We don't feed our cats well. And they pay the price. To be clear, I'm not getting into what we feed our cats; it's about how we feed the cats.
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Most cat parents free feed their cats, which isn’t ideal. Photography ©HASLOO | Thinkstock.[/caption]How we feed cats today - and what's so bad about it
Most cat janitors feed their cats in bowls. And most of this food is free, leaving food available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The idea is that cats don't feed naturally all at once - and that's true. They grab what they can when they can.
However, given the open buffet, most cats eat abnormally large meals all at once and then come back for more. What can be frustrating is that most cats have nothing else to do but eat.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the majority of people who have a cat actually have, on average, just over two cats. With two or more cats in a home, it is difficult to assess which cat eats the most. You may find out when the veterinarian tells you: "My lovely Susie has put on two pounds since her last visit".
And cats, being cats, are excellent human trainers; they train us to keep filling the dish with food.
Feeding only wet food does not solve the problem. The guardians drop off the food at the prescribed times, the cats eat it and that's it. To survive outdoors, cats catch about eight to thirteen small prey items a day. The edible content of an average mouse or bird is about one to two tablespoons, not half a cup at a time.
You see, cats are born with a hunting instinct and are able to search, hunt and pounce. In our homes, we don't give them the opportunity to do so. It is imperative that they have toys to hunt or pounce with. But this is not the same as hunting for a meal.
Researchers have studied how community and barn cats naturally spend their time. According to "Behaviour and ecology of free-ranging female farm cats," International Journal Behavioural Biology Ethology, Panaman, R. 1981, outdoor cats rest or sleep a lot - after all, they are cats, 62% of the day. Much of this resting time occurs after the series of searching, hunting and feeding, which accounts for 19%. (The rest of the time is spent grooming or playing.) Various other studies confirm similar data.
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Domestic cats, like their big cat cousins, are used to hunting for their food. Photography ©Blickwinkel | Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption]Cats are used to hunting for their food.
Inside our homes, the search for food is predictable and does not take into account time or effort; hunting is not necessary, although there is certainly food - lots of it. This partly explains why 59% of cats are overweight or obese (Association for Pet Obesity Prevention).
I think that by offering food on a silver tray or bowl, we are not allowing cats to be cats. There is growing evidence that many animals prefer to work for food - counter-charging - rather than being offered food for free. So far, studies have been limited to certain zoo animals and laboratory rodents, but if the grizzly bears, meerkats and rats studied prefer to work for their food, why not cats and dogs?
In addition, not being able to search for and capture a meal seems stressful for cats. Dr. Tony Buffington (then at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and now a volunteer clinical professor at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and honorary research fellow at the University of Bristol, School of Veterinary Sciences) found that a dull, unenriched life is a source of anxiety for cats.
Feeding our cats properly is only one way to enrich their lives, but just because a cat eats food doesn't mean that it doesn't feel increasing anxiety. In some cats, this chronic stress leads to what is called idiopathic feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). Today, Buffington calls this highly stress-induced disease Pandora's syndrome. Over the years, many drugs have been tried, without much success. However, Buffington discovered that providing an enriched structure and environment could solve the problem - or even prevent it.
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When ordering the Indoor Cat Feeder, use the discount code CATSWINN to support the nonprofit Winn Feline Foundation. Photography by Casey Elise Photography.[/caption]How to feed cats: activating their hunting instinct
Some veterinary behaviorists and feline behavior consultants have talked about creating ways for cats to activate their hunting instincts indoors. Dr. Elizabeth Bales gathered all the scientific data and created the "Indoor Cat Feeder".
The feeding system consists of mouse-like objects in which food is deposited. The feeders consist of a soft outer skin to simulate prey and a BPA-free plastic inner container, which contains one fifth of the cat's daily ration. There are two holes in the back of each food dispenser. The idea is to divide a meal among the five dispensers and conceal them over time. Cats learn to hunt indoors by finding each dispenser filled with food, jumping on it and manipulating each device to dispense the small meal. For use with kibble. The indoor cat food dispenser is not the only choice; there are many kibbles available at most pet stores and online.
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Puzzle feeders can make mealtime more exciting for your cat. Photography by Tierfotoagentur | Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption]How to feed cats properly - what parents of cats can do :
There are ways to encourage indoor cats to become cats:
Activate the prey hunt, which all cats have, by playing with an interactive cat toy. Make sure the cat "catches" the feather, cloth or whatever is at the end of the fishing rod type toys. This can be a problem with laser light. Yes, it's a good exercise to chase the little red bug, but all those nerve endings that go from the paws directly to the brain realize: "I didn't catch anything, really". Since this can be a frustrating feeling - of never catching - I suggest periodically dropping a piece of kibble or a treat on this little spot. (If children are playing with laser light, also make sure they are supervised by an adult, so they never shine on the cat's eyes or their own eyes).
Want your cat to stop waking you up during the night? Stop giving her attention when she dances on your belly at 4 a.m., but also give her a snack before bedtime. Just as you can loosen your belt and take a nap after a snack, the same goes for cats (note: if the fact that the cat wakes you up during the night is a new behaviour, consult your veterinarian to rule out a medical cause).
If you only feed kibble, offer an occasional snack of wet food. The same applies if you're a fan of wet food - offer either kibble or treats from time to time. Cats get used to specific textures, and often later in life, they may need a special veterinary diet, which may be of a different texture type than what you've been feeding them all your life. Convincing some cats to change their behaviour is a challenge; they simply don't want to try the new product. However, it is possible that with a positive experience with a different texture, at least some cats may be more willing to try it.
