What is the best way to feed fold-eared cats? Encyclopedia about pets

Scottish fold or Scottish straight is the embodiment of aristocracy, which is combined with calmness and gentleness. The appearance of this cat in a family is truly an event. Having prepared everything required for him, it’s time to decide on the daily routine and menu. When and what to feed a fold-eared kitten are probably the most pressing questions of its happy owner.

Pedigree fold-eared cats, as a rule, are under the care of their mother for at least 2 months. Breastfeeding ensures the development of the immune system in adorable fluffies. Moreover, complementary feeding must be introduced long before the animal is weaned from mother's milk.

If for certain reasons the cat cannot feed the offspring, then the kitten’s nutritional balance literally goes on by the clock.

It is advisable to follow a clear schedule:

once every 2-3 hours you need to feed kittens under 14 days old with milk formula;
until one month is completed - once every 3 hours. A one-month-old flop-eared kitten on artificial feeding will already need water. You can introduce complementary foods at the same time;
what to feed a Scottish kitten for 2 months? At the age of 2 months, kittens should eat 7 times daily, and at night they usually sleep. At this age, they ideally still receive milk from their mother, but they can also eat complementary foods with pleasure. At this time, the kitten needs approximately 150 grams. food a day. If you decide to feed with ready-made food, then this should be done starting from this age. Why do you need to buy special products for kittens, taking into account age? When it is dry food, it is imperative to soak it first, since the small cat is not yet able to digest this solid food;
3 months becomes a turning point for kittens. The mother no longer has milk, but needs to be fed at least 6 times daily;
at 5 months the amount of food consumed is reduced to 5;
at 9 – 4 meals a day is enough;
By one year, a fold-eared cat must already get used to the “adult” daily routine: 2-3 times a day.

What is forbidden to feed?

Whatever the fate of the baby - breastfeeding or with his mother, there are certain prohibitions on the use of certain categories of products in his daily menu. Since the formation of all organs in the body and the immune system continues for almost a year. This fact dictates that we carefully weigh what to feed a Scottish cat.

In this list prohibited feeds are:

When the owner loves mushrooms, this does not mean that the animal can eat them: the body may not be able to cope with this source of protein; cats do not produce enzymes to digest them.

Determining your cat's nutritional type

Most often, nurseries or Scottish Fold breeders kittens are given to a new family at the age of approximately three months.

New pets already have their own eating habits, have good manners and are fully socialized. You just need to ask about them. Moving to a new place of residence can be stressful, and it is advisable to feed Scottish kittens as before. It is necessary to change your usual diet to a new one slowly, and choose it wisely.

Naturally, natural nutrition has certain advantages:

Diet variety.
Full confidence in the quality of the food.

But it’s quite difficult to feed the Scottish Fold with a diet compiled by yourself:

Several times every 7-14 months, during natural feeding, the lop-eared kitten will need a course of minerals and vitamins.
It takes a lot of time to cook.

Natural nutrition means presence in the daily diet of a Scottish kitten:

You need to carefully measure portions and feed only fresh food daily. Cannot be left in a bowl. You also need to take care of water; it must always be present.

Industrial feed

When there is no time to search delicacies and using them to prepare the next meal for a fold-eared cat, you can take a closer look at ready-made food.

They can be wet or dry, designed specifically for kittens. The pack must describe in detail the frequency of feeding and consumption rates per kilogram of weight, as well as the composition.

Please note that canned food is not always balanced and can only serve as a treat for daily feeding.

Wet food eliminates the problem of saturating the body with moisture, since some Scots hardly drink. But this is a more expensive way of eating. You cannot leave food in the bowl; only a fresh portion is always required.

Wet food is best used to feed lop-eared kittens during the transition from breastfeeding to regular feeding. After the owners As a rule, they are transferred to dry food. Any change must be gradual and smooth.

The most important thing is that the food is of original production and professional quality. No need to purchase economy options. There is nothing in them except raw materials of dubious origin and ballast substances.

Dry quality food has undoubted advantages:

ease of use for the owner: it is easy to measure the daily requirement, the food is economical, and has a long shelf life;
prevention of tartar formation;
guarantees your pet a balance of minerals, vitamins, amino acids and nutrients. No additives required.

The most important thing in feeding dry food to a Scottish kitten is the availability of water. Always accessible and clean.

Mixed feeding

Owners often combine natural products and ready-made food. If we look at it in terms of diversity, then this is quite justified.

Further difficulties are likely– It is difficult to establish the daily intake rate. A very low calorie content leads to dystrophy, and a high calorie content leads to obesity. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor the Scotsman’s condition: the kitten must be cheerful, agile and active. Anything else is a sign of imbalance.

During mixed meals Certain rules must be followed:

When combining different foods based on their origin, a Scottish kitten additionally requires fortification. The rules should be discussed with your veterinarian.
It is forbidden for a Scottish kitten to be fed a portion of natural food and ready-made food at the same time. This is due to differences in the process of digesting food, which has undergone completely different processing.

