Cat diet with natural food for a week. DIY food recipes for cats and cats

Natural feeding is not only the failure of industrial feed. Food from the human table also does not apply to natural nutrition. An unbalanced diet can be harmful to the cat's body and can lead to serious health problems. When feeding a cat with natural products, you yourself plan the diet, make a menu, cook food for your pet every day.

What is included in the diet with natural feeding?

1. Beef, veal, rabbit (thawed or boiled)
2. Chicken or turkey (necessarily boiled, boneless)
3. Beef or chicken offal (heart, liver, lungs, tripe, stomachs). Boiled or thawed, no more than 1-2 times a week.
4. Sea fish is lean. Only boiled, without bones, not more than 1 time per week.
5. Boiled egg yolk. Can be given separately, or mixed with cottage cheese or porridge (no more than 1-2 times a week)
6. Dairy products (milk, kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt). Care should be taken when offering milk to a kitten older than 3 months. In adult cats, whole milk can cause stomach upset and diarrhea.
7. Low-fat cottage cheese (can be mixed with kefir or egg yolk).
8. Hard, mild cheese (no more than once a week).
9. Liquid and semi-liquid milk porridge without sugar (semolina, oatmeal). For kittens up to 3 months old, you can add the yolk to the porridge.
10. Children's meat purees with vegetables. Suitable for feeding kittens up to 8 months. It is better not to give them to adult cats.
11. Kashi: rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, with boiled meat or fish in a ratio of 1: 2 (one third of cereals, two thirds of meat).
12. Vegetables: carrots, zucchini, kohlrabi, cauliflower, lettuce, celery, zucchini, pumpkin, squash, cauliflower, beets, carrots, cucumbers. Separately, with butter, or with meat in the same proportion as cereals.
13. Greens (dill, parsley, lettuce). Alone, with oil or added to food.
14. Green grass (wheat, oats, barley, millet, rye). Grown on your own on the windowsill or ready-made, bought in the store. In no case should you give cats grass from the street!
15. Dry brewer's yeast, bran, buckwheat flour, kelp powder. Add to food 3-4 times a week.
16. Vegetable oil. Add no more than 2 teaspoons per day to food.
17. Vitamins and mineral supplements. Every day at a dosage according to the age of the cat.
18. Water (bottled or boiled) should always be available. Change at least once a day as it gets dirty, while the bowl should be thoroughly washed each time.

What absolutely can not be given to a cat at any age:

• Pork, lamb, goose, duck.
• Bird and fish bones.
• Fatty, fried, spicy, salty, smoked food.
• canned goods for people.
• Sausage, sausages, sausages, pates.
• Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, onions, garlic.
• Citrus fruits, grapes, raisins.
• Any sweet fruit.
• Sugar, cookies, sweets, chocolate.
• Salt, any spices.
• Any food from the human table.
• Vitamins and supplements for people.

A kitten 1 - 3 months old is fed 6 times a day, from 3 to 6 months - 4 times a day. From 6 to 8 months, the number of feedings is gradually reduced to 3 times. From 8 months, a kitten, like an adult cat, is fed 2 times a day. all products are finely chopped, or twisted into a puree. For adult cats - finely chopped.
Food should be at room temperature or slightly warm. Do not give too cold (from the refrigerator) or too hot (freshly cooked) food.
Meat and meat products are fed boiled or pre-frozen.
Raw thawed meat is best fed separately, boiled meat and fish - with vegetables and cereals.
You can not feed the cat only meat and fish, or only cereals. In both cases, such a monotonous diet will certainly affect the health of the pet.
Fish should be given no more than once a week (and for cats once every 2 weeks). It often causes kidney problems in cats, and can lead to kidney stones.
Salt and sugar should not be added to animal food.

How to make a cat menu for every day

Many owners prefer to feed their pets with commercial pet food, thinking that feeding natural food is time consuming and expensive. In fact, no more expensive than professional feed. In addition, making a menu for a week, and then preparing food from pre-prepared products is not so long and difficult.

Sample menu for 1 day for an adult cat:
Morning:

• Cottage cheese with egg yolk, or
• Kefir or yogurt with bran.

• Beef with vegetables, or
• Boiled fish with porridge.

• 1 kilo of raw beef or chicken
• 0.5 kilograms of vegetables beloved by animals,
• 100 grams of soft cheese (not salty),
• 1 chicken yolk,
• 1 tablespoon brewer's yeast
• 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil.

After that, you just have to get a piece of the mixture from the refrigerator, and divide it into small koloboks. Then you can either boil them, or just let them warm up to room temperature and feed them to the cat. An additional plus of this dish is that raw and boiled mixture are two different dishes for the animal. By alternating them, you diversify the pet's menu.

What else is worth considering?

The most serious mistake cat owners make when switching to feeding natural food is a monotonous diet, in which 1-2 products that the pet loves become the main ones on the menu. This should not be allowed, because with such a diet, the health of the animal can be seriously affected.

Foreword

Proper natural nutrition for a cat is mostly a monotonous, species-specific diet that does not require heat treatment, mainly consisting of medium-fat fermented milk products, raw meat or raw offal (heart, tripe, kidneys, etc.) and plant foods ( vegetables and some unsweetened fruits) in their raw form, as well as in the form of cereal bran as an additive to the main diet.

Actually cereals (cereals and other flour products) in the diet of a cat should not be present. Cereals and products made from flour or with its addition contain easily digestible carbohydrates, which can cause in all dogs and cats, which are known to be carnivores, a violation of the intestinal microflora, as well as a decrease in resistance. The condition of the intestine, which is a key organ not only in digestion, but also in providing a defense system (resistance and immunity of the body), directly affects the health of the animal. Thus, the presence of dysbacteriosis in the intestine, which is facilitated by dietary disturbances, can lead to the development of a host of pathological processes, including an increased tendency to allergies, disruption of the internal organs, the occurrence of a number of chronic inflammatory diseases and obesity, often associated with each other.

