As you may know, your kitten weighed only a few ounces at birth. It is remarkable how fast will he put on weight with the appropriate nutrition tips! For example, he'll put on about 2 pounds in the first 10 weeks! Thereafter, he will continue to gain weight rapidly until he's 7 months of age. After that, weight gain will slow down. In this article, you will learn about the most important nutrition tips that every cat lover should know to become the next Pet Chef!
Top 5 nutrition tips for your kitten
Here you have some of the most important nutrition tips to follow when feeding your kitten.
Give him soft food after the first month
Kittens start eating soft food after the first month of age. A meat-based canned food diet is perfect for this time. Remember that they are still drinking their mother's milk until they are about 6 weeks old. Once they stop with the milk, you might need to consider a diet formulated for kittens. Kitten food is very rich in nutrients. Plus, it is ideal to supply calories and nutrients in smaller amounts for a kitten’s little stomach.
Do not feed your kitten with dog food
You cannot feed a kitten with puppy or dog food. Perhaps you didn’t know this but, unlike dogs, cats are obligate carnivores, and their body cannot obtain some of the essential nutrients from the vegetable-based ingredients in dog foods. Also, cats have a higher minimum requirement for protein in their diet than dogs. Likewise, cats require some nutrients that dogs don't necessarily need. For example, cats need taurine in order to maintain cardiovascular and visual health.
Don’t feed your kitten just meat
Among the most important nutrition tips, you will also find that your cats can’t only eat meat! Even though cats are carnivores, they need other sources of nutrients. In fact, by only feeding meat, you can cause a nutritional imbalance in their bodies. Kittens are especially susceptible to nutritional imbalances since their bodies are adjusting to the new diet for the first few months. The same thing applies to fish. If you only feed your kitten with fish, this can cause a condition called steatites.
Introduce dry food
Eventually, it is necessary to introduce dry food so that your cat will be familiar with both dry and wet foods. It is advisable to offer a variety of foods and flavours that can encourage your kitten to be more relaxed when it comes to accepting novel foods as an adult. But don't go overboard with this! You do not want a cat obsessed with eating! Cats are prone to obesity unless properly cared for. Dry food figures among the best nutrition tips because it is an excellent source of minerals and vitamins.
Access to fresh water
Last but not least, your kitten should always have access to fresh water. Even though your pet can occasionally drink milk, it is not necessary. Sometimes milk can be detrimental as it can cause diarrhoea. Follow these nutrition tips and your kitten will be fine! Make sure he is putting enough weight for the first few months, else go to the vet for a routine check-up!
