Advice to kitten owners - is it possible to feed a kitten with adult food?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Proper nutrition of a kitten is the key to his future he alth. Unfortunately, the owner cannot provide the baby with the food that his relatives ate in the wild. If you start feeding him food bought in a store and intended for people, then rarely will anyone manage to avoid an upset stomach in a small pet. Only good quality special cat food will ensure that these problems do not occur.

Why do we need kitten food?

A small kitten needs an increased amount of proteins, vitamins, microelements compared to adult animals. Calcium and phosphorus are needed for the construction of bones, teeth, vitamins - for the development of vision. Since mothers feed babies, basically, up to two months, and after that this issue shouldthe owner, then he should have a good idea of what kind of nutrition a small growing organism needs so that it can turn into a he althy, cheerful animal. After two months, kittens begin to be interested in what their mother cat eats. What food to choose for a kitten? The advice of the veterinarian to the owner leaves the choice between homemade food or factory-made food (dry or wet).

What is he althier for a kitten?

Many pet owners are tormented by the question of what food to choose for a kitten. On the advice of a veterinarian, cats can be given both natural food and special industrial food. Feeding "from the table", as some owners do, is not recommended by veterinarians. Cat food differs from human food in a high protein content. Therefore, in order for the diet to match ideal nutrition, the pet owner must know how the pet's digestive system works.

Natural food or prepared food?

If there is no meat in the pet's diet, then he starts having problems with cell regeneration, with blood clotting, and other diseases appear. Sugar, starch, smoked meats are contraindicated for cats.

However, you can’t feed only meat to cats, as they have a lack of calcium in the body with an excess of phosphorus. Thyroid disease begins, reducing the mineralization of the skeleton. The gait is disturbed, the hind legs fail, and the loving owners run to the veterinarian, as they believe that the pet jumped from above and hurt something. In addition to meat, the cat also needs offal andplant food.

Vegetable food in nature, cats get by eating the contents of the stomachs of caught small animals. Such plants are already in a semi-digested state, ideally accepted by the digestive system of carnivores.

Porridge, fish, dairy products, sausages are not suitable food for cats, as they provoke the concentration of urine in the body, and this, in turn, causes urolithiasis. Mineral s alts from undigested foods appear as crystalline urine deposits.

So, if you feed your beloved pets with the right homemade food, then compiling a diet is a rather difficult task. Veterinarians are constantly asked if it is okay to feed a kitten adult food. The best food in nature for kittens would be small mice that their mother got them, but since there are no such mice in city apartments, the person himself must provide his pets with everything necessary for growth and proper development.

Fortunately, manufacturers have taken care of the proper nutrition of animals, releasing dry and wet food for them and their babies, which contain well-balanced nutrients necessary for he alth.

Dry or wet food?

Wet food comes in two varieties:

• pouches ("bags") - contain a lot of moisture in the form of broth or sauce with pieces of food;
• canned food - packed in metal jars of various sizes, calculatedfor longer storage than spiders.

Dry is a perfectly balanced diet for adults and babies and contains a small amount of water (5-12%). They are economical, stored for a long time, preserve taste. Cats can feel great all their lives, eating only dry rounds. Owner packages always say at what age kittens can dry food.

The only condition! A cat eating "crackers" should always have access to a bowl filled with clean drinking water for drinking. Is it possible to feed a kitten with adult food, the owner decides, but it is better not to do this until at least 6 months old.

Kittens can be given dry food from 2-3 months. But you should not buy economy-class products for babies. It is better to start with premium products, the composition of which is best balanced for the correct diet of kittens.

How many times a day to feed a kitten?

A kitten from the age of one month should be taught to self-feed. It is transferred to dry and wet ready-made feeds within a month. It is better to give food to the baby often, but little by little. As the famous ad says, a kitten's stomach is smaller than a thimble. Eating dry food, the baby does not know the measure. If he is oversatiated, then there is a high probability of vomiting.

• When the baby is 1.5-2 months old, he should be given food at least 6 times a day, trying to do it at the same time.
• At the age of 4 months, you can already decide how many timesa day to feed a kitten - 3 or 4. At the same time, you can leave dry granules to lie in a bowl all the time if the owner is busy throughout the day.
• A kitten is considered an adult from 10 months old.
• The transition to adult nutrition is fully completed by the year.

Can I feed a kitten adult cat food?

Complete food is a great choice for working people who can't pay enough attention to formulating a cat's diet. The transition to adult nutrition from children is simple - during the period of life recommended by veterinarians. But it is better to buy food for a pet that costs a class higher than food from the “economy” category. Economy kibble contains more vegetables and bone meal than your cat needs. The premium class fully satisfies the need for quality food for kittens.

Cat owners often ask the question: "Is it possible to feed a kitten with adult food?". Of course, if the baby eats dry granules from the mother's bowl, then nothing bad will happen. But it is better not to give products for adult animals all the time, because they contain less vitamins, calcium, phosphorus and other substances necessary for the proper development of a growing organism.

Dry food can be wetted for the first time, but usually not needed. At two months old, a kitten perfectly gnaws food pellets with sharp teeth.