Features of feeding during adolescence

For Scottish Fold cats up to 8-10 months, a special food is selected, indicating “for kittens”. Then you can gradually switch to “adult” feeding.

By this period, you need to decide on the time of castration or include it in the breeding program for your Scottish fold or Scottish straight.

When a kitten does not take part in breeding, castration is the only way for a purebred pet to live a happy and long life. But before the operation, he needs to be switched to food for castrated animals. Gradually and gently so as not to cause stress. In the future, feed only special diets that take into account the characteristics of mature cats, but lacking the main instinct.

During natural feeding, the transition period is characterized by the opportunity to feed the animal more fermented milk food. After 10 months, the exterior has already stabilized and the ears have formed. Therefore, calcium will only be beneficial.

General principles of feeding

General rules, how to feed a Scottish fold kitten or any other animal are actually the same. Cats are carnivores and require animal protein. Even the touching and affectionate Scots.

The daily menu must be based on meat. Ready-made food or natural food: you need to pay close attention to the quality and composition of raw materials.

Dyes, spices, artificial additives, stabilizers, salt, sugar and flavorings are prohibited. By excluding these products, you will ensure good animal health and natural development. The Scotsman must be provided with water. This is the basic rule during feeding.

Make sure the food is the right consistency and at room temperature. Up to 3 months Scottish kittens It is advisable to give crushed food. Closer to six months, pets are switched to large pieces that ensure normal development of the jaw muscles.

The Scots, along with the British, have long dictated the rules of home etiquette. Not only his health will depend on how carefully you pay attention to feeding your kitten, and then the adult cat. Satisfied animal A person who is satisfied with the contents of the bowl will be a source of well-being and peace in your family.

The feeding of Scottish kittens differs from the diet of their outbred counterparts, since the breed appeared as a result of a gene mutation, and this implies some peculiarities in the animal’s nutrition. The range of cat food is varied, so it’s easy to get confused. Only high-quality, balanced nutrition can provide a purebred kitten with everything necessary for normal growth and development.

The fold-eared kitten that you acquired at the age of 2 months (you should not separate him from his mother earlier) should be switched from mother's milk to a more varied diet. To avoid possible digestive problems, it is advisable at first to feed your pet the same food that he was given at his previous place of residence. This can be either specialized food for kittens, canned food, or oatmeal with lean parts of boiled chicken.

Feeding a Scottish kitten with natural food

This food option is quite labor-intensive, since it will require some time to prepare. The diet of Scottish Fold kittens should consist of the following products:

Boiled poultry meat. It is advisable to use chicken breast for cooking food for a small pet.
Frozen beef. This product should be given raw to kittens every other day, 30-40 g.
Lean fish. It should be in your pet’s diet in boiled form no more than once a week.
Boiled liver. This product should also be given to your pet no more than once a week, since eating the liver more often will lead to upset of the little Scotsman’s digestive system.
Chicken egg yolk. Can be added to main food (boiled) or served alone 2 times a week.
Low-fat cottage cheese. This product is necessary for the normal development of the kitten, so cottage cheese should be given at least 2-3 times a week. If your pet is reluctant to eat cottage cheese, it can be replaced with sour cream, fermented baked milk or low-fat kefir.
It is recommended to give boiled milk and milk porridge to kittens up to 5 months.
Porridge. Several times a week, a small Scottish Fold should eat a small portion of oatmeal, rice or buckwheat porridge mixed with boiled fish or meat.
Vegetables. Grated boiled carrots and cauliflower with the addition of boiled meat or boneless fish must be included in the diet of a purebred pet.

When feeding kittens with natural food, it is necessary to ensure that the pet’s body receives minerals and vitamins, and for this it is necessary to give appropriate supplements.

Ready-made feed

The advantages of this type of food are ease of feeding and excellent taste. Pets happily eat the contents of bags and jars. But there are also negative aspects to ready-made food, and first of all, there is a large number of counterfeits that do not always correspond to the declared quality; moreover, not all sellers comply with the storage conditions of food, which can affect the health of the pet. Of all the existing ready-made foods for kittens, veterinarians and experienced breeders advise:

Royal Canin. Straight kittens up to 6 months old should be given Royal Canin Babycat Instinctive in the form of canned mousse and gradually introduced to dry food Royal Canin Kitten Instinctive 12. When the kitten is 6 months old, it can be given Royal Canin Kitten 34 - these are small pieces in gravy that the pet absorbs with pleasure, and dry food Royal Canin Kitten 36. These foods must be given to your pet up to 1 year. Dry food for Scottish fold kittens after opening the package should be stored in hermetically sealed bags, and canned food after opening a jar or bag must be transferred to a glass container and then stored in the refrigerator.
Innova EVO. These ready-made foods contain a small amount of carbohydrates, so your Scottish kitten will not gain excess weight, even if he overeats this brand of food. Innova EVO dry food is enriched with calcium and contains only natural ingredients: chicken or turkey meat, fruits and vegetables.
ORIJEN CAT and KITTEN. The finished food of this brand also does not contain preservatives, but contains the amino acids necessary for the pet, so this type of food is excellent for feeding Scottish straight and fold kittens.
Purina Pro Plan Dental Plus. The food is designed for Scottish kittens and helps keep your pet's oral cavity in good condition. The manufacturers of this dry food claim that after switching your pet to this brand of food, you can reduce dental plaque in cats by almost 50%.
Hills. Ready-made food from this manufacturer contains a large amount of carbohydrates, so if your pet has gained excess weight, you should not give it. But it is perfect for feeding animals that are in good shape, since Hills feed has a balanced content of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.

