What does a domestic cat eat?

Answer 1

This really depends on what the cat likes and what the owner feeds it. Domestic cats are usually fed either wet food, dry biscuits, or a combination of the two. One common practice for many owners is to feed wet food twice a day and to leave a small amount of biscuits for the cat to nibble on throughout the day.

Generally speaking, all cats are strict carnivores, so get all their nutrients from meat. Due to this, it is advisable for cats to be fed a food with a very high named meat content (labeled as Chicken, Turkey, Rabbit, Lamb, Tuna, etc.) as the first, or first three, ingredients.

It is advisable to stay away from brands that include Corn, Wheat, Cereals, Soy and various Sugars in their foods - cats have difficulty in digesting these and do not provide any nutritional value to the cat whatsoever. Wet food with these specifications are much easier to find than in dry food.

Obviously if you dont know what a domestic cat eats then you shouldnt own one.... but if u are doin it for like an assignment or something then they eat things from a can like fish or meat but it depends on their eating diets.

Answer 2

Cats primarily eat birds and small mammals, but if fed indoors they will eat commercial cat food. If your cat has access to these animals they will usually hunt and eat them; they prefer prey half their size or less, so even an adult rabbit may be too big for them. They will also eat other meat such as beef if it is given to them.

A few cats may also enjoy dairy products (especially as kittens; most older cats develop lactose intolerance) and roughage such as rice and greens, although these do not provide any nutrients to the cat. They will eat grass, houseplants, etc from time to time to help aid digestion. Most cats like Italian herbs (and will therefore eat pasta sauce) and most cats hate citrus and spicy foods. Additionally, cats have their own favorite foods, which vary from gingerbread, to envelope paste, to red peppers, although it is not ideal for a cat to have such foods all the time.

Domestic cats are usually fed either "wet" cat food from cans, "dry" cat food that comes in bags, or a combination of the two. One practice for many is to leave out some dry food for them to eat when hungry (refill the bowl as needed) and feed them amounts of wet food once a day. If your cat is not active enough and is gaining too much weight, switch to only feeding a normal portion of wet food once or twice a day. There are arguments in favor of natural (unprocessed) diets for cats, but the wet/dry combo should work for most cats and owners.

Another Answer:

This really depends on what the cat likes and what the owner feeds it.

Cats, both domestic and wild, are strict carnivores, so get all their nutrients from meat. Be sure to look at the ingredients - The best cat foods are the ones with a very high named meat content (labeled as Chicken, Turkey, Rabbit, Lamb, Tuna, etc.) as the FIRST, or first three, ingredients.

It is advisable to stay away from brands that include Corn, Wheat, Cereals, Soy and various Sugars in their foods - cats have difficulty in digesting these and do not provide any nutritional value to the cat whatsoever. Wet food with these specifications are much easier to find than in dry food.

The amount of moisture in cat food is also very important, especially if you have a male cat. Male cats are more likely to develop a UTI than a female cat. Dry food contains no moisture, so is quite dehydrating. Cats are notoriously bad drinkers, even when they are thirsty. This is because they have evolved to get all their needed moisture from their prey (their ancestors were cats that lived in very dry and arid environments where water was hard to come by), so therefore have a low "thirst drive" and will not often seek out water on their own.

Canned or pouched food has anywhere between 60 to 80% water. Seeing as in the wild a cat's prey is around 65%-75% water, wet food provides a cat with more than enough water each day.

For high-quality Cat food there is: Blue Buffalo, Felidae, Weruva, California Natural, Instinct, Prairie, Natural Balance, Eagle Pack, Wellness, EVO, Bozita (the canned stuff is 90+% meat and can be bought from zooplus.co.uk), Applaws (70+% meat and comes in both tinned and dry), HiLife (60% meat), Feline Fayre, to name a few.

Answer 3

You have to provide a home cat with fish or chicken and meat or you could go to the market and get treats for your cat and cat food you can try a (snappy tom) or (meow mix) and of course what cats really love (Fancy Feast)

Not all cats love Fancy Feast, and it comes in tiny little cans. Friskies is a very good brand of cat food, both dry and wet. Also a house cat, if you let it outside, might catch birds or rodents.

Answer 4

Cats are carnivores, so raw meat is the healthiest option for a domestic cat. Their bodies cannot process carbohydrates, they get energy from protein. A cat also needs taurine in their diet. Be wary of supermarket cat foods as they contain a lot of corn starch which is no good. Buy lots of cheap tuna in brine and raw meat for your cat. Never feed it tinned cat food as that stuff is like junk food for them. It has no nutritional value and is mostly water.

Answer 5

A feral cat will eat whatever he can find, usually insects, small rodents, and small birds. Many feral cats will also make use of "feeding stations" set up by humane societies and volunteers, where they can get commercial dry cat food.

A domestic cat will generally eat commercial cat food, which is largely meat byproducts (chicken, lamb, fish, beef), though some people will make their own cat food out of "regular" cuts of meat.

Though cats in the wild eat their food raw, veterinarians do not recommend this for domestic animals, as raw foods carry infections.

Answer 6

I am not an expert but I have owned cats for 50 years.

Cats are carnivores. If your cat always stays indoors then you will want to find a moist cat food to help them get necessary liquids. Cats typically will not drink water so the moisture in the cat food helps. Check the ash content on cat food labels, as a general rule of thumb feed the lowest to avoid urinary tract problems. I learned this after I lost my persian! I also provided cuttings of soft, tender grass for my cats, (not the roots, it makes a mess) on a regular basis as it aids in digestion. Outdoor cats will eat this on their own so don't think they are weird! I always allowed my cats to have dry cat food as mine always thought it was a treat and it was much cheaper than buying 'cat treats'.

You must also watch indoor cats around house plants as they will get into them and if they are poisonous...

Don't allow your cat to play with strings or foil balls as they will swallow it and can make them horribly ill.

Answer 7

cat food

preferably Purina cat chow