How and how to feed a Maine Coon kitten?
Maine Coons are a large cat breed. Having an impressive size, they have an agreeable character and are not very whimsical to care for. It is important for owners to pay attention to the nutrition of their pets. Since it is somewhat different from the diet of other breeds.
Natural food
Animals eat meat products, so meat ingredients make up about 51% of the diet of cats. A well-chosen diet should include and contain natural foods.
- Chicken meat must be peeled and boiled or raw (defrosted).
- Poultry giblets are stomachs, heart and liver.
- Fat-free beef and beef offal, which includes liver, lung and heart scars.
- The curd should not have fat or be sour.
- Products containing sour milk - yogurt, kefir and fermented baked milk.
- The cheese must be good, hard and natural.
- Porridge should be buckwheat or multigrain. It should be cooked in water, with a cereal content of no more than 11-16%.
- Products consisting of fresh, boiled, chopped vegetables - carrots, cabbage, zucchini, pumpkin and cucumber.
- You can give special cat grass, sprouted crops.
Natural food can be supplemented with additives such as brewer's yeast and meat and bone meal. For natural food to be correct, you need to add complex vitamin supplements, special pastes.
These supplements help cats of this breed to clear the hairballs from the stomach.
Ready feed
A professionally prepared feed is a balanced diet. The composition of the feed contains the necessary vitamins and additives. It is convenient and practical to use them. The required daily rate must be indicated on the package.The food will not spoil quickly as it has a dry appearance.
Veterinarians recommend using professional food for the Maine Coon breed. You don't need to buy low quality products. There must be a container with water next to the pets.
The best food for animals of this breed are as follows.
- Royal canin... It contains dry and wet food for Maine Coons. This food was specially developed taking into account the characteristics of the cat.
- Bosh Sanabelle. It contains food that is intended for large breeds of cats.
Premium food can be as follows.
- Eukanuba... The feed is high in protein.
- Pronature contain proteins and fats.
- Hills. The composition of the feed is selected in a balanced way.
You cannot mix feed that has different manufacturers on the packaging, since each of them has its own composition. Great food is when both dry and wet food are included in the diet. Dry products account for the main share - about 76%, canned food and pouches - 24%... It will be good if dry and wet feed are produced from the same brand or have one grossing segment. You do not need to use economy-class wet food, they will be harmful, as well as a dry budget option.
If Maine Coons are in a certain period of growth and development, it is recommended to use special food for them, which has a regulated composition. There is a special line of feed with a characteristic mark. These foods should be given to neutered and neutered pets. Sick animals need to purchase food of the "Holistic" class. For elderly pets, foods that are low in calories are recommended. Since older cats are less active.
If the cat is pregnant or lactating, then you need to use the same food for her as for kittens. Thanks to this feed, there will be no problems with the digestive system.
The main thing to remember is that a cat that eats ready-made food needs a lot of water.
Mixed diet
A mixed diet is when the food is both dry and wet. The simplest and easiest way to provide your pet with nutritious food is to buy factory feed. It is possible to meet dry and canned ready-made food. Products that have a dry appearance are cheaper than canned food, which can be stored for a long time.
Pets who eat dry food must always drink filtered liquid.
Canned wet food will be expensive, but it is nutritious and can be absorbed better by the pet. Wet has a drawback - it is the limited shelf life of an opened can. It is forbidden to leave canned food in the container of the cat for a long time, because the food will lose all good qualities. Maine Coon should be given dry and canned food, belonging to the "Premium" class.
These animals are not allowed to feed such foods as: KitiKet, Whiskas and Friskas. They do not contain high-quality meat, offal, mineral salts are added in small quantities. The meat ingredient must be indicated on the labels: chicken, rabbit, turkey or beef. The composition must not contain artificial preservatives.
Prohibited foods
Before forming the diet of Maine Coon kittens, you need to use the recommendations of veterinarians. It is forbidden for cats of this breed to add the following products to complementary foods.
- Do not give bones from chicken or fish, because small individuals will choke, or they have a clogged intestine and damage to the esophagus.
