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

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

After the testicles are removed from the cat, a change in the hormonal background occurs, which entails an almost complete lack of interest in individuals of the opposite sex. And, as a result, the animal does not scream and does not mark its territory, it becomes as calm and phlegmatic as possible, paying attention not to the cat, but to the process of eating 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 moderate nutrition. In no case should overeating be allowed, because. this can be the cause of various diseases of the 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 feed.

After performing a castration operation, the veterinarian always warns that the cat may develop a tendency to urolithiasis. Scientific studies on this issue give the most conflicting results, there is no exact confirmation of the occurrence of this disease after castration, but it should be remembered that fat animals are more at risk of developing urolithiasis than those that are of normal weight.

It is believed that stones accumulate in the ureter 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, formed animal.

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

What do you need to know about pet nutrition? First, you first need to choose the type of food - either feed it with 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 home-style nutrition, then the basis of the diet should consist of:
- meat of beef or poultry;
- by-products:
a) hearts
b) lungs;
c) liver;
d) chicken stomachs;
- cereals and vegetables (carrots, cabbage, etc.);
- fermented milk products (kefir, cottage cheese, etc.).
Fish, beloved by all cats, should be excluded. 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, by experiment, a suitable food of one manufacturer and brand is selected and the animal is fed only with it. Currently, a variety of manufacturers offer feed suitable for castrated animals, this is usually written on the product packaging. But feeds for castrated and non-castrated animals do not fundamentally differ from each other, therefore, when choosing food, you need to focus not on the general information indicated on the package, but on the composition of the feed. It should be noted that not all feed buyers have knowledge in the field of nutrition, and by reading the composition of the feed they can accurately determine whether it suits their animal or not. To make a choice, you can use a fairly simple and effective method - give preference to feeds that are produced by serious well-known companies. This is a premium class food, which is developed by specialized research centers. The most popular and well-known manufacturing companies are Purina, Royal Canin, Iams, Hill's.

If there are difficulties with the choice of the class of any feed, then usually the seller of a specialized store can give recommendations and help determine the purchase. Super premium and premium feeds are not very cheap, but in this case, you need to remember that saving on quality nutrition will result in significant costs for the treatment of the animal in the future.

As an addition to the main dry food diet, you can use canned food, but at the same time follow one simple rule - these feeds must be from the same company. If the cat eats homemade food, then you can use any brand of canned food that the cat liked more as an additive.

In the event that a neutered cat is constantly gaining weight, low-calorie foods should be preferred. 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 non-castrated ones, will benefit from fasting days, which can be arranged every 7-10 days.

Quite often in castrated animals, the condition of the gums and teeth worsens. This is less likely to happen with premium foods because they are designed to prevent this type of problem. If the cat eats natural food, then he needs training of teeth and gums. To do this, you can use the meat, after cutting it into large pieces. It is desirable that special products be included in the diet of a castrated animal that will maintain healthy teeth and massage the gums.

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

And to keep fit, the cat needs to move around a lot, so you need to arrange some outdoor games with your pet every day, this will help keep him healthy and prolong longevity.

Neutered cats have a lot of advantages. They don't go to spring concerts, they don't stalk the neighbor's cats, they don't usually leave marks on your drapes and shoes, and they don't tend to worry about a lot of other things. 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-neutered animals. However, they also have one drawback - many of them, having felt expanse and freedom from sex-related duties, become real loafers who only eat and sleep. As a result, they begin to gain weight.

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

The nuances of feeding a neutered cat

The tendency to become obese in neutered cats may be the result of hormonal imbalances. But if you add special preparations of plant origin to the diet, which increase metabolism, and make the right diet for the cat, he will be able to burn excess fat.

Hormonal failure can lead to urolithiasis, and some other abnormalities in the urological system. Using prophylactic drugs and preventive nutrition, this problem can also be eliminated.

Suitable natural diet for a neutered cat

• Lean meat. Best in this regard, 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 are well suited. To interest a cat in porridge, you can add meat to it.

