If a four-legged friend appears in the family, the owners must know how to take care of it so that the animal remains healthy and cheerful. Otherwise, it is better to hold off on replenishing. The appearance of a cat in the house entails great responsibility; it is important to properly adjust the pet’s diet and eliminate the risk of developing dangerous diseases.
What to feed your cat
It is common to believe that such a pet already traditionally loves fish, milk, and meat. In fact, a cat’s diet is somewhat more varied and eliminates vitamin deficiency and the appearance of its unpleasant symptoms. Individual nutritional characteristics depend on the breed of the animal. The question of what to feed your cat should be addressed correctly to a knowledgeable veterinarian, without violating his instructions. Nutrition can be natural, artificial or mixed, and in the latter case we are talking about a combination of healthy food from a person’s table with elite food from the best manufacturers.
How many times a day
There are certain rules that every breeder must follow to maintain the health and cheerfulness of his four-legged friend. For example, how many times a day to feed a cat correctly so that the animal does not remain hungry or overeat. The best option is in the morning and evening, while monitoring the volume of single servings. Cats that lead an active lifestyle may not eat enough, but for true couch potatoes this feeding schedule is ideal.
Which food is better
Feeding canned and dry food is very convenient, which is why in the modern world it is preferred among breeders. Such dishes do not require pre-cooking, and they contain valuable microelements and minerals necessary for a pet. The question immediately arises, which food is better for cats - dry or canned. Both options have their advantages and significant disadvantages.
Wet food contains 85% moisture, is a perishable product and, if opened and stored improperly, can become the main cause of poisoning for a pet. However, the presence of sealed packaging prevents damage to the sealed product, the formation of mold, and putrefactive processes. Taking into account all these nuances, breeders choose dry food, which is less troublesome in everyday use and storage.
Dry food
When choosing a healthy diet, the breeder will have to familiarize himself with a wide range of products and flavors. Dry cat food with the flavors of chicken, beef, fish, turkey, rabbit, pork, and liver is available for free sale. Even assorted vegetables are noticeably popular with cats. To improve the digestion of your four-legged friend, grains are often added to dry food. The idea is not bad, but before purchasing it would be wise to study the composition for the presence of harmful components, preservatives, and synthetic flavors.
Natural nutrition
Representatives of the British, Bengal breed, being the heirs of their elite parents, can be accustomed to natural food from the human table. This results in both health benefits for the animal and savings for some breeders. This also applies to representatives of other elite breeds that require special care. Natural food for cats includes the following mandatory components of the daily menu:
- meat, offal;
- seafood, fish of certain varieties;
- eggs, dairy products;
- cereals and vegetables.
How much feed is needed per day - table
The intake of protein, fats and carbohydrates into the animal body must be balanced, uniform and regulated. Therefore, it is correct to determine the daily portions of food in advance, stick to the chosen option, do not overfeed your beloved pet, but also do not leave him hungry until the evening. The determining factors are illness, age, pregnancy or previous castration. Below is a table that describes how much food a cat needs per day so that the animal eats properly, does not starve, or overeats.
| Age of the cat | Daily portion, grams | Taking into account pregnancy | Taking into account castration | In the presence of chronic diseases |
| 3-6 months | ||||
| 6-9 months | ||||
| 9-12 months | Double the serving size | Determine individually with a veterinarian, based on the nature of the pathology. |
||
| 1 year (up to 4 kg) | Increase the single serving | |||
| 1-3 years (4-5 kg) | ||||
| 8 years (5 kg or more) |
Dry food intake per day
It is necessary to determine the permissible doses of cat food per day based on the age and weight of the pet. If 70-100 grams per day is enough for kittens to eat, then the norm of dry food for adult cats per day is 250-300 grams. This is not the limit: it all depends on age, the approximate daily menu, and its variety. Eat properly, healthy foods, so in addition to dry food, give preference to regular food from the table.
How much wet food do you need per day?
If your pet weighs 2-3 kg, you need to give 35 grams of dry food and one bag of canned food. When the cat weighs between 3-5 kg, the norms of dry and wet food increase to 50 grams and 1.5 bags. If you are interested in knowing how much wet food a cat needs per day weighing 5-7 kg, the answer is simple - 60 grams of dry food and 2 bags (pouches) of canned food. If you eat a varied menu, you can fatten up your four-legged friend to the “eat and sleep” category.
