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How to properly feed your cat natural food. How and what to feed your cat to keep your pet healthy

Preparing the optimal diet for feeding a cat is a hot topic of discussion in online communities, where users give various arguments in favor of choosing certain products. However ordinary people is not able to competently answer the question: what is the correct way to feed a cat at home, so when choosing cat food, you should be guided by the feeding principles established by veterinarians and professional breeders, and not listen to the opinions of incompetent specialists.

For real proper nutrition It is difficult to organize for cats at home, because the owner of the animal needs to take into account many factors - the age of the pet, lifestyle, special needs, individual characteristics body and so on. The cat needs balanced diet and unusual foods, such as fatty foods cow's milk, can create discomfort for the animal and even jeopardize its health. Cats are often greedy when it comes to eating food, so excessive portions can lead to obesity, which causes heart disease and puts extra strain on the animal's skeleton and muscles.

Without knowing what to feed a cat at home, the owner can harm the health of the animal and cause development urolithiasis, food allergies, stomach upsets and the onset of diabetes by simple harmless actions - giving the cat chocolate, milk or fatty foods. However, such actions seem harmless only at first glance.

Veterinarians urge owners not to experiment with diet composition.

From the first days of keeping an animal in your home, provide it with high-quality and balanced food and not endanger its life.

When answering the question: what can you feed a cat, veterinarians emphasize that the basis of the animal’s diet should be animal proteins. They contain amino acids used by animals to build muscle fibers, as well as taurine, which is necessary to maintain the health of the heart muscle and visual organs. The enzymatic pathways of cats are not adapted to synthesize protein from plant sources, so it is better to avoid using legumes, corn and grains in the diet.

It is also important to find answers to other questions - can cats have milk, should they be given cereal, and in what form is it best to present food?

Choosing a food format – natural food or ready-made food?

The first thing a cat owner has to decide is what to feed. domestic cat – natural food or ready-made food? To solve this dilemma, the pet owner must evaluate all the factors that indicate in favor of choosing a particular food option and choose the most preferred format. In this case, not only the needs of the cat should be taken into account, but also the capabilities of the animal’s owner - his financial condition, employment at work, availability of free time, etc.

Commercial cat food

Ready-made food offers convenience and ease of feeding for your cat. It is important to choose expensive food with a balanced composition that will satisfy the animal’s needs for vital nutrients. This can be cat food, Our brand, which you can buy at a pet store, or any other food that has natural composition and different high content animal protein.

Natural food

When choosing natural food, the owner must understand exactly what to feed the pet and how to wean the cat off dry food without harm to its health. It is also important to understand that some foods are unacceptable in an animal’s diet and should be completely avoided. It’s not for nothing that pet owners ask questions: why cats can’t have milk or why cats can’t have sweets, because these products can harm the digestive system.

List of products unacceptable in an animal’s diet when feeding natural food:

Basic principles of feeding a cat homemade food

If the owner of the animal does not know what to feed the cat at home, he can create a menu on his own based on. Before switching a cat to homemade food, the owner must assess his capabilities and be confident that he can provide for the pet every day. balanced diet. It should be based protein food, grass for cats and fermented milk products, supplemented with a small amount of fiber, fats and vegetables.

Protein sources

Cats can get protein from poultry, fish, eggs and cottage cheese. It is better to avoid using pork in the diet - it is a very fatty meat that is poorly digested by cats. It is better to choose less fatty chicken, turkey, and sea fish fillets, and also periodically give the animal low-fat cottage cheese and boiled eggs.

Carbohydrates

Veterinarians recommend limiting the amount of carbohydrates in a cat’s diet to a minimum. These nutrients cause blood sugar spikes, contribute to mood swings in animals, and can cause digestive problems. IN in rare cases the following can be used as energy sources carbohydrate products, How wild rice and potatoes. It is better to avoid using high-calorie cereals - they are poorly digested, cause flatulence, obesity and intestinal problems.

Fats

Cats need a certain amount vegetable and animal fats. Fat deficiency can be compensated by including in the diet fish oil And vegetable oil. These products are necessary for absorption fat-soluble vitamins, as well as to prevent the formation of hairballs in the animal’s stomach.

Vegetables, berries and herbs

Having studied the recommendations of veterinarians, many pet owners are wondering: how to sprout oats for a cat and choose the necessary balance of vegetables and fruits in the diet. Indeed, vegetables, fruits, berries and grass for cats, the price of which varies depending on the region of the country, are an important component of the animal’s diet. Some cats enjoy eating healthy spinach, beets, carrots and cauliflower, while to feed vegetables to other animals, owners have to grate the food on a fine grater and mix it with meat.

