Baby food for cats with diarrhea
Can Cats Eat Baby Food? Best Baby Food for Cats
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Simple meat-based baby food is an appetizing and easy-to-eat food for sick or elderly cats. In this article, we’ll talk about how baby food can be a great dietary supplement for some cats, which baby foods are best, and which types of baby food are never safe for your cat.
Again, it’s important to remember that just because meat-based baby food is safe for cats, it doesn’t mean that it’s a nutritionally complete meal for them. You should only give your cat baby food as a treat or supplement.
Simple meat-based baby food with no seasonings, onion, or garlic is safe for cats and can be used as a temporary meal replacement. Simple cooked, pureed meat is easy for your cat’s body to digest, easy for their mouths to handle, and is typically quite palatable. This makes it an ideal choice for cats who are feeling sickly or having a hard time eating.
Baby food can be a good supplemental food choice for:
- Cats with a reduced appetite due to disease, including CKD, cancer, liver disease, and other problems
- Cats with periodontal disease and a painful mouth
- Cats who have had their teeth extracted and can no longer handle firm foods
- Cats with temporary stomach sensitivities and symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea
- Ferals who need to be enticed into a trap or to come closer to people
If you recently had a baby, chances are you’re overwhelmed and sometimes forgetful, so it’s possible that you’ll forget to stock up on cat food. In this case, baby food might just be what you have around. Don’t feel like a bad cat guardian if you have to feed your cat baby food in a pinch!
Provided that you give your cat a meat-based recipe without any dangerous seasonings or additives, it’ll be a delicious and healthy treat.
While baby food is sometimes recommended for cats who need easy-to-eat nourishment, not all baby foods are equal. Just like adult food, some of it is safe for cats and some isn’t. You’ve got green bean baby food, pumpkin baby food, carrot baby food, chicken baby food, beef stroganoff baby food. And just as is the case with people food that isn’t pureed, not all of these varieties are appealing or nutritious for your cat.
The following types of baby food are safe for cats and can be a wholesome addition to the feline diet.
Beech-Nut Classics Stage 1 Meats include chicken in broth, turkey in broth, and beef in broth
. These recipes contain just meat and broth, so they’re entirely safe for your cat to consume. We like that they’re free from starch and therefore closer to your cat’s natural carnivorous needs.
One reviewer said the following about Beech-Nut Chicken & Broth:
“My senior cat had a period where he threw up all the time.
We started giving him baby food and kitten milk to ease his upset stomach. The baby food is quite light and mild. Not stinky. Slightly oily, but not too bad! My cat really enjoyed the baby food. There are no unnecessary ingredients, just chicken and water!”
This product lineup includes ham, turkey, chicken, and beef recipes. They’re all made without any garlic, onions, or other seasonings. The simple recipes include just meat, water, and cornstarch.
While cornstarch isn’t ideal for cats, it can be an acceptable inclusion in their diet if the cat is sick or otherwise in desperate need of nourishment.
Even the first review on the Amazon listing for Gerber’s ham and gravy cat food says:
“All I can really say about this is my 35 pound, orange tabby kitty cat absolutely loves Gerber Baby Food Ham! I bought it for him for a treat once and he learned to audibly say the word “HAM” with that first meal. I’m a vegetarian and I don’t have children but I have a orange kitty that will tell you this is the best stuff he’s every eaten!”
Before you feed your cat baby food, read the ingredient list.
Don’t give your kitty any food containing the following ingredients:
- Onion
- Garlic
- Added sugars or sweeteners
- Canola oil or other vegetable oils
- Salt
- Fruits of any type (except for the occasional pumpkin for gut motility)
- Vegetables of any type
- Dairy
This rules out simple fruity or veggie products like prune baby food, sweet potato baby food, and carrot baby food. It also means that you shouldn’t give your cat meal-style foods for older babies with flavors like beef stroganoff and chicken stew.
Your cat can eat baby food alone for about 2-3 days before you’ll need to start transitioning them back to a nutritionally complete and balanced raw, homemade, gently cooked, or canned diet.
Baby food is designed to nourish infant humans—omnivorous creatures who, unlike cats, can live without fresh raw meat, organs, and bones. Cats, however, require raw meat or a facsimile thereof.
It’s crucial to remember that baby food lacks taurine, an amino acid that cats can only get from supplements or raw meat.
