How and what to feed an Abyssinian kitten: nutrition from birth to one year, natural or industrial feeding

Abyssinian cat - features of the breed

Before purchasing a kitten, it is necessary to study all the characteristics of the breed, especially those related to the health of the future pet. Hereditary ailments characteristic of the breed most often occur due to improper care and feeding. In addition, based on the characteristics of the breed, you can judge the well-being of your pet.

Abyssinian cats, even at a young age, are very strong and playful. When a kitten is not sleeping, it is constantly exploring the outside world, spending a lot of energy. From a very young age, Abyssinian cats develop powerful muscles, which means an increased need for protein. In addition, Abyssinian cats from an early age learn complex jumps and practice agility while running, so the food must be balanced for the full formation of the skeleton and joints.

Note! Abyssinian cats eat a lot because they spend a lot of energy on constant physical activity.

Abyssinian cats are prone to a number of diseases:

Retinal atrophy is a hereditary, most often age-related disease.
Amyloidosis is a congenital autoimmune disease.
Alopecia.
Dermatitis of various origins, including as a consequence of food allergies.

This is interesting! The Abyssinian cat is considered the most active domestic breed (hybrids with wild cats are not included in the rating).

Nutrition for illnesses

In many clinical diseases, diet is of great importance. Of course, it does not replace medications, but it can speed up the recovery process for a sick pet. Abyssinians are considered a relatively healthy breed; they rarely suffer from genetic diseases. But, like all cats, with age or due to stress or an unbalanced diet, they can develop kidney disease, liver disease, allergies, obesity or gastrointestinal disorders.

Medicinal food for Abyssinian cats

Hill's Prescription Diet Metabolic + Urinary Feline dry – excess weight, urolithiasis;
Hill's k/d – kidney diseases;
Hill's z/d – treatment of food allergies;
Hill's w/d – colitis, constipation;
Hill's i/d – gastrointestinal diseases;
Royal Canin Urinary S/O LP34 – stones in the bladder;
Royal Canin Fiber Response – constipation;
Purina Veterinary Diets UR – urolithiasis;
Purina Veterinary Diets NF – kidney pathology;
Purina Veterinary Diets OM - obesity.

Important: it is unacceptable to prescribe a therapeutic diet on your own - veterinary food, like medications, must be prescribed by a doctor.

Choosing a place and utensils for feeding

The kitten should feel safe in the eating area. In addition, the owner must be interested in maintaining cleanliness and comfort for the pet. The choice of place and utensils for feeding plays one of the key roles at the stage of adaptation of the Abyssinian kitten to a new home.

Stainless steel and ceramic bowls are suitable for feeding cats. Bowls made of steel are light in weight, so they need to be fixed on a stand. The ceramic bowl may break if dropped from a height, but it has enough weight to not slip on the floor. To save your pet from unnecessary stress associated with bowls sliding around, you can cover the eating area with a small rubber mat.

Note! A rubber mat will help protect your pet from slipping on the floor surface and make it easier to keep clean.

What to feed an Abyssinian kitten - choosing the type of diet

When deciding what to feed an Abyssinian kitten, you need to choose from three basic feeding options:

Natural.
Industrial.
Mixed.

Veterinarians do not recommend changing a kitten's diet until it is one year old. If you decide to feed your pet expensive food, this rule must be followed until the baby’s teeth change, the backbone is formed and muscle mass is gained.

Switching a kitten to another type of diet is acceptable if it is fed low-quality food or an unbalanced, natural diet.

Natural diet

A natural diet for an Abyssinian kitten includes:

Feeding raw and cooked foods in pure and mixed form.
Feeding exclusively raw foods.
Feeding with homemade semi-finished products.

Benefits of a natural diet:

You can control the freshness and quality of the products.
The ability to regulate the calorie content of food.
Taste variety.
Saving money - a natural diet is 2-3 times cheaper than food of similar quality.

Disadvantages of a natural diet:

Time-consuming – cat food needs to be prepared separately and regularly.
Natural food should not be left in an automatic feeder.
With a natural diet, the cat needs to regularly take vitamin courses.

