FOOD & NUTRITION

According to new research, feeding your overweight cat more frequent, small meals throughout the day could help increase his physical activity and ultimately help him to lose weight. I think veterinarians will be interested in this information because it gives them evidence to be able to recommend something to pet owners that could help with feline obesity and diabetes, said study leader Kelly S. Swanson, PhD, associate professor of comparative animal nutrition in the Department of…

Youve probably heard a lot of this lately: Grain free. No gluten added. Have you seen descriptions such as these on cat food - or in advertisements? Grain-free is a big new trend in cat food. Proponents argue that cats are healthier without grains or gluten - that they have fewer allergies and better digestion. But do they actually have any scientifically-established benefits?

You heard somewhere that when your cat reaches the age of seven — or was it nine? — it's time to switch him to a senior food formula. That seems to make sense; after all, you've most likely changed your own diet as you've aged, cutting back on calories and carbohydrates and increasing supplements.

But is what's right for you also right for your cat? Not necessarily.

"One size does not fit all," emphasizes Lisa Freeman, DVM, PhD, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

Interpreting cat food labels can be a challenge, but in the end it comes down to common sense and this surprising advice: Dont focus too much on ingredients, says Lisa Freeman, DVM, PhD, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

As a feline practitioner, I frequently hear the word finicky to describe the state of a cats appetite. The word was popularized in the 1970s by Morris, who was marketed as the worlds most finicky cat - deigning to eat 9Lives only. And the word finicky has been firmly rooted in our vernacular ever since.

In a multi-cat household, it can be difficult to feed different foods to different cats. Feeding the proper food to the right cat is especially important when one or more have medical problems. Age also plays a role. Kittens require energy-rich food to develop healthy bones and muscle. Overweight cats need nutrient-dense formulas with fewer calories. Underweight cats need more calories...

In my feline-only veterinary practice, not a single day goes by without a client asking me: What is the best diet for my healthy cat? These days, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to answer this (seemingly) simple question. Many people feel that cats should be fed canned food only, and that dry food is extremely unhealthy.

Expiration dates on pet food QI recently bought several large bags of a high-quality cat food on sale at our local pet store. Unfortunately, I just realized that the best by date has been passed by a couple of months on two of the bags (the third bags date is okay). …