There has always been a debate about whether it needs to change cat food regularly. One is that do not need to change cat food, because regular cat food changes will make the cat's digestive system fragile. Another is that regular cat food changes can make nutrients absorbed by cats more comprehensive. Which statement is correct? We have checked various domestic and foreign literature, and the mainstream statement about cat food replacement is to support changing cat food regularly. However, it should be noted that regular cat food changes are not frequent cat food changes, and cat food changes should be based on the cat's physical condition. In general, cat food needs to be changed, but not too often. Why do most merchants advise everyone not to change cat food? Many times, based on their own interests, merchants hope that users will eat their food all the time after buying it, and not change it frequently, so they actively promote the concept of not changing cat food.
Reason for changing cat food
Eating the same cat food for a long time can easily lead to a weak digestive system
We all know that frequent cat food changes for cats can cause gastrointestinal problems and symptoms such as diarrhea. In fact, the frequency of changing the cat food is only one of the reasons. If you do not change the cat food for a long time will also cause such a problem. When a cat eats a kind of cat food for a long time, the various digestive enzymes and intestinal flora in its body adapt to this kind of cat food, it will gradually be fixed and its adjustment ability will become weaker. At the same time, the gastrointestinal flora is selected by the cat food, and the flora suitable for digesting this cat food is reproduced, and the unsuitable ones are eliminated. As a result, after changing the cat food, once other colonies are needed to digest, the cat will have colony imbalance and symptoms such as diarrhea.
Cats of different ages have different nutritional requirements
Like humans, cats have different nutritional needs during different growth periods. Kittens, adult cats, and senior cats need different nutrients. Everyone knows cat food can be divided into milk cat food, kitten cat food, and adult cat food. Generally, cats within 3 months should eat milk cat food. Cats between 3-12 months can eat kitten cat food. One-year-old cats can switch to cat food in the future. In addition, when the cat's body needs special cat food, special food should be replaced, such as anti-allergy food, diet food, etc. Since different cat food focuses on different nutrition supplementary, regular replacement of cat food can make the cat's nutrition intake more comprehensive. For example, kitten cats have a high absorption rate of trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Therefore, kitten cat food needs to be rich in nutrients, but it is necessary to control the amounts of trace elements and not be too high. This can prevent kittens from being in a state of "high magnesium and high phosphorus" and "overnutrition" for a long time due to rapid absorption. When the cat becomes an adult, the absorption level of trace elements decreases, and then the content of trace elements in the adult cat food is increased to help maintain the dynamic balance.
Cats in different physical conditions have different requirement
The physical condition of cats is constantly changing, and different physical conditions require different cat food. Just like us humans, we usually prefer big fish and meat, and we may prefer a bowl of millet porridge when we are sick. Cats also experience various conditions such as illness, pregnancy, obesity, etc., and need to change their diets according to different situations. For sick cats, you need to choose foods that are easier to digest and absorb and are more nutritious. Other cats with certain diseases should choose the appropriate cat food according to the doctor's advice. For obese cats, you need to choose cat food that is conducive to weight loss.
Different seasonal and functional needs have different requirement
Throughout the year, cats' tastes may change with temperature. In the hot summer, low-calorie and low-starch cat food are more suitable. Autumn and winter are cold, and cats need high-calorie cat food. In addition, sometimes we may have some functional needs for cat food. For example, your own cat needs special maintenance of hair at a certain period. Considering the maintenance of hair, it is best to choose cat food with a high content of fish oil. Cats need to vomit hairballs in the shedding season, but they don’t like to eat hair cream, it is also a good choice to temporarily replace with targeted cat food.
Frequency of changing cat food
We understand the importance and necessity of changing food, but how often should cat food be changed? In addition to temporarily replacing with targeted cat food for functional needs, it is generally recommended to change cat food every 3-6 months. For a family with one cat, a bag of 5kg of cat food can be eaten for about three months, and you can change it after eating one or two bags. It is recommended that you use cat food as the basis, and use canned food, freeze-dried food, mixed meal powder, etc. to improve the wake gastrointestinal problems caused by too single food.
Method of changing cat food
When changing cat food, you must follow certain methods. Remember not to be too hasty, and you must not change cat food suddenly within one day, otherwise, it will cause intestinal discomfort in the cat, vomiting, and diarrhea. Generally speaking, the "seven-day food change method" should be adopted when changing cat food. It takes at least seven days to gradually reduce the proportion of old cat food and replace it with new cat food. This gives the cat enough "reaction time" for the stomach and intestines, allowing the cat to slowly adapt to the formula of the new cat food. The scientific grain exchange follows the "seven-day food change method":
Day 1-2: Add 10-20% new cat food to the original cat food;
Day 3-4: Add 40-50% new cat food to the original cat food;
Day 5-6: Add 70-80% new cat food to the original cat food;
Day 7: 100% replacement with new cat food;
During the food change period, you need to regularly observe the cat's spirit and defecation. If there is any abnormality, you should seek professional veterinary consultation and treatment in time. In addition, before changing cat food, it is best to buy a small packet of test food, or separate cat food. See if the cats are conflicted with the new cat food, if not, you can buy a big bag of cat food.
