How to teach a kitten to dry food?

Kittens are incredibly cute and playful creatures. As soon as they are born, they immediately begin to feed on mother's milk, but over time, the body of the cubs grows. Animals have new needs, and the owner of the animal needs to enter into the diet other food. Cooking healthy food for kittens is troublesome, and for this reason many owners get ready-made dry food. But here a new problem arises - the transfer of the cubs to solid, dry food.

The finished product is a convenient solution for pet owners, since the product will not deteriorate and will not require any preparation. But not all dry food can be suitable for the diet of small pets, this food must be given at a certain age kitten.

In kittens, the stomach and intestines are too soft and sensitive structure, so dry food will lead to minor injuries to the mucous membrane. The kids need to diversify the food, and not immediately give them a purely dry product. In addition to food, you can offer milk, kefir, cottage cheese, boiled chicken, boiled egg.

Dry food can be given to pets who are 1.5 months old, but such food must be prepared in advance. On top of the dried granules it is necessary to pour milk containing little lactose. You can also use low-fat yogurt, broth or water. Dry food is often mixed with meat ingredient. Then you will need to wait until the liquid is absorbed into the feed, and the granules do not swell. As soon as the granules increase in size, you need to take a fork and crush the food so that it turns into porridge.

In order for the cub to quickly go to dry food, his mother must be fed with the same food during lactation. You do not need to give the kitten only dry granules, alternate them with finely chopped pieces of meat, poultry or fish fillets.

When the kitten is 2 months old, dry products will need to be diluted with all the less milk, and do not mix dry food with soft food. You need to switch to dry food gradually. In 2.5 months the baby will have all the tastes, and the liquid will need a minimum. At 3 months, granules can be given without any liquid.

Since pets have a small stomach, they cannot feel the fullness of food. For this reason, the kittens themselves do not understand how much they want to eat food. The owners should take this into account and put small portions of dry food 4 times a day. For kittens who eat dry food, always need to leave clean water.

In 3.5-6.5 months, pets change their teeth, at this time dry products are useful. Food can help temporary teeth quickly fall out and contribute to the development of chewing tissues in the mouth. Inside the dry food contains all the necessary minerals and trace elements, but if the food is not the main one, you need to give the little pet additional vitamins. To get them, in addition to dry food, the kitten must be offered boiled chicken, meat, curds.

By 6.5-12.5 months, pets begin to grow, and they need to be fed like adult cats. At this age, you should not give milk, as it will lead to indigestion.

Before you buy dry food for your pets, you need to know the name and composition of all dry food.

Economy class fodder will be able to incorporate bone meal (instead of pure meat), products of plant origin that are not of high quality. To make food look attractive, dyes and flavor elements are added to it. Premium products have selected ingredients, there are all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Sources of protein are meat, poultry and fish. The plant element is corn. Characteristic features of good food can be considered high digestibility and efficiency.

Super Premium class dry mixes are made from products that are of the highest quality: salmon fillet, eggs, rice. These feeds contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates, these substances can be obtained from the main ingredients. Such feeds have a higher energy value than cheap or even just premium. With a similar food, the kitten will receive the most necessary substances every day.

Choosing a menu for kittens is not an easy and responsible task. The diet of babies in whom the body is just beginning its development should have useful, complete and balanced substances.

• Royal Canin. It can be given to kittens from six months. Such products contain a complex that has easily digestible proteins and fiber, which improve digestion and normalize stool. Also in this product contains antioxidants and vitamin-mineral elements.

• Hill`s Science Plan Kitten. Omega-3 acids, protein, taurine, phosphorus, calcium and other elements that can provide a kitten with normal growth are present here. A kitten can be given tuna or chicken, they have animal protein. This food will allow immunity to get stronger, the teeth and bones of the pet will be healthy.

• Pro Plan Junior. This is the best menu for kittens. The feed contains vitamins C and D, colostrum, which is an important source of immunoglobulin. And whey promotes better gastrointestinal function.

To ensure that the nutrition of the animal contained only selected and high quality products, you must select a dry mix from the category of Super Premium.

• ACANA Orijen Cat & Kitten. There is a line of 9 feeds for kittens of various breeds. These feeds are of remarkable quality, including pitted chicken meat, turkey liver, salmon, and much more.

• GO! Natural Holistic Fit + Free. This feed is divided into several types: containing grains or beans, as well as food for pets with food allergies. The product includes ingredients such as selected chicken, duck, trout with potatoes, peas, pumpkin. Lactobacilli and fish oil can be considered active ingredients.

• Grandorf Holistic Indoor. This category includes 6 hypoallergenic feed. Two of them contain the necessary prebiotics for good digestion.

• Almo Nature Holistic Turkey & Rice. This product contains not only dry food for kittens, but also canned food for mature animals. In the menu there is real meat that will reduce the burden on the kidneys, alfalfa can improve the cardiovascular system and normalize the digestive tract. In products there is an element of green tea that will help the kitten's immunity to get stronger.

Having learned what good products for fluffies are, you can not worry about the diet of their little pets. The main thing is to carefully examine all the information listed on the pack.

To teach a kitten to eat dry food, you must follow a certain order.

First, choose a quality food that smells delicious, and does not differ a lot of fat. Offer a little to your pet so that the kitten will feel the taste and smell of the products. If the kitten likes dry food, pour the food into a bowl, and pour liquid on top so that the granules can soften. After that, you can feed the kitten with the mixture or add to it the usual food.

But if the kitten does not want to eat, then only dry food should be poured into its plate, and nothing more should be given until the baby tries to feed. With this method, the pet will develop a reflex. The kitten will understand that after the dry mix, they can give him familiar food. In order for the animal to get used to the dry mix, it is necessary to reduce the amount of natural food. Begin to give more granular feed. Slowly pet adapts to the new taste.

As soon as several weeks have passed, the kitten can be completely transferred to a new type of food. All this time you need to watch the animal's body. If the pet starts constipation or diarrhea, then it should be taken to a veterinarian, who will advise another food - perhaps bought earlier does not fit.

Many veterinarians recommend not to give kittens natural food along with dry, as this can lead to problems with the gastric tract. This can only be verified by personal experience, since some kittens eat natural and dry food, both as children and as adults, and nothing happens to them, while others start diarrhea after a couple of hours.

Sometimes it happens that the kitten does not want to use a dry mixture, and he categorically does not like it. You can simply change the brand of products, perhaps, the kitten will prefer another manufacturer. Pets have their own personal taste needs, so there is no need to purchase huge amounts of dry food.

If the kitten did not eat well, and then stopped eating it altogether, then this behavior suggests that the pet is tired of eating monotonous food. To return the appetite, you need to give him a little pâté and meat puree.

The kitten will refuse to feed, if he does not have a special flavor. Therefore, you can not fill the bowl to the brim. The animal will not eat the entire volume at once, and the standing feed will disappear. Because of this, the cat will not eat it, waiting for a fresh and fragrant portion. For the same reason, there is no need to buy a huge dry package, because it can be stored for a long time and acquire a foreign smell, and this degrades the quality of the ingredients inside the granules. To the kitten did not refuse food, his bowl must be washed daily. After that, the plate is thoroughly dried with a clean towel.

A kitten can not eat dry food, because it is too small, and it is not yet time to make a dairy baby eat "crackers" will not work. Be patient, just wait a bit. If the kitten does not consume any food, then this is a sign of illness. This pet must be taken to the vet.

How to teach a kitten to dry food, see the following video.