British cats are very popular among breeders and pet lovers. It is easy to fall in love with such a pet at first sight: thick fur with undercoat, unusual blue color, short thick neck, wide rounded cheekbones and small neat ears. These good-natured fat men are able to please their owners for many years. Like any pedigree cat, the British are advised to carefully select a diet.
Power Rules
From the moment of birth to 2 months of age, kittens need only breast milk.
Lure on the sly should be entered from 2 months with beef, with low-fat cream and low-fat cottage cheese with no additives. It is possible to choose the right food and natural products suitable for a particular pet at the veterinarian, but knowing the rules of selection, it is quite possible to cope on your own.
For the British, you can buy ready-made feed, but only premium and superpremium class (from natural ingredients, grainless, with reduced fat and protein).
From the age of four months it is necessary to add vitamins and minerals to the feed.
It should be remembered that the British are pedigree cats and in no case can not be fed "from the table", otherwise the pet's digestive system will be hopelessly damaged, which will cause a lot of health problems and significantly reduce the life of the animal.
Representatives of the British breed in need of proper and balanced nutrition:
- finely chopped dietary boiled meat products (turkey, chicken, beef, rabbit, as well as their lungs, heart and liver);
- boiled sea and ocean fish of low-fat varieties (you must first remove the bones);
- eggs (preferably quail);
- slightly warm porridge on the water (buckwheat, oatmeal, semolina, millet);
- wheat germ and oats;
- special grass for cats (you can grow it yourself on the windowsill).
The rules for compiling the diet of cats of this breed are quite simple: a balance between nutrients, trace elements and vitamins is needed.
It should be remembered that the main criterion for proper nutrition of a British cat is the condition of its hair and eyes: in a healthy cat, the fur glitters, and the eyes are clean and clear. For complete confidence, 7 days after the introduction of a new feed into the diet, it is recommended to pass tests at the vet to check the load on the kidneys of the animal.
Dry Feed Review
After being examined by a veterinarian, some cats can include premium dry food in their diets (any dry food inevitably increases the burden on the kidneys of the animal, so they should not be fed on a regular basis).
Always use dry and wet food from the same manufacturer, different brands make their own balance of these two types of food on the basis of the daily rate per 1 kg of animal weight.
Usually the purchased food allows the cat owner to save money and time, but with the British it is not at all like that.
Representatives of this breed can only digest an expensive product from natural hypoallergenic ingredients, selected specifically for British cats.
The line of food for the British is quite narrow and is not always available in the assortment of ordinary pet stores, so they have to be ordered on the Internet.
It is also allowed to treat representatives of this breed with luxury food for special cats.
- Royal Canin British Shorthair - created specifically for adult food Britons, has the perfect shape of the pieces to facilitate crackling. Contains the optimal percentage of protein, vitamins and omega-3 acids, improves the metabolism in the cat's body.
- Royal Canin Sterilized - for neutered pets aged 1 to 7 years (excludes weight gain due to the ideal proportion of protein components and fiber).
- Go! Natural holistic (Fit Free Grain Free Chicken, Turkey, Duck Cat Recipe) - grainless feed based on 4 types of meat components. Normalizes the heart and strengthens the immune system.
- Monge Cat Sensitive - for cats with sensitive digestion. Normalizes the intestinal microflora, helps reduce the risk of urolithiasis.
- Hill's Science Plan Sterilized Cat - for sterilized pets. Strengthens muscles and joints, prevents weight gain, helps maintain healthy immunity.
Dry food helps the cat to clean the tartar and trains the chewing muscles.
It is recommended to give it to pets in the first half of the day along with natural food (however, do not mix them), while providing access to clean drinking water.
Wet or canned food should be given separately from dry food in the evening.
Wet food and canned food
Wet foods and canned foods are easier to digest than dry foods, they do not need to be washed down with water; Another advantage is more easily digested.
The opened package has a shelf life of only 1–2 days, so it is best to buy this type of feed in single-use portions.
Similar to dry food, they are recommended to buy premium and super premium class, preferably one brand.
Wet feed:
- Royal Canin British Shorthair Adult - minimizes the risk of heart disease, strengthens the joints, contains little fat.
- SHEBA® PLEASURE with a lamb - for cats weighing more than 4 kg. The composition includes only natural ingredients: meat, vitamins, fiber.
- Schesir jelly pieces, tuna - fishless seedless feed with vegetable gelatin, easily digested.
Canned food:
- Organix beef soufflé - hypoallergenic food, designed specifically for kittens, contains a balanced vitamin-mineral complex.
In order to avoid problems with the health of the pet, it is not worth buying canned food “for all species and age categories of cats” - this is an economy feed in premium packaging.
Keep moist and canned food must be in the refrigerator, but they can not be heated - just put on the table at room temperature for 1 hour.
After eating, when the cat loses interest in the bowl, the remnants of the uneaten food must be thrown out of it, and the dishes washed.
Selection features
When choosing a feed should be borne in mind that a balanced diet of the British cat should consist of three equal parts (each part 1/3 of the daily rate):
- dry food;
- wet food;
- natural products.
Based on the “rule of thirds” and in accordance with the conditions of storage of the opened pack, the required packing weight of the feed is calculated. For example, it is more profitable to buy dry food in packs of 2 kg - an adult Brit eats about 50 grams per day, and it is better to take wet food in portioned bags so as not to keep it open, as it quickly loses its taste and healthy properties.
Choosing food should be based on the age of the pet:
- kittens under 1 year old;
- adult cats and cats from 1 to 7 years;
- adult cats and cats from 1 to 10 years;
- adults over 7 years old.
Additionally, some brands offer food depending on the characteristics of the health and condition of the animal:
- for pregnant cats;
- with sensitive digestion;
- neutered individuals, etc.
Always pay attention to the integrity of the packaging and the shelf life of the feed. Damaged packs and bloated tin cans are dangerous for a pet.
Carefully study information about the producing country, for example, Italian food produced in Russia (according to the original technology) is of an order of lesser quality than an imported product.
Veterinary advice
After giving birth, a British breed cat is recommended to be fed next to the kittens (transfer its bowl to the couch). If the cat does not have time to feed all the kittens from the litter, you should feed them a special milk replacer from the pet store, goat and cow's milk are strictly prohibited.
The British are very susceptible to allergic reactions to lactose (daily inspection of kittens is recommended when dairy products are added to supplements for skin peeling).
To feed an adult individual of this breed can only be clean water: filtered, spring (good quality), as well as distilled.
It is recommended to fully convert kittens to self-nutrition not earlier than from 3 months in order to avoid problems with the digestive system.
Adult British cats are prone to overeating, so they should be controlled:
- do not fill a full bowl of feed for future use;
- feed only 2 times a day: in the morning and in the evening (at intervals of 12 hours);
- pregnant cats should be fed 4 times a day, but do not overfeed;
- kittens should be fed 6–8 times a day (depending on age);
- measure the amount of feed strictly according to the instructions to him (in accordance with the weight of the pet).
Sometimes cats have strange eating habits: some like watermelon, others like raisins, but the Briton should not even try forbidden foods so that he cannot love them. You should also be careful with special purchased delicacies - give their pet no more than 1 time per week. In the free access to give pedigree cat can only cat grass and clean water.
The best solution is to visit the veterinarian when the kitten is 3 months old and the selection of an individual diet.
It is required to strictly observe the correct mode and never feed the cat "from the table", otherwise the pet will start to hurt.
Only 1-2 pieces of forbidden foods (raw eggs, pork, mushrooms, tomatoes, nuts, chocolate) can deprive the British health forever.
For general guidelines on feeding cats, see below.
