Home » Pets » What to feed a kitten at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 months? How many times should I feed a day?
If you have a small kitten at home for the first time, then a very reasonable question arises: “What should I feed the kitten?”. and How many times should you feed a kitten?. These questions will be answered in this article.
You are lucky if the kitten has a mother cat. In this case, she will provide him with food and care without your help. What if a little kitten ended up in your home, but the cats didn’t? We will have to take responsibility for his life, because we are responsible for those we have tamed.
This requires very frequent feeding. However, it is worth understanding that the traditional idea of “giving milk to drink” is not suitable in this case. More precisely, it comes with a caveat: you need cat’s milk. And cow's milk can cause a kitten to have bouts of diarrhea. Therefore, it is better to replace it with a sufficient amount of fresh and clean water. Without it, the kitten simply will not be able to develop normally.
To provide your kitten with nutrition, you can use a cat milk replacer sold in pet stores. If you don’t have it, then you can resort to using a mixture of boiled (required!) cow’s or goat’s milk with egg whites, taken in a ratio of 4 to 1 and mixed into a homogeneous mass.
For the first ten days of life, only formula milk is used. And after this, you can accustom the kitten to solid food. For example, you can start with liquid semolina porridge. Please note that it must be really liquid and also boiled in milk. And under no circumstances add to
no sugar.One-month-old kittens can begin to be taught to eat on their own. For example, spread a thin layer of porridge over a plastic lid from a container of mayonnaise or ice cream. A thin layer is needed to prevent the kitten from choking on food, as happens when using a deep saucer. If he does not want to eat from a bowl, it is recommended to let him taste the porridge from his finger, and then gently poke him into the food. If the kitten is hungry, he will quickly figure it out. It is also allowed to add mashed egg yolk to food (the egg should be hard-boiled).
It is allowed to add vegetables and fruits, previously grated through a fine grater, to cat food. Do not force the kitten to eat them; let him choose the fruit to his taste. You should also add vitamins and minerals that are sold in pet stores. It is also possible to add baby canned food.
And remember that a cat can have salt, but only in small portions. As for sugar, it should not be given to cats.
Here is an approximate diet for kittens. What and how many times to feed a kitten:
1 month: liquid semolina porridge, milk - 4 times a day;
2 months: cottage cheese with a high calcium content, thin porridge, boiled meat, milk or cream, soft cheese - 4 times a day;
3 months: raw or boiled meat, milk, kefir, yogurt, fish, porridge, grated vegetables - 4 times a day;
5 months and older: boiled pieces of meat and fish, fermented milk products, pieces of fruit, rye bread and crackers - 3 times a day;
It all depends on what age your baby is. Kittens' lives are very dynamic. They develop rapidly from the first hours. Each new day introduces new needs into their body, which must be met with appropriate nutrition. It includes both the frequency of feeding and the balance of the menu. Let us describe these two factors in stages.
As soon as it is born, the kitten can only breathe. He does not see or hear the world around him. His main task in the first week is to survive. To do this, the mother constantly feeds him every two hours with her milk, the temperature of which is not lower than 38-39 0 C. This indicator is considered normal for cats, the same as for people 36.6 0 C. Newborn kittens are not yet able to maintain their own temperature at the required level, but they die from hypothermia. The cat, under whose tummy they hide, worries about their warmth.
The above factors should be taken into account by those owners who, for various reasons, are forced to feed their cat babies without a cat from the very first days of their life. If you have a newborn kitten, from the first hours to the fifth day it should be fed every two hours (around the clock!) with warm milk formula (38-39 0 C), which can replace cat milk in composition. You can prepare it yourself or purchase it at a pet store. Formulas for newborn babies are often used, diluted with water to the desired state.
From the fifth day, the number of feedings is reduced by half, that is, now you will need to get up every four hours at night, and do not forget to feed the baby every four hours in the bustle of the day. This feeding frequency will last until the end of the first month.
