What and how to feed Maine Coons properly?

Domestic cats, regardless of their breed, belong to carnivorous mammals; in their natural habitat, small rodents and birds, as well as insects, become food for them, therefore the diet of cats kept in captivity must meet the needs of the animal. Maine Coon pets are no exception.

The diet of Maine Coon cats should be prepared taking into account their physiological requirements:

• plant polysaccharides are considered the main building material for organs and tissues;
• cats use carbohydrates as the main source of energy - these ingredients are actively involved in metabolism, stimulating intestinal motility, however, it must be remembered that excessive consumption of carbohydrates can cause a cat to become obese;
• the main advantage of lipids and fats is their high energy value, a deficiency of components can lead to a variety of ailments and pathologies of the work of internal organs;
• proteins and proteins are important in metabolic processes, they are necessary for the animal for growth and full development, stimulating the protective function of the immune system, arginine is important among them, the lack of which can even cause the death of the Maine Coon.

Maine Coon is a rather large cat, therefore it eats more than cats of other breeds. Taking care of such a pet is by no means the cheapest pleasure, especially considering that the cat's body is extremely demanding on the quality of food: in this case, the pet's nutrition should be exclusively premium.

Maine Coons are fed twice a day, in the mornings and evenings. There is an opinion that Maine Coons do not have a tendency to overeat, unlike many other breeds, so food for them should always be left in the public domain. This is indeed so, moreover, such a tactic significantly increases the internal confidence of the animal in themselves and their owners.

In addition, such a feeding scheme is considered an excellent prevention of an eating disorder, in which the pet tries to eat for the future without even experiencing any feeling of hunger. However, every cat is unique, so often, such overeating leads to obesity, which leads to serious disruptions in the work of the cardiovascular and endocrine systems.

The diet of an adult animal should be designed so that for each kilogram of the animal's body weight there are about 60 kilocalories and 10 grams of protein. Thus, per day you need to give the pet 200-250 g of feed, while 100 g of feed should contain:

• 320-380 kilocalories;
• 30–45; proteins;
• 10-30% fat;
• 2% fiber.

If we translate this into products, then the consumption rate will look like this:

• 70-130 grams of meat or fish;
• 25–65 grams of dairy products;
• 10-30 grams of cereals;
• 15-50 grams of vegetables;
• 1⁄2 tbsp. l. brewer's yeast.

The Maine Coon diet usually consists of ready-made feed formulations or natural feed, mixed meals are not used.

For the full growth and development of Maine Coons, the following types of natural feed are required.

These are the most useful components, the absorption of which by the cat's body is about 90%. Pieces of meat are pre-frozen to reduce the risk of infection with helminths, and then cut into pieces of 1-1.5 cm.For kittens, it is better to scrape the meat, but beloved by many breeders, minced meat should not be given - for sharpening and cleaning the incisors, cats must certainly receive solid food.

From meat products for feed, it is best to take beef, turkey or chicken, but pork is allowed, but rarely, in small quantities and exclusively boiled. Of the by-products, chicken paws, heads and necks are most often bought, bird stomachs are especially useful - this is due to the fact that in the conditions of their natural habitat, cats compensate for the lack of plant products with the contents of the stomachs of birds caught by them, therefore domesticated cats are genetically predisposed to high digestibility of this product.

Very useful for big cats. The product is given necessarily peeled and cut into small pieces, while sea fish is usually given raw, and river fish must be boiled. Please be especially aware that Maine Coons are contraindicated for pollock and cod, and all other fish are allowed no more than 1-2 times a week. It is advisable not to offer canned fish to cats at all.

It is generally accepted that all cats love dairy products. However, the Maine Coon organism digests a cow product rather poorly, therefore it is recommended to include it in the menu only for very young kittens under one month of age. It is better to treat adults with sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese or cream. But the cat's body assimilates goat milk perfectly, so it can be offered to both babies and large cats.

Chicken eggs are extremely important for Maine Coons, they are considered a source of biotin, which is useful for animals. Yolk alone is best served to cats., since the avitin present in the protein is a blocker of the action of biotin. Eggs can be offered any - chicken, duck or quail.

Bones are an excellent source of potassium and phosphorus, but keep in mind that Maine Coons are allowed only cartilaginous bones of broiler chickens.

