Best Cat Food for Nursing Cats – Our Top 5 Picks
| Food | Price |
| Nutro Kitten Soft Loaf Chicken Recipe Gr ... | $1.06 / 3 oz can |
| Nature’s Variety Instinct Kitten Grain-F ... | $1.79 / 5.5 oz can |
| Wellness CORE Kitten Turkey & Chicken Li ... | $1.52 / 5.5 oz can |
| Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Healthy Kit ... | $1.14 / 5 oz can |
What is the best food for a nursing cat?
- A protein-packed, highly-digestible food
- Meat-based
- Calorie-dense
What is the best canned food for a nursing cat?
- Chicken is the first ingredient
- Meat-based, carnivore-appropriate food
- Low carbohydrate content
- No carrageenan
What should you feed your cat as she is nursing kittens?
Nursing mother cats usually do well on commercial foods made for kittens. Dry and moist foods are both suitable. While nursing, they require foods with elevated levels of protein, just like developing kittens, hence the need to temporarily stay away from adult formulas. Extra protein isn't the only necessity for feeding nursing cats.
How much cat food should you feed a pregnant cat?
Specifically, here are nutritional priorities:
- Increased energy from calories for the growth of kittens and milk production for the mother
- Increased protein for growth and development of the kittens
- Increased fat to meet the high demand for calories of the mother
- Increased calcium and phosphorus for bone growth of kittens and milk production of their mother
What do you feed a cat after giving birth?
Make sure you are feeding her a high-quality canned kitten food, supplemented with KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement). These specially formulated foods ensure that a nursing, postpartum mother cat gets the nutrients she needs.
What can I give my cat to help her produce more milk?
To boost milk production if she doesn't have an appetite, you may be able to entice her to eat by making some of her own kitten gruel or mixing wet food into her usual dry food. Sometimes the strong smell of moist food encourages felines to eat.
How much food should a nursing cat eat?
The exact amount of food a nursing cat needs will vary in proportion to its litter size. Cats nursing more than two kittens typically need 2 to 2.5 times more calories than usual. A 10-pound cat nursing 4 kittens needs approximately 603 calories per day.
What should I feed my pregnant cat and nursing cat?
A highly-digestible, high quality kitten/growth/development formulation is generally recommended during feline pregnancy. The best options are those diets that have passed feeding trials for gestation/lactation or for all life stages.
How often should I feed my cat after giving birth?
Kittens will nurse every 1-3 hours for the first three weeks. Only when they hit four or five weeks old will they be ready to start weaning off mom and onto wet food.
How do I know if my cat has enough milk for her kittens?
The best way to determine if your cat is producing milk is by observing the kittens. Newborns spend long hours nursing - up to 8 hours per day - with sessions lasting up to 45 minutes. When the mother's milk is being let down, the kittens will each latch onto a preferred nipple and stay there.
Why is my nursing cat so skinny?
Nursing. Pregnant cats lose weight after giving birth. However, their nutritional needs increase dramatically. Energy needs can be two to three times normal, depending on litter size, in order to produce the milk supply that will support the offspring.
Is tuna good for pregnant cats?
Harmful Foods Your Cat Should Never Eat: Tuna, Milk, Raw Fish, and More.
Can I give tuna to my cat?
So, can cats eat tuna? Tuna is not nutritionally balanced and should not be fed as a large part of your cat's meal plan. Even giving canned tuna as a treat can lead to health issues, especially if it is given in large amounts or frequently.
Is chicken good for pregnant cats?
Protein is one of the most vital nutrients for pregnant cats, but not all protein is made equal. Make sure it comes from animal sources, such as chicken, turkey, or fish, and that one of these is the first listed ingredient.
Why is my nursing cat so hungry?
Increased energy and fat are important because pregnant and nursing cats have extremely high energy needs. Nursing is the most energy-demanding stage of a cat's life. Nursing cats have 2 to 6 times the energy requirements of a healthy adult cat.
Should pregnant cats eat kitten food?
A high-quality kitten food will provide all the necessary nutrients when feeding your pregnant cat. Start weaning her onto it from mating until a few weeks after giving birth, to keep her strong and give her the energy she needs to support her new kittens.
How much water does a nursing cat need?
The nutritional composition of cat milk is approximately 10.8% fat, 10.6% protein, 3.7% sugar, and 1.0% ash. That means that it’s about 73.9% water. Every time she feeds her kittens, your cat loses water.
What do mama cats need?
Mama cats have an increased requirement for calcium and phosphorus to support the kittens’ bone development. What you feed your mother cat will also feed the kittens. As kittens grow, they require elevated levels of key minerals and other nutrients to stay healthy.
How many calories should I give my cat?
