How to feed a baby cat milk
Bottle Feeding Kittens | Best Friends Animal Society
This resource provides instructions for caring for bottle-feeding kittens (“bottle babies”) – very young kittens who have been abandoned or orphaned. It includes information on feeding, weaning, medical care, developmental milestones and more.
Table of Contents
1.) Warmth and bedding
2.) Feeding
3.) Weaning
4.) Weight and hydration
5.) Elimination and litter box training
6.) A clean kitten is a happy kitten
7.) Medical care
8.) Kittens’ developmental milestones
9.) Loving care
Warmth and bedding
For their safety, bottle babies should be kept in a cat carrier when you are not feeding or caring for them. The kittens must be kept warm. Use a heating pad designed and approved for pets (such as a K&H or Snugglesafe pet bed warmer), wrapped in two or three layers of towels. The top layer of bedding can also be a soft fleece blanket instead of a towel. Make sure the carrier is large enough for the kittens to have an area to move away from the heating pad if they are too warm. Kittens will need the heating pad until they are 3 to 4 weeks old.
Cover the carrier with a towel or blanket and keep it in a warm, draft-free room, securely away from other pets. Check the bedding several times a day for messes. Bedding should be changed at least once a day, more often if the kittens soil the bedding.
A kitten’s ideal body temperature is 100 to 102 degrees. A kitten who feels cold and is unresponsive should be warmed immediately. Never attempt to feed a cold kitten. Place the kitten on an approved heating pad safely wrapped in two or three layers of towels. Turn the kitten side to side every 5 minutes. To stimulate blood flow, you may, ever so gently, massage the kitten with hand-rubbing.
If the kitten does not respond within 20 to 30 minutes, contact your medical staff immediately.
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Feeding
Do not feed cow’s milk to kittens, as it does not have the proper nutrition for them. Cow’s milk will also cause diarrhea, a possibly life-threatening condition for young kittens. Only feed your kittens an approved kitten formula. Kitten Milk Replacement (KMR) formula is ideal. The instructions for mixing KMR are below.
| KMR powdered formula Use 1 part formula to 2 parts water. A part is whatever you are using to measure with. For example, if you’re using a tablespoon for measuring, this would mean 1 tablespoon of powdered KMR and 2 tablespoons of water. |
Formula that has been in the refrigerator must be warmed to 98-102 degrees Fahrenheit before feeding. Heat a mug of water and place the bottle in the mug of heated water. Never heat the bottle in the microwave.
Before feeding the kittens, always test the temperature of the formula by placing a few drops on your inner wrist to be sure it is not too hot. Always wash your hands well with soap and water before and after feeding the kittens. Bottles and nipples should be cleaned thoroughly before each use.
When bottle nipples are brand new, you may need to cut a hole in the top. Cut an X in the tip of the nipple using small, sharp scissors. Or you can burn a hole in the nipple using a large needle. Heat the needle with a match, then poke it through the nipple tip. It may take a few attempts to make the hole the correct size. Once the hole is made, test it by placing the nipple on a bottle of formula and turning the bottle upside down. The formula should drip slowly out of the hole. If the hole is too big, the kittens will ingest too much formula too fast; if it is too small, they will have to work harder to eat and won’t eat as much as they should.
To prevent the possibility of spreading viruses between the kittens and other pets in your house, keep a “kitten gown” (a robe, sweatshirt, etc.
) in the kittens’ room to wear during feeding and handling of the kittens. You may also wear gloves if you wish, and remember to always wash your hands well before and after feeding your bottle babies.
Because kittens under 4 weeks old aren’t able to pee or poop on their own, you’ll need to help the kittens do that by stimulating them before or after each feeding, or both. Using something soft and absorbent, like tissues or toilet paper, rub each kitten’s genital area in a circular motion. (For more details, see the section on elimination below.) Keep records of their eliminations in case an issue arises. After a kitten has eliminated, weigh him or her before feeding. You should also keep records of the kittens’ weights before and after each feeding.
After recording the kitten’s elimination and weight, it’s time to feed. Never feed a kitten on his back. The kitten should be on his stomach in a position similar to how he would lay next to his mother to nurse. You may try holding the kitten upright swaddled in a warm towel or have the kitten lay on a towel in your lap.
