What is the best food for sphinxes according to veterinarians?

Update date: 03/10/2021 10:29:57 9282 Share:

Author of the article: Astafieva Ekaterina Alekseevna

*Review of the best according to the editors of simplerule.ru. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective in nature, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before purchasing, consultation with a specialist is required.

Sphynxes are a hairless breed whose representatives need to exercise more to stay warm. These cats eat a lot to replenish used energy. Pets are not too picky about food, so pet owners need to constantly monitor the diet of their four-legged friend.

We have prepared a rating of the best food for Sphynx cats, which are popular among buyers. The list was compiled taking into account important parameters and expert opinions.

How to choose food for your Sphynx

Sphynx owners must control the ingredients and dosage of food. When purchasing a product, it is important to pay attention to the following points:

It is worth taking into account the physiological characteristics of the caudate. This includes the presence of diseases and allergic reactions, lactation, pregnancy and castration.

The first 3 positions on the list should be protein foods.

It is better to give preference to premium, superpremium, and holistic products.

It is necessary to clarify information about the manufacturer and the availability of quality certificates. We recommend purchasing products from the USA and Canada.

The diet should be planned taking into account age characteristics.

Don't skimp on products. A trip to the veterinary clinic will cost more.

About the feeding habits of the Sphinx

The first feeding is included in the kitten's menu at the age of 4 weeks. At 2 months you can try cottage cheese, chicken fillet, boiled beef. The frequency of doses is 6-8 times a day, 25 g of food at a time. A six-month-old pet is fed 2-3 times a day for 45-50 g. A grown-up Sphynx eats ready-made industrial food.

The breed requires a healthy and balanced diet, because it has a hypersensitive digestive system. Any violation in the diet can cause diarrhea. Food must be given at the same time. You cannot mix store-bought food with homemade food. The water should always be clean.

The daily protein requirement is 30% of the Sphynx's body weight. If the cat cannot eat meat, then it must be replaced with fish. 200 g per day is enough. One third of the diet should consist of carbohydrates, which are present in cereals and vegetables. If your pet has digestive problems, you need to switch to other types of food gradually. All that remains is to get acquainted with the best food for sphinxes and choose the best option for your tailed friend.

Feeding according to financial and physical capabilities

Creating a natural menu on your own is quite a complicated matter. Therefore, it is recommended to contact a veterinarian who can calculate the amount of necessary products for each cat. Before making a choice in favor of natural products or industrial feeds, you need to evaluate your own strengths:

1. For meat, fish, eggs, you need to often go to the store, and it is enough to purchase ready-made food 1-2 months in advance. If you have time to visit grocery stores and markets, you can safely introduce your baby to natural dishes.
2. The lifestyle of animal owners plays an important role in the choice of diet. For example, if the owners are often away from home (business trips, courses, studies, travel), will neighbors or relatives boil meat for the cat, pick bones from fish, or prepare a healthy pate from liver and vegetables? Of course not, so it is better to accustom the kitten to ready-made food. What if you take your pet with you to the resort? On the road, the pet will find itself without food, and when it arrives at the seaside, the owners are unlikely to want to cook and bake meat and fish. Accordingly, the conclusion suggests itself: industrial feed in this situation is the best option.
3. If you make a choice in favor of natural nutrition, you must remember that to saturate the body with vitamin and mineral components, it is raw foods that are required. In nature, cats do not boil mice, and they eat freshly caught fish. If you cook meat, some of the essential vitamins and minerals will evaporate, so how will your pet replenish its reserves? When choosing between raw and boiled food, you need to understand what is more important: vitamins and minerals or the risk of infection with worms. Using dry or canned food from a pet store may not be as beneficial for the body as natural food, but it allows you to calculate the amount of incoming microelements, and is also safe in terms of helminth infection.

