Welfare of cats: code of practice

Section 2: the need for a suitable diet

2.1. This section offers guidance on providing your cat with a suitable diet.

Your cat should have access to fresh water at all times

2.2. Your cat should always have access to fresh clean water from a clean bowl. This is essential for all cats unless your vet tells you differently. Many cats may not drink large amounts but their thirst may increase in hot weather or if you feed them dried food. Changes in the amount of water your cat drinks may also indicate illness.

Balanced diet

Your cat must have a balanced diet that meets its nutritional needs

2.3. To keep your cat healthy it is essential to provide it with a nutritionally balanced diet from early in its life. This will ensure that it receives essential nutrients in the correct quantities. A good diet can help prevent the effects of many diseases.

2.4. Cats are true carnivores, and cannot be vegetarians. They must eat many of the components found only in meat and animal fat in order to thrive and survive. This is because many years of evolution have made them so successful at hunting that they cannot create certain nutrients from vegetables as other species can.

2.5. Therefore, cats have to eat certain proteins, vitamins and fatty acids available only from meat or commercially prepared cat food. They also have a higher protein requirement than some other species, such as dogs.

2.6. An alternative to commercially prepared cat food is a home-made diet. However, this requires an excellent understanding of your cat's nutritional needs and if you choose to feed it this way it is very important that you get advice from your vet or pet care specialist.

2.7. A cat's ability to digest milk is significantly reduced after it is weaned. An adult cat therefore no longer needs milk and, because milk is a food, it should never be used as a substitute for water, which is an essential part of your cat's diet.

A cat's healthy weight

Your cat should not be too fat or too thin

2.8. An obese cat is an unhealthy cat. Most cats will only eat as much as they need. Some, however, may overeat and become overweight leading to a reduced quality of life. Obesity can lead to a whole host of health problems, including heart disease and diabetes.

2.9. It is important to remember that an underweight animal may also be ill. You should, therefore, know the best weight for your cat and try to make sure that its weight stays approximately the same throughout its adult life, although there may be some variation in your cat's weight at different times of the year.

2.10. You can assess your cat's weight by gently checking if you can feel its ribs; if they are hard to find it may be overweight. If the ribs and backbone are prominent, then your cat may be underweight and ill. If in doubt, ask your vet or pet care specialist whether your cat is within its correct weight range.

Body condition

Too thin

• Ribs can be seen on shorthaired cats
• No fat can be felt (where present the skin pouch underneath the belly is empty i.e. skin on skin)
• Tummy looks empty due to lack of fat
• Spine and hip bones can be seen - your cat looks like a size 0 model
• Small amount of muscle over the back and hips, upper legs feel "stringy", skull bone very obvious when stroking the head. Cat feels "bony" when stroked

Ideal

• Well-proportioned - your cat looks sleek
• Waist can be seen behind the ribs
• Belly skin pouch allowed but is not totally filled out with fat
• Ribs can be felt but not seen (with a slight fat covering)

Too heavy

• Ribs not easily felt as covered by a lot of fat
• Waist not obvious - you cannot tell if cat has a skin pouch
• Round body shape especially tummy (bear in mind breed differences)
• Has difficulty jumping up on chairs/table and going up stairs

How often to feed your cat

You should make sure that your cat eats regularly

2.11. Cats living in the wild would eat many small rodents or birds during the day so pet cats may prefer to eat small meals frequently. They can have constant access to food, be fed as required, have lots of small meals or a couple of larger meals per day. It very much depends on the cat's preference and you should try to cater for your pet's preferences so far as you can. Kittens will need feeding with small meals more frequently than adult cats.

2.12. The food that you give your cat should be fresh every day. The amount of food can be measured out at the beginning of the day to guard against obesity in those cats that are not so good at regulating their appetites. If you have a 'greedy' cat it is a good idea to have the measured food divided up into a number of smaller meals per day. Where cats are kept indoors, owners can give some dried food in 'puzzle feeders', such as a ball that a cat rolls along the ground which releases the food gradually. This helps keep the cat entertained.

Other dietary needs

2.13. Cats that are pregnant, feeding their kittens, ill, old or young may well have different dietary needs from the average healthy adult cat. Your vet is the best person to advise you about the care of your cat in these circumstances.

2.14. As the person responsible for your cat you are expected to:

• provide food suitable for your cat according to its age and condition
• provide sufficient food to keep your cat healthy but not too much to cause obesity
• make sure that there are as many food and water bowls available as there are cats. Spread these around so that each cat can eat separately without feeling threatened by the others. Check that all of the animals are getting adequate food and water suitable for their individual needs