The health and resistance of animals is highly dependent on nutrition, in which the state of the gastrointestinal tract and a healthy intestinal microflora play a very important role. If the cat's diet includes cereals or commercial dry food that contains 40 to 55% cereals, corn, or sweet potato (sweet potatoes), then normal, healthy intestinal microflora cannot be expected. However, even with a natural diet, digestive disorders are possible, indicating a painful state of the cat. When transferred to a natural diet, stool discharge becomes a little less frequent, and the consistency of feces changes to darker and denser. This is characteristic, normal and does not indicate a problem. But in case of a significant decrease in stool discharge (less than 1 time in 2 days), it is recommended to consult a doctor and decide whether to transfer back to a dry diet or correct natural ingredients. Most often, the problem of constipation occurs with an exclusively meat diet, without the addition of sour-milk food and a source of fiber.

Meat in a cat's diet

The main meat in the cat's diet is lean beef, not the first grade. It is not necessary or even desirable to give cats tenderloin and other high-quality meats. It is allowed to feed lamb, horse meat, rabbit meat to cats of all ages, given the high calorie content of lamb and rabbit meat, which is more affordable. Pork is not recommended.

Chicken, turkey and their offal can also be given, but individually, paying attention to the reaction from the digestive system and skin. It is undesirable to feed chicken skin to cats.

Meat, both beef and chicken, is always given raw, pre-frozen, there is no need to pour boiling water over and heat the meat. Meat should not be minced.

It should immediately be noted that feeding a cat up to a year only one meat guarantees development, as the kitten will not be satisfied with the amount of calcium. To prevent this from happening, carefully read the recommendations for the mineral supplement at the link below.

Meat by-products

The composition of the meat feeding of a cat can include not only meat, but also offal (kidneys, heart, offal of chickens, turkeys, etc.), which can completely replace meat. Offal must also be raw. At the same time, it should be taken into account that offal is a less nutritious component of the meat diet, in comparison with meat, but at the same time, for example, udder is significantly more nutritious than meat due to fat.

It is not recommended to give liver and lung to a cat often, since not everyone tolerates raw liver equally well, and it makes no sense to treat it thermally. However, many successfully use these components in the diet of dogs and cats. However, not all cats tolerate one or another meat component equally well, therefore, if an ingredient is intolerant, which is manifested by diarrhea or vomiting, it must be removed from the diet, as well as if other components of the cat's natural diet are not perceived. And in order to be able to determine which component the reaction occurs to, they need to be introduced into the cat's diet separately.

Of course, one or another product can be infected with one or another disease, but rare cases of infection from raw, untested and not frozen meat do not allow you to be afraid of feeding a cat with a raw product. It is unlikely that any veterinarian will be able to recall a case of infection with something from meat. In addition, the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the stomach of carnivores is greater than that of humans and is sufficient to perform its disinfecting functions in relation to raw meat and fish. Also, we do not recommend purchasing meat “from hand” or at the “Poultry Market”, where you can buy products obtained from a known sick animal, and even freezing it will not help, and heat treatment of meat reduces the nutritional value of the product for a cat.

Fish in the cat's diet

Cats can be fed raw fillets of sea and ocean frozen fish, non-bony, low-fat varieties, replacing meat in meat feeding with seafood 2-3 times a week. At the same time, it is not recommended to constantly feed the fish. Small fish can be given whole raw, in which case the bone, along with soft tissues, is completely gnawed and does not pose a threat (even recommended), while feeding boiled fish, which should not be done, the bone is easily separated and can be swallowed whole, which is dangerous .

In regards to feeding fish to cats, there are several questions that are often asked:

The problem with thiaminase is relevant for animal farms, where there is mainly a mono-diet and, if fed with one raw fish, there will be B1 hypovitaminosis, and therefore this is not relevant for a home mixed diet.

Feeding fish has no effect on the development of urolithiasis. This assumption has existed for a long time among veterinarians, based on the fact that there is a lot of phosphorus in fish, which, when released, creates the conditions for the development of sand in the bladder (struvites). But studies with experience in adding additional phosphorus to the diet of cats have not led to the development of this pathology.

Dairy products

Cats can be given fermented milk products with a fat content of up to 9%, but not everyone tolerates such fat content well. But fat-free dairy products should not be given either. In some cases, fatty dairy products give loosening of the stool. Also, loosening of the stool may be associated with the brand of kefir, which must be selected individually for sensitive cats. Ryazhenka, cream, sour cream should not be given to cats, as well as yoghurts with fruits or sugar, but milk is not forbidden, with normal tolerance.

The most optimal fermented milk products are cottage cheese with a fat content of up to 5-9%, kefir with a fat content of 3.5%, yogurt, with a short shelf life, up to 7 days.

It is possible, using the starter culture of Evitalia and Narine, based on pasteurized milk, to make a healthy fermented milk product that is useful not only for cats, but also for humans, and feed it both separately and together with cottage cheese.

Separation of cat nutrition into sour-milk and meat

The main components of the diet are fermented milk products in one feeding and raw vegetables and raw meat with a little oil in another. As mentioned above, vegetables, if possible, can be fed separately to the cat.

This means that the composition of fermented milk feeding can include either one kefir, only cottage cheese, or kefir with cottage cheese, curdled milk, yogurt, etc. It is desirable to give fermented milk products with a short shelf life, up to 7 days. Only bran and part of a raw egg can be added to dairy products no more than 2-3 times a week.

The composition of meat feeding may include raw meat, offal or fish. It is impossible to mix the components of meat and sour-milk feeding with each other.

