Runny nose

Scottish fold cat feeding. What to feed a Scottish Fold kitten: proper nutrition and healthy diet

You have a wonderful one in your house playful kitten at the age of 2 months (earlier the kitten cannot be taken from its mother, because only at the age of eight weeks Scottish kitten ready to eat adult food).

The first enthusiastic emotions have passed, the place where the pet will sleep has been prepared. A pressing question arose: “What to feed a Scottish Fold kitten?” You need to understand that you cannot give your kitten the food that you yourself eat, much less feed it something sweet and fried.

Which food to choose

You need to make a choice of food for your kitten: either it will be ready-made dry food or canned food, or food made from natural products. It all depends on how much free time you are willing to give to your pet. If time is still limited, you need to start feeding the kitten with ready-made food. This could be dry food or canned food. You cannot mix both in one feeding. If you want to pamper your kitten, your choice is food made from natural products. It must be of high quality and have everything necessary for the development and growth of the pet. The main thing is that the food should not be fatty, so that it does not affect the internal organs.

What natural foods can you give your pet?

What to feed a kitten? The baby should be fed lean beef and poultry. The meat should be cut into pieces no larger than 2 centimeters each. Be sure to boil it or scald it with boiling water. Heat treatment needed for protection against helminths. The chicken is served without skin. It’s good to add buckwheat and rice. Both Scots should receive fermented milk products. This is cottage cheese, 10% sour cream, low-fat kefir. Among vegetables, they love cabbage, carrots, and zucchini, both raw and boiled. What else to feed Scottish kittens? You can add eggs to their diet by mixing the yolk of a boiled egg with meat or porridge. But it is better to give quail eggs raw. Preferably quail egg also mix with porridge or chopped chicken. Fold-eared kittens can be given liver: beef or chicken. Kittens up to 3 months eat little, often not finishing what is poured into their bowl. The portion should be reduced; you should not overfeed.

Feeding with prepared food

If your choice falls on ready-made food, choose high-quality food. And remember: you cannot mix them with natural food. What to feed the kitten in this case?

Royal Canin, Hills, Jams, Diamond are considered professional foods. Any of them will suit your pet. These foods have a series “for kittens”, which means feeding up to a year. Economy class foods such as Whiskas, Kitekat, Friskies contain flavorings. It is better not to abuse them. It must be included in feeds containing additives for the prevention of urolithiasis. A bowl of water should always be near the food.

What you feed your Scottish Fold kitten will determine its health and mood. Good attitude to your pet, high-quality food, love and care will make him healthy, cheerful, playful.

Kittens are such funny creatures! You want to constantly play with them and caress them. When they appear in our home, they bring a lot of joy, happiness and love. But the kitten must be fed properly. Otherwise, he may get sick and even die. Remember, his life is in your hands. So what to feed the little fold-eared Scotsman?

First, you should know that there are three types of food for kittens. This natural nutrition- that is, feeding with natural products, feeding with prepared food and mixed type nutrition, which combines the two previous types. Once you have decided on the type of food, you need to find out more about each of them.

What to feed a Scottish Fold kitten on a natural diet?

It should be remembered that not all products that we use are suitable for cats, and especially kittens. It is best to feed the Scottish fold kitten boiled breast, and be sure to chop it before serving.
The kitten will not refuse raw frozen beef. But don't get too carried away with this product. It will be enough to give your baby 30-40 grams of the product every other day.
Boiled liver is a product rich in vitamins and microelements. But you need to give it to your kitten no more than once a week.
Twice a week you need to add boiled water to your Scottish Fold kitten's porridge. chicken yolk. If the kitten likes this product, it is quite possible to give it in its pure form.
You can give it to your kitten two to three times a week. low-fat cottage cheese. This will saturate the growing body with the necessary calcium.
It’s not bad if the Scottish Fold does not refuse other dairy products, such as low-fat kefir, fermented baked milk and sour cream.
Be sure to give the kitten cream, under no circumstances milk. However, do not forget that cream is not a drink - it is food. Cream cannot be substituted for pure water.
Boil cereals such as rice, oatmeal and buckwheat for your kitten. To attract your kitten to this food, mix it with meat several times a week.
In addition to cereals, you can mix meat with boiled vegetables - cauliflower, carrots and green beans.
Scottish Fold kittens eat well and turkey meat, and boiled stomachs.
The fact that cats, and especially kittens, need to be given fish is a myth. In fact, fish is an extremely unhealthy product for the cat’s body. Therefore, it should be given only when as a last resort, no more than once a month.
Low-fat varieties of cheese are suitable as a treat for a kitten.
Do not forget that the kitten’s body does not always absorb everything. useful substances from products. Therefore, for its full growth and development, you should definitely give your Scottish Fold kitten vitamin and mineral supplements.

When the kitten reaches its second month, you can safely start feeding it baby cottage cheese. Kittens eat children's curd "Agusha" very well.
The foods you are going to give to your kitten, regardless of whether they are raw or cooked, should be at room temperature.
Don't forget to check for fresh water in your pet's bowl. The water must be boiled or filtered. It needs to be changed twice a day.