A 10-lb cat with 4 kittens needs about 600 calories a day. If she weighs 15 lbs, that number would increase to over 800 daily calories. A very large cat weighing 20 lbs might need over 1,000 calories per day. Your cat will almost inevitably lose her kitten weight during this period, and that’s healthy.
What to do if your kitten is skinny?
If the kittens are unusually skinny, vocal, or both, you might need to give them a nutritional boost by giving them kitten milk replacer. Make sure that you use a formula made for kittens.
How often do kittens nurse?
Newborn kittens do two things—nurse and sleep. They nurse every one to two hours, day and night. For the mother providing this nutrition, nursing is a physically and emotionally demanding time. She needs rich, high-calorie food to nourish both herself and the babies.
Do nursing cats need water?
Nursing cats require plenty of water. Mama cats have an increased requirement for calcium and phosphorus to support the kittens’ bone development. Just like when she was pregnant, kitten food is the best source of calorie-dense, concentrated nutrition for your lactating queen.
Can a lactating cat eat dry food?
Because a lactating cat will want to eat throughout the day, it’s common to opt to free-feed her dry food. While dry cat food is calorie- dense and easy to feed, it’s not the ideal source of nutrition for your lactating cat. Dry food is typically lower in protein than wet food and it’s inherently water-depleted.
How to feed a pregnant cat?
How should these foods be fed to pregnant or nursing cats? 1 Pregnant cats: Feed the suggested amount on the packaging. Continue to feed a kitten food to the mother until her kittens are weaned. 2 Nursing cats: Leave food available for the mother at all times after the kittens are born. This will ultimately help to wean the kittens to a regular food and provide the mother with high-energy food she will need during this time.
How should pregnant cats be fed?
How should these foods be fed to pregnant or nursing cats? Pregnant cats: Feed the suggested amount on the packaging. Continue to feed a kitten food to the mother until her kittens are weaned. Nursing cats: Leave food available for the mother at all times after the kittens are born.
Why are kittens high in protein?
Increased protein for growth and development of the kittens. Increased fat to meet the high demand for calories of the mother. Increased calcium and phosphorus for bone growth of kittens and milk production of their mother. High digestibility to provide more calories in a smaller amount of food.
How long does it take for a cat to be pregnant?
Typical gestation (pregnancy) averages 63-65 days. 2 We recommend that you see a veterinarian weekly during pregnancy and nursing to assess weight and food intake. Please speak with your veterinarian to determine how often your cat should be examined during pregnancy and after the birth of her kittens.
What is the most energy-demanding stage of a cat's life?
Nursing is the most energy-demanding stage of a cat’s life. Nursing cats have 2 to 6 times the energy requirements of a healthy adult cat.
Can you feed a pregnant cat Hill's Science Diet?
It is extremely important to feed your pregnant or nursing cat a food that provides the increased nutrition she needs. We recommend feeding Hill’s® Science Diet® Kitten Food formulas as soon as you discover your cat is pregnant. These formulas are rich in essential nutrients and support development of the kittens during pregnancy.
When to feed a pregnant cat?
Switch her to a wet kitten food at about the midpoint of her pregnancy, which is around the 5th week. As her kittens grow, your cat will eat smaller portions of food, but she’ll want to eat more frequently, ...
How long does it take for a cat to eat kitten food?
A cat’s pregnancy typically lasts from 58–70 days. Plan to switch your queen to the nutritious kitten food by about the 5th week (35 days).
What is a pregnant cat called?
A pregnant cat is referred to as a “queen.”. Thanks! Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. Throughout your cat’s pregnancy and nursing, make sure that she always has access to clean, fresh water.
Why is it important for a cat to eat calcium after giving birth?
It’s important that your mother cat consumes food containing plenty of calcium shortly after giving birth. Calci um will increase the mother’s milk production , which in turn will encourage bone growth in the developing kittens. Check the nutritional information on canned cat foods to find one that is high in calcium.
When can you transition a cat back to adult food?
However, once the kittens have weaned (usually around 6–10 weeks after birth), you can transition the mother cat back to an adult food.
How to help a cat gain weight after giving birth?
Give the cat a dish of this food three times daily, spaced at regular intervals . If you notice the cat continuing to gain weight after giving birth, you may need to cut back on the food.
How long does a cat stay in heat?
The cat will remain in heat for about 10 to 14 days. If your female cat is in heat and is allowed to go outside, she’ll attempt to attract and mate with male cats. Naturally, there is a high chance that she’ll become pregnant because cats are spontaneous ovulators.
Ingredients
To help you accurately compare the benefits of various foods, it’s a good idea to learn how to read a pet food label and what ingredients are found in pet diets. Americans spent over $100 billion on their pets last year which means the competition for your cat food dollars is fierce.
