Siamese cats are very demanding on the quality and composition of food. For them, it is important to get good nutrition, enriched with all the necessary vitamins, micro-and macro-elements. Usually animals give balanced dry food and natural products. In this case, the owner must use dietary meat.
Natural products
In order for a Siamese cat to fully grow and develop, it is important for her to receive a varied diet. To build a diet for your pet, it is important to shape his taste preferences from an early age.
For kittens
The diet of kittens usually consists of milk. Therefore, it is especially important during this period to monitor the baby’s chair: if it is frequent and too liquid, the cat will need additional feeding, as otherwise the body is threatened with dehydration. In addition, it will be useful to add water to the milk itself in order to reduce the concentration of acids that irritate the gentle stomach of the kitten. Starting from 1.5 months, you can gradually enter into the diet natural products, crushed in a meat grinder or cut into very small pieces. A sample menu of Siamese kittens per 1 kg of weight should look like this:
- 1 feeding: 30 g boiled sea fish, 5 g boiled beef, 4 g wheat groats, 5 g water.
- 2 feeding: 25 g of beef, 10 g of boiled liver, 5 g of oatmeal, 10 g of water;
- 3 feeding: 20 g raw rabbit, 10 g yolk, 5 g of oatmeal, steamed 10 g of water.
The animal is fed 3 times a day, preferably at the same time. Eating a diet will have the most beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive system.
For adult cats
Siamese cats have quite good health, nevertheless it is very important to monitor their diet and give only the right food. Of natural products, special attention should be paid to several.
- Meat. Only lean products should be used. For animals, the muscular part of veal, chicken, rabbit and turkey is suitable. Before offering the cat, it should be scalded or boiled, and then cut into small pieces. If animals are fed raw meat, then it must be thawed. Usually, meat pieces are cut and frozen in portions, defrosting just before feeding. Meat products should be 2/3 of the total diet of the animal.
- Offal - A very useful component of the cat menu. The best options for Siamese are liver, heart, udder, and lung. Keep in mind that not all cats like these products to taste, so offer your pet each of them in turn: then the cat can choose the ones you like.
- A fish. This food is beloved by cats, but you should not abuse it. The product is included in the diet no more than 2 times a week, replacing the meat. It is best to offer your favorite pet sea white fish low-fat varieties, such as cod, flounder, navaga and tuna.
- Eggs. The males are offered only the yolk exclusively in boiled form no more than 1 time per week. This is a very good source of nutrients for the animal.
- Groats. Cats love boiled cereals, preference is given to rice, barley and oatmeal. Porridge boiled in water without the use of butter, milk and spices.
- Vegetables. In small doses, chopped carrots, fresh cucumbers and sprouted greens can be mixed with the main feed. It is very important not to overdo it, because cats of this breed are not able to digest fiber.
- Milk products. There is an opinion that cats love milk. In fact, this product is suitable only for kittens until they reach 2 months of age. Later in the body the enzymes responsible for its absorption are no longer produced. This can lead to pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. Low-fat cottage cheese, ryazhenka, sour cream, plain yogurt and a small amount of butter to a cat will only benefit.
What to choose from industrial feed?
Many breeders prefer to use ready-made feed. They become a real salvation if the cat refuses to accept natural products and turns up the nose of the food offered to her. In addition, such food is suitable for busy people and for beginners who do not have experience of communication with the Siamese breed. It is better to give preference to expensive feeds: they are distinguished by a balanced composition, contain an optimal ratio of BJU, include all the necessary vitamins, trace elements important for the health of cats. Usually they are sold in a specialty store. The most popular among breeders are compositions of Purina Pro Plan, Hills.
Experienced breeders prefer ROYAL CANIN natural feed. It contains 38% of proteins and about 16% of fats, the product is enriched with L-carnitine, which promotes better digestion of the product. Manufacturers of such feeds offer several product lines: for kittens, for older cats, for nursing, as well as for cats after castration.
Therefore, each breeder will be able to choose the food that will fit the physical condition and lifestyle of the pet.
