Menu for neutered cats: choosing the right food. Nutrition for castrated cats

In order to choose the right diet for a neutered cat, you first need to know how it differs from its uncastrated cat.

After a cat’s testes are removed, a change in hormonal levels occurs, which entails an almost complete lack of interest in individuals of the opposite sex. And, as a result, the animal does not scream or mark its territory, it becomes as calm and phlegmatic as possible, paying attention not to the cat, but to the process of consuming food.

It is these features in the behavior of castrated animals that often lead to obesity. Therefore, the very first and, perhaps, the most important rule for feeding a castrated animal is considered to be moderate nutrition. In no case should you allow overeating, because... this can be the cause of various diseases in your pet.

If it becomes noticeable that the animal has significantly gained weight, then in this case either the amount of food should be reduced or the usual food should be replaced with low-calorie food.

After castration surgery, the veterinarian always warns that the cat may develop a tendency to urolithiasis. Scientific research on this problem gives the most contradictory results; there is no exact confirmation of the occurrence of this disease after castration, but it should be remembered that fat animals are at greater risk of developing urolithiasis than those that are of normal weight.

There is an opinion that stones accumulate in the bladder of a castrated animal due to the fact that urination occurs quite rarely. Another reason for the accumulation of stones may be early castration, when the urethra is still underdeveloped, that is, narrower than in an adult, mature animal.

Therefore, a wide variety of problems that arise in the urinary system, from stones to inflammation, entail a more serious problem - urethral obstruction.
Knowing the propensity of castrated animals to diseases of the urinary system, you need to adhere to two more rules of proper feeding:
- constantly monitor the presence of minerals in feed, because due to the increased content of phosphorus and magnesium, tripel phosphates can form - the most common types of stones;
- It is mandatory for the animal to drink enough water. This condition must be met when feeding any food, but especially dry food. If a cat eats exclusively dry food, then he needs to drink a fairly large amount of water, approximately three times the amount of food eaten. In the case when the animal drinks little, dry food is soaked or such feeding is abandoned, replacing it with canned food.

What do you need to know directly about pet nutrition? First, you first need to choose the type of food - either feed it industrial (canned or dry) food, or offer your cat homemade food that goes well with canned food. Experienced veterinarians do not recommend mixing these two types of food.

If preference is given to a home-made diet, then the basis of the diet should consist of:
- beef or poultry meat;
- offal:
a) hearts;
b) lungs;
c) liver;
d) chicken stomachs;
- cereals and vegetables (carrots, cabbage, etc.);
— fermented milk products (kefir, cottage cheese, etc.).
You should exclude the fish that all cats love, because... they have a fairly high content of magnesium and phosphorus.

And especially close attention should be paid to the weight of the cat.

If preference is given to dry food, then usually experimentally select a suitable food from one manufacturer and brand and feed the animal only with it. Currently, a variety of manufacturers offer food suitable for castrated animals, this is usually written on the product packaging. But food for castrated and non-castrated animals is not fundamentally different from each other, therefore, when choosing food, you need to focus not on the general information indicated on the packaging, but on the composition of the food. It should be noted that not all food buyers have knowledge in the field of nutrition, and by reading the composition of the food they can accurately determine whether it is suitable for their animal or not. To make your choice, you can use a fairly simple and effective method - give preference to food produced by serious, well-known companies. This is premium food, developed by specialized scientific centers. The most popular and well-known manufacturing companies are Purina, Royal Canin, Iams, Hill’s.

If you have difficulties choosing the class of any food, then usually the seller of a specialized store can give recommendations and help you decide on a purchase. Super premium and premium food is not very cheap, but in this case you need to remember that saving on quality food will result in significant costs for treating the animal in the future.

As a supplement to the main diet of dry food, you can use canned food, but at the same time adhere to one simple rule - these foods must be from the same company. If the cat eats homemade food, then you can use as an additive any brand of canned food that the cat likes best.

If a neutered cat is constantly gaining weight, you should give preference to low-calorie foods. And there is no need to make concessions when the animal tries to put pressure on pity and beg for some kind of treat. All cats, including uncastrated ones, will benefit from fasting days, which can be done once every 7-10 days.