Combined feeding is a type of nutrition in which the kitten is given not only ready-made food, but also some natural food. Typically, dry food is used as the pet’s main diet, and natural products are used as bait several times a day.

Rules for feeding Scottish kittens:

Scottish kittens aged 2 to 5 months need to be fed 3 times a day, and after 6 months, the animal can be switched to two meals a day. Eliminate the possibility of feeding your pet from your table. If for an ordinary yard cat such food will be perceived as a delicacy, then for a Scottish kitten, eating food from a person’s table can have negative consequences.

Prohibited Products

Never give your pet bones, smoked meats, fatty, salty or spicy foods, as they are harmful to the animal. You should not give your kitten food that has slightly spoiled or expired dry food. Be wary of milk in your lop-eared kitten's diet. The body of a small pet does not absorb milk well, and in some cases it may not be digested, so the benefits of this product for the Scottish breed remain in doubt. Lactose contained in dairy products can provoke a fermentation process in the kitten’s body, which will lead to an upset stomach in the pet. Therefore, it is best to exclude milk from your pet’s diet or give it, but as rarely as possible. There is no need to feed your kitten raw meat. Not in all cases you can be sure of the good quality of this product. If an adult cat willingly eats a small piece of meat, it can lead to indigestion in a kitten, and meat products are the main cause of toxoplasmosis in an animal.

Feeding secrets

How healthy and beautiful your pet will grow up depends on the quality of feeding. The first solid food is best fed by hand rather than from a bowl. This will bring the kitten and its new owner closer, help establish contact between them, and establish a positive character in the pet. Before feeding your Scottish kitten, give him the command “come here,” and when the animal sits opposite you, put a bowl for your pet, giving permission to eat. Such training will help a grown-up kitten protect itself from eating low-quality and possibly spoiled food from someone else’s bowl and trying to steal food from your table. You can start training your pet from the age of two months. You should not feed your pet more than the established norm or feed it from your table. Despite the fact that the “Scots” are unpretentious, this breed has a tendency to obesity, heart and genitourinary pathologies. Therefore, a pet’s diet at any age must be clearly balanced, and the kitten’s nutrition and adherence to food intake must be treated with special care.

Before we talk about proper nutrition for kittens, there are several important factors to consider. It is necessary to separate kittens from their mother no earlier than two months, because only at the age of 8-10 weeks does their digestive system become more or less receptive to a variety of foods. And one more thing - be sure to ask the former owners what they previously fed the fold-eared kitten. Ask what branded food they gave your pet.

Now let’s talk about what is the best way to feed a fold-eared kitten. There are a number of general recommendations for organizing food intake for kittens.

food temperature should be room temperature or slightly higher;
In no case should food be salted or salted;
water is always clean and available;
the meat must be boiled, not raw, we completely exclude pork;
the pieces are finely chopped and boneless;
It is better to freeze meat and fish before cooking;
complementary feeding with vitamins, for example, grass (it is better to buy it at a pet store).

You should decide in advance how you will organize food for your pet. There are three: natural feeding, ready-made food and mixed type.

Natural food for a British Fold kitten

It is recommended to include boiled meat in your daily diet, possibly in the form of minced meat. It is advisable to take beef or any other lean meat. If your kitten prefers poultry meat, for example, chicken, then it is better to subject this product to long-term heat treatment so as not to infect it with salmonellosis.

It is not advisable to give your kitten raw fish more than 1-2 times a week. Lean sea fish is preferable, always chopped and without bones.

Chicken or beef liver, heart, and gizzards can be added to your main meal once a week.

Be sure to include raw, finely grated vegetables in your diet. It can be given from early childhood, but not in large quantities. Very healthy carrots. Add boiled and grated vegetables to a main dish, such as meat. Legumes and corn should be excluded.

Dairy products. Milk is absorbed by the kitten’s body only up to 5 months. Kefir, sour cream and cottage cheese can and should be given about every other day, but everything should be low-fat. Kittens love cream very much - don’t forget to pamper them with this product sometimes.

Porridge is an essential food for lop-eared kittens. For example, rice, buckwheat or oatmeal can be varied by adding meat or vegetables.

It is strictly forbidden to give pork, milk, butter or any other fat, because... Fatty foods can cause stomach upset in a kitten. It is necessary to exclude sweet, salty and smoked foods.

