How often should I feed my cat to keep her full and healthy? To answer this question, you need to consider not only the schedule, but also such indicators as the balance and saturation of the diet. The difficulty is that there are many breeds whose feeding is complicated by a number of nuances.
Determining the optimal frequency of feeding a pet depends on how well its diet is composed. Let us immediately determine that regardless of the type of food (industrial or natural) it is better to feed the cat according to the schedule. What nuances to consider?
Important! The cat needs to rest after eating - this is an instinctive desire dictated by the need to conserve energy.
Today, the owner of a cat has a huge selection of feeds, but the natural female remains the best method of feeding. Moreover, when compiling a natural diet, it is important to take into account the naturalness of products for a cat, and not the usual clichés. In nature, a cat cannot get milk, so it is not recommended to give it to adult animals. The benefits of fish, especially river fish, are very doubtful, although many quadrupeds love it very much.
From natural products for feeding a cat are suitable:
- Meat and offal.
- Dairy products (cottage cheese, live yogurt) and hard cheese.
- Vegetables - in small quantities.
- Buckwheat and rice are not suitable for all cats.
- Seafood that has undergone appropriate processing.
- Chicken or quail eggs.
Many experts recommend giving fish, but there are nuances. The product must be of high quality, deboned and boiled. The variety of fish is only low-fat and oceanic. It is pointless to argue that fish and seafood are the best sources of trace elements and fatty acids.
Important! The basis of the diet should always be meat! Cats are carnivorous animals with a very high need for proteins and amino acids.
What not to feed a cat
Unlike dogs, cats are more conservative in their diet, they do not need a lot of carbohydrates. The cat's body can synthesize the necessary vitamins, but the animal must receive trace elements from food. When compiling a diet, your task is not to harm the animal, therefore from the cat menu you need to exclude:
- Meat bought from the hands (not passed veterinary control) - is possible only after a long cooking.
- Any bones, especially chicken.
- Skin and fat.
- River fish, especially fresh.
- Salted and dried fish.
- Flour products, pasta.
- Any sweets and sugar.
- Fruit (contains fast-absorbing sucrose).
- Slowly digestible cereals - wheat, millet, corn, barley groats.
- Manku.
- Soy and beans.
- Preservatives, flavor enhancers.
- Marinades and smoked meats.
Cats are strongly advised not to add salt to their food.. This prohibition is especially relevant for older and neutered animals. Almost all cats are prone to developing if regularly fed salty foods.
Note! Some therapeutic diets for cats include pearl barley, as it is slowly absorbed and allows the cat to remain full.
Feeding Frequency - Natural Diet
Feeding natural food has always been considered more acceptable and natural. However, everything is not so simple here. In nature, a cat hunts and eats its prey completely, along with hair (feathers and everything that is contained in the stomach and intestines). This is how the animal receives a complete set of vitamins and maintains the intestinal microflora. A wild cat is not constrained by walls, it can find the right grass, roots, feast on insects and underground inhabitants. A cat living in the wild will not eat spoiled food, but in the conditions of the city, pets quite often scour the landfills.
As you can imagine, there are a lot of nuances. The main thing is to make sure that your pet gets quality and fresh food. Many owners argue about the frequency of feeding. The best option is two meals a day in the morning and evening. Cats must have 24/7 access to water.
Feeding frequency - industrial ration
Modern owners are increasingly inclined to feed their pets with industrial feed. First of all, the owner needs to decide on financial opportunities, since high-quality industrial food is more expensive than balanced natural food.
The first thing to decide is the type of product. You can feed the cat:
- dry food- a product that is a granule of pressed products. The advantage is a long shelf life and that the food does not spoil in the bowl. The downside is that it is impossible to determine the true composition, and salts or other (harmful) additives are often used as a preservative.
- wet food- Packed in jars or sachets, it is a mixture of gravy and pieces of food. Store open only in the refrigerator. In most cases, wet food is eaten with pleasure by cats.
- Canned food (pate)- the most expensive type of feeding, relevant for kittens, elderly or animals suffering from chronic ailments. Quite often pâté is the only acceptable type of food for cats with dental problems.
The next step is the choice of feed class:
- Economy- not suitable for constant feeding, does not contain the necessary vitamins and minerals, often contains salts, preservatives, soy, beans, corn.
- Premium and Super Premium– acceptable daily diet for healthy animals.
- Holistic- the highest class of food designed for the daily feeding of healthy animals, as well as cats suffering from chronic ailments.
Note! Choose food according to your pet's needs! It is not necessary to feed a healthy cat with products for weak or elderly animals, an adult cat food for kittens, etc.