Rating of the best food for sphinxes

Hill's Science Plan Adult Lamb

The winner of the rating was food for Sphynx cats made in the USA. It is ideal for cats that are prone to an allergic reaction to chicken. It contains 32% protein, 20% fat.

The list of ingredients includes lamb, rice, corn, mineral supplements and ground turkey. The formula contains vitamin C, omega fatty acids, antioxidants and taurine. It meets the needs of cats older than 1 year.

The food reduces the risk of developing kidney and bladder pathologies and is suitable for lactating animals. Veterinary clinics advise feeding sphinxes with Hill's Science Plan Adult Lamb food, because it contains all the necessary vitamins and microelements. If your cat loves dry granules, then there is no better option. 400 g cost from 300 rubles.

Source

The danger of cheap feed

It is not recommended to purchase food in bulk at the grocery store. Usually, this is how they sell cheap feed mixtures that will not bring any health benefits. Chemicals and dyes found in cheap pet food cause serious illnesses, including esophageal cancer. Manufacturers indicate the presence of chemical preservatives on the labels, so before purchasing the mixture you should carefully study the composition.

Manufacturers use the term “offal” to hide waste from the meat processing industry. At best, it will be skins and cartilage, and at worst, crushed bones. If the manufacturer indicates that the food consists of by-products, it is better to refuse to purchase it. This dish does not provide any nutritional value.

Pets may happily consume such food, but this does not mean that they understand its composition. Cats are well versed in natural meat and fish, but they do not understand anything about the chemical additives that manufacturers specifically include in low-grade products. Due to odor and taste enhancers, the dish attracts animals. They are deceived by the delicate aroma of chicken or turkey, and in return they receive a mixture that is far from meat in origin.

Therefore, if you decide to feed your pet a commercially produced formula, you need to carefully study the composition. It should contain meat or fish, but not offal.

What to feed a Sphynx cat

What will you learn from the article?

Cats of this breed are naturally hairless, so they have to move a lot to keep warm. To replenish expended energy, sphinxes eat a lot. They are not picky about food - they can eat almost anything and have no sense of proportion.

The owners of sphinxes have a huge responsibility - they must monitor their pet’s diet, clearly control the composition and dose it. It is also necessary to protect the inquisitive “alien” from consuming unwanted and dangerous products.

This article will tell you what to feed a Sphynx cat or kitten.

What to look for when buying industrial feed:

• choose dry food for the appropriate age group (kittens, adult cats, elderly animals);
• take into account the physiological state of the animal: lactation, pregnancy, castration;
• study the composition - the first three positions should be occupied by proteins (meat), protein content - at least 26-30%;
• give preference to “superpremium”, “premium” and holistic food products.

Changing your diet

The Sphynx's digestive system reacts sharply to changes in diet, especially at a young age.

When a kitten is taken home, at first it needs to be fed in the same way as in the nursery. If for some reason there is no information about this, then the most optimal is veal (raw or boiled), cottage cheese, finely chopped yolk, meat and vegetable pate. Gradually introduce rice and buckwheat porridge. It is better to get used to cereal dishes from childhood. An older cat will refuse porridge.

When choosing what to feed sphinxes, you should give preference to either dry food or natural food. Mixing two types of food is prohibited. If a decision is made on a mixed diet, then drying is given in the morning, natural in the evening, or vice versa. Different types of food are digested by different enzymes, and the intestines need time to rebuild.

When feeding dry feed, the dose is calculated depending on the recommendations of the feed manufacturer. With natural nutrition, depending on the animal’s weight and health status. On average, for kittens the daily feeding rate is 10% of body weight, for adult animals - 5% of body weight.

The best food for Sphynx cats

Contrary to popular belief that Sphynx cats should not be given dry food, many breeders and owners of cats of this breed successfully use it. Sphynx breeders recommend using high-quality food from Europe, the USA, and Canada - they meet AAFACO international standards. Be sure to check the information about the manufacturer and compliance with standards indicated on the food packaging!