Quite often, castrated animals experience deterioration in the condition of their gums and teeth. This occurs less frequently when using premium food, because it is designed to prevent this type of problem. If the cat eats natural food, then he needs training of his teeth and gums. To do this, you can use meat, after cutting it into large pieces. It is advisable that the diet of a castrated animal include special products that will maintain healthy teeth and massage the gums.

To increase the vitality of a castrated cat, veterinarians advise injecting him with vitamin B12 and sex hormones.

And to stay in shape, a cat needs to move around a lot, so you need to organize some outdoor games with your pet every day, this will help keep him healthy and prolong his longevity.

Neutered cats have many advantages. They don't take part in spring concerts, don't chase neighbor's cats, usually don't leave marks on your curtains and shoes, and don't tend to worry about a host of other issues. In some ways, they are similar to kittens, and instead of controlling their possessions, they can simply play and frolic.

In addition, cats that have undergone the castration procedure also have better health than non-castrated animals. However, they also have one drawback - many of them, having felt freedom and freedom from responsibilities related to sex, become real slackers who only eat and sleep. As a result, they begin to gain weight.

Fortunately, this situation is not hopeless, and if the castrato’s nutrition is properly organized, he will be in shape and live for a very long time.

The nuances of feeding a neutered cat

The tendency towards obesity in neutered cats may be the result of hormonal imbalances. But if you add special herbal preparations to the diet that increase metabolism, and give your cat the right diet, he will be able to burn excess fat.

Hormonal imbalance can lead to urolithiasis and some other abnormalities in the functioning of the urological system. Using preventative medications and preventive nutrition, this problem can also be eliminated.

Suitable natural diet for a neutered cat

Lean meat. The best in this regard are beef and chicken. Turkey and rabbit meat are also good.
Porridge must be present in the diet. Of course, they should not dominate, but they should not be abandoned either. Oatmeal, corn, wheat and even semolina porridge work well. To interest your cat in porridge, you can add meat to it.

Approximately once a week, various offal products can be introduced into the diet.

Green grass. If the cat has the opportunity to walk along the street, it will solve this problem on its own, but if it is kept in purely domestic conditions, you will have to sprout the grass yourself. Wheat, barley or oats work well. It is best to germinate three of these cereals at once. What exactly the cat likes is what she will choose.
Vegetables. It is advisable to add them in pureed raw form. The most desirable are cucumber, carrots or cauliflower. Under no circumstances should raw potatoes and onions be allowed into your cat's food.

From time to time you can add kefir or sour cream, but in small quantities. Cottage cheese is very good.
Canned food for cats. Can be used as a supplement, but remembering the need for vegetables, cereals and other products.

As much liquid as possible. This point should be kept in mind constantly. Make sure your pet always has fresh water in his bowl. Milk cannot be considered water, and, moreover, it is undesirable for castrated cats. And not all cats are able to digest it. But broths from lean fish and meat are allowed and can additionally encourage the cat to drink more liquid.

What should you not feed a neutered cat?

Smoked meats, semi-finished products and pickles. These products are very harmful even for people, and even more so for cats. Therefore, if you really love your pet, do not let him eat smoked chicken, sausages, etc.
Dry ready-made food for non-special purposes.

The first rule when feeding castrated animals is not to overfeed!

If you really want to pamper your cat, then you can give him fish no more than twice a month.

Fish. It may seem that fish is truly cat food. After all, all cats love fish. Indeed, the love of fish in cats sometimes borders on insanity, but it is undesirable for cats to eat it, especially for neutered ones.

Food for neutered cats

It should be remembered that food for a neutered cat can only belong to two categories - good and very good. That is, such classes as “premium”, “superpremium” and “extra” are suitable.

The food must be marked “for neutered cats.” It is better to give preference to food in cans, since it contains more liquid, which helps the animal’s kidneys to be flushed better.

Good to remember:

If Scottish or British neutered cats are not overfed, they will never gain excess weight, despite the popular belief that these cats are prone to obesity.

