Many new owners do not know how and what to feed their British cat. There may be several options, it all depends on the age of the animal, the characteristics of its health, as well as the employment of the owner himself.
The variety and balance of any pet’s diet directly affects its health and well-being. And the British cat is no exception. You should not skimp on your pet and buy cheap food of dubious quality or feed your cat from the common table.
Healthy eating rules
British cats, like any other, are descendants of wild cats, which are predators. This nuance must be taken into account when composing the diet of these animals. In the natural environment, wild cats feed mainly on raw meat; the plant component enters their body in a partially digested form. Based on this information, it becomes clear what to feed a British cat at home.
The basis of the diet of British cats should be fresh meat products, as well as vegetables and cereals, which are previously heat-treated.
The meat must be in the freezer for at least 3 days before feeding it to the cat. In this way, all pathogenic microorganisms and helminth eggs are killed. Vegetables are given both fresh and boiled, and porridge is made from grains.
To the question of what to feed a British cat if the owners are constantly busy at work and cannot devote much time to preparing food for their ward, the answer is obvious - buy industrial food for British cats, which already contains all the necessary components. Vitamins and minerals in ready-made food are selected in quantities equal to the cat’s daily needs.
It is also recommended to develop a routine and feed your British cat at the same time. To avoid problems, you should adhere to basic feeding standards:
- food should be at room temperature;
- after feeding, the bowl must be removed immediately, since bacteria quickly multiply in uneaten leftover food;
- It is better to mix the vegetable component and porridge with meat; in its pure form, British cats eat plant foods without much enthusiasm;
- the bowl should always be clean;
- fresh filtered and boiled water is available around the clock;
- After feeding, it is better to leave the British cat alone, not to play with it, but to let it lie down and rest.
An adult British cat needs to be fed twice a day. As for British kittens, it all depends on age: the smallest suckling babies begin to be fed 6-8 times a day, gradually increasing the interval between feedings and the portion.
Primary requirements
Every cat owner should remember that your pet is one hundred percent a predator. This is where cats differ from dogs - over thousands of years of domestication, dogs have learned to eat the same food that their owner eats, but cats still require meat in order to grow and develop normally.
British babies are no exception in this regard. The basis of their diet should be meat . It is recommended to feed a British cat beef products. This meat is easily digested by your furry pet's delicate stomach.
It is best to feed cooked meat, as raw ground beef may contain parasitic larvae that are dangerous not only to cattle, but also to predators.
© shutterstock
Natural food
If the owner of a British cat has enough free time to prepare a varied menu for his pet, then a diet based on natural products is an excellent option.
Balanced food for British breed cats must necessarily consist of meat, fish, vegetables and cereals, as well as dairy products. During the molting period, it is recommended to add vitamin complexes and brewer's yeast to the food.
Not all meat and offal are suitable for feeding a British cat; the optimal types are:
- beef;
- veal;
- chicken;
- turkey;
- rabbit meat.
Before consumption, the meat must be defrosted and doused with boiling water. You can make minced meat from poultry, veal and beef by adding boiled cereals and vegetables, and also serve it boiled.
Liver (beef or chicken) can be given no more than once a week, like eggs. Many owners note that the British happily eat boiled kidneys, heart, tongue, and lungs.
If you feed natural food, then do not forget to include ocean or sea fish in your diet:
- cod;
- pollock;
- navaga;
- hake.
It is better to avoid feeding river fish: it contains less unsaturated fatty acids, which are responsible for the good condition of the coat, but there are a great many small bones that are dangerous for the animal. Before feeding, fish and other seafood must be boiled.
Vegetables on a British menu should be represented by root vegetables containing the least amount of starch; products such as:
- beet;
- carrot;
- white cabbage;
- cauliflower;
- cucumbers;
- zucchini.
The most useful cereals to feed are rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, and barley. It is imperative to feed your British cat fermented milk products without dyes or sweeteners:
- low-fat cream and sour cream;
- cottage cheese;
- natural yogurt;
- fermented baked milk;
- kefir
Hill's Nature's Best™ With Real Chicken Adult Cat
Hill's Pet Nutrition has been caring for pets since 1939. Its main mission is to develop food for veterinary use. That is why veterinarians around the world most often recommend Hills's brand food.
Nature's Best With Real Chicken Adult Cat is a carbohydrate-containing food suitable for all adult cats, particularly British cats.
The food consists of high-quality natural ingredients with the addition of vitamins and minerals, taurine to support normal heart function and retinal function. Contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and a shiny coat.
Ingredients: chicken, chicken liver, egg powder, oat fiber, brewer's rice, peas, carrots. Contains cornmeal and wheat
Should be given with caution - it promotes rapid weight gain. The food is enriched with vitamins and minerals
Advantages: designed specifically for adult cats and cats over 1 year old. Has a gentle effect on the digestive system. It has a natural taste that your pet will love. There are no ingredients that can cause gastrointestinal disorders or skin diseases. Ideal balance of nutrients.
Disadvantages: contains wheat and corn gluten - may cause allergies. There are also food colorings.
