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 the questions of how often to feed their pet and follow the rules.
After all, how carefully the diet is chosen pet depends on his general well-being, physical activity and mood.
Making a diet for a kitten
Every cat lover will be very happy and immensely happy when a little furry friend - a kitten - appears in his home. This cute ball of fur will make anyone smile even on the stormiest day, will always give its owner a piece of his enthusiasm and infect him with positivity.
A small pet already has its own character and habits, but it still requires 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 without a cat
There are very sad cases when a mother cat dies after giving birth 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 ten days after the baby is born, it should be fed with a special mixture, which 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 feeding at night. Then you can feed every four hours.
For 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 to offer a kitten whole cow’s milk in the first month of life. A small stomach is not yet able to cope with such heavy food.
Kittens age from 10 to 30 days
You can prepare formula for your baby yourself without resorting to pet stores. This mixture should continue to be fed to the kitten until the age of 1 month. All proportions must be strictly observed. The opposite can lead to an upset stomach of the little one.
- Cow's milk, preferably not from the store - 50 ml;
- Chicken yolk – 1/2 pcs.;
- Powdered milk – 15 g;
- Vegetable oil – 1 ml;
- Grape sugar – 4 g;
- Dry yeast – 2.5 g.
In extreme cases, you can use infant formula for newborns or diluted goat milk.
It is important to remember that food must be heated to at least 30 degrees. Closer to the month, the amount of the mixture should be increased to 50-55 ml per 100 grams of weight per day.
Natural food (list of main important products):
The kitten is from one month to two months old
At this age, the furry baby is already eating from a plate on his own. At 2 months, the daily portion size increases to 200 grams.
- Fresh meat broth;
- Puree of boiled vegetables;
- Children's cottage cheese without additives;
- Formula or milk;
- Boiled yolk 1 time per day (chicken or quail);
- Lean meat or fish (pre-shredded)
The kitten is from two to three months old
At this age, a mustachioed pet needs to be fed at least 4 times a day. The daily requirement at 3 months increases to 300 grams.
List of permitted products:
- Boiled porridge in 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 three one month old kittens need to gradually introduce solid food into their diet, because this is the time when babies' teeth change. The number of feedings is reduced to three times a day, and daily norm food increases to 360 grams.
List of permitted products:
- Porridge with milk or water;
- Lean raw and cooked meat;
- Raw and boiled fish fillet;
- Raw or scalded vegetables;
- Cottage cheese or yogurt without additives.
The kitten is three to four months old and older
The fluffy little ball has grown a little, plays actively and is interested in the world around him. Now he requires 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 four months of age prefers natural food, you need to figure out what 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 years. Neither scientists nor veterinarians came to an agreement. Therefore, the choice should be made based on the individual characteristics of the furry baby’s body.
It is important to remember that kittens need to soak dry food in water until three months.
What is a kitten forbidden to eat?
To prevent ingredients harmful to its body from getting into the main menu of a small cat, you need to know the list of what you should not feed it:
- All foods with high fat content - whole cow's milk, cheese, butter, fatty fermented milk products;
- Floury, sweet, especially chocolate;
- Raw freshwater fish;
- Corn, millet and especially semolina porridge;
- Sausage, frankfurters, anything that contains a lot of salt and spices;
- Raw pork;
- Legumes and potatoes are poorly digestible by the stomach;
- Fast food.
Any veterinarian will also advise not to feed your pet economy class food. They have no benefit for kittens.
How many times a day should you feed your cat?
Today there is great amount food options for cats of any type, size and age. Experienced breeders and veterinarians advise various options menu for the full development of the cat’s body: from natural to premium dry and wet food.
Feeding your cat too much will lead to overweight animal. Flaw nutrients will lead to depletion of the pet’s body. Both options will lead to a deterioration in the cat’s health and the development of chronic diseases, which, in turn, can lead to the early death of the pet.
To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to properly optimize the animal’s nutrition based on its individual characteristics.
Feeding standards by age
Every owner of a furry pet is interested not only in what to feed the cat, but also how many times a day it should be done. There is no definite 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 that does not go outside differs from the diet of a mongrel cat living in a cottage and having access to nature.
The daily feeding rate for 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, the furry baby is transferred to three meals a day. From about 5 months, closer to six months and until 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 optimal mode food for adults, recommended by most veterinarians.