You definitely need to play with a neutered cat, and even more than before. Fortunately, castrated animals are more willing to join the game than animals that have retained their manhood.

Urolithiasis, which is quite common among cats, usually develops as a result of excess weight gain and poor nutrition (dry food, fish, etc.).

If all of the above requirements for the nutrition and lifestyle of a neutered cat are met, most likely, no health problems or excess fat deposits will arise, and the cat will delight its owner for many years to come, fortunately, castrated cats live significantly longer than their uncastrated counterparts.

What to feed a neutered cat is the first thing you need to find out from your veterinarian before surgery. After surgery, the level of sex hormones in animals drops sharply, and the reproductive instinct disappears. They forget about “sexual hunting”, become calm, non-aggressive and less active.

However, castration also has downsides to the coin - cats cease to control the saturation process and become voracious; they have difficulty urinating.

It is important to properly plan your cat’s diet so that his sedentary lifestyle and gluttony do not lead to obesity. Obesity is a direct road to diabetes, liver and kidney problems, urolithiasis, and cardiovascular pathologies. You can feed castrates with low-calorie foods that provide the necessary level of urine acidity - this will reduce the risk of obesity and urolithiasis.

In this article we will talk about how to properly feed a neutered cat, compare brands of industrial food and nutrition programs based on natural products.

The modern pet industry offers a large selection of ready-made food for neutered pets. We analyzed the manufacturers' proposals, examined the composition and characteristics of popular brands and compiled our own mini-rating of food for the proper nutrition of neutered cats.

Carnilove Adult Cat Sterilized Lamb & Wild Boar Grain-Free (Czech Republic) – holistic;
Gina Elite Sterilized Cat (Canada) – holistic;
Brit Premium Cat Sterilized Chicken & Chicken Liver (Czech Republic) – super-premium;
1st Choice Cat Adult Sterilized Chicken Grain Free (Canada) – super premium;
Purina Pro Plan Cat Sterilized Salmon (France) – premium class;
Royal Canin Cat Sterilized 37 (France) – premium.

Carnilove Adult Cat Sterilized Lamb & Wild Boar Grain-Free

The food formula does not contain cereals and fully meets the needs of an adult neutered cat. The balanced content of protein – 39% and fat – 14% provides cats with the necessary energy and does not allow them to gain excess weight. Rare varieties of meat are used as animal proteins: free-range lamb and wild boar. Fats are represented by high-quality components: chicken and salmon fat, flax seeds. The food is enriched with: glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics. The composition is hypoallergenic, without grain, soy, potatoes.

Gina Elite Sterilized Cat

Low fat food for daily feeding of castrated animals. Proteins (35%) are represented by chicken meat, salmon fillets and chicken liver. Fats (10%) – chicken, flax seed. The formula contains a small percentage of grains: brown rice, barley and oats. To reduce the smell of cat excrement, Yucca Schidigera extract has been added. The antioxidant properties of the brand are enhanced by natural fruits, berries and herbs.

Brit Premium Cat Sterilized Chicken & Chicken Liver

Low-calorie diet based on chicken meal and dehydrated chicken meat for sterilized animals. Fats include chicken fat and salmon oil. The ratio of proteins and fats is 34 and 12%, respectively. To improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, beet pulp, brewer's yeast, prebiotics, and dried dandelion were added. Plant extracts and spices are used as natural antioxidants. The disadvantage of the formula is that it contains rice and corn.

1st Choice Cat Adult Sterilized Chicken Grain Free

Granule food for neutered cats based on chicken and chicken meal. The balance of substances is ideal for sedentary pets: proteins – 33%, fats – 9%. To improve the functioning of the immune system, dry brown algae, taurine, dried pineapple, and L-carnitine have been added. The grain-free formula is enriched with a complex of vitamins and minerals. The disadvantages of the brand include a high percentage of plant components: sweet potatoes, rice protein and peas.

Purina Pro Plan Cat Sterilized Salmon

Premium granular food contains three protein components: salmon, dried poultry protein and egg. The percentage of proteins is higher than in the foods presented in the first positions in the rating - 41%. Fat content – 12%. The formula contains 4 types of cereal components: corn, rice, corn and wheat gluten. The food contains all the necessary vitamins, minerals and yeast. Fiber is represented by wheat fibers.

