Kitten diet. What to feed a kitten: useful tips How to feed kittens for 7 days

What to feed a kitten? It seemed like a simple question. Meat, milk, the remains of soup and fried fish from a festive dinner, or better, the popular Whiskas, which, according to advertising, has become even tastier.

Alas, in reality, everything is not so simple. Many of the foods we are accustomed to giving our pets are harmful to them. As for cheap, but well-known feeds, it is better not to buy them at all, unless the health of your tailed baby is dear to you. There are some nuances in how many times to feed a kitten, and many other tricks that affect the healthy growth of the animal.

Kitten feeding regimen

To begin with, it is important to understand when to introduce complementary foods and how often to feed the kitten. Of course, you can navigate by the kitten's hungry look, but it's better not to wake up the beast in it, and 3-4 weeks after birth, start gradually feeding the baby.

By 4 weeks of age, you need to develop a stable meal schedule.

The baby should receive additional feeding 4-7 times a day.

But there are stalemate situations when kittens need additional feeding much more often.

How many times a day to feed a kitten:

age up to 2 weeks - 10 times a day (with the capture of the night);
feeding a monthly kitten - 8 times a day (with the capture of the night);
1 - 2 months - 7 times a day (night is already excluded);
2 - 3 months - 6 times a day;
4 months - 5 months - 5 times a day;
5 - 9 months - 4 times a day;
9 - 12 months - 3 times a day;
feeding kittens from the age of 1 year becomes two meals a day (for example, 9:00 - 21:00).

How much food to give a kitten:

Age 1 week - 30 ml per 100 g of kitten's weight;
2 weeks - 38 ml per 100 g of kitten's weight;
3 weeks - 48 ml per 100 g of kitten's weight;
4 weeks and beyond - 48-53 ml per 100 grams of kitten weight.

How much per day should a kitten get?

At 1.5 months, the baby needs about 120 grams of food per day;
We feed a two-month-old kitten more - 160-180 grams per day;
During the period of active growth (3 months - 6 months), the daily feed intake is 180-240 grams, while meat is at least 40 grams;
A six-month-old baby needs up to 180 grams of food per day;
At 10-12 months, the period when the kitten's activity decreases, the daily food intake is 150-200 grams.

It is important to give vitamins to your pet.

Feeding kittens from 0 to 6 months Childbirth, although a natural, but absolutely unpredictable process. Complications associated with labor activity often lead the mother to the operating table or force her to take medication. It does not matter for what reasons kittens are left without mother's milk, it is important to know what to do next and how to feed a kitten from a pipette correctly.

If the birth is planned, buy a bag of cat's milk substitute, you won't need it for kittens - give it to mommy, she won't get in the way of extra vitamins and protein. In the "season" of the birth of stray kittens, discarded newborn babies are often found. Having found a find - act quickly - ask, buy, but find food for kittens!

Cat milk is 50% protein, and its full-fledged analogues do not exist. Suitable for feeding - cat's milk substitutes (sold in pet stores), infant formula without additives and sugar, natural condensed milk without sugar (cooked at home), products for newborns from the "dairy kitchen", goat's milk in extreme cases - homemade cow's milk.

You will need a dropper, a soft-stroke insulin syringe, or a nursing nipple. From improvised means, a well-washed and treated with boiling water tube from naphthyzinum or other drops and a rubber band from a pipette as a nipple are suitable. Make sure that the elastic is very tight and is made of medical latex!

If a kitten has swallowed a piece of latex, put 1-2 drops of petroleum jelly into the animal's mouth every 2 hours. Fat envelops the decaying latex and removes it from the body.

If you decide to feed the kittens with a syringe, practice, the milk should be squeezed out drop by drop. Protective reflexes of a kitten are weaker than in adult animals, it is almost impossible to reanimate a choked baby.

It is advisable to feed the kittens in a natural position - the animal lies on its stomach, rests its hind legs on the floor, tramples the side with its front paws. One option is a low-sided cat litter box lined with several layers of fabric or a thick towel.

The first 3 days, kittens eat every 2 hours, day and night. After surviving 3 days, transfer kittens to food 1 time in 4 hours.

Milk must be warm! 30–39 С° in the first 3 days, not lower than 30 С° in the following days.

Feed the kitten until he stops sucking, most often, after eating, the kittens immediately fall asleep. At your discretion, before or after feeding, gently massage the tummy and area under the tail with a damp warm cloth or Q-tip until the baby has a bowel movement. This stage is extremely important, kittens cannot empty their intestines and bladder without stimulation - licking or its imitation. After a bowel movement, the kitten needs to be fed.

Kittens should be in a warm nest (temperature not lower than 25 C °) with subdued lighting, until their eyes are fully opened, kittens do not tolerate bright light.

For full development, kittens need to crawl and contact with their mother. Place a heating pad wrapped in woolen cloth in the nest, use a soft toy as a “reservoir” for the heating pad.

Grocery basket for kittens

Let's look at the cat's "grocery basket" - how can you feed kittens from homemade food, that is, "natural". First of all, this is meat, namely beef. Also suitable for a bird. It is better to refuse pork, a kitten can easily overeat it out of habit, and everything else is a source of infection with helminthiases. If we talk about fish, then there is nothing better than sea fish. From river fish, you can get a lot of things. But even sea fish should be given infrequently - a couple of times a week, more than enough. For young creatures, meat must be boiled, and for older pets, it can already be raw, but only in moderation.