Vegetables and fiber in the cat's diet

Most vegetables can be fed to cats: carrots, white cabbage, bell peppers, pumpkin, zucchini, beets, cucumbers. It is useful to give greens: parsley, dill, lettuce. The choice is up to the cat. Some cats are happy to eat grass sprouted at home, this option is also suitable.

Vegetables can be present in feeding as a monovariant, and maybe several types of vegetables, but one type of vegetables is quite enough.

Greens and vegetables should always be given raw, finely chopped or rubbed on a fine grater.

Vegetables and greens should always be given only with meat feeding or separately. It is not necessary to mix raw plant foods with the components of a fermented milk diet, with the exception of bran, which goes well with meat and dairy foods.

Bran (see below about bran) in the diet of cats can supplement or even replace raw vegetables, especially in cases where the addition of vegetables leads to indigestion in various forms (flatulence, vomiting, diarrhea) or if the cat refuses all types of vegetables completely which happens more often.

Consistency of cat food

Cats should not be given food in the form of minced meat. The meat should be cut into pieces, hard vegetables grated on a fine grater, greens, lettuce finely chopped. Bran can be added to wet food, both dairy and meat. Cats and dogs do not chew food, but swallow it, if the piece corresponds to the size of the animal or bite off a piece available for swallowing - this is physiological for them and does not harm. In addition, ready-made minced meat contains too much fat. Even if the cat has few or no teeth, food can be given in lump form.

Eggs in the cat's diet

Eggs can be given raw, both chicken and quail, adding 14 whole eggs to milk feeding 2-3 times a week. Both kittens and adult cats can and should be given both yolk and protein, without dividing.

Bran

Bran in the cat's diet, as well as vegetables, is a source of fiber, and therefore it is recommended to add them to the cat's diet along with vegetables or, as already mentioned, replacing them when vegetables are abandoned. Bran, unlike vegetables, easily sticks together with meat and mixes with dairy food, which makes it impossible for the animal to choose what they want from the bowl.

The main advantage of bran is the high content of dietary fiber (fiber), which enhance peristalsis, regulate and improve the condition of the intestinal microflora.

Bran can be purchased at health stores, pharmacies or grocery stores in bulk and added as such to both fermented milk and meat feeding.

But in fermented milk it is preferable, since bran manifests itself to the maximum when it absorbs liquid and swells. Then, once in the stomach, the bran does not undergo any changes and, retaining water, enters the intestines, accelerating intestinal motility, which is especially recommended for cats with a tendency to constipation.

Oil in the diet of cats

Cats can be added to vegetable nutrition with different types of oils - olive, unrefined sunflower, pumpkin, linseed, etc., while exotic ones should be avoided. At the same time, the main oils are unrefined sunflower and olive. Vegetable oils are added to the bowl where there are vegetable components of food (vegetables), regardless of the presence of meat in a dose of 2-5 drops.

Bones in the diet of cats

Since in the diet of cats that belong to small felines, bones are present exclusively in the form of small rodents and birds, at home it is possible to feed cats with whole small fish, chicken neck, but always raw and together with soft tissues, in which case the animal bites off a bone with meat in sections, but if you grind the bone, the cat can swallow them whole. When in doubt, you can not give a bone at all. It is not recommended to give boiled bones to cats, they are poorly digested and can cause intestinal obstruction.

Prebiotic and probiotic environment in the gut. Carbohydrates in the cat's diet

Probiotics are preparations based on live "good" microorganisms: lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, which remain viable when passing through the gastrointestinal tract, multiply in it and inhibit the development of pathogenic bacteria.

Prebiotics are completely indigestible food ingredients that are a substrate, a nutrient medium for the growth and life of beneficial microorganisms in the intestine, and also stimulate its work.

In the absence of a prebiotic environment (indigestible fiber), the number of beneficial bacteria is sharply reduced, since they lack the prebiotic environment they need for nutrition and their share in the intestinal microenvironment will be occupied by pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, yeast fungi, etc., which, in fact, is dysbacteriosis.

Cereals, bread, pasta are easily digestible carbohydrates (starch), cats need complex carbohydrates of a different type, which are found in raw vegetables or bran and which cats cannot digest. From complex carbohydrates, crude fiber, carnivores cannot extract energy; ruminants, herbivores "specialize" in this. It is raw vegetables and bran, or rather the indigestible fiber contained in them, that create a prebiotic environment in the intestines of a cat, which is the basis and substrate for creating a probiotic environment and forming a healthy intestinal microflora.

Moreover, if the cat has proper natural nutrition, then even without the use of probiotics, the correct intestinal microflora forms in the cat over time, but only if the animal is healthy and free from congenital and acquired diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that require treatment and do not depend on correct diet. It is for this reason that the introduction into the diet of a cat that receives porridge or dry food of probiotics (lactobifadol, vetom 1.1) does not bring the desired long-term result.

The role of the prebiotic environment in the nutrition of a cat is performed by raw vegetables, which are better (but not necessary) to be given to animals in the form of separate feeding, and also, by adding bran to the dairy or meat diet, these components are combined.

It is better to give cats veterinary probiotics, only if they are not available, then try to use human ones. It is possible to take probiotics prophylactically every 3-4 months. But prebiotics (vegetables and bran) must enter the digestive system constantly, especially since this is not a medicine, but a regular component of the diet.

At the same time, you need to understand that if the cat has proper nutrition and the Cat is healthy, then without the use of probiotics, healthy intestinal microflora forms independently in the intestines over time.

Can I mix dry food and wet natural or canned food?

Mixing different types of food has no advantage over the strict principles of feeding a cat, moreover, dry food is designed to be fed exclusively to a cat. If you add other components during the day, then the imbalance is guaranteed. In addition, combining diets does not make any sense: either convenience or a natural diet.

