• Base your cat's diet on overall health, age, current weight, and nutritional needs.cat image by nutech21 from Fotolia.com
  
  Whether your cat has a specific health problem, a food allergy or intolerance, or is just getting on in years, he may need a diet specifically designed to meet his nutritional needs. Select a diet that will work best for your cat based on overall health, age, current weight, and nutritional needs.
  
  

Weight Loss

• An overweight cat may require a special diet.cat face image by Viktor Korpan from Fotolia.com
  
  Feed your cat approximately 75 percent of the recommended daily serving of his normal food. Reducing the calories your cat takes in by 25 percent will help promote weight loss, while still meeting nutritional needs. Avoid feeding your cat table scraps, or treats between meals. Some pet owners choose to feed a specially-designed diet cat food to their pet. These diet foods are high in fiber, and low in fat. If you choose to use a diet cat food, make sure it contains adequate amounts of protein, along with increased amounts of vitamins and minerals.
  
  

Urinary Stones and Crystals

• Urinary health diets may not be safe for kittens.kitten image by AGphotographer from Fotolia.com
  
  Providing a diet low in magnesium and phosphorous can help prevent struvite crystals from forming in your cat's urinary tract. Struvite crystals are formed from magnesium, along with ammonium and phosphate. Reducing the amount of these substances in your cat's food can help with urinary tract problems. Special cat foods are available with lower magnesium and phosphate levels. These products are sold as urinary health formulas. Urinary health diets have not been proven safe for kittens and pregnant or nursing cats. These diets are also not recommended for use over long periods of time.
  
  

Food Allergies

• Isolate ingredients to identify allergens.the cat image by Andrzej Dziedzic from Fotolia.com
  
  Isolate the ingredient causing your pets allergic reaction. If your cat has a food allergy, the first step is to discover what food is causing her reaction. The most common ingredients that provoke allergic reactions in cats are beef, lamb, seafood, corn, soy, dairy products, and wheat gluten. These common ingredients are found in most store-bought cat foods.
  
  In order to identify the ingredient that is making your cat sick, you will need to eliminate one ingredient at a time from his diet. Observe your cat to see if symptoms improve after each ingredient is removed. Once you have identified the offending ingredient, be certain to check all ingredient labels, including those on pet treats and in pet medications. Use only products that do not contain the problem ingredient to ensure your pet's health and well being.
  
  

Aging

• Older cats require the same nutritional values as younger cats.cat image by tnk333 from Fotolia.com
  
  Encourage older cats to maintain a healthy diet. Older cats may experience a loss of appetite, have health conditions that result in decreased appetite, or have dental problems that make eating painful. Mature cats need the same amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals as younger cats. It is recommended that you feed older cats canned cat food, since it is easier for them to chew and digest. Stimulate your older cat's appetite by tempting her with food flavored with broth, clam juice, or even baby food. Feed your aging cat smaller amounts of food throughout the day, rather than large amounts all at once.