Experiment with what position works best for you and the kitten.
Turn the bottle upside down and allow a drop of formula to come out. Place the bottle nipple in the kitten’s mouth and gently move it back and forth, holding the bottle at a 45-degree angle to keep air from getting into the kitten’s stomach. This movement should encourage the kitten to start eating. If at first you don’t succeed, wait a few minutes and try again. Usually the kitten will latch on and begin to suckle. If the bottle appears to be collapsing, gently remove the nipple from the kitten’s mouth and let more air return to the bottle.
Allow the kitten to suckle at his own pace. If a kitten refuses to suckle, try stroking the kitten’s back or gently rubbing her on her forehead. This stroking is similar to momma cat’s cleaning and it may stimulate the kitten to nurse. If this doesn’t work, try rubbing some Karo Syrup on the kitten’s lips. If the kitten still doesn’t want to nurse, contact your medical staff immediately.
Do not attempt to feed a kitten who is chilled because it can have serious health consequences. Try warming the kitten as described above. If you are unable to warm the kitten, contact your medical staff immediately.
A kitten should eat about 8 milliliters (mls) of formula per ounce of body weight per day. The chart below provides guidance on when and how much to feed kittens.
Courtesy of the Kitten Lady
Nursing bottles are marked with measurements, so this is another way to know how much you’re feeding the kittens. Please note that some bottles use ml for measurement, some use cubic centimeters (cc). They are the same: 1 cc = 1 ml.
Using a kitchen or small postal scale, weigh the kittens daily to calculate the amount of formula they need. Keep a log listing daily weights and amount of formula consumed at each feeding.
If you are feeding multiple kittens, feed the first kitten until he stops nursing, then begin feeding the next kitten, and so on.
Once you have fed all the kittens, feed the first kitten again and repeat with all the kittens. Usually one to three nursing turns will suffice. When a kitten stops nursing, he/she has had enough. A well-fed kitten’s belly should be round, but not hard and distended. Smaller or weaker kittens may eat less per feeding and will need to be fed more often.
Kittens need to be burped, just like human babies. Lay the kitten on his stomach, on your shoulder or in your lap, and very gently pat his back until you hear a little burp. You may need to burp a couple times per feeding.
Young kittens may suckle on each other. If you notice a kitten doing that, you should separate the kittens because this can lead to many medical issues.
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Weaning
Weaning may begin around 4 weeks of age. Start by offering the kittens formula on a spoon. Once they are lapping off the spoon, try putting some formula in a saucer. As they master lapping up the formula out of the saucer, you can gradually add a small amount of canned food to the formula in the saucer, making a gruel.
Increase the amount of canned food slowly, adding more food and less formula. Some kittens catch on right away, others may take a few days. To be sure the kittens are getting enough food, you may need to continue bottle feeding them a few times a day, until they are eating well on their own. Be sure to feed them what they need to be full, but don’t overfeed them.
Never force a kitten to wean. Some kittens continue to enjoy their bottle past 4 weeks. This is fine as long as you keep a close eye on them and ensure that they’re not chewing on the nipple. Now that they have teeth, they could ingest part of the nipple.
Monitor the kittens’ stools to make sure they are tolerating and digesting the gruel mix well. If the kittens have loose stools, reduce the amount of canned food and increase the formula until their systems have adjusted. As the kittens adjust to the gruel mix and you are adding more canned food to their diet, you can also add more water to the formula mix. If you are using KMR formula, add an extra measure of water when preparing the formula.
Instead of 1 part formula to 2 parts water, mix 1 part formula to 3 or 4 parts water.
As the kittens eat more food and less formula, you will need to have a bowl of fresh water available to them at all times to keep them well hydrated. At this time, you may also add dry food to their diet. Add some of the watered-down formula mix to the dry food to entice the kittens to eat it. Gradually reduce the formula and let them eat the food dry. Again, keep watch on the kittens’ stools to make sure they are tolerating the food well. If diarrhea or constipation persists with the change in diet, contact your medical staff. (Spoiler alert: There’s always some diarrhea when kittens wean.)