The temperature of the formula should be gradually lowered, as babies become more and more capable of regulating their heat exchange every day. This should be done in this order:
- until the end of the seventh day, 38-39 0 C remains;
- until the end of the second week - 30-32 0 C;
- third week - 28-30 0 C;
- from the fourth week onwards - 24-26 0 C.
Those dedicated breeders who decide to feed newborn kittens on their own should also acquire very accurate scales. Based on them, it will be necessary to determine the daily dose of the mixture daily for every 100 grams of the pet’s weight, which should be calculated according to the following scheme:
- from 1 to 4 days - 30 ml;
- from 5 to 13-38 ml;
- from 14 to 24-46 ml;
- 25 x 35-53 ml.
The average weight of a newly born lump usually does not exceed 120 grams. Every week it should increase by 100-160 grams. For the first 14 days, babies are fed from a bottle into which the daily dose is placed. At each feeding (after two or four hour intervals, depending on age), the kitten will eat the dose it needs. It is quite simple to find out that your pet is full during this period - he stops sucking the bottle. From the 15th day it is necessary to begin to accustom them to a bowl or saucer so that they gradually master independent feeding.
Formative nutrition: from the first month to six months
Now all the sleepless nights are over and your kittens begin to confidently stand on their feet, get out of the nest, bully each other, run to the kitchen in search of food - in a word, the body has survived and its active formation has begun. During this period, the main body weight gain occurs. Every day the kitten asks for more and more food, sometimes it becomes capricious, turns up its nose, and sometimes it devours the entire portion; all you have to do is replenish the bowl.
At this age, breeders should provide the baby with food in sufficient quantities so that he always has enough energy for development and play. In addition to calories, during this period of life a kitten needs to consume all the building material from which its body will be formed, and, consequently, its future health. To do this, breeders begin gradually feeding babies a wide variety of foods.
The calculation of the number of feedings during this period is still determined by weight. Now 1 kg is taken as a basis. The daily dose for a kilogram kitten is 150-250 grams of a balanced diet. This means that your daily intake should include proteins, vegetables, cereals and fermented milk. Moreover, in the first month their ratio will be more towards liquid mixtures, and by the fifth month the diet should already contain more meat products. The most common scheme looks like this:
- 1st and 2nd months - 5 meals a day: every 4 hours, skipping one night feeding (break 8 hours);
- 3rd and 4th months - 4 meals a day: every 4 hours, skipping two night feedings (12 hour break);
- 5th and 6th months - 3 feedings per day.
Although the kitten eats less and less every month, this does not mean that it needs to be fed less and less. In no case! On the contrary, now is the time to eat a lot, even more adult cats. It’s just that now the portion size should increase, since the kitten’s stomach expands every day. It is no longer a problem for your baby to fit the right amount of food into it at one time. In the morning, it is advisable to give sour milk, in the afternoon - mixtures of cereals, vegetables and meat, in the evening - meat products (so that the hunter sleeps at night and does not look everywhere for the treasured game).
Reflex feeding: six months to a year
When they reach six months, kittens are already transferred to the category of teenagers who have practically gained the required weight and can now get used to adult food twice a day. If the plans include sterilization of the animal, then this should also be done before a year, after which feeding more than twice a day will generally be contraindicated, and the ideal option for such animals is one-time evening feeding.
It is very important during this period to accustom the kitten to a regular diet. To do this, try to remove the bowl after each feeding so that the baby learns to hunt and get food, and not lazily find it at the slightest whim. Then your future mustachioed friend will have a playful character and will also move a lot in adulthood. This will protect him from obesity.
Upon reaching six months, and for some breeds even earlier, the breeder should finally decide on the form of nutrition - it will be ready-made or natural food. It is equally important to choose the final manufacturer (if you plan to feed “dry” rather than “natural”) in order to begin to consistently accustom your pet to your preferences. If you do not establish eating habits at this age, after a year your pet will dictate terms to you.