As obligate carnivores, cats require certain vitamins and amino acids found only in fresh meat. One of these is taurine, which supports ocular health along with numerous other bodily functions. Cats who are deprived of taurine for any extended period of time will go blind and experience diminished digestion, heart function, and reproductive abilities.
If your cat is struggling to eat due to dental issues or needs an extra calorie boost, baby food isn’t your only option. Here are a few other types of foods that can help to keep your cat strong.
Kitten food is about twice as calorie-dense as a standard adult cat food. It’s usually extremely palatable and easy to eat, too—which helps your cat to get in all those beneficial calories. The kitten food we’ve found works best is Fancy Feast canned kitten food, but you’ll find many other formulas from a variety of companies.
Just remember to look for canned or wet food. Hydration is always crucial, and a dry food won’t deliver the water your cat needs.
Nutri-Cal is a high-calorie gel for cats who need a concentrated source of energy. It’s highly-palatable to encourage cats to eat it, though some may need to squirt it onto the feline’s gums or paw. It’s also a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids.
Egg Yolks
Your cat may or may not be willing to eat egg yolks on their own, but if you’re able to get that tongue lapping, the addition of raw egg yolks to their bowl will add a lot of nutrition in a small package.
Boiled or Raw Chicken
You’ve probably heard the standard recommendation of boiled chicken and rice for cats with diarrhea and other digestive issues. Because cats are obligate carnivores with no physiological requirement for plants, we disagree with the inclusion of rice in this bland diet.
Boiled boneless chicken, however, does provide a gentle, palatable source of the nutrition your cat needs with few of the inflammatory ingredients that can make them feel worse.
If you’re willing to try out raw food for your cat, you may also consider feeding them raw chicken, with or without the bones intact. This is a nutrient-dense and extremely tasty form of species-appropriate nutrition. As explained in incredible detail on Raw Feeding for IBD Cats, raw food, as the ancestral feline diet, is potentially the only route for an IBD turnaround.
My Cat Has Diarrhea - What Do I Do?
Don't panic! Just as with people, healthy cats can suffer an “upset stomach” from time-to-time. We may not know the cause, and it doesn’t necessarily mean a trip to the vet is in order. After all, we don’t always run to the doctor immediately if we or one of our children has a bout of diarrhea. The key is to observe your cat’s behavior both in and out of the litter box.
This is at the heart of the distinction between heading to the vet now and taking steps at home to help your kitty get over this quickly.
Where do I start?
When do I take care of this at home?
How do I know if I need to take my cat to see the vet?
Read on!
For Starters....
Put the pumpkin away. Don’t reach for the rice. Head to a health food store, vitamin shop, Whole Foods, pharmacy or chemist and purchase a probiotic called Saccharomyces boulardii, “S boulardii.” It’s OK – even better – if it has L acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, or other bacterial strains of probiotic in it. It is usually sold without other probiotics as 5 billion CFU or 250mg capsules. This is perfect. We’ll tell you how to use it.
Pick up some chicken breast (if kitty has a chicken sensitivity or allergy, buy turkey breast or pork loin instead). Check the sodium level to make sure the meat isn’t “enhanced” (soaked in a salt solution). If the meat has less than 100mg of sodium per 4oz serving, it is safe to feed your cat.
(This is typically a problem only in the U.S.). We’ll explain how to use this after we discuss when it is safe to care for kitty at home and when you need to get your cat to the vet.
First, let’s talk about poop.
Acute Diarrhea vs. Chronic Diarrhea vs. Soft Stools
Acute diarrhea is the abrupt onset of frequent loose or watery stools, more often than normal. Think stomach cramps and lots of trips to the bathroom. It is the body’s method of removing something it wants to be rid of. The most common causes are medicines, a sudden food change, eating something they shouldn’t have, eating too much, a virus, parasites, vaccinations, and stress and/or anxiety. It comes on and lasts for one to three days on average. Acute diarrhea is usually a large bowel problem, and kitty goes to the litter box frequently but may not pass much stool at each visit. There may be fresh blood or mucous in the stool.
Chronic diarrhea is usually either a symptom of a medical condition, or due to an irritant to which kitty is constantly or frequently exposed.
Poor quality food, grains, poor quality fats, too much fat, food allergies/sensitivities, untreated parasites, gut dysbiosis, inflammatory bowel disease, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, hyperthyroid, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), liver or kidney disease, etc. are often at the root of chronic diarrhea. Chronic diarrhea does not come-and-go (though if your cat has frequent recurring bouts of soft stool or watery stool, that may be an indication of an underlying problem). Chronic diarrhea is usually associated with the small intestine, where poop volume is normal to more-than-usual, and frequency is normal to slightly increased. There is not usually mucous in the poop.