Cats over 10 years of age are considered seniors. Their physical activity decreases, appetite becomes unimportant. In this case, it is worth recommending that the animal be switched back to three meals a day, gradually reducing the volume of single servings.
Dry food feeding standards
How much dry food a mustachioed pet should eat per day is determined based on its age, weight and certain physical characteristics. The average daily requirement for a healthy active cat is 250 – 300 grams. Many food packages have calculations given for different weights and ages of cats, but 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 best to feed their pet: dry food, wet food from bags, or give preference to natural food. For example, what is better to feed a nursing, pregnant, sterilized or neutered cat?
It makes no big difference what type of food to feed the animal, as long as the diet is properly balanced.
Artificial breeds, Scottish, British and others, as well as breeds prone to metabolic disorders, such as Sphynxes, are best fed with commercial dry food throughout their lives. The usual natural diet is not suitable for them; dry food is the most rationally balanced for these breeds.
To determine the food consumption for a particular cat, it is advisable to have it examined by a veterinarian and give his recommendations.
Feeding standards for wet food
Some breeders and veterinarians recommend following the following proportions when feeding a cat with industrial food: feed 2/3 of dry food to 1/3 of wet food. Feed should be purchased from one manufacturer.
Wet food is usually produced in canned form or in small bags (packs)
Don't forget that you can't mix industrial feed and natural nutrition, since it is difficult for a cat’s stomach to adjust to new food.
If an adult cat has been eating natural food since childhood, it will take him at least two weeks to accustom his body to store-bought 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 one-month-old kitten and, for example, an adult 7-year-old cat. Here is an approximate table for feeding a furry pet:
|
Cat weight |
Feeding rates depending on the type of food |
||
|
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.
Correct 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:
- System of free access to food. Most often, such a system accompanies feeding dry food. After all, it can be left in the air for a long time and it will not deteriorate. Often the owner is away from home during the day and fills a large heaping bowl so that his pet “doesn’t go hungry.” As a result, the cat may eat the entire bowl at once, which, of course, will not have the best effect on his health.
- Restrictions on the amount of feed. 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 time restrictions. This method streamlines the pet's daily routine. The cat is fed at a certain time, morning and evening. Even if the pet has not eaten all the food at one time, the bowl is removed until the next feeding.
For different ways feeding domestic cats, there are now various electronic and automatic feeders. They are adjusted to a specific time and portion size. Pet stores have a large selection of such devices. And which bowl is more profitable to purchase, simple or automatic, is up to the owner of the furry pet to decide, depending on the circumstances of his life.
Now every loving owner has the necessary knowledge to choose the right diet for their domestic cat.
If the pet is active, plays happily and feels great, then its owner did everything right.
How and what to feed a kitten? The first months of any animal’s life are accompanied by intensive growth of the entire organism. Genetics determines the body’s capabilities, but the extent to which these capabilities will be realized directly depends on the adequacy of the diet during the period of active growth and maturation. Any breeder knows that what is lost in the first months of life is subsequently impossible to make up.
A nutritious diet provides not only proper development all systems and organs of the kitten, but also a sufficient level of immunity to resist diseases to which animals are susceptible early age.
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 required quantity and ratio.
Based on knowledge about the nutritional needs of the kitten’s body, it physiological characteristics at a certain age and chemical composition food products, calculated approximate standards daily diet and a specific set of products is recommended for each age period of cats.
When should you start complementary feeding and how many times should you feed your kitten per 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 feeding earlier - the cat’s milk supply is low, mammary gland diseases, multiple births, when kittens do not have enough milk and they begin to lag in growth.
In order to know whether the kittens are receiving enough essential nutrients, you need to weigh them regularly, and if they fall behind, start feeding the kittens.
When controlling your weight, take into account the following standards:
- 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 subsequently increases by an average of 100 g per week.
- At two months, kitten large breed, should weigh on average 1100 g, plus or minus 200 g, while cats weigh more than female cats.
It also happens that kittens are left without a mother and the owner has to take full charge of feeding.
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 feeding 7 times a day;
- From the 2nd to the 3rd month they feed 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 feedings a day.
When artificial feeding, from birth to one 
months, kittens are fed at night. The above norms are approximate, just as the interval between feedings is approximate; small kittens themselves will let you know when it’s time to feed them, showing concern.
Can it be given to kittens?
Which products can be used to feed kittens if the owner prefers natural feeding for your 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 foods are heavy for a fragile digestive system or carry a large amount of energy without satisfying the basic needs of a growing body.