Vitamins and mineral supplements

An adult cat that receives proper natural nutrition with a certain, even a small dose of raw bone, does not need to be supplemented with any vitamin and mineral preparations at all times. In spring and early summer, dry yeast can be added to food, which is a natural complex of vitamins. However, if under any circumstances there are doubts about the possibility of using raw bone in the diet of adult cats due to various circumstances, the same mineral-vitamin supplementation regimens can be used and even recommended, as indicated in the link below.

At the same time, during pregnancy and lactation, kittens and adult cats absolutely need vitamins and minerals. You can read more details in future posts on the site.

The problem of obesity in cats

Obesity occurs when an animal consumes more energy than it expends. This leads to a positive energy balance and obesity. However, the factors that cause a positive energy balance are very complex and include physiological, genetic and environmental predispositions. In other words, obesity is not just the result of overeating. If this were the case, then all individuals consuming high-calorie foods would develop obesity. The main factors causing obesity are:

1. Overeating;
2. Social environment (food competition);
3. Dietary factors;
4. Sterilization;
5. Reduced energy consumption.

Hunger is reduced by stimuli such as stomach distension, the presence of nutrients in the blood and liver, and the sight, taste, and smell of food. All this creates negative feedback with the hypothalamus, which controls energy consumption. To stop eating, one factor is not enough, all are needed at the same time.

Social environment, i.e. rivalry between animals can increase the amount of food eaten. Additional snacks and begging are other important external factors. Some owners encourage pets to do this, and the "snack" can be high in calories and often doubles total energy intake altogether.

Spayed individuals are more prone to obesity than their normal counterparts. This is partly due to their lower energy expenditure due to their condition, as well as disruption of estrogen and testosterone production, which affect the effect of satiation.

60-70% of energy is spent on maintaining body functions (homeostasis), 10% on heat production (specific dynamic effect), and the remaining 20-30% on physical activity. As physical activity increases, appetite increases. If physical activity decreases, then appetite also worsens. Thus, in the latter situation, the animal can easily develop a positive energy balance.

The total amount of food of all feedings per day is calculated by the formula: up to 9 months. 10% and over 9 months 5% of body weight (body weight is calculated without taking into account body fat, of course, approximately).

The resulting daily amount of food is divided in half between 50% fermented milk products, 50% raw meat and everything related to meat (beef offal, poultry, fish), raw plant foods are given ad libitum, but approximately 5-10% from the volume of the meat portion. For example, for an average cat weighing 4 kg, you can give 1-2 teaspoons of grated carrots or other vegetables to eat per day, 12 teaspoons of bran. Please note that vegetables and bran are a supplement to the protein diet and are not included in the calculated percentages (10% and 5%).

An example of calculating the volume of food for a cat weighing 4 kg, age 9 months. and older:

4kg x 0.05 * =0.2 kg. or 200 gr. Of these, 100 gr. this is cottage cheese and kefir, which will make up sour-milk feeding and meat will consist of 100 gr. raw meat, to which add about 10 gr. raw grated vegetables and 2-5 drops. unrefined vegetable oil.

An example of calculating the amount of food for a cat weighing 2.2 kg, less than 9 months of age:

2.2kg x 0.10 * =0.22 kg. or 220 gr. Of these, 110 gr. this is cottage cheese and kefir, which will make up sour-milk feeding and meat will consist of 110 gr. raw meat, to which add about 10-15 gr. raw grated vegetables and 2-5 drops. unrefined vegetable oil.

* - Coefficient obtained by dividing 5 and 10% by 100

This formula is not absolute and mandatory, the feeding regimen of the cat, also the amount of food may vary depending on the physiological state (pregnancy, breed tendency to overweight, the presence of hormonal disorders, sterilization, etc.); age: old and aging animals reduce the amount of food, as well as other individual characteristics. Fasting days without meat at all are also welcome, but without increasing the dose of dairy food. Cats in apartment conditions most often lead a sedentary lifestyle, therefore, with food whims, pickiness, loss of appetite, the diet can be reduced even without fear.

For example, the calculations of the amount of food given above are valid for active cats that allow themselves active games even in an apartment, etc. But for a sedentary cat who prefers to sleep most of the day, the calculated amount will be exceeded, and the diet of such an animal requires a reduction in the amount of food eaten by 20-30% (see the Obesity Problem section).

Are there breed characteristics of the cat's diet?

There are no fundamental features for a healthy cat of any breed. A sick animal may need correction, but this requires individual work with the pet.

The cat is accustomed to dry food and refuses natural food

Solving this problem with cats is much more difficult than with a dog. Cats are more finicky, capricious and capricious. Long-term feeding to a cat of dry or wet food, other food ingredients that are not characteristic of cat food leads to a change in the food instinct, that is, it disorients the animal in the choice of possible and provided by nature food. In such cases, fasting for 1-2 days, which would solve all problems with the dog, may not help. It is recommended to feed the same food, but reduce it significantly so that the cat does not gorge on it for a long time of 2-4 weeks or even more. During this period, the cat will lose some weight, appetite will increase, food instincts will begin to return. And it is then that one or another component of natural food can be offered, gradually stopping the previous diet. However, the transfer may not be feasible, and you will have to feed more familiar food.

Afterword

As you can see, among these food components there are no dry and wet commercial foods, cereals in the form of cereals, bread and other carbohydrate foods, they are not recommended for a cat, just as feeding sweet sugary fruits and everything else is not recommended. It should be borne in mind that in relation to feeding dogs and cats, the concepts of “likes to eat this” or “does not like to eat that”, a strict diet, regardless of whether it is dry food or natural food, are not applicable.

The main mistake in feeding cats, which owners make, is overfeeding. Even if the recommended components are maintained, but their volume is more than normal, then this is as harmful as feeding a cat unacceptable products.