Finally, it is worth mentioning a few words about expanding the diet as the baby grows older. Here's what its menu might look like:
- 1 month - add liquid semolina porridge and chopped boiled yolk to the milk mixtures (once a week);
- 2 month - infant formula is replaced with milk, calcined curds (not store-bought!), they also begin to feed with liquid porridge and crushed boiled meat, once a week soft natural cheese without flavoring additives should be given;
- 3 month - the porridge is no longer cooked liquid, but of normal consistency, you can give boiled meat in cubes, grated vegetables, kefir, scalded raw meat are added to the diet;
- 4th month - porridge, pieces of meat (both boiled and scalded raw), grated vegetables, cheeses, fish (once a week);
- from the 5th month, the kitten’s menu should no longer differ from the menu of an adult animal, but the kitten needs to be fed more often and more, and it is also necessary to give dry rye bread to strengthen its teeth.
Most people who have adopted a baby cat are wondering what to feed a kitten that is 1.5 months old? The activity and health of the baby now depends only on the person, and an incorrectly selected diet can disrupt the functioning of vital organs.
At this age, it is time to accustom the baby to food other than mother’s milk, but it still remains the main component of his diet. Everyone should realize that at this age, a fluffy puppy cannot be separated from its mother; only she can instill in him all the necessary habits and good upbringing, and feed him fully. But there are still moments when the fate of the baby will depend only on the person. At such moments, the question becomes relevant: what to feed kittens for 1.5 months?
Let's understand the rules of nutrition for such babies, find out all the nuances on which the health and life of the baby will depend.
Basic Rules
So, this article is aimed at solving the question of what to feed 1.5-month-old kittens. If you decide to take care of such a baby yourself, then you should remember the main rules for feeding such a young creature:
- Mandatory heating of food to 24 degrees.
- If feeding is done with porridge, it should be thin and not contain sugar or salt. Ideally, baby formula with crushed dry food or mashed boiled cereal.
- Feeding kittens from 1.5 months should be varied and intensive. Every day the baby gains about 25 grams in weight, and therefore he needs to eat well. Food should be given 4-5 times a day, the interval between meals should be no more than three and no less than two hours.
- Do not give your baby raw minced meat.
- Do not feed pork under any circumstances. Beef and poultry are allowed - all in minced form and after heat treatment.
- A kitten needs vitamins to be healthy.
- To control the baby’s reaction to new foods, they should be introduced gradually: one day - one new product.
Dry food
If you decide that there is nothing better than feeding 1.5 month old kittens with dry specialized food, then this is up to you personally. Of course, there are no problems with menu variety, and such food contains all the vitamins. But there is one “but”: at this age, a kitten is simply not able to chew hard pieces on its own. You will need to soak pieces of dry food in boiled water and grind them thoroughly, turning them into a paste. The consistency should be similar to pancake batter.
This porridge should be made before the age of two months. In the future, up to five months, it is advisable to simply moisten the dry food a little. In addition, it is worth remembering that dry food is bought specifically for kittens; the packaging should be marked “for feeding cats up to 1 year old.”
Teaching you to eat dry food correctly
If you have decided what to feed your 1.5-2 month old kitten, and it is dry food, but the pet categorically disagrees with you, you should teach it correctly. After giving your baby a cup, did you notice that he doesn’t touch the food? Proceed as follows: take a small amount of soaked food on your finger and spread it on the baby's palate. Do this several times a day. Soon the baby will understand that it is tasty and satisfying, and will begin to feed itself.
Ready-to-eat kitten food
To help you choose the right food for your baby, we suggest you familiarize yourself with ready-made products that can be purchased in specialized stores.
- "Royal Canin" for kittens belongs to the premium class. Here you will definitely find all the ingredients necessary for proper nutrition, full development and active growth of the baby.
- Whiskas is another representative of the Premium class. As the advertisement says, this is a real meat treat for your kitten. The advantage of the product is that it is not as expensive as the product presented above.