Royal Canin Cat Sterilized 37

Popular budget brand for adult animals from 1 year to 7 years. The formula contains 37% protein and 12% fat. The balance of substances is acceptable for feeding a castrated cat. Disadvantages of the brand: lack of detailed explanation of the ingredients included in the food; presence in the composition of wheat and other grain crops.

For animals diagnosed with ICD, the pet industry offers special lines of medicinal food labeled Urinary:

CAT CHOW Urinary Tract Health;
Advance Veterinary Diets Urinary Feline Formula;
1st Choice Urinary Health;
Monge Cat Urinary;
Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Feline UR Urinary;
Royal Canin Urinary S/O.

These medicinal brands are prescribed by a veterinarian both as part of the treatment process and for preventive purposes.

What not to feed

So, forget about cheap food from supermarkets - this is a direct road to ICD.

Now let's talk about other products that have no place on the castrati menu.

Prohibited foods for neutered pets

Fatty meat: lamb, beef, pork, duck, goose. Cause obesity, heart and vascular diseases.
Fish. Contains a lot of magnesium and phosphorus - risk of ICD.
Raw potatoes and tomatoes contain the glucoalkoloid corned beef, which is a dangerous substance for cats.
Milk, eggs, low-fat cottage cheese are sources of calcium.
Sweets cause diabetes, indigestion, and flatulence.
Smoked and salted food, spices. Negatively affects the gastrointestinal tract.
Raw liver. An excess of this product leads to disruption of metabolic processes.
Legumes are undesirable in the diet of Scottish and British Folds. Causes indigestion.
Boiled potatoes and carrots are not allowed for Persian cats.
Onions and garlic. They destroy cats' red blood cells and cause anemia.
Nuts - contain a lot of phosphorus, provoke urolithiasis.

The above products do not benefit all cats, and they can cause serious harm to the health of neutered cats.

A well-balanced diet combined with sufficient physical activity is the key to a long, calm, happy life for your pet. Together with your veterinarian, select the ideal nutrition plan for your pet, strictly adhere to it and do not forget about regular preventive examinations.

Veterinarians claim that the life expectancy of healthy castrates is on average 1.5-2 years longer than that of their non-castrated relatives. Give your pets many years of quiet life, and give yourself the joy of communicating with them.

Basic rules for feeding neutered cats

To understand what to feed castrated cats, you should know how they differ from their uncastrated counterparts.

After removal of the testes, the cat's hormonal levels change, and they cease to show interest in the opposite sex. As a result, in addition to the fact that cats stop screaming and marking their territory, they become calmer, and interest in cats is replaced by an increased interest in food.

These behavioral features determine the tendency towards obesity in neutered cats (and male cats). Therefore, the first rule when feeding castrated animals is DO NOT OVERFEED.

If you see that your animal is gaining weight, then you should either reduce the amount of food or switch to low-calorie food.

It is widely believed that neutered cats are prone to urolithiasis. Although there are few reliable scientific studies on this topic and their results are contradictory, it is known that the incidence of urolithiasis in fat animals is higher than in animals with normal weight.

It is believed that the accumulation of stones in the urinary system is also facilitated by the fact that castrated animals urinate less often. In addition, there is an opinion that with early castration, the urethra in cats remains underdeveloped, that is, narrower.

As a result, any problems in the urinary system, be it stones or simply an inflammatory process in castrated men, more often lead to urethral obstruction.

From the tendency of castrated cats to urolithiasis, two other rules for their feeding follow:

MONITOR THE CONTENT OF MINERAL SUBSTANCES IN THE FEED (increased content of magnesium and phosphorus leads to the formation of tripelphosphates - the most common stones),

WATER SHOULD BE CONSUMED BY ANIMALS IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY. This rule is most relevant when feeding dry food.

In this case, the cat should drink 3 times more water than he eats dry food. If the animal drinks little, then you should either soak dry food or abandon this type of feeding.

And now directly about feeding.

