We must pay special attention to newborn kittens. The infant stage is one of the important growth stages of cats. We must learn to take care of kittens so that they can grow up healthily. Especially in terms of diet, cats must develop good habits. They must not be picky eaters and must have a balanced diet. So, what issues should we pay attention to when feeding kittens in their daily diet?

1. Understanding the growth cycle of kittens

1. Cat growth cycle

(1) Vision. Eyes open: 8 to 20 days. Eyes change to fixed color: 12 weeks.

(2) Athletic ability. Climbing: 16 to 20 days. Departure: 21 to 25 days. Running: 4 to 5 weeks.

(3) Weaning. Start eating solid food: 3 to 4 weeks. Complete weaning: 8 weeks.

(4) Training. Start toilet training: 3 to 4 weeks.

(5) Teeth. All deciduous teeth erupt: 8 weeks. Eruption of permanent teeth: 12 to 18 weeks.

(6) Learn skills. Wash your face and groom your hair: 4 to 5 weeks. Start playing: 4 to 5 weeks. Start practicing hunting: 6 to 8 weeks.

(7) Registration. Purebred Cat Registration: Week 5.

(8) Vaccination and sexual organ removal surgery. First vaccination: Week 9. Second vaccination: Week 12. Female cats have their ovaries removed: 16 weeks. Castration of male cats: 36 weeks.

(9) Leave the female cat to live independently. The earliest time to leave the female cat: 6 to 8 weeks. Time to live completely independently from the female cat: 6 months.

2. Can’t see or hear

When a kitten is born, its length is generally 11 to 15 centimeters and its weight is 70 to 135 grams. Newborn kittens have not yet opened their eyes and their ears are folded, so they cannot see or hear.

3. Relying on female cats for survival

When he was born, he could not walk yet and was completely dependent on the female cat for survival. It took eight weeks before he could live independently. The first development in a kitten's development is that it begins to open its eyes at five to ten days.

4. Eye color changes

It takes eight to twenty days for the eyes to fully open. Eye color is usually grey-blue, with this early color change starting around twelve weeks. Kittens begin crawling when they are sixteen to twenty days old, and start eating solid food when they are three to four weeks old.

2. Kitten feeding and precautions

1. Balanced nutritional ratio

The gastrointestinal system of newborn kittens is suitable forAfter digesting and absorbing milk, the kitten's intestines and stomach gradually become intolerant to lactose. Food with balanced nutritional proportions is very important for the growth and development of cats.

2. Distinguish the four flavors

The smell of food determines its palatability. From the 10th day, kittens can distinguish four flavors: sour, bitter, salty and sweet. However, kittens are not very sensitive to sweetness, and they generally do not like sweetness.

3. Quality is easy to control

Although the quality of homemade food is easy to control, it is difficult to ensure a comprehensive and balanced nutrition, and it cannot guarantee that it can provide the nutrients necessary for the growth and development of kittens, such as minerals and vitamins.

4. High cost and difficult to preserve

Food cooked by yourself, such as meat, rice, vegetables, etc. The cost of making food with accurate nutrition is often much higher than that of manufactured food on the market, and it is difficult to preserve, time-consuming and labor-intensive.

5. Not just meat

Although cats are carnivores, in the wild they not only eat the muscles and liver of their prey, but also swallow the bones and internal organs. The prey are often herbivores or omnivores, so cats will eat some fruits and vegetables from time to time.

More and more friends are choosing to keep pets, and cats are popular among many friends for their well-behaved personalities. Many friends will buy newborn kittens to raise, but since the kittens are not yet fully developed, they need to be extra careful and attentive in their care. Pay special attention to your diet. You can choose special cat food and let it eat more fruits and vegetables.