Ready-made feed
Your breeder will help you choose the best food for British cats. It is better to listen to his advice and purchase the same brand that was fed to the British kitten in the nursery. In this case, the animal will avoid possible gastrointestinal disorders associated with changing food.
You should not feed your British cat even for a short time with cheap brands of dry cat food, since it is made from second-rate products and cannot provide the animal with all the necessary substances.
Whiskas and Kitiket, advertised in the media, can lead to serious health problems when taken for a long time, and their harmful effects may not appear immediately. According to veterinarians, it is dry and wet food from these manufacturers that can provoke enlarged kidneys, urolithiasis and other serious diseases, the treatment of which will be expensive for the owner, and can cost the pet’s life.
Today, many breeders prefer the so-called “pedigreed” ready-made dry and wet food, which is available from almost all manufacturers. The most popular premium foods are:
- Royal Canin,
- Hills,
- Eukanuba.
Dry food for British cats, such as British Shorthair from Royal-Canin, is the most affordable and convenient for busy owners. Many people think whether it is possible to feed a British cat only dry food. Experts recommend alternating dry food without the addition of vegetable carbohydrates with wet meat and vegetable food in pouch bags or in the form of canned food.
When moving to a new home, a British cat experiences enormous stress and may be reluctant to eat. When choosing industrial dry and wet food for your pet, you should not immediately purchase a large volume. The approach should be individual, and only the cat himself will choose which food is best for him, since the list of worthy brands is quite wide.
Wet
Royal Canin Packaging Sauce British Shorthair
pros
- Prevents pet obesity
- Good composition
- Convenient packaging
- There are 12 servings in a box
Minuses
- Expensive pleasure
From 729 ₽
Hearty kibble of wet food suitable for adult animals from 1 to 6 years of age. Cats like it so much that they can’t stop, even when they’re full. Therefore, you should not exceed the volume of a single serving. Quite an expensive product. But users willingly buy one of the best cat foods for their pets: after use, the cats’ fur shines.
Bozita with chicken 370 g (pieces in jelly)
pros
- Soft jelly-like pieces
- Practical packaging from Tetra Pak
- High meat content
- The presence of fat is only 5%
- The presence of vitamins in the composition
- No GMO
- Suitable for pets without teeth
Minuses
- High price
- Strong smell
- Not suitable for cats with pork allergies
From 149 ₽
Jelly-like product with a rich composition. It contains both minerals and natural taurine. There is no need to spend money separately on a vitamin complex. And the most important thing is that the package contains not soy, but meat (almost 100%). The manufacturer took care of the packaging; the cat food will be stored for a long time. Due to the strong, attractive scent for cats, pets of different ages will need to be fed this wet cat food separately.
Brit Care with tuna 80 g (mini fillet)
pros
- Nutritious product
- Delicate texture
- Main ingredient: fish
Minuses
- Tuna in large quantities is harmful to the animal
- Expensive
From 72 RUR
A light, hearty lunch containing protein, the valuable product is tuna. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, and after including food in the diet, the cat becomes cheerful and has a bright coat. It should be taken into account: tuna is useful in small quantities, no more than 1 hour. spoons a day.
Prohibited Products
Feeding British cats does not involve food from the human table. Many Britons have strange preferences: some love buns and chocolate, others prefer pickles and pickled peas. Under no circumstances should you indulge these whims and feed the animal regular food, this can lead to serious illnesses.
You cannot feed the British pork, or include egg whites, butter, river fish, any sweets, baked goods, as well as fried, smoked and pickled foods in the diet. Giving milk is also not recommended as it can cause diarrhea.
Cats of any breed should be fed only healthy food that has a beneficial effect on their health.
Royal Canin British Shorthair
French food that is designed exclusively for the nutritional needs of British Shorthair cats.
Large curved fractions are created specifically for the shape of the jaws of the British.
The cat will not be able to swallow it whole - chewing the kibble helps clean the teeth.
Ingredients: dehydrated poultry protein, which is a source of animal protein. Vegetable protein in the form of cereal components: rice, corn, corn flour and corn gluten. Adapted protein level (34%) supports muscle mass. The food is enriched with taurine, Omega-3 and fatty acids EPA and DHA, which has a beneficial effect on the cat's cardiovascular system. The diet also contains several types of fiber: plant fiber, chicory pulp (a carbohydrate filler with a small amount of the prebiotic inulin) and soluble fiber, which is useful for intestinal microflora and normalization of stool.
Advantages: relatively low cost. Balanced composition. Significantly improves wool quality.
Disadvantages: the composition does not contain fresh meat and fish ingredients; they are replaced by dried animal proteins. The dose of taurine is higher than in other feeds.
Diet of pregnant and lactating cats
The nutrition of British cats that are pregnant or have just lambed should be enhanced and contain as much beef, veal and liver as possible. A pregnant British cat should be fed strictly in portions and not overfed, otherwise the kittens will be large and it will be difficult for her to give birth to them.
A nursing cat should not feel hungry; during lactation, the number of feedings increases up to 3-4 times. Portions are calculated based on the needs of the animal, its weight and the number of suckling kittens.