First of all, you should decide on the type of food: either feed industrial (dry and canned) food, or homemade food (can be combined with canned food). Mixing these two types of nutrition is not recommended.

When eating at home, the main components of the diet should be the following: meat (beef, poultry) and offal (heart, lung, chicken gizzards, liver, etc.), cereals, vegetables (carrots, cabbage, etc.), fermented milk products (kefir , cottage cheese).

Feeding fish should be avoided (due to the increased content of phosphorus and magnesium).

Carefully monitor your cat's weight.

If you decide to use dry food, you should choose one brand of food suitable for your cat and feed it only. There are a large number of foods whose packaging states that they are suitable for neutered animals. But it should be remembered that there are no fundamental differences in the composition of food for castrates and for non-castrates, therefore, when choosing food, you should pay attention to its composition, and not to the general description. Naturally, for a person far from dietetics, the composition of the food says little, so the simplest rule when choosing food is: choose premium or super-premium class food and trust “serious companies,” that is, those whose food is developed in specialized research centers. Such companies include, for example, Purina, Royal Canin, Iams, Hill's.

You can consult the seller about the class of food (of course, not in the market, but in a specialized store). Good quality food is naturally more expensive, but it should be remembered that the money saved on feeding has to be spent on treatment.

If you want to supplement your cat’s feeding with canned food, then it is advisable that the canned food and dry food be from the same brand. When eating at home, the brand of canned food is not of fundamental importance.

Quite often, when you ask the store for food for a neutered cat, they may offer you dietary food for the treatment of urolithiasis (for example, Whiskas low pH control or Royal Canin Felistar S10). The use of such food for a healthy (and not previously ill) animal is absolutely not justified.

Veterinarian Svetlana MINAEVA
http://veterinar.ru/

Recommendations for natural nutrition of castrated and sterilized cats

The diet of these pets should be planned immediately after the operation. For the health of these creatures, it is undesirable to mix homemade natural food and industrial feed.

In order not to harm our pet, veterinarians advise the following:

Cat food should be warm.
Meals should be daily and on a schedule. Even the most freedom-loving cats get used to the routine and come home from their walk on time.
Choose a place for your cat where no one will disturb her and she can eat in peace.
If you have more than one pet, then make sure that each of them can safely eat their portion.
We remove any leftover food, since protein foods spoil quickly.
The number of meals per day depends on the age of the cat:

A kitten aged ten weeks (two months) needs to eat four times a day and the daily ration is from 120 to 150 grams. natural food.

At the age of three months, we eat THREE times a day, and increase the amount of food to the norm for an adult animal, 150-250 grams.

The daily diet can also be calculated based on the cat’s weight: for each kilogram of it there are 30-40 grams. stern. Those. if a cat weighs 2 kg, then she needs 60-80 grams. per day of natural food.

At the age of six months, we divide the daily food intake into TWO meals.

An adult cat eats TWO times a day.

An elderly pet over 7 years old eats three to four times a day in small portions.

In the case of transferring an animal to natural food, the pet’s diet should include meat (beef and poultry), by-products (chicken stomachs, liver, tongue), cereals with milk, vegetables (cabbage and carrots), as well as acidic foods (cottage cheese and kefir).

A variety of meat must be given. The maximum types of lean meat that you can afford are beef, chicken, rabbit, turkey, lean lamb, and if possible, some game. It is better to alternate meat by day.

Cut the meat into pieces. We don’t make or buy minced meat; it’s too fatty for cats. Finely chop the greens into portions, and grate hard vegetables on a fine grater. If we use bran, then it should only be added to wet dairy or meat foods. Meat and dairy products should NOT be given at the same time in one meal.

You can serve it raw (kept in the freezer for several days) or lightly boiled.

You also need to give offal. Cats are usually given chicken gizzards, liver and hearts. Sometimes necks, beaten off with a hammer. Boil or serve raw - you need to decide. Some cats experience vomiting or diarrhea from raw foods. Give offal several times a week.

In addition to cottage cheese, you can give any other fermented milk products (acidophilus, kefir, matsoni, fermented baked milk, Varenets, yogurt, etc.), you just need to make sure that there is no diarrhea. Some people get diarrhea from fermented baked milk (for example) or other types of fermented milk.