The frequency of feeding a cat directly depends on the type and class of products. Each package has recommendations indicating the optimal daily allowance for your pet. Usually, the norms vary depending on the temperament of the animal (very active, moderately active, inactive), age and other characteristics. Feeding norms for pregnant cats and kittens are indicated separately.
Important! For pregnant cats and kittens, it is necessary to select food from the appropriate assortment line.
When should a cat's diet be adjusted?
The type of diet, frequency of feeding and other characteristics should change with the growth and needs of the pet. It is very important to take into account all the nuances of the content and temperament of the cat. So for a phlegmatic pet, you need to select a low-calorie diet, a playful pet needs more carbohydrates, and a pregnant cat is very dependent on proteins.
Spayed or neutered cat you need to feed strictly according to the schedule and keep on a salt-free diet. After the operation, river fish is strictly contraindicated for the pet. Violation of these conditions (and universal) led to the emergence of two myths about sterilization:
- Cat getting fat- feed your pet in a balanced way and pay attention to games.
- The cat is sick - do not feed the animal with cheap food and do not salt the food.
Tip: To make sure your diet and feeding frequency is the same as your cat's, track her weight changes.
Breed features
It so happened that many thoroughbred animals are picky in their diet. With improper feeding of the Sphynx, a plaque appears on its skin, which remains on all surfaces in the house. In addition, the breed is prone to food allergies and indigestion. Long-haired cats need a large number of trace elements and vitamins, otherwise their fur coat will quickly become inappropriate.
It is recommended to purchase a British or Scottish breed only in a nursery, since mestizos of these breeds are prone to allergies and hypocalcemia (calcium is not absorbed). Representatives of these breeds are strictly forbidden to salt, since there is a tendency to urolithiasis. The Ocicat is a very interesting breed, whose representatives cannot eat rice, it acts as a strong diuretic.
It is worth noting that outbred animals also have allergies or intolerances, but this is the exception rather than the rule. If you decide to pay back a thoroughbred kitten, be responsible, contact a nursery or breeders with extensive experience. Before buying a baby, make sure that the financial costs of its maintenance are within your reach.
Cat Age and Feeding Frequency
Newborn kittens eat up to 8 times a day, but the cat takes care of them to remain full. At the age of 1 month, the kitten eats in small portions about 6 times a day. By 3 months, the frequency of feeding is reduced to 4-5 times a day. It is important to note here that after each feeding, the bowl of food must be removed. Otherwise, you will not accustom the kitten to the schedule and there will be a number of difficulties with mastering the tray.
A young cat is fed on demand, usually 3-4 times a day. A one-year-old pet is transferred to two meals a day, if there are no health contraindications. An adult cat continues to be fed 2 times a day, although some owners transfer pets to a single meal. A cat is considered an adult until the age of 6-7, after which the process of a natural slowdown in metabolism begins, and problems with teeth often occur. The old cat is transferred to an easy-to-swallow diet and 3-4 meals a day.
Pregnancy and feeding kittens
The frequency of feeding a pregnant cat depends on the gestation period. Until the second half of the term, the pet's lifestyle usually does not change. The cat can sleep more, but she eats as usual. In the second half of the term, a pregnant cat is transferred to fractional nutrition because kittens physically press on the intestines. Simply put, the pet is physically unable to accommodate the required amount of food.
Before giving birth, a cat may refuse to eat - this is a variant of the norm. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the expectant mother drinks enough. Offer your pet broth, curdled milk, yogurt and other energy-rich drinks. After childbirth (if they passed without complications), the cat begins to eat after 3-4 hours. If you had to resort to a caesarean section, the pet may refuse food for up to 24 hours. In this case, you need to constantly consult with a veterinarian and, if necessary, support the cat's body with medication.
After giving birth, the cat needs to be fed 4-6 times a day and in small portions! A nursing mother needs an enhanced diet, plenty of fluids and a constant presence of calcium sources on the menu. If these requirements are ignored, a cat may lose milk, abandon offspring, or continue to feed kittens to the detriment of its own health. With a lack of calcium, there is a risk of developing eclampsia (a deadly condition).
Ailments and diseases
General recommendations on feeding frequency and energy value should be adjusted if the cat suffers from chronic ailments. If the pet suffers from problems digesting food only fractional feeding is acceptable (often in small portions). In addition, under the supervision of a veterinarian, you need to choose the optimal diet or transfer the pet to a holistic-class medical type of food. With food allergies, the frequency of feeding is not a key nuance. It is much more important to identify and eliminate all dangerous components from the diet.