How to feed a Scottish Fold kitten with ready-made food?

The most best choice premium ready-made food for your Scottish Fold kitten. For example, such as RoyalCanin. Only premium food can supply a growing body with all the necessary nutrients and vitamins. If you value your pet's health, do not skimp on its nutrition.

When your Scottish fold cat puppy very small, pay attention to canned mousse for kittens. Thanks to its delicate consistency, it is very convenient for the kitten to eat it.

When the kitten gets a little older, start mixing it into canned food and dry food.

When your Scottish Fold kitten is 5-6 months old, you can start buying Royal Canin's Delicious Kibbles in Gravy and dry food suitable for this age.

What to feed a Scottish Fold kitten with a mixed diet?

If you have chosen a mixed type of food for your kitten, remember that the basis of your pet’s nutrition should be dry ready-made food. But, in addition to dry food, you need to give natural products once or twice a day.

Scottish Fold kitten nutrition rules

No food for a kitten should ever be salted, cut into large pieces or given with bones.
Meat for a kitten should always be frozen and then cooked. The kitten should not be given lamb and pork.
Table food is strictly prohibited! You can't give it to a kitten the foods you eat. This is detrimental to his body.
When a kitten is between three months and six months old, it needs to be fed up to three times a day. After six months, switch to 2 feedings a day.
Food and water should always be fresh. Nothing should float in the water, food should not be washed away.
Do not give to a Scottish Fold kitten sweet fruits and vegetables, milk, sausage, butter, all sour, fried, spicy, salty, sweet and baked foods. Can't give raw chicken, turkey, fish and eggs.
Be sure to remove all food bowls from the floor at night. Only a bowl of water should remain overnight.

By following the recommendations given here, what to feed a Scottish fold kitten, you will raise a healthy, strong cat that will not get sick various diseases. You will provide your pet with a long and happy life, and for myself - many pleasant and joyful moments in his company. You can read about keeping cats of other breeds in the house in the article Cat in the house: care and maintenance.

Be happy!

Especially forLucky-Girl. ru— Vitalina

Before you decide to welcome a furry baby into your home and under your care, you should think about what to feed your Scottish Fold, who is only one month old.

For a Scottish Fold baby, an extremely thorough calculation of the menu is required, an assessment of what the owner is able to provide him: packaged food or food from natural products.

Usually, when selling kittens, the owner who breeds kittens advises the new owner of the baby on the issue of nutrition for a month-old Scottish Fold. However, there are also owners who want to independently think through the diet for their Scots, so they become concerned about how to feed a month-old representative of this breed.

Here is a diagram of actions that will allow owners of kittens to organize the process of their feeding correctly, if they follow it strictly:

Your fur baby should always be provided with food and drink in an easily accessible place. Cats, unlike dogs, eat less, but more often than not.
A one-month-old baby sometimes comes to his bowl several dozen times a day, and this is normal. Those owners who prefer to make up their pet’s diet from only natural products need to be aware that such food should be replaced at least four times a day, as it gets stale. Those who choose packaged food do not have such difficulties, since they do not spoil in a bowl for a long time.
With a natural diet, the Scottish Fold must be given meat products.
The most preferred is beef meat. So that the cat does not pick up worms after eating raw product, it should first be deep frozen for several days. Afterwards, it will be safe for the baby to eat this meat raw, only heated to ambient temperature, or slightly cooked.

For kittens who are not yet four months, you need to scroll the meat. Poultry meat, such as chicken or turkey, must be cooked for a long time before serving, otherwise the animal may get salmonellosis.
Once every two days you can give your Scottish Fold offal, such as hearts, liver and other innards. They should be cooked thoroughly before serving. It is better not to overuse liver, even boiled, and serve it only once a week.
Fish is given only caught in the sea and with a low fat content. Before you treat your pet to it, you need to cook it thoroughly and select all the bones, especially the thin ones. This product should not be eaten often, no more than a couple of times a week. It is strictly forbidden to feed cats river and uncooked fish.
Scottish Folds get kidney stones if they regularly feast on fish, mainly uncooked fish.

It is recommended to feed kittens milk only until three months. After this age, the cat's digestive system stops accepting it. In any case, before serving milk to the cat, it is boiled. It is best to feed your kitten fermented milk treats, such as yogurt, instead of milk.
Cream should not be given, no matter what proportion of fat it contains. They seriously damage the liver of Scottish Folds. Kittens are also not allowed yogurt, as they are usually sweetened.

About every other day, you should treat your Scottish Fold to all sorts of boiled cereals, such as wheat, rolled oats and rice. You can boil it in milk or plain water.

If the porridge has a water base, then it will be great to mix meat and boiled vegetables into it, ground to a pulp, you can pour in a little broth from the meat. The yolk of a chicken egg wouldn't hurt either.

It is advisable to pre-boil the eggs if there is any doubt about the quality.

With a diet of natural products, nutritional imbalance is possible, so vitamin complexes are needed. However, before stuffing your Scottish Fold with vitamins, you should definitely consult a specialist on this issue.