The kitten’s diet should include foods that are as healthy as possible; they should be well digestible and not contain harmful substances.
Is it possible to give kittens milk?
The question implies: is it possible to give kittens what is familiar to us and most used by humans - cow's milk?
Cow's milk, no the best choice, for feeding an early kitten. The composition of the milk of each species of animal is ideal for feeding its own young, but not suitable for the young of another species.
Composition and ratio of fats, carbohydrates, proteins and other chemicals 
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 feeding older kittens and feeding adult cats, as long as it does not cause digestive upset in the pet.
For small kittens from birth to 1 month, artificial cat milk is ideal; it can be purchased at pet stores.
Baby food (formula)
Can be used for artificial feeding newborn and nursing older kittens. When feeding with formulas, their concentration should be 2 times less than for children in the first week of life.
Dairy products:
Cottage cheese, sour cream, kefir, fermented baked milk, and cream are used to feed kittens in addition to meat, as a source of protein and calcium. Fermented milk products also improve the composition of microflora. You need to choose dairy products with minimal fat content.
Is it possible to give cheese?
Cheese - useful product, but you can use it occasionally as a treat - it contains a lot of fat.
Raw meat
It is not advisable to feed minced fish to kittens; before feeding, the fish must be boiled, and the meat either frozen or scalded.
Meat products form the basis of a 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. Give in the form of minced meat or scraps (from the beginning of complementary feeding 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 serve it raw, without any processing, or scald it with boiling water first.
It is better to give chicken meat boiled; raw meat may contain the causative agent of salmonellosis. You can feed it every other day.
Fish is given up to 2 times a week.
Liver
A valuable by-product, it is rich in B vitamins and 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 also useful to feed other offal products - heart, kidneys, lungs. They are used more often - 2-3 times a week. Feed cats with spleen 
it is forbidden.
Raw or boiled egg
Use only the yolk, give it 1-2 times a week, adding it to cereals, vegetable purees or milk.
Cereals
Rice, oatmeal, semolina are used in the form of liquid porridges in milk without sugar (up to 3 months of age) or boiled in water, mixed with fish or meat: cereal - 1 part, meat - 2 parts.
Vegetables
They must be present in the diet in boiled or raw, pureed form. They are added to porridges, given mixed with yolk, meat or fish, several times a week.
Dry food
If you are a follower artificial nutrition, choose high-quality food for your kitten; experts do not recommend feeding kittens with food of classes lower than premium or super-premium. Start with food soaked in water. Monitor your kitten's water consumption - it should be 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 never be given to a kitten. Excessive doses of vitamins, macro- and microelements can lead to many negative consequences from diseases 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 milk replacer. If for some reason this is not possible, you can prepare a mixture similar in composition to cat milk according to the following recipes:
- Baby formulas. Milk is prepared twice as liquid as for a baby in 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.
- 5 ml cream 10% fat diluted boiled water in a volume of 3 ml and add 2 ml of 5% glucose.
- Goat milk mixed with water.
What to feed a one-month-old kitten? 
Kittens are fed milk formulas starting from 3-4 weeks of life, liquid porridge, well-chopped minced 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 the new type of food. When accustoming your kitten to each new product in the diet, carefully monitor the condition of the stool and general condition pet.
Feeding a kitten at 2-4 months
During this period of intensive growth, diversify the kitten's menu by introducing new dairy and fermented milk products, meat different types raw and boiled, add vegetables. The diet should be rich in 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 gain of muscle mass. You can introduce fermented baked milk and yoghurt into the dairy diet, and enrich the meat diet with various offal products. 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.
You can introduce low-fat varieties of sea fish into your diet. By 12 months of age, the nutritional composition gradually approaches that of an adult cat.
Adjust your diet to prevent excess weight gain.
What should kittens not be given during their growth period?
Consequences of poor nutrition
Poor nutrition, especially during the growth period, is the cause of many diseases and disorders:
- Stunted growth;
- Incorrect formation of the skeleton;
- Metabolic disorders;
- Reduced immunity;
- Allergic reactions;
- Poisoning;
- Worm infestations;
- Reproductive dysfunction.
Without following the basic rules and norms of feeding, it is impossible to raise a healthy animal that meets all the characteristics of the breed.