- an ailment in which it is very important to adjust the diet and frequency of feeding. The disease will develop and aggravate if the cat receives carbohydrates from food, and to maintain a normal hypoglycemic index, the cat must receive food in small portions and often. If you strongly do not recommend making a diet on your own, it is better to consult a doctor and adjust the appointments in the course of observations. Most often, cats with diabetes are recommended to feed 4-6 times a day.
Obesity- this is a full-fledged disease, from which the pet must be rid of without harm to health. If a cat needs to lose weight, it should be fed more often (this is not a mistake), in small portions and on a diet prescribed by a doctor. From the diet you need to exclude carbohydrates, and replace them with protein foods. It is worth taking into account the activity of the cat, if necessary, accustom it to games or other loads.
Competent care for a domestic fluffy pet includes a number of issues, the most important of which is, first of all, rational nutrition. Both beginners and experienced owners do not always have a competent idea of how to properly feed a cat. There are different opinions and views regarding dry food, natural nutrition, feeding regimen.
Read in this article
Features of feeding kittens
As a rule, the animal enters the house as a small kitten at the age of 2-3 months. A responsible breeder by this time had already accustomed him to independent consumption of food.
Kitten nutrition should contain a large amount of complete protein, as well as vitamins. The baby can already be given chicken, lean beef. The source of vitamins are raw and boiled vegetables, cereals. The formation of the backbone of a growing organism requires the presence of minerals in the diet of kittens. It is useful to give low-fat cottage cheese, kefir.
During this period, the frequency of feeding is at least 5 times a day. Feed small kittens should be warm food. Cold food slows down the digestion process, and hot food can cause burns of the mucous membrane. Particular attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the dishes, the freshness and quality of the feed, and the availability of clean water.
Age to switch to regular food
If the owners have an idea how to feed an adult cat, then not everyone knows. At the age of 4 months, the kitten can be transferred to adult food. Chicken and beef offal (liver, kidneys, scar) are introduced into the diet. The main part of the diet should be protein products that provide intensive growth of muscle mass. When feeding a kitten with chicken meat, you should strictly ensure that there are no bones.
Vegetables serve as a source of vitamins for a young organism. They can be given both raw and boiled. Useful for the baby cauliflower, carrots, turnips. From fermented milk products, a teenage kitten needs cottage cheese as a source of calcium. You can add low-fat yogurt to your diet.
Well-known manufacturers of dry food produce special series for kittens. Such feeds provide a balanced diet in terms of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, provide the growing body with vitamins and minerals.
Adult food selection
Among experienced breeders, veterinarians and ordinary connoisseurs of fluffy creatures, there are different opinions on the issue of how to feed cats and cats. Some supporters support the principle of natural feeding, others consider it right to feed pets with ready-made industrial feeds.
For and against human food
However, both veterinarians and competent owners categorically do not recommend feeding fluffy pets with food from the table. Borscht, soups, pasta, fried potatoes, pickles, pastries should in no case be present in a cat's diet. Fatty, fried, canned food irritates the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, causing gastroenteritis and indigestion in pets. Constant feeding with food from the human table often leads to the development of liver diseases and.
It is forbidden to give sausages, sausages, smoked meat products to an adult animal. Such food has a lot of salt, which adversely affects the health of the pet. An excess of sodium can lead to the development of heart and kidney pathologies.
Do not give your cat sweets. The digestive system of an animal contains practically no enzymes that break down sugar. Sweet food can provoke the development of diabetes, caries, plaque. Therefore, sweet pastries, cookies, sweets, chocolate and other sweets should not be present in the diet. Do not use treats from the table, even to encourage a pet.
Rules for a balanced diet
Knowing the list of prohibited foods, the owner must also know how to properly feed the cat. There are the following rules for a balanced diet, recommended by both experienced breeders and veterinarians:
- First of all, the owner must decide what kind of food he chooses for the pet. A domestic cat can be fed either only dry food or only natural food. Neglect of this rule leads to a chronic disorder of the digestive system, gastroenteritis, the development of hypovitaminosis due to poor absorption of food. This is due to the fact that dry food and natural products are not digested at the same time. Therefore, the owner must make a choice of how to feed the cat at home: ready-made food or natural products.
- Having decided in favor of dry, you should give preference to well-known manufacturers of premium and super-premium pet food. In addition to high quality, saturation and balance, these feeds compare favorably with the presence of preventive diets and a veterinary line.
- Cat nutrition should correspond to its physiological state. During pregnancy and lactation, the diet should be balanced in protein and calcium. You should carefully monitor the content of taurine. Neutered and neutered animals should consume fewer calories to prevent obesity. The owner should ask the veterinarian about what to feed the cat with the development of one or another pathology.
