How to train a kitten to dry food?

Kittens are incredibly cute and playful creatures. As soon as they are born, they immediately begin to feed on mother's milk, but over time, the body of the cubs grows. Animals have new needs, and the owner of the animal needs to introduce other foods into the diet. Cooking healthy food for kittens is troublesome, and for this reason many owners buy ready-made dry food. But here a new problem arises - the conversion of the cubs to solid, dry food.

Finished products are a convenient solution for pet owners, as the product will not be able to deteriorate and will not require any preparation. But not all dry food can be suitable for the diet of small pets, this food must be given at a certain age kitten.

In kittens, the stomach and intestines are too soft and sensitive, so dry food will lead to minor injuries of the mucous membrane. Kids need to diversify their food, and not immediately give them a purely dry product. In addition to food, you can offer milk, kefir, cottage cheese, boiled chicken, boiled egg.

Dry food can be given to pets who are 1.5 months old, but such food needs to be prepared in advance. On top of the dry granules, pour milk containing little lactose. You can also use low-fat kefir, broth or water. Dry food is often mixed with meat ingredient. Then you need to wait until the liquid is absorbed into the feed and the granules swell. As soon as the granules increase in size, you need to take a fork and crush the food so that it turns into porridge.

So that the baby can quickly switch to dry food, his mother must be fed the same food during lactation. You do not need to give the kitten only dry granules, alternate them with finely chopped pieces of meat, poultry or fish fillet.

When the kitten turns 2 months old, dry products will need to be diluted all in a smaller amount of milk, and do not mix dry food with soft food. Switch to dry food gradually. At 2.5 months, the baby will have all the taste qualities, and a minimum of liquid will be needed. At 3 months, granules can be given without any liquid.

Since pets have a small stomach, they cannot feel fullness from food. For this reason, kittens themselves do not understand how much they want to eat food. The owners should take this into account and put small portions of dry food 4 times a day. For kittens that eat dry food, you should always leave clean water.

In 3.5-6.5 months, teeth change in pets, at this time, dry products are useful. The food can help temporary teeth fall out quickly and contribute to the development of chewing tissue in the oral cavity. Inside the dry feed contains all the necessary minerals and trace elements, but if the feed is not basic, you need to give the little pet additional vitamins. To get them, in addition to dry food, the kitten needs to be offered boiled chicken, meat, cottage cheese.

By 6.5-12.5 months, pets begin to grow, and they need to be fed like adult cats. At this age, milk should not be given, as it will lead to indigestion.

Before buying dry food for your pets, you need to find out the name and composition of all dry food.

Economy class feeds will be able to incorporate bone meal (instead of pure meat), vegetable products that are not of high quality. To make the food look attractive, dyes and flavoring elements are added to it. The premium products have selected ingredients, there are all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Sources of protein will be meat components, poultry and fish. The plant element is corn. Characteristics of good food can be considered high digestibility and profitability.

Dry mixes from the Super Premium class are prepared from products that are of the highest quality: salmon fillet, eggs, rice. These foods contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates, these substances can be obtained from the main ingredients. Such feeds have a greater energy value than cheap or even just premium. With a similar feed, the kitten will receive the most necessary substances every day.

Choosing a menu for kittens is not an easy and responsible task. The diet of babies, in which the body is just beginning to develop, should have healthy, healthy and balanced substances.

• Royal Canin. It can be given to kittens from six months. Such products contain a complex that has digestible proteins and fiber, which improve digestion and normalize stool. Also in this product contains antioxidants and vitamin-mineral elements.

• Hill`s Science Plan Kitten. Omega-3 acids, protein, taurine, phosphorus, calcium and other elements that can provide the kitten with normal growth are present here. The kitten can be given tuna or chicken, they have animal protein. This food will allow the immune system to strengthen, the teeth and bones of the pet will be healthy.

• Pro Plan Junior. This is the best menu for kittens. The composition of the feed included vitamins C and D, colostrum, which is an important source of immunoglobulin. And whey contributes to better gastrointestinal tract function.

So that the animal’s nutrition contains exclusively selected and high-quality products, you must choose a dry mix from the Super Premium category.

• ACANA Orijen Cat & Kitten. There is a line of 9 feeds for kittens with different breeds. These feeds are of remarkable quality, they include pitted chicken meat, turkey liver, salmon and much more.

• GO! Natural Holistic Fit + Free. This food is divided into several types: containing grains or beans, as well as food for pets with food allergies. The product includes ingredients such as selected chicken, duck, trout with potatoes, peas, pumpkin. The active components can be considered lactobacilli and fish oil.

• Grandorf Holistic Indoor. This category includes 6 hypoallergenic feeds. Two of them contain the prebiotics necessary for good digestion.

• Almo Nature Holistic Turkey & Rice. This product contains not only dry food for kittens, there are also canned food for mature animals. The menu contains real meat, which will reduce the burden on the kidneys, alfalfa can improve the cardiovascular system and normalizes the digestive tract. There is an element of green tea in the products that will help the kitten's immunity strengthen.

Having learned what good products are for pussies, you can not worry about the diet of your little pets. The main thing is to carefully study all the information indicated on the bundle.

To teach a kitten to eat dry food, you must follow a certain order.

First, choose a quality food that smells good and doesn’t have a lot of fat. Offer a little to your pet so that the kitten feels the taste and smell of the product. If the kitten likes dry food, then add food to the bowl, and pour liquid on top so that the granules can soften. After this, you can feed the kitten with the mixture or add the usual food to it.

But if the kitten does not want to eat, then in his plate you need to pour only dry food, and do not give anything else until the baby tries the food. With this method, the pet will develop a reflex. The kitten will understand that after a dry mixture they can give him the usual food. So that the animal can get used to the dry mixture, it is necessary to reduce the amount of natural food. Start giving more granular feed. Slowly, the pet adapts to new taste.

As soon as several weeks pass, the kitten can be completely transferred to a new type of feed. All this time it is necessary to observe the body of the animal. If the pet begins constipation or diarrhea, then it should be taken to a veterinarian who will advise another feed - perhaps, the one bought earlier is not suitable.

Many veterinarians recommend not giving kittens natural food along with dry food, as this can lead to problems with the gastrointestinal tract. You can verify this only on your own experience, as some kittens eat natural and dry food both in childhood and as adults, and nothing happens to them, while others start diarrhea after a couple of hours.

Sometimes it happens that the kitten does not want to use the dry mixture, and he categorically does not like it. You can simply change the brand of products, perhaps the kitten will prefer another manufacturer. Pets have their own personal taste needs, so you do not need to purchase huge amounts of dry food.

If the kitten ate bad food, and then completely stopped eating it, this behavior indicates that the pet is tired of eating monotonous food. To regain the appetite, you need to give him a little paste and mashed meat.

A kitten will refuse food if it does not have a special aroma. Therefore, it is impossible to fill the bowl to the brim. The animal will not eat the entire volume at once, and the standing food will disappear. Because of this, the cat will not eat it, expecting a fresh and fragrant portion. For the same reason, you do not need to buy a huge package of dry products, because it can be stored for a long time and acquire an odor, and this affects the quality of the ingredients inside the granules. So that the kitten does not refuse food, its bowl should be washed daily. After that, the plate is thoroughly dried with a clean towel.

A kitten may not eat dry food, because it is too small, and it’s not yet time to force a milk baby to eat “crackers”. Be patient, you just have to wait a bit. If the kitten does not consume any food, then this is a sign of illness. Such a pet must be taken to the veterinarian.

See how to train a kitten to dry food in the next video.