% of your cat’s daily diet.
3
Adding wet food or pate to your new dry pet food is a good alternative to mix flavors and stimulate your appetite. You can even prepare tasty, moist food for your cat at home, without preservatives or processed products.
However, this is a temporary method, which should only be used in the early days of the food transition. Otherwise, your cat may get used not to the taste of new food, but to wet food. In addition, combining dry foods with homemade or moist foods can cause digestive problems because food has different digestion times.
4
Cats, like real carnivores, like their food having a warm temperature. Keep in mind that animals that hunt for eating usually eat meat from their newly slaughtered prey, while maintaining their body temperature. So, if you notice that your cat shows no interest in your new food, you can use the old “trick” to heat the food and encourage it to try it.
To heat your cat’s food a little, add some hot (but not boiling) water to the food and let it rest until it reaches a temperature between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius (approximately the body temperature of a mammal). This will not only increase the taste and aroma of the food, but will also give a more pleasant texture to your taste.
5
Before claiming that our cat has a very small palate, we should keep in mind that, usually, the caregivers themselves tend to facilitate the increase of selectivity or the limitation of the taste of their felines. We tend to offer a single dry food or the same taste of wet food for much of their lives. And if a cat experiences for a long time a single taste, aroma or texture, it will be much more difficult to adapt to a new food proposal, because it will get used to a very limited and uns varied diet.
To improve the adaptability and flexibility of the taste of our cats, we must invest in early food adaptation. All cats develop their taste criteria and personal tastes during their first 6 or 7 months of life. During this period, they are more likely to try different flavors, flavors, textures, and forms of dry and moist foods. And if we offer this strain in your children’s diet, we will create an adult feline with higher dietary tolerance and a better willingness to accept changes in their routine.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Balanced Diets section.