Cats are some of the adorable animals people like to pet. Even the kittens are extremely cute and can lift your mood instantly. But, taking proper care while they are growing is an important task. You need to give adequate nutrition so they grow into a healthy and adorable cat.
Most people don’t know if the cat food they currently use for their pets is the right choice or not. It is also essential to know the right time to switch to cat food when a kitten is dependent on its mother. Generally, it takes around four months of having mother’s milk to switch to cat food. This process is also known as weaning.
So, when is the right time to start feeding cat food to your kitten? Here, we will discuss it in detail to ensure your kitten isn’t too early or too late to start eating cat food. Let’s dig into detail when do kittens start eating cat food!
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When Should the Kittens Eat Cat Food?
To give cat food to the kitten, you must know the right time to switch. Thus, you must start giving cat food when the kittens reach the age of 12 months. It would help if you took care that you give them the right amount of nutrients. While you do so, you must also ensure that you don’t make them gain weight by overdoing the feeding quantity.
Apart from that, make sure that you notice the food labels of the feline food. From there, you can easily understand if the cat food is sufficient for your kitten or not.
Importance of Switching to Cat Food for Kittens
Kittens grow at a rapid rate, and they have enormous energy. Therefore, it is essential to give them proper nutrition and calories for energy. Thus, for this, cat food is a great option. It is filled with protein, vitamins, and other nutrition and supports vision and brain development.
However, as they grow up, they become less energetic. So, you need to take care of the calories and other nutrients accordingly.
Weaning the Kittens
Generally, the right age of weaning kittens is around when they are of four weeks. You need to observe their growth to understand it thoroughly. The kittens begin to stand correctly and hold up their tail.
Also, their incisors and canines become visible, which signifies that you should start weaning.
How Much Time does it take to wean a Kitten?
The weaning process takes up to six weeks to completely wean them. You can completely wean them when they become eight weeks or two months old. Cats or kittens require different amounts of nutrients at different ages.
Thus, you need to ensure that the cat food you choose is efficient enough for their development.
Right Time to Switch to Cat Food for Kittens
The right time to understand when you should switch to cat food is not much tricky. But, during the process, you also need to take care of their digestive issues.
So, transition your kittens to cat foods, know their eating pattern, and take small steps.
Read below to understand how to habituate your kitten with cat foods.
- Days 1 to 2 — you should give ¾ amount of the normal food and add up to ¼ of the cast food.
- Day 3 to 4 — you should give half amount of kitten and cat food.
- Day 5 to 7 — give 1/4 amount of kitten food and up to 3/4 amount of the cat food.
- Day 8 to 10 — only give cat food to your kitten.
Steps in the Beginning
In the beginning, you need to have patience and remain slow to avoid digestive problems. Hence for starting, you need to separate the kitten from her mother. Begin this process for a couple of hours. This step will help you to reduce the need for mother’s milk.
What Are the Nutrients You Need to Give To Your Kitten?
It is essential to choose the right feline diet to keep them healthy. It is because the kitten’s digestive system contains bacteria that help in proper digestion. In addition, cats and other pets develop specific microbes that help indigestion. Hence, you need to take utmost care when you are switching your diet to cat food.
A sudden change can cause digestive problems such as diarrhea and vomiting.
For that, you need to give them the right amount of nutrients. These are some essential nutrients you need to give to your cats.
- Protein
- Fat
- Calories
- Minerals and Vitamins
- Calcium
- Fatty acids and DHA
Hence, make sure that you read the food label correctly. In this way, you can give the right amount of nutrients to keep them healthy.
Different Types of Cat Food
Choosing suitable types of cat food can be tricky. It is very important to give the best cat food to your kitten. Hence, it would help if you took care of giving them the right cat food that also suits your budget.
There are two types of cat foods that you can feed to your kittens. There are two types of cat food available- Dry and Wet. Hence, you must know that these cat foods have different tastes. Let’s understand the about them below.
- Wet Food for Cats: Wet cat foods have a rich and meaty taste. Along with that, it has a soft texture and is filled with flavors. The kittens are suitable for chewing with their tiny teeth. As a result, they can easily digest them. Furthermore, they contain appropriate moisture that doesn’t affect their urinary tract and kidneys.
- Dry Food for Cats: It is a fantastic option for giving a flavourful diet to your kittens. The best quality of dry food for cats has a crunchy texture. Also, the inner filling is slightly chewy that is kittens will surely love. Furthermore, it is also helpful in cleaning the tartar and plaque from the teeth. Apart from that, it has low moisture, which means it has a longer shelf line. So make sure that your kitten drinks water inappropriate amount.
7 Feeding Methods for Kittens
When the cats are young, you need to give them cat food more frequently. Then, as they grow with time, you can feed them up to two-three times a day. Make your kittens eat an unlimited amount of kitten food when they are young.
It can be helpful for slow-growing kittens. But, if your kitten is overweight, then you must avoid this method.
Make sure that you measure every portion of your cat’s meal. Then, to get a better idea, you can read the packages for the right weight.
Important Tips for your Kittens to Eat Cat Food
You can follow the below tips to help your kitten eat cat food without much hassle.
1. Hand Feed Your Kittens
If your kittens are tiny, it is better to feed your kittens with hands. Switching to a new diet or packed cat food can be difficult. Therefore, giving them a small amount of food can be helpful.
For this, you can hand-feed your kittens to habituate them. Hence, this will help you to build a strong bond with your kittens.
Hence, hand feeding the cats will help them get accustomed to the environment. Also, you will spend some quality time with them.
2. Mix Dry Cat Food and Wet Food
To begin with, you can mix up the cat food and wet food for your kittens. It will help the kittens to habituate to the new food. Then, you can slowly proceed to a single food type according to your cat’s preferences. Therefore, this will be beneficial during the initial stages.
Hence, do not give cat food to your kittens. Instead, make sure that they are mature enough and fully weaned from their mother’s milk.
3. Store the cat food properly
Before giving cat food, it is also essential that you store them properly. Store it in a cool and dry place.
Otherwise, the weather can affect the quality of food. Keep the cat food in a dry and cool place, so they don’t get wasted quickly.
4. Spend quality time with your kittens
Remaining present with the kittens when they are eating is the best way to spend your time. Then, you can have some privacy with your kittens while feeding them.
5. Prevent loud noises when they eat
However, it is also essential to provide a suitable and peaceful environment to the kittens.
For example, try to feed the cats in a different room while they are eating. Also, make sure that the room or area is away from loud noises.
6. Read the food labels properly
Before buying any cat food, you must read the labels carefully. Thus, you must know the manufacturing and expiry date.
If you see the nutrient content and other details, your kittens will remain healthy.
7. Monitor their growth
You must monitor the growth of the kittens. When they become fully matured, you should control their diet; otherwise, they will become obese.
Hence, to prevent this, you must check on them if they have average growth.
Our tutorial on how to feed cats wet food while away is a helpful resource for those who remain busy 9 to 5, while what is ash in cat food educate and clear ambiguity either ash is a good ingredient or not.
How much wet food for a cat and what ingredient in cat food causes urinary problems are our most visited posts that you might also like to read especially if you are taking care of an older four-legged fluffy friend.
Conclusion
Furthermore, it would help if you did not forget to take a consultation from your vet. They will help you in providing the right amount of nutrients and food. In conclusion, you can slowly and gradually you will learn the habits of your kittens.
Henceforth, the above information can help you to understand when kittens eat cat food.