How to feed a kitten to raise a healthy pet? What to feed kittens up to a year.

There are many people in the world who are ready to selflessly help not only people, but also animals. What to do if the kittens are left without a cat? Or did someone pick up these babies on the street? How to feed kittens without a cat and what needs to be done so that such crumbs grow up as full-fledged animals - this will be discussed further.

The first steps

What should be done initially to make lonely kittens feel good? In this case, you need to provide them with three important points:

Toddlers will need a so-called "nest", that is, a place where they can sleep and spend most of their time. It must be heated, be warm.
You also need to think about how to collect cat waste: feces and urine of babies.
And be sure to feed the kittens properly.

Organization of the place of stay of kittens

If a monthly kitten is already more independent and does not require special conditions of detention, then newborn crumbs are a completely different matter. So, you need to remember that the cat's body is within 38 ºС. That is why in the nest of kittens there should be such a slightly elevated temperature. To do this, you can use heating pads or electric heaters, securely hidden under several layers of fabric. Also, the kittens’ place of residence will need to be lined with a soft natural cloth (best of all, a nursery that will need to be washed periodically (getting rid of the waste of babies). To keep warm in the “nest”, it is better to cover it with something woolen (it can be an old grandmother's scarf) .

It is important to note that experts advise organizing the place where babies stay in a basin, and not in a cardboard box. And all because this container does not absorb odors and is a more hygienic option.

The main thing in feeding

It's time to figure out how to feed kittens without a cat. Initially, you need to understand what you can feed these babies. Of course, you can feed them with cow's milk, but experts do not recommend doing this. And all because the composition of cow's and cat's milk is significantly different. It is very important. So, cat's milk in its composition has much more protein, fats, and ash substances. It is these elements that are important for the proper growth and development of kittens left without a mother.

Cat mixes

Milk replacer for kittens can be purchased at the store. This is the best option. However, this may not be available to everyone. In this case, you need to prepare the mixture yourself. Especially since it's not a problem. After all, there are many different recipes for how to do this.

It is necessary to dissolve the egg yolk in half a liter of cow's milk, as well as about 4 tsp. granulated sugar.
Mix 50 ml of boiled and 50 ml of whole cow's milk, add half an egg yolk and 1 tsp. corn vegetable oil.
Mix 50 ml of whole cow's milk with 15 g of the same powdered milk. Add a little more than 2 g of dry yeast here.
In a decoction of fennel, dilute the milk in powder form to the consistency of a viscous slurry. You can also add a little cream there to increase the fat content of the mixture.
Dilute a glass of 10% cream with boiled water in a 1:2 consistency.

All of these recipes can be used without fear, because these mixtures are easily tolerated by kittens. However, it is important to remember: food prepared in advance should not be stored for more than a day (naturally, in the refrigerator). And, of course, kitten food should be heated to a temperature of 38ºС immediately before feeding.

Rules for feeding kittens

When figuring out how to feed kittens without a cat, you also need to know the feeding schedule for such babies. So, ideally, they should eat every one and a half to two hours. It is worth noting that at the same time you can also change the heating pad or bottle for the crumbs. So what is the best schedule?

For the first two weeks, babies need to be fed strictly every two hours throughout the day and always at night.
For the next 10 days (until about 3 weeks old), they need to be fed every 2-3 hours during the daytime, but 1 or 2 times at night will be enough.
From the 25th to the 35th day, babies can already be fed every 2.5-3 hours during the day, once for night feeding.

If you have to feed a kitten with milk, you need to remember that this will take about 20-30 minutes of personal time. And so every two hours.

How to feed kittens?

When learning how to feed kittens without a cat, you must definitely take care of how the kids will receive milk or a prepared mixture. To do this, there are a variety of options, tested by a considerable number of people:

A pipette from which milk is dispensed is dosed and the kitten can safely swallow the dose. So, the baby is placed on the left hand, in a half-sitting position, on the back. At the same time, it is important to remember that air should not enter the kitten's mouth with the mixture, this is harmful.
Milk replacer for kittens can also be given to babies through an ordinary syringe (attention: without a needle!). Liquid should enter the mouth of the crumbs by one division. This is a great option also because the kitten can suck the syringe like a nipple, in size it is as close as possible to a cat.
The spoon. However, there is a big risk that in this case the sucking reflex will disappear in the babies, and they will not be able to eat normally further.
And, of course, the easiest way is to use special nipples for kittens, which can be bought in pet stores. However, it should be noted that they are not intended for newborn babies, but for kittens who can be introduced to complementary foods. There you can also purchase small bottles, which are designed for the amount of food consumption by babies. It is important to note that such nipples for kittens are purchased once, they do not need to be changed. But only if they were not damaged in the process of feeding.