An Abyssinian kitten can be switched to a natural diet from the age of one month.

Up to 4 months, the diet should be based on dairy products.
From 4 months, some cats develop lactose intolerance; in this case, whole milk is replaced with fermented milk products.
By the age of 8–9 months, the owner needs to accustom the cat to a diet of healthy foods, since it is extremely difficult to accustom adult animals to eat vegetables.

Features of feeding

The Abyssinian cat is a medium-sized animal, with a compact body and well-developed muscles. She is very active, so nutrition must meet a number of requirements for the proper development and formation of the body. Each age has its own needs, and health and proper appearance are laid down from the first days of the baby’s birth.

Kitten food

Abyssinian kittens grow slowly, so they are weaned from their mother at a later age - at 7-9 weeks. The later the baby switches to completely solid food, the more time his body will have to form a stable immune barrier.

Kittens that have been weaned from their mother need high-energy food - 200-250 kcal per kilogram of body weight or 837-1.046 kJ/kg. The stomach volume of an Abyssinian baby is small, so high-energy nutrition covers the energy costs of a small amount of food.

An adult animal weighs from 3 to 7 kg. Has a compact, muscular body. To form muscle mass, the Abyssinian needs food with a high protein content, but since the baby’s enzyme system is not yet perfect, its digestibility should be at least 85%, and dry matter – 80%.

In order for the skeleton and teeth to be strong, you need foods high in fluoride and calcium. For better absorption of these substances necessary for the mineralization of bone tissue, vitamin D and K2 are needed. They will help the minerals get where they need to go rather than being deposited as kidney and gallstones. They are available in sufficient quantities in products, but small kittens are given them separately, but in strictly dosing quantities. Excess vitamin D can lead to vascular sclerosis.

Ready-made food for kittens contains all the necessary nutrients for kittens. But those who decide to feed their Abyssinian natural food should think about vitamin and mineral supplements. Veterinarians advise:

Gimpet Baby Tabs – with vitamins A, E, D3, K3 and B, taurine, for good vision, L-carnitine for active kittens;
Canina Cat Mineral Tabs – properly balanced calcium/phosphorus composition, brewer’s yeast for good digestion, seaweed to replenish the body with iodine;
Beaphar Kitty's Junior – fortified treats for babies from 6 weeks of age.

Abyssinians are not prone to overeating, but it is worth considering the baby’s age when creating a feeding schedule:

up to 6 months – kittens are fed 4-6 times;
from 6 to 8 months. – the number of meals is reduced to 3 times;
from 8 months – the kitten is transferred to an adult diet and given food 2 times a day.

When choosing between dry and natural food, breeders give preference to ready-made food. Dry granules perfectly massage the gums and clean the teeth. This is very important for Abyssinians, as they are prone to dental diseases and tartar deposits. But it should be taken into account that Abyssinians have narrow jaws, so dry food for Siamese kittens is suitable for them.

Adult cats

The diet of an adult Abyssinian cat should include:

Proteins : lean veal, chicken, turkey, beef and chicken by-products, sea fish (white), poultry egg yolks, medium-fat fermented milk products - yogurt (natural, without additives), kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk, non-acidic cottage cheese, sour cream or cream .
Carbohydrates – cereal porridges.
Vitamins, fiber - vegetables and fruits.

Beef or veal is pre-frozen for 3 days in the freezer. You can also pour boiling water over it if the owner is sure that it is fresh. It needs to be cut into pieces convenient for eating. The meat may have veins so that the cat can clean its teeth. It must be given to the cat daily.

Beef and chicken by-products are prepared in the same way as meat - by freezing them. But in order to avoid infection with helminths, they can be boiled. Heart, lungs and kidneys are introduced into the diet no more than 2-3 times a week. Abyssinians are very fond of liver. This food preference evolved in wild cats and is inherited by their domestic offspring, but liver should not be given too often as it can cause diarrhea.

