When and how can a kitten be given dry food?

The appearance of a kitten in the house is a great joy, but there are a lot of worries with him. Many are interested in how to drink and how to feed a little friend. Dry cat food is a very convenient way to fully feed your furry pet. It should be considered how to determine that it is already possible to give a kitten dry food and how to do it right?

Little kittens are still blind and clumsy at the beginning of life, and they only eat mother's milk. It is hard to imagine that in a few months they will run and be naughty. The activity of the kids provokes their rapid appetite, therefore, the selection of proper nutrition for them is an important task and guarantee of health for the future adult animal. Caring owners are not in vain worried about the question of at what age a kitten can be given dry food.

It seems that in these "crackers" there are almost no useful substances. This opinion is erroneous, since in any veterinary store you can find special dry food for kittens, which contains a lot of minerals, vitamins and protein.

This is very important, as the kitten grows very quickly, and for his own health he must eat healthy and high-calorie foods. His life goes on in constant motion, and after a few months he should be almost equal in size to an adult cat.

So, how many months do kittens recommend dry food? His age should be at least 2.5–3 months, that is, when his milk teeth erupt. This time is optimal for accustoming to a crispy treat.The kitten is still fed mother's milk, so a new diet will enter his life gradually and without harm to health.

Most feed lines contain separate kitten products. Even such popular and inexpensive companies as Whiskas, Kitekat, Friskies even try to produce special food for furry babies. Of course, it is better to choose products not from the mass market, but better ones when it comes to young cats. After all, it is in such lines that there are specialized options for different breeds that take into account the characteristics and predispositions to diseases.

It is worth considering in more detail which feeds are the best in their segment.

• Acana This is a complete feed for kittens, which contains no dyes or flavor enhancers. The variety of species of such food is not very impressive: with chicken, fish, lamb. But the composition includes natural meat, chicken eggs, fruits, algae, vitamins. Fortunately, the manufacturer does not add ingredients such as corn kernels and other plant fibers that are not very useful for cats.

• Royal Canin. The balanced feed of this company pleases with its not too high price and diverse tastes. It is possible to give dry food of this brand to cats from four months. A distinctive feature of the brand was the treatment line for kittens with features, which is very convenient for the owner of thoroughbred animals. There are legends and debates about the composition of Royal Canin, as it is believed that this food is not as good as the packaging says.

• Monge. The Italian manufacturer offers a very expensive kitten food called Monge superpremium kitten. Its undoubted advantage is that it is suitable for feeding not only to babies, but also to the pregnant cat herself. The whole thing lies in its nutritional composition: it includes antioxidants, a lot of protein and fat, which is very important for a fast-growing organism, as well as phosphorus, potassium and fatty acids. In the manufacture of the line does not use preservatives, dyes, flavors and flavor enhancers.

• Orijen. A feature of the feed from this company is that the meat that is used in them is environmentally friendly. The meat ingredients used in the feed for kittens of this brand include turkey, chicken, sardine, herring. In addition, fresh eggs are added to it as an additional source of protein. In addition to protein elements, the composition includes low glycemic carbohydrates, which cats eat in the wild.

• Diamond Pet Foods. This American brand offers Chicken Soup Kitten Formula dry food. Since this food is produced by the USA, it is quite difficult to get it in Russia. The composition of this product does not include hydrolysates, that is, substances obtained during the processing of horns, hooves and feathers of animals. About forty percent of this food is muscle protein. And also in the manufacture of bone chicken and fish meal and vitamin supplements are used.

• Hill`s Science Plan. This brand from the Netherlands offers a specially developed kitten food with an optimal composition, including fish oil, sodium and phosphorus. Hill`s Science Plan Puppy & Kitten includes the following ingredients: chicken, chicken flour, ground corn, animal and fish oil, beets, and natural preservatives. This food is also suitable for pregnant cats.

Budget feeds for kittens can hardly boast of an ideal composition. Therefore, it is better to consider more expensive options at least for the first six months of the life of the animal.

If the first five positions are natural products, that is, meat and poultry, then this food is suitable for a kitten. The health and development of the baby depends on nutrition in the first months of life. If you doubt that dry food will suit your pet, then you can still feed it with natural food for a long time. Only this should be not only porridge on the water, but such products as meat, cottage cheese, eggs, vegetables.

Cooking for a little fluffy isn’t that difficult but food from the store makes life easier for busy people.

Knowing the features of the breed of his kitten or the health problems of his mother, you can choose special rulers that take into account these nuances. There are pads for cats with problems of the genitourinary system, to strengthen bones and teeth, for a beautiful and shiny coat. In any veterinary store, they will tell you the best option, taking into account the needs of your kitten.

The body of a recently born animal is still very sensitive, especially to food. Kittens are first fed mother's milk, and this food is easily digested and digested. To transfer the kitten to dry food, you need to act gradually. Do not sharply switch the animal from one type of food to another, because the stomach and intestines of the recently born fluffy miracle are still very tender.

If you took a kitten from your hands, then first of all, find out how the old owners fed the beast. Follow a couple of weeks of a similar diet for a newly-appeared cat, as he is already in a stressful situation due to a sharp change of residence. After this time, you can gradually transfer the animal to dry food.

How to start introducing a new type of nutrition? It’s not so difficult, but not very easy. A sharp switch to dry food after wet nutrition can provoke indigestion in kittens or other problems with the intestines.

The liquid should be warmed up to + 50– + 60 ° С, not more so as not to destroy vitamins. Too much fluid should not be added either. Pieces should remain decorated. In soaked feed, you can add paste or twisted meat. Gradually, you need to reduce the amount of fluid, so that by the age of six months, the cat or cat can already safely eat only dry food.

It is necessary to feed a kitten with dry food correctly. You can not give the animal the usual food and feed in one meal. Kittens like to enjoy cottage cheese, vegetables and meat, but after such dishes it is necessary to wait at least three hours, only then let them eat “crackers”. Dry food requires a large amount of clean drinking water for the kitten. It should always be freely available. If you do not leave the baby with water and feed him with dry pads, he may experience an inversion of the intestine.

It is recommended to give a dry food to the kitten in portions, because at first he cannot rely on his appetite and will eat everything no matter how much you put. It is best to feed the baby about four times a day, and after six months he will get used to eating in small portions. Then it will be possible to leave him a large bowl of dry food for the whole day.

About whether kittens can be given dry food, see the next video.