Contents
- How to feed a small cat? Basic feeding rules
- Feeding in the first weeks of life
- How to feed 2-, 3-, and 4-week-old kittens?
- Feeding 2-week-old kittens
- Feeding 3-week-old kittens
- Diet of a baby cat after weaning from its mother's milk - feeding a 4-week-old cat
- What to feed a baby cat after weaning her mother's milk?
- Can a baby cat drink milk?
- Feeding kittens without a mother
- What diet for a junior cat?
- Feeding your cat dry food: advantages and disadvantages
- Feeding Your Cat Wet Food: Pros and Cons
- Should a kitten get milk and other dairy products?
- Does a kitten need supplementation?
- Optimal diet – cat food is not everything
- How much should a small cat eat?
- Transition to adult cat food and continued feeding
- Summary
Has a kitten arrived in your home? Are you wondering how to feed a young cat to provide it with all the necessary nutrients? Kittens' nutrition must be carefully tailored to their needs due to their rapid growth and development. When planning a diet for a junior cat, it's also important to consider the appropriate frequency and size of meals. We'll advise you on what to feed your kitten to ensure it grows up healthily and has the energy to joyfully explore the world.
How to feed a small cat? Basic feeding rules
The first stage of a cat's life spans from birth to approximately 12 months of age. During this time, a cat's body undergoes dynamic changes. Kittenhood is primarily associated with intensive growth and development of all systems. This stage encompasses skeletal, muscular, and dental development, changes in the digestive system, and maturation of the immune and nervous systems. Additionally, the first stage of life is inextricably linked to cognitive development, gaining new experiences, and exposure to a variety of stimuli.
Intensive body development results in a high demand for nutrients and energy. Vitamins, minerals, and polyunsaturated fatty acids also play an important role in a kitten's diet, regulating bodily processes.
A proper diet for kittens in the first months of life is crucial for their health, proper growth and development. Nutritional deficiencies at this stage can lead to skeletal deformities, permanent developmental disorders and cognitive decline in adulthood. Nutritional errors in kittens' diets can also result in serious poisoning or digestive problems, which often pose a threat to the babies' lives.
Feeding in the first weeks of life
The first, ideal food for kittens is their mother's milk. It provides complete nutrition for newborn cats, providing them with all the essential nutrients for the first weeks of life. A mother's milk contains approximately 4-11% protein, 5-10% fat, and 4% lactose, as well as vitamins, minerals, hormones, growth factors, and enzymes. Importantly, the composition of a mother's milk changes throughout the lactation period. Immediately after birth, a mother produces colostrum, which provides the kittens with antibodies. Kittens consume 43.7-48.7 g of milk daily for the first few weeks of life.
How to feed 2-, 3-, and 4-week-old kittens?
In the first weeks of life, cats gain weight rapidly, gain control over their bowel movements and urination, and gradually learn to consume foods other than liquids. To meet their changing needs, their diet should be modified in subsequent weeks.
Feeding 2-week-old kittens
In the second week of life, kittens begin a transitional period. They can now see and hear, making them highly responsive to various stimuli, including food. Additionally, kittens' primary teeth begin to erupt, allowing them to eat solid food.
From the second week of life, you can start introducing solid food into your kitten's diet. What should you feed your kitten? The best food for a kitten is a puree, which does not require any special preparation before feeding. You can also prepare a meal for your little one in the form of a mash consisting of wet kitten food and water/milk replacer (in a 50:50 ratio). Two-week-old kittens should receive 4 to 6 meals a day. The caloric requirement for kittens at this age is 15-20 kcal/100 g body weight.
Read also: Home remedies to strengthen your cat's immunity
Feeding 3-week-old kittens
In the third week of kittens' life, you can continue feeding them as usual. As in the second week, you should feed them 4-6 meals a day, which should provide a total of 20 kcal/100 g body weight. The third week of kittens' life is also a good time to increase the amount of solid food in their diet.
Diet of a baby cat after weaning from its mother's milk - feeding a 4-week-old cat
In the fourth week of kittens' lives, the process of dietary weaning begins. This involves switching their diet from milk to solid food. The mother cat plays a crucial role in the weaning process, producing less and less milk, preventing the kittens from receiving milk.
The weaning process, which begins in the 4th week of kittens' life, is gradual and usually lasts until they are 6-8 weeks old. What should you feed your little kitten during this special time? Four-week-old kittens should be fed age-appropriate, ground-up wet food or fine-grained dry food soaked in water.
