How to feed a cat correctly: natural or dry food and how many times

July 10, 2018

The first months of life are the most important for a cat's development. A rapidly growing body needs “building materials”: ​​nutrients, primarily animal proteins, vitamins and minerals. The easiest way to get them is from ready-made diets developed by specialists. But even in this case, mistakes are possible that will negatively affect the health of the pet. Today we will talk about how to feed a kitten with dry food so that the food only provides benefits.

The right diet

A cat is a carnivorous animal, and the lion's share of its menu should be meat. Therefore, when feeding a kitten with dry food, it is important to choose a high-quality product with a high content of meat components. They should occupy the first places in the composition list, preferably with an accurate indication of the source. For example, the ingredient “dehydrated turkey meat” inspires much more confidence than “poultry meal.”

You should not focus on the total protein content: some manufacturers include a large number of sources of vegetable protein, which is not at all suitable for the cat’s body.

It is equally important to take into account the age category of the pet when choosing a diet. Special food for kittens differs from “adult” food in two main characteristics:

1. Total calories, protein and fat content. The energy costs of a kitten are higher compared to an adult cat. Kids are active and restless, and most importantly, they are constantly growing. When a kitten eats adult cat food, it does not receive the required amount of nutrients.
2. Granule size. Relatively large granules designed for adult cats may not be suitable for a small kitten. They are difficult to chew, they do not fit in the mouth, which ultimately discourages the pet from interested in dry food.

Rule two - only the best

To properly feed your cat dry food, you need to choose only the super premium category.

© shutterstock

Cheap ready-made food has a number of significant disadvantages:

• made from completely useless parts of animals and birds - hooves, feathers, bones are processed for it;
• This food contains a lot of gluten, and this is completely unacceptable, since it is one of the most powerful cat allergens.

So economy-class food poses a direct threat to the cat’s health.

Access to water

While wet food already contains a significant amount of liquid, dry food has virtually none. Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure that your kitten gets enough water intake. Otherwise, he may face kidney and bladder diseases in the future.

The water must be fresh and clean, drinking quality - the same as that used for all family members. It should be poured into a bowl that is comfortable for the kitten. Glass, porcelain and stainless steel are preferable to plastic: cats are sometimes put off by the strong smell of plastic.

The place where you leave the container with the drink is also important: ideally, it should be at least 50 cm away from the food bowl and tray. If you have a spacious home, place bowls of water in two or more rooms - this way your baby, busy playing and learning about the world around him, will be more likely to remember water.

When the kitten drinks, saliva and food debris get into the bowl. The water quickly becomes cloudy and loses its attractiveness in the eyes of the animal, so do not be lazy to change it more often. You should not allow an older cat to drink from the toilet: there may be pathogens and detergent residues there.

Drinking regime

Regardless of the type of feeding, the water must be cleared of impurities and changed at least once a day, and in the summer - at least 2 times a day. Tap water contains salts that are dangerous to the body, and long-standing water contains bacteria and other harmful microorganisms.

Please note that for comfortable absorption of “drying”, much more liquid is required than for “natural” ones. If your pet is too lazy to reach the water bowl in the kitchen, buy a few more pieces and place them throughout the apartment.

How, how much and when?

If the kitten has never tried dry food before, the granules for it need to be soaked and given a new portion each time so that the food does not dry out or spoil. As soon as he gets used to the innovations, you can gradually add dry granules to the soaked food and further increase their share until it reaches 100%.

As long as you soak the food, the daily amount will have to be divided by the number of feedings and given out by the hour. The younger the kitten, the more often it needs to be fed.

If you give food in dry form, it is permissible to leave it freely available - consuming food in small portions throughout the day corresponds to the physiological needs of cats: in nature, they eat often and little by little, and not only during the daytime.
However, the daily norm should not be exceeded. And don’t be confused by the fact that this is extremely small, because a kitten’s stomach is not big either. Representatives of the cat family for the most part are not prone to gluttony, but exceptions still occur, especially for animals that are found on the street and have been starving for a long time.

Which one is better?

All dry food is divided into four classes:

• economy;
• premium;
• super premium;
• holistic.

This gradation is not officially approved; it is often used by manufacturers to raise the prestige of their products. When choosing “drying”, experienced owners pay attention primarily to the composition of the feed, and not its class.

Kitty cat

Economy

The first group includes products sold in supermarkets:

• Whiskeys;
• Kitekat;
• Friskies;
• Darling;
• Felix;
• Cat Chow;
• Sheba;
• Perfect Fit;
• ProTail;
• Our brand and others like it.

They attract owners with low prices, bright packaging and active television advertising. However, such food is useless for animals, and if consumed continuously for a long time, it is extremely harmful.

Having carefully read the composition of an economy class product, you can find out that meat and offal in their composition account for only about 15%. Moreover, this category includes all waste from the meat industry (horns, hooves, beaks, intestines with their contents, blood, etc.). The bulk of cheap feed comes from cereals, vegetable fats, and processed vegetable products. These components will not add health to your pet. The main harm is caused by various chemical dyes, preservatives, and flavoring additives. The latter explain the high degree of habituation to low-quality food of usually selective cats.

This composition “hits” the internal organs of a small predator. Irreversible consequences occur in the liver, kidneys, spleen, pancreas, and stomach. There are quite a lot of owners who claim that their pet has been eating cheap food for many years and everything is fine with it. Veterinarians say this is a temporary effect. The consequences of constant consumption of such feed are inevitable. They don't always come right away. In animals with strong immunity, they may be delayed, but improper nutrition will definitely affect the life expectancy of your furry pet.