Features of feeding kittens of different breeds
Is there a difference in feeding cats? different breeds? There is no fundamental difference, all cats are carnivores and are adapted to eating animal food, but when feeding, they take into account the propensity of a particular breed to certain diet-related diseases, such as 
Based on this, the diet is adjusted.
Feeding a British kitten
Cats British breed They are not fussy about their diet, but they love to eat, and therefore they often suffer from obesity. The owner should pay attention to the weight of the kitten, starting from 6 months, when it ends intensive growth if the kitten appears excess weight, choose a less calorie diet.
Accustom your kitten to less fatty foods from childhood and do not get carried away with carbohydrates (porridge). The diet should consist mainly of protein foods, with the presence of vegetables.
Cats of this breed have beautiful thick fur. To maintain it in good condition, use vitamins and microelements that contribute to the good condition of the coat.
British kittens have a tendency to constipation; for prevention, it is recommended to use daily diet 2 ml of Vaseline oil.
What to feed a Scottish kitten and what to feed a fold-eared kitten?
British, Scottish and Scottish Fold kittens differ little in appearance and their feeding habits are the same. Watch the calorie intake and do not overfeed the kitten.
What to feed a Maine Coon?
The diet should always contain meat and offal. 
Occasionally you can give sea fish.
In addition, chicken or quail yolk and fermented milk products are given in small quantities and infrequently.
Don't forget about vegetables.
If you prefer to feed your kitten dry food, choose a high-quality food.
Maine Coon kittens should always have water in a deep and heavy bowl; they like to rake the surface of the water with their paw before drinking.
The increase in live weight 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, this is always fraught with digestive upset with long-term 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 for single proteins of meat products.
You may get the impression that these cats are omnivores, because they are ready to taste anything that doesn’t fit well, including poorly edible objects. Therefore, the owner needs to keep his eyes open and not leave all kinds of chemicals and chemicals in the cat’s access area. detergents, garbage, food scraps and small objects to prevent pet poisoning or ingestion.
Due to sensitive digestion, food selection must be careful. When feeding sphinxes, follow these 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 lean meat products and all kinds of offal. Bones need to 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 feed and feeding regimen are individual and selected experimentally.
Feeding a Bengal kitten
Feeding kittens of this breed is no fundamentally different from feeding kittens of other breeds; follow the recommendations described above.
Ready-made food for kittens
Ready-made food is 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 food.
Cheaper feeds are no different high quality original components may contain harmful preservatives and dyes, which, with prolonged use, affects the health of the animal.
To feed a kitten from 1 to 4 months, use wet mousses or dry croquettes, which are soaked in water. After 4 months, they switch to dry food; it is useful to combine it with wet food from the same manufacturer - mousses and canned food. Occasionally you can pamper an older kitten with treats.
Important! When feeding dry food, ensure the kitten has constant access to water.
Dry food for kittens
Deservedly popular among super premium dry food 
The following are used:
"Royal Canin", "Purina ProPlan", "Iams/Eukanuba".
Premium dry food:
“Hills” (Hills), “Eagle Pack” (Eagle Pak), “Pro Pak” (Pro Pak), “Nutro Natural Choice” (Nutro Natural Choice).
Characteristics that you should pay attention to when selecting high quality feed:
- They do not contain soy, by-products, chemical dyes, preservatives, or odor imitators;
- Meat comes first in the description of the food composition;
- The number of additional ingredients is at least 4-5, usually 8 or more.
Wet food for kittens
Quality wet food for kittens super premium, must meet the following requirements:
- The food must contain whole pieces of meat;
- The food should not contain cheap fillers - soy, corn flour, wheat gluten, bones, by-products;
- The presence of flour, bran, various grains, lactose and yeast in the feed is undesirable.
List of premium wet food for kittens:
BioMill (Bio Mil), Happy Cat (Happy Cat), Royal Canin (Russia), Pro Pac (Pro Pak), Doctor Alders (Doctor Alders), Flatazor (Flatazor). Nutro nuggets (Nutro Nugets).
Premium food is highly digestible, contains the optimal amount of essential nutrients, and has 
average price.
The disadvantage of these feeds is their high water content and minimal meat content.
composition.
List of super premium wet food:
Eukanuba, ProPlan, Royal Canin (France), Hills, Bosh Nutro, Choice Petreet.
Positive aspects: high meat content, minimum vegetable proteins, does not contain dyes and poorly digestible substances, variety of assortment.
The disadvantage is the high price.
It is better to buy food in specialized stores, where you can also get competent advice on feeding your kitten.
