What Do Kittens Eat And Drink
Basic kitten feeding guide.
What do kittens eat and drink. What should kittens eat and drink is not always evident. Is your kitten suddenly drinking much more or less water than before. Human food is for humans despite all the cute pictures of kittens drinking milk out of a saucer kittens should only drink their mother s milk. Therefore cats need to make up this shortfall by drinking more water.
On average a kitten will eat around 5 to 6 times a day. Movies and stereotypes would have us believe that kittens drink cows milk but that s actually not recommended as milk is not healthy for your feline s digestive tract. However it only contains 10 water. Young kittens require milk for the first three weeks of life before slowly beginning to eat solid food around six to ten weeks of age they will begin to wean.
Kittens are essentially baby carnivores with specialised needs. They have to have protein from meat for a strong heart good vision and a healthy reproductive system. Pregnant or lactating females have higher nutritional requirements and your veterinarian may recommend feeding her a kitten diet. Kittens can eat either wet or dry cat food but dry food is generally higher in healthy ingredients with less moisture and filler.
They will stay crunchy and fresh. Kittens naturally wean off their mother s milk at around 8 12 weeks of age. It s also about the very important introduction to drinking water. Young kittens should be fed four to six meals a day while older kittens around 6 9 months.
How many daily meals. The weaning process isn t just about kittens beginning to eat normal wet and dry kitten specific protein rich foods. Some kittens and adult cats are lactose intolerant and get sick when fed cow s milk and other dairy products says drew weigner dvm board certified feline specialist. Wet food is best given only once a day or spread across two daily.
Cats in the wild receive most of their water intake via their food a wild rodent or bird. Cats are known for eating many small meals throughout the day. It is best to keep the water at room temperature. Cats are meat eaters plain and simple.
You can leave kibble out for the entire day. Raw or spoiled meat could make your cat sick. Many people today are feeding their cats dry food which is easy and convenient. Cats from 5 weeks can drink water although most kittens are still nursing from their mother at this stage some young kittens have a drink of water too.
Kittens should be fed small meals at regular times and should be allowed to eat as much as they wish. At around 4 weeks old as soon as kittens start eating foods that aren t their mother s milk it is crucial that the fluff balls always have clean water available to them in a shallow water bowl that is convenient to lap up of course. For freshly weaned kittens or kittens still being weaned feed dry food softened in warm water. H20 is vital for keeping kittens healthy and lively.
When young cats are old enough around 8 weeks old they start to eat food on their own whilst simultaneously decreasing the amount of milk they suckle from their mother. Cooked beef chicken turkey and small amounts of lean deli meats are a great way to give them that. Adult cats require a maintenance diet.