The better to feed a kitten than milk, there is simply no dearer food for him. However, not every cat will drink cow's milk. In some animals, the stomach simply does not tolerate it. In such cases, the baby can be fed with yogurt or another fermented milk product. The main thing is that his fat content should not be too high. Another good product for a growing animal is cottage cheese. Small pets are given mashed cottage cheese with yolk, milk, or all together. Few people refuse such a “mogul-mogul” and usually a kitten eats it with great pleasure. You can also treat your pet with rennet cheese and sour cream.

In order for an animal to develop fully, it needs fiber contained in plant products - these are vegetables, cereals. To compensate for this need, the kitten needs to cook porridge. For the smallest kittens, on a milk basis, and for grown-up animals on meat, chicken, fish broths. Only legumes are best avoided, as it was already mentioned that feeding legumes leads to bloating and constipation, and they are also poorly absorbed by the body. Meat and vegetables are added to porridges on meat broths.

Do not forget that the baby should have round-the-clock access to fresh water. This aspect is especially important when feeding dry food. After all, cats that consume store-bought food drink almost four times more water than animals that eat natural products. Change the water regularly, and wash the container from under it and scald it with hot water.

Which food is better for kittens - dry or wet

Opinions of different experts regarding the issue of artificial food do not agree: there are many pros and cons of such a diet. Each owner makes his own decision regarding the diet of his beloved pet, and if you prefer special canned food or dry pads, you must choose what kind of food to feed the kitten. There is no significant difference between the two types of food for cats, however, cases of animal poisoning are more among those who eat canned food.

When choosing, it is worth considering the age and breed of the animal. Many feed manufacturers provide for the addition of various substances for hair growth, which is important for British and Scottish Folds, but completely useless for Sphynxes. Feeding a kitten canned adult cats is fraught with indigestion and other side effects, so it is important to pay attention to the recommended age indicated on the package.

Advantages

Each feeding option, as a rule, has its pros and cons. It is probably worth starting with the main advantages of this type of nutrition:

Possibility for the owner to select products for preparing food for kittens, focusing on their freshness and quality. This allows you to have more confidence that the prepared food is good for the baby.
The food that is intended for the animal is always fresh, there is no chemistry in it, and therefore, it will not only be useful for a still weak organism, but also safe.
The pet receives a variety of food daily.
This food does not contribute to the development of addiction, the kitten will not suffer from painful addiction. Some products are freely replaced by others without causing stress to the kitten.

Flaws

As for the negative aspects of natural animal feeding, the following main points should be highlighted:

It is necessary to carefully monitor that the diet does not include foods that are undesirable, or even dangerous for the kitten's digestive system.
Ordinary food does not always contain a sufficient amount of vitamins necessary for the normal development of a kitten at the age of two months. To balance the diet, you will have to buy them on purpose and, having independently calculated the dose, add them to the cat's dishes.

But regardless of the option you choose to feed your pet, proteins must be the basis of nutrition. Only they participate in the construction of a living organism. Therefore, the diet should consist of foods that are saturated with protein, in proportion to approximately more than half of the daily diet. Fish and meat products have a sufficient amount of protein.

But not only protein foods should be included in the baby's diet. Care must be taken to ensure that it contains a sufficient amount of various vitamins and trace elements. The body of a kitten is growing and it needs to have enough calcium, which contributes to the growth of teeth and the development of the skeleton. These substances are found in whole milk and dairy products. Knowing what a kitten should eat for 2 months and what should be removed from its diet, the owner of the baby will be able to confidently create a high-quality diet that will include the necessary and healthy natural products.

Consequences of malnutrition

Improper nutrition, especially during the growth period, is the cause of many diseases and disorders:

growth retardation;
Improper formation of the skeleton;
Metabolic disorders;
Reduced immunity;
allergic reactions;
poisoning;
Worm infestations;
Reproductive disorders.

Without observing the basic rules and norms of feeding, it is impossible to grow a healthy animal that meets all breed characteristics.

natural nutrition

Those who adhere to the position of feeding kittens with natural food are sure that only such food is safe and healthy for them. Naturally, for them there is no question of how to feed the baby at this age, since they have already made their choice. However, it is worth noting that natural foods that are considered acceptable for kittens are not at all the products that a person consumes. This is a specially produced food, which contains useful substances, and there are no chemical additives.

Ready-made food for kittens

Today, there are a lot of ready-made food for kittens. Whether to give such food to a pet is a personal matter of the owner.

If you still decide to introduce ready-made food into the kitten’s diet, you should remember the following rules:

In no case should you give your pet food from different manufacturers. You should choose one, the most optimal food for regular feeding of the kitten.
You can not feed your pet the cheapest food.
From time to time, in addition to food, the kitten must be given natural food.
A kitten that eats food must drink a lot. Water must be filtered, and located in such a place that the pet can get to it at any time.
When choosing food for a kitten, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with its composition. If the composition is questionable, choose another food.

Kitten nutrition is the key to the health of the animal. Do not forget that pet immunity is formed at an early age. Therefore, the kitten's diet should include fresh and vitamin-rich foods.

Proper feeding of a suckling kitten

Now about how to feed a newborn kitten from a technical point of view. If the kitten sucks the formula from the bottle incorrectly, then it does not eat up, swallows air, etc. This leads to additional sleepless nights and anxiety.

