What Do Kittens Need In Their Diet

Cats also require more than a dozen other nutrients including vitamins minerals fatty acids and amino acids.

What do kittens need in their diet. Cats need animal sources of this nutrient as the amino acids from vegetable sources aren t well utilized. Kittens also need optimal calcium to phosphorus ratio for proper bone growth. Avoid adult cat diets labeled for maintenance. They don t have the higher protein and fat content that kittens need.

In fact some grain free pet foods contain carbohydrate levels similar to or even higher than diets containing grains. If a kitten is nursing from its mother you ll have to depend on how much the kitten weighs to know whether or not it is consuming enough food. Kittens need large amounts of energy about two to three times that of an adult cat. A 2 to 3 week old kitten will still need to be fed every 2 3 hours and it should consume at least 1 2 tablespoon of formula or milk during each meal.

Don t feed a kitten puppy or dog food. Overall cats have a very high requirement for protein. Kittens need large quantities of protein. The omega fatty acid dha which is an important nutrient for brain and vision development in kittens.

A nutritious balanced diet is essential to keeping your cat healthy. Common cat feeding errors could you be making one of. Kittens can eat a variety of foods depending upon their age. Your pet will need to eat kitten formula food until she reaches maturity at about one year of age.

A dry kitten food should have about 35 percent protein and 12 to 24 percent fat content. Vitamins and minerals including vitamins e and selenium are beneficial antioxidants that aid the developing immune systems in kittens. Make sure the food you offer is specifically formulated for kittens. Proper diet and nutrition is a key predictor of adult health in kittens.

Kittens also need about 30 of their total energy from protein. Learn what you should be feeding your cat at every stage of its life. Cats evolved as hunters that consume prey that contains high amounts of protein moderate amounts of fat and a minimal amount of carbohydrates and their diet still requires these general proportions today. High protein low carbohydrate diets do have their place particularly in the feeding of diabetic cats.

A healthy diet will ensure proper growth and development minimize the risk of disease and keep your kitten s teeth clean and healthy. Canned food will appear to have less because it is diluted with water. However it is important not to assume that a grain free diet is a low carbohydrate diet. Kittens needs for fat some fatty acids and most vitamins are the same as for adult cats larsen says.