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Weight and hydration
Weigh your kittens before and after each feeding using a kitchen or postal scale. Kittens should gain about ½ ounce every day or 3 to 4 ounces per week. By 8 weeks, most kittens weigh about 2 pounds. Enter their daily weights in the logbook. If the kittens are not gaining weight or are losing weight, contact your medical staff right away.
A well-fed kitten should be properly hydrated. To test a kitten’s hydration, pull up on the skin at the scruff of the neck. The skin should bounce back easily. If it doesn’t bounce back, or goes back down slowly, the kitten may be dehydrated. If the kitten appears dehydrated, contact your medical staff.
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Elimination and litter box training
As mentioned above, young kittens cannot eliminate on their own. A momma cat will clean her kittens, stimulating them to urinate and have a bowel movement. As their human caregiver, you now have the honor of performing this duty. Before and/or after each feeding, use a tissue or soft cloth to gently rub and clean the kitten’s lower belly, genital and anal area. The kitten should begin eliminating within a minute.
Kittens should urinate after each feeding and have a bowel movement one to four times a day. Do not continue to rub the kitten for more than a minute or so, since this could irritate her delicate skin.
Gently wash the kitten after she is done eliminating using a clean, damp, soft cloth. Record the kittens’ elimination type and frequency in the logbook.
When they are between 3 and 4 weeks of age, kittens can be introduced to the litter box. Use a small cardboard box or plastic litter box with just enough clay litter to cover the bottom. Don’t use clumping litter. Adding a used tissue from when you helped them urinate to the box will help them get the idea of what to do next. Put the kittens in the box, allowing them to get the feel for the litter. Natural instinct will generally prevail and the kittens will begin investigating, scratching, and, within a few days, using the box.
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A clean kitten is a happy kitten
After feeding, clean any formula, urine, feces or other messes off the kitten using a clean, soft, warm, damp cloth. This action simulates how the momma cat would clean the kittens. If more cleaning is required, you may use a wetter washcloth dipped in warm water to loosen up caked-on messes in the kitten’s fur.
Do not use soap or pet shampoo directly on the kitten. If you must use a shampoo to clean the kitten, add one or two drops of shampoo to a cup of warm water, then use the cloth dipped in this mixture to clean the kitten. Rinse the cleaned area with another cloth dipped in clear, warm water. Gently dry the kitten with a soft towel or hair dryer set on low and not held too closely. Do not allow the kitten to become chilled. Once the kitten is clean and dry, place her back in the carrier on the covered heating pad, which should be covered in clean layers of bedding.
Kittens’ ears should be clean and dirt-free. If the ears are dirty, gently clean the area with a Q-tip; you may need to dampen it in warm water. Do not use ear-cleaning solution because it could be harmful to the kitten. Only clean the outer area of the inside ear, just the part that you can see; do not push the Q-tip down into the ear. If the ears are extremely dirty or you see signs of ear mites (specks that look like coffee grounds), contact your medical staff about treatment options.
Kittens may have some discharge in or around their eyes. To cleanse the area, gently wipe around the eye with a warm, damp, soft cloth. If the discharge continues, is cloudy, or the eyes are gooped shut, clean the eyes as directed above, then contact your medical staff for treatment options.
All kitten bedding should be washed separately from other household laundry using detergent and ¾ cup of bleach per load. To clean carriers and litter boxes used for the kittens, use a mixture of ¼ cup of bleach per gallon of water. You may add a tablespoon of laundry soap to the wash water. Do not use any cleaning agents that contain ammonia or are not approved to mix with bleach, since it could cause hazardous fumes. Be sure the carrier and/or litter boxes are completely dry and free of bleach fumes before putting them back with the kittens.
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Medical care
A veterinarian should be consulted for kittens showing any of the following symptoms.
Do not medicate kittens without consulting a vet first.