Volume of food for kittens

Considering the various options without a cat, it should also be noted that it is important to observe the correct dosage of food. After all, if you give the kitten too much food, he will overeat, and if not enough, then, accordingly, he will remain hungry.

In the first five days, you need to prepare 30 ml of the mixture for every 100 g of the kitten (dosage per day).
Further, until two weeks of age, you need to give 38 ml for every 100 grams of weight.
From the 14th to the 24th day: 45 ml per day per 100 grams of weight.
Days 25-55: 55 ml per 100 grams of kitten per day.

The dose is calculated from these indicators and is divided into the number of feedings. It may vary. However, it must be clarified that it is better more often, but in smaller portions, as in the case of a person.

About nutritional problems

Sometimes people look for information on how to teach a kitten to drink milk. This will not have to be done if you do not initially “kill” the sucking reflex in the crumbs. That is why it is best to feed him from a 2cc syringe, as noted above. However, 2 ml syringes are not smooth running, as a result, it is difficult to squeeze out the mixture, otherwise it flows out too much. In addition, the mixture cools quickly. In this case, you can take a syringe for insulin, and put a jar of mixture on the battery, and fill the syringe several times.

However, there comes a time when kittens need to be taught to eat on their own, without the help of people. In this case, you just need to put a bowl of milk in front of the baby and dip the muzzle a little into the food. The kitten will lick and taste the milk. Then he will try to scoop it up with his own tongue. A few attempts, and the baby begins to understand how to eat milk on its own. However, this may not work right away. In this case, you will have to feed the kitten also from the nipple.

How does a kitten develop?

Well, at the very end, you need to tell a little about what a one-month-old kitten can already do. So, according to studies conducted back in 1969, the following behavioral forms are visible in cat babies:

Babies open their eyes around day 12 of their lives.
On the 20-22nd day, the kittens begin to walk.
At the same time, babies begin to wash and lick themselves.
They begin to learn to climb somewhere on the 25th day.
And at the age of one month, they already play with great pleasure both with themselves and with people.
Aggression in kittens begins to manifest itself approximately on the 52-55th day of their life.

Depending on these indicators, you can see if all the kittens are developing normally, and if someone from the litter has deviations.

Families who decide to have a kitten take on a great responsibility, because a small pet needs proper care, on which its health depends. The main thing that needs to be done when bringing the animal into the house is to choose the right diet for it.

How to feed a kitten at home

Self-feeding of an animal is permissible only if the cat mother died or was lost. Before you begin to give the kitten food, you should try to find another nurse (a recently lambed cat or even a small dog). If your search was not successful, you need to provide the baby with suitable food yourself, while the food should be as similar as possible in its properties to cat's milk.

How to feed newborn kittens without a cat

The key to the health of the offspring of any animal is mother's milk, however, if the animal was weaned early from its mother, it can be fed without this valuable product. What to feed kittens without a cat? Pet stores sell a special milk formula that should be given to babies for at least the first 10 days after birth. It is impossible to feed kittens under the age of 1 month with ordinary cow's milk, because their body is not able to digest it. This rule applies not only to British or other breeds, but also to ordinary cats.

How to feed kittens without a cat? It is worth giving food to newborn animals using a pipette or a special bottle with a nipple. In this case, the second option is more preferable, since the baby cat needs to be taught to suck - this is a natural reflex. Try giving formula in a bottle until the kitten is able to suck food on its own, to do this, squeeze a few drops into his mouth and immediately apply the pacifier - a hungry animal will quickly understand what to do. In addition to the main food, you should give the baby warm, clean water from a syringe or pipette.

What to feed a week old kitten

During the first week of life, the animal needs to be fed every 2-3 hours, additional feeding at night. In the absence of a special bottle with a nipple, you can use a syringe without a needle for feeding, slowly squeezing the liquid out of it. What to feed a kitten? The best option is infant formula from a pet store. If desired, the product can be prepared independently by mixing:

50 ml of natural cow's milk;
1/2 chicken egg;
15 g of powdered cow's milk;
1 ml of vegetable oil;
4 g grape sugar;
2.5 g dry yeast.

