Milk for kittens is a valuable, nutritious liquid that they receive from their mother. When the cat stops feeding the baby, he switches to solid food. The body reduces the production of the enzyme responsible for digesting milk. If you give your baby cow's milk instead of age-appropriate food, it may cause stomach upset.
Features of nutrition and digestion in kittens
Newborn kittens receive from mother's milk all the substances necessary for development. Cow and goat are not suitable because they do not contain the required amount of fat, protein, calories, and amino acids.
The milk that newborn kittens receive from their mother on the first day after birth not only transfers nutrients. The liquid contains antibodies that help babies fight viruses and bacteria that are dangerous specifically for cats.
A few days after birth, the amount of protein and fat in cat's milk increases. The latter contribute to the development of the nervous system of babies. Towards the end of feeding, the composition of the liquid changes, preparing the baby’s body for the transition to wet, then solid food of a carnivore.
By-products in a cat's diet
In addition to meat, offal is something that is not only possible, but also necessary to feed British kittens! The liver, kidneys, heart, lungs and ventricles can easily replace meat for a kitten. There is no need to boil them; the kitten will happily eat them raw. If you bought chicken or turkey stomachs for your purr, it is advisable to clean them of films.
Please note: if your British kitten is lilac in color, then it is better to refrain from by-products, as consuming them can darken the coat.
Why cats can't have milk
Kittens grow very quickly and gain weight, so up to 12-16 weeks, food should be high-calorie and not contain components that disrupt the functioning of the digestive tract. First of all, this applies to cow and goat milk.
Lactose intolerance in cats
Dairy products contain lactose, a type of sugar that consists of glucose and galactose. It imparts sweetness to the liquid, which is an advantage of a milk drink for humans. But cats' taste buds do not respond to it.
Moreover, with age, the digestive system of pets reduces the synthesis of the lactase enzyme, which helps process lactose. Excess lactose is retained in the body, settles in the intestines and begins to interact with bacteria. Therefore, diarrhea and bloating in cats is the main sign of lactose intolerance.
Interesting fact: cat milk contains much less lactose than cow's and goat's milk - 3.4% versus 4.6%.
Milk in the diet of adult cats
Cats are carnivores, 70% of their diet should be meat, and dairy food cannot replace it. Some pets tolerate the product normally, without diarrhea or bloating. But due to the lack of necessary nutrients, there is no point in giving a milk drink to adult cats.
The meat is all cat meat!
If you have chosen only natural products for your cat child, then meat is the best way to feed your British kitten. The meat contains everything necessary for the proper growth of a furry pet. In addition, kittens, like small children, are teething. And “sharpening” them on a piece of beef or lamb is a pleasure!
But not all meat is good for kittens: pork should not be given at all, as it is too fatty and may contain parasites, and chicken and turkey should be given with caution - this meat can cause allergic reactions in some kittens. For very young kittens (1-3 months), any meat should be boiled and then crumbled into small pieces. Older kittens can already eat raw meat, cut into large pieces.
There is an opinion that meat for feeding kittens and adult cats must first be frozen. This is not true: such meat leaves nothing useful for your pet.
Can cats be given milk?
Do kittens get milk? Older babies who have switched to wet and solid food should not be given cow's or goat's milk. This usually happens by 8-10 weeks. Cats will not refuse dairy food, since the memory of the “taste of childhood” remains on the subconscious level.
Can kittens have cow's milk?
The maximum fat content of cat's milk is 10%, cow's milk is 3.6%. Can a small kitten be given cow's milk? No. It is unable to replace mother’s milk for a newborn, and is not needed for older pets. Moreover, the product cannot be given as the main food.
Cow's milk may not provide all the nutrients needed to keep your pet healthy. The fat present in the liquid contributes to weight gain and stomach upset in an adult cat. The low-fat product does not contain vitamins A and D, which help calcium and protein to be absorbed. This has a bad effect on the skeletal system.
Can kittens have goat milk?
Goat product contains more minerals and vitamins than cow product. It is fattier than cow's milk (6%), but this is not enough for a kitten. Goat milk has a little less lactose, so it is absorbed a little better than cow milk. However, once the kittens are on solid food, milk should be stopped.
The veterinarian can recommend a product for feeding a newborn kitten, giving a recipe for preparing the mixture. It is not recommended to give it in its pure form, since it does not contain many substances necessary for the normal development of the pet.
Can a kitten have milk from the store?
Is it possible to give a kitten store-bought milk? No. Mostly cow milk is sold in supermarkets and is not suitable for pets. Pasteurized products are especially harmful to cats. Studies have shown that it causes skeletal abnormalities, developmental defects and reproductive problems.