It is necessary to give vegetables, but without fanaticism. 10-15% of the total diet per day is enough. For vegetables, it is better to give pumpkin, zucchini, lettuce, spinach, parsley, dill, cucumbers, carrots, beets, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans. Again, you need to watch the body’s reaction; foods that cause gas formation and bowel problems should be excluded.

In general, cereals should be given with caution; they can cause digestive problems (cats cannot digest cereals, but they can begin to ferment in the intestines). It is better to limit yourself to brown rice and bran, no more than 1 teaspoon per day.
Give eggs 2-3 times a day, usually 1 raw quail egg whole with a broken shell. It is better to boil chicken and give it in half.

Vegetable oil added to the meat and vegetable mixture will help with digestion and have a good effect on the skin and coat.

You should not suddenly introduce foods that are unfamiliar to your cat into the diet. This should be done a little at a time and, if possible, so that the cat does not notice the appearance of grated vegetables or other types of meat in the minced meat. Gradually increase their number. The cat will gradually get used to the new taste.

How to switch a pet from one type of food to another?

Gradually. Over the course of a month or a month and a half, we add the food we want to switch the cat to to the usual food. We reduce the amount of the old food with each meal, and gradually increase the amount of the new food. This rule applies to all types of food, even within the line of one manufacturer. It is not advisable to suddenly switch to a new food; digestion may be upset. And it won’t be a matter of the quality of the food, but rather a sudden change in the usual diet. You can suggest the following translation scheme for “whims”:

If he doesn’t eat within 5 minutes, put it in the refrigerator, leaving only a bowl of water.
After half an hour, put out the bowl of food again. If I didn’t eat in 5 minutes, I put it in the refrigerator.
Don't leave the bowl out longer. I don’t know why, but this method works more effectively on cats than a long-standing bowl of tasteless food. If all the struggle and accustoming to new food fails miserably, you will have to consider the option of industrial food.

Is it possible to feed a cat both natural food and ready-made food?

It is forbidden. Only as an exception is possible. Due to various circumstances, such as: you forgot to buy food and it suddenly ran out, you are on the road, or you simply decided to pamper your pet with a treat in bags. A prerequisite is that at least 6 hours must pass after the last meal.

High-quality ready-made food, including wet food, is designed so that the cat eats only it and therefore the daily requirement contains all the necessary elements in a balanced proportion. By constantly replacing one meal with natural food, you upset the balance, which will lead to a lack of some elements and an excess of others. In addition, sudden changes in food are harmful to the cat’s body. This diet will eventually affect your health with metabolic disorders.

Do I need to give vitamin-mineral complexes?

When feeding ready-made super-premium food, no additional additives are needed. In all other cases, including when feeding with natural products, it is necessary to additionally feed with vitamins. Vitamin complexes can be daily or course. Recommended vitamin complexes:

CALCIDEE - “Calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D”, in the form of tablets with a pleasant taste and smell of milk, contain calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D in the optimal ratio for the proper development of bones and teeth in puppies and kittens. They are also simply necessary for pregnant and lactating females.
"8 in 1", USA. For more than 100 years, the products of this manufacturer have been distinguished by quality and professionalism. Properly selected vitamins and minerals are necessary to prevent diseases and stimulate the immune system.
Beaphar TOP-10 - complex of minerals and vitamins

Conclusions.

These amazing creatures should not be overfed to avoid obesity, which can result in urolithiasis. The pet's food portion should be smaller and the feeding schedule should not be disrupted. It is necessary to monitor food for the content of certain minerals. The pet requires more attention and physical activity. Pets should always be provided with clean water.

Have you decided to castrate your cat and want to know what changes you can expect in your pet’s body? Our article will help you with the choice of products for feeding a neutered cat, which will have a beneficial effect on his weakened health after surgery. Also, the right menu will help keep your pet active and cheerful. What to feed a neutered cat and which dry food to give preference, read now.