Feeding with natural food - menu
Many breeders give preference only to natural dogs and try to prepare their own food for their four-legged friend. This is an alternative to expensive premium food that professional breeders use in cat diets. Feeding a cat natural food is more tedious and troublesome, but beneficial for the health of the animal. Food should be protein, contain valuable microelements, minerals for the growth of hair and teeth, strengthening bone structures. Proper nutrition for a cat includes the following food ingredients in the daily menu:
- Protein foods of animal origin: beef, poultry, offal.
- Plant foods: porridge, bran, sprouted oats, vegetables.
- Dairy products: cream, sour cream, milk, eggs, low-fat cheeses.
What cereals can you give?
If the animal is sick, it is better to seek an answer to the question of how to properly feed a cat at an appointment with a veterinarian. In such a clinical picture, nutrition should have medicinal properties and enrich the body with valuable vitamins, regardless of the breed. It is much easier to feed a healthy pet, but it is wise to find out in advance what cereals can be given to cats, and which it is better to immediately refuse.
Rice, oatmeal, buckwheat and corn grits are approved for use by Maine Coon, British, Scottish and other breed pets. But it’s better to immediately refuse pearl barley, peas and wheat porridge. It is advisable to cook these cereals in meat or chicken broth, otherwise the cat may simply not like the proposed dish. If possible, for greater appetite, add pieces of meat 1-2 cm in size.
What vegetables can you give?
When figuring out whether it is possible to feed a cat only dry food, it is important not to forget that the diet should not only be balanced, but also varied. Therefore, the simultaneous combination of feed and natural food does not harm if you select the ingredients correctly and determine the permissible doses. Vegetables can be given to a cat in limited quantities and not all of them. For example, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, melon, cucumbers, and celery are allowed. It is not correct to completely switch living creatures to such a vegetarian menu, since the permissible dose of vegetables is no more than 10% of the daily diet.
What meat to feed a cat
This is an important component of the daily nutrition of your four-legged friend. When answering the question of how to properly feed a cat, meat products are the basis, since they enrich the animal’s body with vital protein, strengthen muscle mass, and provide a full supply of vitamins. The main thing is to correctly decide on the variety and prepare the dish.
So, it is prohibited to feed a cat fatty meat, so it is better to immediately stop buying pork and lamb. The best options are beef, chicken and turkey; the use of offal is not prohibited. The method of heat treatment is cooking to prevent excess fat from entering the animal body. If you feed your pet correctly and in a timely manner, health problems will not arise.
What to feed a kitten
The first weeks of life are very important for a small kitten, since during this period taste preferences are formed and the functioning of the digestive organs is normalized. Therefore, it is very important with the question of how to properly feed a young cat or cat, it is better to immediately contact a veterinarian. Vitaminized foods are especially useful according to your pet’s age category.
If you feed a kitten with such store-bought products, it is important to understand that over time it will hardly be possible to switch it to food from the common table. In order for the animal to quickly gain weight without “earning” chronic kidney disease, it is better to independently prepare natural, healthy food for the younger generation. It is important to periodically change your diet, thus strengthening the immune system and systemic digestion.
Pregnant cat
Proper nutrition for cats when bearing kittens is the key to impeccable health of the future offspring. Since during this period the animal becomes especially picky about food, it is better to switch it to elite dry food, specially designed for expectant mothers. Such nutrition of a pregnant cat will replenish the deficiency of vitamins, strengthen the body, prepare it for the upcoming labor, and will not allow the animal to gain much weight. You can cook food yourself, but give preference to lean varieties of meat and fish, steamed or boiled.
Sterilized
It doesn’t matter whether it is a Scottish Fold or a Scottish Straight, or even a Siberian, Scottish or Thai breed, it is important to take the daily nutrition of a sterilized cat with special responsibility, especially in the first days after the operation. Choose industrial feed with special labeling. However, veterinarians cannot rule out natural food, which should be properly composed of boiled fish and lean meats. The presence of grains and vegetables to feed the cat is appropriate only in minimal doses.
