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When a small kitten appears in the house, which for some reason has lost its mother’s milk, the owners are faced with the question: “What to feed kittens for 1.5 months and how many times a day? In this article we will try to answer questions related to feeding kittens aged 1 to 2 months or more. We will give advice and recommendations on the question: “What to feed a kitten from one month to older age.”
If your kitten is left without mother's milk, then there are two options for getting out of this situation:
- Find a nursing cat that will accept an extra feeder.
- Learn to feed your baby correctly and take responsibility for his life.
At 1 month
Below we will look at how and what to feed a 1 month old kitten at home:
- dry mixtures (sold in pet departments);
- fermented milk products (with low fat content and without sugar);
- goat milk (dilution with water is appropriate: 1:1);
- liquid porridge (semolina or rice, preferably crushed);
- yolk (boiled, mixed with low-fat cottage cheese; allowed 2 times every 7 days);
- puree for children: meat or fish;
- soup (low-fat meat + broth, no need to salt it. Allowed once every 7 days);
- fish (sea fish, boneless fillets are best. Give 2 times every 7 days).
Allowed foods are introduced into the kitten’s menu gradually so that the baby gets used to the new diet. If you do not take this into account, the baby may develop diarrhea, indigestion, and what’s even worse, the kitten may die.
How to feed a one-month-old kitten
Newborn kittens rarely drink water, but they need liquid nutrition (take 10% fat cream - you definitely can’t go wrong). There should always be a bowl of clean water next to your food, which needs to be changed regularly. Make it a rule to wash his bowl after every meal, cats are clean creatures, your kitten will not like a dirty bowl. It is best to take not plastic, but metal.
Up to 1 month, feed the kitten 8 times a day. The number of meals is gradually reduced as the pet gets older. If the baby refuses to eat, do not delay visiting the veterinarian.
At the age of 4 months, give the kitten 50g. food at a time (per 100 g of weight). The normal weight of a small kitten is 200 g; 100 g of food per day will be enough for him.
Can I have milk?
Veterinarians advise giving the kitten instant powder (instead of milk). Cow's milk, which contains lactose, is not the best food for your pet. The powder is sold in any pet department. After 1 month, feed the kitten milk 2 times a day. If you have adopted a kitten that is accustomed to milk, give it a product in porridge form that contains lactose.
You can feed your pet:
- fermented baked milk;
- sour cream.
These products contain many useful substances and cats love them.
Getting used to solid food
Young kittens are gradually introduced to solid food. Veterinarians advise taking into account the kitten’s nutrition: if you plan to feed it meat, you can cut small pieces of fillet and add them to the broth; if the baby eats liquid porridge, you can gradually dilute it and add more solid foods, for example, cereal.
While kittens readily eat meat, not all of them appreciate vegetables. A kitten accustomed to liquid food will have a harder time getting used to solid food - stay nearby and supervise your pet’s nutrition.
If your pet leaves pieces of solid food in the bowl, grind them in a blender or chop them as finely as possible.
Products recommended for nutrition
The first solid food should be soft. You can't give your kitten a piece of fish - he just won't be able to eat it. You can mix raw yolk with dairy products. If you decide to cook it, mix it with milk. Some owners add vegetable oil (without this, the baby may choke, as they believe).
Products undesirable for kittens
Despite the fact that 20 years ago in villages cats were fed leftovers from dinner, and the animals did not have any problems with nutrition, modern pets have a more sensitive digestive tract.
In addition, they live in different conditions, and their immunity is not adapted to survive extreme situations. That is why it is better to exclude the following products from the animal’s diet:
- sausages, sausages, smoked meats;
- rice;
- bread and buns;
- margarine and butter;
- pasta;
- mushrooms and legumes;
- tomatoes;
- sweets.
Of course, nothing will happen to the kitten from one piece, but systematic consumption of such products will shorten the pet’s lifespan.
Dangerous foods for kittens
It is important to eliminate raw foods from your diet whenever possible. This is especially true for pork and river fish - they contain a lot of worms. It is better to boil and chop these products or replace them with lean meat and sea fish. You should also avoid seafood (shrimp, mussels).
Extremely dangerous products
Chocolate is very dangerous even for adult cats. Its consumption can cause the death of the animal. This product contains theobromine, which is absolutely not excreted from the cat’s body and accumulates in dangerous concentrations. The same applies to large bones, fragments of which can injure internal organs. It is strictly forbidden to give kittens expired food and medications prescribed for humans.
Also, depending on the breed, there may be certain dietary restrictions. For example, Maine Coons do not really like fish and digest it poorly, and Sphynx cats should not be given fatty foods.
At 1.5 months
Below we will consider how and what to feed a 1.5 month old kitten at home:
At this age, the pet can already feed on its own, and its diet should be balanced. At this age, the kitten can be fed:
- rolled oats and buckwheat porridges;
- vegetables (any vegetables, except potatoes, served boiled or raw);
- raw meat (low-fat varieties). Served raw, boiled or scalded with boiling water. Meat products make up from 60 to 80% of the total daily food volume.;
- boiled offal;
- cottage cheese - 30 g per day, preferably not fatty;
- raw fish, previously doused with boiling water (about 1 time every 7 days);
- greens (you can ask at the animal department).