Fish is a source of omega fatty acids and phosphorus for cats. However, feeding fish too frequently can cause gallstones, especially in spayed/neutered Abyssinians. Therefore, 1 fish day per week is enough.

Boiled egg yolks and natural quail eggs are added to vegetables and cereals. You shouldn't get carried away with them either. Having received eggs 1-2 times a week, the cat will provide the body with the necessary amino acids and fats in sufficient quantities.

Fermented milk products – 3-4 times a week. They restore intestinal microflora, stimulate peristalsis and the synthesis of digestive enzymes. Porridge - cooked in water, weak meat or vegetable broth. They are mixed with boiled fish, meat or vegetables and given several times a week.

Abyssinians enjoy eating vegetables, herbs, and fruits. They can be given boiled or raw, grated on a fine grater. Boiled fish and meat are also added to them, in the proportion of 1 part vegetables or cereals and 2 parts meat or fish.

For good intestinal function and cleaning it from hairballs, the cat is given sprouted grains of wheat and oats, as well as specially grown grass. You should not encourage your pet to eat grass on roadsides and in parks. It may be treated with fertilizers, herbicides or contain heavy metal salts.

To make the cat's luxurious coat shine, brewer's yeast or special vitamin supplements are added to her food 3-4 times a week. Cooked food should be warm and fresh. It is best to cook it immediately before serving, but if you have to prepare it for future use, the portions are packaged separately and placed in the freezer. Before serving, they are defrosted and slightly warmed up.

Ready-made food for Abyssinians should be selected from the “premium” or “super-premium” category. This could be food:

SIAMESE ADULT Royal Canin;
Royal Canin Siamese Adult;
Royal Canin Siamese adult.

The kibble size is ideal for breeds with narrow jaws such as Siamese and Abyssinians.

Dry food should be available at all times. Then the cat will not try to eat “in reserve.” Clean fresh water should also be available at all times. But breeders recommend placing a bowl of liquid away from the feeder. This is how the ancestors of the Abyssinians got used to it in the wild.

Feeding cats during pregnancy

During such a crucial period, the Abyssinian needs a completely different diet. It is very close in composition to a kitten’s diet, since:

Calcium and fluorine are necessary for the formation of the fetal skeleton. If there is insufficient intake of it into the body, the element is washed out of the cat’s bones;
the lack of certain amino acids, vitamins and microelements leads to disruption of the formation of organs and systems;
Insufficient intake of amino acids into the body can cause fetal death or miscarriage.

Therefore, it is very important for a pregnant cat to have the following vitamin groups in its diet:

A – so that calcium and phosphorus are deposited specifically in the bone tissue of the fetus;
B6, B12 – activate the production of collagen fibers in the base of muscles, joints and skin;
E – helps restore tissues of the nervous system.

Food should contain phosphorus, calcium, iron, zinc. During pregnancy, you need 1.5-2 times more of them. A lack of taurine leads to eclampsia, miscarriage, miscarriage or pathology in newborn kittens.

Linoleic and arachidonic fatty acids are necessary for the formation of the neural tube of the fetus. Their deficiency leads to infertility. Protein is important both during the period of gestation of kittens and for the synthesis of milk.

The number of feedings and serving size are calculated depending on the duration of pregnancy:

First trimester – increased nutrition is required for the formation of embryos. The serving volume is increased by 10% and the daily volume of food is divided into 4-5 times;
II trimester - the portion is increased to 50%, but overfeeding is avoided;
III trimester – the growing uterus puts pressure on the stomach, so the daily requirement is maintained, but given in smaller portions, divided into 6 times.

In order not to cause food stress or allergies, it is worth maintaining the type of food that the Abyssinian was accustomed to before pregnancy. The easiest way is for the cat to eat ready-made food. But it’s worth choosing the appropriate one from the line for pregnant cats of the company she’s used to. The best foods are:

Nature's Protection Kitten;
Now Fresh Kitten Grain Free Recipe;
Acana Wild Prairie cat 37/20;
MOTHER AND BABYCAT, Royal Canin;
Josera Minette.

