Proper Nutrition For Kittens

Kittens are full of energy. As they begin walking around and acquiring coordination, they become very busy little creatures. Any time that is not dedicated to feeding or sleeping will be spent playing. They practice climbing, jumping, running, and mock fighting with each other and are a joy to watch. This continuous action requires vast amounts of energy supplied in the form of a high calorie intake.

In the first two days after the birth, the mother cat produces a special condensed kind of milk called colostrum. The colostrum contains passive antibodies, which provide the kittens with temporary immunity to certain diseases. Even if you plan to hand-rear the kittens for some reason, it is very important to let kittens nurse naturally for the first two days if at all possible.

At birth, she weighs about three ounces (100 grams) and gains about 1/2 ounce (15 grams) each day. By 10 weeks of age, she'll weigh more than two pounds (1 kilogram), a tenfold gain in 10 weeks. Although males and females grow similarly at first, males begin to outweigh females by 10 weeks of age. Males tend to increase in weight until about 11 months of age, about four to eight weeks longer than female kittens do. The growth for both sexes is rapid at first, through about six to seven months of age. Males continue at this pace until about nine months of age, leaving their sisters behind.

The Feeding Regimen

Right from birth, food is critical. On mom's milk up to weaning at around ten weeks of age, your kitty will begin to eat solid food at about three to four weeks of age. At this time, with few teeth and a tender tummy, a soft meat-based (canned food) diet is more easily consumed.

When Weaning Ends

You should start weaning by giving the kittens a mixture of cat food (kitten or growth formula), mixed with water or cat milk replacement. According to the Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, if you use dry kibbles, begin by mixing one part cat food and three parts of water. For soft canned food, begin by mixing one part cat food and two parts of water. Gradually decrease the amount of water in the mixture. By the time the kittens are ten weeks old, they should be feeding solely on kitten food.

After weaning, a balanced complete diet provides all the nutrients - energy, protein, vitamins, minerals - in proper proportion and amount. Though foods specially formulated for kittens are more nutrient-dense, a diet for "all stages" - one that can be fed to kittens and adults - may be fed as well. Both diets provide for the increased demand of your kitten's growth. Although your kitten requires the entire complement of nutrients, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin D, thiamine, essential fatty acids and taurine are especially important. For example, a diet that's otherwise sufficient but deficient in one nutrient, such as zinc, can result in poor growth, dermatitis (skin lesions) and other deformities.

Your kitten should eat well as long as the food is tasty. Palatability is based on aroma, texture and taste. If your kitten is fed a variety of flavors, she'll probably be a less-selective eater as an adult. As your kitten matures, a complete and balanced dry food may be fed in addition to canned food. Feeding should be consistent, not switching back and forth, to avoid digestive upset or diarrhea. It isn't essential to offer a variety of food types, though feeding canned and dry is fine, as long as it is palatable and sufficiently eaten to provide enough nutrition. For younger kittens, ease of eating is important; a soft diet or small pieces is best. To make it easier to consume, dry food may be moistened with warm water.

Post-Weaning Feeding

Kitten or growth formulas are rich in protein as well as calories and provide the kittens with a balanced diet suited for their special needs. Investing in quality kitten food will give the kittens a healthy start in life and will help protect them from disease.

There is no need to supplement such food with vitamins or any other additive. Only in cases of special medical conditions, and under veterinary instructions, should you supplement quality kitten food. Adding unnecessary vitamins and minerals to an already balanced diet can actually harm the kitten.

Kittens usually eat several small meals a day. Their stomach is too small to contain all the food they need divided into just two portions. It is best to free-feed kittens and let them nibble throughout the day. However, if you feed kittens with canned cat food, do not leave it sitting out for long, as it might get spoiled. Instead, divide the daily amount into three or four portions and feed at equal intervals throughout the day. In between meals, keep the food refrigerated and heat to room temperature before serving.

During their first months, kittens develop the food preferences that will stay with them for life. To avoid finicky eating habits later, you should feed various flavors of foods during this time. Remember that, if you switch between food types, you must always do so gradually by mixing the original food with increasing quantities of the new food.

Keep feeding the kittens with kitten/growth cat food until they are one year old. At that stage, gradually change their diet into regular maintenance cat food. Although many cats keep on growing after they are a year old, the accelerated growth of kittenhood is usually complete and the cats can adjust to adult cat food and regular eating habits.

At a very young age, up to three to four months, it's almost impossible to overfeed your kitty. At 10 weeks of age, he needs 250 kilocalories of energy per kilogram of body weight per day or about two and a half to three ounces of dry food, or eight to nine ounces of canned food. At four to six months of age, your kitten's daily requirement for energy is about 100 to 130 kilocalories per kilogram of body weight, closer to that of an adult cat (70 to 80 kcal/kg body weight), as growth of body tissues slows down. Between eight months to a year of age, most kittens reach adult body size and weight. The daily food requirement at adulthood is about 1 ounce of canned food or one half ounce of dry food per pound of body weight.

Has Your Kitten Lost His Appetite?

As your kitten plays, your concern for his food needs should be primarily for a good quality, balanced diet. Consult your veterinarian with any concerns; however, if your kitten is playfully frisky, you and he are doing just fine. If your kitten doesn't eat for 48 hours, consult your veterinarian. If symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea or fever accompany a lack of appetite, see your veterinarian immediately. In these cases, lack of water intake or dehydration (excessive water loss) is more critical than lack of food consumption.

NUTRIENT NEEDS

In comparison to other animals, as true carnivores, the cat and kitten have unique nutrient needs. Since they've evolved as meat-eaters, many of these needs are associated with their meaty diet, not obtainable from plant sources. Their requirement for a higher protein level, pre-formed vitamin A, niacin, essential fatty acids and taurine are based on this fact. They cannot convert carotene to vitamin A, getting it naturally from the organ meats of prey. Similarly, cats cannot metabolize niacin from tryptophan (an amino acid), can use only essential fatty acids from animal fat sources and need taurine from muscle tissue.

Kittens and cats are strict carnivores and need the nutrients found in animal protein sources. For example, sufficient amounts of taurine (an essential amino acid provided naturally through animal-based protein sources) help cats maintain healthy eyes, heart, and reproductive system.

Kittens and cats must have plenty of fresh, clean water available at all times. Regular visits to the veterinarian help to keep kittens and cats happy and healthy.

ENERGY REQUIREMENTS FOR KITTENS AND ADULT CATS

Kittens' nutritional needs change as their bodies develop through the stages of rapid growth and adolescence. Proper nutrition during these critical growth periods helps kittens mature into strong, healthy adult cats.

Kittens have twice the energy needs and nutrient requirements of adult cats on a pound-per-pound basis. But their smaller mouths, teeth, and stomachs limit the amount of food that they can digest during a single meal. Therefore, it may be best to divide their daily amount to be fed into three or four meals.

Because every bite must be packed with nutrition, kittens require a diet that is specifically formulated for growth. The best choice is an animal-protein-based food that is highly digestible, nutrient dense, and designed to meet kittens' unique nutritional needs.