Neutered cat
After surgery, nutrition must be balanced in order to restore the animal’s resource. There are several options for how to feed a cat after castration, but it is recommended to focus on changing the volume of daily portions. Immediately after the operation, each meal should be halved, while fasting days should be arranged regularly. If the cat eats a full portion, do not give supplements; it is better to increase the daily number of meals. The basis of the diet is boiled young beef and fermented milk products.
Cat with urolithiasis
It would be right to switch to healthy foods and eliminate the presence of preservatives in your diet. The daily diet for cats with urolithiasis is lean meat and fish, seafood, offal, and dairy products. It is correct to give a sick animal more fluid so that the stones pass naturally, without additional surgery.
old cat
At this age, a pet already has its own taste preferences, which are not recommended to be violated. The only advice is to feed your old cat products from elite manufacturers or natural food rich in vitamins. The benefits for the animal body will be obvious. The daily feeding of elderly cats and the variety of their diet should be further discussed with a specialist.
Nursing
It is advisable to give preference to the Holistic brand, which offers high quality products at an affordable price. It is very important to feed a nursing cat healthy ingredients so that she can feed the next generation. You can cook it yourself, but preferably steam it and don’t forget about the benefits of dairy products during lactation.
After intestinal surgery
After such a surgical intervention, it is correct to put the four-legged patient on a therapeutic diet. The first day will be a fasting day, since the absence of bowel movements is desirable. In the future, it is recommended to feed the cat after intestinal surgery with stewed or boiled vegetables, meat or vegetable broth, and steamed marine fish. Be sure to provide water and temporarily avoid the presence of fermented milk products in the diet.
What not to feed
A fat animal is not always a healthy animal. It is very important to know what not to feed cats, so as not to inadvertently harm the health of your four-legged friend. Forbidden foods are semi-finished products and dubious preservatives, pickles and mushrooms, chocolate and alcoholic beverages, chicken bones and lard, potatoes and bread. It is important to study in detail how to properly feed a domestic cat so as not to risk the health of your pet.
Video
Having opened the doors of his home to an animal for the first time, his new owner is faced with many questions. One of them is what to feed a cat at home? The diet of kittens and a pet whose age has exceeded one year is significantly different. Let's consider the basic rules of feeding in the case of an adult animal.
Basic criteria for cat nutrition
For the proper functioning of the body and to eliminate the possibility of disease, the cat must have proper nutrition. The main criteria that correspond to the natural taste habits of this animal are the following factors:
- First of all, your pet pays attention to the smell of food. This is due to a more developed sense of smell. The taste buds are significantly inferior here. Therefore, if food or water has an unpleasant odor for the animal, it will refuse to eat. To prevent this from happening, close the food bag tightly to limit the oxidative process.
- Water must be in an accessible place. It should always be clean. It is better to pour water into ceramic or glass containers. Plastic cannot be used for these purposes, as it absorbs odors.
- Cats are very picky about the texture of their food. Some of them like hard food, while others like soft food.
- The animal has certain associations with food. He has pleasant memories of some foods, negative memories of others. In accordance with this, it will choose food.
- You need to feed your cat up to 10 times a day. These animals eat in small portions, but often due to the characteristics of the digestive system. Therefore, it is better to divide your pet’s daily diet into several small parts and feed it more often.
- You need to divide your pet's space into zones. So the playing field for him should not be combined with the feeding area. If there is a conflict between animals, it is better to feed them in different places.
- Cats love everything new, but they won’t eat anything they don’t like. Therefore, it is better to accustom them to feeding new food gradually.
These are the main criteria that affect the animal’s appetite and behavior while eating. To properly feed a cat, you should take into account the characteristics of its body and the presence of any diseases. You also need to make a choice between natural food and ready-made food.
Factory feed - disadvantages and advantages
A cat's menu at home may consist of food that is made specifically for a particular breed. They are divided into the following classes:
- Economy - Kitiket, Darling, Whiskas. The food is made from recycled materials and has a low energy value. It contains dyes and preservatives.
- Premium – Sheba, MeowMix. Consist of natural meat, offal and vegetable protein.
- Super premium – Hills, Royal Canin. They have the most natural composition. This is meat, vitamins and microelements.
