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. (Kukhona okuhlukile: ikati ebelikade likhuluphele cishe lisazoba “nesisu esibuhlungu” ngemva kokuncipha.)

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 kudla endishini yami, ngizohlupha umama ngokudla okwengeziwe,'” kusho u-Mustillo.

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 ezingxenyeni zebhokisi lewayini noma usike imbobo eyodwa noma ngaphezulu ebhodleleni lepulasitiki bese uligcwalisa ngama-kibbles. Izindida zinciphisa ukudla kwazo ngenkathi zingena emizweni yazo yemvelo yokuzingela nokudla.

Uma unekati elingaphezu kwelilodwa, kungase kudingeke ukuthi uphakele elikhuluphele ngokweqile ekamelweni elihlukile noma ubeke ukudla kwekati okunempilo phezulu lapho ikati elikhuluphele lingakwazi ukuya khona.

Cabangela ukusebenzisa i-microchip pet feeder, eyenza ukudla kutholakale kuphela esilwaneni esibhaliswe kuleyo feeder. Kukhona namathegi akhethekile wamakholomu angezinye izindlela uma isilwane sakho esifuywayo singenayo i-microchip.

Ngaphambi kokuba ubeke ikati lakho ekudleni, lihlole ukuze uqiniseke ukuthi alinayo inkinga yezokwelapha ecashile. Kungase kwanele ukushintsha amadlelo e-kibble usuku lonke ngokudla okuchaziwe. Kodwa ikati elisindayo kungase kudingeke lishintshele ekudleni okusemathinini noma ukudla okukhethekile okunikezwe udokotela okunamaprotheni amaningi, amavithamini, namaminerali ngekhalori ngayinye.

Yiba nesineke, kusho u-Mustillo. “Uma umgomo wakho kuwukuthi [ikati lakho] lehle ngephawundi, kungase kuthathe izinyanga eziyisi-6 ezinhle, mhlawumbe kuze kufike unyaka. Ihamba kancane.”

Futhi ungathuki uma ikati lakho lisohlangothini olugobile, kusho uShanker. Udokotela wakho wezilwane angasiza.

“Uma ikati ligcwele kancane, akusho ukuthi lizobulawa isifo senhliziyo,” usho kanje.

Into eyodwa okufanele uyikhumbule: Ungalinge ulambe ikati lakho. Amakati, ikakhulukazi amakhulu, angangena esibindini uma engadli ngisho nezinsuku ezimbalwa.