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Straining to urinate, or not urinating
- Vomiting
- Upper respiratory symptoms: goopy/watery eyes, runny nose, constant sneezing, coughing, wheezing or labored breathing
- Not eating
- Lethargy
- Change in attitude or behavior
- Hair loss
- Anything you are worried or concerned about
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Kittens’ developmental milestones
Kittens weigh about 2 to 4 ounces at birth. They are blind, deaf and totally dependent on the mother cat for survival. Some developmental milestones:
- At 7 to 10 days, their eyes start to open. Kittens’ eyes are fully open by 20 days. Their eyes stay blue until they are 6 to 7 weeks old.
- They will begin to play with each other at 3 to 4 weeks.
- By 3 to 4 weeks, solid food can be introduced, their first juvenile teeth are cut, and litter box training begins.
- At 6 weeks, kittens are well-coordinated, running and climbing and full of mischief.
- Kittens are ready for their first vaccinations at 4 weeks and spay/neuter surgery at 6 weeks.
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Loving care
Physical and emotional contact with you is extremely important for the growing, developing kitten. Early cuddling and gentle petting of kittens helps them to bond well with humans, allowing them to grow up feeling safe and secure with their human family. Playing with the kittens with a variety of toys will stimulate their minds and help them develop good motor skills.
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Newborn Kittens: Care, Feeding, and More
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
Reviewed by Kathleen Claussen, DVM on February 16, 2021
In this Article
- How Do I Feed a Newborn Kitten?
- What Do Kittens Eat Besides Milk?
- How Often Should a Kitten Eat?
- How Do I Keep a Newborn Kitten Warm?
- How Much Should a Newborn Kitten Weigh?
- Can I Hold the Kitten?
- How to Teach Your Kitten to Go to the Bathroom
How Do I Feed a Newborn Kitten?
Kittens under 4 weeks of age cannot eat solid food, whether it’s dry or canned.
They can drink their mother’s milk to get the nutrients they need. The kitten will rely on you to survive if their mother isn’t around.
You can feed your newborn kitten a nutritional substitute that’s called kitten milk replacer. It’s essential that you avoid feeding a kitten the same milk that humans consume. Typical cow’s milk can make cats very sick. If you’re unsure of which kitten milk replacer to choose, talk to a veterinarian. They can help you select the right one.
For many dry milk replacers, refrigeration is not always required. But if extra milk is prepared, it should be stored in the fridge. To feed your kitten, follow these steps:
Prepare the formula. Warm the kitten formula to slightly above room temperature. Test the temperature of the formula right before you feed your kitten. Do this by placing a few drops of the formula on your wrist to ensure it’s not too hot.
Keep things clean. Before and after each feeding, you should wash your hands and the bottle that you used to feed your kitten.
It’s also recommended that you use a “kitten gown.” This could be a robe or a shirt that you only wear when you’re handling or feeding your kitten. Using a kitten gown helps reduce the possibility of spreading germs.
Feed them gently. Handle your kitten with care. The kitten should be on their stomach lying next to you. This would be the same way they would nurse from their mom. Try holding your kitten in a warm towel while they sit on your lap. Find a position that feels comfortable for both of you.
Let them take the lead. Hold the bottle of formula to your kitten's mouth. Let the kitten suckle at their own pace. If the kitten doesn’t eat right away, gently stroke their forehead. The stroking stimulates how their mother would clean them and it encourages the kitten to eat.
Kittens need to eat every 3 hours, no matter what time it is. Many people set an alarm so that they don’t miss a feeding. This is especially helpful overnight. It’s important that you feed your kitten regularly.
Skipping feedings or overfeeding can cause your kitten to have diarrhea or develop severe dehydration.
Burp them. Kittens need to be burped the same that way babies do after feeding. Lay your kitten down on their stomach and gently pat their back until you hear a little burp. You may need to do this a few times throughout each feeding.
If for any reason you can’t get your kitten to eat, contact your veterinarian immediately.
What Do Kittens Eat Besides Milk?
Once your kitten is about 3.5 to 4 weeks old, you can start weaning them off of the bottle. This is a gradual process that takes time and practice. The process usually looks something like this:
- Begin by offering your kitten formula on a spoon.
- Later, start offering your kitten formula in a saucer.
- Gradually add canned food to the kitten formula in the saucer.
- Increase the canned food in the saucer, adding less and less kitten formula.