You should follow a simple rule that works in most cases - if after eating food, the cat left any amount of it in the bowl, then this means that the animal is already overfed. The bowl does not have to be constantly filled, as is often the case. Only an animal with a moderate food instinct will not overeat in the face of unlimited access to food. By the time of feeding, the cat should show a keen interest in food and eat the entire calculated norm, otherwise, if part of the food remains in the bowl, then the animal may be overeating, someone other than you is feeding the pet, or there is a disease leading to decrease in appetite. This situation requires a reduction in the amount of food.

An animal that experiences health problems with natural nutrition (diarrhea, regular vomiting) is sick and requires treatment. Switching to dry food will only adapt the animal to the disease, and will not get rid of it. This is like a diet that makes life easier, which has the right to be used in the practice of a veterinarian, especially in cases where the animal's health condition is irreparable or the doctor is not able to cope with the pathology with a natural diet. Owners need to understand this.

Therefore, the question: “What to feed a cat?” Can be answered - with natural food, which contains everything necessary for the body of a carnivore. It is also necessary to know that the recommendations of breeders or felinologists, as well as the popular literature written by them on keeping and feeding cats, has nothing to do with objectively correct ways of feeding, because the reason for such recommendations is partly from ignorance and misunderstanding of the biological nature of the cat, and, partly, to reduce the cost or simplify the maintenance of the animal.

If you follow all the above feeding rules, your pet will live a long and healthy life.

Many of the questions that you still have after reading this article have already been asked in. However, if something is unclear, please ask there.

Also, questions and answers on most issues related to feeding dogs and cats can be read at.

From how balanced and varied the cat's diet depends on its appearance, health, mood. Just like humans, animals need a complete set of nutrients. The diet should contain the elements necessary for the body: proteins, carbohydrates, animal and vegetable fat, vitamins, minerals.

In their natural habitat, cats eat mostly meat. Depending on their size and weight, they prey on large animals - zebras, antelopes, deer, or are content with rabbits, rodents, reptiles, birds, insects. The basis of their nutrition is animal protein, therefore, at home, the diet should be designed so that the cat receives it in sufficient quantities. The source of protein is meat, offal, cottage cheese. In addition to protein, animals need micro and macro elements and vitamins, which are provided by vegetables, fruits, cereals, ready-made vitamin complexes. When introducing vegetables and fruits into the cat's diet, it should be remembered that not all are suitable for animal nutrition, some contain toxic substances that can cause a sharp deterioration in health and even death.

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What can you give a cat?

When choosing natural homemade food, you need to know what foods are acceptable for feeding the animal, as improper nutrition will lead to diseases and changes in behavior.

Ready-made dry food and canned food contain a balanced complex that guarantees optimal supply of the body with all the necessary substances. When preparing food for a pet on your own, it is not always possible to compose a menu in such a way that the necessary components are present in the diet. Having decided to feed the animal with natural food, it is worth supplementing the food with vitamin and mineral complexes designed specifically for cats.

List of foods acceptable for a cat's diet:

• meat of chicken, rabbit, turkey, veal, beef - the basis of nutrition;
• offal - lungs, liver, heart, kidneys can be used instead of meat several times a week;
• vegetables (cauliflower and white cabbage, lettuce pepper, zucchini, pumpkin) are added to the meat at each feeding or 1 time per day;
• porridge (buckwheat, oatmeal, rice), given with meat or dairy products;
• fermented milk products - cottage cheese, sour cream, fermented baked milk, kefir - can be consumed with cereals or as an independent food;
• vegetable oil 2 - 4 times a week is added to porridge or meat for half a teaspoon for better bowel functioning;
• chicken eggs (boiled yolk), quail (raw, boiled);
• fruits, if the cat loves, you can give, but make sure that the animal does not eat bones and seeds;
• vitamins, which include arachidonic acid, glucosamine, taurine, arginine.

You need to cook food in clean dishes, without adding salt, sugar, spices. It is unacceptable to feed a pet from dishes with the remnants of yesterday's food, bacteria that multiply in it will cause indigestion and vomiting.



Feeding regimen and food processing rules

An adult cat needs to be fed little and often, large portions are poorly digested, food that stagnates in the stomach causes discomfort to the animal. The optimal mode is 3-4 times a day in portions from 30 to 70 grams per 1 kg of animal weight. By observing the pet, the owner determines how much food he needs. If the cat ate quite a bit, do not force her to finish eating. It's better to make the portion smaller next time.





Nutrition for pregnant and lactating cats

Often a cat preparing to become a mother refuses to eat or eats much less than before pregnancy. You don't have to force her. Appetite disappears at an early stage, as soon as the animal gets used to its position, you can return to the usual feeding regimen, gradually increasing portions. The expectant mother needs a lot of vegetables, herbs, cereals, vitamins A and B. They increase the amount of dairy products rich in calcium, whey is especially useful. The menu includes boiled beef cartilage, which contains a lot of vitamin D, which is necessary for kittens.

A cat weakened by childbirth also often refuses to eat. No need to worry and try to feed her, as soon as postpartum stress passes, her appetite will return to normal. An additional amount of cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream is introduced into the diet of a nursing mother. To enhance lactation, the animal needs to drink plenty of fluids, pure water or whey.

During pregnancy and childbirth, a cat spends a lot of internal reserves on bearing, giving birth and nursing kittens, so her body needs additional vitamins and minerals. In veterinary pharmacies, complex preparations are available, designed specifically for pregnant and lactating cats, their use will make it easier for the owner to optimally balance the pet's diet during a difficult period for the animal.





A kitten appeared in the house - what and how to feed it?

How to feed a spayed cat?