An excellent vitamin support that does not require veterinarian approval is the common sprouted herb. It is intended for cats, sold in pet stores, and you can grow it yourself.

Those who feed young Scottish Folds with specialized bagged food should choose those of an elite level.

They usually contain almost no meat, it is replaced by all kinds of offal and leather. And you can completely forget about the harmony of mineral and vitamin composition in them.

If the cat's menu consists of good packaged food, then additional vitamins are not required. Food must be selected according to age.

Food for the Scottish breed

This breed of cat is similar to the Scottish one, but has its own characteristics that need to be taken into account when organizing the diet for your pet.

In addition, we should not forget that each individual individual has its own special features and habits. Only by taking into account all the factors together can you create a harmonized menu for your pet that will strengthen its immunity.

First of all, you must categorically refuse to give the kitten treats from your palm, as well as snacks at inopportune times. The pet must establish a meal routine that is supported by all members of the household. This task is perhaps one of the most difficult, since it is not at all easy to persuade loved ones so that they do not follow the lead of a pet, melting from his pleading face. The correct routine for adult animals consists of three meals per day.
The daily schedule should be planned so that people sit down to eat approximately at the same time that the pet receives food. Then it will be much easier for both the household and the cat, who will no longer have to beg for food from those sitting at the table, and it will be easier for people to eat without being accompanied by a pitying look.
A harmonized menu is the basis for correct feeding of the cat, so you should devote a lot of time to it. In order for the Scottish pet to acquire all the most necessary components in full, you need to keep in mind that 70% of what is consumed should be liquid, 15% should be protein, 12% should be fat, the rest should be carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.

According to this scheme, oil, cereals, fish, meat and offal are introduced into the menu. It must be emphasized that compliance with the indicated percentages is very important, since a shortage or excess of some components can cause illnesses or other negative phenomena.

For example, if a cat eats too much fish products, it may develop kidney stones in the future; this disease is very common in cats. Fermented milk products, such as yogurt or cottage cheese, are good.

The quality of food must always be checked. She should be higher temperature than the surrounding air. When the animal has finished its meal, the scraps must be carefully picked up and removed, and the bowl must be thoroughly washed.
It is necessary to regularly mix a specially selected vitamin complex or, which is preferable, grow special grass for cats, which he will eat in food or directly from the pot.
When organizing the diet of Scots, you need to remember that additional vitamins are especially important for cats of this breed, the most important vitamin group Q. In order to find out how many vitamins a particular animal needs, you should first weigh your pet.
You should not give foods that contain salt. In addition, you need to know that for Scottish cats Phosphorus and calcium are needed in the diet in equal proportions.

Before bringing a kitten into your home, you should decide what to feed it. If the choice falls on packaged food, then you need to adapt the cat to the following routine, when one day he eats only dry food, and the next day he receives natural products. And you need to remember that it is not advisable to give your cat only bagged food.

Those who want their cat to gain weight should give him more clean meat, preferably beef. Packaged food is not suitable in this case.

Those who responsibly undertake to personally calculate the optimal diet for their pets live long and bring joy to their owners.

It is famous for its friendly character and unpretentiousness in care and feeding. These qualities, along with their good looks, have made the breed one of the most desirable and in demand. Of course, like any cat, the Scotsman, even a kitten, prefers a carnivorous diet based on meat. Everything that is laid down in childhood will affect your health adult cat, so we will figure out how to properly feed representatives of this breed at a young age.

The quality of food a pet consumes ultimately determines its well-being and appearance. It has been proven that timely introduction of certain products into the diet launches formation programs mental processes and characteristics. For example, if the first food after milk is for Scottish fold-eared kittens was meat, then the kids master hunting skills earlier and more effectively, and develop more dexterous and nimble.

The choice of feeding type is the responsibility of the owner. And here you cannot rely only on personal preferences and stereotypes. Exists a whole science– Veterinary dietetics, which develops specialized diets for animals with different nutritional details. Nutritional requirements vary among animals and feeds are also classified accordingly:

By age: for adult cats, for young cats, for kittens, for aging cats;
By type of coat: for long-haired cats, for “hairless” cats;
By degree of activity and type of content: for active cats, for sedentary cats, for homebody cats;
According to gastronomic preferences: for picky pets, for those prone to skin problems;
By life stage: for feeding animals during the breeding period, for pregnant and lactating cats;
By health factor: for those prone to allergies, food for cats with sensitive digestion, for urolithiasis, for liver problems, etc.

Depending on the type of raw material, feeding can be natural (food from the table and homemade dishes) and professional (ready-made dry and canned food). These two options can varying degrees combine and then we get mixed feeding(when dry food is added directly to natural food) and combined feeding (dry food and natural products are given in different techniques food).
The main balance substances include proteins (proteins), fats (lipids) and carbohydrates (sugars). Their origin and energy value vary depending on the type of raw material. The same applies to the balance of minerals, vitamins and essential acids.

Why is natural feeding not always better?

Food for Scottish fold cats should be balanced, if only because the breed has some tendency to digestive diseases. And cats living in the house almost always begin to suffer from urolithiasis and obesity with age. Feeding with such metabolic features must be selected with caution and observed balanced diet from early childhood.