These are two brands that veterinarians advise you to trust. Do not buy economy-class food for your kitten; it contains more grains than meat and dairy additives, and this is an inferior diet for the younger generation.
Now we suggest you consider what else to feed your kitten. Proper nutrition for 1.5 months consists of the following foods.
Dairy
For a kitten, 1.5 months is a very young age. And like any baby, the furball needs milk. Do not rush to unpack the package and splash the contents into a bowl. This product may cause stomach and intestinal upset. The inconvenience will be caused not only to you (cleaning up liquid piles after the baby), but also to the kitten itself. His tummy will swell and hurt, and he will be very uncomfortable. The milk must be boiled, the foam removed, cooled to 24 degrees and only then served. The optimal product would be cream with a fat content of at least 8% or boiled goat's milk. Ideally, milk would be replaced with fermented milk products, such as fermented baked milk, kefir or yogurt.
Solid foods
You can't go far on just a little kefir! If you feed your baby natural food, then it should not come from your table. Feeding cheese is allowed, but in very small quantities, and it should be lightly salted, soft varieties. Ideally, you should start giving solid food with cereal. Let it be semolina cooked in fat milk!
In addition to porridge, you can give cottage cheese, a boiled egg, but not everything. A quarter of the yolk will do, but eat the rest yourself. It will be ideal if you mash the yolk instead of giving out pieces. Such food is allowed to be given no more than twice a week, since it is very heavy, but necessary.
As for meat and fish, this is only pure fillet without bones, skin, fat and films. The pieces need to be cut into small strips, scalded with boiling water, cooled and served. Thus, the baby will develop teeth, jaws and chewing muscles.
Fish should not be given more than once a week. It does not have the best effect on the kidneys. Do not feed salted or smoked fish, no matter how much your furry may want it.
What else should you feed kittens 1.5 months old? Of course it's vegetables! They contain an incredible amount of vitamins and minerals essential for bones, coat, development and health. But you should not try to give them in their pure form. A cat, even a kitten, is a predator and will not voluntarily gnaw carrots. Boil potatoes, beets, carrots or cabbage, chop and add to the porridge. Thus, the baby eats the necessary component.
Fiber and vitamins
What to feed a kitten from one month old to older age? Nutrition should be based on vitamins and fiber, since this period is the most productive. That is, if at this age there was a deficiency in any necessary substance, then in the future the cat may often get sick and not gain the required weight and height. Ideal products for replenishing all the necessary substances are cucumbers, all kinds of greens and apples. Only these products cannot be cooked; they should be added raw. To do this, grate them on a fine grater, squeeze out the juice and add it to porridge or pureed soup made from vegetables and meat.
Basically, these are all the necessary products related to the question of what to feed 1.5 month old kittens in the absence of a cat. If you follow all the veterinarian's recommendations (our article is based on this), then your baby will grow into a large, active, healthy cat.
What should you not feed your kitten?
Everyone knows that chips and cola are harmful to a child's health. He should not be given these products, as they have a detrimental effect on the body. The same goes for baby cats; their bodies also cannot process some foods. To keep your kitten healthy and active, exclude the following foods from its diet:
If you follow our advice, you will see that a baby can grow healthy and strong even without his mother. This article is written solely based on recommendations from veterinarians. Do not use the advice of friends who say that if you get hungry, you will eat everything. Imagine that this is your baby and it needs to be fed appropriately. A kitten's nutrition from birth to one year should be special, just like our children!
The appearance of a kitten in the house is not only joy, but also a huge responsibility. After all, a fluffy little ball cannot take care of itself; it requires the care and attention of people. And the first question that arises for many inexperienced owners is: what to feed a one-month-old kitten? After all, unlike older animals, such a baby is not yet accustomed to food, and often does not even know how to eat on its own.
Many owners have a question: how many times a day should monthly kittens be fed? In fact, the number of feedings is not limited. The main thing is to follow the rule: give food every 3-4 hours.
What foods can you give your kitten?