Dietary weaning is not the same as behavioral weaning, which is the physical separation of kittens from their mother (usually combined with moving to a new home), which should not take place before the kittens are 8 weeks old.
Worth knowing: How much should a cat eat?
What to feed a baby cat after weaning her mother's milk?
Once a kitten is weaned, the owner is solely responsible for its nutrition. To ensure your kitten receives all the necessary nutrients, you should feed it a high-quality, complete diet designed for growing kittens. Kitten food is usually labeled "junior" or "kitten.". It's worth paying attention to the composition of the food. It's best to choose foods high in meat, easily digestible (e.g., grain-free), and enriched with ingredients that positively impact kittens' development and health (e.g., prebiotics, fish oils).
Can a baby cat drink milk?
It is not recommended to feed kittens milk from other animals (e.g., cows or goats). It is important to remember that the composition of cows' milk and other mammals differs significantly from that of cats.
Feeding your little one milk from other animals can lead to deficiencies in essential amino acids, especially taurine and arginine. Cow's milk also has a different energy content than cat's milk, so your kitten would need to consume it in larger doses. Furthermore, cow's milk contains more lactose than cat's milk, and the casein micelles in it are much larger and can form difficult-to-digest agglomerates. For these reasons, Giving kittens cow's milk can cause flatulence, diarrhea and other digestive problems.
Feeding kittens without a mother
What should you feed a kitten? If a kitten is orphaned or the mother cat is unable to feed it, a special milk replacer should be given. Its composition should be similar to that of cat milk. For the first four weeks of life, kittens need 15-20 kcal ME/100 g of body weight daily. Due to the small capacity of their digestive tracts, kittens should be fed small portions every 2-4 hours for the first two weeks of life, and every 4-6 hours in the following weeks.
Prepared milk replacer must be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 12 hours. Milk replacer should be dissolved in water and warmed to 38°C (100°F) before feeding. When feeding, the kitten should lie on its stomach or side with its head slightly elevated. After eating, massage the kitten's belly to stimulate digestive tract movement.
What diet for a junior cat?
Wondering what to feed a kitten? A kitten's diet must be tailored to its nutritional needs based on its age. Kittens have different energy, protein and fat requirements than adult cats. They require 2-3 times more energy than adult animals, so they should receive a high-calorie diet with a fat content of approximately 18-351 TP9T. Young cats also need more protein for proper development. The optimal protein content in kitten food is 30-501 TP9T. A proper calcium and phosphorus ratio (1.2:1) is also crucial for young cats, as it prevents skeletal problems. Kittens' diets should also include vitamins (which regulate body function) and DHA and EPA fatty acids (which positively impact brain and nervous system development).
It's worth reading Can cats eat vegetables?
Kittens can also be fed complete foods designed for all life stages. When choosing such a food, it's worth comparing its composition with the recommended feeding guidelines for kittens to ensure it's the optimal choice for your pet. Among cat foods for all life stages, it's best to choose a product that contains the highest possible protein and energy, and whose size and texture are adapted to the kitten's delicate teeth. It's also important to carefully adjust the amount of food to your pet's weight and needs.
Feeding your cat dry food: advantages and disadvantages
Feeding a kitten dry food is a solution often chosen by cat owners. Here are its main advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages:
- convenience of use - the possibility of leaving a larger supply of food and active feeding (e.g. using interactive toys),
- higher caloric value of food - possibility of feeding smaller portions of food, higher food efficiency,
- beneficial effect on dental hygiene - mechanical cleaning of the cat's teeth while eating,
- food resistance to spoilage - lower risk of poisoning in young animals.
Defects:
- low water content in food - risk of dehydration and urinary tract problems in cats,
- higher carbohydrate content in food - possible digestive problems in kittens,
- the presence of preservatives in food - a potential threat to the health of kittens,
- hard structure of the food - difficulty in chewing the food by kittens,
- unnatural form of food - low stimulation while eating.
Feeding Your Cat Wet Food: Pros and Cons
Feeding kittens wet food is often recommended by experts. What are its advantages and disadvantages?
Advantages:
- high food moisture – adequate hydration of the cat's body,
- high food digestibility - low risk of digestive problems,
- natural form of food and a variety of flavors - the possibility of creating a varied menu for kittens,
- soft texture of food - easy for kittens to consume,
- high palatability of food - greater kitten satisfaction with meals.
Defects:
- high susceptibility of food to spoilage - risk of poisoning in kittens, need for proper storage and feeding of food,
- lower caloric value of food - the need to serve larger portions of food, higher cost of feeding the kitten,
- sticky structure of food - food deposits on the cat's teeth, promoting the formation of tartar.
