Ubungazi ukuthi ikati lakho lidinga ukunciphisa? Amakati anamafutha avamile kangangokuthi ungase ungaboni nokuthi eyakho ihlangothini lwe-portly. Kodwa amakati akhuluphele kakhulu futhi akhuluphele manje angaphezu kwalawo anesisindo esinempilo, futhi odokotela bezilwane babona namakati akhuluphele kakhulu, nawo.

“Inkinga yethu ukuthi sithanda ukumosha amakati ethu, namakati athanda ukudla, ngakho kulula ukusutha kancane,” kusho uPhilip J. Shanker, DVM, umnikazi weThe Cat Hospital eCampbell, CA.

Yinto okumele uyithathele phezulu. Ngisho namakhilogremu ambalwa nje angeziwe angenza isilwane sakho sibe maningi amathuba okuba sithole izinkinga ezithile zempilo ezifana nohlobo lwesifo sikashukela sohlobo 2 futhi zenze ezinye, njenge-arthritis, zibe zimbi nakakhulu. Kungabavimba ngisho nokuzilungisa ngendlela efanele. Ukugwema isisindo esiningi kufanele kuholele ekatini elinempilo, elijabule kakhudlwana.

Isisindo Esifanelekile Samakati

Amakati amaningi afuywayo kufanele abe nesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-10, nakuba lokho kungahluka ngokohlobo nohlaka. Ikati le-Siamese lingase libe nesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-5, kanti i-Maine Coon ingaba amaphawundi angu-25 futhi inempilo.

Udokotela wakho wezilwane angakwazisa uma ikati lakho likhuluphele, kodwa kunezimpawu ongazibheka uwedwa, kusho uMelissa Mustillo, DVM, udokotela wezilwane e-A Cat Clinic eMaryland.
“Amakati kufanele abe naleso sithombe se-hourglass uma uwabheke phansi, akufanele abe nesisu esilengayo, futhi kufanele ukwazi ukuzwa izimbambo zawo,” usho kanje.

Ungawagcina Kanjani Amaphawundi

Odokotela bezilwane bathi ukuzuza kwesisindo samakati kuvame ukwehlela ohlotsheni nenani lokudla akuphakelwayo, kanye nesithukuthezi esidala.

“Lapho benesithukuthezi, bacabanga, ‘Ngingase ngiyodla. ... O, bheka akukho ukudla endishini yami, ngizohlupha umama ngokudla okwengeziwe,'” kusho uMustillo.

Futhi lapho bekhala, abanikazi abaningi bayazinikela ukuze bagcine izilwane zabo zijabule.

Kodwa kungenzeka ukuvimbela noma ukunciphisa ukuzuza kwesisindo:

• Shintsha ukudla okomile ufake okusemathinini, okuvame ukuba namaprotheni amaningi kanye nama-carbohydrate ambalwa. Ukudla okusemathinini nakho kuyindlela enhle yokubekela isilwane sakho izikhathi zokudla ezihlukile. Amakati amaningi athola isisindo lapho abanikazi beshiya isitsha se-kibble eyomile ukuze badle usuku lonke.
• Yehlisa ukudla okudlayo. Amakati enza kahle nangeminye imiklomelo, njengesikhathi sokudlala nawe.
• Yenza ikati lakho lisebenzele ukudla kwalo. Odokotela bezilwane bathole amakati anempilo enhle futhi ezolile lapho abanikazi bawo besebenzisa “izindida zokudla,” okufanele ikati liginqike noma liwalawule ukuze lithole izibiliboco. Ungakwazi ukufihla ezinye ku-c