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

• Green grass. If the cat has the opportunity to walk along the street, she will solve this problem on her own, but if she is kept in purely domestic conditions, the grass will have to be germinated herself. Wheat, barley or oats work well. It is best to germinate three of these cereals at once. What exactly the cat will like, she will choose.
• Vegetables. It is advisable to add them in pureed raw form. Cucumber, carrot or cauliflower are most desirable. In no case should raw potatoes and onions be allowed to enter cat food.

• From time to time, you can add kefir even sour cream, but in small quantities. Very good cottage cheese.
• 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 at all times. Make sure your pet always has fresh water in the bowl. Milk cannot be considered water, and besides, it is undesirable for neutered cats. And not all cats are able to absorb it. But broths from low-fat varieties of fish and meat are allowed and can additionally stimulate the cat to drink more fluids.

What not to feed a neutered cat

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

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

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

• Fish. It may seem that fish is really cat food. After all, all cats and cats love fish. Indeed, the love of fish in cats sometimes borders on insanity, but it is undesirable for cats, and especially 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", "super premium" and "extra" are suitable.

On the stern there must be a mark "for neutered cats." It is better to give preference to food in tins, as it contains more liquid, which helps the animal's kidneys to be washed better.

Good to remember:

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

• It is necessary to play with a neutered cat, and even more than before. Fortunately, castrated animals are included in the game more readily than they are gathered, retaining their manhood.

• Quite common among cats, urolithiasis, as a rule, develops as a result of excess weight gain and poor nutrition (dry food, fish, etc.).

If all the above requirements for the nutrition and lifestyle of a neutered cat are met, most likely, there will be no health problems and a set of excessive body fat, and the cat will delight its owner for many years to come, since neutered cats live much longer than their non-neutered counterparts.

What to feed a neutered cat is the first thing you need to ask your veterinarian before surgery. After surgical intervention in animals, the level of sex hormones drops sharply, the instinct for reproduction disappears. They forget about "sexual hunting", become calm, not aggressive and less active.

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

It is important to correctly compose a cat's diet so that its 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 feeds that provide the necessary level of acidity of the urine - this will reduce the risk of obesity and KSD.

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 feeds for castrated pets. We analyzed the offers of manufacturers, examined the composition and characteristics of popular brands and compiled our own mini-rating of feeds for the proper nutrition of neutered cats.

1. Carnilove Adult Cat Sterilized Lamb & Wild Boar Grain-Free (Czech Republic) – holistic;
2. Gina Elite Sterilized Cat (Canada) - holistic;
3. Brit Premium Cat Sterilized Chicken & Chicken Liver (Czech Republic) - super premium;
4. 1st Choice Cat Adult Sterilized Chicken Grain Free (Canada) - super premium;
5. Purina Pro Plan Cat Sterilized Salmon (France) - premium;
6. 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 neuter cat. A balanced content of proteins - 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 feed is enriched with: glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics. The composition is hypoallergenic, without grain, soy, potatoes.

Gina Elite Sterilized Cat

Feed with low fat content for daily feeding of castrated animals. Proteins (35%) are represented by chicken meat, salmon fish fillet and chicken liver. Fats (10%) - chicken, flax seed. The formula contains a small percentage of cereals: brown rice, barley and oats. Yucca Schidigera extract has been added to reduce the smell of cat feces. 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 are represented by chicken fat and salmon fat. 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 have been 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

Food in pellets for neutered cats based on chicken and chicken meal. The balance of substances is ideal for sedentary pets: proteins - 33%, fats - 9%. Dry brown algae, taurine, dried pineapple, L-carnitine have been added to improve the functioning of the immune system. 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, dry bird protein and egg. The percentage of proteins is higher than in the feeds presented in the top 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 wheat fiber.

Royal Canin Cat Sterilized 37

A popular budget brand for adult animals from 1 to 7 years old. The formula contains 37% protein and 12% fat. The balance of substances is acceptable for the nutrition of a neutered cat. Cons of the brand: the lack of a detailed decoding of the ingredients that make up the feed; the presence of wheat and other grains.

For animals diagnosed with KSD, the pet industry offers special lines of medicated feed 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 the 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 the MCD.