Berries for cats are not critically important products, but small quantities they will benefit the animal. Cats can be given berries as a source of vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

Berries help in healing infectious diseases and protect cells from the effects of free radicals.

To meet the cat's need for dietary fiber, grass for cats can be added to the food; the owner can find out how to plant it on one of the thematic forums. Before growing oats for a cat, the owner should familiarize himself with the features of its inclusion in the diet. Also beneficial effect The following herbs and plants have an effect on the cat’s body: fennel, chamomile, thyme, fenugreek, spinach, alfalfa.

Vitamins and minerals

The cat's diet should contain sufficient quantity vitamins and minerals. Minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus, help improve the appearance of the animal, and are also building material for the formation of strong skeletal tissues. The deficiency of these minerals can be compensated for by adding high-quality cottage cheese and lean fish. Vitamins are also important for the health of the cat, since vitamin deficiency will lead to the development of scurvy, impaired vision, and impaired reproductive functions, muscle dystrophy, hair loss and other ailments.

To meet the cat’s needs for the main groups of vitamins, the owner must include the following products in the diet:

Knowing what cats eat from homemade food and why they need certain microelements, the owner will be able to create the optimal diet for their pet.

Choosing the correct answer to the question: what to feed cats homemade food or ready-made commercial food, you need to carefully weigh all aspects and choose the optimal nutrition format for your pet, which will improve its quality of life and have a beneficial effect on the condition of the body.

Only practicing veterinarians really know how many animals have suffered from the genuine care of their owners. Sometimes the owner wants to please the pet so much that he forgets that the cat is a predator, and the diet of a predator is very monotonous. Of course, the pet should receive a rich and balanced diet, but in everything you need to know in moderation. Let's figure out what you can't feed cats and why some prohibitions have been introduced.

Obviously, the basis of a cat's diet is meat. IN wildlife four-legged animals do not receive feed, dairy products, fish, vitamin supplements and other unnatural products. wild cat eats small prey, most often rodents. Domestic cats must adapt to food prepared for consumption.

In order to maintain the naturalness of the diet, the pet must be fed meat, observing several conditions. Raw meat can be a source of viruses and helminth eggs, but at the same time, this product is recognized as the richest source of protein. For the safety of the cat, raw meat should be kept in the freezer for 3-4 days, then defrosted, chopped and doused with boiling water.

Pay attention! Cats swallow their food in chunks, so the meat does not need to be minced too much. Minced meat or very small pieces are only suitable for feeding kittens or older cats with dental problems.

Choosing from meat products, you can include in your cat’s diet:

Beef, veal.
Rabbit meat.
homemade. Many chicken producers raise their birds using hormones, antibiotics and salty feed. When a bird consumes a lot of salt, it drinks a lot, which increases its weight at slaughter. Salt is harmful to cats...hormones and antibiotics too.
Turkey - precautions are similar to chicken meat.

Meat is fed to a cat after cleaning, that is, without bones, skin and fat. If you are making broth, the meat should be lean. After cooking, the broth must be strained to prevent bone fragments from getting into your pet's bowl.

You can feed the cat (not often) lean, subject to a number of conditions. Pigs are carriers of the false rabies virus (resistant to low temperatures), so it’s not enough to freeze pork; it needs to be cooked. Please note that the meat must be lean and not free of fat. The false rabies virus is not dangerous to humans, and laboratories do not test meat for its presence, so purchasing it in a supermarket (after veterinary control) does not provide any guarantees.

A cat's diet must include meat by-products. It is important to understand that by-products should make up 10–15% of mass fraction meat, but do not replace it completely. There are also some restrictions on the consumption of such products, which depend on the type of meat.

Beef:

Liver up to 2 times a week, chopped, treated with boiling water. With frequent use, diarrhea may develop.
Kidneys are undesirable, but if the cat loves them, no more than once a week.
Lung - cleaned of fat and only boiled.
The stomach is well washed, very finely chopped, treated with boiling water or after deep freezing. You can also cook the stomach, but keep in mind that the smell that will permeate the whole house is indescribable.
Heart – it is better to give it raw after treatment with boiling water. You can do it 4-5 times a week.

Chicken:

– raw no more than once a week and in very limited quantities, boiled more often. For some cats, if consumed regularly, raw liver can cause diarrhea, and boiled liver can cause constipation.
Heart - if desired, cats can be given regularly and raw (after deep freezing), chopped before serving.
Stomachs - crushed and boiled can be given 3-4 times a week.
Necks - after deep freezing, you need to carefully beat or chop in an electric meat grinder. Chicken neck (if the bird is factory-made) consists of enough soft bones, serves as a source of calcium and prevents plaque.