Should a kitten get milk and other dairy products?
Giving cow's milk to kittens was once quite common. However, experts are clear: giving young cats cow's milk is unnecessary and, in many cases, can be harmful. After weaning, kittens' lactase activity, the enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose in milk, decreases. For this reason, many adult animals develop an intolerance to milk, manifesting as diarrhea after consuming it. Some cats also develop milk protein allergies. Similar problems can occur in kittens, although they generally occur less frequently than in adults.
Feeding young cats dairy products, such as cottage cheese or yogurt, is a slightly safer option. Dairy products can be a good source of amino acids for young animals, but if feeding kittens a complete food, they should be considered a snack only and fed in small quantities. It's also important to always monitor your pet's reactions to dairy products.
Does a kitten need supplementation?
Complete junior food typically provides kittens with all the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. However, sometimes your pet's body needs extra support. Dietary supplements may be necessary if the kitten was orphaned or weaned too early, is developing too slowly or improperly, is suffering from an illness, or is convalescing. Home-cooked diets also require supplementation. BARF. One of supplements, that can be used for kittens is ANIMALACTIN® — containing an innovative ingredient MicroLactin® (supporting the health of joints and the musculoskeletal system).
You should never give your kitten supplements on your own. This can lead to hypervitaminosis or imbalances in the animal's diet. Improper supplementation can result in developmental problems, behavioral disorders, organ damage, or toxicity. The decision to supplement should always be made in consultation with a veterinarian, who will assess your pet's need for additional supplements and select safe supplements.
Optimal diet – cat food is not everything
In addition to regular food, treats play an important role in the diet of young kittens. Treats can provide kittens with new taste sensations, which positively impacts not only their well-being but also their behavioral development. Giving kittens treats of different flavors, textures, and shapes is a form of sensory stimulation and a way to familiarize them with a variety of foods. It can help reduce picky eating in adulthood and teach your cat to accept a variety of foods. However, treats in a kitten's diet should not exceed 10%.
Kitten treats should be easy to eat (soft, small), free of artificial additives, difficult-to-digest ingredients, or allergens, and appealing to young animals in terms of texture and form. The most popular treats for young cats include:
- mousses,
- pates,
- pastes,
- pieces of meat or offal,
- functional treats,
- crispy croquettes with filling.
How much should a small cat eat?
Kittens' digestive systems are not yet fully developed, so they should consume small portions at a time. The energy requirements of young cats vary depending on their growth stage. On average, they are around 150-200 kcal/kg of body weight in the first months after weaning, and only 100-90 kcal/kg of body weight in the final months before reaching adulthood. Therefore, the exact amount of food fed depends on its caloric content. The daily portion should be divided into at least four meals.
Transition to adult cat food and continued feeding
Once a cat reaches 12 months of age, it's usually time to change its food. A kitten over one year of age has reached its target weight. Its development has already been completed. Therefore, it no longer requires as much energy and protein as a kitten. Continuing to feed it kitten food could lead to it becoming overweight. It's worth remembering that large breed cats (e.g., Maine Coons) take longer to develop—junior food is typically fed until they are 24 months old.
Adult cats should be fed a complete adult food. They can also be fed a special diet tailored to their lifestyle (e.g., for active or indoor cats) or specific needs (e.g., for long-haired cats).
Summary
Proper feeding of kittens is one of the most important factors influencing their development and health. Any dietary errors during this period can have long-term consequences. Due to their rapid growth, kittens require food high in energy and protein. However, the diet of young cats must be modified accordingly in the following months to meet their changing needs. Feeding cow's milk to kittens is not recommended. However, the diet of young cats can be supplemented with supplements and treats, but these must be carefully selected to meet their needs. A proper diet during kittenhood is the best investment in a long and healthy life for your purring pet.
Bibliography:
- Ceregrzyn M., Lechowski R., Barszczewska B., Basics of dog and cat nutrition, Edra Urban & Partner 2013, pp. 242-252.
- Guidi D., Nutrition and Dietetics for Dogs and Cats: A Guide for Veterinarians, Edra Urban & Partner 2021, pp. 35-42.
- Mirowski A., Milk and milk replacers in the rearing of puppies and kittens, Veterinary Life 2013, no. 88 (11), pp. 948-950.
- Mirowski A., Milk and dairy products in dog and cat nutrition, Veterinary Life 2013, no. 88 (12), pp. 1048-1049.