Interesting video
Charming kittens, whose antics we so love to admire, are handed over to happy owners at the age of 1.5-2 months.
In order for your baby to feel comfortable in a new home, you need to seriously prepare, including understanding the rules of feeding tailed fidgets.
Must be produced according to schedule The diet and frequency of feeding is determined in accordance with the age of the furry children. Your pet can be given natural food or industrial substitutes.
Weaning and feeding
In the first month of life, kittens feed exclusively on mother's milk, receiving all the proteins and antibodies necessary for growth. 3-4 weeks after giving birth, the cat may independently reduce the diet of fluffy crumbs, deliberately skipping feedings, or there will simply not be enough milk. If you have infant kittens in your care, squeaking strainedly for hours, you should know that they are tormented by hunger.
For feeding cats that have not yet opened their eyes, artificial substitutes (Hartz, Beaphar Kitty-Milk, Katzenmilch) or natural mixtures, which include goat, whole or diluted cow’s milk, chicken or quail eggs, glucose, vitamins. A veterinarian or an experienced breeder will help you choose the right recipe for feeding or feeding tailed babies.
Small pets are given water using a pipette or a special pacifier up to 10 times a day, trying to switch to a six-time feeding regimen by the age of two months.
Introduction to solid foods
After two weeks of independent life, pussies start teething, as a result of which inquisitive furry cats show an interest in “adult” food. Babies unsteadily standing on their paws will look into their mother's bowl and even make their first attempts to try solid food. If a cat child is being raised without a mother, the breeder should stimulate natural interest by occasionally bringing the pet to a plate of food.
A small number of foods can be included in the diet of kittens up to two months old. Food should be fresh, slightly warmed (neither cold nor hot).
- milk oatmeal with the addition of cream or egg yolk;
- cottage cheese;
- goat milk;
- ground beef, scalded or frozen for 2 days.
The ideal menu for a growing body
The menu of a small one that has reached two months of age becomes more varied. You can gradually offer unfamiliar treats, but introduce no more than 1 per week:
Each unfamiliar treat should be given at a separate meal and the pet’s condition should be carefully monitored. Frail organism may be unable to digest certain foods or the animal may develop allergies. In case of absence negative reactions the ingredient is freely included in the permitted list.
Throughout the first year of a young purr's life, the frequency of meals will have to be adjusted. You need to feed according to the following scheme:
- from 2 months – 6 times a day;
- from 4 months - 5 times;
- from 5 months - 4 times;
- from 9 months - 3 times;
- from 12 months - 2 times.
It is carried out using a pipette or a special nipple Nutrition Separation and Healthy Supplements
A growing kitten should be gradually transferred to two types of food: meat and fermented milk, which are given at different techniques. Chopped sirloin parts or fish should be given along with a small amount of fiber or bran, vegetables, herbs (meat makes up about 70% of the serving); season with unrefined vegetable oil. Cottage cheese is diluted with kefir, yogurt or sour cream. Once every three months, high-quality vitamin and mineral supplements are added to cat food.
Industrial baby food
After weaning from their mother, tailed children can be switched to dry formula or canned food for cats. I would like to note that the choice of products for small cats and cats is insignificant; literally several brands specialize in “baby” food (“Hill’s”, “Royal Canin”, “Iams”). It is recommended to give dry food in marked form to pets under 6 months of age. Canned food containing sufficient amounts of animal fats, carbohydrates and vitamins is ideal for all kittens.
Feeding a small cat is a surprisingly interesting stage, during which the formation of taste preferences pet. Treat this period responsibly in order to raise an energetic, truly beautiful and healthy cat.
Proper feeding of a kitten - important factor maintaining health and appearance. A balanced diet will help avoid the development of various diseases. The pet will actively grow and develop, turning into a healthy, active animal with beautiful wool. Let's look at what you can feed little kitten at home.
In caring for a kitten Special attention pay attention to nutrition. First of all, you must follow the basic feeding rules:
- The transition to “adult” food should be gradual.
- You cannot force food; the kitten must start eating on its own.
- Introduce a new product to the menu no more often than every 3-4 days.
- For a small kitten whose teeth have not yet erupted, prepare mushy food by grinding the food in a blender.
- Dilute food that is too dry with water. This will avoid stomach upset.
- Food should be at room temperature (neither cold nor hot).
- You cannot mix the types of feeding kittens (dry food or natural products).
