When considering whether to feed a kitten natural food or commercially prepared food, it's important to consider the advantages of each option. It's also important to consider the nutritional needs of a kitten during its first year of life, when choosing a diet not only based on nutritional value and caloric intake, but also the immaturity of the kitten's digestive system.
Advantages of prepared food
When feeding a kitten dry food, water consumption increases approximately 3-4 times
Advantages of premium and super-premium kitten food:
- contain 30% meat, plant components, a full range of vitamins and minerals - everything necessary for cat health;
- smell delicious and have a taste that mustachioed consumers find attractive;
- have small granule sizes;
- allow kitten owners to save time and money.
When choosing prepared food, the main thing is to ensure that the bowl is always full, and that a second one with sufficient fresh water is nearby.
The benefits of natural food
A small kitten can be given a mixture of cottage cheese, cream and yolk - a very healthy and nutritious "eggnog" that is eaten with great pleasure.
The best food for a kitten under 2 months of age is mother's milk. If the kitten was weaned early or the mother is unable to nurse, milk replacers such as Royal Canin's Royal Baby Milk can be used. After 8 weeks of age, supplementary feeding with lean meat, cereals, and fermented milk products is permitted. Fresh cow's milk can cause intestinal upset and should not be given. Cream with at least 10% fat content is considered a good alternative.
As a kitten grows older, its diet becomes more and more like that of an adult. If this is natural food, then its advantage over prepared foods is only one - the food is prepared from good products by the hands of a caring owner. In reality, this type of feeding system is expensive and inconvenient, as a growing pet prefers freshly prepared food, which requires financial and time investment.
In addition, it is difficult to correctly compose a menu so that it is perfectly balanced, otherwise errors will quickly affect the kitten's health.
When talking about a natural diet, many owners mistakenly believe that they can feed their pet food from their own table. This is a misconception.
What is better to choose and in which case?
Most human foods are not suitable for kittens.
Experts say that the best option for young cats is prepared food. They have an optimal composition and allow a snack to be enjoyed at any time, without having to wait for the owner to prepare it. As for natural food, this option is suitable for those who are willing to spend money on fresh cat food and the time to prepare it, while ensuring that the food is healthy and nutritious.
Both diet options for kittens have their advantages. If the owner is willing to oversee the entire feeding process, natural food can be chosen. Otherwise, it's better to opt for commercial foods, whose ingredients are already carefully considered by the manufacturers. The main thing to remember is that you can't feed both natural and dry food at the same time.