Natural feeding would be ideal for the Scots if each owner could independently calculate the optimal balance of the diet for all nutrients and microelements. Selecting foods for such a diet is not an easy task. How, for example, can you calculate how much nutrients received by a cat who ate a mouse or caught a pigeon? How different is the nutritional value and calorie content of identical pieces of sea fish and turkey? What vitamins and minerals should be added to the diet of Scottish Fold kittens so that they grow up to be excellent representatives of their breed? Homemade natural feeding is unlikely to be able to take into account all the nuances.

INTERESTING! IN extreme conditions Cats can go a long time without food. They can lose up to 40% of their weight without serious consequences for health.

About proteins, fats and carbohydrates

The diet of the average cat should contain a lot of fats, which are valuable not only in themselves, but also help in the absorption of vitamins A and E. A lack of fat leads to weight loss, vitamin deficiency and related problems of the skin, coat and digestion. And excess is a direct road to accumulation and obesity. However, with age, the proportion of fat should increase slightly.

The proportion of protein (or rather, proteins of different origins) V daily ration must be at least 26%. These percentages are calculated by the ratio of the so-called dry residue, since ordinary food contains about 70% water. The higher the “construction” costs, the higher the protein indicator. Food for pregnant and lactating cats and growing kittens should contain the most protein.

For example, in a standard factory diet for kittens, protein is at least 35%, and fat from 12 to 24%.

And these are only proteins and fats, but there are also a lot of vitamins, minerals, micronutrients and special needs. Do you still intend to feed your cat natural food and do it according to all the rules? To know what to feed a Scottish Fold kitten as part of a natural diet, you will have to learn to count more than just calories.

Ready-made factory feed

Most in a simple way Organizing the nutrition of your beloved pet has always involved feeding it with ready-made factory food. Manufacturers offer a huge selection of diets and veterinary diets for any needs of cats and kittens, taking into account the financial capabilities of the owners.

The quality of the products is almost always high, and the price consists of the cost of individual components. For example, food based on salmon meat is always more expensive than dry food containing chicken base. Cats can be picky about the taste and variety of food, so food brands offer entire menus. For kittens, there are usually three flavors: poultry, game and fish with different combinations of additional components.

The new owner will have to change food for a growing Scotsie twice: when the kitten is 3-4 months old and when he becomes an adult (9-12 months). Nutritional value food for kittens and young animals differs, as does the vitamin and mineral balance. In any case, feeding ready-made diets has undeniable advantages:

The cat always receives fresh food (from a bag, jar or pouch);
The feed balance strictly corresponds to current needs;
It is easy to control the amount of food eaten and follow the feeding norm;
There is no need to waste time searching for ingredients and preparing food.

When the kitten grows up, it will need to be switched to “adult” food. You can feed your Scottish cat ready-made food for the rest of its life. It's convenient and safe. The most preferred food groups for adult Scottish cats:

Food for cats with digestive problems;
Food for long-haired cats or marked “from hair balls”;
Pedigree food for Scottish cats;
Food for sedentary pets or labeled “weight control”;
Food for sterilized cats and neutered cats (according to age).

About feeding Scottish kittens

It is recommended to do the first feeding in this breed a little later than in “wild” type breeds (Abyssinian, siamese cats). Scots are often formed with a slight delay. This is not a pathology, but only a feature of genetics. While average kittens are ready for their first food at the end of the third week of life, Scottish Fold kittens will try their first meat (or soaked food) a week later.

INTERESTING! Beginning breeders should know that if the first complementary food is meat (for example, a scrape from a heavily frozen piece of selected beef), then mental development kittens will be more intense.

Natural kitten diet

Kittens of the second month of life should still receive mother's milk along with complementary foods for some time. This is important for promoting good behavior and health. If the breeder weans the kittens from the nipple earlier, then later (after about six months) the first problems with friendliness and quality of digestion may arise, and it happens that such forms of behavior as sexual and territorial behavior are disrupted due to milk underfeeding. It turns out how important it is to feed dairy kittens to their fullest.

After 3 months, when kittens are completely ready to feed on their own, the amount of cow's milk and its derivatives should be reduced. Cats often enjoy lapping up milk all their lives, but this is not always good for digestion, because... enzymes that break down milk protein cease to be synthesized.

In general, in natural diet kitten should include:

Several types of meat;
Ocean or sea fish;
Eggs, cottage cheese, low-fat sour cream, kefir, not large number milk;
A small amount of vegetables and fruits as a source of vitamins and coarse fiber (but how to get a cat to eat fruit?);
Plant and animal fats, taurine, carnitine;
A small amount of cereals as a source of plant fiber;
Ready-made vitamin and mineral complex according to your needs.

It is not easy to balance all these components in the diet of a small, growing kitten whose nutritional needs are constantly changing. It is much easier to pay attention to the finished product. However, if the owner still wants to feed his cat food from the table, then alternative option veterinarians recommend using ready-made diets temporarily - at least for 8-9 months. By this point, the period of intensive growth will end, and the kitten can be fed with the food that seems more acceptable to the owner. But still, it is better to choose ready-made food.