- An adult animal should be fed in the same place. The pet should have separate utensils for food and water. Food or prepared foods should not be given cold, ideally room temperature is preferred. Products should be given only high-quality and fresh.
Compliance with the rules of rational feeding will avoid many problems with digestion, help prevent a number of diseases associated with malnutrition.
For information on what principles in cat nutrition should be observed, see this video:
Water regime
In addition to following the rules and principles of feeding the animal, the water regime is also important for normal digestion. In the event that the pet eats natural food or wet canned meat, it receives water partially from food. For example, industrial canned food contains approximately 80% water.
The owner should pay special attention to the fluid intake of the pet when feeding dry food. Dehydrated foods require an increased intake of water by the animal. Dry food in the stomach must be well moistened for further normal digestion. Otherwise, there is a risk of developing enterocolitis, constipation. Therefore, the main condition for feeding domestic cats with dry food is free access to clean water.
Natural cat food
Having made a choice in favor of feeding plant and animal products, the owner often wonders how to feed the cat with natural food without harming it. In order for the animal's diet to be complete, first of all it must be varied and contain the necessary proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
The protein part of the diet is most often presented in the form of meat and fish. It is preferable to give a cat lean meat: chicken, beef, turkey, rabbit meat. It is useful to give beef and chicken offal. Fatty pork and lamb are not recommended. From fish, preference should also be given to low-fat varieties: cod, hake, halibut. To avoid infection with helminths, fish should be given boiled, and meat can be doused with boiling water. An excellent source of protein are chicken and quail eggs.
What can you feed a cat to provide its body with vitamins and minerals? For these purposes, raw and boiled vegetables should be introduced into the diet. Preference should be given to pumpkin, turnip, zucchini, carrots. Of the cereals, oatmeal, buckwheat, rice will be useful.
Fermented milk products serve as a source of protein and minerals for domestic cats. For normal digestion, maintaining the skeletal system in a healthy state, cats are recommended to regularly give low-fat cottage cheese, curdled milk, fermented baked milk, yogurt.
There are many recommendations on how to properly feed a cat with natural food. The basic rule of this type of nutrition is: do not mix natural products with industrial feed. This leads to a breakdown of the digestive and immune systems.
Common dry food and their features
Many owners unequivocally answer the question of what is the best way to feed a cat - with industrial ready-made feeds. Veterinary experts believe that such feeds allow you to maintain a balance of energy and minerals. Dry food is easy to use, does not require cooking time, does not deteriorate.
When choosing industrial feeds, preference should be given to feeds from well-known premium and super-premium manufacturers. It is better to refuse mass-market feeds.
What can you feed a cat besides food to encourage her? To this end, dry food manufacturers produce special treats in the form of pillows and sausages. Many of them serve to remove tartar, removing wool from the stomach.
Complete and rational feeding of a pet is the key to proper development, good health and physical activity for many years. A competent approach to the nutrition of a domestic cat will allow you to avoid not only eating disorders, but also prevent the development of many diseases.
What kind of food is right for your cat is a very important question, so you need to seriously study it. Saving on food by sending the remains of your own meal to the cat's bowl is not recommended categorically - treating an animal that has not survived such a diet will cost much more than a balanced diet. A properly selected menu will prolong the life of your pet (cats can live up to 15 years or more, contrary to the common misconception that 8-9 years old is old age for them), help avoid problems with his health, and will also be useful in matters of cat education - accustomed to the cat will not climb for tasty food in the master's plate. In this article, we will look at the best food for your cat, as well as tips and advice on cat nutrition.
What is the best food for an adult cat?
There are two types of cat diets, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:
- Ready professional food.
- Natural food.
The choice in each case should be individual, since much depends on the preferences of the animal, the presence or absence of an allergy to any product and sensitivity to the quality of the feed.
Professional feed
The composition of such feed does not always correspond to that indicated on the package.Advantages
The main advantages of this type of feeding:
- practicality,
- convenience,
- economy.
As a rule, ready-made food is cheaper than all the necessary products for a natural diet. In addition, the owner of the animal does not have to bother with preparing cat food, 2 minutes are enough to fill the pet's bowl and continue to do their own thing.
An equally important advantage is the balance of such a diet - all the necessary substances, vitamins and minerals in the right quantities are already included in the finished feed. In addition, a very convenient feature of professional food is the presence of various variations:
- for sedentary or very active animals;
- for lactating cats and small kittens;
- for neutered and non-neutered cats.
An individual approach allows you to find the "key" to the heart of any fluffy gourmet.
Among other things, dry food helps clean the cat's teeth and prevents the formation of tartar.
Flaws
This diet also has its downsides.
