What do cats like to eat for breakfast? It might seem like a random question, but it’s a primary issue for cat owners. After all, it is only natural to be concerned about your pet’s dietary routine.
It is always ideal to kickstart your day with a fulfilling meal, and your pet’s breakfast is just as important. You need to give your cat a proper feast that would fit its taste palette and meet its nutritional requirements as the day goes on.
Tune in to learn more about the food you can include in a cat breakfast!
What Do Cats Want to Eat For Breakfast?
As adorable and lovable cats are, they are also probably the grumpiest pets you could own. While dogs are typically known for having a personality, they can barely hold a candle to cats. Many would argue that cats are a much more acquired taste than dogs as they tend to be pickier and harder to please.
If you’re a new or inexperienced cat owner, you will find out early on that their diet is something you’ll constantly worry about — notably, their breakfast. Being the first meal of the day, cats require a nutrient-dense breakfast meal to ensure they can go through with their day.
Cats need to consume a highly-nutritious meal every morning to mark a healthy start to their day. Fortunately, there are various tasty options you can give them on top of their typical dry food.
Now, what do cats eat for breakfast? Here are the best possible breakfast options for them you can consider:
Bone Broth
Delicious and nutrient-rich bone broth is undoubtedly an effective way to spoil your feline pet. This meal is jam-packed with vitamins and minerals, allowing your cat to enjoy a tasty feast and meet their nutritional requirements. For sure, most cats would pounce and jump at the chance to sip on a warm and flavor-rich bone broth.
Canned Wet Food
Typical canned wet food is also one of the best cat breakfast meals to prepare. You also don’t have to worry about your cat ignoring it as they will not turn down a nice helping of tasty canned cat food. Whether you pair it with their existing dry kibble or give it to them as a standalone breakfast, your cat will surely enjoy it either way.
Chicken Soup
Chicken soup is a type of broth that your cat would never pass up, and it’s healthy since it contains wholesome and nutritional benefits that can help fuel the body. It might need a longer preparation time than most breakfast meals, but it’s worth considering since it’s the perfect addition to your kitty’s healthy diet.
Dry Food
If you’re a bit tight on budget and still want to give your cat the best meal for breakfast, you can feed them dry cat food. While cats don’t necessarily prefer dry kibble due to their lack of smell and flavor, it remains one of the healthiest options for cat breakfast. After all, dry cat food tends to have more minerals and vitamins than wet food.
Egg
You can trust that your cat will love eggs — granted that they don’t have any known egg allergy. Eggs have proteins and other necessary minerals and vitamins that can nourish a cat’s system and soften its fur. Just keep in mind that, unlike some animals, cats can’t eat raw eggs since they contain bacteria like salmonella.
Fruits and Vegetables
While felines can’t taste sweet food because they lack receptors, they can still enjoy fruits. Fruits have high amounts of water and fiber, making them an excellent choice to serve as a breakfast meal. You can also add in a few vegetables to add more nutritional value.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is an acquired taste, so it might take a few attempts to get your feline to taste it. Though, once they do, don’t be surprised that it’ll become one of their favorite meals. Oatmeal has a good amount of protein, which your cat needs to survive the day.
Tuna
Of course, their beloved fishy favorite, tuna, shouldn’t be forgotten. Now, this is a meal that your cat can’t seem to get enough of. It won’t require any coaxing to get them to eat; just make sure you choose canned tuna in water and not in oil.
Do Cats Need Breakfast?
Watching your cat eating breakfast is a normal sight. Like humans, breakfast serves as the most important meal for cats. Although traditional cat food is recommended, you can still give your feline homemade breakfast occasionally.
There are two main reasons why some pet owners assume that cats don’t need breakfast. First — they believe cats only need one huge appropriately-proportioned meal to survive a day. That is not true. For your cat to feel energetic, they need multiple, equally-portioned meals throughout the day.
Second — most believe that cats are nocturnal animals and are mainly active at night. Thinking that felines are nocturnal pets can lead some people to believe that they don’t necessarily need breakfast.
According to a study by Fujitani and Hosogai, cats also have a circadian rhythm that guides their 24-hour sleep-wake schedule. Humans are diurnal as they are naturally prone to staying awake during the day and asleep at night. Cats, however, are crepuscular. That means they experience two peaks of activity, early morning and around sunset.
Your cat will need a heavy and healthy breakfast to stay active and in good health for the rest of the day.
How Much Should Your Cat Have for Breakfast?
When it comes to how often and how much you should feed your cat breakfast, there is no hard and fast rule. There is no single answer since it mostly depends on various factors. It also varies from cat to cat.
The right amount of food for your cat depends on its diet plan, age, size, and weight. For instance, a week-old kitten weighing around 1.8 – 5.3 pounds needs about 2 – 6 ml of kitten replacer formula every 2 hours at least. A kitten that’s five weeks old and weighing around 15.9 – 19.4 pounds needs about 18 – 22 ml of KRF every 5 – 6 hours.
As for adult cats, you need to feed them according to the label on their cat food. On the other hand, senior cats need to follow a diet plan tailored by a veterinarian. That is for general meals, though.
For breakfast, approximately 250 grams of cat meal should satisfy an average-sized cat’s hunger. For a more accurate measurement, you can consult a trusted veterinarian to make a nutritious diet plan for your cat and ask how much you can feed it for breakfast.
What Time Should Cats Eat Breakfast?
There is no strict window of time to give your cat breakfast, but feeding a cat early in the morning is recommended. Typically, it is best to give your pet breakfast first thing in the morning or when it starts waking up.
Spacing their meal times 12 hours apart is also highly recommended. You can give them breakfast later in the morning if you decide to feed them later in the evening.
Although, be aware of cats being crepuscular creatures. This means they have a sleeping schedule they prefer — being awake during the early morning and later evening. Those are the ideal times to feed them.
Since cats are creatures of habit, you should take advantage and create a regular feeding schedule. Regularly feeding an adult cat at specific times will provide security and predictability of a scheduled routine.
The habit becomes strong when your cat is on a regular meal schedule. It would also be easy to determine if something is wrong, usually when all or a good part of the meal is untouched. If that is to happen, you can observe your cat more closely and decide if you need to bring it to the vet.
What do kitty cats like to eat for breakfast? The answer is much broader than you think. There is quite a long list of breakfast foods you can give your beloved feline. You can even switch and mix things up to make it more appealing and fun for your cat. Surely, your cat will enjoy the novelty of different meals at the start of the day.
Moreover, enriching and widening their breakfast meal plan can help you build a stronger bond with your kitty. As long as you’re sure they are safe to consume and aware of their risks, you can experiment and give them new food to try.