Now let's talk about other products that have nothing to do in the menu of castrates.

Prohibited foods for neutered pets

1. Fatty meat: lamb, beef, pork, duck, goose. Cause obesity, heart disease and blood vessels.
2. Fish. Contains a lot of magnesium and phosphorus - the risk of KSD.
3. Raw potatoes and tomatoes contain the glucoalkaloid corned beef, a dangerous substance for cats.
4. Milk, eggs, fat-free cottage cheese are sources of calcium.
5. Sweets - cause diabetes, indigestion, flatulence.
6. Smoked and salty food, spices. Negatively affects the gastrointestinal tract.
7. Raw liver. An excess of this product leads to disruption of metabolic processes.
8. Legumes are undesirable in the diet of the Scottish Fold and the British. Cause indigestion.
9. Boiled potatoes and carrots are not allowed for Persian cats.
10. Onion and garlic. Destroy red blood cells in cats and cause anemia.
11. Nuts - contain a lot of phosphorus, provoke ICD.

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

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

Veterinarians say that the life expectancy of healthy neuters is on average 1.5-2 years longer than that of their uncastrated 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 how to feed castrated cats, you should know how they differ from their uncastrated counterparts.

After the removal of the testicles, the hormonal background of the cat changes, 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 features of behavior determine the tendency to obesity in neutered cats (and cats). Therefore, the first rule when feeding neutered animals is DO NOT OVERFEED.

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

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 definitely known that in obese animals the incidence of urolithiasis 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, whether it be stones or just an inflammatory process in castrates, often lead to obstruction of the urethra.

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

MONITOR THE MINERAL CONTENT OF THE FOOD (high levels of magnesium and phosphorus lead to the formation of tripel phosphates - the most common stones),

WATER MUST BE DRINKED BY THE ANIMAL 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 dry food should either be soaked, or this type of feeding should be abandoned.

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 food is not recommended.

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

Fish feeding should be abandoned (due to the increased content of phosphorus and magnesium).

Watch your cat's weight carefully.

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

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

If you want to supplement the feeding of a cat with canned food, then it is desirable that canned food and dry food be from the same company. With home-style nutrition, the brand of canned food is of no fundamental importance.

Quite often, when you ask for cat food in the store, they will offer you a 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 neutered cats and sterilized cats

Compilation of the diet of these pets should be done 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 schedule. Even the most freedom-loving cats get used to the regimen and come home from a walk on time.
• Choose a place for the 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 the remnants of food, as protein food deteriorates quickly enough.
• The number of meals per day depends on the age of the cat:

A kitten at the age of 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 feed to the norm of an adult animal 150-250 gr.

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

At the age of six months, we break the daily feed 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.

If the animal is transferred to natural food, the pet’s diet should include meat (beef and poultry), offal (chicken stomachs, liver, tongue), cereals in milk, vegetables (cabbage and carrots), as well as acid-containing foods (cottage cheese and kefir).

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

Cut the meat into pieces. We do not make or buy minced meat, it is too fat for cats. Finely chop the greens into a serving, and grate hard vegetables on a fine grater. If we use bran, then they should be added only to wet dairy or meat food. Meat and dairy products should NOT be given at the same time in one meal.

You can give both raw (aged in the freezer for several days) and slightly boiled.

You also need to give by-products. Cats are usually given chicken ventricles, livers, and hearts. Sometimes necks beaten off with a hammer. Boil or give raw - you need to look. Some cats will vomit or have diarrhea when wet. Give by-products several times a week.

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

Vegetables must be given, but without fanaticism. 10-15% of the total diet is enough per day. Of 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 reaction of the body, products that cause gas formation and stool disorders should be excluded.

Cereals in general should be given with caution, there may be digestive problems from them (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, in ineala, 1 whole raw quail egg with a broken shell. Chicken is better to boil and give half.

Vegetable oil added to the meat and vegetable mixture will help with digestion and is good for the skin and coat.

Do not abruptly introduce foods that are unusual for a cat into the diet. Do this little by little 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 transfer a pet from one type of food to another?

