Dry food and pâté for the adult cat
Here you'll find Essential Foods' meals for adult cats: dry food in the form of The Jaguar and The Panther as well as the corresponding pâtés. The meals are made for cats that have finished growing and no longer have a kitten's extreme need for extra energy and protein for building up, but instead need to maintain a stable weight, good muscle mass and healthy digestion throughout the rest of their adult life.
The cat is a pure carnivore and gets its most important nutrients from animal sources. That's why there is a high content of animal protein in the meals, and you can choose between two variants: one with poultry and one with fish. Both are available both as dry food in several bag sizes and as pâté, so you can feed one, the other or combine them in the same bowl.
The difference between The Jaguar and The Panther
The two adult meals differ first and foremost in the protein source, and that is typically where you should begin your choice.
THE JAGUAR PÂTÉ, and the dry food in the range are based on poultry as the primary animal source. It's a good starting point for most adult cats that tolerate poultry without any problems.
THE PANTHER PÂTÉ, and the accompanying dry food are instead based on fish. Fish is a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids, and the variant is at the same time an obvious alternative if your cat doesn't thrive quite as well on poultry, or if you simply want to vary the diet.
A number of cat owners choose to alternate between the two or mix them, so that the cat gets variation in both taste and protein source over time. If you're in doubt about what suits best, you can read more in our guide to which cat food is best.
Choose the right bag size
The dry food is available in several sizes, so you can adjust your purchase according to how many cats you have and how quickly a bag gets eaten up.
For one or two cats, the smaller bags like JAGUAR, 1.5KG or PANTHER, 1.5KG are a practical choice, because the food gets used while it's still fresh. If you have several cats, or would prefer to avoid frequent repurchases, JAGUAR 3KG and PANTHER, 3KG are a step up.
For breeders or households with many cats, there is JAGUAR 12KG, and several of the sizes can also be bought in a four-pack, for example JAGUAR, 1.5KG x 4 and PANTHER, 3KG x 4. A good rule of thumb is to choose a bag that gets eaten up within about a month after opening, so that taste and smell stay fresh.
How to find the right amount of food
How much your adult cat should eat depends on its weight, activity level and whether it is neutered. A neutered indoor cat that moves around little has a markedly lower energy requirement than an active cat with access to the garden, and that is one of the most common reasons why adult cats gain weight.
Always use the feeding guide on the packaging as a starting point, and preferably weigh out the daily ration rather than estimating by eye. A highly digestible meal also often means that the cat needs fewer grams than with cheaper food with a lot of filler, because a larger proportion of the content is actually absorbed. If you want to calculate more precisely, you can read how much food should a cat have and optimal portion size for a cat.
Keep an eye on the cat's body condition along the way: you should be able to feel the ribs without pressing hard, and the cat should have a visible waist seen from above. If the weight changes, you adjust the amount accordingly.
Combine dry food and pâté for more moisture
Cats have a naturally low thirst drive and rarely drink enough to compensate if they live exclusively on dry food. A wet component in the diet helps increase the overall fluid intake, which is particularly relevant for cats that are prone to problems with the urinary tract or kidneys.
That's why it makes good sense to serve pâté as part of the adult cat's daily meals, either as a separate wet meal or mixed on top of the dry food. You can use the same protein source in both, or combine poultry and fish, so that the cat gets variation. Remember to subtract the calories from the pâté from the total daily ration, so that the overall amount doesn't become too large.
Switch to new food gradually
Cats often react badly to sudden food changes, and an abrupt transition can cause loose stools or lethargy. When you switch your adult cat over to a new meal, you should gradually mix the new food into the old over about a week and slowly increase the proportion of the new.
If you keep an eye on stools and appetite along the way, you can adjust the pace if the cat shows signs of having a sensitive stomach. If your cat has a known delicate stomach, you can find food selected for that in our sensitive stomach collection. A good, calm transition applies, regardless of whether you're switching between two variants here in the range or coming from a completely different brand.
When the cat should have senior food instead
The meals here are intended for cats in their adult years. When the cat approaches senior life, typically around 7 to 10 years, the needs change again: activity declines, and some cats need food that is easier to digest or adapted to changed kidney and joint function.
If your cat is heading into that age, you can take a closer look at our meals for senior cats and pâté for seniors. If you're in doubt about when the switch is relevant, the article when is a cat a senior gives an overview. If, on the other hand, you still have a kitten in the house, there are separate meals in our kitten collection.