Feeding Neutered and Sterilized Animals
It is very important to monitor the condition of the castrated and sterilized animals immediately after surgery. If it strains during bowel movements, the stitches will disperse, which leads to a deterioration of the cat's condition until its death. To avoid such adverse effects, in the first 4–5 days after surgery it is better to give preference to exceptionally tender foods. During this period, males and females can be offered:
- sugar-free baby formula;
- natural yoghurts, ryazhenka or sour milk;
- grated boiled egg;
- meat broth cooked without salt;
- specialized dry food for operated animals.
After 2 weeks, the cat is considered to have regained its physical form, and you can return the animal to its usual diet. We draw attention to the fact that after castration, cats often develop obesity associated with changes in the hormonal background in the body. So pets need proper nutrition, which includes:
- turkey, rabbit and chicken;
- corn, wheat cereals.
Once a week you can offer offal to your pet. In addition, it is very important to include fresh juicy greens in the menu. If the cat is on samovygul, then, most likely, he will find delicious grass for himself. But if the animal is kept at home, add sprouted oats, barley, and millet to the meat at least 2 times a week. And also it would be useful to offer him along with the meat grated cucumber and roasted cabbage leaves.
Keep in mind: even if the animal eats specialized feed, you should still add vegetables and greens. Fish neutered cat should not offer more than once every 2 weeks.
What to give pregnant and lactating cats?
As soon as the owner understands that his Siamese cat is waiting for replenishment, she is transferred to specialized nutrition enriched with calcium and proteins in an optimal ratio for the expectant mother. When feeding an animal with natural products, it increases the proportion of proteins, as well as products containing carbohydrates. Treats and all kinds of delicacies, on the contrary, limit. Feed a pregnant cat at least 3 times a day.
Since 4 weeks of pregnancy, the cat requires food that contains quite a lot of protein, and from the middle of the term the volume of food increases 1.5 times. At the same time, the weight gain of the pet should be monitored, since obesity is fraught with complications during childbirth. 1.5–2 weeks before delivery, the animal’s appetite begins to decline due to the pressure that the kittens have on its abdominal cavity. During this period, the cat should be fed often, but in small portions.
During lactation, the new-baked mother requires food rich in carbohydrates: the need for calories increases by 2–3 times. If the cat is fed ready-made mixtures, then usually no problems arise. By the way, during this period she can be offered feed for kittens: they contain all the necessary nutrients for the animal.
When feeding with natural products, the diet should be adjusted to the taste preferences of cats.
At this time, it is forbidden to limit the animal in feed: it should eat as much as it wants. Be sure: when feeding 4 or more kittens, no obesity threatens the cat.
What to feed the elderly?
The older a cat, the more difficult it becomes for the body to digest macronutrients and vitamins. Most of the nutrients simply excreted from the body. That is why most manufacturers with a good reputation produce a special line of food for older cats and cats.
Use natural products during this period should be with great care. The fact is that for cats in the age of danger is not only a deficiency, but an overabundance of vitamins.
For example, an excess of calcium leads to the formation of kidney stones, and a lack of vitamins A, E, and B accelerates the process of natural aging.
Many breeders say that during this period cats start to eat less, and they associate it with age. In fact, the reason is completely different: most often the elderly Siamese suffer from dental diseases, and eating solid food simply hurts them. If time to identify the problem and cure your pet, then there is a chance to save teeth. But if the enamel is completely rotted, then the teeth have to be removed.
After such an intervention, the cat can only bite off the pieces, and she is no longer able to chew food. This feature should also be taken into account when feeding adult pets: it offers pies, rubbed and chopped products in a blender. As the animal ages, various diseases make themselves felt, therefore, with any change in the behavior of the animal, you should consult a veterinarian in order to work out with your doctor an optimal diet for your pet.
What should not be given?
When choosing products for feeding Siamese cats you need to be as demanding as possible.
Siamese are prone to various diseases, most of which are the result of improper feeding.
- It is strictly not recommended to overfeed a cat with fish, as over time, the animal develops an allergy that causes swelling on the face in the region of the eyebrows and under the jaw. This is fraught with difficulty breathing and general deterioration of the animal. If this happens, be sure to give the animal a sorbent and antihistamine, and then immediately contact a veterinarian.
- The same advice applies to any citrus. For example, you should not offer meat to an animal in orange sauce from your table. Your pet will definitely beg for it, but show restraint and do not give.
About the diet of Siamese cats, see below.