If your kitten doesn’t take to the spoon or the saucer right away, you can continue to offer the bottle.
As you progress through the weaning process, monitor your kitten and their stool to ensure that they digest everything well. If your kitten is doing well and isn’t experiencing digestive issues (like loose stool or diarrhea), then you can gradually introduce more and more food.
At this stage, it’s also important to offer your kitten a bowl of fresh water to make sure that they’re staying hydrated.
How Often Should a Kitten Eat?
The frequency that your kitten eats normally depends on how old they are:
- Up to 1 week old: every 2-3 hours
- 2 weeks old: every 3-4 hours
- 3 weeks old: every 4-6 hours.
- 6 weeks old: three or more feedings of canned food spaced out evenly throughout the day
- 12 weeks old: three feedings of canned food spaced out evenly throughout the day
If you have questions or need additional guidance about how often or what kind of food to give to your kitten, contact your veterinarian for help.
How Do I Keep a Newborn Kitten Warm?
Kittens should be kept in a cat carrier wrapped in a few layers of towels. Using a heating pad or heat disc (often the safer option) for pets alongside a soft fleece blanket can also help keep them warm. Ensure that the carrier is large enough for your kitten to move away from the heater when they want to.
It is very important to keep your cat carrier in a safe, warm room away from other pets. It’s helpful to go and check on your kitten throughout the day. If your kitten feels cold, you need to warm them up as soon as possible.
How Much Should a Newborn Kitten Weigh?
Newborn kittens usually weigh about 3.5 ounces, depending on their breed and the litter’s size. A healthy kitten should gain at least 10 grams per day. If you don’t see growth in their body size, this is often a sign of illness.
It’s essential to track and write down your kitten’s weight and how much they're eating every day. You can use a gram scale for accuracy in weighing animals this small. If your kitten isn’t eating or growing as expected, contact your veterinarian right away.
Can I Hold the Kitten?
Vets recommend not touching kittens unless you have to while their eyes are still closed. You can check on them to make sure they’re healthy and gaining weight, but try to limit direct physical contact.
The kitten’s mother will also let you know how comfortable she is with you handling her babies. It’s important to take it slow, especially at first. If the mother cat seems anxious or stressed, give her and her babies some space.
How to Teach Your Kitten to Go to the Bathroom
Young kittens can't go to the bathroom by themselves. Usually, a mother cat will clean her kittens to stimulate urination and a bowel movement. If the mother isn't present, the kitten will rely on you.
To help your kitten go to the bathroom, use a clean, warm, wet cotton ball and gently rub your kitten's belly and genital and anal area. Your kitten should go to the bathroom in less than a minute. After your kitten is done, clean them carefully with a soft wet cloth.
Once your kitten is 3 to 4 weeks old, you can introduce them to their litter box. Add a cotton ball to the process in a similar way that you used one on them when they were younger. This will help them to understand what to do.
Gently place your kitten in their litter box and let them get used to it. Keep practicing with them. Ensure that their bathroom is in a safe area away from other people and pets so that they feel comfortable.
Healthy Cats Guide
- Diet & Nutrition
- Cat Behavior
- Kitten Care
- Preventive Care
- Common Conditions
Milk for kittens - is it possible for kittens to give milk to kittens?
Invariably, the issue of feeding kittens is topical: what is possible, what is not, what is useful and what is not? It is firmly rooted in the human mind that a kitten is a milk lover, but is it really so? And what kind of milk can we talk about when talking about a balanced and healthy diet for a pet?
Owners often ask the question: is it possible to feed kittens with milk? Indeed, in our minds, a cat “for complete happiness” needs only a saucer of milk.
But will a treat be useful?
Oddly enough, only kittens need milk, and only if it is the milk of the "mother cat". Most cats do not digest lactose well, so you should not give your kitten milk, either cow's or goat's, even if she really asks for it - this can lead to intestinal upset.
What should I do if the cat's milk is gone or if the kitten is taken away from its mother early? To feed a kitten, you will need strict adherence to the diet, patience and powdered milk formula adapted specifically for kittens.