Kitten feeding regimen

For healthy growth and the development of kittens, not only the composition and type of food is important, but also the feeding regimen. Depending on age, you will have to change the number of feedings and their composition. Pay attention to the daily food intake at each age:

As we can see from the table, the maximum nutritional requirement is observed in kittens at 6-9 months. This is a period of intensive growth, puberty, formation of the psyche, behavior and social contacts. At this time, the kitten needs a large number of different nutritional components. Feed brands take these needs into account and offer ready-made balanced diets.

IMPORTANT: do not combine food in your diet different manufacturers or different lines from the same manufacturer. Their balances may differ significantly. It is best to choose dry. And wet food of the same brand and line.

Do not forget that the kitten should not be allowed to actively move immediately after eating. It is advisable to take a 15-20 minute break before games. For any type of feeding, the kitten should always have access to clean drinking water, which cannot be replaced with other liquids.

Feeding secrets for a good character

From how to feed a kitten to early childhood, depends on how healthy and beautiful he grows up. It is better for the breeder to feed the first complementary foods by hand rather than from a bowl. This will form additional contact between a cat and a person and will help establish a positive, friendly character.

Cats respect rituals and rules, so before you feed your Scottish cat, invite her to come with the command “Come here” and sit opposite you. Then put the bowl down and let him eat. In the future, this will save the cat from eating food that is not its own and stealing from the table - it will wait for the command to eat. You can start such exercises with 1.5-2 month old Scottish kittens.

You should not exceed the daily feeding allowance or supplement your cat with food from your own table. Despite the unpretentiousness of the Scots, their health is not always ideal. The breed has a tendency to excess weight and heart and genitourinary diseases. Therefore nutrition Scottish cat at any age, it must be carefully balanced and meet the needs of the body. And feeding a kitten needs to be given special attention and strictly adhere to the regime.

Selection of ready-made food

In the laboratories of well-known food brands, they try to take into account maximum cat needs and tastes. Brands such as Royal Canin, Acana, Jams, Hills offer a wide range of food and a convenient online food selection system, some take into account the breed, others are based on age and health characteristics.

For example, Hills, a brand famous for its highly specialized veterinary diets and recognized by British breeders, offers its “Scientific Plan” for feeding kittens up to 1 year of age.

Feeding plan for a kitten:

First feeding and feeding up to 2-3 months: Science Plan™ Gentle mousse for kittens “My first diet”;
Feeding from 3 to 6 months: Science Plan™ Science Plan™ Kitten Chicken (canned or pouched). Available flavors: chicken, tuna, turkey;
Feeding up to 1 year: at six months, Hills suggests switching the kitten to a permanent diet for a growing organism: Hill’s Science Plan Kitten Healthy Development – Hill’s for kittens “Healthy Development”, or using the diet for sensitive digestion Hill’s Natures Best Naturally Gentle Kitten.

Choose food for your Scottish cat online on the website of one of the manufacturers. There you can ask questions to the company’s specialists and receive comprehensive advice.

Royal Canin, perhaps, one of the few brands that develop breed diets for separate groups breeds: www.royal-canin.ru

Josera when selecting food, it is based on the age of the cat, and then from the options offered you can choose the appropriate diet for your Scotsman: www.josera-cat.com

Another famous brand ProPlan (Purina) Inspired by the characteristics of each breed, but focused on the health characteristics and goals of each age:

The kitten's diet must be balanced, because... otherwise, he will face problems with stool, vomiting, diarrhea, and abnormal development.

Feeding should be limited to a time frame: small straight-eared and fold-eared kittens are fed 5-6 times a day, adolescents - 3-4 times a day, adult cats - 2 times a day (morning and evening).

The kitten should have its own bowls that cannot be washed with chemicals. Bowls should be placed in a quiet place where nothing disturbs the kitten: if the animal is nervous while eating, this will negatively affect its health.

The kitten should have constant access to water, also in a quiet, protected place. The water should be changed every day. It is advisable to choose a container large enough, because... cats love larger “ponds”. And they are especially fond of running water: to imitate it, you can buy a special cat fountain, but do not allow them to drink from the tap: it contains harmful chlorinated water.The bowl of water should not be placed in the same place as the food: cats like to drink away from the place of feeding, which is dictated by wild instincts - water near food can become infected with poisons.

The kitten should eat often and in small portions, because... otherwise, the body will have difficulty digesting what is eaten, and this will lead to hiccups, vomiting and other consequences. Of course, the cat doesn’t mind eating 200 grams at a time, allotted for a day, but the owner must monitor the quantity limit: put in a bowl as much as the kitten can eat at one time, without reserve.

Additionally, vitamins are included in the kittens' diet. Read more about them in a separate article.

Food or homemade food for a Scottish kitten?

Breeders argue about what is best to feed Scottish kitten, natural food or factory feed, have probably been going on since factories began producing ready-made feed. We will not give an answer to this question, because everything depends not only on the benefits or harm that certain products give the body, but also on your wallet and the availability of free time. Although, of course, if you have time, opportunity and you properly balance your diet, there is nothing better than natural nutrition. At the same time, you may nothave enough time for it.

