Kitten Food
From LoveToKnow Cats
Mother's milk is the best food for a kitten during the first eight weeks of life, but after that it's time to offer a nutritious kitten food formula to your pet.
About Kitten Food
Why should you feed kitten food to cats who are less than a year old? Perhaps you already have one or more adult cats, and you're thinking it's more convenient to feed the same adult formula to your new addition. Well, it may be convenient, but you might be sacrificing your kitten's nutritional needs if you do.
You see, kittens have very small stomachs, so they tend to pick a few bites and go, rarely eating a full meal in one sitting. Combine this eating habit with the type of rapid growth kittens experience in that all-important first year of development, and it's easy to see why they need a formula that's packed with optimum nutrition in every bite.
Nutritional Advantage
Kitten food differs from adult cat food because higher percentages of protein and fat are used in the formula.
The following is only a general comparative analysis, and these percentages may vary from one brand to the next.
| Components | Adult Cat Diet | Kitten Diet | |
| Crude Protein, not less than | 30% | 34% | |
| Crude Fat, not less than | 18% | 20% | |
| Crude Fiber, not more than | 5% | 3% | |
| Moisture, not more than | 10% | 10% | |
| Ash, not more than | 6% | 6% | |
| Magnesium, not more than | 0.09% | 0.10% | |
| Taurine, not less than | 0.19% | 0.18% | |
| Linoleic Acid, not less than | 3.5% | 3.5% |
Now let's take a closer look at a few of the main components in kitten food and learn why they are so important to your kitten's overall development.
Protein
Proteins are necessary for the growth of healthy muscle tissue and cartilage. Getting plenty of protein in its formative years may actually help your cat to avoid painful degenerative conditions later in life.
Fats
Fats, such as the Omega-3 fatty acid complex, are essential for delivering fat soluble vitamins to your pet. Fats also provide extra energy, something all energetic young kittens need as they pass through this year of rapid growth.
Minerals
Minerals promote the growth of strong bones and teeth. Calcium, phosphorous, and potassium are critically important to your kitten's development.
Wet or Dry?
For years, conventional feeding wisdom has lead us to believe that a dry food formula was better for our cats because it provided some teeth cleaning action during chewing.
While this may indeed provide some dental benefits, the fact is that dry cat food is largely made from carbohydrates, an ingredient that can contribute to feline obesity if your cat over indulges, as some cats tend to do.
By comparison, a quality wet cat food formula is divided nearly evenly between protein, and fat, with the correct percentage of vitamins and minerals in the mix. Since this is much closer to the natural diet cats would receive in the wild, it is digested much more efficiently.
Recent studies seem to point to the conclusion that cats fed a strictly wet food diet do not have a significantly higher rate of dental disease than cats that are only fed dry cat food.
So should you feed dry or wet kitten food? It's your choice, but perhaps it's best to have a bit of both worlds, and have dry kitten food available throughout the day, while offering a premium blend wet cat food for the evening meal.
Summary
Your kitten's nutritional needs are much more demanding than those of an adult cat, so wet or dry, choose a quality kitten food blend that will help your baby grow into a healthy and strong cat.
Comments
Hi, Cynthia. What a great question. It can be really difficult on our pets when we introduce a new animal into the household, especially since your dog has a fear, but there are some steps you can take that will help. You may also want to read through the article about Bringing a New Cat Home.
Your pets will likely get used to each other quickly, but please keep safety in mind at first. Here are some steps to take:
- At first, pet both the dog and cat separate so that they can get used to one another's scent. Do not wash your hands between pettings.
- Put the cat inside a small cage or pen and let the cat and dog sniff each other through the bars. This will allow for distance in case the dog gets scared and snaps. The cat may hiss. Do not intervene as long as both pets are safe. Let them work it out, just as you would with siblings who were bickering.
- After a few days or even a week, allow the dog and cat to interact but keep the dog on a leash, so you can regain control should he try to snap at the cat or chase her.
Finally, relax. Most pets get used to one another very quickly and many dogs will adopt a new cat into their pack mentality and become very protective of the feline.
Congratulations on the new family member! Please let us know if you have any other questions. Good luck!
-- Contributed by: LoriSoardI'm going to get a six week kitten. What should I do--I have an other dog but she's scared of kittens and I dont want to leave out my dog when I will be holding the kitten how can I spend time with both of them?
-- Contributed by: cynthiaHi Rylee,
First, you're going to need to keep the kitten warm. Her fur should be filling in nicely, but a chill will slow down her digestive system and that could be dangerous.
Next, you will need some kitten formula and a small nursing bottle. You should be able to find both at your nearest pet supply, but veterinarians also tend to carry these items too. There are directions on the can that tell how to mix the formula, how much to feed the kitten and how often to feed it.
Finally, you will need to stimulate the kitten to potty just as it's mother would have. To do this, gently swab the anus and genitals with a warm wet cloth until Kitty urinates and deficates.
When the kitten is about four weeks old you can begin to introduce some wet kitten food into her diet, just a little at a time. As she becomes accustomed to this, you can gradually work in dry kitten food. By about six weeks you will be offering less formula, as Kitty should also be drinking fresh water.
Have your litter box ready for use by four weeks old. The kitten should be gaining more control over its own bowels by then, and you can begin early litter training right from the start.
I hope you find this info helpful. You'll find more good articles in our Category:Caring for Kittens category, but don't hesitate to ask for more help if you need it. Good luck!
-- Contributed by: KellyThis page has been accessed 2,466 times. This page was last modified 12:54, 8 September 2007.
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