Moreover, do not buy cheap goods. Usually this is a low-quality product, where 2-3 tablespoons of dry powder are diluted with a liter of water, and there is not even a smell. A newborn will not benefit, and a grown pet will not need such food.
Can a kitten have powdered milk?
Pet stores sell dry food - cat milk substitutes. They can be given to kittens up to 8 weeks old if they are left without a mother or there is not enough milk. If there is no substitute on sale, the situation is critical; regular milk powder cannot be given. Call your veterinarian, who will tell you exactly how to prepare a formula for your newborn pet.
General recommendations
The cat’s diet must be selected based on its health status and age characteristics. Food intended for feeding adults and absolutely healthy pets is absolutely not suitable for kittens or animals with any pathologies.
Healthy eating rules
The domestic cat has not lost its natural predatory instincts, which is reflected in the food it consumes.
Under natural conditions, meat proteins enter the cat’s body in raw form, and plant carbohydrate foods enter in a semi-digested form, therefore the nutritional characteristics of a pet require strict adherence to the following rules:
- the diet must necessarily include components of animal and plant origin, represented by meat, cereals and vegetables;
- Poultry and beef will benefit the cat’s body, but the use of pork in the diet should be avoided;
- cereal crops that are harmless to the body of a domestic cat are represented by oatmeal, buckwheat, barley and rice cereals;
- Healthy vegetable crops include non-starchy root vegetables in the form of beets and carrots, as well as white cabbage or cauliflower, cucumbers and zucchini;
- dairy foods should be represented by low-fat and unsweetened fermented milk products, including kefir, fermented baked milk and cottage cheese.
Pre-treatment of food products is not always carried out. Meat and vegetable products are given raw or boiled, and cereals are used for cooking porridge.
Natural nutrition
This option for feeding the “British” can be used by owners who have free time to prepare natural food for their pet. The range of possible food products used in a cat’s diet includes meat, low-fat sea fish, fermented milk products, as well as various cereals and vegetables.
Meat in the form of beef, rabbit or poultry must be fresh. Such meat may contain larvae of parasites or pathogens of various infections, so heat treatment, represented by pre-freezing, is considered the best option. After defrosting, the meat is doused with boiling water. This method allows you to obtain food that is as close as possible in structural characteristics to canned food, but retains all its beneficial properties.
A good alternative to meat would be to include low-fat oceanic fish in the diet of a British cat, such as hake, cod, pollock and saffron cod. The fish must be lightly boiled and thoroughly removed from the bones. Fermented milk products can be seasoned with special bran for pets, which is rich in B vitamins, serves as a source of essential fiber, and has a beneficial effect on the condition of the cat’s coat.
Dry and wet food
Dry food is the cheapest option and is virtually hassle-free for British cat owners. However, many experienced cat owners and specialists do not consider this food to be sufficiently suited to the characteristics of the digestive system of a pet. It is best to use dry food that does not contain carbohydrates of plant origin, and also alternate it with wet meat-and-vegetable food.
Pedigree feed lines
Recently, the so-called pedigree food lines have been especially popular among owners of “British” dogs. For example, BRITISH SHORTHAIR food is produced, which has a balanced composition that is optimally suitable for a British cat.
The Super Premium series uses the highest quality ingredients. The composition can be represented by turkey, lamb or chicken meat, eggs, and high-quality cereals. Such feeds are well digestible, have a higher calorie content, and the components are characterized by high nutritional value.
What and how to feed a small kitten
If you picked up a kitten on the street or the cat does not have milk, the ideal option is to find a wet-nurse cat. To do this, ask your friends, advertise on social networks.
What kind of milk should be given to newborn kittens if a wet nurse has not been found? Buy kitten replacement from your veterinary pharmacy, which can be sold in liquid or dry form.
When a substitute is not sold in your city, ask your veterinarian how to prepare formula for feeding a kitten and what kind of milk to feed the kitten. You cannot feed your baby regular cow or goat milk; it must be mixed with yolk. Moreover, do not give condensed milk, the composition of which leaves much to be desired.
How to feed a newborn kitten
The pet must be fed from a special bottle with a nipple, which can be purchased at a pet pharmacy. If it is not there, you can take a pipette or syringe without a needle. In the second case, the mixture must be squeezed out slowly, otherwise the liquid may enter the trachea.
How much milk to give a kitten
A newborn kitten needs to be fed every 2 hours. You need to give:
- 2-3 ml of mixture per 1 feeding in the first three days of life;
- from days 4 to 7, the dose should be increased to 5 ml;
- at the age of 6-10 days – 5-7.5 ml.
Then the frequency of feedings decreases:
- from 11-14 days they give 10-12.5 mixtures, feeding every three hours.
- from 15-21 days – 10 ml of the mixture 8 times a day.