Something else interesting:

Protein Sources for Cats - Eggs
It is best to keep the kitten on your lap or with a warm towel in the palm of your hand. How to hold the bottle will be described in detail in the instructions for the mixture. But in general, the kitten should be positioned at a 45-degree angle to the horizon and tightly wrapped around the nipple. Avoid broken latex nipples and excessive bottle tilt. The entire nipple must be filled with liquid to prevent the kitten from swallowing.
The baby will have to be fed from a bottle for at least 2 weeks of life from birth, nothing can be added at this time. For any problems, contact the doctor immediately and do not engage in self-medication. Deworming is not done to such small kittens until they get stronger. It is also impossible to poison a kitten with fleas. The maximum that can be done for a healthy newborn kitten is to drive fleas off the bedding.

Complementary solid food

As soon as the kitten has the first sharp teeth, you can gradually give him other foods other than milk. There are no unusual products in this complementary food. It is very important that the animal's food is warm. You can feed it with well-boiled oatmeal with the addition of hard-boiled egg yolk. Cottage cheese, diluted with warm milk, it is advisable to grind it with a teaspoon to a mushy state. Meat beef in the form of minced meat, douse with boiling water, or freeze for 2 days in the refrigerator to kill some harmful bacteria.

Further complementary foods

So, time flies very quickly, from a small silly kitten in a couple of months it turned into a charming playful creature. Now he needs more and more strength and energy, so his nutrition should be different, introduce a new product weekly. They try to give boiled lean meat of chicken, rabbit or turkey; low-fat sour cream, boiled beef liver, boiled fish or poached for a minute, separated from the bones. Boiled and chopped chicken or quail egg. Pumpkin puree with milk.

Any unfamiliar food should be given to the kitten in small doses and the behavior and well-being of the kitten should be carefully observed. If the influence of the new bait is negatively affecting him, it is best to eliminate him from the diet.

Age 3-6 months

By this time, the kitten has fully formed teeth and jaws. Therefore, you can forget about the grater. But you have to take a knife. For too large pieces will only be slobbered and thoroughly chewed, but they will not get into the kitten's stomach.

But now it is not necessary to cook the meat and vegetable components of the menu. Of course, you still have to cook porridge, because kittens do not eat raw cereals. Raw fish is added to the diet. Strictly marine and boneless. River fish is contraindicated!

The milk is completely removed. It is replaced with low-fat cottage cheese or sour-milk products. You can sometimes give egg white, and raw. But teenage kittens often become indifferent to eggs in general. But at this time, unexpected taste habits are formed. Therefore, it is very important now to diversify the pet's menu as much as possible. Otherwise, he will get used to one product, and the rest will simply be ignored.

By the way, there are a lot of cases when kittens after 3 months required completely non-cat products:

corn
chocolate
raw potatoes
sunflower seeds
fresh cucumbers
dried fruits

Every normal person understands that such nutrition does not contribute to the full development and good growth of a kitten. Some justify themselves by feeding the fluffy another candy: “Well, he loves it! »

Yes, you never know who loves! But cats also have diabetes, obesity, urolithiasis and other human diseases. And they don't just happen on their own. A person feeds domestic cats, which means that it is he who is guilty of the pet's illness.

Want to pamper your kitten? Give him a banned non-feline product. But very little and very rarely. Let it remain a delicacy or a reward, but not a permanent menu item.

6-10 months

The daily number of feedings during this period is markedly reduced. Growth activity stops a little, but the pet's taste preferences are clearly formed. The main thing is not to spoil your pet, who persistently asks for a sausage from the table. It is better to treat him from time to time with sea fish of low-fat varieties.

What should not be fed to a kitten?

If the owner has a limited budget and time, then he needs to prepare food for the kitten in advance, which he can eat for several days in a row.

To do this, finely rub 1 kg of beef through a sieve and add two chopped carrots to it. This mass must be supplemented with 200 grams of the simplest cheese, 2 yolks and a tablespoon of brewer's yeast. Optionally, you can add a few drops of vitamins for animals.

Such a mixture should be carefully moved, rolled out with a rolling pin and put in the freezer. Next, you need boil homemade food in small pieces and feed the kitten. This product is used as the main food, as it contains everything that is necessary for the full development of a young kitten.

When choosing any food, you need to pay attention to animal condition. The kitten should always be in a good mood. It is imperative that he has a smooth coat and strong claws.

You also need to watch if the pet is eating. with appetite. After a while, the owner will independently understand what to feed the kitten. If your kitten is older than 3 months, you can switch to a balanced raw diet.

Do not give your cat natural products. When systematically combined, ready-made cat food and natural products will cause a nutritional imbalance - an oversaturation of the body with some elements with a shortage of others and, as a result, illness.
Provide your cat with clean and fresh drinking water at all times. It is absolutely unacceptable to have a full bowl of dry food and an empty bowl for water: the cat is in danger of dehydration.
Canned cat food is more flavorful than dry food and comes in a wide variety of flavors.
Heating canned cat food to 39-40°C can enhance its odor and indirectly improve palatability, this can be used when feeding a finicky cat.
Experts recommend not mixing dry and canned food - in terms of effect, such a mixture is closer to dry food. It is better to feed the cat only canned food from time to time.
Cats are very good at distinguishing shapes and prefer food with small granules.
It is not necessary to change food throughout the life of a cat. You can choose a quality cat food from one company and stick to it according to the age and weight of the cat.
In many diseases, changes in taste in cats are observed. In this case, you should use a special diet cat food with the best palatability (Hill's, Iams, Mars, Royal Canin).

And finally, you can determine how suitable the food you have chosen for your cat can be using the following external indicators:

Optimal fatness of the pet (ribs are not visible, but easily palpated);
Good physical condition;
Shiny coat;
Small amount of stool (approximately 25% of the amount of food eaten);
Maintaining a constant weight of the cat.

