Feeding your kitten: some food for thought

Feeding your kitten: some food for thought

When you bring your kitten home for the first time, it’s best not to change your kitten’s food straight away. Remember to find out what your kitten has been eating before you became her new pet parent and then move her on to the new food over a 5 – 7 day period. Mix the new food into her usual food, and gradually increase the amounts until only the new food is in your kitten’s bowl, your vet will advise you on this process.

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 diarrhoea. 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 herself 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.