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Cats/eating habits

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Expert: - 2/10/2011


Question
Our Siamese cat doen not chew her kibble. Is this a common problem? And how can we get her to chew her food?

Answer
Becky,

It's not uncommon for some cats, especially those with dental disease not to chew kibble. Honestly I don't recommend feeding kibble, I know it's more convenient, but it's not really what cats are designed to eat. Kibble is very dry and cats are unique in that they don't tend to have a very big drive to drink water because they evolved from the Egyptian deserts where water was scarce - essentially their bodies are designed to gain most of the moisture that they need to survive and be healthy from their food. My recommendation would be to look at www.catinfo.org - this website was created by a veterinarian to help educate pet parents about the unique nutritional needs of their feline companions. Dr. Lisa Pierson has recommendations for high quality commercially produced canned foods as well as information on how to feed a properly formulated homemade diet - our family veterinarian recommended catinfo.org and Dr. Pierson to us when we nearly lost our eldest cat as a result of the Menu Foods fiasco in 2007. Obviously, just like many pet parents we lost faith in the safety and quality of most commercially produced pet foods and we wanted to educate ourselves about how we could safely and properly feed a homemade diet to our cats. Personally I think that Dr. Pierson's approach is fantastic - she puts things in terms the average person can easily understand (which isn't the case with most pet food labels, trust me!). If you have any further cat related questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me again at any time, I'm more than happy to help you and your cat out to the best of my ability.

Kind regards,

Ali

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Ali

Expertise

I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience

I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.

Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.

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