Soft stool is not diarrhea. We may never know what caused it, but it is not at all unusual for a cat, on occasion, to have a bowel movement that isn’t normal. The primary difference is kitty is not in the box frequently. It’s just a “not normal” stool texture/consistency being passed when your cat goes to the bathroom.
It often only lasts for one or two bowel movements, unless a food change has caused it.
Extremely watery stool with straining can be an indication of impacted feces or some type of obstruction in the bowel that only liquid can get around. The straining may cause vomiting. If the problem is due to impacted feces, the issue is actually constipation and the condition is called obstipation. Whatever the cause of the obstruction, a vet visit is required. X-rays are needed to rule obstruction (whether an ingested foreign object, a stuck hairball, or a growth in the intestines) in-or-out, and if the problem is impacted feces, kitty most likely needs an enema.
What about Mucus and Blood?
Seeing blood in or on your cat’s stool is distressing for anyone. But fresh blood and/or mucous due to irritation is not unusual. Mucus has a jelly-like quality and its function is to coat and protect our gastrointestinal tract from mouth to … the other end. Mucus coats the lining, providing lubrication and protection to the underlying tissues.
An immune response can cause inflammation, and the body produces excess mucus to help protect and heal. Lining disruption due to inflammation can also, at times, lead to little burst vessels that cause some fresh blood to be present in or on stool. Slippery elm bark powder should be used when there is blood/and or mucus in the stool. See below for instructions.
Do I Need to Run to the Vet?
That is based on the age, prior health status, and behavior of your pet. Diarrhea in the young, the old, and those whose health is already compromised are at high risk for experiencing complications from diarrhea. Diarrhea can quickly cause dehydration for these cats, putting them in serious danger. Do not attempt to care for them at home without vet guidance.
If you have an adult cat otherwise in good health (or with known chronic illness under management), you may just need to take a few steps to help the diarrhea resolve in a few days or less.
In ANY cat, head to the vet if:
- the stool is very, very dark and tarry (it usually looks almost black and is very, very sticky/tacky).
This is indicative of an upper GI bleed - kitty is not behaving normally, acting “sluggish,” lethargic, or hiding
- kitty is or seems weak or otherwise debilitated
- If severe diarrhea persists for more than 24 hours despite implementing these steps
- If diarrhea continues for more than 3 days
- If stool is just leaking out of kitty
- If there is a lot of blood, or kitty is pooping only blood or only blood and mucus.
Your kitty’s eating and behavior patterns are very important. If your cat has diarrhea or soft stool, even if there is a little blood or mucus present, but your cat is otherwise behaving basically normally (though maybe her appetite is a little off), this isn’t an emergency and you can take steps to manage the problem at home. Lethargy or weakness should be considered an emergency.
Managing the Diarrhea
Food
First, remove ALL regular food and feed a bland diet.
Do NOT feed your kitty her normal food. With the diarrhea, the food is just rushing through her not providing much in the way of nutrition anyway. The bland diet removes any possible dietary sources of upset, and is very easy for your cat to digest. Use the (unenhanced) chicken or turkey breast or pork loin (trimmed of excess fat) to make a bland, simple, low-fat food. Poach the meat in enough water to cook the meat and make a bit of broth. When cooked, either shred the meat, cut or chop it finely, or put it in a food processor or blender with the water used to poach it.
Do not include rice. Many vets recommend a “bland diet” of chicken and rice. Rice can ferment in the GI tract, create gas, and make the diarrhea worse.
No Pumpkin? No. While fiber can slow down transit time which helps kitty obtain nutrition and hydration in the face of diarrhea, slippery elm bark powder is a better choice, discussed below.
Feed this plain bland food to your pet in small amounts, 4 to 8 times a day, depending on how much they’ll eat at a time.
You can feed this unbalanced, plain food for the few days it should take the diarrhea to subside/resolve.
In addition to the bland diet of just poached meat and broth, the next, most important – in fact, critical – aspect of addressing your kitty’s diarrhea is giving your kitty one of the most studied probiotics in the world, Saccharomyces boulardii.