You can easily find a milk replacer in pet stores that is rich in all the nutrients needed for healthy kitten growth, such as ROYAL CANIN® Babycat Milk, a balanced mother's milk substitute.
Kittens of the first week of life should be fed strictly according to the regimen: every 120 minutes.
For the first two days, a kitten needs about 1 ml of milk per hour. Every next day, the amount of milk should be increased by 0.5 ml until the volume reaches approximately 10 ml per feeding.
Feeding a kitten is easy. ROYAL CANIN ® Babycat Milk, for example, comes with a special feeding bottle and instructions.
Determining whether a kitten is full or not is also quite simple. He swallows less frequently, begins to turn away from the bottle and gradually falls asleep. It is not worth overfeeding and forcibly drinking milk, it is better to continue feeding later.
Under natural conditions, a kitten up to 4 weeks of age feeds only on mother's milk. During this period, it does not make sense to transfer it to solid food. His body is not yet ready to digest dry food. The transition to "adult" food should occur gradually, over several weeks, starting with very small portions.
Everything happens faster when the kitten, imitating the mother, begins to try something new with her. But even if the baby willingly eats new food, he still needs his mother's milk in order to grow well and develop properly. A kitten at the age of 1.
5-2 months eats 5-6 times a day and does not refuse the milk of the mother cat.
The organism of cats absorbs lactose very poorly, so you should not give your cat milk, either cow's or goat's, even if she really asks for it.
Dry kitten food should be soaked at the beginning of use and given a new portion each time so that the food does not dry out and spoil. The ROYAL CANIN® Mother&Babycat diet is perfect for this period with its small kibbles and light texture that is easy to soak. Closer to the age of 3 months, the kitten will be able to do without milk without any problems.
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Feline immunodeficiency virus
Feline leukemia
Cat vaccination schedule
Feline chlamydia
Canine distemper in cats
Necessary items for a kitten
Feline infectious peritonitis
Feline rhinotracheitis
How do cats give birth?
How to feed a kitten without a mother?
Is it possible for a cat to have milk, sweets, kefir, dog food, raw meat and other products?
A pet, be it a cat or a dog, becomes a full member of the family.
Sometimes - so much so that loving hosts can not resist not to treat him from their table. The desire is understandable, but it will not benefit the cat: certain foods can lead to a serious illness or even death of a pet. Make sure your pet is getting the best kind of food and find out which foods are toxic to her in our article.
Onion and garlic
Onions, garlic, shallots and leeks are dangerous - they can damage a cat's red blood cells (erythrocytes), which can lead to anemia (anemia). These foods are poisonous if consumed in large quantities, but foods containing onions or garlic, such as onion soup or garlic powder, can also be toxic.
If a cat, especially after eating onions or garlic, develops lethargy and weakness, decreased appetite, pale gums, and the color of the urine turned from orange to dark red, then it should be immediately taken to a veterinary clinic.
Raw eggs and meat. Bones
Cats eating raw eggs or meat can lead to bacterial infections such as those caused by Salmonella or E.
coli. Symptoms of the disease may be different. Most often it is vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, weakness.
Salmonella bacteria and E. coli can also cause disease in humans, so be careful: wash your hands thoroughly after preparing food, do not let your cat close to raw foods.
Raw eggs also contain an enzyme that can cause hair and skin problems.
Raw bones can cause injury to the digestive tract and teeth.
Chocolate and caffeinated drinks
Everyone has probably heard that chocolate can be fatal to dogs. To the same extent, cocoa bean treats are poisonous to cats. Chocolate and caffeinated drinks contain plant alkaloids methylxanthine: they can cause vomiting, diarrhea, fever, muscle tremors, heart rhythm disturbances, tenderness, especially in the abdomen, profuse thirst and convulsions in cats.
As a rule, dark and bitter chocolate are more dangerous than milk and white. However, if your cat develops any of the above symptoms after eating any type of chocolate, be sure to contact your veterinarian for help.
Fish
Oddly enough, fish is not the most useful item on the cat's menu. Often the use of raw fish is fraught for the animal with the development of urolithiasis, helminthic invasion, hypovitaminosis. In addition, very often, due to injuries from small but sharp bones, the internal organs of the pet suffer.