Bag Size
If your mother cat is eating 2-3 times the amount of food she usually would, you’re going to be buying a lot of food.
Ease of Purchase
If you lead a hectic, over-scheduled life, you may not have time to make a separate trip to your veterinarian or the pet store to buy cat food. Online pet food delivery is an option but if shipments are delayed or damaged you may find yourself needing to pick up an emergency bag of cat food.
What is the best food for a lactating cat?
A lactating cat should be given high-protein food that is energy-dense and rich in vitamins and minerals. The best type of food for mama cats is kitten food because it is rich in essential nutrients and supports the development of the kittens. Canned kitten food is also highly-digestible and provides calcium and phosphorus ...
When should kittens start eating solid food?
This is because the kittens are consuming more of the mama cat’s food as they approach the weaning stage. At about four weeks old, the kittens may be gradually transitioned to solid food although vets recommend that they should drink their mother’s milk until they are nine weeks old.
How many calories should a cat eat a day?
In terms of calories a 10-pound cat nursing at least four kittens should have more or less 603 calories each day, and a 15-pound cat with at least four kittens should eat at least 851 calories per day.
Why do cats lose weight during lactation?
More weight is lost during the lactation phase because they are continuously feeding their kittens. Nursing cats should eat energy-dense food to sustain milk production, body condition, and weight. The calorie needs of mother cats are affected by certain characteristics of the kittens such as their size and their age.
Can you give flea treatments to a mama cat?
Be sure to give flea treatments to the mama cat but not to the kittens. If the mama cat decides to move her kittens, just let her be but see to it that it is a safe area for them. You should bring the mama cat to the vet a week after she has given birth. You should also bring the kittens so they will also be checked.
When is the peak food requirement for a cat?
The peak food requirement for mama cats is during the sixth to the seventh week after childbirth.
Is canned food good for kittens?
Canned kitten food is also highly-digestible and provides calcium and phosphorus that are good for kittens’ bone development. Mama cats should also have all-day access to dry food or kibble which should be mixed with a little water to moisten it.
A Nursing Cats Nutritional Requirements
A nursing cat has some extreme energy demands on her body. Not only does she need to maintain her own internal functions and body condition, but she also needs to produce milk that can support the rapid and healthy growth and development of her kittens.
Kitten Food is Best for Nursing Cats
So, we can see that a nursing mother needs a diet that provides her with much more energy and vitamins and minerals. Her regular diet will not suffice. Fortunately, this diet can be provided for her by simply feeding her kitten formulated food.
How Much Food Does a Nursing Cat Need?
In addition to a higher energy diet, she may need to generally eat more food than she used to. As cat owners, we are all used to setting set schedules and feeding amounts, but for your nursing cat, you should not look to restrict this.
Why do nursing cats need protein?
A nursing cat will need lots of protein to keep herself healthy, and to provide nutrition to her kittens. Quality cat food will normally provide enough protein. However, if her kittens are especially noisy or mobile, it can be a sign that the mother is not getting enough protein.
How to keep a pregnant cat from losing weight?
Mother cats will typically lose weight while nursing their kittens. To prevent the cat from losing too much weight, you should begin feeding her more than normal in the final third of her pregnancy.
Why do cats move their kittens around?
In the wild, mother cats may move their kittens around frequently as a way to protect them from predators. Don’t be alarmed if your cat wants to pick her kittens up and move them to a different location, as long as it is a safe one. Socialize the kittens. At first, your cat will be very protective of her kittens.
How to treat fleas on kittens?
If you do see fleas on the kittens, give them a bath in a solution of mild, non-antibacterial dishwashing liquid and warm water.
Can you feed cat milk to kittens?
Commercial cat milk replacements are available, however, and can be fed to kittens using a bottle, dropper, or other method. Talk to your veterinarian if you are concerned about the kittens’ nutrition, and for milk replacement recommendations if necessary.
Do nursing cats have special needs?
Nursing cats aren’t that different from any other cat, but they do have a few special needs. Ensuring that yours has adequate food and a safe place to nest are primary concerns. In addition, you should closely monitor the health of a nursing cat and her kittens to ensure that everyone is progressing well. Steps.
Can kittens have flea treatments?
However, flea treatments should be given only to the mother, and never to the kittens. Typical flea treatments are not intended for young kittens. If you want recommendations on how to deal with a flea problem, contact a veterinarian.
What to feed a nursing mother cat
If you’ve just given birth to kittens and your veterinarian has recommended a special diet for a nursing mother cat, then you might find yourself wondering what to feed a nursing mother cat.
Conclusion
We all know how important it is for mothers to eat healthy food. The same goes for cats. A nursing mother cat should eat a high-quality, nutrient-dense diet that helps her produce milk in adequate volumes.
