Tips for Feeding Your New Kitten
Find food that fits your pet’s needs
Find a dog food that fits your pet’s needs
Find a cat food that fits your pet’s needs
Feeding your kitten: some food for thought
When you bring your kitten home for the first time, it’s best to carry on feeding her the food she’s been used to. Not all kitten foods are the same - some have much better quality ingredients than others, for example. Which is why you might want to change your kitten’s food to one recommended by your vet. You’ll need to do this over a period of 5 to 7 days; your vet will advise you on this. Mix the new food into her usual food, and gradually increase the amounts until only the new food is in your kitten’s bowl.
As you can imagine, a kitten’s stomach is tiny, so to begin with, she’ll need small but frequent meals. This means putting out fresh food in a clean bowl, up to 4 times a day until she’s 6 months old.
Choose carefully
A “complete” kitten food will provide all the vitamins and minerals your kitten needs in an easy-to-serve form, either as dry food, or wet in cans or pouches. If you’re unsure which to buy, your vet will advise you about which is best for your pet. But whatever food you choose, follow the feeding guide on the pack, and be careful not to over feed your kitten.
Thirsty kittens
Believe it or not, kittens don’t need milk. And for some cats, cows’ milk can actually cause diarrhea. So if you want to give your kitten some milk, specially formulated cat milk is available. Notwithstanding that, please make sure your kitten has a bowl of fresh clean water at all times. If you suspect she’s not drinking enough, it may be she can taste chemicals in it, so give her still bottled water. Some cats even prefer to drink from flowing water sources, like fountains or dripping taps so you can buy water fountains designed especially for cats. And don’t forget that if she’s eating dry, crunchy food, it’s essential you give her plenty of water.
Don’t worry, being sick sometimes is normal
If your kitten has a minor digestive problem, or needs to bring up a hairball, she will make her,self sick by eating grass. This is quite natural and there’s nothing to worry about. But if the vomiting persists and you spot other symptoms, you’ll need to consult your vet.