- The main one is that it is necessary to understand various types of feed so as not to buy a low-quality economy option. Before choosing any brand of food, be sure to consult with experienced felinologists.
- In addition, some cats are allergic to ready-made food - in such cases there is no choice, you have to transfer animals to natural food.
- Another serious drawback is that what is written on the package does not always coincide with what is inside. Serious mistrust has spread among cat owners to food that is produced or packaged in Russia, since quality food is often replaced with a cheap substitute. In addition, there are "tricks" that are used by manufacturers: for example, meat products in the composition of the feed can easily turn out to be ground bones, tendons and other waste, and not meat.
To choose the right food for your pet, carefully study the varieties of dry food.
If you want to be sure that your pet still gets “on the table”, the second option will be closer to you - a diet from natural products.
natural nutrition
Natural nutrition is healthier for the cat's body. Advantages
The advantages of this type of diet:
- Firstly, you know exactly what your cat eats, you can choose the products yourself and monitor their quality.
- Secondly, natural nutrition is more beneficial for your pet's body, it can be adjusted so that the ratio of various elements - proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fiber - is optimal. For each pet, you can create a completely individual menu, taking into account all its features.
Flaws
Preparing a complete menu for a cat takes a lot of time, you have to buy additional products specifically for the animal, which can be expensive, given that there should be meat in the cat's diet.
In addition, you need to take a very responsible approach to compiling a diet, since an excess or deficiency of any substances may not be noticeable until it affects the health of the animal with serious problems. It is important to understand that it is not always possible to vouch for the quality of purchased meat or vegetables.
In addition to ordinary meat, be sure to add meat by-products to the cat's menu - chicken heads and necks, tendons, internal "offal".
In order for the animal to get the necessary amount of vitamins and fiber, a small amount of vegetables is required daily. It is better to give them boiled and pureed, mixing with meat, so that the cat does not disdain plant foods.
From time to time, the pet's diet should include:
- eggs (once a week is enough);
- dairy products (not milk!);
- fish fat;
- sprouted oats or wheat will be a very useful supplement.
What not to include in a natural diet
Foods that should not go into the cat's bowl:
- Fish, seafood (leads to urolithiasis). Here the opinions of experts are divided, but everyone agrees on one thing: fish should not be the basis of a cat's diet.
- Cereals from cereals, flour products (not digestible, cause intestinal diseases).
- Milk (little kittens are fed with mother's milk or special mixtures; an adult animal does not need milk at all).
- Any food from the human table (salt, spices, fried foods - poison for a cat!).
- From vegetables: tomatoes and eggplants (contain substances harmful to cats), potatoes.
Food should not be constantly in the bowl, as not every cat will be able to stop in time, and obesity leads to serious ailments. But there should always be access to clean, fresh water. In this regard, cats are very demanding - the water must be changed at least once a day, better - more often. Choose a larger water bowl, then the cat will drink more willingly.
It is impossible to overfeed the animal, especially when it comes to dry food.
Some videos about feeding cats:
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From how balanced and varied the cat's diet depends on its appearance, health, mood. Just like humans, animals need a complete set of nutrients. The diet should contain the elements necessary for the body: proteins, carbohydrates, animal and vegetable fat, vitamins, minerals.
In their natural habitat, cats eat mostly meat. Depending on their size and weight, they prey on large animals - zebras, antelopes, deer, or are content with rabbits, rodents, reptiles, birds, insects. The basis of their nutrition is animal protein, therefore, at home, the diet should be designed so that the cat receives it in sufficient quantities. The source of protein is meat, offal, cottage cheese. In addition to protein, animals need micro and macro elements and vitamins, which are provided by vegetables, fruits, cereals, ready-made vitamin complexes. When introducing vegetables and fruits into the cat's diet, it should be remembered that not all are suitable for animal nutrition, some contain toxic substances that can cause a sharp deterioration in health and even death.
- meat of chicken, rabbit, turkey, veal, beef - the basis of nutrition;
- offal - lungs, liver, heart, kidneys can be used instead of meat several times a week;
- vegetables (cauliflower and white cabbage, lettuce pepper, zucchini, pumpkin) are added to the meat at each feeding or 1 time per day;
- porridge (buckwheat, oatmeal, rice), given with meat or dairy products;
- fermented milk products - cottage cheese, sour cream, fermented baked milk, kefir - can be consumed with cereals or as an independent food;
- vegetable oil 2 - 4 times a week is added to porridge or meat for half a teaspoon for better bowel functioning;
- chicken eggs (boiled yolk), quail (raw, boiled);
- fruits, if the cat loves, you can give, but make sure that the animal does not eat bones and seeds;
- vitamins, which include arachidonic acid, glucosamine, taurine, arginine.