Natural nutrition (popularly called “natural”) - this is not food from the master’s table, as many people think. This is a separate, cooked according to cat rules, food. It includes such products.

PRODUCT	PECULIARITIES
Meat	Meat (poultry, rabbit, beef) is the basis of the menu: its share should reach 90% daily diet. We give the meat not fatty, raw (it must be frozen in the freezer for at least 3 days). Meat contains many useful elements that a kitten needs: protein, amino acids, etc. When cooked, many elements are destroyed. However, boiled meat is allowed for those kittens who are currently transitioning from ready-made food to natural food and cannot yet fully digest the raw product.
By-products	Offal (heart, stomachs, liver, kidneys, etc.) are also the basis of the diet and are included in the 90% of the meat and bone component of the menu. The heart contains the amino acid taurine, which helps the functioning of the organs of vision, digestion and heart, in the liver (it is given once every 1-2 weeks or a little every day as part of mixes) - vitamins necessary for wool, bones, and vision organs and digestion. Although veterinarians argue about the liver: after all, it is a filter in which poisons settle. Therefore, it is desirable that the liver be taken from a more or less environmentally friendly animal, for example, a turkey.
Bones	Small kittens should not eat whole bones, especially tubular bones birds, because they can hurt digestive tract. But kittens need calcium, which is contained in the bones. Therefore, you can take chicken necks and heads, grind them in a meat grinder and serve along with the meat. If this is not possible, you need to add fermented milk products, crushed egg shells and calcium supplements to your diet.
Fish	Fish should not be the main dish in a cat's diet. It can be given to cats only from a certain age (about 5 months) and no more than once a week. The fact is that a large amount of fish in the diet often develops urolithiasis. You can serve the fish in the form of boiled pieces, separated from the bones. Low-fat varieties of fish such as hake, catfish, sawfish, tuna, etc. are good for cats (but not more than once a week).
Cottage cheese	Cottage cheese, only good, not sour, fresh and from a trusted manufacturer, is very useful for kittens. First of all, calcium, which is necessary for skeletal system. Secondly, it is protein - a universal building material.
Cheese	Non-fat, non-salty and non-spicy types of cheese are suitable for cats. Cheese contains protein and calcium for growth.
Dairy	Fermented milk products (kefir, fermented baked milk, whey, but not milk), in addition to cottage cheese, are necessary for cats, because help with work digestive system and contain proteins. All of them should be low fat.
Eggs	The yolk contains amino acids, minerals and vitamins. It can be boiled (no more than 5 minutes) and crumbled into a bowl or served raw. But chicken protein It’s better not to offer it, because it is bad for the coat. If you feed your kitten quail eggs, then you can give both the white and the yolk, and it is most beneficial to eat them raw. First you need to rinse the egg with boiling water to wash away infections and dirt. Eggs are served 1-2 times a week.
Vegetables	Vegetables (beets, carrots, pumpkin, zucchini, broccoli, etc.) can be a frequent guest in a kitten's bowl. Most vegetables are not digested by the cat's digestive system, but they contain fiber, which helps to forget about constipation. In addition, the cat’s body absorbs the vitamins contained in vegetables. Both fresh and boiled vegetables are suitable. The second option is more friendly to the stomach, especially when it comes to carrots and beets. But in fresh vegetables more vitamins. The ideal option is steamed vegetables.
Green	Many kittens love parsley, dill and other types of greens. And special grass for cats, consisting mainly of wheat and oats, is useful with many vitamins and microelements. Plant it on the windowsill - your pet will appreciate it and, perhaps, even stop pestering your indoor plants.
Oils	Unrefined vegetable oils from flax, olives, sea buckthorn, rice, grapes and hemp are useful for kittens, but rarely in small quantities- a few drops at a time and not every day. Sunflower oil not recommended in any case: sunflower absorbs the entire contents of the soil more strongly than any other plant, including poisons. In addition, refined oils are harmful. Although it is worth noting that any vegetable fats are practically not absorbed by the cat’s body, so it is better for them to prefer animals.

Natural cat food also differs from human food in that it is not salted or flavored with spices. That is, it should be fresh. Lightly salted foods are occasionally allowed.

Meat is served either raw (preferably) or boiled, but in no case fried, dried or pickled.

You also need to understand that you cannot save on a cat, that is, it is inappropriate to give spoiled and weathered food. Domestic purebred cats are very sensitive to food and may suffer from stomach upsets. Slightly spoiled food can only be fed to those who are accustomed to it. street cats. And then, it’s better to have pity on them too.

The food you serve should not be cold or hot: bring it to room temperature, maybe a little warmer.

What should you not feed your kitten?