When preparing food for a newborn kitten, it is important to strictly observe the indicated proportions, otherwise you can cause diarrhea or other digestive problems in the baby. A week-old cat cub should be given a mixture, based on 100 g of weight 38 g of feed. In this case, the food should be moderately warm. Two-week-old kittens are given 2-3 teaspoons of milk mass 5-6 times a day.

What to feed a monthly kitten

Starting from the age of three weeks, the animals have an interest in adult food. In a month, babies, as a rule, already boldly eat from a bowl. What is the best food for a kitten? Many veterinarians agree that the most appropriate and healthy diet is natural food, not store-bought food, but not everyone is of the opinion. Canned cat food and dry food include a lot of vitamins and nutrients that are often missing from the pet's home menu.

If you prefer natural food, the following products can be given to the monthly animal:

semolina porridge in milk or water;
diluted milk powder or infant formula;
boiled or raw egg yolk (not more than once a day);
cottage cheese, diluted with milk to the state of gruel;
boiled vegetables;
meat broth;
chopped boiled beef, chicken, fish.

In order not to harm the animal's digestive tract, do not feed it from a common table: smoked, salty and sweet foods are contraindicated for a kitten. An important advice from veterinarians is that for small kittens, you need to grind food with a blender and feed the animals at least 4 times a day. A monthly baby should eat 200 g of food per day. Do not forget that cats really need fresh and clean water, access to which must be constant.

There is no difference in feeding Abyssinian, Bengal, Siamese, Persian, Scottish, British Fold or purebred cats. The only species of animals for which it is worth making an exception in nutrition is hairless (sphinxes and others). Such breeds require a higher calorie content in the diet, which is due to the lack of wool: "naked" animals have to spend more energy on their own heating. The diet of hairless cats should be dominated by protein foods - meat, eggs, cottage cheese, fish.

What to feed a two month old kitten

Starting from the age of one and a half months, cats can be given soft cheeses and goat's milk, mixed with cow's milk in a ratio of 4:1. In the absence of the latter, water is used. It is undesirable to give whole cow's milk to kittens, since this product is too heavy for fragile intestines. At 2 months, the animal should be fed 4 times a day in portions of 60-80 grams. What to feed a kitten:

lean boiled chicken meat;
boiled fish;
kefir / fermented baked milk, sour cream, cream;
cereals in milk or water;
beef;
dry food soaked in water;
cottage cheese;
grated raw or boiled vegetables (zucchini, carrots, pumpkin, cabbage, greens);
raw yolk.

How to feed a kitten from three months and older

At this time, the animal undergoes a change of teeth, so veterinarians advise introducing solid foods into the diet. At three months, babies can be given raw meat, while anthelmintic prophylaxis is regularly carried out. Feeding a three-month-old or older kitten costs:

raw or boiled fish without bones;
raw or boiled meat without fat;
soft raw vegetables;
cottage cheese;
yogurt;
milk porridge.

Perhaps you have settled a squeaking small lump. He often begins to demand food and attention from you. Its nutrition must be taken very responsibly - the health and life of the baby directly depends on the composition of the feed, on the components used.

How to feed a small kitten at 1 month left without a cat

The age of the baby 1 month is the right time for the first complementary foods. The baby is still sucking milk from the cat, but little by little begins to get used to solid food. Even when feeding an orphan, you can get him to his feet with the help of the tips below.

At this age, it is important for a kitten to drink milk diluted 2/5 with boiled water. Use cream or goat's milk for this, or purchase a special mixture based on milk - you can find it at any pet store. Do not forget to give plain water too.

There are several foods that need to be gradually added to the diet:

Let your baby try different dairy products - fat-free sour cream, kefir, sugar-free yogurt, fermented baked milk and yogurt.

Gradually start feeding rare milk porridge, on very finely ground cereals, it is convenient to cook it on semolina. Milk intended for porridge is also diluted with water - approximately 1/3.