- 1. Onions and garlic in any form cause hemolytic anemia.
- 2. Legumes (lentils, beans, peas, beans) are not absorbed by the body, cause fermentation.
- 3. Avocado - its oily structure attracts cats, but the persin contained in the vegetable is toxic to them, provokes irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, vomiting, and diarrhea.
- 4. Rhubarb is dangerous because of oxalic acid poisoning, which can lead to kidney failure.
- 5. Seeds and seeds of fruits.
- 6. Mushrooms in any form lead to toxic shock.
- 7. Raw chicken eggs lead to a lack of vitamin B in the body, which negatively affects the condition of the skin and coat.
- 8. Duck, goose, pork, lard.
- 9. The tubular bones of a rabbit and a bird can damage the esophagus, stomach, and intestines.
- 10. Yeast dough, muffins, bread, homemade cakes, confectionery - cause flatulence, intestinal colic.
- 11. Dog food, especially for large breeds, is dangerous due to its high concentration of nutrients, it will provoke hypervitaminosis.
- 12. Vitamin complexes intended for people.
- 13. Sausages, sausages, smoked meats, hard cheeses, dry breakfasts, chips.
- 3. Boil rice, mix with egg yolk, boiled carrots, pieces of chicken meat (raw or boiled).
- 4. Boil the fillet of sea fish of low-fat varieties, chop, add greens and vegetables.
- 5. Cook oatmeal, mix with cottage cheese (kefir, sour cream).
- 6. You can make small cutlets from meat and vegetables, boil them for a few minutes, store in the refrigerator.
- 7. Offal pate: boil beef lungs, liver, heart, pass through a meat grinder, mix with boiled vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, sweet peppers). You can make a lot, divide into portions, place in the freezer. Add to hot porridge before feeding.
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What can you give a cat?
When choosing natural homemade food, you need to know what foods are acceptable for feeding the animal, as improper nutrition will lead to diseases and changes in behavior.
Ready-made dry food and canned food contain a balanced complex that guarantees optimal supply of the body with all the necessary substances. When preparing food for a pet on your own, it is not always possible to compose a menu in such a way that the necessary components are present in the diet. Having decided to feed the animal with natural food, it is worth supplementing the food with vitamin and mineral complexes designed specifically for cats.
List of foods acceptable for a cat's diet:
You need to cook food in clean dishes, without adding salt, sugar, spices. It is unacceptable to feed a pet from dishes with the remnants of yesterday's food, bacteria that multiply in it will cause indigestion and vomiting.
Feeding regimen and food processing rules
An adult cat needs to be fed little and often, large portions are poorly digested, food that stagnates in the stomach causes discomfort to the animal. The optimal mode is 3-4 times a day in portions from 30 to 70 grams per 1 kg of animal weight. By observing the pet, the owner determines how much food he needs. If the cat ate quite a bit, do not force her to finish eating. It's better to make the portion smaller next time.
Nutrition for pregnant and lactating cats
Often a cat preparing to become a mother refuses to eat or eats much less than before pregnancy. You don't have to force her. Appetite disappears at an early stage, as soon as the animal gets used to its position, you can return to the usual feeding regime, gradually increasing portions. The expectant mother needs a lot of vegetables, herbs, cereals, vitamins A and B. They increase the amount of dairy products rich in calcium, whey is especially useful. The menu includes boiled beef cartilage, which contains a lot of vitamin D, which is necessary for kittens.
A cat weakened by childbirth also often refuses to eat. No need to worry and try to feed her, as soon as postpartum stress passes, her appetite will return to normal. An additional amount of cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream is introduced into the diet of a nursing mother. To enhance lactation, the animal needs to drink plenty of fluids, pure water or whey.
During pregnancy and childbirth, a cat spends a lot of internal reserves on bearing, giving birth and nursing kittens, so her body needs additional vitamins and minerals. In veterinary pharmacies, complex preparations are available, designed specifically for pregnant and lactating cats, their use will make it easier for the owner to optimally balance the pet's diet during a difficult period for the animal.
A kitten appeared in the house - what and how to feed it?
How to feed a spayed cat?
A cat that does not happen is prone to many diseases, including cancer. It is better to sterilize a pet that is not intended for breeding in order to get rid of natural instincts. The body of a sterilized animal does not produce hormones responsible for the instinct of reproduction, it painlessly endures the absence of mating.
Spayed cats put on weight, are more lazy, calm, inactive. Food for sterilized cats is expensive, you need to choose premium dry food or canned food. For overweight animals, low-calorie food with a minimum fat content is produced. At home, food is limited by reducing portions, the number of feedings is left the same, the calorie content is reduced, giving less carbohydrate food (porridge) and fat (cream, butter).