Depending on the choice of food, you decide how often to feed your cat at home. If you choose economy class food, then the animal needs to be fed more often. As the quality and nutritional value of food improves, this coefficient decreases.
The advantages of ready-made food are as follows:
- Saving money.
- No need to waste time preparing food for your pet.
- It is a completely balanced diet for a cat at home.
- You can choose exactly the food that matches the breed of the animal.
- Eliminates the possibility of formation of stones on teeth.
The disadvantages of such feeds are that it is necessary to choose them correctly. It is better to consult a felinologist (a specialist who knows everything about cats) before giving any of them. Otherwise, the animal may develop allergies. Manufacturers do not always write the truth about their product on packaging.
Difference between dry and canned food
The difference between dry and wet food is the liquid content. In the wet it is 80%, and in the dry it is 10%. They do not differ in the presence of microelements and vitamins. The choice of which one to feed should depend on the pet's taste and physical condition.
Dry food is given to animals that do not have problems with health and water consumption. Canned food can be fed to all animals. But it is better to give them to those pets whose water balance is disturbed.
Dry food lasts longer. It is good for teeth - it strengthens and cleanses them.
Wet food can be left in the bowl for no more than 30 minutes. It cannot be stored open for more than a day. Wet food has lower energy value than dry food.
When choosing ready-made food, carefully study the packaging. Don't forget to check the expiration date. The animal's diet can alternate between wet and dry food.. But it is impossible to combine ready-made food and natural food when feeding.
Natural food for cats
Feeding your cat natural food at home is necessary in accordance with a specific diet. It is tailored to your pet's needs, taking into account nutrition throughout the cat's life. The menu may deviate just a little from what is familiar to him. The following tips will help you properly feed your cat natural food:
The food should be warm (approximately 35 °C). A proper diet excludes fatty, salty, smoked and pickled foods. Your pet should not be given white cabbage, beans, pasta, or baked goods. They can cause flatulence and gastritis. Sweets, including fruits, can harm your teeth and increase blood sugar levels. Same result for steamed grains. It is necessary to periodically add vitamins to the animal’s food to compensate for the lack of microelements.
It is worth feeding your cat natural food because it is safer for him. You yourself can control the quality of the products and adjust the diet in accordance with the animal’s lack of certain vitamins and minerals.
Natural cat food also has its drawbacks. This is a rather expensive and time-consuming way to feed your pet. Not everyone can choose exactly the set of products that a particular animal needs. Sellers may also offer you low-quality products that can harm your pet’s health.
How to feed a spayed or neutered pet
After castration or sterilization, an animal experiences changes in the production of hormones. This causes excessive appetite. Therefore, when feeding a cat after castration, you should resort to the following restrictions:
- Do not overfeed your pet. Eliminate additional portions of food, even if he persistently asks for more.
- After sterilization surgery, the animal needs less food than before. It is worth accustoming him to smaller portions shortly before surgery. It is necessary to feed your pet in portions 10-20% smaller than before.
- Eliminate fish from the animal's diet. For sterilized cats, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus, which are found in this product, cause urolithiasis.
- Animal food should not be salted.
If your cat, despite all the measures taken, begins to gain weight, you should play with him more often. If prescribed by a doctor, you can give your cat medications that improve metabolism.
Diet for urolithiasis
A veterinarian will tell you how to properly feed a cat with urolithiasis. He will prescribe a specific diet for her, which will correspond to the causes of the disease, the physical characteristics and needs of the animal. Here are the general rules for feeding pets with urolithiasis:
- It is necessary to limit the consumption of foods high in potassium. The animal should not be fed eggs or dairy products.
- The main food is meat.
- You can feed vegetables. But only those with little calcium. These are Brussels sprouts and pumpkin.
- It is impossible to combine ready-made food and natural food.
- If the cat is accustomed to ready-made food, it needs to be fed with high-quality medicinal types for several months.
- Natural food should not be monotonous.
- It is necessary to limit the consumption of offal. They contain a lot of oxalic acid.
- It is necessary to control the feeling of thirst that your pet experiences. Water should always be available to him.
- Eliminate foods containing salts and purines from your diet. These are meat broths and offal.
