Kitten food
For quality kitten food, Prima Diervoeding is the right place. This offers your kitten a healthy and happy (cat) life. Because besides separating the food and water bowls, and having a clean litter box (without a lid), healthy and tasty kitten kibbles are just as essential. In other words, a safe place where your little house tiger feels comfortable. However, your kitten will need to get used to it during the first few weeks; so prepare for sleepless nights, countless explorations, scratching adventures, but also lots of furry cuddles.
Why choose kitten food?
Your little house tiger is still growing, which means your kitten has different nutritional needs than an adult cat.
Which nutrients?
Kitten food is developed to provide your little fluffball with the right nutrients. Initially, kittens need more energy. They mainly get this from fats, but also from proteins and carbohydrates. Compared to cat food, kitten food contains more proteins, which supports the healthy development and growth of your little adventurer. Fun fact: did you know that kittens find texture and smell more important than taste? This is because cats have only five hundred taste buds. That is much less than the nine thousand taste buds humans have. That’s why cats are very picky animals.
Extra taurine
Since cats cannot produce taurine themselves, this nutrient is added to cat and kitten food. However, kitten kibbles contain more taurine than cat food. This supports, among other things, the growth of the nervous system, the development of heart function, and vision.
What should you not give your kitten?
You might think a kitten needs a varied diet. However, the opposite is true; it is better to feed your little house tiger only kitten food. So do not give your kitten leftovers. Especially herbs, raw fish or meat, and bones or scraps are out of the question. Kittens cannot digest herbs well, and raw meat or fish can contain salmonella. Note: even with cooked bones and scraps, there is a risk that pieces can get stuck in the throat.
What amount?
Many cat owners tend to overfeed their little troublemaker. Don’t do this, but always follow the feeding chart. Divide the prescribed amount into small portions and give them at fixed times. This not only prevents overweight in your kitten but also provides structure. Also, provide your little fluffball with enough fresh drinking water.
When do you switch your little rascal?
Normally, a kitten is switched to solid food between four and eight weeks. Since a kitten may only leave the mother from eight weeks old, this is done by the breeder. Do you have a litter of kittens yourself? In that case, it is important to switch the kittens to solid kitten food between four and eight weeks. While getting the kittens used to solid food, the little ones will often continue to drink from the mother. They will keep doing this until they are used to solid kitten food or until the mother refuses to let the kittens drink. Between eight and thirteen weeks, most kittens leave their litter. But the rule of thumb is: the longer kittens stay with their mother, brothers, and sisters, the better they socialize. But once the little ones have left the nest, they must be used to solid kitten food. Drinking from the mother is no longer possible then.
How can you get kittens used to kibbles?
To get your little fluffball used to solid food, you can soak the kibbles in lukewarm water at first. This way, the texture is softer, which feels better for the teeth. Your kitten will then be more inclined to accept the kibbles.
When can your kitten switch to adult food?
Once little house tigers reach the age of 12 months, they can be switched to adult cat food. However, we add a small note here: large cats, such as Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest Cats, continue to grow for a few more months. These cat breeds should only switch at the age of 15 months.