- from 21 days, give 7.5-25 ml 3-4 times a day, begin to introduce solid food.
Feeding instructions
- Dilute the mixture according to the instructions, heat in a water bath.
- Place a cloth on your knees, place the baby on his stomach, slightly raise his head.
- Give him a pacifier with a bottle.
- If you take the pacifier away prematurely, the baby will crawl and squeak. When he is full, he turns his face away and falls asleep.
- After feeding, remove any remaining food from the baby's fur.
- Place your pet on its back and stroke its tummy to start the process of digesting food.
- To avoid constipation and stimulate peristalsis, massage the kitten’s tummy and anus. If it doesn’t help, you can give an enema, but for the first time ask to do it yourself.
Choosing a place and utensils for feeding
Before the kitten arrives in the new home, it is advisable to equip a sitting and eating area. The choice of place and utensils for feeding plays an important role, since the feeling of comfort and safety determines how willing the kitten will be to eat in an unfamiliar environment.
The feeding area should be:
- Safe.
- Comfortable.
- Available.
- Clean.
To ensure your kitten feels safe, make sure he is not disturbed while he eats. If there are other animals in your home, during the adaptation period, feed the new pet separately.
To make your pet comfortable, you need to choose comfortable bowls. Stainless steel or ceramic bowls are ideal for feeding pets. Ceramic bowls are heavy, they do not slip on the floor and are easy to clean. Stainless steel bowls are more compact and can be treated with boiling water, but they slide on the floor, so it is better to place them on a stand.
At the stage of accustoming the kitten to a feeding schedule, the pet must be sure that it will get to the place of food at the usual time. If you feed your kitten in the kitchen, keep the doors open during the adaptation period. The door can be closed while the kitten is eating; the rest of the time, the pet should be able to approach an empty feeder and drinking bowl.
To keep the eating area clean, it must be covered with oilcloth or a rubber non-slip mat. Special mats solve several problems at once: they prevent injury if the kitten runs towards the bowl, make cleaning easier and prevent bowls from sliding on the floor.
Question answer
Is it possible to give a one-month-old kitten milk from a non-cat?
There is no point if the mother has enough of it. If your baby is hungry, buy a formula designed for kittens.
Why can't cats be given milk?
The product contains lactose, which the cat's body does not digest well. The result of such feeding is diarrhea, bloating, allergies.
What kind of milk can you give a kitten?
If your baby has already switched to solid food, do not give him a milk drink.
Is it possible to feed a kitten milk?
No. If you have a newborn kitten without a mother, it is better to buy a cat milk replacer.
Should a nursing cat be given milk drinks?
No. It is better to give vitamins and minerals that veterinarians recommend for pregnant and lactating cats.
Fish day
Have you thought about what to feed British kittens and bought some fish? In fact, the fact that cats need fish to survive is nothing more than a myth. In their natural habitat, cats do not eat fish, and their bodies are not initially adapted to digest it. Fish contains a lot of magnesium and phosphorus salts, and excessive consumption of this product can lead to urolithiasis. However, if you still decide to treat your pet to fish, choose sea fish, such as perch. And don’t forget to remove all the seeds from the treat, otherwise your baby may choke!
Can cats eat apples?
Apples, especially green ones, are the most common, safe and healthy fruit for dogs and cats. It is recommended to give apples in dried form no more than 5% of the daily diet, fresh up to 10%, baked and boiled 15% of the daily diet.
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About dry food
And what kind of ready-made food do experienced cat owners feed their pets? As mentioned above, the food must be of high quality. We can safely name the following three brands:
- "Earthborn Holistic" - this dry product contains approximately 44% protein and is quite low in carbohydrates. Consists of eggs, brown rice, rolled oats, flaxseed. Herring, chicken, and turkey flour are available. There are also vegetables and fruits, thanks to which the British favorite receives powerful immune protection. As for vitamins, manufacturers have added vitamins C and E in sufficient quantities. Calcium and phosphorus will perfectly strengthen bones and teeth. The granules are very small - even a small pet can handle them. The absence of gluten and grains will be appreciated by owners of animals with stomach problems.
- "Go!" - food containing about 32% protein. Chicken meat, rice bran, brown rice, apples, alfalfa, rolled oats and flaxseed oil usually do not cause allergies. But a cat can still experience such trouble, so a preliminary consultation with a veterinarian will not hurt. But the developed formula is suitable for all ages! Including the fact that it contains taurine, which strengthens the heart.
- "Bosch Sanabelle Grande" - contains a low percentage of carbohydrates and about 31% protein. There are few minerals, which is clearly for the better - urolithiasis is less likely to form. The developers can boast of using mussel meat, which strengthens joints. It even contains yucca extract, which significantly reduces the harshness of fecal odor!
