Cat Feeding Tips

Drinking habits

Some cats can be fussy about drinking water from the tap due to the chemicals used to keep the water clean. A handy to is to leave a dish outside to collect rain water when it rains, or to bottle tap water and allow it to stand for a few days before putting it into the cat's dish.

Remember to wean

Cats are sensitive to new smells and textures. A straight swap to a new food may present too much change, and they may stop eating the food altogether. At OSCAR we advise customers to make a gradual change by weaning their cat from old food to new, over 5 to 7 days. Slowly introducing them to OSCAR an dry or wet food will help them to successfully move on to the new food.

Feeding route

Cats are true carnivores. This means they are designed to eat small meals throughout the day. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule, and some cats may eat a steady two meals per day. Weigh out your cat's food each morning and place it all in the dish for the cat to feed itself 'ad lib' throughout the day, will allow the cat to adapt to its natural feeding routine. If you have a multi-cat household, a set routine for meal times may be more suitable, in case some of the cats eat more than their fair share!

Water And feed dishes

Cats prefer to eat and drink from a wide, shallow, dish so that their super sensitive whiskers do not make contact with the dish and they can hear clearly while eating. Cats also prefer to have their feeding and drinking station in separate areas.

Keep it fresh

Cats love freshness! At OSCAR we remove the air from our dry cat food bags and replace it with nitrogen to keep the food fresh. Once opened, keep your cat's food in a sealed container such as an OSCAR bucket to keep the freshness.

Inner hunter

Lock in to your cat's natural instinct to hunt for food, by hiding their OSCAR meals around the home. The food can be placed on the lid of plastic tubs. This will help to keep a cat more active during the day and increase their mental stimulation. This is a good activity for house cats which don't get much exercise. If food games are not suitable, a play session with the owner before meal time would be a good alternative.

Available resources

Multi-cat households need multiple resources, in various locations, to help cat relationships and increase their feelings of security in the home. To keep your cat happy we recommend to have one water and one feeding station per cat, plus one extra one. So if you have 2 cats, they will need 3 water stations and 3 feeding stations. The same rule applies for cat litter trays and resting areas.

Do you need further advice?

If you need any further advice, please contact the OSCAR Helpline Team on our freephone number 0800 195 8000 or email helpline@oscars.co.uk.