Turkey:

Heart - can be 1-2 times a week, frozen, chopped.
Stomach - only for cats with an insensitive digestive system in boiled and crushed form.

We have already found out above that cats should not be given raw (fresh) meat; other prohibitions concern:

Store-bought minced meat – often contains salts, fat, skin (even if this is not indicated in the composition). Please note that it is strictly not recommended to feed sterilized cats foods containing salt.
Lamb, fatty pork and lard contain too much fat.
Turkey liver - raw is guaranteed to lead to diarrhea, and boiled - to constipation.
Ducks and geese (meat, offal) are too fatty.
Necks of domestic chicken - if the bird was slaughtered over a year old, cervical vertebrae very strong.

Pay attention! Goose and duck meat are often used as the basis for high-quality feed; here the ban on consumption is not relevant, since the products are low-fat.

Fish, shellfish, seafood

Many owners stubbornly feed their cats and do not pay attention to dozens of arguments that experts give. Strictly prohibited there are no restrictions on eating seafood, but there are a lot of nuances and prohibitions. So, a cat can only eat noble varieties of ocean fish. Against the background of the first condition, the fish must be lean, of high quality, boneless and fresh. If all these conditions are met, you can pamper your cat with fish, but not more than once a week!

So, a cat can:

Lean cod.
Hake thoroughly cleaned.
The sardine is lean and fresh.
Trout only back, provided that the fish is not fatty.
Boiled shrimp, peeled.
Boiled chopped squids.

Pay attention! Boiled fish It can hardly be called useful for cats, since at high temperatures almost all so-called enzymes are destroyed, and without them the degree of absorption of microelements sharply decreases.

The next nuance is that the fish must be of high quality, which means grown in a clean environment. Almost the entire range of seafood presented on supermarket shelves has nothing to do with the ocean...except for its origin. Shrimp, squid and noble varieties of fish are grown on farms, in cramped “aquariums” generously flavored with pesticides, antibiotics and other (harmful) substances. Please note that the fish literally absorbs environment(water), and when a lot of fish are placed in one small tank... Simply put, one fish defecates, and the other eats it, and the water in which the future product is located is far from fresh.

Pay attention! More and more experts do not recommend feeding cats pollock, even fillets. The ban is associated with widespread violations of the rules of factory farming of fish.

Let's return to the prohibitions. Cats All types of carp fish are not allowed, since its consumption leads to the destruction of vitamin B1 in the body. Then a chain reaction starts: the liver suffers, the blood purification process is disrupted, and microelements are no longer absorbed. Visually you will observe the depression of the pet, its poor appetite and neurological disorders: tremors, seizures, convulsions, walking in circles, loss of coordination, etc.

Cats absolutely it is forbidden river fish and shellfish. Cannot be eaten either raw or boiled. Even after heat treatment (boiling water), fish can become a source of infection. dangerous species worms. All are dangerous, but some of them can settle in the liver, brain, and muscles. If you cook river fish for a long time or prepare canned food from it, the product will be safe, but also useless.

Fish, even permitted and noble varieties, should not be given to a cat often. It just so happens that trimethylamine oxide, which is almost harmless to humans (found in fish), quickly leads to the destruction of iron in the cat’s body. As a result, the animal develops and rapidly progresses iron deficiency anemia.

It is recommended to completely exclude fish from the diet of cats prone to. Regularly feeding a neutered cat seafood will lead to the development of the disease within a few months. If the fish is given to a cat that is genetically prone to it, the disease may take longer to develop. Fish is not recommended for cats popular breeds, for example, Scottish Fold or British. The fact is that these breeds have quite a lot of diseases that are inherited, but the diseases may not develop until the metabolism is disrupted.

Industrial fish based food are manufactured in several stages and are safe for cats. Firstly, the fish undergoes long-term heat treatment, becomes safe and, as mentioned earlier, practically useless. Secondly, the fish is not cleaned, but ground to a homogeneous mince and then dried... a powder is obtained. Next, this powder is processed again high temperature, fortified and mixed with additives.

After all the manipulations, the fish powder contains only protein and fatty acids... and here there is a nuance. Fatty acids shorten the shelf life of feed, and preservatives, such as ethoxyquin, are used to reduce the rate of their oxidation. The effect of this preservative on the body of cats has not yet been fully studied, but even preliminary findings are very alarming.

The conclusion is simple: read the composition of the food and refrain from purchasing products with an impressive shelf life.

Milk, dairy products, eggs

Dairy products are very important and must be present in your pet’s diet. A kitten, pregnant or lactating cat should be regularly treated to cottage cheese, yogurt, fermented baked milk, but there are nuances here too. Many experts recommend eliminating whole milk from your cat's diet because there is a risk that your pet may have lactose intolerance. If your cat drinks milk without consequences (constipation, diarrhea), then there is no need to exclude it from the diet.