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Features of a cat's diet after surgery

All owners of furry households want their pet not to suffer from such changes, to be, as before, healthy, active, long-lived with a great appetite. So they need to know how to feed castrated cat Helping a cat maintain its former self after castration is the responsibility of its owner. Some features of the new menu cannot be ignored, because properly formulated cat diet who was castrated, directly reflected on his well-being and on the state of the body as a whole. And that means on duration life

Feeding cats after castration surgery differs, firstly, in the composition of the food itself, its quality, and secondly, in quantity. If your pet always eats and has been eating one or another specific food, there is no need to accustom it to others - you will, as before, have the opportunity to feed the cat dry, canned and even natural food. But choosing food for castrates will be much more difficult than before.

As for how many times a day you can feed a neutered cat, it must be said that it is usually 2-3 times. If your cat, as you notice, has already developed the first signs of obesity, feed him 2 times a day and reduce the portion. There will be no problems with dry food, because the packaging clearly states how many times a day to feed a cat that has a particular disease or body weight.

Why does a cat's diet change after castration?

After surgery in In the body of a neutered cat, hormonal changes occur, which will affect his character and desires. Understand that the cat is now deprived of the “basic instinct”, but before the operation it was this that forced him to develop and grow, compete with other cats and generally show an active position in life. Now it is difficult to live without this goal, so the cat will try to fill the empty space with the implementation of the second most important instinct for survival - nutrition. Similar changes in behavior castrated cats become noticeable almost immediately after surgery.

In addition to the listed features of cats after castration, an operation that involves removing the gonads is fraught with new physiological circumstances:

a decrease in physical activity usually leads to significant weight gain. The cat will become lazier and more passive;
The genitourinary system and, in particular, the urethra of cats is formed under the influence of sex hormones. Usually this process ends when the cat is not yet a year old. If the cat undergoes the castration procedure earlier, it is possible that he will soon have problems with the urethra;
Possible formation of kidney stones. During normal life, kidney stones are formed for completely different reasons, including infections, improper functioning of the endocrine glands, as well as genetic predisposition;
salt imbalance. The cat's body can easily cope before surgery with all the quantity salts of phosphorus, magnesium and calcium contained in the feed. After castration, these minerals are less readily excreted from the body; they accumulate in the urine in the form of phosphates, and over time begin to clog the urinary canal. There may be a disease such as urethral obstruction.

Based on the above, it should become clear that a neutered cat remains a healthy pet, but at the same time it falls into a risk group that requires special observation and a specially formulated diet.

Nutrition for a castrated cat in the first days after surgery

We recommend changing your pet’s diet 2-3 weeks before this procedure, so that the pet does not experience “feeding stress” suddenly after the operation. If you have not taken such measures, then you need to start making changes to your pet's diet 5-7 days after surgery. A complete adjustment to a new diet should occur no later than in a month.

Some owners prefer not to make changes to their cat's diet after surgery. In this case, we advise you to carefully monitor your cat’s weight, and if you notice the first signs of obesity, reduce the size of food portions or switch the animal to ready-made dry food. Dry food has natural ingredients if it is an expensive brand.

How to create a diet for castrated cats

Here are the conditions that will help you in this matter:

Never overfeed your animal. Feed him only the amount of food appropriate for his weight, lifestyle and age. The easiest way to determine the size of portions and their quantity for one day is if you feed your pet with ready-made food: the required dosage is written on each package.
Special foods that will be the best for neutered cats have inscriptions indicating the special properties and composition of the product. For example, Prescription Diet, Sterilized, w/d, s/d, c/d, Urinary care, UR to protect the genitourinary system, and/or Sterilized appetite control, Diets Urinary, Weight Control and others intended for overweight cats. Special attention should be paid to the marks “7+”, “12+” and the like - they indicate that this or that food is designed for nutritional needs depending on the age of the pet.
Both dry and canned ready-made food for cats after castration are produced. They are manufactured taking into account all veterinary standards and recommendations, and contain the minimum permissible amount of mineral salts to control the acid-base balance in the urine and reduce the risk of kidney stones. Typically, such foods contain less carbohydrates, which provoke the animal's appetite, and more light protein, which does not overload the kidneys.