You can add cottage cheese, hard boiled yolk to the feed of a monthly kitten. You can not give food with salt or sugar, cottage cheese can only be given low-fat. You can feed the yolk with cottage cheese or separately. But you can’t give it a lot - it’s permissible to give the yolk to kittens no more than 1-2 times a week!

You can cook soup for your baby once a week without salt and seasonings with finely ground meat. The soup should resemble meat broth or thin gruel, sometimes chopped vegetables are added to it.

Baby food in jars with fish or meat is an excellent complementary food for these crumbs.

Gradually start giving them a taste of ordinary meat, it must first be very finely grated or scraped. Be sure to boil it or pour boiling water over it, but you can’t fry it! Add lean beef, rabbit or chicken to the diet, pork should not be given in any case. It contains a lot of fat for adult cats, and even more so for the ventricle of a kitten. Fish can only be given boiled sea.

It is important to understand not only what to give a kitten, but also how to do it:

Orphans, you need to feed milk from a horn, it can be purchased at a pet store. You can use a pipette or syringe without a needle;

It is necessary to “acquaint” kittens with unfamiliar food, for example, giving them liquid porridge for the first time, you just need to dip your finger in it and let the baby lick it. If he cannot figure out what needs to be done, then anoint his muzzle with this porridge, he will begin to lick it and taste it.

After the kitten begins to eat porridge on his own, regulate how much he will eat per day, you can’t give a lot;

It is necessary to spread the porridge over a shallow bowl with a thin layer, otherwise the baby may choke;

Any unfamiliar foods must be introduced into the diet gradually - at first, no more than once every 2 days. This approach will reduce the risk of allergies, and if it is detected, quickly find the cause of the trouble;

Make sure clean and fresh water is always available. It is not enough just to pour out the stagnant water - the bowl must be washed well;

If the baby does not have a mother, then you will have to massage his tummy. This procedure is performed 15 minutes after eating with fingertips. Massage will enable the kitten to empty the bladder and intestines in time.

If the kitten does not want to eat unusual food, try taking a very small piece and putting it in your mouth. Make sure the food is free of spices and at room temperature. He may not like one of the products, in which case carefully “introduce” him to another. If the baby refuses any food, immediately show it to the doctor in the clinic.

Feed a kitten without a cat up to 4 months, it is necessary in 3-4 hours, you will have to give him a day, eat 5-6 times. Because of their small stomach, kittens are not able to digest large amounts of food, for this reason they eat little, but often.

What not to give a kitten at 1 month

It is important not to feed the baby from your table, "human" food contains many spices that are very harmful even to adult animals. For cats, chocolate is a real poison, do not give them sweets in any case, even if they ask.

From meat food, you can’t feed turkey, duck, goose, rams and pigs with meat, you can’t give any river fish, pollock and capelin. The meat from this bird and animal contains a lot of fat, and fish can cause an infectious disease or lead to infection with worms.

It is unacceptable to add fatty, spicy, fried, smoked, salty and sweet dishes to the diet. This also applies to sausages (sausage) and canned food intended for humans. This will cause chronic diseases, metabolic disorders and gastrointestinal disorders.

You can not feed bones and offal, cats are not able to gnaw bones - their animals gnaw. Small and sharp bones can injure the esophagus or the animal can choke, and the baby can die from this.

It is unacceptable to introduce legumes into the feed, they cannot be digested properly, which leads to fermentation and swelling of the gastrointestinal tract. This applies to potatoes - they can cause disorders in cats.

When feeding a kitten at 1 month old without a cat, don’t even think about the various “Kita Kets”, “Friskis” and “Whiskas”, they have absolutely no meat, they contain only flour from cheap low-quality offal - bones, internal organs, beaks. Cat food does not contain the necessary vitamins, but many flavors are added that act on the body like a drug.

As you can see, there are a huge number of little things when drawing up the right diet for a baby left without a mother.

Competent care for a domestic fluffy pet includes a number of issues, the most important of which is, first of all, rational nutrition. Both beginners and experienced owners do not always have a competent idea of how to properly feed a cat. There are different opinions and views regarding dry food, natural nutrition, feeding regimen.

Read in this article

Features of feeding kittens

As a rule, the animal enters the house as a small kitten at the age of 2-3 months. A responsible breeder by this time had already accustomed him to independent consumption of food.