Sweets, fruits and berries
All foods high in sugar are harmful to pets. This applies not only to muffins, cookies and sweets, but also bananas: due to excess sugar in ripe fruits, a cat can experience indigestion, obesity, and even pancreatitis. In addition, bananas contain a significant amount of starch, which is poorly digested and absorbed by cats. An excess of it in the diet can lead to flatulence and diarrhea. For the same reason, you should be careful when introducing potatoes and other starchy foods to the menu of cats and cats.
Problems can also arise with the abuse of starchy foods. Buns, loaf, bread, pasta and other dishes beloved by some cats often cause obesity, constipation and colitis in tailed gourmets.
Mushrooms
It is unlikely that anything will happen to a fluffy bully if he bites off a little from a store-bought champignon - provided that you notice the mess in time and select the mushroom. No matter how you look at it, this is not suitable food for cats. Forest and raw mushrooms are of great danger. Symptoms of poisoning - slow heart rate (bradycardia), weakness, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea, constriction of the pupils, increased salivation.
Alcohol
A visit to the veterinary clinic may also be required after the cat has consumed alcohol.
Alcoholic beverages (vodka, beer, liqueurs, tinctures, etc.) lead to severe poisoning in a pet, which may be accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions and tremors, incoordination and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, these drinks can cause coma and even death of the cat.
Raw dough
Raw dough can cause active fermentation in the animal's digestive tract or lead to the production of alcohol in the stomach (similar to the production of kvass, beer and some other drinks).
If you suspect that your cat has swallowed even a small amount of alcohol, you should take it to the veterinarian as soon as possible.
Milk and dairy products
Contrary to popular belief, milk and dairy products are not that good for cats. Even if she eats them with pleasure, this can lead to indigestion, incl. to diarrhea, as well as contribute to the appearance of excess weight in the pet.
The reason - in the difficulties with the digestion of lactose - milk sugar: most cats encounter this substance only in mother's milk. Kittens feed on milk for several weeks after birth. The repeated introduction of lactose into the diet can adversely affect the functioning of the digestive system. Also, all dairy products are quite high in calories. So, for a cat weighing 4.5 kg, 28 g of hard cheese are equal in calories to 4 bars of chocolate for an adult, and 1 cup of milk is 5!
And while some cats do not have lactose intolerance problems, feeding them milk, butter or other dairy products is not recommended.
Grapes and raisins
It is still unclear why even a small amount of grapes and raisins in a cat's diet can lead to poisoning, namely the development of acute or chronic renal failure. During the first 12 hours, the cat may experience vomiting and other symptoms such as lethargy or increased activity, diarrhea, decreased appetite, infrequent urination, and tenderness in the abdomen, which may occur over the next 24 hours. And while some cats don't show any side effects, it's best to remove grapes and raisins from kitchen countertops and other places accessible to your pet.
Dog food
Dog food is not toxic to cats, but your pet needs a completely different set of nutrients. Cat food, unlike diets for dogs, should contain vitamin A (and not just its predecessors such as beta-carotene), taurine (an essential amino acid for cats), arachidonic acid (an essential omega-6 for cats fatty acid) and more protein. Some of these substances, such as vitamin A and protein, are not needed by dogs in the same amount as cats, but taurine and arachidonic acid are produced in sufficient quantities in their bodies.
But for cats, the lack of these substances can result in diseases of the heart, eyes and teeth. Do not worry too much if a cat or a cat periodically eats its food after your dog, the main thing is that such gourmets always have access to a high-quality and balanced diet for cats.
Food Safety Tips
Here are some simple tips to prevent your cat from eating toxic foods:
- Keep food out of your cat's reach. If the kitten is curious, install special locks on the cabinet doors as for small children;
- Do not allow the cat to sit on the table while cooking or eating;
- Do not feed her table scraps;
- Be on the lookout during holidays and family feasts: seductive aromas and new dishes will not leave indifferent even the most well-mannered and obedient animal.
If you notice or suspect that your pet has eaten something forbidden, take him to the veterinarian immediately. The life and well-being of your cat depends on what kind of food it eats.