Ready-made kitten food

These foods are not only easy to use, they also arouse great appetite and interest among pets. It should be noted that when purchasing ready-made mixtures, you must pay attention to the expiration date and storage conditions of these products. Also ask the seller what age a particular product is intended for. Up to 5 months, the most optimal type of food is mousse. At 5-6 months you can safely switch to pieces of meat in gravy. And they are added to the diet from the age of one year.

Mixed food type

The best way to feed a fold-eared kitten is dry ready-made food, but periodically add natural food to the diet several times a day. This type is the most optimal, but, unfortunately, rarely used.

And if you follow all the above recommendations on what to feed British Fold kittens, your pet will be the most energetic, cheerful and joyful.

The kitten's diet must be balanced, because... otherwise, he will face problems with stool, vomiting, diarrhea, and abnormal development.

Feeding should be limited to a time frame: small straight-eared and fold-eared kittens are fed 5-6 times a day, adolescents - 3-4 times a day, adult cats - 2 times a day (morning and evening).

The kitten should have its own bowls that cannot be washed with chemicals. Bowls should be placed in a quiet place where nothing disturbs the kitten: if the animal is nervous while eating, this will negatively affect its health.

It is also important to know what to feed your Scottish kitten. The kitten should have constant access to water, also in a quiet, protected place. The water should be changed every day. It is advisable to choose a container large enough, because... cats love larger “ponds”. And they are especially fond of running water: to imitate it, you can buy a special cat fountain, but do not allow them to drink from the tap: it contains harmful chlorinated water. The bowl of water should not be placed in the same place as the food: cats like to drink away from the place of feeding, which is dictated by wild instincts - water near food can become infected with poisons.

The kitten should eat often and in small portions, because... otherwise, the body will have difficulty digesting what is eaten, and this will lead to hiccups, vomiting and other consequences. Of course, the cat doesn’t mind eating 200 grams at a time, allotted for a day, but the owner must monitor the quantity limit: put in a bowl as much as the kitten can eat at one time, without reserve.

Additionally, vitamins are included in the kittens' diet. Read more about them in a separate article.

Homemade food for your Scottish kitten

Breeders have been arguing about what is best to feed a Scottish kitten, natural food or factory-made food, probably since factories began producing ready-made food. We will not give an answer to this question, because everything depends not only on the benefits or harm that certain products give the body, but also on your wallet and the availability of free time. Although, of course, if you have time, opportunity and you properly balance your diet, there is nothing better than natural nutrition. At the same time, you may nothave enough time for it.

Natural nutrition (popularly called “natural”) - this is not food from the master’s table, as many people think. This is a separate food prepared according to cat rules. It includes such products.

What can and should be fed to kittens - Scottish Fold and Straight-eared

PRODUCT	PECULIARITIES
Meat	Meat (poultry, rabbit, beef) is the basis of the menu: its share should reach 90% of the daily diet. We give the meat not fatty, raw (it must be frozen in the freezer for at least 3 days). Meat contains many useful elements that a kitten needs: protein, amino acids, etc. When cooked, many elements are destroyed. However, boiled meat is allowed for those kittens who are currently transitioning from ready-made food to natural food and cannot yet fully digest the raw product.
By-products	Offal (heart, stomachs, liver, kidneys, etc.) are also the basis of the diet and are included in the 90% of the meat and bone component of the menu. The heart contains the amino acid taurine, which helps the functioning of the organs of vision, digestion and heart, in the liver (it is given once every 1-2 weeks or a little every day as part of mixes) - vitamins necessary for wool, bones, and vision organs and digestion. Although veterinarians argue about the liver: after all, it is a filter in which poisons settle. Therefore, it is desirable that the liver be taken from a more or less environmentally friendly animal, for example, a turkey.
Bones	Small kittens should not eat whole bones, especially the tubular bones of birds, because... they can injure the digestive tract. But kittens need calcium, which is contained in the bones. Therefore, you can take chicken necks and heads, grind them in a meat grinder and serve along with the meat. If this is not possible, you need to add fermented milk products, crushed egg shells and calcium supplements to your diet.
Fish	Fish should not be the main dish in a cat's diet. It can be given to cats only from a certain age (about 5 months) and no more than once a week. The fact is that urolithiasis often develops from a large amount of fish in the diet. You can serve the fish in the form of boiled pieces, separated from the bones. Low-fat varieties of fish such as hake, catfish, sawfish, tuna, etc. are good for cats (but not more than once a week).
Cottage cheese	Cottage cheese, only good, not sour, fresh and from a trusted manufacturer, is very useful for kittens. First of all, calcium, which is necessary for the skeletal system. Secondly, it is protein - a universal building material. At the same time, this part of the diet is not mandatory. Cottage cheese for Scottish Fold and Straight-eared kittens is rather a supplement.
Cheese	Non-fat, non-salty and non-spicy types of cheese are suitable for cats. Cheese contains protein and calcium for growth.
Dairy	Fermented milk products (kefir, fermented baked milk, whey, but not milk), in addition to cottage cheese, are necessary for cats, because help with the digestive system and contain proteins. All of them should be low fat.
Eggs	The yolk contains amino acids, minerals and vitamins. It can be boiled (no more than 5 minutes) and crumbled into a bowl or served raw. But it’s better not to offer chicken protein, because... it is bad for the coat. If you feed your kitten quail eggs, then you can give both the white and the yolk, and it is most beneficial to eat them raw. You must first rinse the egg with boiling water to wash away infections and dirt. Eggs are served 1-2 times a week.
Vegetables	Vegetables (beets, carrots, pumpkin, zucchini, broccoli, etc.) can be a frequent guest in a kitten's bowl. Most vegetables are not digested by the cat's digestive system, but they contain fiber, which helps to forget about constipation. In addition, the cat’s body absorbs the vitamins contained in vegetables. Both fresh and boiled vegetables are suitable. The second option is more friendly to the stomach, especially when it comes to carrots and beets. But fresh vegetables contain more vitamins. The ideal option is steamed vegetables.
Greenery	Many kittens love parsley, dill and other types of greens. And special grass for cats, consisting mainly of wheat and oats, is useful with many vitamins and microelements. Plant it on the windowsill - your pet will appreciate it and, perhaps, even stop bothering indoor plants.
Oils	Unrefined vegetable oils from flax, olives, sea buckthorn, rice, grapes and hemp are useful for kittens, but rarely and in small quantities - a few drops at a time and not every day. Sunflower oil is not recommended in any case: sunflower absorbs the entire contents of the soil more strongly than any other plant, including poisons. In addition, refined oils are harmful. Although it is worth noting that any vegetable fats are practically not absorbed by the cat’s body, so it is better for them to prefer animals.

