Cat Food For Nursing Cats

How To Treat Vomiting In Cats

In some cases, the best treatment for vomiting in cats is no treatment at all. This is generally the case with occasional vomiting and hairballs. If vomiting becomes a chronic issue, however, youll want to take the time to identify the cause then take steps to treat it.

For occasional vomiting, your vet might recommend giving your cat a bland diet for a day or two until the vomiting subsides. Make sure water is freely available as well to prevent dehydration.In cases of severe or chronic vomiting, your vet might prescribe medication to help control the problem.

To determine how best to treat your cats vomiting, consider the following:

• Frequency of vomiting. If your cat vomits one to three times within a 24-hour period, it may be nothing to worry about. Vomiting that lasts more than 24 hours should be addressed by a veterinarian to identify the cause.
• Energy and activity. If your cat is vomiting but otherwise acting normal, it may be nothing to worry about. If your cat becomes lethargic or experiences additional symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, or excess vocalization, take him to the vet.
• Appearance of blood. Vomiting blood is generally an indication of internal bleeding should be treated as a medical emergency. It may look red in color or dark brown to black.

What Are The Signs That Your Cat May Have A Dental Disease

Dental disease can affect cats regardless of age. That is why, as pet parents, we should be vigilant of the signs that indicate the presence of underlying medical or dental issues.

Below are some of the signs that you should watch out for:

• Bad breath

• Frequent chewing on hard objects or synthetic toys
• Chronic medical conditions, such as Diabetes
• Infectious diseases, such as the feline immunodeficiency virus, which can cause immunosuppression and predispose cats to gingivitis, and other periodontal diseases.
• Genetics
• The chemistry inside the cats mouth the bacteria and other changes inside his mouth can affect his chances of getting dental problems

How Do We Make Our Recommendations

Whether your cat is pregnant or not, she deserves the best quality diet you can feed her. Cats are obligate carnivores which means that they have high needs for protein in their diets. Protein is best from animal sources like meat, poultry, and fish because it contains all of the essential amino acids your cat needs and it is more biologically valuable than plant proteins. When evaluating pet foods, we consider your cats basic nutritional needs and how well they are met with each product. We look at the quality of the ingredients as well as their quantities and compare them to the basic nutritional needs for cats. Rest assured that wed never recommend anything we wouldnt be confident feeding our own cats.

Here are some of the general requirements for a cat food to receive our recommendation:

• A source of high-quality animal protein as the first ingredient
• At least 30% crude protein for kittens and at least 26% for adults
• A minimum of 9% crude fat for kittens and adults
• A balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, primarily from animal sources
• A rich blend of nutrients from natural sources and supplements, as needed
• Limited carbohydrate content from digestible sources
• No low-quality fillers, by-products, or artificial additives

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What Is Different About Senior Cat Food

The only real difference between regular adult formula and senior formula foods is that senior foods tend to be lower in calories and have a little less proteinbecause too much protein can lead to some health issues in older cats. … And don’t worry about your senior cats if they’re getting into the younger one’s kibble.

What Is Natural And Holistic Cat Food

Theres little regulation backing up the use of the word natural on a cat food label. According to the United States FDA, the word indicates that the ingredients havent been chemically altered. That means that almost all foods qualify for the natural distinction.

The word is primarily used to give you the impression that a given food is morally superior to other products. It says nothing about the quality or species-appropriateness of the ingredients behind the label. A natural cat food product can be a stellar, ultra-digestible formula, or it could be junk food.

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It Should Have Higher Moisture Content

Nursing cats need more water compared to non-nursing ones since they are feeding their kittens and their milk content is about 73% water. Make sure that the kitten and cat food of your lactating feline is fresh and canned or if feeding kibble, be sure to add a wet food topper. Always provide a bowlful of fresh water nearby so the mama cat can drink anytime.

Nutritional composition of cat milk

• 10.8% fat
• 73% water

Kitten Food Is Best For Nursing Cats

So, we can see that a nursing mother needs a diet that provides her with much more energy and vitamins and minerals. Her regular diet will not suffice. Fortunately, this diet can be provided for her by simply feeding her kitten formulated food.

