In today’s kitten article, we will be looking at 8 tips on feeding a kitten for great health. If you have been wondering how to feed a kitten you just got, this article will help you follow the right procedure to ensure you keep your new kitten healthy.
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Tips On Feeding A Kitten For Great Health
According to Pets WebMD, kittens from three to six months should be fed 3 times a day while those from zero to 3 three months should feed four times a day.
However, it’s not just about feeding your kitten a particular number of times per day. Feeding them the right way is also important. There are many important things to keep in mind when feeding a kitten that every cat owner should know.
These range from how much to feed a kitten, what types of kitten food is right for your kitten, and much more. Therefore, here are 8 top tips you should know;
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1. Make Sure Your Kitten Is Well Positioned During Feeding
Posture? Am sure you are wondering what does posture have to do with it? Well, there are times you may end up with a very young kitten that was abandoned too early and might need your help to survive. There could also be many other reasons why you might have a very small kitten with you at that particular point in time.
In such cases, you will need to feed the cat yourself using a bottle feeder manually. It is important to pay attention to your cat’s position when feeding manually as posture while feeding can affect digestion.
When you’re bottle-feeding, your car should be lying belly-down while you hold the water bottle in a horizontal position. Feeding your kitten with her lying on the back is dangerous as fluids can get into her lungs.
You can place the kitten on your lap, a table, or any flat surface and allow the kitten to suck on the bottle at her own pace.
2. Feed Only Appropriate Amounts Of Food
This begs the question, how much to feed a kitten?
Well, kittens prefer eating small portions of cat food per meal.
However, the right amount of food depends on the kittens’ age. Although there’s no rule, it’s ideal to follow a guide. Here’s one;
- 0 to 1 week: Plan for 2 to 6 ml per meal
- 1 to 2 weeks: Plan for 6 to 10 ml per meal
- 2 to 3 weeks: Plan for 10 – 14 ml per meal
- 3 – 4 weeks: Plan for 14 – 18 ml per meal
- 4 – 5 weeks: Plan for 18 – 22 ml per meal
3. Use Safe Feeding Bottles For Pets
It is very important to consider what type of feeding bottle that you use to feed your kitten. You should know that there are some unsafe products out there. If you end up using any of these, it will not be good for your kitten’s health.
Go for feeding bottles with soft and smooth nipples to avoid harming your pet. The material should be environmentally friendly, free from toxic elements and odors.
To save time, you can get a feeding bottle and measuring scale so you can feed accurate meals.
Kitten Feeding Bottles
Here are some great kitten feeding bottles to consider.
4. Offer A Variety Of Kitten Food
Once your kitten is old enough, its time to start feeding it kitten food. Try to feed your kitten a variety of foods and not just one type all the time. Switch different food textures and flavors.
Feeding variety is one of the most important tips on feeding a kitten because cats get accustomed to what they eat when they’re small.
If you feed just one type of food, your kitten might take a preference for that. When it grows older, it may be now become difficult getting it to eat other foods.
Kitten Food Variety Packs
Here are some great kitten food packs that are healthy and provide variety for your young kitten.
5. Provide Fresh Drinking Water For Your Kitten
If there’s anything your kitten needs while eating, it’s water. You should provide your kitten with fresh water with every meal.
Cats don’t drink much, so if you set the water in a bowl, it’s likely to remain after the meal, especially when you feed them wet foods.
It’s unhealthy letting your cat use that same water for multiple meals. There are many automatic feeders you can buy that will automatically dispense fresh food and water. This will be best for your cat.
Finally, if you’re serving wet foods, maintain 50 to 60% of moisture.
Trending in Cats:
Automatic Water Fountains For Kittens
Water fountains will allow you to feed freshwater to your kitten. Here are some good quality water fountains.
6. Never Deprive Them Of Food
If you want your kitten to grow healthy, one thing you shouldn’t do is to deprive it of food.
Some owners might feel displeased with their kitten and decide to starve it as a form of punishment. It doesn’t work, and it’s very wrong, so that shouldn’t be you.
Depriving your cat of food could lead to liver fattening. This is a sensitive condition and, if very severe, could lead to liver failure.
7. Give Healthy Snacks If You Must
It’s usually advised that you give your kitten only kitten food. Anything else, if not monitored, could lead to nutritional deficiencies.
However, sometimes you might be tempted to reward your kitten with a treat or two. If you must, only give your kitten healthy snacks.
Furthermore, keep the intake of treats very low. These snacks should contribute to less than 10% of your kittens’ daily calorie intake.
Healthy Treats Made For Kittens
If you wish to feed your kitten treats here are a few selected kitten treats you can purchase.
8. Avoid Milk
The milk referred to here is cow milk. You shouldn’t serve your kitten cow milk for any reason. It doesn’t matter if the milk is pasteurized or not.
Cow milk can cause diarrhea in kittens, make them sick, and even kill your kitten if it gets extreme. This is because it contains lactose proteins that cats cannot digest.
The only milk your kitten should be having is her mother’s milk. If not available, you can get replacements at any pet store near you.
Conclusion
If your kitten is not fed properly, it will be at a high health risk. This is why you should take these tips on feeding a kitten seriously. They are simple tips you can implement right away and will help your kitten for life. If you found this kitten article useful, please share it with others.
