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What to feed my older cat?

As cats get a little bit older, they are more likely to want to stay indoors, less likely to be as active as they used to be when they were younger. Their sense of taste and smell mightn’t be as good as it used to be, and this can impact their appetite. 

Senior Cat Food

Generally older cats should be moved onto senior food unless there is some underlying health problem that is preventing the cat from eating senior cat food. Senior cat food is usually a little tastier and smellier than adult food this helps with their appetite. The food might also be a little softer and smaller due to the fact that many cats suffer from dental disease quite early on and by the time they get to the senior stage they might not have as many teeth left or might be more sensitive.

In addition to that senior foods normally have high quality protein, added vitamins such as vitamin E to support their immune system and they usually have a fewer calories to prevent your older cat from gaining a few extra kgs since their metabolism isn’t as fast as it once was. 

When feeding your senior cat make sure the food is room temperature so that the flavour and smell is more intense since their sense of smell and taste isn’t as it used to be. This means that if you are storing it in the fridge take it out a few minutes before and let in warm up before you give it to your cat. Make sure to serve it in a clean bowl or saucer so that no smell is likely to put your cat off its food.

Don’t let food dry out, your cat isn’t likely to eat old food and if you are feeding dry kibble make sure it is stored correctly and sealed so that it retains its smell. Feed your older cat little and often, they are more likely to eat small amounts this also will save you money as you won’t be throwing out leftovers that your cat won’t eat since its dried out or old.