- Monitor your baby's weight; he should gain about 100 g per week. If necessary, reduce or increase the amount of food or its calorie content.
It is correct to feed the kitten several times a day; portions should be small. Feeding frequency depends on age:
- up to 2 weeks - 10 times a day, including at night;
- 2-4 weeks - 8 times, including night feedings;
- 1-2 months - 7 times a day (no need to feed at night);
- 2-3 months - 6 times;
- 4-5 months - 5 times;
- 5-9 months - 4 times;
- 9-12 months - up to 3 times;
- from 1 year - 2 times a day (with an interval of 12 hours).
What to feed kittens up to one month
Kittens left without a mother cat are fed using a pipette, a syringe without a needle, or a bottle with a nipple (the latter option is more preferable). For feeding, purchase a special milk formula from a pet store. Regular cow's milk is not suitable for kittens under one month of age. You can dilute powdered milk or baby formula.
You can prepare your kitten’s food yourself; for this you will need:
- goat or cow's milk - 25 ml;
- powdered milk - 5 g;
- glucose - 2 g;
- fortified supplement - a few drops.
The mixture should be slightly warm. The daily amount depends on age:
- from 1 to 4 days - 30 ml per 100 g of kitten weight;
- 5-13 days - 38 ml/100 g;
- 14-24 days - 46 ml/100 g;
- from 25-35 days - 53 ml/100 g.
In addition to the main food, give your baby warm, clean water during the day.
If kittens are fed mother's milk, starting from the age of 3 weeks, you can give them complementary foods. This can be: milk formula, cream, fermented milk products, baby meat and meat-vegetable purees. The first portions should not be more than 5-10 grams per day, then gradually increase them.
What to feed one-month-old kittens
Month-old kittens need to be gradually accustomed to the food that adult animals eat. Include the following foods in your diet:
- semolina, oatmeal with milk or water;
- egg yolk (boiled or raw);
- cottage cheese (diluted with milk to a mushy state);
- sour cream, cream;
- boiled vegetables (carrots, zucchini, pumpkin);
- chopped boiled meat (beef, poultry);
- boiled sea fish (hake, pollock, cod) without bones, cut into small pieces.
If a kitten grows up without a cat, give him goat milk, which must be mixed with water in a ratio of 4:1. It is not advisable to feed whole cows. It is better to replace it with a mixture or powdered milk diluted with warm water.
The daily food intake for a one-month-old kitten should be approximately 120 g. Starting from the age of 1.5 months, add soft varieties of cheese to the diet. Vitamin and mineral supplements are also necessary, they provide normal development bone and muscle systems, strengthen the immune system, improve the quality of wool. To select the most suitable drugs It is better to seek advice from a veterinarian.
What to feed kittens at 2 months
The diet of kittens at 2 months is almost the same as for one-month-old babies. Gradually increase the amount of solid food. Feed boiled meat along with porridge (oatmeal, buckwheat, rice), mixing in a 2:1 ratio. Cereals can be cooked in vegetable or meat broth, water or milk.
Include beef and chicken offal in the menu (only in boiled form), they are given 2-3 times a week. Mix cottage cheese with sour cream. Carrots, pumpkin, cabbage and zucchini can be fed raw. Pre-grate the vegetables and add vegetable oil or sour cream. You can give finely chopped greens, grass, sprouted oats. To keep your coat beautiful, add brewer's yeast and vegetable oil to your diet.
Control the amount of food; kittens at this age are prone to overeating. The daily amount of food is 160-180 g. There should always be fresh drinking water in a separate bowl.
What to feed kittens at 3-4 months
Let's look at how to feed kittens at 3-4 months. At this age, their teeth change, so solid foods should be included in the menu. Porridges should be thicker. Meat can be given raw (in small quantities). Pre-freeze it, and after thawing, finely chop and scald with boiling water. Gradually increase the number and size of pieces. Always feed raw meat separately (as a separate dish).
The diet should be varied; you cannot feed your pet only meat and fish, or only cereals. Reduce the amount of fermented milk products to one fourth of the diet, eliminate whole milk completely. The daily amount of food should be 180-210 g.
What can you feed kittens at 3-4 months:
- lean meat, offal;
- sea fish (boiled, boneless);
- fermented milk drinks and products;
- vegetables (pumpkin, zucchini, cabbage, carrots), raw (grated) or boiled;
- egg yolk (raw or boiled);
- porridge (rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, semolina).
