Scottish Fold cat nutrition: a complete diet, the best dry food and the benefits of natural food

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

The Scottish cat is one of the most popular breeds in the world. She is loved for her beauty and good nature. You can praise the dignity of the animal for a long time, but the article is devoted to the nutrition of the Scottish Fold cat. This beauty needs a certain menu.

How many times to feed?

Let's start with a traditional question, the answer to which is known to experienced cat owners. For beginners, it causes confusion. How many times a day is the pet fed?

It all depends on her age. It is advisable to purchase a kitten at the age of 2, 5-3 months, when he is already accustomed to self-feeding. If the newcomer is younger than the specified age, then the owners need to know the following:

• Kittens aged 1-2 months are fed six times a day every three hours.
• From two to three months, babies eat five times a day, and the intervals between feedings increase.

• After reaching three months and up to 5 months of age, little pets are fed four times.
• From the age of five months they are transferred to three meals a day. It lasts up to nine months.

• From the age of nine months, the pet receives food twice a day. Exceptions are pregnant and sick animals, they are fed more often.

Food norms

The nutrition of a Scottish fold cat, as well as pets with ordinary ears, should not exceed 300 grams per day. This weight is for adults and he althy animals. For kittens, pregnant, lactating cats and breeding cats, the norm is 10% of their weight.

Do not forget that any cat is a predator by nature. And the aristocratic Scot is no exception. And predators eat mostly meat. They need carbohydrates, but not in such quantities as new owners sometimes give.

When planning your Scottish Fold cat's diet, it's helpful to know what your cat needs:

• Proteins, the consumption of which is 50-60% of the total daily intake. Proteins are found in meat, dairy products and eggs.
• Fats, the norm of which is 15%. Fats must be of animal origin, vegetable fats do not satisfy the needs of plush beauties at all.
• Carbohydrates, although there is some controversy on this issue. Other veterinarians claim that the cat does not need carbohydrates, animals do not have an enzyme called amylase, which is responsible for their digestion. But this statement can be disputed, because where does the catwill get energy if not from complex carbohydrates.

Choose a diet

What to feed a Scottish Fold cat? There are two main types of her food: natural products and dry food. Other owners talk about mixed nutrition, when the pet is fed "drying" and "natural", but we do not recommend combining them. The fact is that different enzymes in the body of the animal are responsible for the digestion of both species. And they cannot stand out at the same time, which leads to he alth problems for the pet if you feed it according to the third option.

The virtues of natural food

What can you feed a Scottish Fold cat, we found out. Now let's talk about the benefits of natural nutrition:

• The owner knows what he gives the cat. He chooses food for cooking, focusing on quality.
• This food is more suitable for cats, according to experienced breeders.

Disadvantages of a natural diet

Alas, but the nutrition of the Scottish Fold cat, built on natural and high-quality products, has more minuses than pluses.

• It takes time to cook. It is very often not enough even for the most necessary things, and allocating an hour for cooking for a pet is an unaffordable luxury for many owners.
• No matter how good the food is, cooked food is not always well balanced. And this means that you will have to buy additional funds that include the vitamins necessary for the cat.
• Quite expensivepleasure, especially when keeping several cats. Natural nutrition is more expensive than the best food.
• Animals quickly gain weight if their diet is not adjusted. This is not very beneficial for the pet's he alth, and if the cat is also a show cat, then it may simply not be allowed into the ring.

Pros of prepared food

Food for Scottish Fold cats is divided into dry and wet (spider). And most owners choose it for the following reasons:

• Complete food is more convenient to use. You can put it in a bowl and not worry about it not spoiling. And there is no need to waste time cooking.
• There are a great variety of brands of food, there is something for every taste and budget. Manufacturers offer products for kittens, pregnant cats, seniors and veterinary foods.
• The finished feed contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Of course, we are talking about premium and super premium quality products.
• The price category suits many owners. The most expensive food is cheaper than complete natural nutrition.

Cons of the finished diet

Scottish fold cat food has its downsides. The most basic of these is the presence of preservatives and obscure additives to keep the food fresh.

The second disadvantage is the quality. Even in super-premium class products, as the manufacturers position them, one can see a strange composition. For example, chicken meat predominates in the feed,percentage is indicated. But what kind of meat, in what form, is not specified. And under the vague phrase, chicken production waste in the form of ground bones, skins and feathers, offal and other low-quality ingredients can be hidden. And this is in quite expensive feeds. What can we say about the economy class, where there is no meat at all, but food additives that are harmful to the cat's he alth are contained in huge quantities.

Allowed natural foods

The better to feed Scottish Fold cats, their owners decide. Some people like natural pet food, while others prefer dry food.