It is very good if the cat loves vegetables and fruits, these products can be included in the daily menu. without any restrictions, but exclusively raw or steamed. Carrots, broccoli, zucchini, cucumber and pumpkin are very useful for fluffy pets. It will not be superfluous to add sprouted oat grains to the main feed, which are an excellent source of beneficial vitamins B and C.

For full growth and development, your pet needs cereals, however, keep in mind that Maine Coons should be soaked in milk for 8-12 hours, not boiled. Sometimes it is allowed to periodically add bread, but only with fish - in combination with meat, it can cause digestive disorders.

For both small kittens and adult cats, breeders who prefer natural food often prepare "Maine Coon porridge", it consists of several chopped and chopped products: beef, chicken breast meat, offal, vegetables, vitamin and mineral supplements, vegetable oil and fishes. The ingredients for such a dish are interchangeable and are usually selected taking into account the pet's taste preferences and the principles of a varied diet.

With natural feeding, it is necessary to keep the condition of the animal under control, the reason for contacting the veterinarian may be:

• vomit;
• loose stools;
• deterioration in the quality of wool;
• strong shedding;
• lethargy and apathy of the pet.

If Maine Coon breeders make their choice in favor of regular food, they will need to spend a lot of time, money and effort in finding and compiling a nutritional mixture that will provide the cat with all the useful vitamins, micro- and macroelements. It is much easier to bring ready-made feed - its main advantage is that it provides a complete and balanced nutrition and already contains all the necessary vitamins, proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

You can feed a healthy Maine Coon both ready-made canned food and dry mixtures of a super premium class, options from the "economy" category, such as "Whiskas" or "Kitiket" are completely unsuitable for Maine Coons, since they do not correspond to the needs of the body of an adult cat.

Please be aware that if you decide to feed your cat with ready-made formulations, then the natural woman will have to be excluded - the fact is that the digestion of wet and dry types of food is different, and when mixing products, the organs of the digestive system simply do not have time to rebuild, which often becomes the cause of intestinal obstruction or gastroenteritis.

If the Maine Coon eats dry food, he should drink a lot of water every day - the volume of liquid should be three times higher than that eaten, so if you notice that your pet drinks little liquid, then you should switch to either canned food or natural food. Alternatively, try pre-soaking dry food in water.

The 'palm' is definitely the Royal Canin blend. from a special line for Maine Coon, as these food mixtures are formulated taking into account the physiological needs of the breed.Also, the manufacturer's assortment includes a line of products for little kittens up to 1 year old, and there are also special medicated feeds that can be consumed by weakened sick animals, as well as pregnant, lactating cats, castrated and neutered pets.

Now that you have an idea of ​​how you can treat your pet, Let's take a closer look at the list of products that are strictly prohibited for Maine Coon:

• pork is a too fatty product, it can only be given boiled, very rarely and in minimal quantities;
• river fish that has not undergone heat treatment - there is a high probability of infection with helminths present in it;
• potatoes - contains too much gluten;
• tomatoes;
• fish and bird bones;
• any sweets;
• smoked, salted and spicy foods;
• spices and herbs.

And, of course, we draw your attention separately to the fact that if your pet feeds on ordinary food, then all the necessary ingredients for "Maine Coon porridge" should be obtained only from your own backyard or from a trusted seller. You can never be 100% sure how strangers grew vegetables, how they processed them, how you fed cows and birds before slaughtering and selling them - these products can contain chemicals, antibiotics and hormones, which leads to disease Maine Coons.

Immediately after the birth of the Maine Coon babies, the mother usually feeds, but if it so happens that the female is not around, then care and feeding fall on the shoulders of the owners. You can buy a special mixture at the pet store or give the baby goat milk. At this time, feeding is carried out about 6 times a day in minimal portions. Already after 1 month, supplementary feeding is included in the menu - it can be milk porridge and meat and vegetable puree, the number of feedings is reduced to 4.

At 4 months, cottage cheese and other fermented milk products are already introduced into the diet, and the use of chopped foods also contributes to weight gain, the offal of birds is best suited for this purpose. If the kitten has grown and gained the necessary weight, then in six months, you can transfer the kitten to dry food.

For information on what and how to properly feed Maine Coons, see the next video.