In addition to dry food, the Abyssinian can be offered wet food and canned food from Royal Canin:

PEDIATRIC WEANING;
Babycat Instinctive;
Kitten Instinctive;
Kitten Sterilized.

Canned food, pates, pieces in jelly are produced by Purina, Gurmet Gold and others. Dry and wet food can be mixed. For example, the diet uses 75% dry and 25% canned. The amount is calculated based on the daily norm.

The Abyssinian cat is in good health, but with age she may develop problems with appetite, peristalsis and bowel movements.

Feeding sick and elderly cats

Abyssinians can develop diseases, so during this period they require special nutrition:

For cats with metabolic problems, Hill's Prescription Diet Metabolic and Purina Veterinary Diets OM are used.
For impaired renal function - Hill's k/d, Royal Canin Urinary S/O LP34, Purina Veterinary Diets UR, Purina Veterinary Diets NF, Urinary Feline dry.
For cats with allergies, Hill's z/d is suitable, and for cats with gastrointestinal diseases and sensitive stomachs - Hill's i/d, Hill's w/d.
To avoid constipation, add a little vegetable oil to natural foods or use Royal Canin Fiber Response food.

You should not experiment on your own with the choice of food for this category of Abyssinian cats. The right type should be recommended by a veterinarian, taking into account the individual characteristics of the animal.

Sample menu by age

By drawing up an approximate menu by age, you will be able to sensibly assess your capabilities, both physical and financial. When leaning towards natural feeding, it is important to take into account the time required. Ready-made feeds involve significant financial investments.

When planning to get a kitten, it is important to remember that it is not advisable to change its type of diet until it is one year old. When you buy a kitten from a nursery or a breeder, it is important to clarify what type of food the animal is accustomed to. The diet can be changed after the adaptation period if the breeder’s choice does not suit you.

Note! A valid reason for a sudden change in diet is feeding with economy class products or an unbalanced natural diet.

Up to a month

Until the age of one month, kittens should feed exclusively on mother's milk. Under circumstances that do not allow natural feeding, the kitten is transferred to a cat's milk replacer.

Natural menu:

Goat milk diluted with boiled water.
Scott's kitten mix.
Tiling mix for kittens.

Industrial menu:

Cat milk replacer.
From 1.5–2 weeks – infant formula “from 0” (without additives and sugar).

The daily food intake for an Abyssinian kitten under the age of one month ranges from 30 to 50 ml, depending on the number of babies in the litter, individual characteristics and dimensions. Number of feedings for an Abyssinian kitten under one month of age:

From birth to 2 weeks, feeding every 2 hours – 10 times a day.
From 2 to 4 weeks, feeding every 2–3 hours – 8 times a day.

Vitamins and supplements

High-quality industrial feeds contain a basic complex of vitamins, so additional sources are not required. With natural feeding, vitamins and supplements must be introduced into the cat’s diet on an ongoing basis.

Natural vitamin supplements:

Meat and bone meal.
Fish, chicken, beef liver.
Greens, vegetables, fruits.
Sunflower oil, olive oil.
Brewer's yeast.

Pharmacy vitamin products:

Fish fat.
Feed tricalcium phosphate.
Omega-3, Omega-6.
B vitamins.

In addition to vitamins and minerals, a cat needs taurine for its normal functioning. Unlike dogs, cats can only get taurine from food. The richest sources of taurine are:

Turkey.
Rabbit.
Chicken heart, liver.
Beef heart.
Pork, ham, trimmed of fat, after deep freezing.
Pork liver, heat-treated.
Ocean fish, shellfish.
Raw red fish.
Homemade live yogurt.
Whole milk.

For your own convenience, you can switch your pet to industrial vitamin complexes. Typically, vitamin supplements are sold in tablet or powder form. The tablets contain natural flavors, so most cats enjoy eating them.

Ready diet

With a ready-made diet, Abyssinian kittens are fed wet, dry, semi-moist industrial food, canned food, and high-quality pates. The prepared diet should be varied. You should not feed your pet only, for example, dry food or wet food. Combine dry pads with canned food, pates, and treats for kittens.