Cats should be given:

Homemade calcined cottage cheese.
Homemade yogurt without additives.
Ryazhenka.
Yogurt.
Serum.

Why homemade and not store-bought? The answer is obvious - most store-bought products are made from dry milk powder and starch. Conclusions about the balance of benefit and harm can be made even intuitively.

Pay attention! It is very useful for cats to consume calcined cottage cheese with grated carrots, this treat maintains an almost ideal balance for the absorption of all nutrients.

Many cats love hard cheese, but it must be given with caution. Almost all hard cheeses contain salt, which, as you remember, leads to the development of illnesses genitourinary system and urolithiasis.

The following are prohibited:

Homemade and store-bought cream.
Any sour cream, although some cats love it very much.
Butter.

Eggs are considered an allergenic and very controversial product. According to expert recommendations, a cat can have no more than 1 egg at a time and no more than 1-2 times a week. It is recommended to exclude raw protein completely, but the yolk can be raw or boiled. It is recommended to give quail eggs rather than chicken eggs to cats with a sensitive digestive system.

Porridge, vegetables and fruits

Since fruits and vegetables are not the main diet of a cat, we will not consider them in detail. Vegetables serve as a supplement and source of coarse fiber. They need to be fed in crushed, raw or heat-treated form. Usually vegetables are mixed with meat or cottage cheese.

The following are considered harmful to cats:

and juicy fruits (can be given rarely if the cat likes it).
All citruses.
Grapes and raisins.
Apricot and dried apricots.
Persimmon, kiwi and most berries.
Beans, soybeans, corn, alfalfa, semolina.
Potato, raw cabbage and broccoli.
Tomatoes and other red vegetables.
Onions, garlic.
Spinach.
Mushrooms, especially wild ones.

Controversial and toxic products

In number harmful products any food from your table gets in, especially fatty, fried, cooked with spices. Cats are not allowed sausages or any smoked products. Any canned food (fish, meat) prepared for people is prohibited. A categorical taboo is sweets.

Perhaps you didn't know that Cats are absolutely not allowed to:

Alcohol, tobacco in any form, even vapors and smoke are dangerous.
Fermentation products – kvass, beer.
Flour and butter, including pasta.
Anything that contains caffeine.
Chocolate.

Pay attention! Cats should not be given dry baby food unless prescribed by a veterinarian.

Having opened the doors of his home to an animal for the first time, his new owner is faced with many questions. One of them is what to feed a cat at home? The diet of kittens and a pet whose age has exceeded one year is significantly different. Let's consider the basic rules of feeding in the case of an adult animal.

Basic criteria for cat nutrition

For the proper functioning of the body and to eliminate the possibility of disease, the cat must have proper nutrition. The main criteria that correspond to the natural taste habits of this animal are the following factors:

First of all, your pet pays attention to the smell of food. This is due to a more developed sense of smell. Taste buds here they are significantly inferior. Therefore, if food or water has an unpleasant odor for the animal, it will refuse to eat. To prevent this from happening, close the food bag tightly to limit the oxidative process.
Water must be in an accessible place. It should always be clean. It is better to pour water into ceramic or glass containers. Plastic cannot be used for these purposes, as it absorbs odors.
Cats are very picky about the texture of their food. Some of them like hard food, while others like soft food.
The animal has certain associations with food. He has pleasant memories of some foods, negative memories of others. In accordance with this, it will choose food.
You need to feed your cat up to 10 times a day. These animals eat in small portions, but often due to the features digestive system. Therefore, it is better to divide your pet’s daily diet into several small parts and feed it more often.
You need to divide your pet's space into zones. So the playing field for him should not be combined with the feeding area. If there is a conflict between animals, it is better to feed them in different places.
Cats love everything new, but they won’t eat anything they don’t like. Therefore, it is better to accustom them to feeding new food gradually.

These are the main criteria that affect the animal’s appetite and behavior while eating. To properly feed a cat, you should take into account the characteristics of its body and the presence of any diseases. You also need to make a choice between natural food and ready-made food.

Factory feed - disadvantages and advantages

A cat's menu at home may consist of food that is made specifically for a particular breed. They are divided into the following classes:

Economy - Kitiket, Darling, Whiskas. The food is made from recycled materials and has low energy value. It contains dyes and preservatives.
Premium – Sheba, MeowMix. Consist of natural meat, offal and vegetable protein.
Super premium – Hills, Royal Canin. They have the most natural composition. This is meat, vitamins and microelements.

Depending on the choice of food, you decide how often to feed your cat at home. If you choose economy class food, then the animal needs to be fed more often. As the quality and nutritional value of food improves, this coefficient decreases.