The Probiotic – S boulardii
S boulardii, a yeast (in fact, a close cousin to brewer’s yeast with vastly different properties) is a time-tested and proven probiotic strain with many supporting studies including clinical trials indicating its efficacy in the treatment of intestinal infections, the maintenance of inflammatory bowel disease, and the resolution of diarrhea from just about any cause. It is indicated for use with “Travelers Diarrhea,” where e coli, shigella and salmonella account for about 80% of acute diarrhea. (Zanello 2009). It is safe for use in children – and pets. Research published in the past decade has explored and discovered its direct anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory activities as well.
Please see Saccharomyces Boulardii: Scientific Studies in GI Disease.
The many studies of S boulardii indicate it is a very effective anti-diarrheal, and its use “decreases significantly the duration and frequency of diarrhea.” (Zanello 2009). It has been used in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant clostridium difficile infections in cats at U.C. Davis. Clearly the benefits of S boulardii in humans applies equally to cats. This should come as no surprise, as one of the lead researchers in the cat microbiome, Dr. Jan Suchodolski of Texas A&M, indicates “pet specific” probiotics are unnecessary – in fact, the use of researched strains is important as probiotics confer benefit across mammalian species.
How does it work? Very simply, S boulardii is not digested or metabolized: it is not absorbed in the gut. It does not act systemically. S boulardii acts locally in the lumen of the intestines. During its passage through the intestines, it mimics the physiological effects of the digestive flora, stimulating healthy immune response, reducing inflammation, and promoting restoration and growth of healthy normal gut flora.
“During the intestinal transit, S boulardii interacts with resident microflora and intestinal mucosa. Moreover, experimental studies displayed that S boulardii induces a protection against enteric pathogens, modulates the host immune response, decreases inflammation and hydroelectrolytic secretions, inhibits bacterial toxins, and enhances trophic factors such as brush border membrane enzymes and nutrient transporters.” (Zanello 2009).
Thus S boulardii, unlike bacterial probiotics, does not colonize the gut. With dosages discussed in published studies, S boulardii takes about three days to achieve “steady-state” concentrations. When administration is stopped, the yeast is cleared from the colon in about 36 hours. Thus the use discussed here for “emergency treatment” of diarrhea is designed to literally flush the system with S boulardii, enabling it to get to work faster than with twice-a-day dosing.
“Emergency Stop Diarrhea” S boulardii Administration for Cats with Severe Diarrhea
Probiotics are typically sold in measures of “CFU.
” CFU = colony forming units. S boulardii is the exception, it is often sold in mg. Note that 250mg of S boulardii is the same dose as 5 billion CFU.
Traditional dosing for therapeutic treatment of diarrhea in adult cats as provided by U.C. Davis is one-half of a 250mg capsule (5 billion CFU) given twice daily. Treatment for kittens is half of the adult dose. It can be given with food; it does not have to be. This is usually sufficient for loose stools of normal frequency. For the “emergency stop diarrhea” approach, we find more frequent dosing of smaller amounts of the probiotic, providing a higher total CFU the first day or two, resolves diarrhea much more quickly.
For adult cats (defined here as 9 months of age and older):
Give one-quarter of the 250mg / 5 billion CFU capsule every two hours or so. Many cats accept it when mixed into finely ground poached chicken breast / turkey breast / pork loin or meat-only baby food. (Beech Nut, Goya, and Gerber list “meat” and broth or gravy as ingredients.
These are fine, they are referring to the water used to cook the meat, and they contain no spices). If your cat does not like the taste of the probiotic, you can syringe after mixing with water. If you are not experienced syringing liquids into your cat, you can use empty #3 gel capsules. Simply fill 10 to 20 of these by transferring the S boulardii from the larger capsules into the smaller ones. These are a size easy to pill your cat. Pill your cat with one #3 capsule filled with S boulardii every two hours or so. For pilling instructions, see How to Pill (Your Cat).
This frequent dosing method usually stops diarrhea within 24 – 48 hours, other than when diarrhea is caused by another disease that requires treatment (low B12, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, hyperthyroidism, as examples). This “loading dose” can be continued for longer if necessary, up to three to four days – but if you do not see substantial improvement in the diarrhea on day 3, it is best to follow-up with your veterinarian.
It is NOT necessary to use this approach, it can be given at “therapeutic” doses as discussed above twice a day (and doubled if you see improvement in stool but diarrhea or soft cow patty stools have not resolved).