PRODUCT	PECULIARITIES
Sweet	It is not allowed in any quantity. If a cat asks for sweets, this means that he is interested in something else in the product, because cats do not have receptors that recognize sweet taste. Don't buy into your cat's requests: he can develop diabetes very quickly.
Salty	We don’t add salt to kitten food at all. We also don’t serve salty products from the store. Salty foods can cause kidney problems in cats and bladder, to which the Scots are already prone.
Spicy	Kittens should not have spices at all. They upset digestion.
Onion-garlic	Likewise, garlic and onions can cause serious problems.
Chocolate	Even if chocolate is not sweet, as it should be according to the classics, it is still under no circumstances allowed for a cat: for an animal it is poison.
Coffee	Likewise, coffee is poisonous to cats. If your cat asks for coffee, he may be attracted to the milk you add to the drink.
Milk	Kittens are supposed to eat fermented milk, but milk, which contains lactose, causes gas and indigestion in cats older than 3 months. Owners often don’t notice this, but in fact the animals don’t feel well after drinking milk. If you really want to feed your kitten milk, pay attention to goat milk or special ready-made milk formulas for kittens. After 3 months, cats do not need milk at all.
Marinades	Kittens cannot eat anything marinated, not just meat. This applies to any conservation.
Smoked	Just remember that it is poison.
Bold	Excessively fatty and fried foods, no matter whether it is meat or not, are prohibited. The kitten's pancreas cannot withstand such nutrition. Even sour cream for a Scottish Straight and Scottish Fold kitten may be too fatty a food, so nutritionists do not recommend it.
Pork	Cats should not eat pork, except that very rarely a small piece of the lean part is allowed. The fact is that pork is stuffed with hormones and itself is too fatty, which can damage the kitten’s pancreas.
Canned food	Any canned product is always generously supplied with salt, spices and preservatives. This in itself is harmful even for humans, not to mention the digestive and urinary system of a kitten, which is much worse adapted to such food than ours.
Citrus	As a rule, cats cannot tolerate lemons, oranges, tangerines and other citrus fruits. But there are exceptions. Citrus fruits contain pungent essential oils that attack cats' keen sense of smell. Plus, eating them can cause indigestion.
Fruits	The digestive system of cats is not adapted to eating fruits and berries, so they can cause stomach upset.
Mushrooms	Mushrooms are too heavy a food. In addition, they can cause poisoning.
Potato	Potatoes are pure starch, which is very difficult to digest and is poorly absorbed by the cat’s body. IN lately Feline nutritionists have allowed the consumption of only a few grams of potatoes per day.
Beans	Peas, lentils, soybeans and other legumes are prohibited, because... This is too heavy food for a kitten, plus they cause fermentation.
Flour	All flour products, including bread, are harmful to kittens and have no benefit for them. nutritional value. Instead, it is better to purchase special yeast for cats in the form of a supplement.

Feeding with prepared food involves the use of mixtures created at the factory in the form of pastes, pieces of jelly, canned food and dry pads. Typically, such mixtures contain everything that is included in natural food, but it is specially processed for long-term storage. Draw your own conclusions. But in any case, you cannot feed cheap mass-market food such as Whiskas, Kitiket, etc. According to veterinarians, cheap cat food They are made from something unknown, so consuming them will lead to illness. Veterinarians recommend only super-premium and holistic food.

Followers ready-made feed The main arguments in favor of such nutrition are that, firstly, the substances in the feed are already balanced, and, secondly, such nutrition is easier for the owners: buy it, take it out, pour it in.

Please note that it is not advisable to mix natural food and ready-made food - choose one. And the brand of food should also always be the same. After all, otherwise make up balanced menu very difficult, because Each food has its own characteristics.

If dry pads are on the menu, the cat will need increased consumption of fresh water. Buy your cat a special fountain to encourage him to drink more.

What to feed a kitten: breakdown by age

If you are feeding a kitten with food, then everything is simple: choose the food in accordance with the age indicated on the package, serve it in the quantity specified in the instructions, and as many times as required by age. But it is worth noting that the food contains many ingredients and if your cat has sensitive digestion and reacts negatively to some components of the food (vomiting, diarrhea), then it is difficult to figure out what kind of product it is. For such cases, natural nutrition is recommended.

Those who are planning to feed their cat natural food will have to study the issue. It will be difficult at first, as you need several meals a day. Once the kitten becomes a teenager, that is, reaches 5 months, everything will become much easier.

Feeding raw meat is preferable for cats, because in nature they feed on it. This diet is considered more balanced, because... boiled meat is already missing many necessary elements. The main thing is that the meat is of high quality, from a factory where infection with worms is minimized and where they are not addicted to chemicals.

A kitten should consume approximately 10% of its body weight per day. This is the average. It is not customary for kittens to limit their food intake: they should eat as much as they want.

For those who want to feed their cat natural food, but have little time for it, breeders advise making preparations. Mix meat, offal (heart, neck, kidneys - if your cat doesn’t like kidneys because of the specific smell, in which case you can do without kidneys, a little liver - if there is too much liver, the cat may swear), herbs, vegetables (if it contains carrots, its you need to pre-cook), raw quail egg, chopped kelp or other additive. Place this mixture in portions in bags and freeze in the freezer. Then take out one bag at a time and bring to room temperature: healthy dish You can serve it to the cat.