A cat that does not happen is prone to many diseases, including cancer. It is better to sterilize a pet that is not intended for breeding in order to get rid of natural instincts. The body of a sterilized animal does not produce hormones responsible for the instinct of reproduction, it painlessly endures the absence of mating.

Neutered cats put on weight, are more lazy, calm, inactive. Food for sterilized cats is expensive, you need to choose premium dry food or canned food. For overweight animals, low-calorie food with a minimum fat content is produced. At home, food is limited by reducing portions, the number of feedings is left the same, the calorie content is reduced, giving less carbohydrate food (porridge) and fat (cream, butter).

Prohibited Products

There are a number of foods that limit or exclude from the cat menu. Some of them contain substances that are safe for humans, but toxic to cats.

Never give cats food from the home table. It contains a lot of salt, sugar, spices, chemical additives, preservatives, dyes, flavors. Even if family members follow a healthy lifestyle and eat environmentally friendly food, it harms pets.



Many foods are forbidden to give a cat in any quantity:

1. 1. Onions and garlic in any form cause hemolytic anemia.
2. 2. Legumes (lentils, beans, peas, beans) are not absorbed by the body, cause fermentation.
3. 3. Avocado - its oily structure attracts cats, but the persin contained in the vegetable is toxic to them, provokes irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, vomiting, and diarrhea.
4. 4. Rhubarb is dangerous because of oxalic acid poisoning, which can lead to kidney failure.
5. 5. Seeds and seeds of fruits.
6. 6. Mushrooms in any form lead to toxic shock.
7. 7. Raw chicken eggs lead to a lack of vitamin B in the body, which negatively affects the condition of the skin and coat.
8. 8. Duck, goose, pork, lard.
9. 9. The tubular bones of a rabbit and a bird can damage the esophagus, stomach, and intestines.
10. 10. Yeast dough, muffins, bread, homemade cakes, confectionery - cause flatulence, intestinal colic.
11. 11. Dog food, especially for large breeds, is dangerous due to its high concentration of nutrients, it will provoke hypervitaminosis.
12. 12. Vitamin complexes intended for people.
13. 13. Sausages, sausages, smoked meats, hard cheeses, dry breakfasts, chips.

No need to worry if the pet accidentally ate something from the prohibited list, a single use will not be harmful, but regular feeding of inappropriate food will inevitably lead to health problems and even death of your beloved cat.2. Cut chicken, turkey, rabbit meat into small pieces, mix with boiled vegetables and half a teaspoon of sunflower or olive oil.

• 3. Boil rice, mix with egg yolk, boiled carrots, pieces of chicken meat (raw or boiled).
• 4. Boil the fillet of sea fish of low-fat varieties, chop, add greens and vegetables.
• 5. Cook oatmeal, mix with cottage cheese (kefir, sour cream).
• 6. You can make small cutlets from meat and vegetables, boil them for a few minutes, store in the refrigerator.
• 7. Offal pate: boil beef lungs, liver, heart, pass through a meat grinder, mix with boiled vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, sweet peppers). You can make a lot, divide into portions, place in the freezer. Add to hot porridge before feeding.

All dishes can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for no more than two days or in the freezer, defrosting as needed. Based on the proposed recipes, you can create a menu for a week and the pet will be provided with nutrients for full development and physical activity. Sour-milk drinks are given to the cat as the main meal, the source of fluid for the animal is clean water, which should always be available to him.

It's good when a cat owner thinks about the proper nutrition of his pet. After all, the process of digestion of cats is significantly different from the process of digestion of humans. Only now the majority makes a choice in favor of industrial feed. Because they do not require time to prepare and their composition is balanced by experts. That's right, but fresh homemade food is much healthier, and in case of health problems, it is certainly better to cook food yourself, in consultation with a veterinarian.

Note: this article offers only a few useful and proven recipes, and not a complete menu for the long term.

Basic rules for a healthy cat diet

About 90% of the diet should consist of meat and offal.

Cat dishes are served raw (with the exception of some products, which will be discussed separately) and at room temperature. Frozen portions should also be thawed at room temperature.

Buy meat only in a trusted place.

The food should contain bones or calcium preparations.

Most of the diet should be offered in the form of pieces, since the pet must work with its jaws, tear and chew food. It is important for cat health, prevents problems with teeth and gums.

Clean water should be freely available.

It is necessary to observe the feeding regime, and do not exceed the portion size. An adult animal is fed twice a day, in the morning and late in the evening. The daily norm - for a domestic, sedentary pet, is approximately 50 g / kg of weight.

The cat's menu is much poorer than the human one. Cats are absolute predators; under natural conditions, very few cereals enter their stomachs, a barely noticeable amount of vegetables. Therefore, no matter how useful cereals, raw and baked vegetables are for a person, they should not be introduced into the pet’s diet. We advise you to read the article, which describes in detail the products that are harmful to the health of the cat.

One of the easiest, most natural-looking dishes to prepare is raw chicken heads and necks. Some people do not believe and are even horrified that their cute cat is able to greedily bite into a chicken head and not choke on the bones. But it is the bones of the heads and necks that the cat will gnaw without harm to health. Moreover, such nutrition will bring many benefits to the animal. Heads and necks require treatment before feeding, but this is not difficult at all.

How to prepare chicken heads

Most often, such products are sold in frozen packages. Wait for the heads to thaw. Then you need to rinse the ying with cool water, cut off the beaks (they are too tough for the cat), and cut in half lengthwise. It does not require significant physical effort.

If the head is small and the pet is large, you can not cut it - more useful substances will remain in the product. Then the halves are folded into portion boxes or cups. You can use plastic cups with a volume of 200 ml, the same volume of boxes for sour cream and mayonnaise. One such serving is enough for a medium-sized domestic adult cat for the whole day.