Nutrition for any living organism is one of the most important aspects of life. Domestic cats are no exception, so caring owners pay a lot of attention to questions about how often to feed a pet, and follow the rules.
After all, his general well-being, physical activity and mood depend on how carefully the diet of a pet is selected.

We make a diet for a kitten

Every cat lover will be very happy and immensely happy when a little fluffy friend - a kitten - appears in his house. This cute fur ball will make anyone smile even on the most rainy day, always give the owner a piece of his enthusiasm and infect with positive.

A small pet already has its own character and habits, but it still needs attention and education. And in order for a tiny organism to grow and develop properly, it is necessary to take care of the optimal diet for it.

How to feed a newborn kitten in the absence of a cat

There are very sad cases when a mother cat dies after childbirth or a similar force majeure occurs. And if there is no other cat or even a small dog nearby that can feed the babies, then the person will have to take care of feeding the orphaned kittens on their own.

Kittens age from 0 to 10 days

In the first decade after the birth of the crumbs, it should be fed with a special mixture that is sold in veterinary stores. You can use a pipette, but a bottle would be preferable, because the baby needs to develop a sucking reflex.

Feeding should occur every two hours for the first three days, plus mandatory complementary foods at night. Then you can feed every four hours.

The first two weeks, the amount of the mixture should not exceed 30-40 ml per 100 grams of weight per day. Also, do not forget about a small amount of heated water.

And it is extremely undesirable in the first month of life to offer a kitten whole cow's milk. A small stomach is not yet able to cope with such heavy food for him.

Kittens age from 10 to 30 days

Milk formula for a baby can be prepared independently, without resorting to the services of pet stores. This mixture should be continued to feed the kitten until the age of 1 month. All proportions must be strictly observed. The opposite can lead to indigestion in the little crumbs.

Cow's milk, preferably not from the store - 50 ml;
Chicken yolk - 1/2 pc.;
Powdered milk - 15 g;
Vegetable oil - 1 ml;
Grape sugar - 4 g;
Dry yeast - 2.5 g.

As a last resort, infant formula or diluted goat's milk can be used.

It is important to remember that food should be heated to at least 30 degrees. Closer to a month, the amount of the mixture should be increased to 50-55 ml per 100 grams of weight per day.

Natural food (list of the main important products):

Kitten age from one month to two

At this age, a fluffy baby is already eating from a plate with might and main. At 2 months, the size of the daily portion increases to 200 grams.

Fresh meat broth;
Puree of boiled vegetables;
Children's cottage cheese without additives;
Milk formula or milk;
Boiled yolk 1 time per day (chicken or quail);
Lean meat or fish (pre-minced)

The age of the kitten is from two to three months

At this age, a mustachioed pet needs to be fed at least 4 times a day. The volume of the daily norm in 3 months increases to 300 grams.

List of allowed products:

Boiled porridge on the water;
Lean beef or veal;
Raw chicken or quail yolk;
Kefir, low-fat sour cream or cream, fermented baked milk, biolact;
Low-fat cottage cheese;
Boiled chicken meat;
Raw vegetables grated or mashed boiled;
Boiled white fish.

Age - three months

From the age of three months, kittens need to gradually introduce solid food into the diet, because this is the time when babies change their teeth. The number of feedings is reduced to three times a day, and the daily food intake increases to 360 grams.

List of allowed products:

Porridge with milk or water;
Low-fat raw and boiled meat;
Raw and boiled fish fillet;
Raw or scalded vegetables;
Cottage cheese or yogurt without additives.

Kitten age three to four months and older

The fluffy ball has grown a little, actively plays and is interested in the outside world. Now he needs up to 75% meat on the menu.

Here are some rules to follow when feeding meat to small kittens:

If the owner of a kitten who has already reached the age of four months prefers natural nutrition, you need to figure out which products, and most importantly, in what form, to use in your pet's diet.

Feed (dry and wet)

If the owner does not have the opportunity or time to prepare natural food for his pet, there is a choice between dry and wet food. Discussions about which one is better have been going on for more than a year. Neither scientists nor veterinarians came to an agreement. Therefore, the choice should be made based on the individual characteristics of the body of fluffy crumbs.

It is important to remember that dry food must be soaked in water for kittens up to three months.

What is forbidden to eat a kitten

To prevent ingredients harmful to his body from getting into the main menu of a small cat, you need to know the list of what you should not feed him:

All high-fat foods - whole cow's milk, cheese, butter, fatty dairy products;
Flour, sweet, especially chocolate;
Raw freshwater fish;
Corn, millet and especially semolina porridge;
Sausages, sausages, everything that contains a lot of salt and spices;
Raw pork;
Legumes and potatoes are poorly digested by the stomach;
Fast food.

Any veterinarian will also advise not to feed your pet with economy class food. They are of no use to kittens.

How many times a day to feed a cat

Today there is a huge number of options for food for cats of any type, size and age. Experienced breeders and veterinarians advise various menu options for the full development of the cat's body: from natural to premium dry and wet food.

If you feed a cat too much, it will lead to overweight of the animal. Lack of nutrients will lead to depletion of the pet's body. Both options will lead to a deterioration in the health of the cat and the development of chronic diseases, which, in turn, can lead to an early death of the pet.

To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to properly optimize the nutrition of the animal, based on its individual characteristics.

