Even exotic longhair cat for sale are adorable and cute to handle, they are delicate and they have different needs compared to adult cats. Kittens require careful feeding and attention because they are still babies and they still need the care and attention of their mother cat.
If you have little kittens at home, you need to exercise extra care and caution with regards to feeding. However, there are instances wherein kittens need special nutrition and food, especially when their mother is sick. When such case arises, it is suggested to bring the cat to the veterinarian to ask advice from the vet on what suitable food to give the kittens. However, when the mother cat is healthy, the normal period of gestation is four weeks. After four weeks, kittens need alternative source of nutrition to sustain them and this is the time that you provide them nutritious meals. To avoid flaws in choosing which food to give to kittens, you can always ask suggestions from your vet.
Since kittens tend to grow quickly, they need adequate amounts of energy and nutrients to maintain and to keep abreast with its growth. Below are suggestions on how to ensure the health your kittens:
- In the first four weeks of kittens’ life, the primary source of their nutrition and food is their mother’s milk, thus you should provide the mother cat quality, healthy and nutritious food.
- If the kittens are orphaned or the mother cat is not around, you should consult the veterinarian for suggested feeding and product recommendations.
- During the fourth week of gestation, it is best to give them large and balanced amounts of food high in nutrients and energy to support their rapid growth. Be sure that the food you give to kittens for specially formulated for their needs. Bear in mind that in this stage of growth, kittens need approximately two to three times the amount of energy than that of an adult cat and 30% of their energy should be derived from protein. It is best to give kittens kitten-formula meals until they reach maturity, which is about one years old.
- When kittens reach fix to six weeks old, they should be given high quality and dry nibble foods apart from the milk they get from their mother. By doing so, you are introducing and training them to eat or they are about to be weaned.
- By the time they reached eight weeks old, it is the right time to wean kittens. It is the stage where 80% of their total nutrients intake comes from kitten food.
- If your kittens are already orphaned, then you can hand-fed them with moistened food for kittens. You can also use commercial milk as meal replacement. Be sure to reduce the amount of milk given to them once they reach their weaning age, which is about five to six weeks old.
- Be sure to read food labels to ensure that the cat food you buy contains high grade, quality and nutritious foods.
By following the suggestions and tips mentioned beforehand, you can have healthy, playful and active kittens at home.