Kitten food is higher in protein, fat, and calories to support the energy needs of growth and development. These diets will also generally meet the energy requirements of a nursing cat.

Kitten food is also fortified in essential fatty acids for development such as DHA and EPA. These fats will be naturally synthesized in cats milk and kittens will require them through their mothers milk. Feeding your nursing cat kitten food can help support her levels of these fats to ensure her kittens get the developmental support they need.

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I Bred My Cat And She Is Getting Ready To Deliver Her Kittens I Have Heard That Nursing Her Kittens Will Be Even More Energy Intense Than Pregnancy Is This True

It is correct that nursing requires more energy calories than any other life stage. Optimal nutrition for reproduction and lactation is essential for:

The various stages of reproductionheat , pregnancy, lactation, and weaning provide unique stresses to the body. Each creates specific nutritional concerns that should be addressed to maximize both queen and kitten health.

“Each creates specific nutritional concerns that should be addressed to maximize both queen and kitten health.”

Cats are pregnant for approximately 6365 days. A healthy, well-fed queen will experience steady weight gain throughout her pregnancy, storing energy to support lactation. A highly digestible, high-quality kitten formulation is generally recommended during feline pregnancy, and multiple small meals per day is an ideal method for promoting adequate food intake.

“Peak milk production and the queens peak energy needs occur at 3-4 weeks of lactation, but the peak food requirement occurs at 6-7 weeks post-partum.”

Peak milk production and the queens peak energy needs occur at three to four weeks of lactation, but the peak food requirement occurs at six to seven weeks post-partum. Remember, the kittens are also consuming the queens food as they approach weaning age.

What To Feed A Nursing Cat

You should feed your nursing cat with kitten food that is rich in proteins, has a high-calorie content, and energy-dense. It should also be complete and balanced, made of highly-digestible natural ingredients like whole grains, and should have a high moisture content.

Most importantly, a nursing cat should also be provided with food supplements that contain Vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium as well as water and soups for hydration.

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Nursing Cats Need To Eat Regularly

Because a lactating cat will want to eat throughout the day, its common to opt to free-feed her dry food. While dry cat food is calorie-dense and easy to feed, its not the ideal source of nutrition for your lactating cat. Dry food is typically lower in protein than wet food and its inherently water-depleted. While all cats require good hydration, lactating cats are particularly sensitive to water intake.

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Dental Health Formula

First 5 ingredients: Ground Yellow Corn, Poultry By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Liver Flavor, Animal Fat Preserved With Mixed-Tocopherols

Once your cat feels the crunch of Purinas tasty Pro Plan Veterinary Diet for Feline Dental Health, then, he wont go a day without gleaming in delight with his healthier pearly white teeth.

This diet is specially formulated by veterinarians, nutritionists, and researchers, and it features the VOHC Seal of Acceptance for helping to control the buildup of plaque and tartar.

This high-protein dental cat food is also fortified with vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients, such as calcium, and phosphorus for stronger teeth and bones, taurine for eye health, and glucosamine for joint support and mobility.

As a veterinary diet, you do need to ask your vet for authorization to purchase this dry cat food either online or in stores nationwide.

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Purina One Tender Selects Blend With Real Chicken

First 5 ingredients: Chicken, Rice Flour, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal , Beef Fat

If you are looking for affordable, yet highly nutritious and effective cat food for dental health, then, Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend is your best option.

This diet offers your cat the best of both worlds the crunch of kibbles and the meaty and moisture-filled morsels of real chicken meat.

Each bite creates an explosion of flavor inside your cats mouth from the kibbles and the meaty tender morsels.

Purina ONE Tender Selects Blend is proudly made in Purina-owned facilities in the USA using chicken as the first ingredient, and it is devoid of fillers.

So, each bite is packed with purposeful ingredients like essential vitamins, minerals, and beneficial nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, omega-6 fatty acids, and taurine.

Your cats overall health is protected with this nutrient-dense diet. And he will definitely love the fun-shaped and crunchy kibbles, which also help to scrub plaque and tartar off his teeth with every feisty bite.