Feeding rates by age

Each owner of a fluffy pet is interested not only in what to feed the cat, but also how many times a day it is necessary to do this. There is no single answer to this question, because everything depends, as already mentioned, on the individual characteristics of each individual. The feeding norm for a domestic British cat who does not go outside is different from the diet of a mongrel cat living in a cottage and having access to nature.

The daily norm of feeding cats depends primarily on the age of the animal. Small kittens up to three months old should eat little and often. Starting from the age of three months, a fluffy baby is transferred to three meals a day. Somewhere from 5 months, closer to six and before reaching the age of 1 year, you can gradually transfer your pet to two meals a day.

An adult cat, regardless of the type of feeding, should eat 2 times a day. This is the optimal diet for adults and is recommended by most veterinarians.

Cats over the age of 10 are considered seniors. Their physical activity decreases, appetite becomes unimportant. In this case, it is worth recommending that the animal be transferred back to three meals a day, gradually reducing the volume of single servings.

Feeding rates for dry food

How much dry food a mustachioed pet should eat per day is determined based on its age, weight and certain physical data. The average daily allowance for a healthy active cat is 250-300 grams. On many food packages there are calculations given for different weights and ages of the cat, only these are also average data for healthy individuals of average weight, and they may not be suitable, for example, for a neutered cat or a pregnant cat.

Many owners are interested in what kind of food is better to feed their pet, dry, wet from bags, or give preference to natural. For example, the better to feed a nursing, pregnant, neutered or neutered cat.

It does not make much difference what kind of food to feed the animal, if the diet is properly balanced.

Artificial breeds, Scots, Brits and others, as well as metabolically prone breeds such as Sphynxes, are best fed industrial dry food throughout their lives. They do not fit the usual natural diet, dry food is the most rationally balanced for these breeds.

To determine the consumption of food for a particular cat, it is advisable that a veterinarian examine it and give its recommendations.

Wet food guidelines

Some breeders and veterinarians recommend the following proportions when feeding a cat with industrial food: feed 1/3 of wet food for 2/3 of dry food. Feed should be purchased from the same manufacturer.

Wet food is usually made in the form of canned food or in small bags (packs)

Do not forget that you can not mix industrial food and natural food, as the cat's stomach is hard to readjust to new food.

If an adult cat has been eating natural food since childhood, it will take him at least two weeks to accustom the body to store food.

Table

There are many options for distributing cat food depending on the age and weight of the cat. After all, there is a difference in how to feed a monthly kitten and, for example, an adult 7 year old cat. Here is a sample table for feeding a fluffy pet:

Cat weight	Feeding rates depending on the type of food
Cat weight	healthy eating	Nutrition for weight loss	For an older animal
	40 g	—
	45 g	—
	60 g	—
	75 g	60 g	60 g
		60 g
8 kg	105 g	75 g
10 kg	120 g	80 g

But do not forget that these are generalized figures, only a competent veterinarian will select an individual healthy diet after carefully examining the animal.

Proper feeding process

When the owner of a four-legged mustache decides on the type and amount of food his pet needs, you can deal directly with the feeding process.

There are three main ways to feed adult cats:

Free access to food system. Most often, such a system accompanies feeding with dry food. After all, it can be left in the air for a long time and it will not deteriorate. Often the owner is absent from home during the day and pours a large bowl with a slide so that his pet does not “starve”. As a result, the cat can eat the whole bowl at once, which, of course, will not have the best effect on his health.
Restrictions on the amount of food. This system is for cats prone to obesity. They calculate a certain amount of food that should be eaten at one meal, or use a special low-calorie food.
Feeding restrictions. This method streamlines the daily routine of a pet. The cat is fed at a certain time, in the morning and in the evening. Even if the pet did not eat all the food at one time, the bowl is removed until the next feeding.

For different ways of feeding domestic cats, there are now various electronic and automatic feeders. They are set to a specific time and portion size. Pet stores have a large selection of such devices. And what kind of bowl to buy more profitable, simple or automatic, is up to the owner of a fluffy pet, depending on the circumstances of his life.

Now every loving owner has the necessary stock of knowledge in order to choose the right diet for feeding his domestic cat.

If the pet is active, has fun playing and feels great, then its owner did everything right.

How and what to feed a kitten? The first months of life of any animal are accompanied by intensive growth of the whole organism. Genetics determines the capabilities of the organism, but the extent to which these capabilities will be realized directly depends on the usefulness of the diet during the period of active growth and maturation. Any breeder knows that what is lost in the first months of life, it is no longer possible to make up later.

A complete diet ensures not only the proper development of all systems and organs of the kitten, but also a sufficient level of immunity to resist diseases to which young animals are susceptible.

Scientists zoologists involved in nutrition have calculated certain norms for the amount of energy and nutrients that an animal of a certain species, breed, age and sex should receive daily.

A complete diet is a diet that fully provides the animal's body with all the substances necessary for life in the right amount and ratio.

Based on knowledge about the nutritional needs of the kitten's body, its physiological characteristics at a certain age and the chemical composition of food products, approximate daily dietary norms are calculated and a certain set of products is recommended for each age period of cats.

When to start complementary foods and how many times to feed a kitten a day?

Experts recommend introducing complementary foods into the diet with
the appearance of the first milk teeth, at the age of 3-4 weeks.

In some cases, it is necessary to start complementary foods earlier - the cat's milk production is low, mammary gland diseases, multiple pregnancy, when the kittens do not have enough milk and they begin to lag behind in growth.