If the owner is inclined to feed the cat "natural", then we will provide him with a list of allowed products:

1. Raw lean meat. This includes beef, veal and rabbit meat. In fact, the issue of feeding raw food is quite controversial. During cooking, of course, useful substances are destroyed. But raw meat can contain worms. And, despite the thorough freezing of the product, they are quite capable of surviving it. As for fresh meat, it is strictly forbidden to feed the Scottish Fold cat.
2. Chicken or turkey. Chicken is considered a he althy product containing a high amount of protein. But it serves as an allergy provocateur, and if the cat is prone to it, then you will have to refrain from feeding chicken meat. In this case, turkey meat is more preferable; it is fed raw or boiled. If you decide to give the cat a raw bird, then the meat must be frozen for at least threedays.
3. Dairy products. These include kefir, cottage cheese, fermented baked milk and sour cream. Products should be low-fat, and give them as a separate dish. Do not combine with meat and vegetables.
4. Hard boiled chicken eggs. Half an egg or one yolk is enough for an adult cat, which is fed to her once a week.
5. Cereals are carbohydrates, their usefulness is debated. We mentioned this above, and yet experienced cat owners recommend giving boiled rice or buckwheat to their pets. The cereal is mixed with meat, its amount should not exceed 1/4 of the meat portion.
6. Vegetables are useful for feeding a Scottish Fold kitten, as well as for adults. They are boiled, mashed and mixed with the meat component. The main vegetables included in the animal's diet are carrots, cauliflower, green beans, potatoes in minimal quantities.
7. Fish and a cat - an established stereotype. Like, mustachioed-striped people are crazy about this delicacy. Maybe it is so, but this does not apply to Scottish cats. If you regularly feed your pet with fish, then he runs the risk of getting kidney disease. Therefore, weekly treats are enough, and it is worth choosing low-fat fish varieties.
8. Offal does not belong to the obligatory menu of aristocratic beauties. Moreover, their excessive use threatens pets with an upset stomach, but it is not forbidden to treat a cat with boiled offal once a week.
9. Nutritional supplements are essential for cats on a natural diet. These additives include bran, vegetable oils, fish oil anddry kelp.

Kitten food

How to feed a Scottish Fold kitten is a question that makes many new owners think. A tiny baby needs a special diet, as it seems at first glance. But this is not entirely true, because the kitten eats the same foods as an adult, only in a different form.

For example, meat for a baby is boiled and cut into small pieces. If the kitten is very tiny (1-2 months), then the meat is turned into mashed potatoes. The same goes for vegetables and cereals.

The baby is not given fish until six months, as well as offal. But up to five months, a kitten needs milk porridge. Do not forget to give milk to the baby, but only until the declared age. Then it ceases to be absorbed.

Feeding older cats

The older the pet becomes, the more difficult it is to balance his diet. Therefore, it is advisable to keep older pets on a ready-made food designed specifically for their needs. It is better to refuse a dry product, because with age, many animals begin to lose their teeth, and naturally they are not able to gnaw food with their gums.

Choose super premium or premium wet food for older cats. Be sure to pay attention to the composition, it must contain taurine. It is essential for normal heart function in older cats.

Steiled cats

What to feed a spayed Scottish Fold cat? As in the case witholder animals, it is quite difficult and expensive to balance the diet from natural products. Pets need seafood, and they cost decent money, at least in order to feed them to a cat. Therefore, give preference to ready-made dry food, especially since their choice is quite diverse, and separate products are produced for castrated / sterilized individuals.

Best dry food

How to choose dry food for Scottish Fold cats? When buying, pay attention to the composition. Remember that a good feed must indicate the amount of the main product and its type. For example, if you look at the composition of the Akana feed, we will see that the meat or fish component is in the first place. And it is indicated: dehydrated chicken meat - 19%, fresh chicken meat - 17%. Fruit is in second place, followed by vegetables.

Please do not buy economy class food for your pets. Believe me, nothing good will come from such a diet. The necessary vitamins and microelements are absent in them, but there are a great many dyes, flavor enhancers and preservatives. After all, turning to the composition, we see that the meat component is only 4-5%. And the rest is corn, rice and other cheap fillers. They cannot satisfy the cat's protein needs, because they do not contain it at all.

Basic feeding rules

Care and nutrition of the Scottish Fold cat is the basis of everything. The quality of life of the pet depends on them, itsduration and susceptibility to disease. The worse the diet of an animal, the weaker its immune system, which means that a thoroughbred beauty is regularly sick. Costs for veterinary clinics are much higher than for good food.

What can you recommend to the owners of lop-eared beauties?

• Feed your pet at the same time.
• Before you give the animal food, thoroughly wash the bowl. Especially if you feed natural food. The leftovers quickly spoil, which leads to indigestion in the cat, which has to finish eating stale food.
• When feeding dry food, watch the portions strictly. Do not exceed the daily dosage stated on the package. Food tends to increase in the stomach, and if you overfeed your pet, it can be very bad.
• A cat should have access to clean water. Change the water twice a day - morning and evening. Many Scots love to drink from the tap, but don't let them. Chlorinated water irritates the stomach and can cause diarrhea in the pet.
• When transferring a cat to a new food, do it very carefully. On the first day, add 1/7 of it, removing the same proportion of the previous one. On the second day, 2/7 of the new food is added to the old food. And so on for a week, until the transition is complete. But if you notice an allergic reaction, and it manifests itself in the form of redness on the ears and scratching, then you will have to return to the old food again.
• Don't overfeed old cats, it is very difficult for them to digest the food they receive. And old people are prone to constipation, this should be taken into account whenfeeding.
• Kittens do not know the stop signal in food. Their portions should be small.

Conclusion

The menu of a thoroughbred and proud cat is made by the owner, focusing on their financial capabilities. In the article, we have given recommendations for the appropriate nutrition of the Scottish Fold cat.