Prohibited Products
There are a number of foods that limit or exclude from the cat menu. Some of them contain substances that are safe for humans, but toxic to cats.
Never give cats food from the home table. It contains a lot of salt, sugar, spices, chemical additives, preservatives, dyes, flavors. Even if family members follow a healthy lifestyle and eat environmentally friendly food, it harms pets.
Many foods are forbidden to give a cat in any quantity:
No need to worry if the pet accidentally ate something from the prohibited list, a single use will not be harmful, but regular feeding of inappropriate food will inevitably lead to health problems and even death of your beloved cat.2. Cut chicken, turkey, rabbit meat into small pieces, mix with boiled vegetables and half a teaspoon of sunflower or olive oil.
All dishes can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for no more than two days or in the freezer, defrosting as needed. Based on the proposed recipes, you can create a menu for a week and the pet will be provided with nutrients for full development and physical activity. Sour-milk drinks are given to the cat as the main meal, the source of fluid for the animal is clean water, which should always be available to him.
When a cat appears in the house, at the same time, a caring owner has questions: what to feed her, what food is most useful for cats? In the vast majority of cases, the owners give the pet food from their table, but this is far from always correct.
An unbalanced diet of an animal is fraught with the development of serious health problems for the pet. In order to ensure a long life and excellent health for your pet, you need to draw up a diet of natural food for cats in advance.
Cats are close relatives of lions. As we know, the basis of the diet of the king
animals is the animal protein of the prey and its constituents of the stomach.
Despite the fact that the prey of cats is a little more modest, it is worth remembering that cats are small predators. In the wild, they feed on some mammals (mice), attack lizards, birds and frogs, and rarely eat fish.
Whole eating prey, cats along with it receive all the necessary useful elements, including minerals and vitamins. However, the diet of domestic cats should be designed in such a way that it does not differ significantly from the menu of their relatives living in freedom.
Therefore, food from the master's table - fried fish, sausages or potatoes, is not suitable for a small domestic predator.
Consider what foods you need to include for a balanced diet of mustaches:
Protein
This is an important building element that should be included in the cat's menu without fail. Various products serve as its source, but meat should be the basis of the pet's diet.
Doctors advise feeding cats the following meat products:
- turkey and chicken;
- veal and beef;
- rabbit meat;
- meat puree with vegetables;
- low-fat sea fish;
The meat must be boiled and the bones pulled out. Feeding fish is allowed no more than 1 time per week. Ready-made baby puree can be used in feeding small kittens, as well as for adults who have stomach problems.
In addition, the following fermented milk products are very useful for the cat's stomach:
- ryazhenka, kefir;
- low-fat cottage cheese;
- hard cheese;
- yogurt;
- oatmeal, semolina.
Not all cats like cottage cheese, so it is better to mix it with kefir or fermented baked milk and add one egg yolk. Hard cheese can be given to pets no more than 1 time per week.
Carbohydrates
To replenish the supply of carbohydrates in the body of a cat, he needs to be regularly given greens, apples, carrots, cabbage. All of these foods are well digested raw.
If the cat refuses to eat vegetables, you can boil them, and then add a little ordinary vegetable oil. In case he does not want to eat such things, gradually add vegetables to meat food.
Among the most useful vegetables for the body of cats are:
- cauliflower and lettuce;
- carrots, beets;
- zucchini, pumpkin.
It is forbidden to include eggplants and tomatoes in the cat's diet, as they contain dangerous substances for the health of your pet.
vitamins
Cat nutrition must necessarily include foods high in vitamins.
To do this, the pet must be given:
- Grass, and better oats.
- Yeast (optional).
- Special nutrition with a high content of vitamins. In this case, you need not to overdo it, because an excess of vitamins can be harmful to the cat's health.
Water is one of the main elements that a cat needs for the normal functioning of its stomach. At the same time, the water in the bowl should always be clean, so it is important not to forget to change it as it gets dirty.
When should you feed?
Natural nutrition for cats should be not only balanced, but also regular.
Therefore, such mustachioed pets should be fed more than once, but even several times a day:
- Kittens up to three months old should be fed six times a day.
- Kittens from three months of age to four months will have to be fed five times.
- From 4 to 5 months - you need to feed four times a day.
- Starting from five months and up to six months, the cat must be fed three times a day.
It is also necessary to give homemade food for adult cats several times a day. When feeding, it is important for the owner to try to follow the regimen, that is, always feed at the same time.
