There are a lot of brands and varieties out there. While the higher-quality ones are more expensive, they provide more nutrition per serving—meaning your cat won’t need to eat as much. Since every cat has unique needs, you should ask your veterinarian for food recommendations during your cat’s last checkup before adulthood.

Some cat food basics to keep in mind:

• Although you can feed your adult cat once a day, leaving him dry food to “free feed” on after that, it may be better to give him two daily servings to prevent overeating.
• Consider a combination diet of moist and dry food. Wet food provides a good water-to-protein balance, while dry food helps keep your cat’s teeth clean.
• Cats need taurine—an essential amino acid found only in animal-based protein. A vegetable-based diet is inadvisable.
• Consider rotating your cat’s moist food selection so that he doesn’t get bored.
• Clean your cat’s water bowl daily, and make sure it is always full.

If your cat isn’t getting the nutrition he needs, you very well may see changes in his coat—matted and faded hair, for example. Consult your veterinarian before supplementing his diet to ensure you don’t do any further harm.

If your cat’s allergic to her food, the signs will be pretty clear. You’ll notice any or all of the following:

• Scabs around her face and neck
• Flaky or dry skin
• Excessive scratching
• Chewing on her limbs
• Hair loss (oozing bald patches)
• Changed toilet habits

One way to determine if food allergies are to blame is to switch her to a hypoallergenic diet—incorporating proteins and carbohydrates that are new to her—for twelve weeks to see if the symptoms clear up. Avoid dairy, fish, and beef, as they account for 80 percent of all food allergies—and be sure not to feed her anything from the table. After that, go back to the old food for a week or two. If they come back, you’ll know for sure that her diet is the problem. If you’re in doubt, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. He may perform tests to be sure there isn’t another problem, like Sarcoptic mange and inhalant allergy, also known as atopy.

Treatment for food allergies is quite straight-forward: avoid the offending agent, and stick to a diet that’s balanced with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.