Gradually. Within a month - one and a half, we add the food to which we want to transfer the cat 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 feed, even within the line of one manufacturer. It is not advisable to abruptly switch to a new food, digestion may be upset. And the matter will not be in the quality of food, but in a sharp change in the usual diet. We can offer the following translation scheme for "capricious":

If you do not eat within 5 minutes - put in the refrigerator, leaving only a bowl of water.
After half an hour, put the bowl of food out again. Didn't eat for 5 minutes - put in the fridge.
Don't leave the bowl for too long. 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 with industrial feed.

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 - they forgot to buy food, and it suddenly ended, you are on the road, or you just decided to treat 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 ones, is designed for the fact that the cat eats only them and therefore all the necessary elements are present in a balanced proportion in the daily norm. By replacing one meal on a regular basis with natural food, you upset the balance, which will lead to a lack of some elements and an overabundance of others. In addition, a sharp change in food is harmful to the cat's body. Such a diet will eventually affect the health of metabolic disorders.

Do I need to give vitamin and mineral complexes?

When feeding ready-made foods of a super-premium class, additional supplements are not needed. In all other cases, including when feeding with natural products, it is necessary to additionally feed with vitamins. Vitamin complexes are daily and course. Recommended vitamin complexes:

• CALCIDEE - "Calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D", in the form of tablets with a pleasant taste and smell of milk, contains calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D in the optimal ratio for the proper development of the 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 essential for disease prevention and immunity stimulation.
• Beaphar TOP-10 - complex of minerals and vitamins

Conclusions.

These amazing creatures are not allowed to be overfed, so that obesity does not occur, which can result in urolithiasis. The portion of the pet's food should be smaller, the feeding schedule should not be violated. It is necessary to monitor food for the content of certain minerals. The pet needs more attention and physical activity. The pet must always be provided with clean water.

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

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Features of the cat's diet after surgery

All owners of fluffy households want their pet not to suffer from such changes, to be, as before, a healthy, active centenarian with a great appetite. So they need to know how to feed castrated cat. Helping a cat to keep his former self after castration is the responsibility of his owner. It is impossible to neglect some features of the new menu, because correct cat diet who was neutered, 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 the castration operation differs, firstly, in the composition of the food itself, its quality, and secondly, in quantity. In the event that your pet always eats and ate certain certain foods, you don’t need to accustom him to others - you, as before, will be able to feed the cat dry, canned and even natural feed. But picking up 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 usually it is 2-3 times. If your cat, as you have noticed, has already earned 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 says 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 castrato cat, hormonal changes occur, which will affect his character and desires. Understand that the cat is now deprived of the “basic instinct”, and it was he who, before the operation, made him develop and grow, compete with other cats and, in general, show an active life position. Now it’s difficult to live without this goal, so the cat will try to fill the empty space with the realization 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, the operation, which involves the removal of the gonads, is fraught with new physiological circumstances:

• a decrease in physical activity usually leads to significant weight gain. The cat will become more lazy and 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, then it is possible that he will soon have problems with the urethra;
• possible formation of kidney stones. Kidney stones during normal life 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 before the operation easily copes with all the quantity salts of phosphorus, magnesium and calcium contained in the feed. After castration, these minerals leave the body worse, they accumulate in the urine in the form of phosphates, and over time begin to clog the urinary canal. Perhaps a disease such as obstruction of the urethra.

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

Nutrition of a castrated cat in the first days after surgery

We advise you to change your pet's diet 2-3 weeks before this procedure, so that the pet does not experience "feed stress" abruptly 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 the operation. A complete restructuring to a new diet should occur no later than a month later.

Some owners choose not to make changes to their cat's diet after surgery. In this case, we advise you to carefully monitor the weight of the cat, and if you notice the first signs of obesity, reduce the size of the food portions or transfer the animal to ready-made dry food. Dry foods have natural ingredients if they are expensive brands.