Before feeding, it is recommended to slightly warm the food and give it to the cat in a place where no one will disturb it. If there are several cats in the house, then try to give them food in separate bowls. But the dog and cat will need to be fed in different rooms.
forbidden food
Food familiar to humans will not always be tasty, and even more so, healthy for a cat. The fact is that a person himself may not be aware of how much he consumes unhealthy food.
If it can harm human health, then such “goodies” will certainly adversely affect the health of the cat.
So, the following products can be attributed to the forbidden cat food:
- fried food;
- fish in large quantities;
- salted and pickled;
- fat, fat;
- raw meat;
- sweet;
- white cabbage, potatoes;
- baked and flour;
- bones;
- milk;
- onion and garlic;
- food containing various spices and seasonings.
Useful menu for a cat for every day
The issue of nutrition of each individual cat must be approached individually, taking into account its taste preferences and characteristics. Therefore, the owner can regularly change the menu, adjusting to the interests of the pet.
Consider an example of natural nutrition for cats - a menu for a week:
- Morning. After waking up, the cat will gladly eat something light. For example, cottage cheese with yolk, liquid milk porridge or yogurt with cereals.
- Dinner. As a snack, fermented baked milk or fortified food from a pet store is perfect.
- Evening. Before going to bed, the cat needs a good meal. For this, meat with the addition of boiled vegetables or meat porridge is perfect. A simplified version of dinner for a cat is boiled chopped meat.
Some owners have found it useful to prepare food for a cat for a couple of days in advance, and put it in the refrigerator for storage. This is especially convenient if you return home late after work.
Upon returning home, you just need to take out the prepared cat food, heat it up to a warm state and feed your pet.
Recipes for delicious and healthy food for cats
Caring owners prepare delicious original dishes for their pets from natural products.
Below are a few simple recipes for making natural cat food:
- Delicious balls. Add carrot puree, boiled oatmeal and raw egg yolk to ground beef. Shape into small balls with your hands, place on a cutting board and freeze. Defrost as needed.
- Meat with cabbage. Scald the thawed meat with boiling water and chop it finely. Puree raw broccoli or cauliflower. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients, and then add a little vegetable oil.
- Chicken liver "Moore-meow". Take a small piece of cheese, a slice of banana, a little carrot puree, ground oatmeal for 100 grams of chicken liver. Finely chop all the ingredients and simmer. At the end, add a spoonful of cream, and, bringing to a boil, remove from heat.
- Meat with hercules and vegetables. Take 1 kilogram of meat, 2 tablespoons of oatmeal and a mixture of different vegetables, for example, half a kilogram of frozen. Boil the meat, and then cook the vegetables in the resulting broth until half cooked. Pour the hercules with broth, cover and leave for ten minutes. After that, chop the cereal and vegetables with a blender, and cut the meat into small pieces, add 300 grams of broth. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients, and then divide into portions and send to the freezer.
When is a special diet needed?
Of course, feeding cats with natural food is the best option, as opposed to feeding with various preservatives, but even with a balanced diet, the health of the animal should be taken into account.
For example, consider the following:
- If the cat is thoroughbred, then add the maximum amount of vitamin E and proteins to her diet.
- If the cat is waiting for the appearance of offspring, then it should be fed more often, but the portions should be increased.
- Older animals should be fed a fast-digesting, light diet. In this case, the portions need to be slightly reduced.
- Since a sick cat needs special care, it is necessary to consult a specialist for nutritional adjustments.
- It is necessary to especially monitor the weight of a neutered cat, as they have a tendency to become obese.
- Veterinarians recommend feeding a kitten with natural food, but refrain from feeding fish for up to six months. You need to feed a kitten more often than an adult pet, but the daily portion should be significantly reduced.
What should you know about dry food?
Some cat owners switch them to dry food. It is worth recognizing that some cat foods are balanced, have a long shelf life, do not have harmful additives, and their choice is very diverse.
At the same time, choosing the right food is not easy, since the body of each individual cat is individual. In order to make sure that the food you have purchased is suitable for the cat, try to observe the health of the animal in the first few days after the first feeding.
Important! Never buy cheap food, as it contains a large number of various additives that attract the cat, but at the same time bring great harm to his health.
If the animal is already accustomed to eating dry food, then you can give him canned food. However, combining food with natural food is highly discouraged. As a result of the fact that many do not know this, the animal begins to have serious problems with digestion.
So, if you decide to use natural cat food, then try to strictly follow all of the above points. Pay close attention to the well-being and behavior of the pet, as a certain product may not be suitable for the cat, and it will have to be replaced with something else.
Please your pet with healthy and tasty food that you have prepared with your own hands, and he will definitely thank you!
