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Cats are creatures of habit and can resist diet change. It's important to completely stop feeding your cat from the table. This is best accomplished by removing the cat from the kitchen during mealtimes. Be persistent when offering dry food. Your cat may refuse to eat for several meals before deciding to give the food a try. Heating food in the microwave increases the aroma of the food and will often entice a cat to eat. Another alternative is to try mixing some wet food with the dry food, or topping it with a sauce or gravy specifically formulated for pets. Be assured that your cat eats to meet an energy need and will eventually begin to eat unless there is an underlying medical issue.
Keep in mind that your cat's stool should be small and firm. Most cases of constipation are temporary and due to dietary interruptions. Loose stools also are often temporary and can be due to dietary interruptions, as well as many other things, including an abrupt change in diet, overeating, parasites, medication, eating table scraps, viral or bacterial infections, and stress. If constipation or diarrhea persists, however, it is important to consult a veterinarian.
Confused by the ingredient list on your kitten’s food? You’re not alone. Marketing pet foods that have “human-grade ingredients” is becoming commonplace. While appealing to many pet owners, it is important to be aware that the term “human grade” has no legal definition and is used primarily for marketing purposes.
Foods, typically meats, are labeled either as “edible” or “inedible, not for human consumption.” Once a food leaves the human food chain, even if it is of outstanding quality, it has to be labeled “inedible, not for human consumption.”
Therefore, meats used in pet food must be labeled as “inedible,” regardless of the source or quality of the meat. The only way to make a pet food with ingredients deemed “edible” is to never let the meat leave the human food chain and actually manufacture the pet food in a human food facility and transport it using human food trucks.
Therefore, advertising a product as containing “human-grade ingredients” is untrue if it is not manufactured in a human food facility.
However, just because a pet food isn’t marketed as being “human grade” does not mean that the ingredients are poor quality.