When the diarrhea has substantially resolved with use of the emergency stop treatment protocol, begin use of S. boulardii at the therapeutic dose level (2.5 billion CFU twice daily) and continue for at least one week. If stools soften, resume use of S. boulardii at the therapeutic dose as needed. Given its role in improving performance of bacterial probiotics and its anti-inflammatory properties, the use of S boulardii at maintenance levels (anywhere from 500 million CFU to a total of 2.5 billion CFU daily) can be continued indefinitely along with a bacterial probiotic. It confers many health and GI protective benefits, and we use it along with bacterial strains in all of our cats, all the time.
For kittens under nine months old, follow the same instructions as for adults, just use half the amount.
Please Note: If diarrhea becomes worse with S boulardii administration, stop use immediately. There can be several reasons for this reaction, however. We have seen cats do poorly with a brand of S boulardii that contains lactose, and switching to a brand like Jarrow without it, the product works quite well. This is most common. We have also seen what is most likely bacterial die-off with the S boulardii. Again, stop administration for 24 hours, and reintroduce it (while continuing to feed the bland diet) slowly. Do not follow the "emergency stop diarrhea" instructions. Use it just twice a day, but at 1/4 of the recommended amount the first day, and 1/2 the recommended amount the second day if kitty did not react to the lower dose. If you do not begin to see improvement even with this slower method of introduction, stop the S boulardii, best to see the vet.
Brands of S boulardii:
In the U.S. Jarrow is one of the most widely available. It is combined with MOS (mannanoligosaccharides) which improve its efficacy.
Florastor is available in many large chain stores, but it contains lactose, which may exacerbate diarrhea in some cats due to the common lactose intolerance.
Walmart has a store brand very similar to Florastor, called Equate but without the lactose. Renew Life, carried by most Whole Foods stores, has two S boulardii products, one with larch arabinogalactan. Buy the one WITHOUT this ingredient. There are many brands of S boulardii available online: anything with just plan S boulardii in capsules of 3 billion CFU to 5 billion CFU will do.
You can click on the pictures to purchase the probiotics from amazon U.S.
What to feed a cat with diarrhea, natural products, medicated food
With prolonged diarrhea in a cat, weakness, refusal to feed, vomiting, fever, you should seek help from a veterinary clinic.
How to properly feed a cat if she has diarrhea
80% of pet owners experience diarrhea in their pet. Main reasons:
● Infectious diseases.
● Helminths and protozoa. nine0003
● Poisoning.
● Inflammatory bowel disease.
● Diseases of other organs of the digestive system.
If diarrhea is caused by these problems, or its etiology is not exactly clear, then you need to contact a veterinary gastroenterologist for diagnosis and treatment.
For diarrhea associated with overeating, eating stale or not intended for a cat, stools can be normalized with a therapeutic diet, which must be maintained for an average of 14 days. nine0003
During diarrhea, the normal absorption of fluid in the intestines is disturbed, most of it comes out with feces. The owner must adjust the nutrition of his cat so that the food is easily digested, does not irritate the already inflamed walls of the digestive tract. It is also important to prevent dehydration, because it can occur very quickly.
If the cat has reduced appetite, then in the first day there is no need for force feeding.
It is important to provide your pet with enough moisture by placing several bowls of water around the house. With a complete refusal to drink, it is necessary to carry out violent infusions of liquid from a syringe without a needle into the corner of the mouth. nine0003
A starvation diet for more than a day is dangerous for cats, as serious changes in the liver can begin - lipidosis.
● On the second day, food should be offered every 2 hours, but in small portions, 1-2 spoons each.
● Raw foods during this period are contraindicated. Food must be boiled or steamed. It is impossible to give fried, spicy, salty food, it irritates the walls of the stomach and intestines. For convenience and ease of digestion, food is pureed. Access to clean fresh water should not be limited. nine0003
● Additionally, Viyo nutritional drink, which is rich in prebiotic fibers, can be added to the diet.
● To improve the cat's appetite, increase palatability, the pet should be offered food warmed up to about 37 degrees.
It is more fragrant and attracts the cat.
● If your pet eats industrial food, then it should be temporarily transferred to a medical food, which is better absorbed and helps the digestive system recover faster. nine0003
Diarrhea can occur with intolerance to the components of the feed or with an individual reaction to some products. The owner should analyze the nutrition of his cat for the last 3-5 days, exclude everything new. Also, do not abruptly transfer a pet from one type of food to another, the transition should be smooth.
If diarrhea occurs, then you need to return to your usual diet.
