Autumn, this cool season, is the time for the seasons to change. At this time, my kitten "Chubby" began to look a little unusual. It is usually energetic and active, but suddenly becomes lazy and seems to have a decreased appetite. As an attentive shoveler, I immediately realized that there might be some hidden problems behind this. So, I turned on my phone and prepared to study in detail "do cats need additional nutritional supplements in the fall".
This is the case, and many friends who have cats have told me that autumn is a time when cats are preparing for winter, and they need extra nutrients to fight the coming cold. As a result, everyone has started to buy various nutritional supplements for their cats, such as calcium tablets, fish oil, and even specialized cat vitamins. Looking at so many dazzling products, I couldn't help but wonder: is this necessary? Is the cat's nutrition enough just to rely on a normal diet?
In order not to let "Chubby" ingest too much of a certain substance, I decided to think about it from the perspective of its needs. Each cat's physique is different, and its nutritional needs will vary. Although Chubby appears to be a bit slouchy in the fall, it doesn't show any particular discomfort. Therefore, I recall that its food has been high-quality cat food recently, and it usually does not have the habit of picky eating, so its nutrition should be basically balanced.
However, as the temperature drops in autumn, cats use more energy to maintain their body temperature. Therefore, it seems to be a good choice to increase their protein intake appropriately to help them maintain their physical strength. However, the problem is "in moderation". I have seen a lot of nutritional supplements that shovelers feed cats, like opening a nutrition supermarket. Is this really beneficial?
Nutritional supplements may sound like a "harmless" option, but who wouldn't want their cat to be healthier and more vibrant? But the problem is that giving your cat some unintended nutrients at will may have some unintended consequences. I have a friend's cat that has a series of health problems due to excessive intake of nutritional supplements.
"My friend's cat is called Hanamaki, and it is very good and active. But in the fall, my friend thought about supplementing it with some good things like fish oil and vitamin D. However, Hanamaki did not become brighter, but began to lose hair, and even constipation. After going to the hospital for a check-up, the doctor told her that the excessive intake of fish oil and vitamin D had instead burdened Hanamaki.
After hearing this story, I had to revisit the role of supplements. They are not a panacea, and if used incorrectly, they can cause harm to the cat's body. Cats are not like humans, their bodies do not have such complex digestion and absorption mechanisms, and excess nutrients are not only not beneficial, but may even harm their health.
After much consideration, I decided to maintain the stability of the "chubby" diet, not to add any supplements to it, but to pay more attention to its daily balanced diet. In fact, high-quality cat food already contains most of the nutrients cats need, especially the one I chose for Chubby, which has been added with the right amount of fish oil and vitamins.
In addition to cat food, when autumn comes, I will also add some protein-rich snacks to "Chubby" to help it replenish energy when the seasons change. After all, cats' metabolism changes in autumn, and they need to adapt to changes in temperature and maintain a good physical condition. By adjusting the diet properly, rather than blindly relying on supplements, I think this is the most beneficial for "Chubby".
At the same time, I also realized that the cat's diet is not about "more nutrition, the better". Sometimes, proper control is the key to good health. Especially for cats who are already eating high-quality cat food, adding extra nutrients may not only be unhelpful, but also put an excess burden on their bodies.
This begs the controversial question of whether cats really need supplements in the fall. I've found that there's no one absolute answer. Depending on the cat's age, physique, and diet, each cat's needs are different. For an adult healthy cat like "Little Fat", its daily high-quality cat food is enough for it to cope with the temperature changes in autumn. And for some frail old cats or cats with special needs, a moderate amount of supplements may help, but this must also be done with the advice of a veterinarian.
Through the observation of "Chubby" during this time, I gradually understood that raising cats is not only about providing the most expensive food or the latest trendy nutrients, but also about arranging their lives and diets reasonably according to their actual needs at all times. This care is reflected in every tiny choice.
Autumn can be a test for cats, but that doesn't mean they need plenty of nutritional supplements to stay healthy. More often than not, it is only necessary to adjust their daily diet according to their living conditions and eating habits to help them get through this season of change.
Now, "Chubby" is still lazily lying in the warm sun, occasionally snoring to indicate that everything is well. For it, the best nutrition is daily love and care, rather than blindly filling its belly with various supplements.