Nutrition and care of a growing kitten

Welcoming a new kitten into your family is a rewarding yet responsible decision. In this genius tips article, we're here to guide you through ensuring their well-being and providing proper nutrition.

Growth Curve and weight monitoring
An important aspect when caring for a growing kitten is the active monitoring of its growth curve, which includes tracking progress in terms of both size and weight.
Regular weight monitoring allows for adjustments in food intake, ensuring that your kitten's nutritional needs are met.
Below are some useful tips to following when weighing your pet.

Frequency for weighing your kitten:

• Daily, during the first two weeks of life
• Every other day, until the end of the first month of life
• Once a week, until the second/third month of life
• Every two weeks until the kitten reaches six months
• At least once a month, after the six months mark

For uniform and comparable data:

• Try weighing your cat before meals, preferably at the same time of day.
• Create a weight table, considering the date, the time the weighing was carried out and, of course, the weight.

The methods for weighing the pet may differ depending on its temperament or size. For example, small calm cats can be easily weighed on a kitchen scale, while more restless ones can be weighed by using a bathroom scale with a 'tare'. For detailed guidance on correct pet weighing, refer to our dedicated article "Evaluating and monitoring your pet’s weight". 

You can easily track your pet's weight and growth curve by using the Farmina Genius APP or enrolling in the Farmina Pet Care Program.

The right nutrition for your kitten
Selecting the right food for your kitten ensures their health and well-being.
Let see some of the most common available options: 

High-quality commercial food: These products have clear strengths, such as providing sufficient nutritional intake, maintaining accurate nutritional balance, and offering the convenience of easy rationing.

Balanced home-made diet: This option offers excellent palatability, the possibility of varying nutrient sources, satisfying our pet's sense of satiety and customizing the diet. 
However, it is important to consider some critical factors, above all the need to rebalance the diet monthly and the risk of nutritional imbalances if not carefully managed. Since the needs of a growing kitten are very specific, many variables must be considered (such as the growth curve, breed, activity levels etc..) which can’t be easily measured without the help of an expert in pet nutrition. When opting for this route, it is always best to check with your trusted vet.
Moreover, this option requires great time in the preparation, and in the long run is a less cost efficient option compared to high-quality commercial diets, when considering all the needed ingredients to create a well-balanced nutrition plan.

Thanks to Farmina's undisputed quality and Farmina Pet Care Services, all the advantages of a balanced home diet can also be found in a “commercial diet” combined with a personalized consultancy service and dynamic rations tailored to your kitten's needs.

Above all, it is essential to avoid opting for low-quality commercial food, as it can lead to irregular growth and nutritional imbalances that may pose a threat to the kitten's health.

What is the best choice for a kitten?
When it comes to selecting the ideal food for our kittens, there are a few key characteristics we should consider:

• High energy density for rapid growth support: Our little furry friends need a high calorie intake to support their rapid growth. 
• High protein content for muscular development. High-quality protein is essential for the muscular development and general health of kittens. 
• High digestibility for efficient nutrient absorption, meaning the food should be easily digestible to promote the effective uptake of nutrients, supporting healthy growth.
• A correct balance of minerals and other nutrients.

In addition to meeting these essential characteristics, Farmina provides the extra benefit of the Farmina Pet Care Program. With the assistance of expert consultants, you will get personalized advice and a dynamic nutrition plan designed to adapt to your pet’s evolving needs. 

How to feed your Kitten
When it comes to feeding our cat, there are some important considerations to bear in mind.
First, it is worth knowing that cats tend to have small, frequent meals throughout the day, up to 15 to 16 over a 24-hour period. This behavior is natural, and we should try to respect this when managing our cat's diet.

Here are some useful guidelines for feeding your cat:

• Give the ration all at once: It is a common practice to give the cat its daily ration in one go. This approach can work well for many cats, especially if they are used to one meal per day. The cat will then regulate itself by reaching for the bowl when it feels like it most.
• Offer a teaspoon of wet food during family meals: Some cats enjoy social interaction during human meals. Offering a small portion of wet food could help in avoiding inconvenient food requests and being fed table scraps.
• Check for overindulgence:  Pay attention to signs that could indicate an excess of food in the bowl: If your cat tends to empty it immediately, keep an eye on the volume because if excessive it could lead to frequent regurgitation. In cases like these you may consider dividing the daily ration into several meals. Remember, your cat's obsessive search for food once he is an adult cannot always be attributed to too little rationing but could be due to other factors. Try increasing the volume of food without varying the calorie intake by introducing a wet portion or choosing a lower energy density food such as one of our Neutered or Quinoa Weight Management foods.
• Provide the correct food: Opt for high-quality food, specially formulated to meet your kitten's needs. Make sure that the food you choose is specific to your kitten's growth and well-being.
• Feed the appropriate amounts: It is essential to provide the right amount of food for your kitten. You can follow the rationing tables on all food packages or try Farmina's free consultation service for a more precise and customized rationing according to your cat's specific needs.

Don’t forget water
Hydration is essential for many metabolic processes, but particularly for the cat's urinary system. In some cases, it can act as a prevention of kidney and urinary diseases to which this species is particularly prone.

Find out how much water your cat needs to drink by downloading the FarminaGenius APP and entering your four-legged friend's data. 

Remember, water must always be fresh, clean, and available to your pet to keep him hydrated and healthy.
Here are some useful tips to encourage your cat to drink more:

• Use a bowl of the correct size and change it often.
• Most cats prefer fresh running water: if your cat does not drink from the bowl, consider buying a cat fountain.
• Cats do not usually like to drink and prefer taking water with the food they ingest. Try including wet food in the diet to promote better hydration.
• Cats usually prefer not to have food and water in the same place, precisely to avoid contamination of the latter. If your cat drinks very little and you have followed all the other precautions, try keeping the food and water in different places.

Conclusion
Proper meal management is crucial for developing a healthy relationship between your kitten and food.
If you have any doubts about the correct diet for your kitten, get in touch with a Farmina Nutrition Consultant below!

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