How often should I feed?
Kids eat a lot, 5-6 meals a day is the norm. In general, a kitten should eat 120 g per day. The baby cannot eat this amount at once. If the kitten eats less than normal, then you should try changing the food. If the animal refuses food, it is better to contact a veterinarian.
Once the kitten reaches 2 months, you can feed it a little more - up to 180 g. At this point, it is important to monitor the pet’s activity - more playful and active ones need more food.
If you are going away for the day and leaving your kitten alone, feed him before you leave and leave some food in his bowl and feed him more when you return.
Food additives
Do not neglect this important point - vitamins and supplements will have a beneficial effect on the kitten’s body.
From 1.5 months you can add to food:
- Kitzim;
- "Doctor Zoo";
- "Brevers";
- "Farmavit";
- "Biofar".
Before purchasing vitamins, consult with specialists. Veterinarians can advise you on which food supplements are best for your pet and whether your pet needs them at all. The most popular supplement for cats is fish oil. Veterinarians advise giving it 2 capsules for 7 days.
What not to give to a kitten
Every caring owner should remember the list of prohibited foods. Kittens should not eat:
- food with spices (the kind that people like);
- fatty meat: pork, beef;
- human medicines;
- sweets;
- river fish;
- legumes;
- fatty dairy products;
- flour;
- potatoes.
Is it possible to have ready-made food at 1.5 months?
Cat owners and veterinarians do not recommend mixing food and natural food. Many people primarily purchase ready-made cat food for a number of reasons:
- saving time;
- nutritional balance.
If you want to feed your pet food, you should consider that:
- it will not be possible to switch to natural nutrition;
- You cannot mix food of different brands, as they contain different microelements;
- Only high-quality commercial feed is suitable for feeding.
Choose high-quality, balanced food and your kitten will not have any health problems.
Kittens love wet food, but it's a little more expensive. However, according to veterinarians, dry, high-quality ones are more useful.
It is worth noting that wet food contains about 80% water, and your pet does not need to constantly drink water. With dry food, everything is different - there should always be a clean bowl with drinking clean water near the food bowl.
Veterinarians consider the following brands to be good food:
- Royal Canin;
- Almo Nature;
- Pro Plan Junior;
- Eukanuba Puppy Kitten.
The price tag may scare the kitten's owners, but believe me, by purchasing good food, you only win. You won’t have to buy additional vitamins, and the kitten will be healthy, and you won’t have to spend money on treatment.
Milk replacer
Many kittens at one and a half months still eat their mother's milk, but already need additional feeding: a large litter, poor lactation, the cat is exhausted. But not all kids are ready to eat adult food. For example, large Maine Coons, Persians and Britons take longer to develop. Weak, painful offspring are also formed slowly.
A high-quality cat's milk replacer is the best thing you can feed a 1.5-month-old kitten that is developmentally delayed. It will allow you to quickly gain weight and saturate your body with essential nutrients.
Milk substitutes are produced by many well-known brands:
- Cat-Milk (Gimpet);
- Babycat Milk (Royal Canin);
- Kitty-Milk (Beaphar);
- Kittens Powder (Nurturall-C);
- Katzenmilch (Canina).
Professional substitutes contain additives - taurine, vitamins, minerals, vegetable fats. Taking into account the age and condition of the cat, sometimes they even exceed the composition of mother’s milk. Dilute the powder according to the instructions, give according to the scheme in it. To save nerves and time, it is better to purchase a bottle. It costs a penny, eliminates the need to fiddle with a pipette or syringe without a needle, getting everything dirty. It also has convenient divisions to measure out the required amount of mixture.
Features of feeding cats of different breeds
There are no main differences in food; cats are predators; periodically all breeds are given meat or fish. But there are minor differences: for example, British Shorthairs are fed nutritious food - they grow quickly and need more abundant nutrition. Russian blue cats should not be given liver, and the Maine Coon needs plentiful and dense nutrition (the main thing is not to overfeed).
Vegetables and fruits: pros and cons
From an early age, it is necessary to teach kittens to eat vegetables, boiled and raw. When a kitten gnaws on a whole apple, a head of cabbage, or a raw carrot, it cleans its teeth of plaque. Boiled pumpkin is given for prevention against worms. Experts advise giving grated carrots with the addition of vegetable or animal fat; they are rich in vitamin A, which is very useful for pets.
Boiled potatoes are given in small quantities.
You can't give onions.
Frequency of feeding kittens depending on age
- In the first 14 days of life - 10 meals;
- From two weeks to one month, reduced to 8 meals;
- By two months they switch to feeding 7 times a day;
- From the 2nd to the 3rd month they feed 6 times;
- From 4 to 5 – 5 times; From 5 to 9 – 4 times;
- From 9 to 12 – 3 times;
- After a year they switch to two feedings a day.
Little kittens still drink the milk of their mother cat, and what kind of complementary feeding you organize for them depends on your wishes. If complementary feeding consists of natural food, continue to feed it; if it’s food, then food. Do not mix 2 different types of food, this is incorrect and can harm your pet's health.
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