How Often Do Kittens Eat? Understanding Your Feisty Feline

Cats can be particularly picky when it comes to the foods that they like.

As a pet parent, it is good to be concerned about your kitty's health and do everything you can to protect it. Portion control is just as important for animals as it is for humans, and, if you are thinking of adopting a new kitten, the right foods and a solid feeding schedule are of the utmost importance.

Did you know that tiny kittens can feed up to four times in a single day? For more facts and tips about your new fur baby, read on!

If you enjoy this article, why not also check out when do kittens calm down and when do kittens' eyes change color.

How often should you feed kittens?

While having a new kitten in the household may be a dream come true, you may find yourself wondering how often you should feed your kitten.

Such questions about the nutritional needs of a new kitten are not uncommon among new pet parents. In fact, it is extremely important that, if you are thinking of adopting a kitten that is 12 weeks old or younger, you know exactly when and how much you should be feeding your little feline friend. The things that make for a healthy kitten are neither innate, nor do they remain uniform for all kittens across the world. It is therefore important that you have a trusted veterinarian who can be reached at all times.

When you do separate an animal from its mother, a kitten's main source of nutrition is taken away. This is why you will want to contact a veterinarian who can advise you on the number of meals that your kitten should be getting and a feeding schedule that will promote a healthy weight and growth. These factors are usually decided by the veterinarian once all concerns that your kitten might not be healthy have been eliminated. Once a veterinary practitioner is convinced that your kitten is completely healthy and free of any parasites, a complete and balanced meal plan can be put in place for feeding your kitten.

Kitten food can come in the form of dry food or wet, canned food. While your kitten may choose one or the other, only a veterinarian will be able to tell if either is suitable for the kitten's diet. Ideally, kittens that are younger than six months of age are given 3-4 meals a day. Such a meal plan and frequency of feeding makes sure that the kitten's weight is managed and that it grows to be a healthy adult cat. Growing kittens usually need to be eating several times throughout the day in order to make sure that their body has the right amount of nutrition needed for proper growth.

What type of food should you give them?

There can be a number of choices at the supermarket when it comes to the cat food you buy for your kitten.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that the pet food that you do end up buying is of great quality and has the right amount of nutrients to keep your kitten in good health. Kittens that are younger than six months of age are usually given wet food, since it is easier for the tiny animal to eat such food. Some kitten food may make young kittens put on a lot of weight, but cheap products do not supply the much-needed nutrition that a kitten's mother's milk would. In order to make sure that your kitten's weight gain and health are maintained, and that any nutritional needs are also met, consider investing in good quality food for your pet. One factor to look out for is to see if the food that you have been giving your pets is approved by the AAFCO.

Additionally, the choice between dry food and canned food can be dependent on what a veterinary practitioner thinks is best for a kitten's diet, what your kitten prefers to be fed, and also upon your own lifestyle. If you are at home to make sure that the bowl can be cleaned after all feedings, wet food should be your product of choice. However, if you spend a lot of time, away dry food would be a much better of a choice.

It is also useful to remember that cats have a better life expectancy if they feed on milk from their mother when they are young. If you happen to have adopted a cat while it is less than 12 weeks old, feeding it some milk replacement solution will make sure that it is provided with proper nutrition and nurturing during the early stages of its life!

How often do newborn kittens eat?

Young kittens eat rather often since they are in an intense growth period. Until the age of about six months old, kittens gain a lot of weight.

This also means that their schedule mostly consists of eating, until they are an adult cat. As you can tell, you will have to feed your kitten way more when it has turned into an adult cat. A newborn kitten can feed on pet food or milk replacement (veterinary medicine) as much as 3-4 times a day!

While it might sound a little absurd that such a small animal has to eat so much to maintain a healthy weight, the first few weeks are the most crucial, since this is when your pets is gradually building up their strength and stamina.

Comparison With How Often Puppies Eat

Since puppies tend to be slightly larger than kittens, depending upon the breed, feeding puppies is slightly more labor intensive. Puppies usually feed on their pet food 4-5 times a day!

While both animals require more or less the same number of meals throughout the day, dog food is very different to cat food. This is because cats and dogs grow up to be different sizes and have different nutritional requirements. However, both kinds of pet foods should ideally be approved by the AAFCO if you are thinking of buying any!

Did You Know!

When adopting a new kitten, it is important to set up a new room and a litter box. Freshwater should always be kept near a cat to make sure that it is not dehydrated!

You should always have a nice veterinarian who you can contact in case of an emergency.

The idea that cats like to be fed milk is quite wrong. A cat's stomach is in fact incapable of digesting milk. Cow's milk will inevitably give your friend diarrhea!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how often do kittens eat then why not take a look at when do kittens start pooping, or Black-Footed Cat facts?