Nutrition & Feeding - Kitten Nutrition

Kittens, just like all mammals, require nutrition from their mother both to meet their dietary intake as well as to ensure that they have the antibodies and well developed immune system needed to fight of viruses, infections and other diseases that kittens or mature cats may be exposed to. Kittens that are removed from their mother too quickly or that are not properly fed during their developmental stages are more likely to have ongoing health issues throughout their life.

Typically kittens will need to eat very frequently throughout the day, with feedings directly relating to the weight and age of the kitten. As a general guideline the mother cat should be able to provide all the milk necessary for kittens, but if the mother has abandoned the kittens or does not have enough milk it may be necessary to start feeding by hand. A small specially designed nursing bottle or a large dropper can be used to feed very small kittens. The following chart is a general guideline for feeding quantities:

It is important for kitten owners that are feeding by hand to remember that kittens will have difficulty in learning how to swallow formula without taking it into their lungs. Be prepared for some coughing and choking when they are eating and immediately invert the kitten so that the head is below the body. Support the kitten and allow the draining of the liquid to clear the lungs. This can be a very messy process so feeding in a bathtub or over a sink can prevent a lot of accidents and make clean up much easier. Kittens have very small stomachs so they will need many, very small feedings per day as can be seen by the chart. Note that the third column is the total amount of formula per day, not the amount of formula per feeding. Kittens will usually cry or meow loudly when they are getting hungry, but setting a regular schedule is also important in ensuring that they get the food that they need. Typically kittens that are under two to three weeks of age spend a lot of time either sleeping or eating, but this will start to change dramatically as the kitten matures.

It is important to feed kittens pet milk and to avoid feeding milk that humans drink. Pet milk contains the enzymes and nutrient that kittens need and is meant to match the milk that the queen would be supplying to the kitten. Pet milk for kittens is available through your vet or pet store in a powdered form. Carefully follow the manufacturers recommendations for mixing, and only make enough for one day at a time. Keep the mixed milk in the fridge, taking it out and warming to room temperature or heating for 10 seconds in the microwave to bring it up to room temperature. Kittens usually will hrefuse cold milk that can lead to nutritional problems. Always check heated milk on your wrist or arm to make sure that it is not too hot for the kitten.

In case of an emergency if you do not have pet milk powder on hand a temporary substitute can be made by mixing:

• 8 oz homogenized whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 egg yolks
• 1-2 drops of paediatric vitamins

Mix very well and keep in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. Mix ½ of the required amount emergency formula with an equal part of boiling water and allow to cool to room temperature to feed. For example, for a one week old kitten, mix .5 oz of emergency formula with .5 oz of boiling water to make the daily total amount of feeding formula. As soon as possible switch to powder pet milk to ensure that the kitten is getting all of the nutrients that they require.

If the kitten seems to be hrefusing formula or does not want to nurse it may be that they are not being properly held to nurse from the dropper or bottle. A female cat will lie down on her side, so the kittens will actually be nursing with their heads parallel to the ground, not with their heads pointing up as most people hold the bottles or droppers. In addition kittens will usually knead at the mother, which is an alternating pushing movement with their front paws as they nurse. Placing a rolled up towel or facecloth in front of the kitten and then holding the dropper or bottle against the top of the towel will simulate the queen's body, and may encourage the kitten to both knead and nurse more naturally.

Kittens that seem to avoid nursing or are seemingly uninterested in feeding should immediately be taken to the vet. They are very fragile at this time and can easily become seriously ill from malnourishment with only a few missed feedings.

At about five to eight weeks of age the mother cat will naturally start to wean the kittens or restrict their access to her to nurse. Some queens, however, will continue to nurse far longer which is not always healthy for her or the kittens as the food demands of the kittens are simply to great for her to meet. Owners can help by giving the mother cat a place to get away from the kittens for a greater length of time, or even physically removing her from the kittens for gradually longer periods of time to assist with the weaning.

At about the six week mark owners can start mixing small amounts of a good quality canned cat food into kitten formula to make a thin gruel or paste like mixture. This mixture, which will be fairly runny, should be placed in a shallow dish and kittens placed beside the dish. It is usually not necessary to dip their nose in the mixture as they will naturally be curious and try the liquid. Be prepared that they will also walk in it and sneeze and shake it all over the area until they get the hang of lapping up the mixture. An easy way to allow for clean ups it to use a very shallow, edged cookie sheet placed in the bathtub. Place the kittens around the sheet in the tub and let them experiment with eating and drinking. At the end of the feeding session the kittens may need to be gently wiped down with a damp cloth, then the bathtub can be easily rinsed out.

Once the kittens are successful at eating this mixture, at about seven to eight weeks, gradually add more canned food and less formula. At the end of eight weeks you may wish to consider transitioning to dry food, which can easily be done by simply adding dry food the canned and then slowly reducing the amount of canned and increasing the amount of dry.

During these transitions most kittens will have some problems with digestion, especially in switching from mother's milk to formula and canned food. Diarrhoea is typical, but it should clear up within a day or two of the food transition. If you notice that all the kittens are having digestive problems you may have changed the food too rapidly, consider slowing down the change to allow the digestion to adjust.