The question of what to feed one-month-old kittens is especially acute for those who first decided to have an animal in the house. The main mistake that many people make is to feed a kitten like an adult animal. Under no circumstances should this be done.
Of course, this turns out to be much cheaper and much simpler - fortunately, almost all cats at any age quickly get used to new food and are able to eat almost everything that is put in a bowl. The question is, is it beneficial for them? An incorrectly selected diet can cause serious health problems in the future, and in the worst case scenario, it can completely deprive the family of a “fluffy little bundle of happiness.”
During the first two to three months of life, the basis of the kitten’s diet is the mother cat’s milk. With it, the cub receives all the nutrients and vitamins it needs. Therefore, the transition to adult food should be carried out gradually, gradually adding new products to the dairy “diet”.
A one-month-old kitten can be given:
It is difficult to say exactly how many times you need to feed with milk, and how much with “adult food”. It depends on how willing the baby is to eat other foods. The main thing to remember is that at least half of the food volume for such a baby should be milk. Under natural conditions, this is ensured by the efforts of the cat, but in the case of hand feeding, the owners will have to monitor the amount and proportions of food.
Surprisingly, it is not advisable to give cow's milk to a small kitten. It is too fatty for him and can cause indigestion and constipation. It is best to use special mixtures and suspensions for feeding, which are sold in pet stores. Diluted goat's milk is also great.
Of course, it is not always possible to find a suitable substitute. For some owners, the cost of the mixtures plays a role. In other cases, it is not possible to go to a store located at the other end of the city.
If there is no alternative to cow's milk, dilute it in a 1:1 ratio with warm filtered water. After the first feeding, carefully monitor whether the kitten is feeling well. Diarrhea, bloating, and, in rare cases, vomiting may occur. If none of this happens, it means that your pet’s body can easily tolerate cow’s milk, and you can continue to feed it with it. Otherwise, you should consider replacing.
Tricks of converting to adult food
There are several rules that must be followed when feeding a one-month-old kitten:
- You can add no more than one new product per day. After replenishing the diet, you need to wait a day or two to make sure that the animal’s body accepts the new food normally, and only then offer the next product.
- Don't overfeed. A baby swollen to the point of a ball looks very touching, but this does not improve his health. The normal amount of products at one time is 2 - 3 ml. That is, approximately the volume of a two-milliliter syringe or a teaspoon of thick food.
- It is better to dilute thick fermented milk products, cereals, and vegetable purees with warm water.
- This also applies to other products: food for a one-month-old kitten should be semi-liquid and warm, but in no case hot.
- Be sure to give water. Four-legged babies, unlike adult animals, rarely drink on their own. However, they do need water - especially when solid food is added to the mother cat's balanced milk.
- Don't force your pet to eat if he doesn't want to. This especially applies to new products: the transition to adult food should occur gradually. If the kitten refuses the food offered, it is better to keep it on formula milk for a few more days.
How to accustom a kitten to a bowl?
Contrary to existing belief, a 1 month old kitten no longer has to be fed from a nipple. By this time they are large enough to lap from a bowl on their own. However, there are some nuances here that should be taken into account in advance.
- First, you need to remember: it’s rare that a kitten understands what to do with liquid poured into a bowl the first time. It is best to teach with milk - it is more familiar, and the familiar smell of food will make the four-legged baby try to drink. Bring it to a bowl and wet your mouth and nose a little. You shouldn't poke into the liquid. Of course, the kitten will immediately lick its lips, and most likely, after that it will begin to lap. But, with the same probability, he may choke on milk that gets into his respiratory tract. Do not hurry. If not today, then tomorrow your pet will learn to eat on its own.
- Secondly, choose a place for feeding in advance and from now on give food only here. This will not only speed up the process of switching to adult food, but will also help in the future wean the kitten from stealing from the table. He must know from the first days: he can only eat what is put in his bowl.