If you have urolithiasis, your pet's diet should include boiled veal or beef, rice or oatmeal, carrots and beets.
If you follow these tips, the period of treatment of the disease and rehabilitation will be easier and painless for the animal.
How to feed a newborn kitten
A kitten is considered a newborn until it is two weeks old. If the cat abandoned him, then you will have to feed the baby yourself. To properly feed a newborn kitten, you need to follow these points:
- The kitten can be fed with a special formula from a pet store or the one given to a newborn baby.
- Food is given to the baby through bottles designed for this purpose or using pipettes and syringes.
- It is necessary to ensure that the kitten does not swallow air. Otherwise his stomach will hurt.
- New formulas should be prepared for each feeding.
- The food should be at a temperature approximately equal to the kitten's body temperature. Gradually this indicator decreases to room temperature
The kitten needs food every 2 hours. Gradually the interval between feedings increases to four hours. Don't overfeed your baby. One meal should consist of no more than 4 milliliters of the mixture. Gradually the volume of food increases to 10 milliliters.
What to feed a pregnant cat
From the moment the cat becomes pregnant, it is necessary to gradually increase its diet. A few weeks before the expected birth, portions are reduced in size, but their number increases. You need to feed a pregnant cat following these rules:
- Eliminate fish from your diet.
- Give dairy products after the main meal.
- Vitamins and minerals are added to food in the form of medicines.
- To enhance milk production, nettle leaves, previously scalded with boiling water, are added to food.
- Decoctions of raspberry leaves help ease the pain of a pet during childbirth.
- If your pregnant cat is constipated, add a little vegetable oil to her food.
- Do not give your cat sweets or table scraps.
- A cat's diet must include vegetables, dairy and meat products.
Following these rules will help your cat bear healthy kittens.
When choosing whether to feed your cat homemade food or food, consider the needs and physiological characteristics of the pet.
Depending on this, his diet should be compiled. You can create a menu for your cat yourself or seek help from a veterinarian. If you provide proper nutrition for your animal, it will be healthy and live next to you for many years. Don't forget that having a pet in the house is a big responsibility.
Industrially prepared cat food does not require much time and effort from you; it is easy to purchase and give to your pet. This is especially important and convenient during a busy work schedule. However, one cannot ignore the fact that some of these processed foods may be harmful to your cat's health. That's why more and more pet owners are choosing to switch from commercially produced foods to a more natural diet for their pets.
Specially prepared homemade cat food, made from fresh and healthy ingredients, can be, if not the basis, then a pleasant and healthy addition to your pet’s diet. In addition, such food is much more natural, it is closer to the natural diet of cats than anything offered in pet stores.
However, before you go into the kitchen and prepare food for your pet, there are several factors to consider. There are certain ones, for example, onions, pork, chocolate, mushrooms, salt, they are harmful to health. You should also avoid feeding your cat raw eggs (boiled eggs can be given safely), raw fish and milk, or at least these foods should not be fed frequently.
Most people who own multiple types of pets often feed their pets the same foods. You can't do that. Owners should be aware that cats need a lot of protein (they need 5 times more protein than dogs), which inevitably means that a dog's food may not be a normal diet for a cat. For each type of animal (for example, cats, dogs, chinchillas), it is necessary to prepare separately. When it comes to feeding your cat, always choose a recipe that is rich in protein. There are many simple and affordable recipes that can be used to provide complete and balanced nutrition for your cat.
Of course, as we all know, cats are picky eaters, so there is no guarantee that they will like all the recipes, but there are sure to be some that they will like. The main thing is to start with what your cat likes and what smells good.
In your recipes, try to use a variety of meat sources, the more the better (chicken, turkey, beef, rabbit, duck, etc.). This provides a more complete balance of nutrients and also enriches the feeding with different tastes and textures. You can use different sources of meat at the same time.
There are different opinions regarding the use of bones in preparing cat food. Personally, I never use them due to the risk of choking, puncture or blocking the digestive tract.
The heart of various animals should be added to the diet, as it is one of the best sources of taurine, which is an essential amino acid for cats. If you do not give your cat enough hearts (about 10% of the diet), additional taurine must be given in the form of food supplements.