Natural products
Products must be thermally processed so that they are better absorbed and there is no risk of food poisoning. It is better to choose meat that is not fatty, cut into pieces, boil, then bring to a state of minced meat or mashed potatoes with a blender. Cereals and vegetables should be well boiled and also brought to a homogeneous consistency, can be mixed with minced meat.
nine0003
For the first 3-5 days, the cat's diet should be composed exclusively of diet food. Then you can enter the usual food, one product per day.
In the table below, we have compiled a list of prohibited and permitted products for you:
| Valid: | Remove from diet: | nine0065
| Chicken meat Turkey Rabbit lean beef cod fillet Pollock fillet Rice Carrot vegetable marrow Pumpkin nine0058 | Raw meat Pork Fatty fish varieties Milk Dairy products Acute Salty Sweet Bold nine0003 Bakery products |
After 3-5 days, fermented milk products, cauliflower, potatoes, broccoli are gradually introduced into the diet.
If the appetite is still reduced, then it can be stimulated with warm meat broth added to the main diet.
If the cat does not have an appetite, then you need to contact the veterinary clinic to install an intravenous catheter and start parenteral nutrition. Depending on the severity of the condition, your veterinarian may recommend force-feeding with a syringe without a needle or insertion of an esophageal tube. nine0003
Self-medication is not worth it, all medications should be prescribed by a specialist.
Without harm to your pet's health, you can add special pre- and probiotics to your diet:
● Viyo nutritional drink;
● Food supplement FortiFlora;
● Diagel;
● Pro-Kolin.
Decoctions of chamomile and oak bark can relieve inflammation in the intestines, but they are usually difficult to pour into a pet, they are reluctant to drink cat solutions. nine0003
Industrial medicated feed
In case of indigestion, you can temporarily transfer the pet to a therapeutic diet.
Manufacturers produce diets for the gastrointestinal tract in the form of pates, pieces in sauce or jelly, and in the form of dry croquettes. The latter type of food is best pre-soaked in water or given outside the acute stage of the disease. The composition of the diet contains high-quality proteins with a high degree of digestibility, essential fatty acids, prebiotics. nine0003
For digestive disorders in cats, the following types of feed are indicated:
● Royal Canin GASTRO INTESTINAL GI32. Available in the form of dry food and sachets with pieces in sauce. The diet must be followed for at least 3 weeks.
● Monge Vetsolution Gastrointestinal Low Fat with horse chestnut extract helps relieve intestinal spasms, restores motility and normal functioning of the digestive system. It is used in a course of 1 to 3 weeks for acute digestive disorders and up to 12 weeks for chronic pathologies. nine0003
● Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EN Gastrointestinal. Contains soy protein isolate and chicken protein.
Rarely causes an undesirable food reaction. Available in the form of dry food, patés and chunks in sauce.
● Hill's PRESCRIPTION DIET Gastrointestinal Biome. Contains a balance of soluble and insoluble fiber combined with essential fatty acids and substances that support a normal gut microbiome. The duration of application is from one to twelve weeks. nine0003
● Farmina Vet Life Gastrointestinal. A complete diet that allows you to restore the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract in a short time when used as part of complex therapy.
● Happy Cat VET Diet - Intestinal - a grain-free diet containing chicken, fish, highly digestible fiber, chamomile and coriander. The course of application is from 3 to 12 weeks. The food is presented only in the form of dry croquettes.
nine0055 Manufacturer's recommended daily feed intake:
| Food name | Weight of a cat at normal weight | Daily rate of dry food, g | Daily rate of wet food, g |
| Royal Canin | 2 3 four five 6 7 8 nine 10 | nine0002 31 42 51 60 68 76 84 91 98 | 115 175 235 nine0003 295 350 410 470 525 585 |
| Monge Vetsolution | 2 3 four nine0003 five 6 7 8 nine 10 | 25 35 45 50 60 66 nine0003 75 80 90 | 97 127 155 178 200 225 245 265 nine0002 285 |
| Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EN | 2 3 four five 6 7 8 nine nine0003 10 | thirty 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150 | 1¼ cans nine0003 2½ cans 3¾ cans |
| Hill's PRESCRIPTION DIET | 2 3 four five 6 7 nine0003 8 nine 10 | 35 50 65 70 75 13 per kg 13 per kg 13 per kg nine0003 130 | 162 246 287 340 |
| Farmina Vet Life Gastrointestinal | 2 2. 3.5 four 4.5 five 5.5 6 6.5 | 25-40 28-45 32-50 35-55 nine0003 38-65 40-70 42-75 45-80 50-82 52-85 | 130 150 170 190 210 nine0003 225 240 255 270 285 |
| Happy Cat VET Diet - Intestinal | 2 3 four nine0002 five6 7 8 nine 10 | 37 48 58 68 77 85 nine0003 93 101 109 | |
5 The daily diet is divided into equal portions and the pet is fed 3-4 times a day.
If your cat is obese or extremely underweight, you are feeding dry and wet food at the same time, then it is better to check the rate with your doctor.