We have compiled a rating of recommended foods based on their quality characteristics. But the final choice must be made strictly individually, taking into account the recommendations of veterinarians and the animal’s reaction to the food.

1. Orijen Cat & Kitten (Canada) – holistic food;
2. ACANA Grasslands for Cats (Canada) – holistic food;
3. Purina Pro Plan Delicate (France) – super-premium;
4. Royal Canin Sphynx Adult (USA, France) – premium class;
5. Hill's Science Plan Adult Lamb (USA) is a premium food.

Orijen Cat & Kitten

Balanced Canadian-made food for cats and kittens with a high content of protein (42%) and fat (20%).

The main ingredients are chicken and turkey meat, whole eggs and wild-caught fish. Only raw and fresh products are used – WholePrey™ concept. Protein sources: chicken meat, chicken liver, herring, salmon, turkey, pollock. Carbohydrates: potatoes, sweet potatoes. The source of fat is chicken fat.

Vegetables and fruits: apples, carrots, pumpkin, alfalfa, turnips, peas, spinach. Blueberries are added as an antioxidant. Contains chicory root, a source of inulin. Peppermint – inhibits the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and helps with stomach upsets. The food is enriched with complexes of vitamin and mineral supplements - 24 elements.

Pros of the food: suitable for all ages, can be given to nursing cats and kittens.

Disadvantages of food: not always available for free sale, high cost.

• 340 g – 411 rubles (170 UAH);
• 1.8 kg – 1739 rubles (850 UAH);
• 5.4 kg – 3599 rubles (1800 UAH);
• 17 kg – 9979 rubles (4460 UAH).

ACANA Grasslands for Cats

Grain-free biologically appropriate food for cats and kittens made in Canada with a high protein (35%) and fat (20%) content.

The food is based on free-range duck meat. Protein composition: duck, lamb, herring flour, lamb liver, salmon flour, chicken egg. Lentils are used as a source of carbohydrates - a product high in iron and folic acid. Fat composition: herring oil, lamb and duck fat.

Vegetables and fruits: apples, carrots, alfalfa, spinach, pumpkin, peas and cranberries. The food contains only raw and fresh ingredients without artificial additives. The food contains chamomile and dandelion extract, chicory root, dried kelp, vitamins A and D3.

Plus food: low-glycemic vegetables and fruits prevent fat deposition and maintain blood sugar levels.

Disadvantage of the food: high price.

• 340 g – 360 rubles (180 UAH);
• 1.8 kg – 1782 rubles (870 UAH);
• 5.4 kg – 4212 rubles (2105 UAH).

Purina Pro Plan Delicate

Complete food for adult cats with sensitive digestion and picky eaters. Manufacturer – France. Protein content – ​​40%, fat – 18%. The main protein component is turkey meat, which is a source of highly digestible protein. Source of carbohydrates - rice.

Ingredients: turkey, peas, animal fat, fish oil, powdered eggs, yeast, corn. To maintain kidney health, it contains the OPTIRENAL® complex, which includes Omega fatty acids and the antioxidant arginine. Enriched with vitamins A, E, C. Large croquettes help maintain healthy teeth and oral cavity.

Plus the food: normalizes digestion and stool.

Disadvantage of the food: it contains corn - a product that reduces the cost of food and causes allergies.

• 400 g – 275 rubles (135 UAH);
• 1.5 kg – 918 rubles (455 UAH);
• 3 kg – 1725 rubles (860 UAH);
• 10 kg – 5196 rubles (2570 UAH).

Royal Canin Sphynx Adult

Specially formulated food for Sphynx cats older than 12 months. Manufacturer: USA or France.

Ingredients: dehydrated poultry, rice, animal fats, wheat, beet pulp, fish oil, yeast, tomato powder, borage oil, marigold extract - a source of lutein. Protein content – ​​33%, fat – 23%. The high calorie formula meets the energy needs of this breed.

