Feeding & Nutrition

Many of us sneak our cats a bite of whatever we're eating – but have you ever asked yourself, what human foods can cats eat? While it might seem harmless to share a snack, not all human foods are safe for your feline friend. Knowing what’s OK to share – and what’s not – is essential for keeping them healthy and happy. Cats, just like dogs, can be expert beggars at the dinner table, especially when there’s fish, meat, or dairy in sight. But even if they’re giving you those irresistible eyes, it’s important to remember that their digestive systems are different from ours. That’s why we’ve created this simple guide to help you understand what human foods are safe for cats – and which ones are best kept off their menu.

Once your cat has reached their first birthday, it’s time to think about a regular cat feeding routine. As they change from a playful kitten to a full-grown adult cat, it’s important to make sure they have all the right nutrients they need to stay happy and healthy. That is why it is important to know all there is to feeding an adult cat and knowing what cats like to eat. To keep in tip-top condition, your cat’s diet needs the right balance of proteins, fats and oils, minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates. It might sound a bit complicated, but good-quality complete feline food should provide everything your furry friend needs, and unless advised to by your vet, a well-balanced diet means your cat won’t need any other diet supplements. Find out how much and what to feed cats for their health and happiness with tips from the Pet Care team below.

Pregnancy is both wonderful and wonderfully tiring, for you and your pet. One important thing you can do to help your mum-to-be is to give her the nutritional support she needs. Choosing the right feeding plan during pregnancy will ensure that she grows fit kittens, and has the strength to handle birth and nursing her newborns. The adult food you normally give your cat is great for her everyday diet, but it won’t provide the extra boost she’ll need when expecting. For a happy mum and healthy kittens, pick a formula that will meet her new requirements. A high-quality kitten food will provide all the necessary nutrients when feeding your pregnant cat. Start weaning her onto it from mating until a few weeks after giving birth, to keep her strong and give her the energy she needs to support her new kittens. Pregnant cats need higher amounts of calories and protein, both of which can be found in a high quality kitten food. Switching mum onto a kitten food will also help her litter, as they’ll be able to copy her and try some of her solid food as they wean off her milk. We have a selection of products to suit a variety of diets that you can try.

From around the age of seven you’ll probably notice that your older cat starts taking life a bit easier. Support this slower life and help them stay healthy and happy with a diet that’s designed just for senior cats. As cats age and their activity levels reduce, their nutritional needs change. Spending roughly 40% of their lives classified as seniors, it’s crucial to provide them with a high-quality, tasty diet that includes easily digestible protein and carbohydrates, balanced with key nutrients and controlled levels of fat. Key minerals support ageing joints, and vitamins help support the ageing immune system. A senior cat may start to become less active, if they are an outdoor cat they may begin to spend more time indoors, and have a slower metabolism. These can all add up to them putting on some extra weight. Equally, as they reach their geriatric years, illness and a reduction in their sense of taste and smell can affect their appetites, which will have an impact on their body condition. This is why it's so important to revisit their diet and nutritional needs regularly.

Your cat’s sense of exploration is one of the things that makes them so precious to you, but it sometimes means you have to keep an eye out for things that can harm them, too. There are many harmful substances and poisonous foods for cats that your feline friend might come across in their lifetime, so it’s important that you know which to keep out of their reach in the home. Your cat’s natural curiosity leads them to explore non-stop; whether they’re roaming the great outdoors or climbing into all the nooks and crannies of your house, there’s no knowing what they’ll find on their next adventure. Around the home and in the garden there are poisonous foods for cats and non-food substances, including plants, which could be potentially dangerous to your feline friend. Some of these are obvious, but others look completely innocent. For example, your cat might like the look of the snack you just ate or the medicine you take, but these things – while causing no harm to us – might be poisonous foods for cats, and in some case they could be life-threatening. Many chemicals that are routinely used around the house, such as bathroom cleaners, can also be harmful if your curious cat gets their paws on a bottle.

As a cat-lover, you’ll know how tempting it can be to give your furry friend treats and titbits to eat alongside their main meals. Scraps from the table or food fed by hand are, for lots of people, a way of showing affection to your cat. As lovely as it is getting your dear feline’s attention and having them eating out of your hand, literally, cat treats are best used sporadically and within certain limits. Here is how to get treat time right, how many treats a day to feed your pet and what to avoid.

Eggs are nutritious, they taste great no matter how we prepare them, and they bind many of our favourite recipes together. It’s unbelievable how many things we can do with just a humble little egg, but is it a good idea to feed this tasty food to our cats, too? If you are one of the many owners about to give in to their cat’s pleading eyes and offer them a bite of egg for breakfast, but you’re still pondering the question ‘can cats actually eat eggs?’, here are all the answers you need to know about cats and eggs.

Juicy, sweet, full of nutrients and easy to eat, grapes may just be the perfect fruit snack. But unfortunately, not everything that’s good for us humans works just as well for our pets. You probably already know that grapes are dangerous for dogs – but should cat owners also worry if they catch their pet eyeing up the bowl of grapes on the kitchen countertop? Keep reading to find out if grapes are good or bad for cats.

Getting lost in all the different flavours and formulas cat food comes in? No worries! We’ve broken down the process of choosing the best cat food into easy steps. If you’re a cat owner, choosing the best cat food can quickly get overwhelming given all the options available. There is dry cat food, wet cat food, grain-free cat food, not to mention all the different flavours and special formulas. Leaving it up to your cat to decide on the flavour is fair game, but when it comes to other requirements, pet will count on you to select the best cat food brands and products. In this article, we aim to help make the decision a bit easier. Here is what you need to know in order to choose the best food for your cat.  

Cats and dogs might venture into each other’s food bowls from time to time. If you’re wondering if cat food is bad for dogs, read our article to find out why and how to keep dogs out of your cat’s dinner.

There is significant debate on whether we should feed our feline friends raw meat or not. We’ve put together a quick guide looking at the considerations and the risks of feeding your cat raw meat. Feeding a raw diet for cats is a controversial topic and there can be genuine health risks to you and your pet. If you decide to try raw-feeding, it is always best to discuss this with your vet first. They can give advice on responsible raw-feeding, making sure your cat receives a suitably balanced diet, and highlight some of the health and hygiene concerns that need addressing.

We’ve all heard the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” For humans, there's some basis to this as apples can make up part of a balanced, healthy diet. Packed full of fibre and vitamins, apples are one of the more popular fruits amongst humans in the UK, and most of us will regularly have them in our fruit bowls. Because this fruit is relatively inexpensive, readily available and healthy for us, many pet owners have come to wonder if cats can eat apples too, and whether our feline friends will experience the same benefits. Keep reading to find out if cats can eat apples.