I saw that it is better to feed a cat homemade or canned food than to give it dry food, since a cat will not drink enough water for it's own health. Probably a better idea might be to mix soft food with dry food or do all soft food.
Also, neutering a male cat too young can lead to problems later in life.
Source: pethealth101.com
By Robyn Fed from Hampton, TN
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Thanks for the tips. It's also good to have several water bowls in different parts of the house. My cat drinks out of every one. I have one under a rocking chair I never use. Another is on top of table. A third is in our bedroom. Give it a try.
On neutering: many vets will suggest neutering at around six months of age, since male cats usually become sexually mature between 6-8 months. You can also wait too long to do this, though. According to this info:
On the other end of the scale ( under six months): a very long time ago, we rescued a black-and-white tuxedo shorthair male that was four months old when we got him and had been neutered at three months.
Blackbeard grew to be one "manly" looking boy, big-boned and hefty, lovable, and very healthy, with no medical problems to speak of until he peacefully died in his sleep at nearly nineteen years old. In that case, neutering young had no effect on him emotionally or developmentally.
Sources: kittencare.com and peteducation.com ( and personal experience).
Canned does provide more water and less carbohydrates, which can contribute to being overweight. It all depends on the cat. I have 5 with 3 being overweight. To get them down to an acceptable weight, they were switched to canned. I have another who has trouble gaining weight and he is on dry. Everyone is weighed weekly on a baby scale. If weight goes up or down, then diet can be adjusted or a trip to the vet if things don't look right. The one thing I wouldn't suggest is relying only on the canned food to increase hydration. As for having several water bowls around the house, that is probably the best thing you can do to increase water consumption.
I add a little extra water to my 18 year old cat's canned food. It seems to help prevent constipation that she has a tendency to get.
The only one of my 3 males who gets urinary track infections is the one who was neutered at 6 weeks before I got him. Now I rinse out the can as well and pour it into their food and so far it's been a year of good health.
I am going to try these tips, goldfish bowl, how wonderful. I know mine will go nuts for this,
and the filling the cans with water and the cooking and straining the broth, and the chicken. This is all great!
I am about to get my cat neutered as well, it is around 7 months. It is very affectionate since it was bottle fed from a young age, and it is very dependent on humans, I don't expect that to change, but I kind of wish it would in a way so the cat will not feel left out of things if I cant pick it up about thirty times a day.
Robyn
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