As a pet owner, you’re responsible for keeping your pet happy, healthy, and well-fed. While most pets will jump at the opportunity to eat as soon as you put food in front of them, feeding your pet isn’t always that straightforward.
We’re here to offer a few tips that will help you keep a happy pet with a full stomach if you’re running into common eating issues. Read on to learn more.
1. Be Consistent
Pets need routines in order to thrive. If you want your pet to stay happy and healthy, it’s best to be as consistent as possible with its feeding schedule.
For dogs and cats, this can be easy. You can get an automatic feeder if you struggle with feeding your pet at the same time every day. You’ll find that after a while, your pet will wait for the feeder because it knows that mealtime is coming!
2. Check (and Increase) Water Intake
Did you know that some animals struggle to drink enough water? In the wild, your pet wouldn’t be relying on dry kibble. They’d be getting water from some of their food sources!
This means that when your pet is eating dry food, you need to encourage them to drink water on their own.
All pets benefit from different water containers. While chickens and other livestock birds can use a metal chicken waterer or trough, you may need to be more creative with animals like cats, who often resist water.
Consider using a fountain and adding a small amount of wet food into their diet to make sure they’re staying hydrated.
3. Make It a Challenge
Does your pet eat too fast? Does it need more enrichment? Solve both of these problems by turning dinner time into a game.
There are a few ways that you can do this. You can buy a pre-made food challenge for your pet if you want something easy. They often have mazes and obstructions so your pet has to figure out how to eat the food.
You could also put a ball in your pet’s food bowl. For large dogs, make sure that the ball is large enough that the pet won’t eat it by accident. Small dogs and cats can use golf balls.
You could also make a DIY food challenge for your pet with a few common household materials.
4. Picky Pets? Trial and Error
If you’re lucky, you’ll have a pet that will be excited to eat anything that you give it. That said, some pets (often cats) have more refined palates. They may turn their noses up at the food that you give them!
Rather than trying to force the issue, we recommend trying a variety of meals. Even if your pet likes one type of food one day, they may not want it the next. They like mixing it up!
Try a mix of wet and dry food. You can also incorporate some “people foods,” like eggs, in small amounts. If you change foods, make sure to mix old food with new food to make the transition easier on your pet’s stomach.
Feeding Your Pet Is Easy
Try out these tips for feeding your pet if you’re struggling around mealtime. Whether you’re slowing down their meals, adding more water, appeasing picky eaters, or sticking to a strict routine, these tips are sure to help. For more helpful articles about the top trending topics, visit the rest of our site.