- Pork can cause cats to contract worms or various infectious diseases.
- It is forbidden to give foods that contain fats. Also, you can not give canned, smoked products, sausage, products that have spicy and salty tastes.
- You should not give sweets and confectionery products.
- It is forbidden to feed animals with potatoes, as starch can cause diarrhea.
- The intestines will not work well if cats are fed legumes.
- It is forbidden to give medicines and vitamins that are intended for humans.
Feeding rules by age
Pedigree Maine Coons with an age of 1.5 to 6 months or 1 year, in practice, have one diet. There are no significant differences in food composition. The only thing is that you need to change the frequency of feeding and the amount of food consumed.
Nutrition for a 1 month old kitten
At first, kittens need a large amount of milk, it should have a composition that is similar to mother's milk. This product must be purchased at a pet store. Goat milk can be used instead of formula. In the first 30 days, the kitten should be fed 6 times in 1 day, small portions should be given.
If a person buys a kitten, then he needs to check with the seller what was the composition and type of food that was used when raising the kitten.
Feeding from 1 to 6 months
When a kitten turns 1 or 2 months old, it is necessary to add cereals made with milk to its natural food. For a two-month-old kitten, the diet should include meat and vegetable ingredients. If the Maine Coon kittens have reached the age of 3-4 months, then the owner needs to feed such kittens 5-6 times in 1 day. If the cats turn 5 months old, then they need to be fed 4 times in one day.
Good nutrition must include crushed poultry offal, vegetables, curd and whey.
Nutrition from 6 months to 1 year
If the cat is more than 6 months old, she can gain weight well, and she does not show any signs of the disease, then you need to slowly transfer the pet to finished products. Pets can be given seafood, fermented milk products, kefir and fermented baked milk along with natural food.
New products should not be given immediately, it is necessary to observe the reaction and condition of the pet. If the kitten's body weight becomes 360-410 grams, then this is considered normal.
Matured cat diet
Before keeping Maine Coon, you need to know that animals of this breed are large in size. They are agile pets that need a balanced, rich diet. For this reason, the types of feeding should not be mixed.
Cat food from 1 year
When you need to feed cats of a given breed, then you need to start using special products for this breed. Among these feeds are the following:
- Royal canin - designed for Maine Coon cats;
- Bosch Sanabelle Grande - must be used to feed large cat breeds.
The composition of these feeds is well adapted to the characteristics of the breed. The composition takes into account all the needs of the cat, therefore, the food contains nutritional components, vitamin and mineral supplements.
Elderly animal nutrition
If cats are 10 years old, then they need to be provided with a special diet. This will help not to exacerbate various diseases. You need to purchase the following products:
- dry food Eukanuba Mature & Senior - for old individuals;
- BiOMill Cat Senior product;
- dry type products Perfect Fit Senior;
- Bosch Sanabelle Senior;
- Pro Plan Vital Age 7+ Dry Chicken & Rice - designed for Maine Coons who have reached the age of 7 years.
Inactive cats should buy Pronature Original. Flatazor Crocktail Senior is suitable for older individuals.
Frequent mistakes
Many pet owners are unaware of what the pet feeding method should be. Owners can give small kittens canned food, and this is prohibited, since this food must be given to a pet that will be 6 months old. People can save money on feed purchases by purchasing cheap brands. Such food will harm the kitten; your baby's digestive system will not work well. It is better to purchase feed that is of premium quality.
Cat owners can give prohibited foods to their pet. Therefore, before feeding cats of this breed, you need to know about which foods can harm your pet. People can feed cats, the pets are overweight.This should not be done until the cat is over a year and a half.
If the weather is hot outside, then the appetite of cats deteriorates. At home, you need to provide proper care for pets of this breed. So, the diet for thoroughbred Maine Coons must be selected taking into account all the rules.
The main thing is not to harm the kitten and study all the rules of feeding. Thanks to the care of the owners, cats will look good, they will not have problems with the intestines and digestive system.
For an overview of food for the Maine Coon breed, see below.