In the first days after giving birth, a British cat may lose its appetite; this is a completely normal reaction of the body. Afterwards, they usually love to eat and eat often and in small portions.
The amount of water consumed by the cat during this time also increases. A special feature of the diet of a young cat mother is the introduction of beef or chicken broth into the diet. It is given warm to improve lactation.
Nutrition for spayed and neutered British dogs
Food for British cats after castration or sterilization differs in composition from the diet of a healthy cat. After surgery, not only the animal’s hormonal levels are reconstructed, but also the cat’s entire body and its main systems.
If a sterilized cat or neutered cat eats ready-made food, you need to buy special food for neutered cats, which is available from all popular manufacturers.
With a natural diet, you should adhere to a diet in which the content of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus is minimal, since there is a possibility of developing urolithiasis, especially in cats.
It is necessary to exclude cheese and fish from the diet, and feed mainly dairy products and meat. For sterilized cats, it is very useful to give kefir and low-fat cottage cheese.
Earthborn Holistic, Primitive Feline Natural Cat Food
Earthborn Holistic, Primitive Feline Natural Cat Food is a grain-free food produced by Midwestern Pet Foods in the USA. This high-quality product is created for cats of all age categories. It meets all the special needs of an adult cat and provides them with decent, high-calorie nutrition. A healthy combination of high quality protein and vitamins E and C, which are found in vegetables and fruits, have a beneficial effect on the immune system and the functioning of the body as a whole.
Ingredients: egg, chicken and turkey flour, herring flour, rich in vitamins and Omega 3-6-9 acids, brown rice, flaxseed, rolled oats are used as a source of carbohydrates and do not cause allergies. The food is enriched with 30 mineral and vitamin supplements. The presence of calcium and phosphorus guarantees the strengthening of your pet’s bones and teeth.
Has a mild odor. Convenient granules, the food is suitable for feeding kittens and nursing cats.
Advantages: it contains quite a lot of proteins, this includes proteins of both animal and plant origin, which is very suitable for the lean muscle mass of a cat. No grains or gluten. The ideal high-protein, grain-free diet for cats.
Disadvantages: high cost.
What to feed a British kitten
The diet of a small British kitten is completely different from that of an adult cat. The first year of life is the most important for the animal's future health and lifespan. Because it is at this time that all the main vital systems of the body are formed. Feeding British kittens should be varied and of high quality so that the baby grows strong and healthy.
A one-month-old kitten needs to be fed, because at this age it no longer needs only its mother’s milk. The main nutritional components are contained in meat. This is what should be present in the diet every day.
The most suitable option for weak stomachs would be boiled or thawed and scalded beef or chicken, ground in a blender or cut into very small pieces.
To feed a one-month-old kitten without a mother cat, and this happens quite often, you need special milk formulas adapted to the peristalsis of babies of this age. You should not give a 1 month old kitten whole cow's milk, as many people think, this can cause digestive problems.
You can gradually introduce baby cereals and fermented milk products (very carefully). Babies under 8 weeks of age should eat 6-8 times a day, the daily norm is about 150 g.
What you can feed a British kitten is better to ask the breeders directly to get the most reliable information.
What to feed a British kitten at 2 months
It is better to feed a British cat 6-8 times at 2 months. His diet at this age should provide energy, which he actively spends in outdoor games and exploring the world around him. At this stage, you can add egg yolk, cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, as well as baby food and special canned food for kittens.
A British kitten at 2 months is fed only wet industrial food. It is not recommended to give dry food at such a tender age, although they already have quite sharp milk teeth; the first teeth erupt at the age of two weeks.
You can ask your veterinarian how to feed a British kitten correctly. Young British cats of 2-3 months of age completely switch to cat food and no longer depend on mother's milk. It is necessary to give him only high-quality food and under no circumstances feed him food from the table.
What to feed a 3 month old British kitten
British kittens three months old can be fed boiled fish and dry food soaked in water. Infant formulas for artificial feeding should be carefully replaced with natural fermented milk products.
Starting from 3 months, kittens' teeth begin to change, and during this period they may experience a decrease in appetite. What kind of food is best to feed a British kitten, who is quite capricious during this period, can only be determined empirically: he needs to be offered several brands of cat food, from which he can choose. Subsequently, it is better to buy this particular food.
The diet of British kittens should be as varied as possible. You can add boiled vegetables to it, which are mixed with minced meat, and meat by-products, which have also been heat-treated.
What to feed a British kitten at 4 months
Food for kittens 4-5 months old is practically no different from the previous period. Only portions and intervals between feedings increase. The percentage of wet and dry food should be approximately 80/20.
The question of what food to feed a British kitten from 4 months should no longer arise. He eats the same thing as before, but even the most expensive and popular food, which is suitable for adult animals, is still too much for such a baby to digest.
During the period from birth to one year, the weight of British kittens should constantly increase. It is recommended to weigh them every day and enter the data into a table. If you experience weight loss, you need to increase your portions. A kitten at 4 months can be fed with chopped meat, fish, cereals, dairy products, and also added vitamins for active growth and development.
