Preparing A Nutrition Diet To Feed Your New Kitten

Kittens aren’t just mini-cats; they require some special care to allow them to grow up into strong healthy cats. Kittens need higher protein and calories to build strong bones and play with gusto. Kittens need about 30% protein compared with grown cats who require about 25% protein.

Experts also note the importance of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid that naturally occurs in the kitten’s nursing mother’s milk. DHA is critical to the development of brain and ocular tissue. Kitten foods are often enhanced with added DHA.

Dr. Richard Pitcairn, author of “Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to the Natural Health for Dogs and Cats,” Rodale Press, has a homemade kitten formula that he says closely approximates the nutrition in cat’s milk. The following recipe is nearly 42% protein, 25% fat and 24.6% carbohydrates. One serving holds 566 kilocalories.

Kitten Formula
2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
5 teaspoons protein powder from animal source
1/3 teaspoon bonemeal
1 day’s worth cat vitamin supplement
100 mg taurine if it is not present in the supplement
Mix ingredients well. Warm to body temperature and feed with a dropper or doll bottle. When kittens are 3 to 4 weeks old, you can introduce solid foods by mixing them well into the formula.

A kitten feeding schedule should approximate: up to 2 weeks feed every 2 hours a total daily serving of 2 to 4 tablespoons; at 3 weeks feed every 3 hours a total daily serving of 4 to 6 tablespoons; at 4 weeks feed every 4 hours a total daily serving of 6 to 10 tablespoons; and at 6 weeks feed a total daily serving of about 8 to 12 tablespoons across 3 feedings.

After 6 weeks, kittens can begin to eat the regular cat formulas suggested by Dr. Pitcairn or a wholesome natural food. At 30 weeks, kittens can eat Dr. Pitcairn’s Cat Growth recipe:

1 cup cornmeal
2 eggs
4 cups ground turkey
4 tablespoons Healthy Powder (made of nutritional yeast, lecithin granules, kelp powder, bonemeal, 1,000 mg vitamin C)
1 ½ teaspoons bonemeal
2 tablespoons butter
5,000 to 10,000 IU vitamin A
100 to 200 IU vitamin E
500 mg taurine
1 teaspoon vegetables
Bring 4 cups of water to boil, add cornmeal. Whisk until smooth. Cover and turn heat down to simmer until mushy about 15 minutes. Add eggs. Allow to cool a bit and add other ingredients.

For older kittens eating the latter formula, feed ¼ cup per day for a 1-pound kitten, 1/3 cup per day for a 2-pound kitten, ½ cup per day for a 3-pound kitten, ¾ cup per day for a 4-pound kitten, 1 cup per day for a 5-pound kitten.

If a homemade meal is out of the question, ensure that you feed a wholesome natural formula made for your kitten’s stage of life. If you start your kitten out with the right nutrition, you’ll be setting her up for being healthy through her adult life.

Next article: Preparing A Nutrition Diet To Feed Your Adult Cat