Natural cat food differs from human food in that it is not salted or flavored with spices. That is, it should be fresh. Lightly salted foods are occasionally allowed.

Meat is served either raw (preferably) or boiled, but in no case fried, dried or pickled.

You also need to understand that you cannot save money on a cat, that is, it is inappropriate to give spoiled and weathered food. Domestic purebred cats are very sensitive to food and may suffer from stomach upsets. Slightly spoiled food can only be fed to street cats that are accustomed to it. And then, it’s better to have pity on them too.

The food you serve should not be cold or hot: bring it to room temperature, maybe a little warmer.

What should you not feed lop-eared and straight-eared kittens?

What Scottish Fold and Straight-eared kittens enjoy eating does not always coincide with what is good for them. Learn the list of do's and don'ts.

PRODUCT	PECULIARITIES
Sweet	It is not allowed in any quantities. If a cat asks for sweets, this means that he is interested in something else in the product, because cats do not have receptors that recognize sweet taste. Don't buy your cat's requests: he can develop diabetes very quickly.
Salty	We don’t add salt to kitten food at all. We also don’t serve salty products from the store. Salty foods can cause kidney and bladder problems in cats, which Scots are already prone to.
Spicy	Kittens should not have spices at all. They upset digestion.
Onion garlic	Likewise, garlic and onions can cause serious problems.
Chocolate	Even if chocolate is not sweet, as it should be according to the classics, it is still under no circumstances allowed for a cat: for an animal it is poison.
Coffee	Likewise, coffee is poisonous to cats. If your cat asks for coffee, he may be attracted to the milk you add to the drink.
Milk	Kittens are supposed to eat fermented milk, but milk, which contains lactose, causes gas and indigestion in cats older than 3 months. Owners often don’t notice this, but in fact the animals don’t feel well after drinking milk. If you really want to feed your kitten milk, pay attention to goat milk or special ready-made milk formulas for kittens. After 3 months, cats do not need milk at all.
Marinades	Kittens cannot eat anything marinated, not just meat. This applies to any conservation.
Smoked	Just remember that it is poison.
Bold	Excessively fatty and fried foods, no matter whether it is meat or not, are prohibited. The kitten's pancreas cannot withstand such nutrition. Even sour cream for a Scottish Straight and Scottish Fold kitten may be too fatty a food, so nutritionists do not recommend it.
Fatty pork	Pork with hanging pieces of lard is not allowed for cats. But sometimes a small piece of the lean part is allowed.
Canned food	Any canned product is always generously supplied with salt, spices and preservatives. This in itself is harmful even for humans, not to mention the digestive and urinary system of a kitten, which is much worse adapted to such food than ours.
Citrus	As a rule, cats cannot tolerate lemons, oranges, tangerines and other citrus fruits. But there are exceptions. Citrus fruits contain pungent essential oils that attack cats' keen sense of smell. Plus, eating them can cause indigestion.
Fruits	The digestive system of cats is not adapted to eating fruits and berries, so they can cause stomach upset.
Mushrooms	Mushrooms are too heavy a food. In addition, they can cause poisoning.
Potato	Potatoes are pure starch, which is very difficult to digest and is poorly absorbed by the cat’s body. Recently, cat nutritionists have allowed the consumption of only a few grams of potatoes per day.
Beans	Peas, lentils, soybeans and other legumes are prohibited because... This is too heavy food for a kitten, plus they cause fermentation.
Flour	All flour products, including bread, are harmful to kittens and have no nutritional value for them. Instead, it is better to purchase special yeast for cats in the form of a supplement.