How to prepare chicken necks

Necks, like heads, are often sold frozen and packaged. As in the case of heads, they must be thawed, rinsed with water and cleaned of skin and fat (the fat contained in any meat, but not visible to the naked eye, is quite enough). Then they need to be cut into pieces 1.5 - 2 cm long. The necks are quite easy to cut, you just need to try to direct the knife blade between the vertebrae. You can not cut into pieces, but flatten the neck a little with a hammer. Then also distribute into portioned containers and put on refreeze. For variety, it's a good idea to form portions of heads and necks in a 50/50 ratio.

A cat accustomed to human food or mixed food is unlikely to be happy about the change in the usual diet to the head and neck. You can find out how to competently transfer a pet from one type of food to another in the article How to transfer a cat from industrial feed to a natural cat (or vice versa).

cooking fish

Only sea fish is suitable, there are too many bones in the river. It needs to be boiled for a few minutes. Then cool and completely remove the bones. One serving - no more than 150 g. You can put a raw quail egg in the fish. Although many cats simply love fish, it is undesirable to give it more than once every five days. There is a lot of phosphorus and magnesium in fish, its frequent presence in the diet upsets the balance of minerals in the cat's body. This can provoke many diseases, in the first place - ICD.

Meat mix

For this dish, any meat products in arbitrary proportions from the permitted ones are suitable. And the more of them, the better. For example: chicken breast, turkey and chicken gizzards, chicken heart. Everything is rinsed with cold water. Then they remove: from the hearts - pieces of fat, from the stomachs - hard connective fibers. After that, the products are crushed into pieces about 1 ╳ 1 cm in size. As in the case of heads and necks, the mixed cuts are placed in portioned dishes with a volume of 200 ml and sent for refreezing.

How to prepare beef

This product is preferably thermally processed. First, the pulp must be cut into pieces, then pour boiling water and wait a few minutes. Then drain the water and cool the meat to room temperature.

cutlets

The largest number of ingredients can be included in this dish, including some cereals and vegetables. Meat products should be raw, thawed. Sample list:

Chicken necks - about 1 kg

Turkey stomachs - 400 g

Rabbit fillet - 300 g

Beef heart - 200 g

Boiled buckwheat - 2 tablespoons

Boiled cabbage - 2 tablespoons

Proportions and ingredients can be replaced or supplemented. However, it is not recommended to increase the proportion of plant components by more than 5-10%. The pet will smell a "forgery" and simply refuse to eat a vegetarian - from his point of view, cutlet. For the first time, you can completely do without cereals and vegetables. Pass all products through a meat grinder, installing a grate with large holes. Stir, form cutlets and put them in the freezer. The only condition: the meat grinder must be powerful enough to grind chicken necks.

Adviсe

Dishes such as pâtés are not recommended: they practically do not require chewing and therefore are not good for the cat. If the animal likes the liver, it is better to cut it into pieces and serve as an independent dish or as part of a meat mix.

If you are afraid to give your cat heads and necks, then you will have to add special calcium preparations to her food, which can be bought at a veterinary pharmacy or pet store.

You should not be guided by the tastes of the pet. Many cats show funny and unexpected food habits. It happens that a cat with pleasure eats raisins or chocolate, licks the remnants of the owner's coffee, eats canned corn or boiled potatoes. All of these foods are not only unnatural for a cat's diet, but also unhealthy.

Ready-made (industrial) feed

Feeding with ready-made feed is more convenient, because. allows you to save time on cooking, it is balanced and the cat receives all the necessary nutrients.

You can feed dry and canned (canned) food.

There are also differences between dry foods. Experienced "cat breeders" categorically do not recommend buying cheap advertised dry food, because they are made from products of dubious quality and often lead to severe kidney and liver diseases. Choose the so-called premium food Hills (Hills), Nutro Choice (Nutro Choyce), Iams (Yams), Royal Canin (Royal Canin), Eagle Pack (Eagle Pack), Nutra Gold (Nutra Gold), Purina Pro Plan (Purina Pro Plan) in specialty stores. Of course, they are more expensive, but your pet's health is worth it, don't skimp on food! Good foods are usually labeled "Premium" or "Superpremium".

In each such line of food there is food specifically for kittens. All over the world, diets such as Eukanuba Puppy & Junior Small Breed, Hill's Science Plan Puppy & Kitten, Royal Canin Size Nutrition Mini Junior and many others for every taste and budget.

Cheap food like Kitty Cat, Katinka, it is IMPOSSIBLE to give! The same goes for highly advertised foods such as Whiskas, Friskas, etc. They are of poor quality, contain too many mineral salts, they use not meat and high-quality offal, but bones, skins, feathers as protein. Their use leads to various diseases and does not satisfy the needs of the cat. There is also a high risk of developing kidney stones.

From canned food, good dry food manufacturers recommended above, as well as Gourmet (Gourmet).

A kitten up to 8-10 months, sometimes up to a year, is fed with special kitten food, both dry and canned. This is very important for proper development. Then they are transferred to adult food. Also, kitten food is given to pregnant and lactating cats. When feeding dry food to a cat (male), especially a castrated one, the package should be marked “prevention of urolithiasis” (these feeds have a special formula with a low content of ash, phosphorus and magnesium). For a cat, this is not so important, just high-quality food is enough. Dry food can be poured for the whole day, it does not deteriorate. Canned food is given as much as the animal can eat at one time. The following diet is recommended (based on the daily dose): 75% dry food 25% canned food. You can increase the consumption of canned food up to 50% of the daily diet (especially important for show cats).

Vitamins Sanal, Jim Pat, Kitzim, etc. are given with such feeding in smaller doses and not constantly, but in courses (if necessary) than with natural feeding (consult your veterinarian or sales assistant).

