How to Comfort a Dying Cat - Feeding Your Cat

1. Give her tasty food. Earlier in your cat’s life, you may have limited the amount of tasty morsels your cat ate so that she could maintain a healthy diet. Now that she is near the end of her life, why not indulge her a bit more? Spoil your cat with some tuna, such as tuna flakes or even tuna juice poured on top of her food.[16]
- Meat-based baby food,[17], such as turkey,[18] is another type of tasty food to feed your dying cat. Since onions are toxic to cats, make sure the baby food does not contain any onion powder.[19]
- Gourmet cat food is another tasty food option for your cat.[20]
- Whichever tasty food you give her, make sure that it has a strong and appealing smell. Your cat probably won’t have a big appetite in her final days,[21] but giving her food that is very aromatic may encourage her to eat at least a little bit.[22]

2. Make her food easy to eat. Not only may your cat be losing her appetite when she is dying, but she may also no longer have the physical ability to chew her food adequately. Therefore, you will need to make her food easier to eat. For dry food, you can soften it by soaking it in some water or mashing it.[23]
- Other than mashing dry food, you can grind it up in a blender.
- If you are feeding your cat baby food, you can mix it with some water to make it even softer.[24]
- Warming up your cat’s food can make it easier and more appealing for her to eat.[25]
- Talk with your veterinarian if you are unsure what types of foods your cat can eat, and would want to eat, at the end of her life.

3. Give your cat fresh water. Your cat, in her final stages of life, may not want to drink as much water as she used to. In addition, her body’s ‘thirst’ signal may not be working very well, so she may not even realize that she needs to hydrate herself.[26] Keeping your dying cat well hydrated is key to keeping her comfortable.[27]
- Her water should be lukewarm instead of cold.[28]
- If your cat is too weak or in too much pain to drink out of her water bowl, you will have to help her by gently supporting her head upright.[29]
- She may not want to open her mouth willingly to drink the water, so you may have to give her water using a medicine dropper.[30] While supporting her head, position the medicine dropper next to her back teeth on the inside of her cheek. When she opens her mouth, gently squeeze the water down her throat.

How to Take Care of a Cat - Feeding Your Cat

1. Decide what type of food to feed your cat. Cat food comes in a vast array of types: dry food, semi-moist, and canned are the common types. Dry food is easily and efficiently stored, but cats go wild for the taste of semi-moist and canned foods. The latter types can add more fluid to the cat’s diet than dry foods. In general, food type comes down to owner preference.
- Occasionally, a cat with a medical condition might need one type over another. Consult your veterinarian for recommendations.

2. Choose a good brand of cat food. Like other animals, cats have some specific nutritional needs. They are "obligate carnivores," which means they need animal proteins to avoid severe health consequences.[12] Ask your vet for suggestions about a good quality food. Cheaper products may not provide enough nutrition to keep your cat happy and healthy.
- Look for cat foods that list large amounts of animal meat like beef, chicken, turkey, or fish.[13]
- Also look for important amino acids like taurine and arginine and fatty acids like arachidonic and linoleic acid.[14]
- Avoid feeding your cat human foods unless you have cleared the food with your veterinarian. Some human foods can make a cat severely sick or are even toxic to cats (e.g., chocolate).

3. Follow your cat food's suggested feeding guide.[15] In general, cats are fed according to age, weight and activity levels. They prefer to eat frequent, small meals throughout the day.[16]
- Ask your vet for recommendations on what and how to feed your cat if you have any reservations.

4. Don't overfeed your cat. Follow your veterinarian's recommendations closely and make sure your cat gets plenty of exercise, as obesity is one of the biggest health issues facing cats today. Obese cats are more likely to develop diabetes when they approach middle age. Extra weight also contributes to arthritis, heart disease, and other health problems in cats.[17]