Feeding with prepared food involves the use of mixtures created at the factory in the form of pastes, pieces of jelly, canned food and dry pads. Typically, such mixtures contain everything that is included in natural food, but it is specially processed for long-term storage. Draw your own conclusions. But in any case, you cannot feed cheap mass-market food such as Whiskas, Kitiket, etc. According to veterinarians, cheap cat food is made from who knows what, so consuming it will lead to illness. Veterinarians recommend only super-premium and holistic food.

Supporters of ready-made feeds put forward the main arguments in favor of such nutrition that, firstly, the substances in the feed are already balanced, and, secondly, such nutrition is easier for the owners: buy it, take it out, pour it in.

Please note that it is not advisable to mix natural food and ready-made food - choose one. And the brand of food should also always be the same. Otherwise, it is very difficult to create a balanced menu, because... Each food has its own characteristics.

If dry pads are on the menu, the cat will need increased consumption of fresh water. Buy your cat a special fountain to encourage him to drink more.

What to feed a kitten: breakdown by age

If you are feeding a kitten with food, then everything is simple: choose the food in accordance with the age indicated on the package, serve it in the quantity specified in the instructions, and as many times as required by age. But it is worth noting that the food contains many ingredients and if your cat has sensitive digestion and reacts negatively to some components of the food (vomiting, diarrhea), then it is difficult to figure out what kind of product it is. For such cases, natural nutrition is recommended.

Those who are planning to feed their cat natural food will have to study the issue. It will be difficult at first, as you need several meals a day. Once the kitten becomes a teenager, that is, reaches 5 months, everything will become much easier.

Feeding raw meat is preferable for felines because... in nature they feed on it. This diet is considered more balanced, because... Boiled meat already lacks many essential elements. The main thing is that the meat is of high quality, from a factory where infection with worms is minimized and where they are not addicted to chemicals.

A kitten should consume approximately 10% of its body weight per day. This is the average. It is not customary for kittens to limit their food: they should eat as much as they want.

For those who want to feed their cat natural food, but have little time for it, breeders advise making preparations. Mix meat, offal (heart, neck, kidneys - if your cat doesn’t like kidneys because of the specific smell, in which case you can do without kidneys, a little liver - if there is too much liver, the cat may swear), herbs, vegetables (if it contains carrots, its you need to pre-cook), raw quail egg, chopped kelp or other additive. Place this mixture in portions in bags and freeze in the freezer. Then take out one bag at a time and bring the mixture to room temperature: you can serve the healthy dish to your cat.

What to feed a kitten up to 1 month and a month old Scottish fold and straight-eared kitten

At the age of up to 3 weeks - 1 month, kittens are fed by the mother: up to 2 weeks - 10 times a day, including at night, at 1 month - 8 times a day. Next, complementary foods are introduced, but the kittens feed on their mother’s milk for up to 2.5 months, so they cannot be weaned from her before this period. At this time, the mother cat has a difficult task: her body is exhausted and therefore the best thing the owner can do is to feed the mother intensively and in a balanced manner. But this is a topic for a separate article. Complementary feeding directly to kittens begins at about 1 month.

It happens that kittens do not have a mother for some reason. Then a person has to feed them. This is a difficult and painstaking task: in the first week you need to feed every 2 hours, that is, you will have to take time off from work. In addition, without mother's milk, kittens do not receive her antibodies and resistance to infections. Therefore, if possible, it is better to place the kittens with another nursing cat (a healthy, clean cat with all vaccinations; a street mother will not do): usually she does not refuse to shelter foundlings.

Did you know that sometimes cats even feed animals of other species? For example, one caring mother fed the hedgehogs given to her.

But it happens that there is no such possibility. Then you need to feed the kittens at the rate of 30 ml of food per 100 grams of kitten weight in the first week, 38 ml per 100 grams of kitten weight in two weeks, 48 ml per 100 grams of kitten weight in the third week, 48-53 ml per 100 grams of weight from four weeks weeks We are talking about milk (cream) or special factory milk mixture for kittens. The mixture can be poured into the mouth through a bottle with a nipple, a pipette or a syringe without a needle: be careful so that the kitten does not choke. This mixture can be purchased at a pet store.

Why is cow's milk worse than mother's milk or ready-made formula? The water content in cat milk is 70%, fat content - no more than 11%, proteins - 11%, lactose - 3%. At first glance, cow's milk is very similar in composition to cat's milk, which contains 88% water, 3.2% protein, 3.25% fat, 5.2% lactose. It also contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B12, D, calcium, magnesium and potassium. But there is a significant difference in the amount of lactose: in cow's milk it is 5.2%, in cat's milk it is only 3%, that is, almost half as much. And the kitten’s digestive system has difficulty accepting large amounts of lactose.

