What can kitten eat is a proper food with nutrition enough for their healthy growth. To ensure the kittens grow into healthy adult cat, you should know what kind of foods suitable for kitten feedings. Actually, kitten can eat wide variety of foods depending on their ages.
At few first weeks, kitten need their mother’s milk unless there is special case that makes the kitten separate with their mother, you can always feed them with kitten formula. Aside that, here are some tips on what kind of foods you can give to the cute little kitten.
What can kitten eat for their healthy growth?
-
Milk
For the first time, newborn kitten need milk either their mother’s milk or formula. This is what can kitten eat and drink during their first to four weeks. If you need to buy formula, make sure that you select milk specifically made for kitten because it contains nutrition important for the kitten. Do not give them human formula or cow milk or other milks because they can harm the kitten stomach.
-
Wet and dry kitten foods
After they pass the first four weeks, you can start to slowly give the kitten more solid foods. What can kitten eat at 4 weeks or more is wet foods, their belly cannot digest dry food well, so you need to replace the formula slowly with wet foods.
You can mix the wet food with milk and finally, when the kitten reaches 8 weeks, you can start to introduce dry foods. Buy both dry and wet foods at available pet stores and check the labels of the foods before you give them to ensure the amount of nutrition is enough for the kitten to grow in healthy condition.
Dry foods are generally higher in nutrition beside wet kitten foods. When you see the ingredients, the first few listed are the most important and significant portion of the foods which should be meats and not fillers like grains or corns.
If you purchase high quality kitten foods, they tend to have less fillers and preservatives. What can kitten eat at 8 weeks and if they are still weaned? You can give them dry food mixed with warm water. There are many kitten food brands available at pet store, you can get crunchy dry food or canned wet food.
-
Human foods
Yes, you are right that kitten can eat human foods but never give them junk food because it can harm their stomach. Maybe you want to feed them some vegetables that contain cellulose which kitten cannot metabolize thus you should break them first by making a puree so the kitten can easily digest.
Please take a note that not all human foods are good for kitten, you should not give them raw meat since their immune system still developed. Here are some of human foods that are okay to be given to the kitten:
-
Cooked meats
Do not hesitate to give the kitten cooked meats such as chicken, lamb, turkey, or other healthy and lean meats. Avoid give them fatty meats as well as hot dog, bacon, and sausage since they may upset the kitten’s belly.
-
Squash and pumpkin
Place the leftover squash or pumpkin on paper towel and cover it with damp paper towel, microwave the food till cooked only for few minutes before you feed the kitten.
-
Scrambled eggs
What can kitten eat beside cat food is scrambled eggs mixed with melted cheese and you can offer it to your kitten when they reach first year, but make sure you do not add pepper or salt.
There are kitten owners want to give their kittens or cats some special diet. Indeed that kittens and cats are naturally carnivores, thus you cannot only give them vegan diet since they need proper portion of meats for protein intake.
How to Litter Train a Kitten
But, diet consisting only meat may result in nutritional deficits as well, therefore be wise about what can kitten eat each day. If your kitten suffers from illnesses, go to the vets so they can recommend best diet and what kind of foods and drinks your kitten should have. Do not hesitate to talk with your vet for advice especially when you think of balance diet.
