Feeding Your Kittens

Posted by Jeanne on March 5, 2009

The feeding of kittens is a little more complicated, mostly because attention must be paid to the frequency and amount of their meals.

The mother cat normally does the job very nicely for the first month. Your only contribution will be to see that she is herself well fed, both during pregnancy and after the young ones have arrived. She will need bone-building calcium and muscle-building proteins in particular, and more water than usual while she is nursing. If her milk supply seems insufficient you can supplement the kittens’ diet with a small amount of slightly warmed, watered-down milk (unsweetened evaporated milk is easier to digest than milk with a high fat content).

By the time kittens are a month old, they can begin to eat solids and should be encouraged to do so. Eggs, milk, fine-ground beef or horsemeat, or the various human baby foods containing meat are ideal for small, growing cats. It’s also not too early to start introducing them to garlic.

Up to two months, the kittens should eat about four meals a day, at regular intervals. Quantities are small perhaps a tablespoon of meat or half a jar of baby food at each meal, plus a shot or two of milk or milk-egg mixture.

After two months, the meals can be reduced to three (and eventually to two) a day, but quantities should be increased until the cat is getting slightly over a third of a pound of meat at each feeding. As noted, the amount may vary, depending on the cat. Whatever keeps her in fine fettle is just right for her. If you’re in doubt, however, consult your vet.