Kitten nutrition should contain a large amount of complete protein, as well as vitamins. The baby can already be given chicken, lean beef. The source of vitamins are raw and boiled vegetables, cereals. The formation of the backbone of a growing organism requires the presence of minerals in the diet of kittens. It is useful to give low-fat cottage cheese, kefir.

During this period, the frequency of feeding is at least 5 times a day. Feed small kittens should be warm food. Cold food slows down the digestion process, and hot food can cause burns of the mucous membrane. Particular attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the dishes, the freshness and quality of the feed, and the availability of clean water.

Age to switch to regular food

If the owners have an idea how to feed an adult cat, then not everyone knows. At the age of 4 months, the kitten can be transferred to adult food. Chicken and beef offal (liver, kidneys, scar) are introduced into the diet. The main part of the diet should be protein products that provide intensive growth of muscle mass. When feeding a kitten with chicken meat, you should strictly ensure that there are no bones.

Vegetables serve as a source of vitamins for a young organism. They can be given both raw and boiled. Useful for the baby cauliflower, carrots, turnips. From fermented milk products, a teenage kitten needs cottage cheese as a source of calcium. You can add low-fat yogurt to your diet.

Well-known manufacturers of dry food produce special series for kittens. Such feeds allow you to provide a balanced diet in terms of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, provide the growing body with vitamins and minerals.

Adult food selection

Among experienced breeders, veterinarians and ordinary connoisseurs of fluffy creatures, there are different opinions on the issue of how to feed cats and cats. Some supporters support the principle of natural feeding, others consider it right to feed pets with ready-made industrial feeds.

For and against human food

However, both veterinarians and competent owners categorically do not recommend feeding fluffy pets with food from the table. Borscht, soups, pasta, fried potatoes, pickles, pastries should in no case be present in a cat's diet. Fatty, fried, canned food irritates the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, causing gastroenteritis and indigestion in pets. Constant feeding with food from the human table often leads to the development of liver diseases and.

It is forbidden to give sausages, sausages, smoked meat products to an adult animal. Such food has a lot of salt, which adversely affects the health of the pet. An excess of sodium can lead to the development of heart and kidney pathologies.

Do not give your cat sweets. The digestive system of an animal contains practically no enzymes that break down sugar. Sweet food can provoke the development of diabetes, caries, plaque. Therefore, sweet pastries, cookies, sweets, chocolate and other sweets should not be present in the diet. Do not use treats from the table, even to encourage a pet.

Rules for a balanced diet

Knowing the list of prohibited foods, the owner must also know how to properly feed the cat. There are the following rules for a balanced diet, recommended by both experienced breeders and veterinarians:

First of all, the owner must decide what kind of food he chooses for the pet. A domestic cat can be fed either only dry food or only natural food. Neglect of this rule leads to a chronic disorder of the digestive system, gastroenteritis, the development of hypovitaminosis due to poor absorption of food. This is due to the fact that dry food and natural products are not digested at the same time. Therefore, the owner must make a choice of how to feed the cat at home: ready-made food or natural products.

Having decided in favor of dry, you should give preference to well-known manufacturers of premium and super-premium pet food. In addition to high quality, saturation and balance, these feeds compare favorably with the presence of preventive diets and a veterinary line.

Cat nutrition should correspond to its physiological state. During pregnancy and lactation, the diet should be balanced in protein and calcium. You should carefully monitor the content of taurine. Neutered and neutered animals should consume fewer calories to prevent obesity. The owner should ask a veterinarian about what to feed the cat with the development of one or another pathology.

An adult animal should be fed in the same place. The pet should have separate utensils for food and water. Food or prepared foods should not be given cold, ideally room temperature is preferred. Products should be given only high-quality and fresh.

Compliance with the rules of rational feeding will avoid many problems with digestion, help prevent a number of diseases associated with malnutrition.

For information on what principles in cat nutrition should be observed, see this video:

Water regime

In addition to following the rules and principles of feeding the animal, the water regime is also important for normal digestion. In the event that the pet eats natural food or wet canned meat, it receives water partially from food. For example, industrial canned food contains approximately 80% water.

The owner should pay special attention to the fluid intake of the pet when feeding dry food. Dehydrated foods require an increased intake of water by the animal. Dry food in the stomach must be well moistened for further normal digestion. Otherwise, there is a risk of developing enterocolitis, constipation. Therefore, the main condition for feeding domestic cats with dry food is free access to clean water.