The advantages of ready-made food are as follows:

Saving money.
No need to waste time preparing food for your pet.

It is a completely balanced diet for a cat at home.
You can choose exactly the food that matches the breed of the animal.
Eliminates the possibility of formation of stones on teeth.

The disadvantages of such feeds are that it is necessary to choose them correctly. It is better to consult a felinologist (a specialist who knows everything about cats) before giving any of them. Otherwise, the animal may develop allergies. Manufacturers do not always write the truth about their product on packaging.

Difference between dry and canned food

The difference between dry and wet food is the liquid content. In the wet it is 80%, and in the dry it is 10%. They do not differ in the presence of microelements and vitamins. The choice of which one to feed should depend on the pet's taste and physical condition.

Dry food is given to animals that do not have problems with health and water consumption. Canned food can be fed to all animals. But it is better to give them to those pets whose water balance is disturbed.

Dry food lasts longer. It is good for teeth - it strengthens and cleanses them.

Wet food can be left in the bowl for no more than 30 minutes. It cannot be stored open for more than a day. Wet food has lower energy value than dry food.

When choosing ready-made food, carefully study the packaging. Don't forget to check the expiration date. The animal's diet can alternate between wet and dry food.. But when feeding, combine ready-made food and natural food it is forbidden.

Natural food for cats

Feeding your cat natural food at home is necessary in accordance with a specific diet. It is tailored to your pet's needs, taking into account nutrition throughout the cat's life. The menu may deviate just a little from what is familiar to him. The following tips will help you properly feed your cat natural food:

The food should be warm (approximately 35 °C). Correct mode nutrition excludes the presence of fatty, salty, smoked and pickled foods. Cannot be given to a pet white cabbage, beans, pasta, bakery products. They can cause flatulence and gastritis. Sweets, including fruits, can harm your teeth and increase blood sugar levels. Same result for steamed grains. It is necessary to periodically add vitamins to the animal's food to compensate for the lack of microelements.

It is worth feeding your cat natural food because it is safer for him. You yourself can control the quality of the products and adjust the diet in accordance with the animal’s lack of certain vitamins and minerals.

Natural cat food also has its drawbacks. This is a rather expensive and time-consuming way to feed your pet. Not everyone can choose exactly the set of products that a particular animal needs. Also, sellers may not offer you too much quality products which can harm your pet's health.

How to feed a spayed or neutered pet

After castration or sterilization, an animal experiences changes in the production of hormones. This causes excessive appetite. Therefore, when feeding a cat after castration, you should resort to the following restrictions:

Do not overfeed your pet. Eliminate additional portions of food, even if he persistently asks for more.
After sterilization surgery, the animal needs less food than before. It is worth accustoming him to smaller portions shortly before surgery. It is necessary to feed your pet in portions 10-20% smaller than before.
Eliminate fish from the animal's diet. For sterilized cats, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus, which are found in this product, cause urolithiasis.
Animal food should not be salted.

If a cat, in spite of everything measures taken, begins to gain weight, you should play with him more often. If prescribed by a doctor, you can give your cat medications that improve metabolism.

Diet for urolithiasis

A veterinarian will tell you how to properly feed a cat with urolithiasis. He will prescribe her a specific diet that will correspond to the causes of the disease, physical features and the needs of the animal. Here general rules feeding pets with urolithiasis:

It is necessary to limit the consumption of foods high in potassium. The animal should not be fed eggs or dairy products.
The main food is meat.
You can feed vegetables. But only those with little calcium. This Brussels sprouts and pumpkin.
It is impossible to combine ready-made food and natural food.
If the cat is accustomed to ready-made food, he needs to be fed high-quality food. medicinal species for several months.
Natural food should not be monotonous.
It is necessary to limit the consumption of offal. They contain a lot of oxalic acid.
It is necessary to control the feeling of thirst that your pet experiences. Water should always be available to him.
Eliminate foods containing salts and purines from your diet. These are meat broths and offal.

If you have urolithiasis, your pet’s diet should include veal or beef boiled, rice or oatmeal, carrots and beets.

If you follow these tips, the period of treatment of the disease and rehabilitation will be easier and painless for the animal.

How to feed a newborn kitten

A kitten is considered a newborn until it is two weeks old. If the cat abandoned him, then you will have to feed the baby yourself. For proper feeding a newborn kitten needs to follow these points:

You can feed the kitten special mixture from a pet store or the one given to a newborn baby.
Food is given to the baby through bottles designed for this purpose or using pipettes and syringes.
It is necessary to ensure that the kitten does not swallow air. Otherwise his stomach will hurt.
New formulas should be prepared for each feeding.
The food should be at a temperature approximately equal to the kitten's body temperature. Gradually this indicator decreases to room temperature

The kitten needs food every 2 hours. Gradually the interval between feedings increases to four hours. Don't overfeed your baby. One meal should consist of no more than 4 milliliters of the mixture. Gradually the volume of food increases to 10 milliliters.