Gastrointestinal Healthy Everyday Foods
It also happens that the cat is healthy, has no diseases, but diarrhea comes back from time to time. In this case, intolerance to foods that are part of the home diet or industrial diet can be suspected. Most often, the reaction occurs on animal protein.
In this case, the cat should be switched to a complete food for animals with sensitive digestion. These feeds contain dietary protein, essential fatty acids, fructo- and oligosaccharides: nine0003
● Happy Cat Sensitive. Dry food with duck, ocean fish, rabbit or venison. There is food for kittens with duck.
● Go! with duck or trout, with pollock for kittens and adult cats.
● NOW FRESH grain-free food with herring, trout and salmon.
● Sanabelle Grain Free Poultry, Salmon & Sweet Potato, Roe Deer & Potato or Lamb.
● Hill's Science Plan Sensitive Stomach & Skin with Chicken. nine0003
● Royal Canin Sensible 33 bird food.
● Bozita grain-free daily diet with elk meat.
● Advance Sensitive with salmon and rice.
● FARMINA N/D with lamb and quinoa.
● Cat Sensitive Monge with Chicken.
On the back of the package, the manufacturer indicates the detailed composition and daily intake of food, depending on the activity, body weight of the cat. Below are the average values: nine0003
| Food name | Weight of a cat at normal weight | Daily rate of dry food, g |
| Happy Cat Sensitive | 2 3 nine0003 four five 6 7 8 nine 10 | 25 40 55 65 75 nine0003 85 95 105 115 |
| GO! | 0. 2.3-3.2 3.2-4.5 4.5-6 6-7.3 nine0003 | 20-33 33-41 41-60 60-98 98-120 |
| NOW FRESH | 2.3-3.2 3.2-4.5 4.5-6 nine0003 6-7.3 7.3-9 | 28-39 35-55 50-92 92-114 102-171 |
| Sanabelle | 2-3 nine0003 4-5 6-7 8 | 40-55 65-75 85-95 105 |
| Hill's Science Plan Sensitive Stomach & Skin | nine0053 30-40 40-55 50-70 60-80 70-95 nine0002 12 per kg | |
| Royal Canin Sensible 33 | 3 four five 6 | 39 48 57 nine0002 64 |
| Bozita Sensitive Diet & Stomach Grain Free | 3 four five 6 7 | thirty 35 nine0003 40 50 55 |
| Advance Sensitive | 1-3 3-5 5-7 | 20-50 50-75 nine0003 75-90 |
| Cat Sensitive Monge | 3 four five 6 8 | 30-45 45-60 nine0003 55-75 65-85 75-100 |
9-2.3 Unlike therapeutic, daily food does not need to be divided into 4 or more feedings.
You can divide the daily portion into 2 meals or install a smart bowl with a dispenser.
As mentioned earlier, proper nutrition can help normalize cat stools. However, if the indigestion persists for more than three days, it is necessary to seek help from a veterinary clinic. Our experts are ready to provide qualified assistance to your pet around the clock, seven days a week. nine0133
Author: Chadina Elena Olegovna
Can I give cats baby food?
1) What is baby food
2) Can I give baby food to a cat? Pros and cons
3) What can be replaced?
What is baby food
Many owners believe that everything done for children is absolutely hypoallergenic and safe, so they give baby food to cats and kittens without hesitation. This includes special purees and mixtures of vegetables and meats intended for feeding babies. The most popular manufacturers are companies such as Agusha, Gerber and so on.
However, are such dishes included in the list of products that are not harmful to your pets? Let's figure it out! nine0003
Is it possible to give baby food to a cat? Pros and cons
The general answer is yes, you can, but there are many nuances that the Murkosi team will tell you about in this article. First of all, it is worth understanding that cats are predators and that of infant formulas, meat ones are most suitable for them (except for some special cases). However, even they are not a complete diet, that is, such food cannot be fed to a pet on an ongoing basis.