In order to know if the kittens are getting enough of the necessary nutrients, you need to regularly weigh them, and if they lag behind, start feeding the kittens.

Controlling weight, take into account the following norms:

At birth, the average weight of a kitten is 100 g, plus or minus 20 g, which depends on heredity and breed.
After about 10 days, the weight doubles, and, in the future, increases by an average of 100 g per week.
At two months, a large breed kitten should weigh an average of 1100g, plus or minus 200g, with males weighing more than females.

It also happens that the kittens are left without a mother and the owner has to completely take over the feeding.

The frequency of feeding kittens depending on age:

In the first 14 days of life - 10 meals;
From two weeks to one month, reduced to 8 meals;
By two months, they switch to 7-fold feeding;
From the 2nd to the 3rd month they are fed 6 times;
From 4 to 5 - 5 times;
From 5 to 9 - 4 times;
From 9 to 12 - 3 times;
After a year, they switch to two meals a day.

In the case of artificial feeding, from birth to one months, kittens are fed at night. The above norms are approximate, as is the approximate interval between feedings, small kittens themselves will let you know when it is time to feed them, showing concern.

Can it be given to kittens?

Which of the products can be used to feed kittens if the owner prefers natural feeding for his cat?

Many foods that are acceptable in the diet of an adult animal are not recommended for kittens. This is explained by the fact that some products are difficult for a fragile digestive system or carry a large amount of energy without satisfying the basic needs of a growing organism.

In the diet of a kitten, you need to introduce products that are as healthy as possible, they should be well absorbed and not contain harmful substances.

Can kittens be given milk?

The question implies: is it possible to give kittens the usual for us and the most used by man - cow's milk?

Cow's milk is not the best choice for feeding a young kitten. The composition of the milk of each species of animal is ideal for feeding its cubs, but not suitable for cubs of another species.

The composition and ratio of fats, carbohydrates, proteins and other chemical elements of cat's and cow's milk are different from each other. Cat's milk contains half the fat and 2.5 times more protein than cow's milk. It also differs in the ratio of proteins and the content of other, organic and inorganic chemical elements, per unit volume.

Milk can be used in small quantities for older kittens and adult cats, as long as it does not cause digestive upset in the pet.

For small kittens from birth to 1 month old, artificial cat's milk is ideal, it can be purchased at pet stores.

Baby food (mixture)

It can be used for artificial feeding of a newborn and feeding older kittens. When feeding with mixtures, their concentration should be 2 times less than for children in the first week of life.

Dairy:

Cottage cheese, sour cream, kefir, fermented baked milk, cream are used for feeding kittens in addition to meat, as a source of protein and calcium. Dairy products, in addition, improve the composition of the microflora. You need to choose dairy products with a minimum fat content.

Can you give cheese?

Cheese is a healthy product, but you can use it occasionally as a treat - it contains a lot of fat.

Raw meat

It is not advisable to feed fish, minced meat to kittens; before feeding, the fish must be boiled, and the meat must either be frozen or scalded.

Meat products form the basis of the kitten's diet, preference should be given to veal, beef and chicken. You can feed lamb, rabbit meat, horse meat. It is not advisable to feed pork - it is too fatty.

Veal and beef can be used for feeding daily, choosing pieces without fatty inclusions. They are given in the form of minced meat or scraps (from the beginning of feeding up to 7 weeks) and in the form of small pieces, no more than 1 cm, for older kittens.

If the meat is fresh, you can give it raw, without any processing, or scald it with boiling water beforehand.

Chicken meat is best given boiled, raw meat may contain the causative agent of salmonellosis. You can feed him every other day.

Fish is given up to 2 times a week.

Liver

A valuable offal, it is rich in B vitamins, iron. The liver contains a large amount of vitamin A. Kittens are given beef or chicken liver 2 times a month. In addition to the liver, it is useful to feed other offal - the heart, kidneys, lungs. They are used more often - 2-3 times a week. Feed the spleen of cats it is forbidden.

Raw or boiled egg

Use only the yolk, give 1-2 times a week, adding to cereals, vegetable purees or milk.

cereals

Rice, oatmeal, semolina are used in the form of liquid cereals in milk without sugar (up to 3 months of age) or boiled in water, mixed with fish or meat: cereals - 1 part, meat - 2 parts.

Vegetables

Be sure to be present in the diet in boiled or raw, mashed form. They are added to cereals, given mixed with yolk, meat or fish, several times a week.

Dry food

If you are an adherent of artificial nutrition, choose high quality food for a kitten, experts do not recommend feeding kittens with food of classes below premium or super premium. Start with food soaked in water. Monitor your kitten's water intake - it should be of good quality and always available. Use dry food, alternating it with wet food from the same manufacturer, the ratio in the diet is 70% dry, 30% wet.

Food for adult cats should not be given to a kitten categorically. Excessive doses of vitamins, macro- and microelements can lead to many negative consequences, from diseases of internal organs to poisoning with biologically active substances, which include vitamins.

What to feed newborn kittens without a cat?

The best option is a cat's milk substitute. If for some reason this is not possible, you can prepare a mixture that is close in composition to cat's milk according to the following recipes:

Baby formulas. Milk is prepared twice as liquid as for a child of the first week of life.
For 100 ml of cow's milk, add one chicken yolk, 7 ml of 5% glucose and 3 drops of tetravit.
Dilute 5 ml of 10% fat cream with boiled water in a volume of 3 ml and add 2 ml of 5% glucose.
Goat milk mixed with water.

What to feed a monthly kitten?