Natural food for kittens, cats and cats

If you want to accustom a kitten to natural food, certain conditions must be observed. Food should be varied. If a kitten is not accustomed to a product in childhood, it is unlikely that it will be possible to do this in adulthood. Therefore, offer different foods so as not to turn the kitten into a fussy and provide good nutrition. Never feed an animal from the table - human food is not good for cats, it can cause severe indigestion, in addition, you risk raising a beggar if you constantly feed the animal from your plate. Do not give anything smoked, salty or spicy, have pity on the animal! No bones, especially chicken. Such bones, when passing through the digestive tract, can very severely injure the internal organs. Remember that cats need weed to effectively regurgitate the hair that has accumulated in their stomachs. Sow weed directly in flower pots or buy already grown in a pet store. The kitten should have its own dishes, its own permanent place for a meal and its own diet. And don't forget your vitamin and mineral supplements. If you feed the animal with natural products, then you can not do without additives.

First of all, put meat in the cat's "grocery basket". It can be beef (it’s better to start with it), poultry, rabbit, lamb, horse meat. Give up pork - this meat is too fatty, especially for small ones, and besides, it can infect the kitten with helminths. Oddly enough, it is also better not to get carried away with fish - let's give sea fish once a week in small portions. Meat can be given both boiled and raw, at first it is better in finely chopped or mashed form.

Dairy products are the most native food for a kitten. However, some delicate stomachs cannot tolerate cow's milk. Whole milk can be replaced with curdled milk, kefir and other fermented milk products. An excellent product for a growing organism is cottage cheese. A small kitten can be given a mixture of cottage cheese with milk and yolk - a very healthy and nutritious eggnog, eaten with great pleasure. Also, do not forget to occasionally pamper your purr with low-fat sour cream and cheese.

Almost all cats eat eggs with pleasure. This is a real delicacy for them. Include eggs in the menu a couple of times a week, they have a great effect on the condition of the coat. Can be given raw or cooked. For small kittens, offer a mixture of milk and yolk.

For full development, vegetable products are also needed - cereals and vegetables. It is best to cook porridge. For young animals - on milk, for grown-up kittens - on water or broth. A variety of cereals can be used, legumes and hercules should be avoided. Legumes are poorly digested and provoke bloating, and rolled oats are too saturated with carbohydrates and can lead to obesity. Pureed boiled vegetables and meat are usually added to porridges in broth.

Remember that the kitten must have constant access to water. When fed with dry food, water intake increases by about 4 times. The water should be clean, fresh, change the water every day and scald the water container with boiling water.

Cat food is not salted.

Meat and meat offal, which are given raw, must be pre-frozen.

You can not feed the kitten only meat and fish, or only cereals. You should not get carried away with fish at all, its excessive consumption leads to inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and urolithiasis. Castrated animals should not be given fish at all.

Food should be slightly warm or at room temperature. Do not give too hot or cold (from the refrigerator) food.

All food for the kitten is very finely chopped, large and small bones are carefully removed. For an adult cat, food is cut into small pieces. Don't give big pieces!

Raw meat is given in its pure form, boiled meat or fish (boiled) can be mixed with vegetables, cereals, etc.

Kitten 1.5-2 months. fed 5 times a day (or free access to food). By six months, gradually reduce the number of feedings to 3 times a day. From 8 months Feed like an adult cat 2 times a day.

Remember: a cat is a predator, and she is not obliged to eat borscht, pasta or coleslaw. The cat has its own, special diet, and you should take this into account when feeding your pet, and not try to accustom it to what we eat with you - this is HARMFUL for cats and leads to various diseases.

FEEDING THE KITTEN - RECIPE

Here is my way of feeding kittens for busy people.

For 1 kg of raw twisted beef: 2 medium grated carrots (without nitrates), 200 g of kindergarten cheese (cheap, mild, unsalted), 1 raw chicken yolk (or 3 quail) for a bunch, a tablespoon of brewer's yeast (this is the whole group of vitamins B from B1 to B12), calcium gluconate (ordinary chalk) - 6 tablets (put in a tablespoon, a teaspoon to a powder state), vitamin D - 20 drops.

The amount of meat can be increased by 2-5 times, respectively, increasing the amount of other products.

Turn the whole mixture into a homogeneous mass with handles. Roll out with a rolling pin in layers of 0.5 mm and put in the freezer. A layer of parchment or foil is a layer of the mixture.

Came from work. They tore off a piece, quickly thawed it, make small meatballs that increase with the age of the cat.

mixed food

Mixed nutrition - when dry food (high-quality!) is taken as the basis of the diet, to which the animal has constant access. As bait 1-2 times a day (for example, in the morning and in the evening), the animal is offered meat, fish, dairy products (see the table on feeding with natural food).

With such feeding, it is imperative to give vitamins for cats.

Such food is less desirable.

Artificial feeding of kittens

It happens that a kitten comes to you very small, still breastfeeding, unable to eat on its own. What to do with such a baby and how to feed him in the absence of a mother?

Most often, these kittens are fed from a bottle with whole cow's or goat's milk mixed with a raw egg. Strain the mixture through gauze and feed in the form heated to 30-35 degrees 6 times a day. Infant milk formulas can also be used, and specially formulated milk substitutes are now sold in pet stores. When the kitten is 1 month old, you can start introducing grated or scraped meat (beef, chicken), sour-milk products, liquid cottage cheese into the diet. At 1.5-2 months. kittens are already able to eat on their own and easily get used to the chosen diet. Introduce new products gradually, one after another, without mixing.

A complete, balanced diet is the key to your pet's health. Observe the appearance and behavior of the kitten. He must be active and full of energy, grow and develop well. Organize your pet the right feeding, and you can easily raise a healthy, beautiful cat!

WHEN YOU CHOOSE THE FOOD FOR YOUR PET,

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

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

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