The menu should also include the liver or another secretory organ (for example, kidneys and spleen). Most animals do not like their taste, but it can be masked by chopping and mixing with meat and vegetables. Among the vegetables you can give pumpkin, spinach, carrots, etc. Onions and garlic are toxic to cats and should not be given to them.
To prepare food, you will also need a blender, food processor or meat grinder.
The basic formula for cat food is simple: half protein (meat) and one-quarter each carbohydrates (grains) and vegetables (fiber).
Protein is found in turkey, chicken, rabbit, fish and other meats. The best source of carbohydrates is brown rice. As for vegetables, whatever your cat eats is fine.
The meat can be either raw or boiled. Mix it with cooked vegetables and rice.
And now some homemade cat food recipes. They are collected from various sources on the Internet. Anything you prepare for your cat yourself (with a few exceptions, of course) will be better than what you can buy in the store, because not only do you have complete control over all the ingredients, but also because you are directly involved in the process. Cats, like people, appreciate home-cooked food prepared with love just for them.
Chicken with rice and vegetables
2 cups chopped or shredded chicken
1/4 cup grated boiled carrots
Cut the chicken into small pieces. Pass the carrots through a food processor. Mix chicken and carrots with rice. Serve at room temperature.
Diet for a picky cat
1 cup boiled chicken
1/4 cup steamed broccoli
1/4 carrots, steamed
Chicken broth, about half a cup
Mix ingredients and serve.
Salmon with rice
150 gr. steamed salmon
1/2 hard-boiled egg
1/3 cup boiled rice
1 tablet calcium carbonate (400 mg calcium)
1 tablet of vitamin-mineral complex
Mix and serve.
Liver holiday
2 cups chopped beef or chicken liver
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup cooked oatmeal
1/4 cup frozen peas, steamed
Boil the liver with vegetable oil, chop finely. Add cooked oatmeal and green peas. Cool and serve at room temperature.
From what is
1.5 cups meat - beef, chicken, turkey, lamb (finely chopped)
0.5 cups of vegetables - carrots, zucchini, sweet potatoes, pumpkin or wheat germ
0.5 cups mashed potatoes, rice or oatmeal
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Pass vegetables through a food processor. Chop the meat finely. Mix meat and vegetables, potatoes, rice or oatmeal. Add vegetable oil and serve.
Tuna for lunch
0.5 kg. tuna, canned in oil
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup grated carrots
2 tablespoons sprouted wheat
Mix and serve at room temperature. Do not give more than once a week as it may lead to vitamin E deficiency.
Liver and kidneys for dinner
1 cup boiled chopped liver or kidneys
3/4 cup boiled oatmeal
3 tablespoons grated carrots or zucchini
1/3 cup yogurt
3 tablespoons butter
Mix minced liver or kidneys, oatmeal and vegetables. Melt the butter and pour in the mixture. Add yogurt and serve at room temperature.
Holiday
1 cup shredded beef
1/4 cup alfalfa or parsley
1/2 cup cottage cheese with cream
Mix the ingredients.
Diet for allergies
2 cups shredded lamb
1/2 cup grated carrots or zucchini
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Dinner time
100 gr. cooked white meat chicken
1/4 cup cooked mashed potatoes
1-1/2 teaspoons butter
Combine all ingredients in a blender and serve at room temperature.
For breakfast
1 tablespoon green beans (cooked or pureed)
1 tablespoon finely chopped carrots
2 tablespoons chopped chicken breasts (skinless)
1/3 cup brown rice (cooked)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. You can also puree the mixture in a blender if needed.
Stewed chicken for cats
1 whole chicken
2 cups brown rice
6 stalks of celery
6 carrots, grated but not peeled
2 small yellow pumpkins
2 zucchini
1 cup green peas
handful of green beans
Wash the chicken, then cover with water in a large saucepan and simmer. Cut the vegetables into pieces and add to the pan. Add rice. Cook until the chicken is almost falling off the bones and the vegetables are tender. Remove the chicken completely from the bones. This is very important because cooked chicken bones can cause serious intestinal damage. Pour everything into a blender and grind the mixture.
