Water

Clean water should be available to the cat at all times. A sturdy stoneware crock can make a good water dish. The ideal water dish should be easy to clean and difficult to tip. Heavier dishes are good for staying in place.

Some cats prefer running water and now there are fountains that can be purchased that keep water filtered and moving. The consideration is expense and some cats may be intimidated by the change. It is also more difficult to monitor water consumption than a bowl.

In most cases regular tap water is sufficient however if you prefer to use filtered water that is fine. (Filtered water is recomended if your animal has any history of liver or kidney problems.) If you know that there are harmful substances in your water (partcularly for well water) then filtered water is recommended.

Considerations:

• The flatter faces of Persians and Himalayans make choosing the right water dish an absolute must. A wide open dish to allow their broader faces to get to the water is needed. Dishes made from plastics are not recommended due to the ability of plastic to harbor bacteria more easily than stainless steel or stoneware. These types of cat will get an acne like condition on their chin from these types of bowls.
• Bowls should be cleaned regularly to avoid development of algae and bacteria (forming a slimy film in the dish). Dishwasher safe dishes are great since the dishwasher does a very good job cleaning dirt and bacteria from the dish.
• Clean water dish as soon as it becomes contaminated with food or other spillage

Food

Selecting a Food

Selecting a food and a feeding schedule is a bit more complicated than water. While many people choose to free feed their cats (have food available all the time) for some this may be impractical.

Choosing a brand should be more about quality of the food and less about the price tag. In the food world, you get what you pay for in most cases. These are some brands of dry food we at DFPR have used and/or recommend:

• Royal Canin
• Wellness
• PetChef Express of Reno
• Nutro
• Eukanuba
• Pro Plan

For canned food:

• Merrick (sold at PetChef Express of Reno)
• Wellness
• Natural Life

Feeding Schedule

Most cats will do fine on a free feed schedule. That is having food available at all times. A heavy stoneware crock dish make good food dishes as they are heavy and won't move around very easily. They are also easy to clean and dishwasher safe. Our recommendations here cannot and should not override the advice of your vet.

Kittens, active cats, pregnant or nursing queens, and cats needing weight gain should all be on a free feed schedule.

Senior cats, underactive cats, or overweight cats should be put on a restricted schedule if possible. Even though there are low-cal foods out there to help cats lose weight, sometimes it's not enough and being overweight for a cat is just as unhealthy as it is for people. It can put them at risk for diabetes and other health problems.

Cat food bags often give a recommended amount to feed by weight per day. Start at this amount and adjust according to your cats needs. This adjustment may be tough for a cat that is used to free feed. Most cats act hungry ALL THE TIME. However, the weight and health is what should be the judge. If your cat is maintaining a healthy weight and normal activity level (for him) then there is no reason to change it.

Wet or Dry?

We recommend dry food for cats as it has less tendency to cause dental decay and later peridontal disease. However, feeding only dry is not a cure. Cats will still need dental attention from the vet every so often. The recommendation is every year, but if you feed dry food only and do some of your own brushing then this may be reduced to every 2-3 years.

Wet has the advantage of adding variety to the diet. It can also be handy when trying to give cats medication, or tempting a cat to eat that has a poor appetite. The sound of a can of food opening can be a good tool for getting back a cat that slipped out the door as well. In moderation, canned food can be a positive addition.

We recommend you watch the ash and magnesium content in wet food. The commercial brands that you see in the grocery stores often have higher ash content and this has been implicated in some cases of FUS. Wellness and Merrick are brands we recommend due to their low ash content and lack of wheat gluten which was the ingredient implicated in the enormous wet food recall earlier this year.

Considerations:

• If your cat does not eat all the canned food at one time, discard the leftovers and refrigerate (covered) the remaining contents in the can. Wet food can spoil, harboring bacteria and enterotoxins that can upset your cat's stomach.
• Promotes dental plaque and decay more quickly than dry alone.