A valid option for baby food for a cat is in those moments when he is weakened, cannot chew and digest full-fledged food. This is usually associated with past illnesses and operations, with diseases of the esophagus and gums. But even in these cases, the transfer to a similar diet should occur only on the recommendation of the attending veterinarian. nine0003
For example, baby food can be given to older cats that develop gum disease and tooth loss.
If the pet has a sensitive gastrointestinal tract that is unable to digest the usual cat food for some reason, then this type of food can also be offered to him. With such a serious health condition, baby food for a cat will be an excellent alternative to regular food, but owners should pay attention to other important aspects. The first of these is what such food consists of. nine0003
To begin with, it is worth understanding what kind (that is, consisting of what components) baby food should be offered to a cat. To do this, it is advisable to know if the fluffy is allergic to any vegetables or meat. The surest way to check is to give your pet one or another puree (from beef or chicken, containing certain vegetables) in a small amount and monitor his condition. If you observe fever, diarrhea, vomiting or any other unhealthy reaction of the cat's body, stop feeding it this product. Offer another mixture, after checking its components for similarity with the previous ones and making sure that they do not repeat.
If there is a reaction to it, then it is possible that it is better to avoid infant formulas from this particular manufacturer. In this case, it is better to stop the experiments and seek help from a veterinarian. nine0003
Read about allergies: Food allergies in cats
Next, check the composition for the presence of components that are harmful to the cat's body. Of course, preservatives are excluded from baby food, but there are still many other substances that are harmful to cats. First of all, don't buy formulas that contain soy for your cat, as this is not part of the cat's natural diet and can lead to serious digestive problems. Lactose is also categorically not recommended for cats, since many mustachioed cats have intolerance to this substance. nine0003
More about the dangers of lactose: Is it okay to give cats milk?
Important! Baby food for a cat should never contain onions, garlic and salt! Onions and garlic contain a disulphide component that promotes the breakdown of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in a cat's body.
Its constant presence in the blood leads to the development of hemolytic anemia and can be fatal. If the baby food contains sugar or salt in large quantities, then it should also be avoided, because these substances lead to serious disorders in the digestive system, liver and kidneys. nine0003
What other products from the table are harmful to cats: Natural food for cats: good or bad?
In the adoption center "Murkosha" they always carefully check the components of the feed that are given to our cats, and we take products only from proven and really high-quality manufacturers. Each owner should also be careful about choosing the diet of his pet.
Many owners mistakenly believe that they can feed their cats expired baby food. However, this opinion is fundamentally wrong! The cat's body is as sensitive to spoiled food as the human body, so delay can cause poisoning and intoxication. nine0003
Another disadvantage of feeding a cat with baby food is that it is still intended for human children.
Baby food for kittens is not a product that should replace everything else like professional food. Be that as it may, the best nutritional option for a healthy kitten is mother's milk, and then special food, because it contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals for the healthy growth of a kitten.
It is also a mistake to feed a cat with baby food consisting exclusively of meat. It would be more correct to combine it with vegetable mixtures to maintain the proper level of all the vitamins and nutrients a cat needs - because a mustachioed pet needs not only proteins, but also carbohydrates and fiber. A veterinary nutritionist can help you with this. nine0003
Therefore, baby food is a major compromise in any case. For comparison, in the professional feeds of the super premium and holistic class (which are used in Murkosh), the balance of useful substances is precisely adjusted, and there is also a vitamin and mineral complex.
Read about super premium food: Super premium cat food
About holistics: Holistic cat food in the diet - but only a product used for health problems in an animal. Of course, the most obvious alternative to baby food for kittens is professional food labeled “for kittens”. For the little ones (but who have already stopped feeding on mother cat's milk), we recommend wet food. It usually consists of specially minced pieces of meat, and also includes a wide list of vitamins for healthy growth and development of the furry. Now many companies have started to produce food in the form of a pate, which is more than a worthy alternative to meat mixtures, while (if it is a quality food - super premium and holistic class) it already contains all the useful substances necessary for the growth of a kitten. nine0003 More about pates: Pates for cats not suitable as a complete natural food, but may be recommended for medical reasons by the attending veterinarian for a certain period. However, owners should always carefully monitor the condition of the cat after eating such foods, and also contact the veterinarian if symptoms of an allergic reaction appear.
nine0003 What can be substituted?
