A quality diet for your cat will help keep your cat healthy and happy. Good nutrition can prevent a myriad of health problems. A good cat food contains a high percentage of meat content, and will have a relatively high amount of protein and fat. Cats are pure carnivores and consequently have specific dietary needs. Cats must eat meat to survive. Some low-grade foods will contain wheat, corn or rice as a base. These ingredients don't provide any nutritional value to your cat.

A poor quality diet can cause problems for your cat. In some cats corn based foods can lead to allergies. Since it is a cat's nature to eat only meat, some recommend a homemade raw meat diet. While these diets if used correctly can be excellent, problems with a raw meat diet may arise. The major concern is parasitic infections. Organisms that would be killed during the cooking process can live in raw meat. This is particularly a problem with pork. Raw pork should never be given to a cat. Another problem with raw meat diets is, if not formulated properly, important vitamins and nutrients may be left out.

Commercial cat foods are available in cans, moist, or dry. Canned foods usually contain the highest meat content, but can spoil once opened. Dry foods, while convenient and longer lasting usually don't have as high meat content and are often of lesser quality. Moist foods, often in packets generally contain many preservatives. One option is to feed your cat a combination of quality canned and dry food. This provides variety in the diet, while increasing the likelihood of your cat receiving many more of the needed nutrients. Although quality food may be more expensive, this is often offset by the fact your cat will need to eat less to receive the same nutrition level. Cat supplements can be helpful if it is believed the diet may otherwise be lacking.

Cats by nature usually know what is good for them and what isn't. If your cat is underweight or overweight, it is likely a sign that something is missing from its diet. Don't put your cat on a weight control diet, or make any other significant changes to your cat's diet without consulting your vet. Significant dietary changes can be harmful if not done properly. Make sure you give your cat plenty of water, especially if you are feeding mainly dry food. Cats will often opt to drink from a puddle or other place besides his dish. This is can be due to chlorination in the drinking water. As long as your cat is finding some sort of water source this is okay.