A common problem with kittens that are transitioning from moist food, formula or mother's milk to dry foods is that they will not naturally take in enough water. If you notice that the kitten appears to be constipated or has diarrhoea they are likely dehydrated in both conditions. Diarrhoea or very loose stools will actually cause a lot of water loss from the body, which will then result in constipation. Always be sure that your kitten has access to lots of fresh, clean water. Kittens or cats that are fed canned food may actually get almost all of their hydration needs met by the food, but cats on dry food will need additional water.

If the kitten does not drink water and is on dry food you may need to encourage them to drink by providing diluted pet milk as a water substitute. Gradually increase the amount of water and decrease the amount of pet milk in the water dish until the kitten has made the adjustment. Another quick trick to get your kitten to drink water is to add a tablespoon of canned tuna liquid to ½ a cup of fresh water.

To test if your kitten is properly hydrated watch to see if they are actually drinking the water. Remember that water will naturally evaporate, especially if heaters are running in the house or if you live in a dryer climate. Don't assume that a lower level in the water dish means that the kitten is actually drinking the water. A kitten that is properly hydrated and has enough water in its diet will have healthy and elastic skin, known as skin turgor. Gently pull the skin out from the kitten and release it. If the cat has good skin turgor the skin will literally snap back into place. Kittens that are dehydrated will have poor skin turgor and the skin will not snap back, seemingly hanging where you let go of it. Serious dehydration will need veterinary care and can be an indication of disease or health conditions that can be fatal to the kitten. A vet should examine any kitten that appears dehydrated as soon as possible.

Kittens that are one to six months old have very different feeding habits than adult cats. Like children they are more likely to spend times exercising and running around frantically and then lots of time sleeping and developing. During these bouts of activity and inactivity is in natural for there to be increases and decreases in food consumption. Typically kittens at this age can be fed either in free-choice feeders or fed at scheduled times three to five times per day. Kittens that are just getting used to dry food may benefit from having a premium quality dry kibble softened with a small amount of warm water to make it more palatable. If you are feeding free-choice, moistened kibble is not an option; rather scheduled feeding will be the best choice.

Kittens at this age are likely to appear to be very excited about feeding, and then simply sniff at the food and walk off after taking only a couple of bites. Owners should be aware that this is typically normal behaviour, but can become a problem if another cat is eating the kitten's food while they are off investigating some noise or movement. Feeding kittens in a very distraction free environment is a great idea. Even windows were kittens can see leaves fluttering or birds flying by can be a distraction from eating. Try to keep things as quiet and calm as possible while the kitten is eating and ensure that other cats, pets or children are not distracting the kitten or scaring it away from the food.

Kittens from six months to one year should be switched to a dry food diet or should be on a twice a day feeding schedule on canned or semi-moist food. While the food will have the general feeding quantities listed on the label, it is very important for owners to remember that these charts are based on average cats and that very active cats or very sedate cats will need adjustments to the food amounts. Cats that tend to overeat or have obesity problems should not be given free access food unless it is very regulated and measured on a daily basis. As discussed in the article on "Food Requirements" these overweight cats may be getting treats or into garbage or other sources of food outside of what is being fed. Typically kittens under one year of age do not have weight problems simply because they are much more active than adult cats of the same breed.

Feeding a kitten does require attention and careful monitoring but most kittens will have little difficulty in making the transition between nourishment from the mother to food provided by their human owner. Kittens may have difficulty in changing diets dramatically so try to do so slowly and gradually, rather than abruptly making these changes. If you are purchasing or being given a kitten from someone else, be it a breeder, rescue shelter or just a friend be sure to find out the type and brand of food that the kitten is currently on. Once you have the kitten at the home initially keep it on the same type of food until it is settled in. Changing too many things too quickly for the kitten will lead to digestive and behavioural problems, so taking things slow is always a good policy. Most kittens will adjust to a new home in two weeks or so and at that time a gradual change over in food can be attempted. This two week period also allows kittens to be litter box trained, saving a lot of accidents if the kitten does get an upset in their digestion during the change over of food. More information on litter box training will be provided in the article on "Toilet Training".

Kittens are naturally very curious and will tend to chew and eat at many objects in the house, some which are potentially toxic or dangerous to the kitten. Houseplants are particularly problematic as most cats enjoy chewing on greenery. Contrary to popular belief kittens and cats do not avoid poisonous plants and there is no evidence that cats are able to somehow understand or know what plants are dangerous for them to eat. Some plants, especially those of the lily family are very toxic to cats and the kitten may not need to actually eat the plant, rather they may just have to chew on the leaf, flower or stem to have a serious reaction to the plant. Most types of ivy, dieffenbachia, flowering plants such as chrysanthemums, marigolds and geraniums, pothos and ferns are somewhat toxic to cats and are typically the most common plants found in houses. A good rule to follow is to remove houseplants from the areas that cats or kittens will be kept or to closely monitor and remove the plants should the kittens start to show any interest in the plants. Growing some grass in a low tray in the house can be a great alternative for kittens and cats to nibble on should they need a bit of greenery in their diet.

Finally, like with mature cats, avoid giving human food as either a meal or a snack to kittens. Human food contains lots of preservatives, chemicals, salts and sugars that can be harmful in the long run to felines. If you do wish to use treats as incentives for training purchase some good quality cat treats or consider making your own biscuits out of healthy and wholesome ingredients.