What to feed a pregnant cat

From the moment a cat becomes pregnant, it is necessary to gradually increase its diet. A few weeks before the expected birth, portions are reduced in size, but their number increases. You need to feed a pregnant cat following these rules:

Eliminate fish from your diet.
Give dairy products after the main meal.
Vitamins and minerals are added to food in the form of medicines.
To enhance milk production, nettle leaves, previously scalded with boiling water, are added to food.
Decoctions raspberry leaves help ease your pet's pain during childbirth.
If your pregnant cat is constipated, add a little vegetable oil to her food.
Do not give your cat sweets or table scraps.
Your cat's diet must include vegetables, dairy and meat products.

Following these rules will help your cat bear healthy kittens.

When choosing whether to feed your cat homemade food or food, consider the needs and physiological characteristics pet.

Depending on this, his diet should be compiled. You can create a menu for your cat yourself or seek help from a veterinarian. If you organize proper nutrition for the animal, it will be healthy and live next to you for many years. Don't forget that having a pet in the house is a big responsibility.

Many people do not want to feed their pets with ready-made food, but prefer to make up their cat’s diet from natural products.

But this does not mean at all that you need to give your animals leftovers from your table; food must be carefully selected, be nutritious, balanced and complete, saturate the body with all essential vitamins, micro-, macroelements.
The basis of a cat's diet should be protein food. Depends on proteins normal operation the entire animal body, in particular cell regeneration, production of necessary enzymes and hormones, support water balance. It is also very important that the protein is not vegetable, but animal, because cats more easily digest animal proteins, which, moreover, are a source of protein and contain the necessary amino acids.

Cat food must contain the required amount of fat. They give animals energy and enrich the body. fatty acids, such as Omega-3, Omega-6, which are needed for the growth of brain cells, good hearing, vision, and smell.

It is advisable that the diet be low carbohydrate. The physiology of cats does not provide for the absorption of carbohydrates, because in their natural diet carbohydrates are rare and in already digested form.

Food should not contain too much phosphorus and calcium. If you consume large amounts of calcium, this can result in significant retardation of growth, development of joints and bones, in turn, excess phosphorus can have a negative effect on the kidneys.

Meat

Cats are carnivores by nature, and therefore the basis of the cat’s diet is meat and among the total amount of food it should be more than half. This can be rabbit, turkey, chicken, beef, lamb, and all kinds of offal. You can give your cat both raw and boiled meat. Raw food is scalded with boiling water before serving. It is very undesirable to feed your mustachioed friend bones, they can lead to injury digestive tract. Naturally, it is advisable to avoid fatty meats, such as pork, as well as store-bought minced meat, which also contains too much fat. Raw meat should be frozen for several days in the freezer.

Liver should be given with caution. It contains vitamins A and D in excess, as a result of which hypervitaminosis can develop. In its raw form, liver often causes indigestion, and when overcooked, it often causes constipation.

To understand what exactly it is recommended to feed a cat, you can consider the process of eating prey by it, like a predator. When she has caught a bird (or mouse), the entrails (heart, liver, lungs) are eaten first, then the meat, vegetables that the victim managed to eat (in crushed form), and lastly the cat will eat the bones and skin. Therefore, it is worth giving large quantities meat, offal, chopped boiled vegetables, and if you feed bones, then little by little and rarely.

Fish

The generally accepted opinion is that fish is necessary product for cats. In fact it leads to increased load kidneys, mineral imbalance, which can lead to the development of urolithiasis.

With prolonged feeding of fish products, animals begin to develop vitamin deficiency, allergies, hair problems, and other consequences.

It is strictly forbidden to give seafood such as squid, shrimp, mussels to a cat.

Vegetables

Your pet may not necessarily like various vegetables, but it’s worth trying to give them to her. Everyone's preferences are individual, so a cat may like carrots, cabbage, zucchini or cucumbers.

Potatoes and fruits are contraindicated for cats.

Dairy products

Kefir and yogurt without preservatives or additives can be given to your cat daily. It is also desirable that cottage cheese, fermented baked milk, and low-fat sour cream be present in the diet. But milk is practically not digestible. Organism adult cat does not contain the lactose enzyme, which is necessary for the digestion of milk.

Natural feeding dogs and cats

Porridge

You can give your cat buckwheat and rice porridge. You should not get carried away with such products, because porridge cannot be the main food of a predator.