The food is enriched with Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids to support healthy skin. Taurine, DHA and EPA are added for normal functioning of the cardiovascular system. The shape and size of the croquettes are adapted to the jaws of the sphinx.

Plus the food: the shape of the granules helps maintain oral and dental hygiene.

Disadvantage of the food: it contains wheat and corn - cheap fillers with low nutritional value.

Hill's Science Plan Adult Lamb

Hypoallergenic food with lamb meat made in the USA. Suitable for cats prone to chicken allergies. Protein content – ​​32%, fat – 20%.

Ingredients: lamb meat, turkey and chicken meal, animal fat, ground rice, ground corn, taurine, vitamin C. The food is enriched with vitamin and mineral supplements. The food formula is designed to meet the needs of an adult animal over 1 year old.

Reduces the risk of urinary tract diseases. Contains a complex of antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids. Suitable for nursing cats.

Plus the food: can be given to cats with chicken allergies.

Disadvantage of the food: contains corn flour.

• 400 g – 313 rubles (155 UAH);
• 2 kg – 1333 rubles (600 UAH);
• 5 kg – 3123 rubles (1560 UAH);
• 10 kg – 5615 rubles (2805 UAH).

Natural products

Natural food can also be the main one in the diet of a cat or Sphynx cat. It can also be fed to small kittens. However, here it is worth understanding that not all foods that humans consume can be given to cats. It is recommended to feed Sphynx cats this way when fed at home.

• Lean meats, namely turkey, chicken, young lamb and rabbit. Meat should only be given boiled; fried meat is completely contraindicated, as is smoked meat. Raw chicken meat is also allowed, the main thing is to first pour boiling water over it.
• Boiled vegetables must also be included in the animal’s diet.
• Porridge (rice, buckwheat and others).
• Boiled eggs (it is recommended to give only the yolk).

You can add a little oil to boiled porridge. As treats, cats can be given special crackers, which are not only treats, but also gently clean their teeth. It is completely contraindicated to give bones to kittens and adult cats with cats, as well as raw fish.

Castrated individuals should be especially careful with fish. It very often provokes urolithiasis

Bones are not absorbed by the body of domestic cats and kittens, and therefore can cause a lot of discomfort to animals.

Also, you should not pamper cats with chocolate and buns, as well as other bakery products. Dishes with salt, pepper and other spices are contraindicated. It is best to replace milk with plain yogurt. Cats should not be fed spoiled food, and it is best to remove any uneaten leftovers immediately.

What to feed a Sphynx kitten

Now that we've looked at the best food for an adult cat, let's talk about hairless kittens. Little sphinxes are extremely active, inquisitive and playful. They require more energy for normal development than babies of other breeds in order to warm their body unprotected by fur.

The first complementary foods are introduced into the kitten’s diet at the age of 1 month. It could be semolina porridge or egg yolk.

When the kittens are 2 months old, ground boiled beef or chicken breast and calcined cottage cheese are introduced into the diet. You can occasionally give cheese as a treat - sphinxes love it.

Until the baby is 3 months old, the frequency of feeding him should be 6 times a day - 25 grams of food per meal. From the same age, boiled and raw meat, herbs, vegetables and fruits are allowed. Particularly active kittens need eight feedings. A six-month-old kitten eats less - the number of feedings is reduced to 2-3 times a day, 40-50 grams.

An older kitten can be fed with ready-made industrial food of the “holistic”, “premium” and “super-premium” classes. Their composition is completely balanced and adapted for actively growing sphinxes. It is best to choose special brands - for kittens:

• Royal Canin Babycat Instinctive – mousse for kittens up to 4 months;
• Royal Canin Kitten – dry food for kittens from 4 to 12 months;
• Purina Pro Plan Junior Chicken – canned food for kittens with chicken;
• Wahre Liebe “Junge” – dry food for kittens with colostrum;
• Hills Cat Science Plan Kitten Tuna – dry food for kittens with tuna;
• GO! Sensitivity + Shine Duck Cat Recipe Limited Ingredient Diet, Grain Free – for kittens and cats with sensitive digestion.