How to make a diet for neutered cats

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

1. Never overfeed your animal. Feed him only the amount of food that is calculated for his weight, lifestyle and age. The easiest way to determine the size of servings and their number for one day is if you feed your pet ready-made food: the required dosage is written on each package.
2. 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 for urinary protection, 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.
3. Both dry and canned ready-made food for cats after castration are produced. They are made in accordance with all veterinary standards and recommendations, and contain the minimum allowable amount of mineral salts to control the acid-base balance in the urine and reduce the risk of kidney stones. Typically, such feeds contain fewer carbohydrates that provoke the animal's appetite, and more light protein that does not overload the work of the kidneys.

It is very important that your cat has constant access to water, as a lack of moisture causes urine to thicken and block 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 in mass distribution, which will take care of the proper nutrition of your pet for you. We strongly do not recommend feeding the castrato with dry food that is not intended to protect the genitourinary system! It should be taken into account that the ready-made feeds necessary for a cat after castration are not in the low or middle price segment, because medicated feeds are included in the premium class and have an appropriate price.

Super premium food

Super premium feeds are in the high price segment. They include all the necessary components that will ensure proper nutrition of the cat. It should be noted that often the composition of the Super Premium class feed may not differ at all from the Premium class feed, but have a greater demand and, accordingly, a price. The meat component of the Super Premium class feed should have a mass of not more than 28% and not more than 54% of the total weight of the product.

Here are the Super premium feed series that have proven themselves in the market:

1. "Innova EVO" - has certified ingredients. This line of expensive feeds is an alternative to natural nutrition. The composition of the feed includes: cartilage, bones, fat, turkey. The food will provide the cat's body with the necessary amount of calcium and collagen.
2. "Hills" - the composition includes a low amount of substances that are dangerous due to addiction. The composition of the feed includes: flax seeds, tuna fish, poultry. This Super Premium food is the ultimate weight management formula.
3. "1st Choice Indoor" is a high quality and relatively inexpensive food in its segment. In this line you can find feeds that differ from each other from the destination to a particular character of the pet. The composition has the following components: tea, rice, seaweed, poultry meat, dried pineapple and other useful ingredients.
4. "Eukanuba" - has several varieties: special, medicinal, for mature and elderly cats. The composition of this feed includes: 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.
5. "Eagle Pack" - meets 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, fruits in the form of powder. In addition, in order for the health of the neutered cat to be normal, the product contains: fiber, protein, vitamins, omega 3 and 6, taurine.

Premium feed

These feeds are in a lower price category when compared to Super Premium feeds. Usually they are no worse and are just as popular with owners of furry pets. The meat component is about the same as Super Premium feed.

Here are the best food lines that represent premium food:

1. Royal Canin is one of the best diet food for cats in this class. The composition includes: poultry, wheat, corn, rice, soy. In a number of this line, you can find food that is aimed at combating some common diseases in cats.
2. Purina Pro Plan is one of the best foods to improve metabolism in neutered cats. The composition of the feed includes: turkey, chicken, vitamins, cereals and omega acids. The food has a feature - ensuring the removal of wool from the pet's body.
3. "Hills" - is distinguished by high-quality natural ingredients and taste. In the composition you can find: flaxseeds, barley, oats, fish, animal fat, poultry meat meal, spinach, oatmeal. In this line you can find the best diet food.

home menu

If the preparation of commercial feed was taken care of by experts with the participation of veterinarians, then you will have to paint the diet based on homemade food on your own. Note that both carbohydrates and fats and proteins must be consumed by the cat every day. Making a diet is not at all difficult if you remember the following rules:

• Meat foods - 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 neutered cats with home-cooked food, you can combine meat with carbohydrate-rich foods. For example, fish with porridge. This combination in the diet of cats can be present every day.
• Lactic acid food - you can add kefir, sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt to the diet of cats after castration, the fat content of which should not be higher than 5%. These products will favorably affect the digestion process of your furry pet.
• Carbohydrate foods are vegetables, fruits and cereals. Feeds that contain a lot of fiber will ensure the normal process of digestion in cats that have undergone castration. Without them, the risk of constipation is reduced.

Video "How to feed cats properly"

If you have a pet or are just considering getting one, advice on how to properly feed it with store-bought or natural home-cooked food will be very useful to you. About how much to give food to a cat and at what intervals to feed it, is described in detail in this video.