If you decide to feed your kitten a cow product (and life often dictates this option, because not everyone has access to special mixtures), it is better to take cream:1 sachet of 10% fat is mixed with 1 egg yolk. This mixture is given instead of mother's milk.

Experts consider factory-made premium cat milk substitutes to be the ideal option. The substitute's properties are as close as possible to cat milk and correspond to the capabilities of the kitten's digestive system. Also forMilk replacers are enriched with taurine, an amino acid that is almost absent in the milk of ungulates, as well as omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

At about 4 weeks, kittens can begin to be weaned off milk if they are drinking formula. Milk is gradually stopped being given to the kitten and solid food is introduced into the diet. Complementary food for Scottish kittens should be mushy, preferably crushed using a blender.

Sometimes it is necessary to introduce complementary foods up to 1 month, because... The cat has little milk. You can guess that kittens are malnourished by the way they squeak all the time and try to cling to the cat's chest and your fingers.

You need to start with one type of complementary food and only when the kitten has mastered it well, start introducing another. For example, we start with one type of meat. It should be finely chopped or blended into a paste. It is also good to start complementary feeding with fermented milk products (ryazhenka, cottage cheese), but not with kefir, because it is too heavy for babies.

EXPERT COMMENT: felinologist and nursery owner Zhanna Korsunskaya

Kittens are able to eat the same food as their mother from the age of three weeks. However, this does not mean the end of breastfeeding: the cat will feed the children for quite a long time. As kittens grow, the share of main food increases, and the share of mother's milk decreases until it disappears. Don’t be afraid that the pieces in mom’s bowl are too big or that there are bones: the kitten won’t start with the difficult ones in any case. He will choose what he likes, what he can bite off, chew, and swallow. The lack of essential substances at this age is compensated by mother's milk. Therefore, there is no need for complementary feeding - lightweight, crushed, fortified food for kittens. If the mother's diet is balanced, then it is absolutely suitable for children. If the cub has not yet begun to be interested in the mother’s food, but is as well-fed and active as its brothers, there is no reason to worry. And under no circumstances should you try to force feed. When the time comes, the kitten itself will begin to eat from its mother’s bowl and over time will completely switch to a meat diet.

What to feed a two-month-old Scottish kitten (1-2 months)

The menu for a 2-month-old Scottish kitten includes eating 7 times a day. At this age, ideally, kittens still receive their mother's milk, but are already happy to eat complementary foods. At 1.5 months, a kitten requires about 120 grams of food per day, including mother's milk, which still remains the basis of the diet.

The food of a Scottish kitten at 2 months can be natural or factory-made. If you plan to feed your kitten with ready-made food, then this is done starting from 1-1.5 months. To do this, you need to purchase special products for kittens according to their age. If it is dry food, then it must be soaked first, because the kitten is not able to digest such solid food. Or buy canned kitten wet food. However, it is advisable to start complementary feeding with meat.

But soup for Scottish kittens is not a relevant food. Starting from a very early age, kittens can already consume minced meat and small pieces of meat. The consistency of soup is not necessary for normal digestion.

There is an opinion that the Scottish Fold cat (Highland Fold or Scottish Fold) needs to be fed special food, unlike the straight-eared cat (Highland Straight and Scottish Straight), so that her ears do not stand up. However, the same diet is suitable for both varieties of the breed. It must be balanced so that the body receives all the necessary substances. In terms of nutrition, Scottish kittens, unlike other cats that grow up at home, have their own characteristics.

Basic Rules

A Scottish kitten's diet must be balanced, otherwise it will have problems with stool, abnormal development, and may start vomiting. Babies should be fed 5-6 times a day, teenagers - 3-4 times a day, and adult cats - only in the morning and evening. The kitten must have its own bowl, which is prohibited from being washed with chemicals. It needs to be placed in a quiet place where nothing will disturb the baby. The pet should have free access to water, which should be changed every day. The bowl for it should be quite large.

In order for the kitten to eat properly, it needs to be given small portions and after a short period of time, otherwise the food will be difficult to digest, leading to hiccups and other consequences.

You should put in the bowl the amount of food that your baby can eat at one time. Scottish cats are prone to gaining excess weight and obesity, so you need to be especially careful about the amount of food and frequency of feeding.

What can a Scottish kitten do?

Before you create a diet for a Scotsman, you need to know what can be given to girls and boys of this breed, and what is strictly prohibited.