Chicken liver recipe
1/2 cup cooked broccoli or cooked carrots
1/2 cup cooked rice
1 1/2 cups boiled chicken liver
Chicken liver broth
Place rice, liver, broccoli or carrots in a blender and blend them, adding a little broth.
Chicken with broccoli
A piece of skinless, boneless chicken breast about the size of your palm or smaller, depending on how much you want to cook.
Two or three pieces of broccoli
Boil the chicken and broccoli, mix in a blender until smooth.
Shrimp with carrots
3-4 raw shrimp. You need to cut off the tail and remove the outer layer, boil it.
The carrots will need to be cooked over high heat for 10-15 minutes, then blend them in a blender until smooth.
Once the shrimp have cooled slightly, cut them into small pieces. Mix with carrots.
Meat with cottage cheese
100 gr. meat, beef or poultry
1 tablespoon carrots
1 tablespoon cottage cheese
1 tablespoon sunflower oil.
You can also add flavorings to your food (kelp powder, garlic powder, nutritional yeast), but only in small quantities.
You can store leftover cat food in the refrigerator, but the same rules apply as for leftover human food - use within a few days or freeze.
As you can see, it is quite easy to create your own healthy diet for your cat at home alone. This way, you don't have to worry about all the harmful additives used in commercial cat food. You can easily make your own homemade cat food that will be tasty, nutritious and healthy. Take these recipes as a basis and experiment.
Remember that homemade food should provide your cat with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. If you are not sure about this, give additional vitamin and mineral complexes.
Sometimes it is difficult for a cat to switch from dry food to this diet, so first you need to switch to wet food (canned food and preserves), since their texture is closer to natural food. And then gradually mix wet food with natural food until you completely switch to the latter.
Tags:
- Nutrition
Proper care of your furry pet includes a number of issues, the most important of which is, first of all, balanced nutrition. Both beginners and experienced owners do not always have a good idea of how to properly feed a cat. There are different opinions and views regarding dry food, natural nutrition, and feeding regimen.
Read in this article
Features of feeding kittens
As a rule, the animal comes into the home as a small kitten at the age of 2 - 3 months. By this time, a responsible breeder had already accustomed him to eating food on his own.
The kitten's diet should contain a large amount of complete protein, as well as vitamins. You can already give your baby chicken and lean beef. The source of vitamins are raw and boiled vegetables and cereals. The formation of bones in a growing organism requires the presence of minerals in the diet of kittens. It is useful to give low-fat cottage cheese and kefir.
During this period, the frequency of feeding is at least 5 times a day. Small kittens should be fed warm food. Cold food slows down the digestion process, and hot food can cause burns to the mucous membrane.
Particular attention should be paid to the cleanliness of dishes, the freshness and quality of food, as well as the availability of clean water.
Age when you can switch to regular food
While owners have an idea of what to feed an adult cat, they don’t know everything. At the age of 4 months, the kitten can be switched to adult food. Chicken and beef by-products (liver, kidneys, tripe) are introduced into the diet. The main part of the diet should be protein products, which ensure intensive growth of muscle mass. When feeding your kitten chicken, you should strictly ensure that there are no bones.
Vegetables are a source of vitamins for a young body. They can be given both raw and boiled. Cauliflower, carrots, turnips are good for your baby. Among fermented milk products, a teenage kitten needs cottage cheese as a source of calcium. Low-fat yogurt can be included in your diet. Such feeds allow you to provide nutrition balanced in proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and provide the growing body with vitamins and minerals.
Food selection for an adult
Among experienced breeders, veterinary specialists and ordinary connoisseurs of furry creatures, there are different opinions on the issue of what to feed cats and cats. Some supporters support the principle of natural feeding, while others consider it correct to feed pets with ready-made industrial food.
Pros and cons of human food
However, both veterinary specialists and competent owners categorically do not recommend feeding furry pets food from the table. Borscht, soups, pasta, fried potatoes, pickles, and baked goods should under no circumstances be present in a cat’s diet. Fatty, fried, canned foods irritate the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, causing gastroenteritis and digestive disorders in pets. Constantly feeding food from the human table often leads to the development of liver diseases and.
It is prohibited to give sausages, frankfurters, or smoked meat products to an adult animal. Such food contains a lot of salt, which adversely affects the health of the pet. Excess sodium can lead to the development of heart and kidney pathologies.
