How to feed a pregnant cat?

Each caring owner will ask himself how to feed a cat so that she feels well and can bring healthy offspring. In fact, this question is not so simple - you need to take care of a complete diet, the animal should be enough nutrients, minerals and vitamins. Consider how to properly feed the expectant mother, which products she can give, and which should be excluded and other interesting information.

How to calculate the amount of feed?

Experts say that in this case there are no unequivocal recommendations, since the portion size of a pregnant cat directly depends on its weight and breed. Therefore, you must initially calculate how much stomach the animal has - it is easy to do. The size is equal to the cat’s brush (this is the end of the paw), after the cat eats, the stomach doubles. Based on these parameters, it is necessary to calculate the portion size.

A pregnant cat needs more food — moreover, it is necessary to “catch up” not with an increase in portions, but with the frequency of feeding. The best option: measure the amount of food that the animal consumes in the early stages of pregnancy, and calculate the size based on the following rules:

7-14 day - increase by about 10% (monitor the condition of the animal).

from 21 days - by 50%.

from day 28 - we leave the same amount of food, but the food will need to be broken into small portions so that the cat eats more often.

Important: no need to increase serving size! So you can harm your pet. Veterinarians argue that it is necessary to increase the number of meals. For example, if previously a cat ate 2 times a day, now it is advisable to feed her 4 times a day. This is an average norm.

If in the later stages your pet does not want to eat anything at all - get ready, this is a quick harbinger of childbirth.

Can I give dry food to a pregnant cat?

This is a moot point. If the animal used to eat exclusively dry food, then you should not change your usual diet. You can add natural, healthy food - it will only be better, but it’s better to leave the main food as the main food.

At the same time, it is important for the owner to monitor the quality of the feed - it is better to buy a premium class, today there are even specialized feeds for pregnant cats. Do not forget that you need to monitor the amount of food absorbed, because the food in the stomach tends to swell in half, and an improperly selected portion can lead to digestive problems. It is also important that your pet always has clean water available.

Important! If a cat eats food during pregnancy, it is not necessary to give it special vitamin supplements. An overabundance of minerals and vitamins is just as harmful as their lack.

A certain category of breeds - Scots, British, Persian cats are quite problematic in nutrition. It is necessary to ensure that a sufficient amount of vitamin D is present in their diet. The best option is to consult with the breeder, he will specifically tell you how to properly feed one or another breed, as well as about the features of the diet.

What can an unbalanced diet lead to?

If you do not make sure that the pet has the right nutrition during pregnancy, a sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins - this can negatively affect the future offspring of the cat.Kittens may have problems with the musculoskeletal system, which will lead to delays in overall development.

Consider the relationship between the deficiency of certain substances in the diet during pregnancy, as well as the possible consequences for kittens:

1. With a lack of minerals in the offspring, there will be a deficiency of the necessary elements for the formation of bone tissue, and this can provoke rickets in kittens.
2. With a lack of salts, tooth problems will be observed.
3. With a lack of vitamins, kittens can have problems with the central nervous system, growth retardation, as well as congenital malformations, can be observed.
4. A lack of proteins, as well as amino acids, can lead to miscarriage, as these are the most important materials that are needed for the construction of new organs.

Based on the foregoing, we can only say one thing: if you find out that your pet is in position, you need to carefully consider the diet, portions. And you need to take care of this from the first weeks of pregnancy - already at that time significant changes begin to occur in the cat's body.

We compose a daily diet

Let's consider what foods to feed a cat so that she feels well and can give you healthy offspring:

• chicken, boiled beef, broth;
• boiled chicken egg - twice a week;
• low-fat dairy products - cottage cheese, sour cream, natural cottage cheese, milk;
• cereals - oatmeal, buckwheat, rice;
• raw or boiled vegetables;
• beets or fatty foods - only if your pet suffers from constipation;
• jelly, boiled cartilage.

Not every cat will be happy to absorb boiled vegetables. Therefore, you can outwit her - chop them together with meat in a blender. The ideal option is to add a little cereal to the same place.

Nevertheless, despite such a rich diet, this is not enough, since not all useful elements are absorbed. Therefore, it is important to visit a vet shop and purchase there special vitamin complexes for pregnant cats.

How to choose vitamins?

So, your pet eats only natural food, and you decided to go to the nearest store in order to buy her a supplement. Here you also need to be careful - far from always popular and expensive means quality. Pay attention to the composition, there should be present:

1. Proteins Necessary for the formation of tissues, a sufficient amount of milk, as well as the normal development of offspring. Proteins are the same proteins that are vital for the cat to be able to tolerate offspring normally.
2. Taurine. Also an important element for pregnant women - when it is deficient, pregnancy can fail, kittens can die inside the cat’s womb, cases of the development of pathology in the offspring, as well as all kinds of physical defects, have been noted.
3. Linoleic and arachidonic acids are necessary to prevent intrauterine death, and if they are deficient, the cat may even remain infertile.
4. Phosphorus and calcium - play an important role in the normal development of joints, bones, teeth. With calcium deficiency, eclampsia can occur.
5. Vitamins of group B, A, as well as vitamin D.
6. Iron, copper - are needed in order to prevent anemia, but it is important not to overdo it. Too much can lead to constipation.

Important! No need to be zealous, believing that the more the better. Hypervitaminosis is as bad as vitamin deficiency. Therefore, the best option: take blood tests and find out specifically what substances are missing in the body of your pet.

More About Natural Nutrition

Above, we examined what products and in what quantities it is necessary to feed a kitty. Now let's find out what beneficial substances they contain.

1. Meat products. Experts say that before giving the cat meat, it must be pre-processed, or kept in the freezer - in order to avoid infection with helminths. Beef, veal, poultry - all this should be present in the diet of pregnant women, since these products are the main source of protein, which acts as the basis for the synthesis of new body tissues.
2. A fish. Many experts recommend abandoning fish during this period completely, but it is sometimes useful to arrange a holiday for your pet. In no case do not give it raw! Only boil and carefully sort so that there are no seeds. Fish are also sources of protein.
3. Milk products. Cottage cheese and yogurt are products that must be present “on the table” in the animal. They contain calcium, which is important for the formation of bones, teeth, claws.
4. Cereals. There is still debate about this. Experts say that they should be present in the diet, explaining that cereals are present in the body of victims who eat cats in the wild. In principle, this is a logical explanation, so you do not need to completely abandon them.

Video: how to feed a dog or cat during pregnancy?