Natural cat food

Having made a choice in favor of feeding plant and animal products, the owner is often interested in how to feed the cat with natural food without harming it. In order for the animal's diet to be complete, first of all, it must be varied and contain the necessary proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

The protein part of the diet is most often presented in the form of meat and fish. It is preferable to give a cat lean meat: chicken, beef, turkey, rabbit meat. It is useful to give beef and chicken offal. Fatty pork and lamb are not recommended. From fish, preference should also be given to low-fat varieties: cod, hake, halibut. To avoid infection with helminths, fish should be given boiled, and meat can be doused with boiling water. An excellent source of protein are chicken and quail eggs.

What can you feed a cat to provide its body with vitamins and minerals? For these purposes, raw and boiled vegetables should be introduced into the diet. Preference should be given to pumpkin, turnip, zucchini, carrots. Of the cereals, oatmeal, buckwheat, rice will be useful.

Fermented milk products serve as a source of protein and minerals for domestic cats. For the normal functioning of digestion, maintaining the skeletal system in a healthy state, cats are recommended to regularly give low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt, ryazhenka, yogurt.

There are many recommendations on how to properly feed a cat with natural food. The basic rule of this type of nutrition is: do not mix natural products with industrial feed. This leads to a breakdown of the digestive and immune systems.

Common dry food and their features

Many owners unequivocally answer the question of what is the best way to feed a cat - with industrial ready-made feeds. Veterinary experts believe that such feeds allow you to maintain a balance of energy and minerals. Dry food is easy to use, does not require cooking time, does not deteriorate.

When choosing industrial feeds, preference should be given to feeds from well-known premium and super-premium manufacturers. It is better to refuse mass-market feeds.

What can you feed a cat besides food to encourage her? To this end, dry food manufacturers produce special treats in the form of pillows and sausages. Many of them serve to remove tartar, removing wool from the stomach.

Complete and rational feeding of a pet is the key to proper development, good health and physical activity for many years. A competent approach to the nutrition of a domestic cat will allow you to avoid not only eating disorders, but also prevent the development of many diseases.

A growing and developing organism especially needs properly selected microelements and nutrients. Therefore, it is so important for any owner to know what to feed a kitten in order to provide him with all the necessary ingredients.

Improper nutrition, in turn, can cause allergic reactions and lead to serious health problems.

Basic rules for feeding kittens

Any food for babies should be at optimal room temperature (in no case hot or cold). Until the moment when the kitten's teeth erupt, he needs mushy food.

It is also important how many times a day to feed the kittens. Overeating is quite dangerous for the health of babies. To prevent it, you must strictly adhere to the rules of feeding. A monthly kitten should eat up to 7 times a day.

Gradually, the number of feedings is reduced. By the age of three months - up to 6 times a day, from 5 to 9 months the pet is fed 4 times a day, and by the year it can already be transferred to two meals a day.

Up to 3 months, kittens should be given up to 180 g of food per day.
During the period of active growth (usually from 3 to 6 months), they need more food - from 180 to 240 g.
Then it decreases again and at the age of 10 to 12 months, the daily norm is from 150 to 200 g of food.

Food for kittens

When choosing a diet consisting of natural products, preference should be given to the following:

Meat (lean beef, lamb). Considering that a cat of any age is a predator, this product should form the main part of the entire menu. Meat is recommended to give boiled. About 1-2 times a week you can feed the liver. Chicken meat must be boiled to avoid salmonellosis.
Kashi (buckwheat, oatmeal, rice). They are mixed with boiled chicken, fish or meat in a ratio of 1:2.
Vegetables (both raw and cooked). They can be alternated with cereals, rubbing on a grater.
Egg yolk is fed about once a week.
Kittens need milk only in the first 3 months of life. Then it is practically not absorbed by the body and can cause indigestion. Kittens need low-fat dairy products such as kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream.
During the growth period, the kitten's body requires a certain amount of vitamins and minerals. Before purchasing any vitamin complex in a pet store, you need to consult a veterinarian.
A bowl of clean drinking water should be available to the kitten at all times.

How to feed a newborn kitten?

In life, there are situations when the born cubs for some reason are left without a mother or the cat does not have milk. And then you have to make some efforts to feed the kids.