Kittens aged 5 months and older are fed the same foods. Increase the amount of protein in your diet, which is especially necessary during the period of active growth. The daily portion of meat and offal should be at least 60-80 g, overall volume food – 210-240 g.
Ready-made food for kittens
Kittens can be fed ready-made food - dry or canned (canned). Veterinarians do not advise buying cheap diets; such diets lead to severe liver and kidney diseases. It is better to choose premium or super-premium food (Hills, Nutro Choice, Iams, Royal Canin, Purina Pro Plan, etc.).
There are special diets for kittens in each line; pets are transferred to the “adult” menu at 8-10 months. or from 1 year. The diet is selected taking into account the age, weight and breed characteristics of the animal. To decide which food is best to feed your kitten, you can first consult with a veterinarian or breeder.
During the day, it is allowed to give both granules and canned food, if they are of the same brand. Canned food can account for 25-50% of the daily diet. However, experts consider such feeding undesirable. The fact is that the animal’s gastrointestinal tract adapts to a certain type of food, and any changes in diet can cause indigestion.
Kittens are accustomed to dry food at the age of 1 month. Babies continue to drink mother's milk, and only supplement with granules. Give the kittens the food you decide to use in the future. It is not recommended to change the lines of ready-made diets (only as a last resort). For the first feedings, soak the granules in water.
Feeding a 3-4 month old kitten with dry food will be quite simple; you can simply pour the daily portion into a bowl. At this age, pets can independently control the amount they eat. With this method of feeding, be sure to provide the kitten with access to fresh drinking water.
If the diet is chosen correctly, the pet will be healthy and active, its coat will become shiny and silky. Proper nutrition will allow you to maintain a constant weight of the kitten and avoid the development of obesity. Fatness is considered optimal when the ribs are not visible, but can be easily felt with your fingers.
What not to give to kittens
The diet should not include hazardous or undesirable foods. You should absolutely not give your kitten the following foods:
- Fresh meat. May cause helminthiasis.
- Pork. Leads to the development of liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, and chronic renal failure. May provoke unwanted reactions(gastrointestinal disorder, allergies).
- Smoked, spicy, fatty foods. Causes inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, dysbacteriosis.
- Sausages, any food from the table. Contains spices and salt that are harmful to the kitten.
- Onion garlic. Poisonous in any form.
- Sweets. The most dangerous is chocolate, which is a powerful poison.
- Bones. They damage the esophagus and can cause internal bleeding.
- Economy class dry food. Lead to the development of various diseases, including urolithiasis.
Some foods can cause negative consequences, so such foods are given with caution or completely excluded from the diet. These include:
- Fish. Too much content in the diet provokes the development of urolithiasis. This product is contraindicated for kittens under one month of age. River fish should not be given, as it causes helminth infection.
- Liver of animals and birds. Too frequent consumption can cause hypervitaminosis of vitamins A and D.
- Milk, flour products, potatoes, legumes. Causes gastrointestinal upset.
Consequences of poor nutrition
Improper feeding of a kitten can cause serious health problems. Imbalance of nutrients often leads to the development of diseases:
- Diabetes. Causes development pathological processes in all organs and systems of the body, which leads to death.
- Nutritional secondary hypoparathyroidism. Consequences: growth and development disorders, lameness, gastrointestinal disorders, neurological symptoms.
- Food allergies. The main symptoms are: dermatitis, hair loss, digestive disorders.
- Avitaminosis. Weakens the immune system, the kitten often gets sick. Metabolism is disrupted and wool quality deteriorates. Vitamin deficiency often causes rickets, irreversible changes in the musculoskeletal system.
Some products can cause severe poisoning. This condition often causes the death of a pet.
Since we have a one and a half month old kitten, I wondered what to feed and found a very interesting article. The adult cat has been sitting on a natural diet for a long time and feels very well, but we only had him since he was 4 months old and it was clear what to feed)
Caring for a kitten. Nutrition.
Don't worry if your kitten refuses to eat at first. Periodically offer him something tasty, then take it away if he doesn’t want it.
Try to give warm food (not straight from the refrigerator). At the age of 2 to 4 months, it is recommended to feed a kitten 4-5 times a day, 4-8 months - 3 times a day. From 8 months – 2 times a day (more often, it depends on your cat).
- Beef– raw boneless meat, keep in the freezer for 2-3 days, chop finely.
