Food for British kittens: types and features of choice

British cats are very popular among breeders and pet lovers. It is easy to fall in love with such a pet at first sight: thick fur with undercoat, unusual blue color, short thick neck, wide rounded cheekbones and small neat ears. These good-natured fat men are able to please their owners for many years. Like any thoroughbred cat, the British are advised to carefully select a diet.

From the moment of birth to the age of 2 months, kittens need exclusively breast milk.

Complementary foods should be slowly introduced with 2 months of grilled beef, cream of low fat content and low-fat cottage cheese without additives. You can choose the right food and natural products suitable for a particular pet from your veterinarian, but knowing the rules of selection, it is quite possible to cope on your own.

From the age of four months it is imperative to add vitamins and minerals to the feed.

It should be remembered that the British are purebred cats and in no case should they be fed “off the table”, otherwise the pet’s digestive system will be hopelessly damaged, which will cause a lot of health problems and significantly shorten the life of the animal.

Representatives of the British breed need a proper and balanced diet:

• finely chopped diet boiled meat products (turkey, chicken, beef, rabbit, as well as their lungs, heart and liver);
• boiled sea and ocean fish of low-fat varieties (previously it is necessary to remove bones);
• eggs (preferably quail);
• slightly warm cereals on the water (buckwheat, oatmeal, semolina, millet);
• sprouted wheat and oats;
• special grass for cats (it can be grown independently on a windowsill).

The rules for compiling a diet for cats of this breed are quite simple: you need a balance between nutrients, trace elements and vitamins.

It should be remembered that the main criterion for the proper nutrition of a British cat is the condition of its coat and eyes: in a healthy cat, the fur shines, and the eyes are clean and clear. To be sure, 7 days after introducing a new feed into the diet, it is recommended to take tests with a veterinarian to check the load on the kidneys of the animal

After examination by a veterinarian, some cats can be included in the diet of dry premium food (any dry food inevitably gives an increase in the load on the kidneys of the animal, so they should not be fed on an ongoing basis).

Always use dry and wet food from the same manufacturer, different brands make up their balance of these two types of food based on the daily norm per 1 kg of animal weight.

Usually purchased food allows the owner of the cat to save money and time, but with the British it is completely different.

The line of feed for the British is rather narrow and is not always available in the range of ordinary pet stores, so they have to be ordered on the Internet.

It is also allowed to treat representatives of this breed with luxury food for special cats.

• Royal canin british shorthair - Created specifically for the nutrition of adult British, has the perfect shape of the pieces to facilitate cracking. It contains the optimal percentage of protein, vitamins and omega-3 acids, improves metabolism in the cat's body.
• Royal canin sterilized - for castrated pets aged 1 to 7 years (excludes excess weight gain due to the ideal proportion of protein components and fiber).
• Go! Natural holistic (Fit Free Grain Free Chicken, Turkey, Duck Cat Recipe) - grain-free feed based on 4 types of meat components. Normalizes heart function and strengthens the immune system.
• Monge cat sensitive - for cats with sensitive digestion. Normalizes intestinal microflora, helps reduce the risk of urolithiasis.
• Hill's Science Plan Sterilized Cat - for sterilized pets. Strengthens muscles and joints, interferes with weight gain, helps maintain healthy immunity.

Dry food helps the cat cleanse tartar and trains the masticatory muscles.

It is recommended to give it to pets in the morning with natural food (however, do not mix them), while providing access to clean drinking water.

Wet food or canned food should be given separately from dry food in the evening.

Wet foods and canned food are easier to digest than dry foods, they do not need to be washed down with water; Another advantage is that they are more easily absorbed.

Like dry food, they are recommended to buy premium and super premium class, preferably one brand.

Wet feed:

• Royal Canin British Shorthair Adult - minimizes the risk of heart disease, strengthens the joints, low in fat.
• SHEBA® PLEASURE with Lamb - for cats weighing more than 4 kg. The composition includes only natural ingredients: meat, vitamins, fiber.
• Schesir pieces in jelly, tuna - fish grain-free feed with vegetable gelatin, easy to digest.

Canned food:

• Organix soufflé with beef - hypoallergenic food developed specifically for kittens contains a balanced vitamin-mineral complex.

In order to avoid problems with the pet’s health, you should not buy canned food “for all types and age categories of cats” - this is an economy feed in premium packaging.

It is necessary to store wet and canned types of food in the refrigerator, but they can not be heated - just put on the table at room temperature for 1 hour.

After eating, when the cat loses interest in the bowl, the remains of the half-eaten food should be discarded from it, and the dishes should be washed.

When choosing food, it should be borne in mind that a balanced diet of a British cat should consist of three equal parts (each part 1/3 of the daily norm):

• dry food;
• wet food;
• natural products.

Based on the “rule of thirds” and in accordance with the storage conditions of the opened pack, the required weight of the feed package is calculated. For example, it is more profitable to buy dry food in packages of 2 kg - an adult Briton eats about 50 grams per day, and it is better to take wet food in portioned packets so as not to be stored in open form, since it quickly loses its taste and useful properties.

Choose food should be based on the age of the pet:

• kittens up to 1 year old;
• adult cats and cats from 1 year to 7 years;
• adult cats and cats from 1 to 10 years old;
• adults over 7 years old.

Additionally, some brands offer food depending on the characteristics of the health and condition of the animal:

• for pregnant cats;
• with sensitive digestion;
• neutered individuals, etc.

Always pay attention to the integrity of the packaging and the shelf life of the feed. Damaged packs and bloated tin cans are dangerous for a pet's health.

Carefully study the information about the country of origin, for example, Italian feed produced in Russia (using the original technology) is of an order of magnitude worse quality than an imported product.

After giving birth, a British breed cat is recommended to be fed next to kittens (move its bowl to the bed). If the cat does not have time to feed all kittens from the litter, they should be fed with a special milk substitute from the pet store, goat and cow milk are strictly prohibited.

It is possible to drink an adult individual of this breed only with pure water: filtered, spring (good quality), as well as distilled.

It is recommended to completely transfer kittens to self-feeding no earlier than from 3 months in order to avoid problems with the digestive system.

Adult British cats are prone to overeating, so they should be controlled:

• do not pour a full bowl of food for future use;
• feed only 2 times a day: morning and evening (with an interval of 12 hours);
• pregnant cats should be fed 4 times a day, but do not overfeed;
• kittens should be fed 6-8 times a day (depending on age);
• measure the amount of feed strictly according to the instructions for it (in accordance with the weight of the pet).

Cats sometimes have strange food cravings: some like watermelon, others like raisins, but the British should not even try forbidden foods so that he cannot love them. You should also be careful with special purchased treats - give them to your pet no more than 1 time per week. In the free access to give a thoroughbred cat can only cat grass and clean water.

The best solution is to visit a veterinarian when the kitten turns 3 months old and select an individual diet.

It is required to strictly observe the correct regimen and never feed the cat “off the table”, otherwise the pet will begin to hurt.

Only 1-2 pieces of the forbidden foods (raw eggs, pork, mushrooms, tomatoes, nuts, chocolate) can deprive the Briton of health forever.

See below for general recommendations on feeding cats.