Kittens are cats under one year old. Compared with adult cats, kittens have special needs for the frequency of feeding, the type of food, and the nutrients contained in the food. Facing the furry little guys, the scavengers are often happy but also anxious, fearing that they cannot take good care of them.

In fact, you don’t need to be nervous. The editor has compiled a complete guide to feeding kittens to help you raise your own cute cat. As long as everyone knows how to feed them correctly, kittens can grow up healthily and happily~

The first step in raising a kitten: 0-2 months

For kittens that are 0-2 months old, that is, just born, the academy’s reminder to everyone is: Prioritize breastfeeding and do a good job of weaning it.

Kittens born between 0 and 2 weeks old can rely entirely on breast milk and do not need additional food. Because kittens initially need antibodies obtained from breast milk, which is crucial for the kitten’s immunity. At the same time, the nutrients in breast milk can initially meet the kitten’s nutritional needs.

If there is really no breast milk, you can drink special pet milk powder. When you are older, you can add some rice flour to the milk powder. But do not feed milk to kittens. Because kittens do not have the enzyme that can break down lactose. Consumption of milk can cause diarrhea in kittens.

From 3 to 4 weeks old, you can start feeding cat food to kittens and start weaning. During this period, the cat’s digestive system function is relatively weak. Try to feed the kittens some pet food softened by menstrual milk or warm water. At the same time, be sure to choose special kitten food. This weaning process continues until the kittens are two months old. Try to achieve complete weaning when kittens are two months old.

It should be noted that the feeding of kittens during the weaning period should follow the principle of small meals and frequent meals. During this time, it is best to feed the kitten 4 times a day.

The second step in raising a kitten: 2-6 months

Kittens aged 2-6 months are entering a period of rapid growth. This is the period when kittens grow the fastest and have the greatest nutritional needs. Generally speaking, based on the growth characteristics of cats during this period, kittens need three major types of nutrients in their diet at this time:

First of all, due to the needs of body growth, kittens need a lot of energy during this period. Therefore, kittens will need high-nutrient, high-protein and high-calorie food.

According to scientific statistics, kittens in the rapid growth period require approximately twice the energy as adult cats. The figure below shows the energy needs of kittens during different growth stages.It can be seen that the cat’s energy demand reaches its highest value in the 15th week after birth.

Secondly, the cat’s bones also develop rapidly during this period. The cat gradually grows from a soft "little meat ball" to a "little athletic athlete". In order to support the growth of cats’ bones, the supplement of calcium and phosphorus is particularly important, and the content needs to be maintained at an appropriate level. Too high or insufficient will lead to abnormal bone development.

Finally, since the kitten’s immune system has not yet fully developed and the cat’s resistance is relatively weak, it is necessary to supplement an appropriate amount of vitamin E during the feeding process to improve its own resistance.

However, because kittens have small mouths, small teeth, and small stomachs, they cannot eat and digest food with enough energy in one meal, so they need to eat smaller meals more frequently. During this period, please try to ensure that the cat eats at least three meals a day.

When choosing food types, cat owners should carefully read the nutritional content of cat food and choose professional kitten food that covers the above nutrients.

At the same time, in addition to providing dry food to kittens, it is best to provide wet food such as canned cats or Weijia Miao fresh packets. Combination of dry and wet food. On the one hand, cat food with various flavors can stimulate cats’ taste buds, prevent cats from being picky eaters, and also provide cats with a richer variety of nutrients. On the other hand, since cats do not like to drink water by nature, when the owner feeds "wet food", the cat will naturally absorb the required water, which has the effect of replenishing water.

The third step in raising a kitten: 7-12 months

Around 6-7 months, fully developed kittens will almost reach the size of adult cats. When cats reach 6 months of age, their growth rate begins to slow down significantly. At this stage, cats begin to eat larger meals each time, so the number of daily feedings should be reduced to avoid obesity caused by overnutrition.

Although the feeding amount is less, when the cat is 7-12 months old, the food selection can continue to be the same as that of the 2-6 month period, and the cat can continue to eat kitten food that is a combination of dry and wet food.

When a cat reaches 1 year old, its body size tends to stabilize and it no longer needs a lot of nutrients and calories. At this time, the nutrients provided by the kitten’s cat food are obviously not in line with its needs. At this time, the cat’s amount should be slowly switched to adult cat food. During the food change process, the amount should be gradually increased in proportion until it is completely replaced with adult cat food. Food replacement is usually completed within 7 to 10 days.

When the cat eats adult cat food, the cat’s infancy will be completely over~ I hope that all cat owners can feed it scientifically so that their cats can grow up healthily.