Kittens are fed starting from 3-4 weeks of life with milk mixtures, liquid cereals, well-chopped ground beef, boiled fish, low-fat cottage cheese and yolk (boiled or raw).

All products are introduced gradually in small portions, allowing the digestive system to get used to a new type of food. When accustoming a kitten to each new product in the diet, carefully monitor the condition of the stool and the general condition of the pet.

Feeding a kitten at 2-4 months

During this period of intensive growth, diversify the kitten's menu by introducing new dairy and sour-milk products, meat of various types in raw and boiled form, and vegetables. The diet should be saturated with protein foods high in calcium. Be sure to use vitamin and mineral supplements with calcium.

Feeding a kitten at 4-6 months

During this period, there is an active set of muscle mass. You can introduce fermented baked milk and yogurt into the dairy diet, enrich the meat diet with various offal. Meat products begin to be given not in crushed form, but cut into pieces, about a centimeter in size.

Control your fat intake. All products must contain a minimum amount of fat.

Feeding kittens at 6-12 months

By this time, the period of intensive growth ends, the kitten slowly gains weight, taste preferences and preferences are formed and become noticeable.

Low-fat varieties of sea fish can be introduced into the diet. By the age of 12 months, the composition of the diet is gradually approaching the nutrition of an adult cat.

Adjust your diet to prevent weight gain.

What can not be given to kittens during the growth period?

Consequences of malnutrition

Improper nutrition, especially during the growth period, is the cause of many diseases and disorders:

growth retardation;
Improper formation of the skeleton;
Metabolic disorders;
Reduced immunity;
allergic reactions;
poisoning;
Worm infestations;
Reproductive disorders.

Without observing the basic rules and norms of feeding, it is impossible to grow a healthy animal that meets all breed characteristics.

Features of feeding kittens of different breeds

Is there a difference in feeding cats of different breeds? There is no fundamental difference, all cats are carnivorous and adapted to eating animal food, but when feeding, they take into account the tendency of a particular breed to certain diseases associated with nutrition, on based on this, the diet is adjusted.

British kitten feeding

Cats of the British breed are not whimsical in nutrition, but they love to eat, and therefore often suffer from obesity. The owner should pay attention to the weight of the kitten, starting from 6 months, when intensive growth ends, if the kitten becomes overweight, choose a less high-calorie diet.

Teach your kitten from childhood to less fatty foods and do not get carried away with carbohydrates (cereals). The diet should be mainly from protein foods, the presence of vegetables is mandatory.

Cats of this breed have beautiful thick fur. To maintain it in good condition, use vitamins and trace elements that contribute to the good condition of the coat.

British kittens have a tendency to constipation, for prevention it is recommended to use 2 ml of vaseline oil in the daily diet.

How to feed a Scottish kitten and how to feed a lop-eared kitten?

British, Scottish and Scottish fold kittens differ little in appearance and their nutritional habits are the same. Watch the calorie content of the diet and do not overfeed the kitten.

What to feed Maine Coon?

Meat and offal should be constantly present in the diet.

Occasionally you can give sea fish.

In addition, they give in a small amount and infrequently chicken or quail yolk, fermented milk products.

Don't forget vegetables.

If you prefer to feed your kitten dry food, choose a high quality food.

A Maine Coon kitten should always have water in a deep and heavy bowl, they like to rake the surface of the water with their paw before drinking.

Live weight gain per day should average 400 g.

Feeding the sphinx

Sphynx cats have very sensitive digestive systems. system. It is necessary to change food or introduce new products very carefully, it is always fraught with indigestion with prolonged diarrhea. For the same reason, sphinxes often suffer from dysbacteriosis.

The rate of metabolic microbiological processes is very high, so they have high energy needs, that is, lack of appetite, this is not about the sphinx.

There is a tendency to allergic reactions to single proteins of meat products.

One might get the impression that these cats are omnivorous, because they are ready to try everything that is badly laid on their teeth, including little edible items. Therefore, the owner needs to keep an eye out and not leave all kinds of chemicals and detergents, garbage, food waste and small items in the cat's access area in order to avoid poisoning the pet or swallowing.

Due to sensitive digestion, food selection must be careful. When feeding sphinxes, observe the following rules:

no treats from the table;
If dry food is used for feeding, it should only be of high quality;
Do not use dairy products after 3 months of age;
The basis of the diet is a variety of low-fat meat products and all kinds of offal. Bones must be removed;
Boiled sea fish is given occasionally and if there are no signs of metabolic disorders and urolithiasis - in these cases, it is completely excluded;
Many breeders advise feeding cats of this breed only natural food.

The amount of food and the feeding regimen are individual and are selected experimentally.

Bengal kitten feeding

The nutrition of kittens of this breed is not fundamentally different from feeding kittens of other breeds, follow the recommendations described above.

Ready food for kittens

Ready-made foods are available in the form of dry food or wet food - jelly-like mousses, canned food and treats.

As already mentioned, if you do not want to risk your pet's health, you need to choose premium and super premium classes.

Cheaper feeds, which are not of high quality of the initial components, may contain harmful preservatives and dyes, which, with prolonged use, affects the health of the animal.

For feeding a kitten from 1 to 4 months, wet mousses or dry croquettes are used, which are soaked in water. After 4 months, they are transferred to dry food, it is useful to combine it with wet food from the same manufacturer - mousses and canned food. Occasionally, you can pamper a grown kitten with treats.

Important! When feeding dry food, ensure that the kitten has constant access to water.