- Thirdly, be careful when choosing dishes. Under no circumstances should it be deep. No matter how strange it may sound, in this case the baby may well choke. At the age of one month, kittens are accustomed to sucking and do not know how to drink at all. As a rule, they lower their muzzle to the very bottom and try to make the familiar retracting movements. Flat saucers and dessert plates are best for starting complementary feeding. If you have already purchased a branded bowl, pour a little onto the bottom and make sure that the depth of liquid food does not exceed 1-2 mm.
The width of the bowl is not so important, but there is a funny feature: many kittens start lapping from the end of the bowl opposite to themselves. If it is too wide, they will enter the food with their front paws.
Before feeding a month-old kitten milk, it is better to give him some meat or vegetables: this increases the likelihood that he will agree to eat solid food. An excellent product for bowl training is also boiled meat or special food. Typically, his kittens will start eating without any “additional explanation.”
What should you not feed a one-month-old kitten?
People who breed cats know that not all products are beneficial for “purring little cats.” For kittens, the list of prohibited foods is even longer than for adult animals:
- Peas, corn and other legumes should not be given - they create intestinal obstruction and flatulence.
- Among vegetables and herbs, the enemies are raw carrots, cabbage, broccoli, onions and garlic.
- Smoked products, including meat and fish, are contraindicated.
- Raw fish is even less useful. It definitely needs to be boiled.
- The kitten’s body digests pork and all fatty meats very poorly, so, if possible, it is better to exclude them from the diet.
- Chicken and fish bones are very dangerous. They create disruptions in the functioning of the digestive tract, not to mention the fact that the kitten can choke or be injured by the sharp edge of the bone.
- Chocolate, ice cream, sweets, coffee are the enemies of any cat, regardless of its age. Be firm: as a rule, four-legged pets love and beg for these foods.
- And, of course, forget that you can give your baby butter, vegetable or animal fats. If the kitten has trouble going to the toilet, you need to take it to the veterinarian and under no circumstances try to “help” it by feeding it foods flavored with oil.
Dry food – helper or enemy?
There is still fierce debate about whether feeding kittens dry food is beneficial. On the one hand, such food really exists and can provide the kitten with the necessary nutrients. At the same time, a kitten accustomed to Hills or Whiskas will subsequently be very difficult to switch to regular food.
There is also a more compelling reason to temporarily abandon dry food in the diet of a four-legged baby in the first month of his life. Generally safe for an adult animal, they can “give” a kitten indigestion, constipation, and serve as the onset of urolithiasis. And, ultimately, significantly shorten the animal’s lifespan.
Whatever you choose to feed a grown cat, it is better to feed the cub with healthy, balanced food, with plenty of milk and meat porridge. Take care of the health of your four-legged happiness so that he will delight you with his purring for as long as possible!
Not only the pet’s health and satiety, but also the owner’s peace of mind will depend on the correct and effective organization of the cat’s feeding regimen. Animals that are dissatisfied and not accustomed to a specific schedule will constantly beg for food from the owner, or simply steal it. There is no exact calculation of how many times a day to feed a cat; you will have to base it on your own capabilities.
Feeding adults twice a day is considered optimal. When determining how many times a cat should be fed per day, it is necessary to take into account a number of features, namely:
- own daily routine;
- type of feeding - natural food or prepared food;
- age characteristics and health problems of the animal.
With a standard eight-hour work schedule, you can feed your pet 2 times: in the morning and in the evening. Having established such a regime, do not deviate from it even on your days off. According to the introduced routine, your dog will get used to receiving food at certain hours and will not bother you with hungry howls.
If it is impossible to feed the cat often, it is possible to switch to a one-time schedule, or even better, provide unlimited access to food. Of course, this approach will be more relevant if the pet is accustomed to dry food:
- The daily portion can be immediately poured into a food container;
- the industrial mixture in this form does not deteriorate for a long time;
- the adult individual controls how much and when she needs to eat.
In addition to the obvious advantages, ready-made high-quality food has other advantages:
- it already contains the amount of vitamins and microelements necessary for cats;
- You can choose a variety according to your pet’s well-being—types of food have been developed that are suitable for individuals suffering from urolithiasis, allergies and diabetes, as well as for young and active cats.
