As with all young animals, good nutrition in kittens is crucial for health, growth and establishing an effective immune system.
Of course, due to the extremely rapid growth rate of young cats, they need a different diet from that of adult cats.
Nursing Kittens For the first several weeks, kittens will feed from Mother.
While lactating, an adult cat will need slightly more food and water, but she should be able to feed her young without any further assistance.
Typically, it is recommended that lactating cats be given a kitten food, as it contains more calories than an adult cat food.
If, however, Mother is not producing enough milk for the whole litter, or if you are raising orphaned kittens, you will need to hand rear.
A healthy kitten will double its weight in the first two weeks, if it fails do to do so, you should seek the help of a veterinarian.
4-5 Weeks Old Once kittens have reached one month, they should begin to show an interest in solid food in an attempt to imitate their mother.
At this stage, it is advisable to give them small amounts of kitten food mixed with kitten milk replacement.
When mixing you should create something that is similar consistency to baby food.
This should be offered to the kittens approximately four times a day.
However, it is a good idea to keep an eye on them and remove the bowl as soon as they have finished eating to reduce the amount of mess that they make with the food.
To wean the kittens, you should gradually reduce the amount of milk replacement that is being mixed with the kitten food.
By 8 weeks of age, the kittens should be able to eat solid food.
Additionally, during this time, the amount of kitten food offered to the mother can be reduced week-by-week, until she is back on adult food.
After Weaning After weaning, the kittens should be fed on a specifically formulated kitten food, preferably a high quality brand, that contains meat, poultry or fish.
You should not feed a kitten adult cat food until it is at least one year old.
Remember, cheap brands are often nutritionally deficient, so ensure that you read the labels before selecting a kitten food.
If you're in any doubt over what to feed your kittens, ask the advice of a veterinarian.
It is always wise to avoid a diet of exclusively dry food, as this can cause life-threatening dehydration.
Wet food alone or a mixture of dry and wet food is preferable.
Always ensure that your kittens have access to clean, fresh water.
Ideally, the water bowl should be placed in a different location from the food, as cats do not like eating and drinking in the same place.
Changing Foods Cats can be terribly fussy, so if you plan to change your kitten's food or graduate to adult food, it is best to do so gradually.
As with weaning, introduce tiny portions of the new food in addition to the familiar meal.
Some owners find it helpful to blend the two foods together and gradually decrease the amount of the old food.
Remember, sudden changes can cause your kittens to go of their food or give them digestive problems.
Milk It is not advisable to feed a kitten any kind of milk after it has been weaned.
Like all animals, after weaning, the kitten loses the ability to digest lactose.
Therefore, milk can cause severe stomach upsets, which will be unpleasant for the cat and you.
Starting kittens with a healthy diet is crucial to their future health and longevity.
Therefore, it is wise to monitor your kittens carefully in the first few weeks to ensure that they are gaining weight and growing at the appropriate rate.
If, at any point, problems arise, visit your veterinarian immediately.
Of course, due to the extremely rapid growth rate of young cats, they need a different diet from that of adult cats.
Nursing Kittens For the first several weeks, kittens will feed from Mother.
While lactating, an adult cat will need slightly more food and water, but she should be able to feed her young without any further assistance.
Typically, it is recommended that lactating cats be given a kitten food, as it contains more calories than an adult cat food.
If, however, Mother is not producing enough milk for the whole litter, or if you are raising orphaned kittens, you will need to hand rear.
A healthy kitten will double its weight in the first two weeks, if it fails do to do so, you should seek the help of a veterinarian.
4-5 Weeks Old Once kittens have reached one month, they should begin to show an interest in solid food in an attempt to imitate their mother.
At this stage, it is advisable to give them small amounts of kitten food mixed with kitten milk replacement.
When mixing you should create something that is similar consistency to baby food.
This should be offered to the kittens approximately four times a day.
However, it is a good idea to keep an eye on them and remove the bowl as soon as they have finished eating to reduce the amount of mess that they make with the food.
To wean the kittens, you should gradually reduce the amount of milk replacement that is being mixed with the kitten food.
By 8 weeks of age, the kittens should be able to eat solid food.
Additionally, during this time, the amount of kitten food offered to the mother can be reduced week-by-week, until she is back on adult food.
After Weaning After weaning, the kittens should be fed on a specifically formulated kitten food, preferably a high quality brand, that contains meat, poultry or fish.
You should not feed a kitten adult cat food until it is at least one year old.
Remember, cheap brands are often nutritionally deficient, so ensure that you read the labels before selecting a kitten food.
If you're in any doubt over what to feed your kittens, ask the advice of a veterinarian.
It is always wise to avoid a diet of exclusively dry food, as this can cause life-threatening dehydration.
Wet food alone or a mixture of dry and wet food is preferable.
Always ensure that your kittens have access to clean, fresh water.
Ideally, the water bowl should be placed in a different location from the food, as cats do not like eating and drinking in the same place.
Changing Foods Cats can be terribly fussy, so if you plan to change your kitten's food or graduate to adult food, it is best to do so gradually.
As with weaning, introduce tiny portions of the new food in addition to the familiar meal.
Some owners find it helpful to blend the two foods together and gradually decrease the amount of the old food.
Remember, sudden changes can cause your kittens to go of their food or give them digestive problems.
Milk It is not advisable to feed a kitten any kind of milk after it has been weaned.
Like all animals, after weaning, the kitten loses the ability to digest lactose.
Therefore, milk can cause severe stomach upsets, which will be unpleasant for the cat and you.
Starting kittens with a healthy diet is crucial to their future health and longevity.
Therefore, it is wise to monitor your kittens carefully in the first few weeks to ensure that they are gaining weight and growing at the appropriate rate.
If, at any point, problems arise, visit your veterinarian immediately.
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