Principles of nutrition

You should not experiment with the health of your pet and give her canned food, sausages, smoked meats, pickles, peas or corn. Most of them will easily tolerate such food, but some will suffer intestinal colic. In addition, excess salt, spices, and various preservatives can lead to serious stomach and heart diseases, digestive disorders, and liver problems.

All meat and offal that were purchased for your pet must first be cut into pieces, divided into portions and stored in the freezer. Before feeding, it will be enough to simply defrost one portion and give it to your cat.
If the meat is cooked, it does not require freezing. It is best to place it in a sealed container and then put it in the refrigerator. All products placed on the cat's plate must be warmed to room temperature.

A cat that is fed natural food is prone to vitamin deficiency, so it needs a complex of vitamins. They are selected depending on the condition and age of the animal, and the dosage is calculated in accordance with its weight. Among the vitamins, taurine must be present, which cats cannot produce on their own, but are completely obtained from food.
Always in free access The cat must have clean drinking water.
It is believed that it is impossible to mix natural food with dry food. The cat's body produces enzymes to digest either food or natural products. Therefore, choosing for your pet natural products, you shouldn’t sometimes “pamper” him with food. This may lead to bad consequences(diseases of the genitourinary system, gastrointestinal tract).

Pregnancy and feeding kittens is an important and responsible period not only in the life of a cat, but also of its owners. The well-being of the entire cat family directly depends on their competent actions and skillful selection of diet for a nursing mother. The more varied and nutritious a lactating cat’s diet is, the healthier her kittens are and the stronger their immunity.

Newborn kittens cuddle with their mother almost every two hours. Together with milk, they “suck” calcium, vitamins, and a lot of microelements from the nurse. Due to this, they grow and develop. But for mom, in order not to lose weight and not lose her beauty, she must constantly make up for all these losses. This can only be done through a special diet - enhanced and balanced. Therefore, the food of a nursing cat should be rich in proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and rich in calcium, minerals and trace elements.

This is interesting! The cat actively feeds her kittens until about 2 months of age. At this time, she spends 3-4 times more energy than usual.

During lactation, the cat is fed frequently and in small portions. Essentially, her feeding pattern becomes similar to that of kittens. His main principle at this time is to provide the mother with regular replenishment of energy reserves so that she does not feel hungry. But food should not only be nutritious, but also varied, easily digestible, enriched with vitamins and contain a sufficient amount of liquid.

Healthy eating rules

Rules healthy eating cats before and after giving birth are similar. Only small adjustments are needed to take into account the peculiarities of the new status - a nursing mother.

Nutrition during this period has 3 tasks.

Restore the animal's strength after birth.
Stimulate milk production.
Match the increased energy expenditure during the feeding period.

Moreover, the nutritional value of the food should be such that it is enough to replenish the body’s reserves for future pregnancies. And although this is achieved not only by increasing the volume of food, it is the volume that needs to be adjusted first.

Serving Size and Total Volume daily ration during the feeding period depend on three factors.

Litter quantity.
The animal's own weight.
Age of the animal.

Important! On average, it is believed that a lambing cat needs 2 times more food.

It has been noticed that some cats do not eat well immediately after giving birth. Their taste preferences often change. They refuse their usual food and begin to enjoy eating raw fish and drinking milk, which they had previously resolutely refused. Owners should treat such “bastards” with understanding, trying to include them in the diet of a nursing mother. more variety so that the animal’s appetite is always at its best.

The first two weeks after childbirth, the nurse's menu is made up of easily digestible foods - milk, cottage cheese, vegetables, cereals and boiled lean meat. The second half of the feeding period is marked by a transition to “usual” foods.

The diet becomes more meat and fish. Throughout active lactation, the cat needs plenty of fluids and increased replenishment of calcium and magnesium. Their deficiency is fraught with problems with teeth, joints, and hair in a nursing mother.

As a result, they will tell her about the proper nutrition of a nursing cat. appearance and weight after this important and stressful stage is completed. Ideally, after the kittens gain independence, the animal should weigh the same as it weighed before pregnancy and look no worse. And well-fed, healthy offspring will frolic nearby.

Natural nutrition

The diet of a nursing cat can consist of both special industrial food and dishes prepared by the owner himself. If in ready-made feed all proportions have already been verified and balanced by the manufacturer, then, with natural nutrition for the ward, her owner will have to perform these tasks himself.

There are several rules natural nutrition nursing cat:

Stimulation of lactation.

