Since a cat’s carnivorous digestion is designed to utilize every bit of their wild meals, a problem can spread through their system quickly. So cats will interpret every quiver of discontent as a signal to dump this meal: now. Even if that signal comes from anxiety, noise, or something not associated with their food.
James Bond had the nickname of “Hurl Boy” because he used to throw up every day. This led me to research his food, and cut way down on the grains in his diet. He’s doing fine now, though mental stress will still lead him to gulp down his food, and then return it in much the same shape.
There’s a few other things we can try.
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Probiotics are now being suggested for cats, as well as people. These are beneficial bacteria, which help digest food and improve vitamin absorption. If we have a cat who has continual digestive troubles, adding probiotics to their diet might help.
It turns out the same organisms which help humans digest their food helps cats and dogs, too. Which is handy for us, since helping our cats this way is not complicated. It’s is as close as our nearest health food or drug store. Look for it in powder form to mix with their food. It is odorless and tasteless, so this is about as easy a dosing situation as we can imagine.
Can’t we just give our cats yogurt? The concentration in yogurt is low, especially compared to the portion of yogurt our cats would eat compared to what they might need. If we are serious about supplementing, we’ll think of yogurt as a treat.
Why would cats need such supplementation? Probably the same reasons we would. A spate of poor diet or diet disruption, and especially a course of antibiotics, can dwindle our natural supply of the beneficial organisms.
Another way to help our cats digestion is to see if reducing or eliminating any grains in their diet helps their symptoms. Cats have a primarily carnivorous digestive system. Grains aren’t doing them any good, because they don’t have the enzymes to do anything with the carbohydrates the grains contain. And sometimes this inability manifests itself with tummy troubles.
Try sprinkling some brewer’s yeast on their food. Most cats like the taste, and enjoy it. This is especially important when we have discovered there was a high grain content in our cat’s previous diet. Grains and other plant sources drain the B vitamins from a cat’s system, and brewer’s yeast helps put it back.
Kitty grass is another addition to their diet which they are used to finding in nature. If our cat doesn’t care for the tender oat grass or wheatgrass we grow for them, try peppermint instead; some cats love to munch on it, and it helps sooth their stomachs.
Some cats don’t seem to have trouble, no matter what food is offered, or what is in it. Yet, we might be surprised to see how better nutrition will make our cats even happier and better behaved, or that other aspects of our cat’s appetite or bathroom habits will improve.
A classic example is pica, a craving for non-food objects. Afflicted cats chow down on nylon stockings, hair ties, or even their own litter. Pica is tricky to treat, but most cases in people turn out to be triggered by inadequate nutrition of some kind. A literally “beefed up” diet with lots of protein, and no grains which can block absorption from the intestines, can moderate, or even eliminate, these crazy cravings. Even after we start with the better diet, we should take care to keep the afflicted cat away from their triggers, until they learn new stress-coping skills.
We should remember that unless our cat’s meals consist of fresh small game, we are not providing exactly what the cat would be used to getting. Purchased cat food is a recent development (last hundred years,) compared to how long we’ve had cats (last ten thousand years.)
So one of these helpers could make a big difference to our cats.
We often won’t know until we try.
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There’s more ways to care for our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on CAT CARE.
