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Feeding your kitten
Cats are classed as obligate carnivores and have unique nutritional requirements. Therefore, nutrition plays a critical role in ensuring healthy kitten growth and development. Let’s consider some common feeding queries to help your kitten grow up right. How much to feed my kitten?
How much to feed my kitten?
Use the feeding guide found on pet food packaging as a starting point. This will show you the total daily amount to offer your kitten. Keep an eye on your kitten's body condition so that you can fine tune the amount fed, if needed. Have a chat to your veterinarian if you're concerned about your kitten's body condition or growth rate.
How often to feed my kitten?
In general, younger kittens should be fed smaller meals more frequently. This is to help allow them to take in enough food for growth. Their stomach capacity is small, therefore they require frequent meals.
Cats are naturally graze feeders, and many regulate their food intake well. It is acceptable to measure out their daily food allowance and offer this over multiple meals per day. Monitor your cat’s body condition on an on-going basis, to avoid obesity.
Another option to consider is the use of food toys. Many types exist from rolling food toys that just drop out a kibble of food intermittently to stationary food toys that require the cat to work for the food. These can provide a source of mental as well as physical stimulation.
Male kittens tend to eat more and grow faster than female kittens but both sexes can be gradually introduced to an ADVANCE™ adult cat diet from 12 months of age. Ensure that your kitten has free access to a continual supply of fresh drinking water in a suitable sized container.
Should I feed my kitten a home-made diet?
It can be tempting to feed a pet a diet made up of human food and table scraps. However, it is a challenge to create a home-made diet that is complete and balanced, especially in the long term. Kittens need a complete and balanced diet that is specially formulated to support their healthy growth and development. A high quality super premium pet food provides this peace of mind.
In addition, some human foods can be toxic to pets such as grapes, raisins, onions and chocolate.
Should I feed my kitten dry or wet food?
Dry and wet foods are equally nutritious, and each feeding format offer its own benefits. The feeding of both dry and wet food together is known as ‘mixed feeding’. This method of feeding provides a pet with aroma, taste and texture variety and enables them to get the benefits that each feeding format offers. When feeding both wet and dry food, simply halve the recommended quantities of each product and let your puppy enjoy the advantages that mixed feeding brings.
Cats are often perceived to be finicky eaters but underlying a cat’s eating behaviour are their own feeding preferences. When first offered a new food, cats can be neophobic (fear/dislike of anything new or unfamiliar). If fed the same diet over a long period, a cat may find the food monotonous and seek out new food choices. Through mixed feeding, you can support your cat’s natural feeding pattern by helping relieve monotony.
Nourish your kitten with ADVANCE™ Kitten products, and you’ll be laying the foundations for a healthy life.