- Game– only boiled meat without bones and skin;
- Chicken– chicken fillet, frozen, cut into small pieces. Before serving, pour over boiling water;
- Boiled egg– yolk (no more than 2 times a week);
- Kefir, curdled milk, yogurt (without fruit additives);
- Fish and seafood It's not worth giving. If you give it, then sea fish no more than once every 2 weeks;
- Porridge: semolina, rice, oatmeal (oatmeal should not be overused);
- Grated vegetables: cabbage, zucchini or pumpkin. Add a little unrefined vegetable oil to the vegetables.
Dry food : Royal Canin, Eagle Pack, Eukanuba, Acana, Orijen.Hills and ProPlan - not recommended, because affects the darkening of the body of the Thai animal. Canned food: Iams, Royal Canin.
You cannot mix natural food and ready-made food!
A minimum of 6 hours should pass between natural feedings and prepared foods.
If you choose a natural type of feeding, then it will contain two dishes - meat and dairy. The meat dish is simple to make. Lean beef, without bones and veins, chilled (preferably not frozen at all, this way there is more blood and tastier), raw, scalding is not necessary, cut into pieces the size of a fingernail (later, as the cat grows, the size of the pieces can be increased to, say, pieces 2x2x2 cm). Add half a spoon of olive oil to it, some vegetables (mashed boiled cauliflower, ordinary white cabbage, spinach, lettuce, cat grass, cut like “onions in a salad”) or buckwheat or rice, in the proportion of 3-4 parts of meat to 1 part of “filler”, there are also mineral supplements and vitamins agreed with the veterinarian, (from the best currently on the market - 8 in 1 Excel Brewers Yeast - and offer it to the cat.
It is not advisable to serve chicken as the main meat component. You don’t need to give fish, but occasionally you can. Raw, once every 2 weeks, “noble varieties” (cod, pollock, haddock, without bones, skin and films).
Fermented milk products acceptable for cats are more varied. The base is one percent kefir (“old”, left open in the refrigerator for 3 days or 1 day open on the table. ATTENTION! Fresh, just opened kefir will weaken the cat) and low-fat (up to 9%) cottage cheese. But you can also give unsweetened yogurt without fruit, sometimes, 2 times a week - 10% sour cream diluted with boiling water (it turns out to be a warm food, even post-operative animals do not refuse it), and as a treat - you can give fermented baked milk. But remember that the base is kefir!
Most cats can only drink milk when at a young age, it most often makes adults weak. Grass for cats should be within the reach of the animal at all times. It can be grown from a special bag with the same name, or it can be sprouted and sown in sand or soil with oats and wheat. Set up something like a green conveyor belt at home. When eating “naturally,” you need to take a urine test every three to four months.
Approximate food distribution schedule for natural-fed cats
Product
Mon
VT
SR
Thu
PT
SB
Sun
Main Products
Dairy products
Beef
Beef heart
Fish
Chicken and chicken by-products (heart, gizzards)
Meat additives
Olive oil
SA 37 or other vitamins according to instructions
Dry seaweed, on the tip of a knife
Vegetables
U - morning; B – evening.
Treats and other pampering.
If you really want to pamper your cat all the time, then it is better to feed it delicious ready-made canned food (see above), they come in very different tastes. If every evening during dinner a cat stands next to its owner, who is greedily devouring something tasty, and looks pitifully into her eyes, you can meditate on the phrase “twenty years.” This is how long a cat will live proper feeding and normal care. And if you constantly pamper yourself with tasty things, you will live much shorter, and with a high probability it will be very unpleasant to get sick. Occasionally, you can treat your cat to something that, in general, is not allowed (such as lightly salted salmon, rich Viola cheese or sausage). Occasionally - no more than once a month, in a piece the size of a thumb pad.
A good healthy treat for a cat, even one that eats dry food, is raw chicken neck once every couple of weeks. Attention, the neck must be without skin! Chicken skin is not digestible even by the human stomach, and in the cat’s gastrointestinal tract it can hang around unchanged for months, impairing the absorption of other food and, sometimes, leading to complete blockage of the intestines. In general, a raw neck is, firstly, tasty, and secondly, it is very similar to a mouse, and you can carry it in your teeth, growl at everyone, kill prey with your paw, roll it in the dust and then greedily gobble it up. It is very useful for teeth training if anyone eats ready-made canned food.
I hope it will be useful to someone)