It is very important that your cat is provided with constant access to water, since a lack of moisture causes thickening of urine and blockage of the urethra, and water, in turn, is a universal solvent that removes excess salts from the body.

Purchased feed options

Fortunately, special foods have long been developed and are widely distributed that will take care of your pet’s proper nutrition. We strongly do not recommend feeding a neutered cat with dry food that is not intended to protect the genitourinary system! It should be taken into account that the ready-made food that a cat needs after castration is not in the low or medium price segment, because medicinal food is included in the “premium” class and has an appropriate price.

Super premium food

Super premium food is in the high price segment. They contain all the necessary components that will ensure proper nutrition for the cat. It should be noted that often the composition of Super Premium class feeds may not differ at all from Premium class feeds, but have greater demand and, accordingly, price. The meat component of Super premium food should weigh no more than 28% and no more than 54% of the total weight of the product.

Here are the Super Premium food series that have proven themselves in the market:

"Innova EVO" - has certified ingredients. This line of expensive food is an alternative to natural nutrition. The food contains: cartilage, bones, fat, turkey. The food will provide the cat’s body with the necessary amount of calcium and collagen.
“Hills” - contains a low amount of substances that are dangerous due to addiction. The food contains: flax seeds, tuna fish, poultry. This Super Premium food is the best weight control formula.
“1st Choice Indoor” is a high-quality and relatively inexpensive food in its segment. In this line you can find food that differs from each other depending on the purpose for a particular pet’s character. The composition has the following components: tea, rice, seaweed, poultry, dried pineapple and other useful ingredients.
“Eukanuba” has several varieties: special, medicinal, for mature and elderly cats. This food contains: eggs, liver, chicken meat. The peculiarity of this food is that it contains components that strengthen the coat, control weight and reduce the risk of urolithiasis.
"Eagle Pack" - satisfies all age criteria for feeding animals, and is available in the form of granules. The composition has a large number of components: lamb fillet, chicken fat, fish, blueberries, lingonberries, powdered fruits. In addition, to ensure that the castrated cat’s health is normal, the product contains: fiber, protein, vitamins, omega 3 and 6, taurine.

Premium food

These foods are in a lower price category when compared with Super premium foods. Usually they are no worse and are just as popular among owners of furry pets. The meat component is approximately the same as Super Premium food.

Here are the best food lines that represent Premium food:

Royal Canin is one of the best dietary foods for cats in this class. Ingredients: poultry, wheat, corn, rice, soybeans. In a number of this line you can find food that is aimed at combating some common diseases in cats.
Purina Pro Plan is one of the best foods that improve metabolism in neutered cats. The food contains: turkey, chicken, vitamins, grains and omega acids. The food has a special feature - ensuring the removal of hair from the pet’s body.
“Hills” is distinguished by high-quality natural ingredients and taste. Ingredients can be found: flaxseeds, barley, oats, fish, animal fat, poultry meal, spinach, oatmeal. In this line you can find the best dietary foods.

Home menu

If experts with the participation of veterinarians took care of the preparation of commercial food, then you will have to plan the diet based on homemade food yourself. Note that carbohydrates, fats and proteins should be consumed by the cat every day. Creating a diet is not at all difficult if you remember the following rules:

Meat food - you can give your cat boiled fish, chicken, turkey or beef. The ratio of such feed to the total composition of the diet should be about 50%. When feeding castrated cats home-cooked food, you can combine meat with foods rich in carbohydrates. For example, fish and porridge. This combination can be present in a cat’s diet every day.
Lactic acid food - you can add kefir, sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt to the cat’s diet after castration, the fat content of which should not exceed 5%. These products will have a beneficial effect on the digestion process of your furry pet.
Carbohydrate foods are vegetables, fruits and cereals. Foods that contain a lot of fiber will ensure normal digestion in cats that have undergone castration. Without them, the risk of constipation is reduced.

Video “How to feed cats correctly”

If you have a pet or are just planning to have one, you will find it very useful to receive advice on how to properly feed it with store-bought or natural food prepared at home. This video explains in detail how much food to give your cat and at what intervals to feed it.