List of permitted products:	Product
Meat	Peculiarities
By-products	Rabbit, poultry, and beef are the main menu for the kitten. In the daily diet, meat should account for up to 80% of its share. It should be low-fat, raw or cooked. The meat contains useful elements necessary for a kitten: amino acids, protein, etc.
Bones	A Scottish cat can be given meat by-products (kidneys, liver, heart) several times a week. The heart contains the amino acid taurine, which helps digestion and vision. The liver contains vitamins necessary for bones and wool
Fish	Dry fish such as hake, as well as salmon and salmon, are very useful. It can be boiled in the form of fish soup or served in boiled pieces, separated from the seeds.
Cottage cheese	Fresh and non-sour cottage cheese brings great benefits to kittens. It contains calcium, which is required for building the skeletal system. It also contains protein, a universal building material.
Cheese	Scots can be given mild, unsalted and low-fat varieties. Cheese contains calcium and protein for growth
Dairy	Kittens should be fed fermented milk products (whey, fermented baked milk, kefir), but not milk. They contain proteins and help the digestive system function. But such products should have reduced fat content
Eggs	The yolk contains vitamins, minerals and amino acids. It can be given boiled or raw. But it is advisable not to offer chicken protein to the kitten, as it negatively affects the coat. If you feed your baby quail eggs, you can give the yolk and white, preferably raw. Give this product 1-2 times a week
Vegetables	The pet should be fed vegetables - broccoli, zucchini, carrots, beets, etc. The Scottish kitten's digestive system does not digest most vegetables, but they contain fiber, which prevents constipation. The baby’s body is replenished with all the vitamins they contain.
Porridge	Corn grits, rolled oats, pearl barley, rice, and buckwheat are very useful for kittens. They make stool less hard, which makes it easier to move down. Cereals enrich the body with minerals and vitamins. Porridge is included in the animal’s diet 2–4 times a week, mixing it with meat (80% meat and 20% porridge)
Greenery	Pets can be given dill and other greens. Special grass for cats, consisting of oats and wheat, is very useful with many trace elements and vitamins
Oils	Unrefined vegetable oils from grapes, rice, sea buckthorn, olives, and flax are of great benefit. But they should be given rarely and in small quantities - only one teaspoon at a time and not every day

Natural food should not be salty and should not be flavored with spices. It should be absolutely fresh. The meat is given boiled or raw, but in no case is it fried or marinated.

Feeding with prepared food

Ready-made cat food is a mixture in the form of canned food, pieces of jelly, pastes and dry pads. Usually they contain everything that is included in natural food, but it is processed in a special way so that it can be stored for a long time. You cannot feed a Scottish kitten with cheap mass-market food, for example, Kitiket, Whiskas, etc. Since they are made from cheap ingredients, their consumption leads to illness. You need to listen to the advice of veterinarians and purchase only Premium food: ProPlan, Happy Cat, Royal Canin and others.

It is not recommended to mix ready-made food and natural food - you should choose one. Moreover, the brand of food should be the same, otherwise it will be quite difficult to create a balanced menu, since each food has its own characteristics. If the diet includes dry pads, then the cat should be given plenty of water to drink. Mixing wet food with dry food is prohibited.

Prohibited Products

When creating a nutrition system based on natural products, you need to take into account that the digestive system of Scottish kittens is not adapted to digest and assimilate certain types of food that are acceptable for adult animals. These products include:

sweet, salty, fatty;
spices, onions, garlic;
chocolate and coffee;
milk;
marinades, smoked meats;
pork;
River fish;
canned food;
citrus fruit;
mushrooms, beans;
potato;
flour.

Feeding a kitten by age

Kittens up to one month of age are fed by their mother 10 times a day, and at 1 month - 8 times a day. At this time, it is necessary to introduce complementary foods. They start with fermented milk products (cottage cheese, fermented baked milk), but kefir is too heavy for small kittens. At 1.5 months, a baby needs 120 grams of food per day, including mother’s milk, which still remains the basis of his diet. You can start feeding him prepared food at this age.

At 2 months, the digestive system of a Scottish breed kitten is ready for independence and weaning from mother’s milk. At this age, the baby already eats 6 times a day, and the total amount of food per day is 160–180 grams. He is already able to absorb very small pieces of meat because the teeth are fully formed. But it is better to mix meat with porridge and vegetables.

At 3 months, the kitten begins to actively grow, and the final formation of its gastrointestinal tract occurs. At this time, the diet should be replenished with vitamins rich in calcium. The baby should be fed 4-5 times a day, and the amount of food should be 180-240 grams per day. The meat must be ground or given in small pieces. But sometimes it is recommended to include larger pieces in the menu for jaw training.

At 4–5 months, it is necessary to introduce sprouted grass into the diet, which contains essential vitamins and helps get rid of swallowed hair. The kitten already eats 4 times a day, consuming 180 grams of food daily. The meat is no longer crushed or ground, but is given cut into fairly large pieces. Low-fat sea fish is added to the diet.

From the 5th to the 9th month, the kitten is actively growing and continues to eat 4 times a day. The volume of food is also 180 grams daily. After 9 months, the animal is transferred to two or three meals a day, and when it turns one year old, it is already fed 2 times a day.