Dry food for kittens

Deservedly popular among super premium dry food the following are used:

"Royal Canin" (Royal Canin), "Purina ProPlan" (Purina ProPlan), "Iams / Eukanuba" (Yams Eukanuba).

Premium dry food:

Hills, Eagle Pack, Pro Pak, Nutro Natural Choice.

Features to look out for when choosing high quality feed:

They do not contain soy, by-products, chemical dyes, preservatives, odor simulants;
Meat is in the first place in the description of the composition of the feed;
The number of additional ingredients is at least 4-5, usually 8 or more.

Wet kitten food

Super premium quality wet food for kittens must meet the following requirements:

Whole pieces of meat should be present in the composition of the feed;
The feed should not contain cheap fillers - soy, cornmeal, wheat gluten, bones, offal;
The presence in the composition of the feed is undesirable - flour, bran, various cereals, lactose and yeast.

List of wet premium kitten food:

BioMill (Bio Meal), Happy Cat (Happy Ket), Royal Canin (Russia), Pro Pac (Pro Pak), Doctor Alders (Doctor Alders), Flatazor (Flatazor). Nutro nuggets (Nutro Nugets).

Premium feeds are well digestible, contain the optimal amount of essential nutrients, have average price.

The disadvantage of these feeds is a high water content, a minimum of meat in
composition.

Super premium wet food list:

Eukanuba (Eukanuba), ProPlan (Pro Plan), Royal Canin (France), Нills (Hills), Bosh Nutro (Bosh Nutro), Choice Petreet (Choys Petret).

Positive aspects: high meat content, minimum vegetable proteins, does not contain dyes and poorly digestible substances, a variety of assortment.

The disadvantage is the high price.

It is better to buy food in specialized stores, where you can also get a competent recommendation on feeding a kitten.

Interesting video

Mistakes in the preparation of the kitten's diet lead to damage to the exterior or the acquisition of pathologies. Agree, not a single loving owner would wish harm to his pet, however, any practicing veterinarian can “tell” hundreds of stories about the suffering of animals due to the ignorance of breeders. We will understand the basics - what and how many times a day to feed a kitten in order to grow a healthy and full-fledged animal.

Fans of pedigree cats, before purchasing, you need to familiarize yourself with the breed standards and the nuances of the development of kittens. Popular, and, for example, are put up for sale at the age of 7-8 weeks. Most pedigree kittens go through a breeding examination, the process of obtaining documents, and this is a rather serious period of time. Only a breeding club can guarantee the breed of an animal, numerous announcements - “I will sell a lop-eared cat, 1 month old, eats everything” are designed for novice breeders.

Before purchasing or going to a shelter, be sure to check what the kitten was fed and stock up on the necessary amount of food for 7-10 days. Moving, a new home, weaning from the mother - stress, which is not desirable to complicate the change in diet. A kitten picked up on the street should not be abruptly transferred to meat or from a pet store, while the animal adapts, try to maintain a "milk" diet.

Perhaps your baby ate, and you expect to transfer the animal to natural products. Consult the store and buy a small package of quality food - retrain the kitten gradually, over 2-3 months.

Read also: White cat in the house: features, character and care

Important! Feeding high-quality dry food is incompatible with vitamin supplements. If your pet eats natural products and you decide to choose supplements for him on your own, make sure that there are no repeating elements in the composition - an excess of vitamins and trace elements leads to improper development and "overload" of the kidneys.

kitten feeding schedule

Consider the most difficult scenario - you found a blind kitten on the street, brought him home and do not know what to do next.

On average, until the age of 30 days, kittens are not able to feed on their own. You will need a warm nest, pieces of gauze or flannel, goat's milk or cat's milk replacer, a pipette (syringe, special nipple) and a lot of patience. Blind babies eat every 4 hours, day and night (newborns are fed every 2 hours for the first 3 days). Feed until satiated (the kitten stops actively sucking milk, the tummy “rounds”), after eating, massage the tummy and genital area with a damp warm cloth until the baby defecates.

To 1 month, kittens open their eyes and boast their first teeth. Gradually, the kitten learns to eat from a bowl; dairy and sour-milk products with 10-15% fat content without food additives are suitable for feeding. Eating every 6 hours, if the kitten sleeps at night, you do not need to wake him up to feed him.

So 2 months a kitten can be given boiled minced meat, but “milk” is still the basis of the diet. The daily food intake is divided into 5-6 meals. Pedigree kittens are put up for sale at the age of 7 weeks, often in the "offer" the phrase "eat solid food" is heard - meaning dry or canned food, but not cereals or raw meat.

Since the early childhood. “We feed from the table” or “Keeping a cat does not require material costs” are statements of people with an extreme degree of ignorance and irresponsibility towards animals. The first thing you need to learn is that a kitten is a child who needs complete and high-quality nutrition. So that the statements do not seem unfounded, consider how to properly feed a kitten and the primary needs of the animal.

Cereals

Although not the basis of the diet, but still an important part of it. Buckwheat and rice groats are suitable for making porridge. Wheat, corn, and even more semolina are not suitable for feeding a cat.

Vegetables

Optionally, add grated raw or boiled vegetables to the cat's food. Be prepared for the fact that after eating vegetables, the animal's stool will be softer than the "standard" - plant foods are not completely digested, but serve as a source of vitamins. Read the composition of prepared feeds, avoid feeding corn, peas and other legumes. Potatoes, a rather controversial food, are a source of starch, but are not recommended by many breeders and veterinarians due to possible digestive problems.