kitten
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What to Feed a Kitten
How to Choose and Prepare Foods for Cats Under One Year OldGood nutrition is critical to the health of young, rapidly-growing cats. Kittens require a different diet from adult cats order to thrive.
Nursing kittens don’t need solid food for the first several weeks, though their mother will require far more food and water than usual while she is nursing. Pregnant and nursing cats should be fed kitten food, as it has more calories per serving.
Nursing kittens should approximately double their weight over the first 2 weeks. Failure to gain weight is a sign of illness.
Provide Kitten Mush with Kitten Milk Replacer at 4-5 WeeksStarting at around 4 or 5 weeks of age, kittens will begin to show an interest in solid food, imitating their mothers by experimenting with whatever food they are eating. When owners notice that the kittens have begun to try solid food, they can create kitten mush by blending a high quality food formulated for kittens in the blender with a combination of hot water and liquid kitten milk replacer to the consistency of baby food (when served, the mush should be warm but not hot). Initially, kitten mush should be provided 4 times daily, and the mother cat may eat some of the kitten mush as well.
When making kitten mush, the milk replacer and water can be decreased by increments each week before blending so that when the kittens are about 8 weeks old, they are eating solid food on its own. Remove bowls of mush after the kittens eat - don't leave leftovers lying around.
During weaning, the amount of kitten food offered to the queen can also be decreased, and the amount of adult food increased, until she is eating only adult food.
What to Feed Kittens After They Are Weaned
Kittens should be given high-quality food formulated specifically for kittens, with meat, poultry, or fish listed as the first ingredient. Owners should not feed kittens adult cat food until they’re a year old.
When selecting kitten foods, wet canned foods, dry kibble, or a combination may be chosen, but avoid bargain brands. Cheap foods are not really a bargain because they're often nutritionally incomplete and filled with empty carbohydrates, which means the kitten will eat far more and will still be undernourished. Many dry foods in particular are made up mostly of filler, such as corn. Read the label carefully, or ask a veterinarian for a kitten food recommendation.
Many people choose to leave a bowl of dry food out at all times so that kittens have access to food as needed, and then provide wet food at intervals. If feeding mostly dry food, it’s important to keep in mind that the kitten will need to drink far more water. Locating water bowls in a different area from food bowls (most cats prefer to eat and drink in separate locations) or investing in a flowing cat water fountain can encourage the kitten to drink more fluids.
How Often to Feed KittensAt 8 weeks, kittens should be eating solid food regularly, though they may still nurse sporadically for a while longer. A young kitten needs to be fed far more often than an adult cat, and at least 5 feedings per day is recommended for kittens under 12 weeks of age, then 4 between 12 and 16 weeks, and 2-3 after that. Keeping a bowl of dry food available enables kittens to eat as much as they need between feedings of wet food.
Owners who are out in the daytime may wish to invest in automatic cat feeders, particularly for canned wet food. These automatic dishes keep the food covered and then open automatically at preset times. Food should always be served at room temperature, as cold food may be rejected because cats can’t smell it as well.
If Changing a Kitten’s Food, Do It GraduallyNever change the brand or type of food abruptly, as this can cause digestive upsets. If the diet must be switched, make the change gradually, mixing increasing amounts of the new food in with the old food until the kitten is eating only the new diet.
Kittens Don’t Need Cow’s MilkKittens that have been weaned don’t need to drink milk. After weaning, kittens can no longer digest lactose, and so some will suffer digestive troubles if given milk. Even if the kitten doesn’t appear to suffer stomach upsets, cow’s milk is unnecessary, and water is a better choice for fluids.
Where to Locate Food and Water BowlsCat food and water bowls must be placed in a quiet, low-traffic area of the house, and nowhere near the litter box. Each cat should have his or her own food and water bowls to reduce the likelihood of competition.