You should not give your cat sweets. The animal's digestive system contains practically no enzymes that break down sugar. Sweet foods can provoke the development of diabetes, caries, and dental plaque. Therefore, sweet pastries, cookies, candies, chocolate and other sweets should not be present in the diet. You should not use treats from the table even to reward your pet.
Rules for a balanced diet
Knowing the list of prohibited foods, the owner must also know how to feed the cat correctly. There are the following rules for a balanced diet, recommended by both experienced breeders and veterinary specialists:
- First of all, the owner must decide what type of food he chooses for the pet. A domestic cat can be fed either only dry food or only natural food. Neglect of this rule leads to chronic disorders of the digestive system, gastroenteritis, and the development of hypovitaminosis due to poor absorption of food. This occurs due to the fact that dry food and natural products are not digested at the same time. Therefore, the owner must make a choice of what to feed the cat at home: ready-made food or natural products.
- Having decided in favor of dry food, you should give preference to well-known manufacturers of animal feed that produce premium and super-premium class.
- In addition to high quality, richness and balance, these foods are distinguished by the presence of preventive diets and a veterinary line. The cat's nutrition must correspond to its physiological state.
- During pregnancy and lactation, the diet should be balanced in protein and calcium. Taurine levels should be closely monitored. Spayed or neutered animals should consume fewer calories to prevent obesity. The owner should ask a veterinarian about what to feed a cat if it develops a particular pathology. An adult animal should be fed in the same place.
The pet should have separate dishes for food and water. Food or prepared canned food should not be served cold, ideally at room temperature. Products should be given only high-quality and fresh.
Following the rules of rational feeding will help avoid many digestive problems and help prevent a number of diseases associated with poor nutrition.
For information on what principles of cat nutrition should be followed, watch this video:
Water mode
In addition to following the rules and principles of feeding the animal, water regime is also important for normal digestion. If your pet eats natural food or wet canned meat, it receives water partially from food. For example, industrial canned food contains approximately 80% water.
The owner should pay special attention to the pet's fluid intake when feeding dry food. Dehydrated foods require increased water consumption by the animal. Dry food in the stomach must be well moistened for further normal digestion. Otherwise, there is a risk of developing enterocolitis and constipation. Therefore, the main condition when feeding domestic cats with dry food is free access to clean water.
Natural cat food
The protein part of the diet is most often presented in the form of meat and fish. It is preferable to give a cat lean meat: chicken, beef, turkey, rabbit. It is useful to give beef and chicken offal. Fatty pork and lamb are not recommended. As for fish, preference should also be given to low-fat varieties: cod, hake, halibut. To avoid infection with helminths, fish should be given boiled, and the meat can be doused with boiling water. An excellent source of protein are chicken and quail eggs.
What can you feed your cat to provide its body with vitamins and minerals? For these purposes, raw and boiled vegetables should be included in the diet. Preference should be given to pumpkin, turnips, zucchini, and carrots. Healthy cereals include rolled oats, buckwheat, and rice.
Fermented milk products are a source of protein and minerals for domestic cats. For normal digestion and maintaining a healthy skeletal system, cats are recommended to regularly give low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt, fermented baked milk, and yogurt.
There are many recommendations on how to feed your cat properly with natural food. The basic rule for this type of nutrition is: do not mix natural products with industrial feed. This leads to disruption of the digestive and immune systems.
Common dry foods and their features
Many owners, when asked what is the best way to feed their cat, answer unequivocally – industrial ready-made food. Veterinary experts believe that such food allows you to maintain a balance of energy and mineral substances. Dry food is easy to use, does not require time to prepare, and does not spoil.
When choosing industrial feeds, you should give preference to feeds from well-known premium and super-premium manufacturers. It is better to refuse mass-market food.
What can you feed your cat other than reward food? For this purpose, dry food manufacturers produce special treats in the form of pillows and sausages. Many of them serve to remove tartar and remove hair from the stomach.
Complete and rational feeding of your pet is the key to proper development, good health and physical activity for many years. A competent approach to the nutrition of a domestic cat will not only avoid eating disorders, but also prevent the development of many diseases.