Cats

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Feeding Through the Ages

New-Born to Weaning

The queen (mother cat) supplies all the kitten's requirements up to 3-4 weeks, then spends less time with them. While she is feeding her kittens her food intake will triple. It is important to monitor each kitten, to weigh it and record its progress. Smaller kittens must be even more carefully monitored since a runt may be forced away from the teat by its stronger littermates. A kitten should constantly gain weight, doubling approximately every 10 days. If a kitten is failing to gain weight or, worse, losing weight then hand feeding may be necessary. Watch out also for hungry kittens that cry continually and are restless.

Hand feeding a runt or an orphan kitten is very time consuming and not always successful. Kittens require specialized lactose free milk. The two brands in Victoria are ANIMALAC and DI-VETALAC. Most vets or pet stores have one of these products and sell PET NURSER bottles for feeding. These products have all the information on how much and how often to feed on their labeling.

Do not feed cow's milk to orphan kittens. It is totally unsuitable.

In an emergency kittens can be feed human baby milk (less than 6 month formula is most suitable) or diluted condensed milk. In newborn kittens each feed is two hours apart and by weaning at four weeks feeds are four times daily. Kittens need 20 % of their body weight in food daily and this amount is divided over all the feeds.

Your local veterinarian is an excellent source of information.

WEANING

Start offering solid foods in a shallow dish from three weeks of age. Kittens learn by example and will eat the food the queen is eating so make it appetizing to both. Start with kitten milk mixed with canned kitten food into slurry or with a high-protein instant baby cereal such as Farex. Adult cat food isn't high enough in protein and doesn't mash well. Never use fish at this age. Gradually increase the amount of kitten food as the kittens rely more on you and less on mum (and the kittens learn to eat rather than suck up their food). Kittens are usually weaned by 6 weeks of age. At this time the queen will start to cycle again and is likely to be pregnant within seven days.

FEEDING THE NEW KIITTEN

There are lots of commercial foods on the market. Small kittens need to start on canned food. Where dry food is given initially it needs to be soaked. Kittens don't require milk however many enjoy it. Either offer cat/kitten milk or diluted cow's milk. If the milk causes diarrhoea then it should be stopped immediately.

As the kitten grows it will be able to handle more types of food. Kittens like to try different flavours and a broad range of tastes will help prevent fussiness. Initially meat varieties of adult canned foods can be added then later fish. Fish can cause diarrhoea in some kittens so it should be added carefully. Dry food can be left crunchy.

At about 4 months start to offer raw bones such as chicken wings or necks. Raw bones are extremely good for the teeth. The kitten may not be able to chew them well until all the adult teeth are through but it's important to encourage chewing.

FEEDING THE ADULT CAT

  Cats need a variety of foods and a balanced diet. They are unusual, as they are obligate carnivores meaning they must eat meat. Feeding a cat a complete and balanced home-prepared food involves an immense amount of work and knowledge. For that reason commercial cats foods are recommended, although an occasional home cooked treat is fine.

Commercial foods come as canned and dry; Supermarket brands or there are professional lines available through pet shops and veterinary practices. Avoid restricting your cat to one or two types of food and don't let him bluff you into giving him his favourite food; some cats will go a "hunger strike" if they don't get their own way. Break them of such habits as a kitten or you will be stuck with a stubborn cat that "only eats tuna". If a cat refuses food take it away, keep it fresh and appetizing, and offer it again later.

Not all commercial foods are complete foods. Palatability is sometimes traded off against correct nutrition. Unless the food labeling states it is "complete" or "balanced" it should not be feed as the bulk of the cat's diet.

Many cats will form crystals in their urine. Dry foods tend to make this problem worse. In male cats the crystals can cause a medical disaster. For this reason it is unwise to feed male cats exclusively on supermarket line dry food. The professional dry foods address this problem better, however a mixed diet is safer again.

Dog food is unsuitable for cats.

Raw bones such as chicken-wings or necks, or strips of meat encourage chewing and clean the teeth. Other raw food is not necessary but may be enjoyed as a treat. Raw food can be a source of toxoplasmosis. The meat can be frozen for 2 weeks to kill this organism. Liver and fish are an excellent source of vitamins however liver should never be fed more than once a week. Milk is not necessary however some cats love it and it is a nutritious food. If cow's milk causes diarrhoea commercial cat's milk may be tolerated.

Always have fresh water available at all times.

NUMBER OF MEALS PER DAY

Weaning to 3 months 4 meals/day

3-4 months 3 meals/day

4-6 months 2 meals/day

6 months + 1 meal/day

As a cat grows older it may develop diseases where dietary modification is necessary. For instance kidney disease is very common in elderly cats and is probably the commonest reason old cats die or are euthanased. Cats with kidney disease need a modified diet. Your veterinarian may advise a special diet for your cat. Sometimes these are home made however, for the more common problems, there are commercial diets available through your vet.

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