Advantages of ready-made diets:

no need to waste time preparing a varied menu for the cat;
the brand line includes food for kittens of various age groups;
dry food has a long shelf life;
the manufacturer indicates the approximate daily allowance by age on the packaging;
large selection of flavors.

The line of well-known brands also includes products for weakened animals, for kittens with a sensitive gastrointestinal tract, and pets prone to food allergies.

The best food for Abyssinian kittens:

Royal Canin.
Hill's.
ORIGIN.
Acana.
Nutra Gold.

High-quality feed has a balanced composition and contains all the necessary nutrients, vitamins, microelements, and amino acids. Holistics are intended for nutrition of Abyssinian kittens with sensitive digestion. Contains probiotics and enriched with B vitamins.

Water in a kitten's diet

Regardless of the type of diet, the kitten should receive enough water. When dehydrated, the animal's blood thickens and its metabolism slows down. For kittens under 2-3 months of age, even mild dehydration is fatal.

When feeding with natural products, the daily water intake is calculated from the ratio of 50 ml per 1 kg of body weight. When feeding dry food, the daily water intake increases by 2–3 times.

Prohibited Products

It is important to exclude prohibited foods from the Abyssinian kitten’s diet:

Bones, pure fat, skin, especially poultry.
Palm oil.
Grapes, raisins.
Juicy and sweet fruits.
Soy.
Mushrooms.
Corn and semolina.
Raw freshwater fish.
Dry, salted fish.
Products containing sugar or its substitutes, xylitol (chewing gum, some sweets), flour or yeast, caffeine, cocoa, any stimulants (sweets, tea, coffee, chocolate), marinades, salt, spices.
Smoked products, including sausages, balyki, fish.
Expired products.
Dog food.
Leftovers from the table.

Controversial foods in the diet of an Abyssinian kitten are:

Fresh pork is a source of helminths and false rabies.
Raw ocean fish are a source of helminths.
Whole milk – risk of individual intolerance.
Chicken eggs are an allergen.
Factory-bred chicken is an allergen.
Raw and boiled chicken liver in large quantities - raw liver in large quantities can lead to the development of diarrhea, boiled liver - to constipation.
Cereals.

Many veterinarians and experienced cat owners do not recommend including grains in their diet. The reason is that the cat's body produces enough carbohydrates to nourish the nervous system. Carbohydrates are synthesized even when feeding exclusively protein foods.

To maintain the balance of the diet, cereals are introduced into it, but it is better to give preference to rice and buckwheat.

Natural nutrition

If your choice falls on natural nutrition, be prepared to spend your time developing a balanced menu and preparing cat food. The main rule is that cats do not eat human food!

What should be on the menu for an adult Abyssinian:

raw (frozen) beef – 100-120 gr. daily;
turkey or boneless chicken – 3-4 times a week;
raw (frozen) or boiled chicken and beef offal (kidneys, lungs, heart) – 1-2 times a week;
raw liver – once a week;
boiled egg yolk – in its pure form 1-2 times a week;
shrimp - as a delicacy;
low-fat fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk) – every other day;
soft unleavened cheese – once a week;
low-fat cottage cheese – 1-2 times a week;
cereals (rice, buckwheat - boiled, Hercules - steamed) - several times a week, mixed with protein foods (fish, poultry, meat);
vegetables, raw or boiled (puree) - daily;
greens (spinach, lettuce), sprouted wheat grains - several times a week;
vegetable oil – 1/2 teaspoon every other day;
dry brewer's yeast – 3-4 times a week;
mineral and vitamin supplements - daily.

Read how to choose the right vitamins for your cat.

We’ve decided on the list of necessary products, now let’s talk about how to properly give food to cats. Cat food should be warm, preferably room temperature. Frozen foods must first be thawed at room temperature and doused with boiling water. Meat, fish and vegetables for kittens must be chopped and all bones removed. For adult cats, it is enough to cut everything into pieces.