Today, veterinary pharmacies offer special milk substitutes. But a similar mixture can be prepared independently by mixing low-fat cream (5 ml), boiled water (3 ml) and glucose (2 ml). At one time, 2 ml of this food is enough for a baby.

There are other cooking recipes. For example, raw egg yolk and 0.5 liters of concentrated milk.

It is very important not only what to feed a newborn kitten, but also how to do it if he cannot eat on his own. This is usually done with a syringe without a needle or a small bottle with a pacifier. The interval between feedings should be 2 hours.

Diet for kittens from 1 to 10 months

As the babies grow, along with the milk mixture, they gradually begin to introduce solid food - boiled egg yolk, cereals, cottage cheese, meat, vegetables and fruits. When kittens are 1 month old, they begin to show great interest in different foods.

Some are very attracted to cucumbers or apples, while others cannot be torn off from a melon. The sooner the baby gets acquainted with different types of vegetables and fruits, the more likely it is that he will appreciate them and will be happy to eat in the future.

At the age of 1.5 months, kittens can be taught to eat on their own from a bowl. During this period, rapid growth begins, the formation of the skeleton and the gastrointestinal tract. Food should be especially rich in proteins and vitamins. At 2 months, teeth are already erupting, and the kitten can be given small pieces of meat and vegetables.

Each new product should be introduced into the diet gradually, starting with small doses and bringing it to normal in at least a week. At the same time, carefully monitor the condition and behavior of the pet.

When a kitten reaches the age of 3-4 months, he begins to actively gain weight. It is necessary to ensure that foods that promote muscle building predominate in the diet.

Gradually, by 10 months, the kitten develops taste preferences. Nevertheless, you should not indulge his whims and treat him with foods that are contraindicated for cats.

What should not be fed to a kitten?

It is better to replace cow's milk with goat's. River fish (especially raw) is prohibited for kittens - it provokes the development of urolithiasis and infection with worms.

Sausages, smoked meats, spices, spicy and salty foods from the cat's diet should be excluded. Potatoes, legumes are not absorbed by the intestines of kittens, which causes bloating.

Do not give sweets, especially chocolate. Theobromine contained in it can cause severe poisoning.

Ready-made feed - basic rules for use

The use of dry food is very convenient. They are balanced, contain all the substances necessary for the full development and growth. In addition, they are practical - such food can be left in a bowl for the whole day without fear that it will go bad.

It is only important to know how to properly feed a small pet so as not to harm its still fragile digestive system. In no case should you mix natural products with ready-made feeds.

These are completely different types of nutrition, and the intestines simply do not have time to rebuild in this case, acquiring problems such as obstruction, gastroenteritis, etc.

Dry food begins to be given no more than 1-2 times a day and little by little, gradually increasing the portion. It can be pre-soaked in water.

The basis of the diet should still be wet food for kittens. Canned food also contains all the necessary vitamins, so additional supplements should not be used.

Most popular kitten food

Having made a choice in favor of ready-made dry food, preference should be given only to proven and reliable manufacturers that produce premium and super premium class products.

Acana

This is a super premium food, which is completely balanced, does not contain cereals, as well as dyes and preservatives. The range of flavors, however, is quite modest - it is fish, chicken and lamb.

Royal Canin

The absence of the super prefix in the name of the food indicates that it is not good enough. However, the demand for it is great due to a whole range of available advantages.

Royal Canin products have a wide range of flavors, there is a veterinary line that allows you to choose food in accordance with the individual characteristics of the kitten. In addition, it is quite affordable.

Pro Plan Junior

This is a premium class dry food for kittens, the main advantages of which are a balanced composition. It contains prebiotics and natural meat.

The disadvantage of Proplan food is the presence of preservatives, corn and soy, which can cause allergies in a kitten, and a large amount of vegetable protein.

Hills

The company, founded over 60 years ago, is one of the most popular on the Russian market. The composition of Hill's kitten food meets the needs of a growing body as much as possible.

He is able not only to provide good nutrition for the baby, but also to lay the foundations of health for life.

Purina

It has been proven that this brand of food significantly strengthens the kitten's immune system, has a positive effect on the development of vision and the brain, and promotes the growth of muscle mass and bones.

Preservatives, dyes and GMOs are completely absent in its composition. Purina kitten food contains natural fiber necessary to maintain the intestinal microflora.
In contact with