One of the most important parts of keeping your cat healthy and happy is making sure that he (or she) has enough food to eat and that the food he does eat is good for him. Feeding your pets is one of the most basic responsibilities you will have as a pet owner and it is one that you need to take seriously. Not all cats are the same. They will need food that is made with their age, health and needs in mind.

Make sure that you are feeding your cat food that is age appropriate. Kittens have different nutritional needs than adult cats, and adult cats have different nutritional needs than very old cats. You shouldn’t feed adult food cat to a kitten or vice versa. For one thing, kitten chow is usually softer and its nutrients are closer to the nutrients it was getting when it was nursing. The same is often true of food that is meant for very old cats—it is usually softer and has a very different vitamin and nutrient balance than food made for an adult cat or a kitten.

When your cat is still a kitten you will want to feed it canned cat food every day especially when he is first starting to wean from his mother. Very young kittens can’t yet crunch dry cat food properly. You don’t want them to choke! As they get older, you can lessen the amount of canned cat food and increase the amount of dry cat food you give them. Most people eventually give their cats a diet that consists solely of dry cat food, but canned food is higher in protein and carbohydrates, both of which are important in a cat’s diet. Make sure that you always have some canned cat food on hand—it can be given as a treat, or you can mix it in with the dry, whichever you feel most comfortable doing.

You might also find that your cat has very specific dietary needs or food that was created to nourish cats with certain health issues. There is cat food that is meant specifically for cats that are solely indoor cats. There is cat food that was made to help control hairballs. There is cat food that is made for cats that have sensitive digestive systems. Ask your veterinarian if your cat needs to be placed on a special diet, or if there is anything you can do to help increase the nutritional value of the food he eats.

Milk is also a controversial food. Many people think that milk is good for cats of all ages. While it is true that most cats enjoy drinking milk now and then, giving your cat too much milk can often be harmful to his digestive system. Milk is really only good for very young kittens and very old cats as it is high in calcium—something that dry cat food is fortified with, but that might be hard for very young or very old teeth to chew.

You want your cat to be as healthy as possible and the best way to ensure this is to feed him a proper diet.