Natural nutrition - pros and cons

Before buying a kitten, you need to find out what the owner-breeders fed it.

This is very important, because the baby may persistently refuse unfamiliar food. This behavior often leads to exhaustion

Kittens are real conservatives when it comes to feeding.

If the breeders have accustomed the pet to natural products, it is advisable to continue their endeavor. There are positives and negatives to a natural diet that should be carefully considered.

Natural food should be close to the natural food of cats living in nature. Basically, the diet of wild animals consists of mother's milk, meat (mice, poultry), bird eggs, fish, and grass. Cereals, vegetables, and fruits enter the body by accident; cats occasionally try them out of hunger or curiosity.

At home, you should stick to a natural diet:

1. Meat dishes - prepared from chicken, turkey, veal/beef. Under natural conditions, cats eat raw meat products, but there is a high risk of infection with helminthiasis. Therefore, it is recommended to feed your pets with pre-boiled meat. As a last resort, the meat is frozen and doused with boiling water before serving.
2. Eggs are rarely present in the diet. It is enough to feed the cat 1-2 times every 7 days with quail eggs. From chicken, animals are given only the yolk, but it is better to exclude the protein, as it can cause allergies.
3. Fermented milk products help normalize the digestive process, so veterinarians advise including them in the diet. Cottage cheese, kefir, and yogurt are given separately from other dishes. You can offer these products to kittens who constantly want to eat.
4. Almost all raw fish is infected with helminths, so you should boil it before feeding your pet. To prevent the baby from being injured by sharp bones, the fish is cleaned of the spine. To get rid of small bones, boiled fish is passed through a meat grinder.
5. Kittens are allowed to give boiled liver, heart, and kidneys in small portions. In large quantities, these foods cause stomach upset, so they should be limited.
6. You can’t feed them with porridge alone, but you can add chopped boiled cereals to the meat. It is necessary to take into account that meat should make up at least 70% of the total food.
7. Meat pate can be prepared with boiled chopped vegetables. Vegetable supplements improve the digestive process and improve bowel movements.
8. If a cat goes outside for a walk, he can find grass on his own and chew it. For pets who do not go outside at all, grass can be grown at home. You can buy seedlings at a pet store.

It is prohibited to feed sphinxes natural dishes from the human table. Salt, sugar, preservatives, and spices are added to foods consumed by people. Cats do not need such supplements, so it is harmful for them to eat sausage, sausages, canned meat and fish. Fried foods are also harmful. The main list of prohibited products includes the following:

• fried cutlets;
• pork in any form. Raw is fraught with helminthiasis, and boiled is too fatty and heavy for the stomach;
• sausages, sausages, sausages;
• chicken bones;
• smoked meat products;
• buns, candies, cookies, sweets;
• stewed meat, canned fish. They contain too much salt and spices that are harmful to your pet’s health;
• fresh milk. Many adult pets develop lactose intolerance, so it is better to avoid milk. It is replaced with fermented milk products, which have no less health value.

Nutrition for illnesses

Sphynx cats require a healthier and more balanced diet than other cat breeds - they have a very sensitive digestive system. The slightest violation in the diet - diarrhea cannot be avoided.

The main condition for choice is control of protein levels and the absence of ingredients in the food that can cause stool upset. If problems with the gastrointestinal tract do arise, replace the food with a special one, after consulting with a veterinarian.

Rating of veterinary food:

1. GO Sensitivity Shine;
2. 1st Choice;
3. Gina Elite Cat Sensitive;
4. Josera SensiCat;
5. Bozita Feline Funktion Sensitive Diet & Stomach;
6. Hill's Science Plan Sensitive Stomach;
7. Royal Canin Sensible 33.