When choosing natural food, you will not only have to carefully develop a menu, but also scrupulously calculate how much a cat should eat per day in order to receive the recommended amount of nutrients. In addition, to ensure full growth and good health for your pet, you will need to stock up on vitamin supplements. This type of feeding will require the owner to spend much more time purchasing food and preparing dishes, as well as a more responsible and attentive attitude towards pets.
As a cat ages, more and more health problems appear. First of all, teeth deteriorate and gums become inflamed. If problems arise with the oral cavity, it is possible to change the food from dry to wet, and with a natural type of food - to liquid and softened foods. For older and sick cats, it is enough to feed them once a day.
How often does a cat eat
If we talk about how many times a cat should be fed per day, then there are no special differences from feeding a cat. The only thing that should be noted is that cats, especially growing ones, have less control over their appetite, and therefore more often than females have problems with weight. There are many people who like to eat often; it is necessary to initially strictly limit the amount of food given out.
Contrary to popular belief that the nutrition of a castrated cat should differ significantly from the diet of an uncastrated cat, both brothers can be fed the same. Those who say the opposite believe that the body of a castrato is more susceptible to the development of urolithiasis. In fact, the concentration of urine increases when cats drink little and eat dry commercial food.
Amount of food
Since all animals have different organisms, you should pay attention not so much to the number of feedings, but to the daily portion of food. To calculate it, you need to take into account the following factors:
- Quality of nutrition - for example, holistic-class food contains a large amount of protein and substances beneficial for the cat in the complete absence of ballast components, so less is required. Whereas budget products are characterized by the presence of a large number of unnecessary additives, so the pet will need a large portion to satiate.
- Calorie content is one of the factors that affects the number of feedings. To satisfy hunger, your pet will need more food with low energy value compared to more nutritious foods.
The total weight of the daily portion is determined depending on the weight of the pet: for every kilogram of body weight there should be 30-60 grams of food. This wide range is due to differences in the nutritional value of different foods.
Important: during periods of illness and recovery of the pet, as well as for pregnant and lactating cats, a special feeding regime is required.
Is there enough food for the cat?
It's also important to weigh your cat periodically to make sure he hasn't gained extra pounds or lost a lot of weight, both of which can negatively impact his health. For most domestic cats, the standard weight is 2-4.5 kg, so if the pet’s weight exceeds these limits, you need to change your approach to feeding. It could be:
- changing the type of food;
- increasing/decreasing the number of meals.
You can also tell if your pet is getting enough food by looking at its ribs:
- if the ribs protrude too much, this is a sign of malnutrition and excessive thinness;
- if the ribs cannot be felt, this is a sign of obesity.
Normally, a cat's ribs should be covered with a small layer of fat and not “shine through” the skin, but they can be easily felt. For pregnant animals, an increase in the amount of fat on the sides is quite acceptable.
Each animal’s body is unique, so it is important not to blindly follow the recommendations, but to select a feeding regimen for your pet taking into account its individual characteristics.
How to water cats
Both male and female cats need sufficient clean drinking water. Access to drink for pets should always be free. It is recommended to filter or settle warm water for 24 hours, then serve it to animals in a wide, large bowl. In this case, it is necessary to ensure the cleanliness of the container and regularly change the water to fresh water. It must be remembered that cats fed artificial food need to drink more frequently and plentifully.
The principle of operation of dry food is that in a humid environment it increases in volume and fills the cat’s stomach, providing a feeling of fullness. But with a lack of fluid, this process does not start, so the animal will need more food to be full. In addition, eating exclusively dry food without water causes more serious problems and health problems.
Having decided on the type of food, taking into account the age and health of your pet, as well as your own daily routine, it will be easy for you to determine the number of feedings for your cat.
Still have questions? You can ask them to our site's in-house veterinarian in the comment box below, who will respond to them as soon as possible.