During the first 25 days after birth, a cat's milk is intense. Then its quantity decreases. Sometimes it, even with good nutrition, is not produced enough. Therefore, we need products that stimulate lactation. These are usually milk and broths. For greater effect, they add decoctions of herbs - anise, lemon balm, oregano - a teaspoon in the morning and evening.
You should take into account the cats’ delicate sense of smell and make a decoction of low concentration (1 teaspoon of herb per 3 cups of boiling water). The broth should not be bitter.

Freshness and naturalness.

All products must be fresh and free of chemical additives.

The presence of protein products in the diet.

These are sea fish, chicken, turkey, beef, liver, eggs. All this is given boiled.

Presence of carbohydrate components.

They are provided by cereals in the form of porridges. Buckwheat, oat, and barley cereals are good.

Dairy products.

Cottage cheese, goat's or cow's milk - they should make up at least 1/3 of a nursing mother's menu and be given 3 times a day.

Vegetables.

They are added in a crushed state to porridge soup that has cooled to room temperature. Suitable for these purposes: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, Chinese cabbage, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower.
Problems may arise if the animal has not previously been accustomed to vegetables. Refusal of vegetables is a reason to grind them in a blender and try to start mixing them into food, a teaspoon at each meal, gradually increasing this amount.

Vitamin supplements.

Specialized vitamin supplements can be given industrial production, or you can add sprouted grains of wheat, oats, millet to your food, or give your cat grass grown from these grains.

This is interesting! A convenient option is half porridge and half soup. To prepare it, add cereal to meat or fish broth (with pieces of meat/fish) and boil it properly.

To replenish the supply of proteins and fats, the nurse adds 1 teaspoon of bone meal per day and a few drops of fish oil once a week to her food.

Dry and/or wet food

If a cat is accustomed to ready-made dry food, then there is no point in “retraining” it and forcing it to eat other food. But, taking into account the peculiarities of the period, more stringent requirements must be made for industrial feed.

The food must be specialized

These are lines designed specifically for nursing cats. The “for pregnant cats” and “for kittens” series are also suitable. All of them contain proteins, have a balanced composition of vitamins, minerals and nutrients necessary for successful milk production.

The food must be of high quality

Specialized series are usually labeled "premium", "super-premium" or "holistic". This means that the manufacturer did not use artificial additives, preservatives or dyes and relied on high-quality natural raw materials.

Drink plenty of fluids

Feeding dry food should be accompanied by the constant presence of fresh, clean water within the animal's access area.

To lift nutritional value, milk, meat or fish broths, and fermented milk drinks can be added to dry food.

Important! Experts advise switching your cat from dry food to wet food during lactation. It contains more liquid, has more calories and is easier to digest. Dry food contains a lot of salt and little water - not the best ratio for active lactation.

Milk, broths and other liquids

A nursing cat's need for fluid increases sharply. Therefore, her diet must include: water, broth, etc.

Water – fresh, clean, filtered or left for a day. But! Not boiled! From boiled water of little use. It has a reduced salt content, which is bad for tooth enamel.
A bowl of water should be available to the animal freely around the clock.
Broth – meat or fish, low-fat, preferably warm, with the addition of vegetables for greater vitamin content. Chicken, turkey, and beef are suitable for the base of the broth. But! Not pork! The broth is not salted or spices are added.
Milk– warm, cow or goat. As a source of calcium, milk is especially necessary for cats during active lactation.

They begin to give it to the cat on the third day after birth, gradually increasing the amount if there is no diarrhea. If the animal willingly drinks milk and the body accepts it, then after a week this drink should become a daily drink.

Important! Milk and fermented milk products remain in the cat’s diet for another 20-30 days after she completes lactation.

Along with milk there should be liquid fermented milk products - kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk. If we're talking about about cream, its fat content should not exceed 10%.

Pedigree feed lines

For different breeds There are special lines of food for cats. All of them, as a rule, belong to the premium class and are produced by leading world-famous manufacturers.

When it comes to special situations in the life of a cat - pregnancy and feeding of offspring, then the quality factor also works here, first of all.

Experts and cat lovers among the best cat food during lactation they are called: “Hills”, “Royal Canin Queen” or “Royal Canin” (made in France), “Acana”, “Iams”, “Nutra Gold”, “Bosh”.

What are they good for?

In addition to guaranteed high-quality natural raw materials, vitamins, and microelements, these foods often also include anti-inflammatory natural ingredients, such as aloe vera and chamomile, which help the cat endure the postpartum period more easily.
They have a strong anti-allergic component, which is important for many artificially bred breeds. No dyes, preservatives, or chemical flavoring additives.
These foods are super nutritious and contain at least a third of protein.
In them - increased content calcium, an essential trace element for a nursing cat in general and especially for some breeds. For example, fold-eared kittens It takes a lot of calcium in their mother's milk for their ears to get their cute curled shape.