What to feed a kitten up to 1 month

At the age of up to 3 weeks - 1 month, kittens are fed by the mother: up to 2 weeks - 10 times a day, including at night, at 1 month - 8 times a day. Next, complementary foods are introduced, but the kittens feed on their mother’s milk for up to 2.5 months, so they cannot be weaned from her before this period. At this time the mother cat difficult task: her body is depleted and therefore the best thing the owner can do is to feed the mother intensively and in a balanced manner. But this is a topic for a separate article. Complementary feeding directly to kittens begins at about 1 month.

It happens that kittens do not have a mother for some reason. Then a person has to feed them. This is a difficult and painstaking task: in the first week you need to feed every 2 hours, that is, you will have to take time off from work. In addition, without mother's milk, kittens do not receive her antibodies and resistance to infections. Therefore, if possible, it is better to place the kittens with another nursing cat (a healthy, clean cat with all vaccinations; a street mother will not do): usually she does not refuse to shelter foundlings.

Did you know that sometimes cats even feed animals of other species? For example, one caring mother fed the hedgehogs given to her.

But it happens that there is no such possibility. Then you need to feed the kittens at the rate of 30 ml of food per 100 grams of kitten weight in the first week, 38 ml per 100 grams of kitten weight in two weeks, 48 ml per 100 grams of kitten weight in the third week, 48-53 ml per 100 grams of weight in four weeks. weeks It's about about milk (cream) or special factory milk mixture for kittens. The mixture can be poured into the mouth through a bottle with a nipple, a pipette or a syringe without a needle: be careful so that the kitten does not choke. This mixture can be purchased at a pet store.

Why is cow's milk worse than mother's milk or ready-made formula? The water content in cat milk is 70%, fat content - no more than 11%, proteins - 11%, lactose - 3%. At first glance, cow's milk is very similar in composition to cat's milk, which contains 88% water, 3.2% protein, 3.25% fat, 5.2% lactose. It also contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B12, D, calcium, magnesium and potassium. But there is significant difference in the amount of lactose: in cow's milk it is 5.2%, in cat's milk - only 3%, that is, almost half as much. And the kitten’s digestive system has difficulty accepting large amounts of lactose.

If you decide to feed your kitten cow product(and life often dictates just this option, because not everyone has access to special mixtures), it’s better to take cream:1 sachet 10% fat mixed with 1 egg yolk. This mixture is given instead of mother's milk.

Experts consider factory-made premium cat milk substitutes to be the ideal option. The substitute's properties are as close as possible to cat milk and correspond to the capabilities of the kitten's digestive system. Also forMilk substitutes are enriched with taurine, an amino acid that is almost absent in the milk of ungulates, as well as omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

At about 4 weeks, kittens can begin to be weaned off milk if they are drinking formula. Milk is gradually stopped being given to the kitten and solid food is introduced into the diet. But sheshould be mushy, preferably crushed using a blender.

Sometimes it is necessary to introduce complementary foods up to 1 month, because... The cat has little milk. You can guess that kittens are malnourished by the way they squeak all the time and try to cling to the cat's chest and your fingers.

You need to start with one type of complementary food and only when the kitten has mastered it well, start introducing another. For example, we start with one type of meat. It should be finely chopped or blended into a paste. It is also good to start complementary feeding with fermented milk products(ryazhenka, cottage cheese), but not with kefir, because it is too heavy for babies.

EXPERT COMMENT: felinologist and nursery owner Zhanna Korsunskaya

Kittens are able to eat the same food as their mother from the age of three weeks. However, this does not mean the end breastfeeding: the cat will feed the children for quite a long time. As kittens grow, the share of main food increases, and the share of mother's milk decreases until it disappears. Don’t be afraid that the pieces in mom’s bowl are too big or that there are bones: the kitten won’t start with the difficult ones in any case. He will choose what he likes, what he can bite off, chew, and swallow. The lack of essential substances at this age is compensated by mother's milk. Therefore, there is no need for complementary feeding - lightweight, crushed, fortified food for kittens. If the mother's diet is balanced, then it is absolutely suitable for children. If the cub has not yet begun to be interested in the mother’s food, but is as well-fed and active as its brothers, there is no reason to worry. And under no circumstances should you try to force feed. When the time comes, the kitten itself will begin to eat from its mother’s bowl and over time will completely switch to a meat diet.

What to feed a kitten at 1-2 months

At the age of 1-2 months, kittens eat 7 times a day and usually sleep at night. At this age, ideally, they still receive breast milk, but are already happy to eat complementary foods. At 1.5 months, a kitten requires about 120 grams of food per day, including mother's milk, which still remains the basis of the diet.

If you plan to feed your kitten with ready-made food, then this is done starting from 1-1.5 months. To do this you need to purchase special products for kittens according to age. If it is dry food, then it must be soaked first, because the kitten is not able to digest such solid food. Or buy canned kitten wet food. However, it is advisable to start complementary feeding with meat.

But soup for Scottish kittens is not a relevant food. Starting from the very early age, kittens can already consume minced meat and small pieces of meat. The consistency of soup is not necessary for normal digestion.