Royal Canin

Premium

These foods differ from the economy version in a better composition, but this is also not an ideal option for adequate nutrition for a cat.

This group includes products from such brands as:

• Royal Canin;
• Hills;
• Pro Plan;
• Organix, Happy Cat;
• Schesir;
• Night Hunter;
• Nero Gold and others.

In addition to offal, they contain meat, but not much of it. Premium food also contains a lot of grains, but also contains vegetables, eggs, and vitamins (the packaging indicates which ones and in what quantities). The content of harmful synthetic additives and soy is minimal. The downside is the lack of information about what specific preservatives were used in production.

It is worth noting that the composition of premium food varies greatly (even in the lines of the same manufacturer). This allows you to choose a completely acceptable product at an affordable price.

Landor

Super premium

This category includes high quality products. Breeders consider super-premium feed to be optimal in terms of price-quality ratio.

The most famous brands in this group:

• 1st Choice;
• Bozita;
• Landor;
• Savarra;
• Brit Care;
• Leonardo;
• Vet Life.

They contain the bulk of the composition of natural meat, vegetables, seeds, oils, and herbs. There are few cereals, the manufacturer chose the most suitable for cats (barley, rice, oats). Natural substances are used as preservatives, without “chemicals”. The feed components are varied.

Akana

Holistic

Products of the highest quality are produced under the following brands:

• Acana;
• Grandorf;
• Orijen;
• Wildcat;
• Applaws;
• Farmina N&D;
• Go Natural;
• Nutram.

The share of natural, dehydrated meat in holistic foods reaches 80%. Also in the composition of different types of food there are: fish, vegetables, oils, fruits, fats, berries, vitamin supplements. There are practically no grains, some have a little rice. Products for such feed are grown in environmentally friendly areas.

Some companies (such as Champion PetFoods) produce products according to the WholePrey principle. The uniqueness of the development lies in the fact that the food is as close as possible to that obtained by a predator in its natural environment. To do this, not only muscle fibers of meat are added to the feed, but also cartilage, entrails, etc.

Holistic formulas are by far the best option for constant feeding of cats, but they are quite expensive.

Medicinal foods should be included in a separate group. They are intended for individuals with various chronic diseases. They can only be given to cats as prescribed by a veterinarian!

How to feed a kitten dry food: frequently asked questions

When switching to dry food, observe your pet's reaction. The main indicator of a properly selected diet will be stool: it should be regular and well-formed. If diarrhea or constipation begins, or allergy symptoms appear, it is necessary to suspend the transition to a new type of food and review the cat's menu.

At what age should a kitten be introduced to dry food?

As soon as the baby's first teeth erupt and the need to chew something appears, he can gradually be introduced to solid food. This usually occurs at about 4-5 weeks of age, while still in the breeder's home. You can completely switch a kitten to dry food after weaning it from its mother cat - no earlier than 2-3 months of age.

Should I add vitamins to a dry diet?

Complete feeds already contain all the necessary macro- and micronutrients in optimal proportions. Adding biological vitamin preparations “at random” will only upset the balance of substances, which will ultimately harm the kitten. Therefore, when feeding dry food, do not introduce any food additives without the advice of a veterinarian.

The right utensils for feeding

When choosing a dish for your cat to eat from, it is better to give preference to a shallow plate with wide edges. If the container is small in diameter or has high edges, this will cause discomfort while eating, as the whiskers will cling to the edges of the plate. Cats' whiskers are an organ of touch, a kind of sensor with which they navigate in space.

To optimize the feeding process, you can use automatic or electronic feeders. They have the ability to customize for a specific feeding time and portion size.

You should not blindly and unconditionally follow the rules and recommendations when creating a menu for your pet. Each of them is unique and inimitable, with its own characteristics and preferences. Careful observation of the cat, its reaction to different products or industrial feeds will allow you to choose the most suitable feeding option.

Misconceptions

There are many myths about dry food among ordinary people. Most of them are not true. Let's take a closer look at the most popular judgments:

1. There is an opinion that cats develop urolithiasis from drying out. In fact, pathology occurs against the background of excess carbohydrates in the diet and insufficient fluid intake. This is associated with the consumption of food only if the pet drinks little water.
2. Some believe that commercial diets for cats have the same nutritional value as crackers for humans. In fact, the technology for their manufacture is completely different. Natural products needed by predators are crushed, dehydrated, and mixed. After this, the food is enriched with vitamins and minerals.
3. “Drying” contains ash, which, according to some owners, causes urinary tract diseases. Research suggests that this element does not affect urination in any way. The problem can be caused by grain components of cheap feeds, which increase the alkaline reaction of urine.
4. Unfortunately, nutritional granules do not help clean teeth because they do not contain abrasives.
5. The statement that high-protein diets are harmful for cats is based on the inability to distinguish between plant and animal proteins. An excess of the former really has a bad effect on the health of small predators. While animal proteins are most consistent with the nutrition of cats in their natural environment, and therefore are necessary for them.

When choosing food, it is worth considering that manufacturers of economy class products actively advertise their products on television. Companies that produce premium food often participate in cat exhibitions and place branded booklets in veterinary clinics. While high-quality super-premium and holistic products are practically not promoted to the market. It is important to remember that advertising is not a recommendation for use. Before purchasing food, you should carefully read its composition.