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Iams Proactive Health Healthy Senior Dry Cat Food

Whereas older cats who have lost some of their teeth can struggle with dry food, older cats that still have a full set need support for maintaining their healthy teeth. This IAMS formula is specially formulated with crunchy kibble to reduce plaque build-up and keep teeth healthier for longer.

While this food is quite high in calories and fat, it should not be too much of a problem for relatively active older cats. They will also get a boost from the metabolism enhancing l-Carnitine included in the formula.

It does contain grains, which can be problematic for some cats with sensitive stomachs. However, it should be relatively easy to digest overall as it is high in fiber and contains prebiotics to promote stomach health.

Pros

• High-calorie and high in fat

Overall: Healthy Teeth

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Sheba Perfect Portions Meals Are Well The Ideal Solution

SHEBA® PERFECT PORTIONS single-serving meals are aptly named because they come in ideally measured containers, so you know exactly how much youre feeding them. The single-serve packets allow you to treat your cat to food thats fresh every time. So feel free to mix up the menu! Salmon for breakfast?Chicken for dinner? No complaints here.

In other words, SHEBA® PERFECT PORTIONS are the preferred way cats like to eat. No mess, no guess, nothing being sent back to the kitchen from the dining room.

Bon appétit!

Homemade Beef And Vegetable Soup For Cat

If your cat doesnt like the taste of chicken, a beef and vegetable soup will make for a good alternative. While this beef and vegetable soup for cats can be time consuming to cook, the long cooking duration ensures the nutrients from the beef bones are released into the broth to give your cat a health boost. If your cat still finds it hard to consume soup, we suggest pouring some soup over their favourite dry food. This ensures your cat licks up the soup while eating and will get used to the taste of the broth.

Prep time: 5 minutes

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How To Get A Cat To Drink More Water

All is not lost even if your cat absolutely refuses to eat canned food despite your efforts. There are other ways to increase your cats water intake besides feeding wet cat food.

Try different kinds of water dishestry plastic, metal, and ceramic. Use differently shaped dishesshallow, deep, large, small. Try locating water dishes in various areas around your home so theres always one convenient when your cat feels thirsty.

A lot of cats love drinking from a flowing fountain and there are many products available to choose from these days. The cute flower fountain shown below is a favorite amongst the cats I know. Just be sure to disassemble and thoroughly wash the entire fountain every few days or your cat might not want to drink from it.

You might try adding a flavored liquid to your cats food or as a side dish. Tuna water, chicken broth, beef broth or clam juice are popular flavors. You can try diluting the flavoring ingredient with water. Freeze the extra flavored water in ice cube trays and thaw when youre ready to use them.

Best Cat Food For Dental Health

This premium dental cat food uses interlocking fiber technology that efficiently cleans teeth and freshens your cats breath.

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Halo Holistic Wild Salmon & Whitefish Recipe Grain

Give your cat the gift of holistic, natural nutrition with this Halo kitten food recipe. It features real, whole salmon and whitefish as primary ingredients and is completely free from rendered meat meals. This recipe offers an ideal balance of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to give your cat the nutrition she needs to support growing kittens. This formula is rich in natural sources for key nutrients including non-GMO sweet potatoes, blueberries, and cranberries with no grains, gluten, hormones, or antibiotics. Simply put, its a complete and balanced recipe any nursing mother would love.

Special Dietary Requirements For Senior Cats

As we’ve seen, all cats do have some basic nutritional needs. But if you’re one of the lucky ones who has a kitty at home enjoying her old age, then you should realize her dietary needs are likely even more specific and nuanced now.

The best cat food for senior cats will take into account the following characteristics which are common to senior felines:

Of course, you know your kitty better than anyone. You may have even raised her since she was just a little kitten! But if you ever have questions or concerns about your pet’s unique dietary needs, it’s always a good idea to chat with your vet.

He or she can give you tailored guidance that will help you make the best possible choices when it comes to your cute little furball.

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Important Things About Feeding Your Cat